I’ve written a couple of times about FishScale, the restaurant in Shaw that serves fish burgers. It is a favorite place of mine. The last time I went I was surprised to see that burgers were no longer on the menu. But the food was just as good, if not better.

I first wrote about Fish Scale back in 2019, when I stumbled across the place while waiting for an nearby event to start. The restaurant is still owned by Kristal, and her brother, Brendon is still the chef.

And the restaurant still features sustainable, wild caught fish. The only thing that has changes is how the fish is served. Originally, the restaurant only had fish burgers. As I wrote in 2023m fried fish and fish “cheesesteaks” were added to the menu. The new thing (at least to me) are the sandwiches. Instead of a burger, you get a filet of fish. As before, you choose the fish from the catch of the day (which varies), the condiment you want, and a side.

I chose the salmon with mumbo sauce, a sweet and tangy sauce local to DC. The fish can be either broiled or fried; I went with fried. Wanting some veggies, I ordered the grilled summer vegetables. Other side options include corn pudding, collard greens, and Japanese sweet potatoes.

The fish was amazing! It was flaky and tender, and being in filet form gave it a lot of texture. This texture is lost when the fish is shaped into a burger. It’s a great improvement and I cannot recommend it enough. The vegetables were also tender. I was pleasantly surprised by the seasoning; it had a mild soy taste. I liked the Asian flavor, but I was not expecting it.

FishScale remains one of my favorite restaurants in DC, and having fish sandwiches has made it even better.