Every week since last summer, Martin Darby makes the trip from his residence in Laurel, Maryland to the District to purchase fish, not from a farmer’s or seafood market, or a carryout but from FishScale, a small Black-owned restaurant located on Florida Avenue NW.
“I am a foodie, and I love to consume delicious food,” Darby, 46, told The Informer. “A friend of mine suggested I try FishScale and I decided to do so. I liked the variety of fish offerings such as mahi-mahi, rockfish, and salmon. But what really got me were the sides, especially the collard greens. Those collard greens rival the ones my grandma makes. As a matter of fact, I took some FishScale collard greens to my grandma in New York and she agreed that they were good.”
Darby is part of the growing customer base that has made FishScale a popular choice for people who like seafood. The restaurant specializes in fish dishes with sides, fish burgers and cheesesteaks with fish as the main filler.
In addition to the collard greens Darby raves about, sides include grilled romaine salad and Japanese sweet potatoes. FishScale is owned and managed by Chef H. Brandon Williams and his sister Kristal Williams is the co-owner and director of operations.
“This is a family-controlled business,” said the Williams sister, 50. “I must give credit to my brother for having the vision to start this. He had a calling for this. Running this business, we utilize the morals and the values instilled by our grandparents. It is important to leave a legacy to other family members and to pass down the wisdom and the business.”
The Story of FishScale
Williams said her brother cooked a fish burger for his mother at a family cookout because the matriarch did not consume meat.
He went out and caught wild fish for the meal, which was well received by the family. Then, his mother encouraged him to pursue culinary arts as a career.
The sister said her chef sibling did an externship at BlackSalt restaurant in the District and graduated from the former L’Academie de Cuisine, located in Gaithersburg, Maryland.
The first FishScale was at a farmer’s market by the White House, and after six weeks, he received positive reviews in The Washington Post Food section and the Going Out Guide by Tim Carman.
The location on Florida Avenue NW opened in 2017.
“We knew we were ready to take the next step and open up a sit-down restaurant,” Williams said.
The Secret Sauce of FishScale’s Success
Williams said her goal is to provide FishScale customers with a delicious meal that is healthy.
“Fish has a lot of benefits,” Williams said. “There are benefits for the brain and it can help people fight a bad gut. Having a bad gut has proved to be physically and mentally damaging to people. Fish has also proved to be beneficial for positive mental health. And of course, deliciousness is an added benefit.”
Williams’ assertions are supported by research from The American Heart Association, which recommends at least 2-3 servings of fish per week.
Plus, it is widely known that fish is a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids DHA and EPA, which aid the body against such ailments as heart disease, high blood pressure, inflammation, brain health, diabetes, digestive orders, and autoimmune disease.
Williams makes it clear that the fish that FishScale serves its customers is fresh and from the wild and not commercially grown.
“The problem with commercial fish is that they are farm raised,” she said. “Farm raised fish exist in unhealthy environments. For example, consider salmon. Farm raised salmon does not have the full color that wild salmon does. Farmers add chemicals to the salmon for skin color. We want to serve our customers’ healthy fish. Health is wealth.”
Williams notes the restaurant’s condiments are house-made and come from organic produce and ingredients.
“Our belief is if you have to eat, let the food taste good and be good for your health and our environment,” she said.
Darby likes the focus on customers’ health and FishScale’s environmental priorities.
“FishScale is the best restaurant in the DMV so far that serves what they serve,” he said.
