Pismo Fish & Chips serves up king crab legs.
Original customers are now bringing their grandkids
—Any trip to the beach is incomplete without a bowl of clam chowder or a plate of fresh fish and chips. It seems like restaurants are opening and closing at an alarming pace, but Pismo Fish and Chips has been an institution in Pismo Beach since the early 1960s. It started when the Zechner family immigrated to America from Holland in 1959. They did odd jobs around town and even received help from a local church. With $500 Ann Zechner opened a fresh fish market across from where the restaurant still sits. She had no experience running a fish market, but that didn’t matter. It was a success!
Her husband, Zack Zechner, who was helping in the market, found a wallet nearby with $900 inside (for context the minimum wage was $1.00 per hour in 1962). He immediately called the man who had lost his wallet. Of course, the man was grateful and offered a large reward, but Zack refused. The man turned out to be the local bank president, and he told Zack to call if he ever needed help.
Well, the Zechner’s did need help. They wanted to open a restaurant, but couldn’t raise the money they needed. They tried everything with no success until Zack contacted the bank president who gave them the loan even though they didn’t qualify for it. Zack’s good deed paid off because they opened Pismo Fish and Chips in 1963 with that loan, and the rest is history.
Little has changed inside the restaurant since 1963. The mural of Holland is still on the wall, and diners sit in cozy booths. Many of the employees have been there for decades, and the recipes that people lined up for in the 1960s are the same recipes that are served today.
The restaurant stayed in the family until 2014 when Karishma and Arpan Smith bought it. The Smiths appreciate the rich history of the restaurant and are dedicated to keeping it the same as it’s always been. Karishma Smith said, “Every day we hear stories from our customers about how they have been coming here since the 60s or 70s and now they bring in their grandkids. It has become a family tradition to come here every time they are in Pismo and they have so many memories built in this place over the years.”
The Smiths keep the menu current with their new specials, but the traditional menu relies on the recipes from the 1960s. Karishma states, “We are known for our Wild Caught Alaskan Cod Fish and Chips. Each order is hand cut and hand dipped in our signature tempura style batter and made fresh per order.” Of course, the menu has more than just fish and chips. Diners can have a bowl of chowder, a hamburger, a salad, grilled fish, or even crab legs and lobster. They have a little bit of everything!
Stop by and taste a little bit of Pismo Beach history on your next trip!
Pismo Fish and Chips, located at 505 Cypress Street in Pismo Beach, is open Tuesday-Sunday from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. For more information or to order online visit pismofishandchips.com or call (805) 773-2853.
—Karen Lycan
