I love fish fry. It’s one of the things I miss most about living in Wisconsin, where the fish fry is part of every Friday, not just during Lent. But this is go time. For the next 40 days, get after it! And drop your favorites in the comments!
GABE’S in St. Paul: Gabe’s is one of our legendary spots for fish fry. The last couple years, they’ve teamed up with Brad Glynn, from Lift Bridge Brewing. Brad’s a great chef in his own right, and he has worked with the team at Gabe’s to incorporate Lift Bridge Farm Girl into the batter. Brad grew up in Milwaukee, where his family ran one of the largest fish-fry restaurants: Clifford’s, in Hales Corners. He knows fish fry, and you can taste it. It’s also not only at Gabe’s; you can find the same recipe at Manitou, in White Bear Lake. More here.
RED COW: I just tried Red Cow’s riff on McDonald’s Filet O’ Fish sandwich, created by the relatively new culinary director Adam Lerner along with executive chef Trevis Langley. They call it the Filet R’ Fish sandwich (R instead of O, as in Red Cow…get it?!). It’s beer-battered mahi, American cheese, shredded lettuce, and tartar sauce. Crispy, juicy, nice ratio here. Very good stuff. Also, the beer-battered whitefish fish-and-chips is back on the menu, which is awesome, as well. More here.
MY BURGER: I love My Burger, and you can’t beat a $9 fish sandwich that includes fries! More here.
GROVELAND TAP: Freehouse, as well as all the Blue Plate restaurants, do a fish fry every day, but during Lent, Groveland Tap also gets in on the action (Fridays only at Groveland). They use the Freehouse No. 1 kölsch in the beer-battered cod. Delightful. Walleye dinner with asparagus is a nice option for those of us watching our figures, too. More here.
YANKEE TAVERN: This is a $13 fish fry with two pieces of hand-breaded, deep-fried Icelandic cod, plus coleslaw and French fries. More here.
THE LEXINGTON: They have a traditional fish fry, but I love the smelt basket. These tempura-battered smelt fries go for $18. More here.
328 GRILL: All-you-can-eat fish fries aren’t very common anymore, but check out the great work from Mik German at the American Legion in St. Paul Park. The buffet goes for $18 on Fridays during Lent. More here.
ST. ALBERT THE GREAT: It’s back! Gone for a couple years post-COVID, the $15 fish fry has returned along with the church’s former pastor, Joe Gillespie. This is the Twin Cities’ best church fish fry, serving baked and fried fish, potatoes, cole slaw, spaghetti, bread, and an array of desserts on Fridays during Lent. More here.
UKRANIAN COMMUNITY CENTER: Dine-in is back at the UCC. I’ve done the drive-thru for fish-and-pierogi dinners over the past couple years. Awesome. Order online for takeout. That’s $15 for the fish-and-pierogi dinner, or $15 for just the pierogis. More here.
TATTERSALL RIVER FALLS: You get $3 off the walleye sandwich and the fish and chips every Friday starting Feb 16 and going through March 20. Reservations here.
KENDALL’S CHOPHOUSE: Twelve-ounce filets of hand-battered haddock are served with French fries and coleslaw for $22. More here.
