Halligan's 4 Fish restaurant began as a dream to own and operate a small business. My desire was to provide a menu emphasizing fresh seafood items prepared in a style with both the West and East coasts in mind. After extensive consultations with suppliers and months of trial and error testing, I finally settled on a menu. Live items included Maine lobsters, Blue Point oysters, Little Neck and Cherry Stone clams. Fresh fish included salmon, halibut, local white sea bass, trout, yellow tail, shark, red snapper, scallops and local caught swordfish.
The site of the restaurant was originally an oceanfront dirt and sand lot at 4325 Ocean Boulevard in the San Diego community of Pacific Beach. Construction of the restaurant began in May, 1977 and was completed by the end of the year. Halligan's 4 Fish opened to the public on Monday, January 30, 1978. The March 9, 1978 issue of the San Diego Reader contained a review of the restaurant which is reproduced below.
Now, with the offering of Halligan's Special Seasoning and Gourmet Rub, the dream continues.