Fremont diners craving a fillet of New Zealand hoki or Australian barramundi may not have to wait too much longer. Salty Blue Fish & Chips, a Renton-based seafood restaurant with an Australian bent, is planning to open a second location at 709 N 35th St., the former home of CrackleMi.
Owner Xenos Nair expects the Fremont restaurant to open in early 2027, according to My Ballard. The new spot would mark Salty Blue's expansion beyond its original Renton restaurant, which opened in 2021 at 601 S. 3rd St. near downtown Renton, per the Renton Reporter.
Nair is Fijian and has family spread between Fiji, Australia, and New Zealand, a heritage that shows up directly on the menu. Salty Blue bills its food as an Australian take on fish and chips, according to the restaurant's own website, saltyblueseattle.com, which describes the batter as egg- and dairy-free and a cross between English and tempura styles.
What's on the Menu
The fish lineup includes New Zealand hoki, which My Ballard's report describes as similar to cod, alongside Australian barramundi and mahi mahi. Beyond the namesake fish and chips, the restaurant also serves fish and shrimp tacos, chowder, and calamari.
For non-seafood eaters, Salty Blue's menu also includes chicken schnitzel, chicken burgers, and beef burgers. A 2021 account of the Renton restaurant from the Renton Reporter described similar offerings at that time, including barramundi, hoki, shrimp, calamari, and locally sourced halibut served either grilled or fried in a light, crispy batter, plus fish tacos and brioche-bun sandwiches like the chicken schnitzel or shrimp burger.
A Second Location for a Growing Brand
The Fremont location would be Salty Blue's second restaurant overall, expanding a concept that has operated out of Renton since 2021. Salty Blue's website lists its current address as 601 South 3rd Street, Suite D, Renton, Washington 98057.
Details beyond the early 2027 timeline, including hours or menu pricing for the Fremont shop, have not been confirmed. For now, Fremont residents will have to keep an eye on the former CrackleMi storefront on N 35th St for signs of the Aussie-style fish fry moving in.
