Having opened its first location in Plano 20 years ago, Rockfish Seafood Grill has dialed in its menu since its beginnings as a Boston-inspired, hole-in-the wall restaurant.

With 11 locations sprawled across the state, Rockfish has adapted its menu to serve its diverse client base—something Executive Chef Matt Baum has helped spearhead.

“Our core menu is very popular,” Baum said. “It’s difficult for us because we change our menu about twice a year, and it’s hard to take things off because they all do very well. It’s hard to find something that doesn’t sell well. I mean, that’s a good thing.”

Having started out as a waitress at Rockfish’s Richardson location 17 years ago, Daphne Lis has served as the general manager of the Plano location for five years and has witnessed much of that change.

While Rockfish’s menu has expanded to include food items like hamburgers and salads, Lis still has one goal in mind: provide seafood normally inaccessible to Texans at the most affordable price.

“Our fish suppliers get it straight from the Copper River, and it’s here on our table within 48 hours,”
Lis said.

Lis said more upscale restaurants may charge $30 or $40 for a similar dish, but Rockfish is able to offer the same dish for a lower price.

In order to keep patrons coming back, Rockfish offers new promotions every six weeks. March fell under its Cajun promotion, with offerings like boiled crawfish and shrimp and grits.

Next month marks the start of the Asian-themed menu.

“My background is Pacific Rim, Asian, so I do a lot of Asian-inspired [dishes],” Baum said. “Our next promotion after Cajun is actually Asian.

“The red curry shrimp dumplings are mouthwatering.”

As new trends inspire more eclectic seasonal menu offerings, Lis maintains Rockfish holds fast to its New England roots.

“Our clam chowder and our crabcakes rival New England any day,” Lis said.

Rockfish Seafood Grill
4701 W. Park Blvd., Ste. 105, Plano
972-599-2190
www.rockfish.com