California Fish Grill opening first East Coast location in Rockville

California Fish Grill will open its first East Coast location in Rockville. The Newport Beach-based fast-casual seafood chain currently has restaurants in California, Arizona, and Nevada. It announced plans to expand to the Eastern seaboard earlier this year. The Rockville location will be at 12238 Rockville Pike at Towne Plaza.

True to its name, grilled seafood meals are the specialty of the house at California Fish Grill. Those selections appeal to health-conscious diners, with grilled fish atop rice with a side of vegetables. But scrolling further down the menu, more decadent entrees await, such as fish-and-chips and fried catfish. Like many fast-casual concepts, California Fish Grill offers bowls (including its trademark Cali Bowls), wraps, and salads. But it also sells tacos, and is one of the rare fast-casual restaurants serving calamari.

Towne Plaza faces heavy competition, surrounded by major retail centers like Montrose Crossing and Federal Plaza. It continues to add interesting dining tenants, even if some of them have been short-lived. They had Chef Geoff's last decade, and even tried to bring back Boston Market at one point. Fine dining is a tradition at Towne Plaza, which was home to Rockville's most-popular restaurant in the 1990s and early 21st-century, Houston's.