Wrench & Rodent’s Sustainable Seafood Shack Lands on the Oceanside Pier

Just in time for breezy summertime strolls, the Brine Box has opened at the end of the 1,942-foot-long Oceanside Pier, the longest on the West Coast. Operating out of a 109-square-foot kiosk, its menu is designed to be mobile, although there’s some bench seating nearby.

Created by Jessica and Davin Waite, two undisputed leaders of the Oceanside food scene, it joins the Waite’s growing stable of neighborhood restaurants that includes Wrench & Rodent Seabasstropub, Shootz Fish & Beer, and the Plot, the couple’s vegan spot that’s expanding to Carlsbad and Costa Mesa later this summer.

Hannah Guthman

Although it’s inspired by a “chippy”, an informal fish-and-chip shop often found on the English seaside, the Brine Box’s menu is decidedly San Diegan, continuing the Waite’s adherence to the zero-waste, sustainable seafood movement.

Local halibut is beer-battered for their version of fish and chips, served with crispy fries and classic mushy peas and a seared fish of the day tops the “sea-animal fries” made in the style of In-N-Out Burger.

There are also salads, served with seared garlic-ponzu albacore or sustainably-farmed jumbo prawns grilled and tossed in a Korean barbecue sauce, as well as a Spam, egg, and cheese sandwich on a milk bread bun with anchovy aioli. Expect raw fish dishes and vegan options along with frequent specials featuring seasonal catch from area waters.

Hannah Guthman