Review: Feeling 22 at 167 Raw

I took a little hiatus from reviewing, but I’m back and I’m another year older (and hopefully wiser). Last week I turned 22 and I had mixed feelings about it because I feel like 21 is more my aesthetic (and I have to change the header on my website); but I bet 22 will bring exciting things! I started off 22 strong with dinner at 167 Raw, which I’ve been wanting to go to for a while now. It was definitely worth the wait and the seafood was as fresh as advertised.

the vibes

It’s a very small restaurant, so we got there early (around 5:30). I’ve heard there’s usually a wait, so I wanted to get ahead of the crowd. Sitting at the bar is like dinner and a show; watching the oysters being shucked and the drinks being poured. I could smell the fresh horseradish used in the cocktail sauce and to my delight I didn’t smell anything fishy (stay with me folks).

all the apps

We wanted to treat ourselves, so we got a bottle of the house white wine, which was reasonably priced at $29 and gave us the buzz we were looking for. After sipping for a little bit, we dove right into the appetizers. We got the ahi poke and the ceviche (which changes on a daily basis). The ceviche had tender halibut, bright citrus flavors, and a hint of spice. The crispy tortilla chips were a perfect vehicle for it and we took it down in minutes. The poke had a lot less punch than the ceviche, but the ahi tuna was very fresh. Overall, I thought the poke just tasted like fish and soy sauce, very simple, but not enough going on for me.

show me the lobstah!

For the entrees, we wanted to split a few things. Without us even asking, they split our lobster roll and fish sandwich in half, so we didn’t have to awkwardly cut it ourselves/ fight over the bigger half of the lobster roll. I’ve heard people rave about the lobster roll, and it lived up to the hype. It had just enough mayo to coat the lobster, a buttery, crunchy bun, and a slight sweetness from the lobster that hit all the notes I was looking for.

The biggest surprise of the night was the complexity of the fish sandwich we had. I overheard our server talking about how it was his favorite item on the menu right now, so I knew I had to try it. The pastrami swordfish sandwich featured swordfish rubbed in pastrami spices, arugula, dijonnaise, swiss cheese, all nestled in a pumpernickel bun. The meaty swordfish stood up to the strong pastrami spices and even though my grandma wouldn’t approve of mixing seafood and cheese; it really worked.

Even though the lobster roll was phenomenal, I would order the fish sandwich over it every time. I hope they have it another time when I go back. I also want to try the different varieties of oysters when I go back , because it’s so interesting how they rank them by salinity and I would love to see if I can tell the difference between each one. It’s kind of like getting a flight of beer, but with oysters. If you’re looking for fresh seafood, 167 Raw is the place to go!