See the best seafood restaurants in Albuquerque, according to Yelp

Albuquerque Business First | Collin Krabbe

August 23, 2019 - Despite the desert climate, several oases await those in Albuquerque searching for seafood. Top restaurants can potentially become places to meet clients, job candidates or prospects. So we turned to Yelp to see which spots were the most recommended among locals.

Slapfish, which dove into the Duke City market two years ago, reportedly flies in fresh fish to ensure quality. Others that made the list included Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen, which won a Business First reader vote in 2017 for the best seafood spots in town, and The Birds Paradise Hot Pot, located in the International District. See the top seafood spots in the slideshow accompanying this story.

Though some may not think of New Mexico as a haven for seafood, the industry has done big business here. One of the state's largest private companies, Seattle Fish Co. of New Mexico Inc., had most of its assets acquired last year by California-based Santa Monica Seafood. The company's revenue in 2017, before it was purchased, exceeded $36 million, according to our reporting.

Market research firm IBISWorld projected the U.S. market for fish and seafood to be worth $3.3 billion in 2019.

Data from the New Mexico Restaurant Association showed the restaurant sector accounted for 11 percent of state employment in 2017, with over 90,000 employees at more than 3,200 locations, Business First reported.