Friday Fish Fries

Last year Billy and I did something fun and went to a different location for a Friday fish fry each Friday during Lent. It was fun to have a weekly dinner date night, fun to go to different locations, and fun to compare notes on all of the various types of fish fries. We jotted down a few notes and I saved them so we’d know which ones to attend this year. I thought perhaps I’d share our notes for anyone looking to enjoy a fish fry soon!

Please note prices are listed as the adult price. Some locations have a different price for seniors and/or children.

⏩ St. John Vianney in SSP – 4:30pm-7pm. Good food, seating isn’t too bad if you get there early. Desserts are awesome and good variety. All you can eat for $14

⏩ St. Matthew’s Church on Hall Ave, St. Paul – Good food and you get a brownie at the end. They serve you, their servers walk around with trays offering seconds so you don’t have to wait in a line. The baked fish and coleslaw were excellent. 4:30pm-7:30pm. All you can eat for $12

⏩ Holy Maronite Church in Mendota Heights – 4:30pm-7pm. They have the Lebanese salad, flatbread, and garlic sauce. Okay food. This one is not all you can eat. $15

⏩ Guardian Angel’s in Oakdale – Very busy but well organized, and good food. Great mac and cheese! (I would totally go there just for a big helping of the mac and cheese!) 4:30pm-7pm. All you can eat for $15

⏩ St. Pascal Baylon Church in St. Paul – 4:30pm-7pm. They had good food and lines weren’t bad. This is the place where the kid was filling the water cups sparsely, so might be a good idea to bring your own water bottle. The dessert is pudding which wasn’t the best. All you can eat for $13

⏩ Mendota Heights VFW on Hwy 13 – Good food, it’s a small place so you should arrive at 4:30pm to get in line (starts at 5pm-7:30pm) otherwise you get there and put your name on list and wait. They had a rummage sale upstairs last time I was there. They said they start 2 weeks before the first Friday after Ash Wednesday. All you can eat for $14

⏩ St. Paul Park American Legion Post 98 on Broadway Street – arrive 25 min early (starts at 530pm). Good food, served meatballs and delicious fried chicken. Tartar sauce wasn’t the best. I don’t recall if this one was all you can eat or not, but it’s $12

⏩ Jersey’s Bar and Grill in IGH – Excellent food and drinks! All You Can Eat Fish Fry $12.99

⏩ Fireside Lounge in WSP – All you can eat dinner for $11.99 and they have excellent french fries, 4-10 pm.

⏩ Tinucci’s in Woodbury – Friday Night Famous Fish, Chicken & Shrimp Buffet Served 4:30pm-8:00pm. A bit fancier of a place and it’s nice and quiet for intimate dining. All you can eat for $21.95

Feel free to add to the list any that you’ve been to.

Great list, Sharon.

We go to the Guardian Angles fish fry at least once every lent. As you say, very busy but don’t be put off by the number of cars in the parking lot, everything is well organized and moves fast.

Grouse

The kids school has their fish fry so that’s where we go, Sacred heart in Robbinsdale. Awesome fish, kind of a beer batter, real good thick tartar.

We don’t branch out much. I suppose in time, but the kids run around with their friends there.

Many of these are really big fundraisers for their parishes, thanks for bringing it up Sharon!

This is an excellent idea for a very informative post that can help a lot of people. Fish fry’s can be hit or miss for sure, and often the only way to know is to take the gamble yourself.
I’m in the east metro, and spend a good deal of time just across the border in WI as well.
Because my father likes it, we have done Joseph’s Family Restaurant in Stillwater on several occasions – I’m not a fan, it’s just okay to me and the crowd is definitely mostly senior citizens.
Have done Meister’s in Boardman, WI and on Cedar Lake in WI, both have good fish, and the Au Gratin potatoes are what make it worth the trip. Atmosphere is poor, not a great place for kids.
Champs Sports Bar in New Richmond has good fish and THE BEST wild rice soup.
Ready Randy’s in New Richmond is very average, not bad but nothing special.
My current favorite, especially for those with children, is General Sam’s in Somerset, down on the river inside Float Rite Park (they also had the huge Christmas light display this year). The fish is very good, battered or baked cod, the fries are good, they keep a good supply of extra fish cooking on Friday nights so the wait for additional pieces is very short. And they have a great atmosphere with windows all around and right on the river, lots of room and games for kids, good beer selection, and usually a meat raffle on Friday nights that raises $ for local youth athletics. I believe the cost is $13.95 for the all you can eat fish.
Thanks for starting this thread Sharon, I look forward to having some new places to check out.

Tomorrow 2/28 only St Patrick’s in Inver Grove will be having a fish fry. Proceeds go towards the youth service trip.

http://www.churchofstpatrick.com/Upcoming_Event.htm

Thanks Sharon, that’s a great list!

May I add the Steinhaus in Vermillion.

Trappers Forest lake, Hilltop Cumberland wis.

We bounce around a bit in the west metro, my family is Lutheran but the FW grew up Catholic and my boy loves fish frys so we go at least 3-4 Fridays every year.

Heading to St. Gabriel in downtown Hopkins tomorrow; $30 for the family and the food is great plus they have beer for sale. Our other favorite is the Legion in Excelsior, busy but super good AYCE for $15. Sacred Heart in Robbinsdale was the FW’s family church back in the day, now that we know it’s pretty good we’ll probably wiggle up there one week too.

I see both the Strib and PiPress have write ups this year, we always look at the Catholic Spirit listing for options, too.

Tomorrow 2/28 only St Patrick’s in Inver Grove will be having a fish fry. Proceeds go towards the youth service trip.

http://www.churchofstpatrick.com/Upcoming_Event.htm

I try a different location for fish fries every week during lent as well. Sometimes it’s my house, sometimes it’s a buddies house, most of the time it’s out on a local lake!

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When I was a kid growing up in Mich, half the Lent fish fry’s were smelt. We always went to those. Nice list Sharon!

Making me hungry for a fish fry. Great idea for this post. Only one I like is my own, my uncle’s or a neighbor’s. Wish I had a go-to place. I’ve been thinking of trying some VFW or Legion fish frys but that’s all the further I get.

Well composed list, Sharon! Maybe a new gig as a food blogger!

Ann & I used to volunteer at St. Pius’ fish frys in WBL for years. I really enjoyed the great conversations.

As far as a bar fish fry I’ve always been frequent patron of The Groveland Tap in St. Paul. It’s on Fridays year round.

Growing up in Southern WI lent meant Wednesday night all you could eat smelt for like $2 and fish fry on Friday was fresh water perch. Not a big fan of cod.

I really miss smelt fries……..they usually came with some pretty tasty tater salads!!!!!!!

i’d drop my wife off at the nearest subway!!!!!

never been much of a fish fry person. I prefer catching, cleaning and eating my own. maybe I should give it a chance!!!!!

Many rave about the Valley Bar (formerly Joe’s Valley) between Prescott and Ellsworth. It’s not for me though.

I really like Philander’s in Prescott. For 24 years I’ve occasionally gone there and their fish is always top notch. I was disappointed when they went away from the buffet to table service but its still all you can eat and they are Johnny on the spot with additional helpings.

buck-slayer wrote:

Growing up in Southern WI lent meant Wednesday night all you could eat smelt for like $2 and fish fry on Friday was fresh water perch. Not a big fan of cod.

You must be a lot older than me, because I never remember an AYCE smelt fry for $2.

I lived many years in Madison and remember I think the Owls Nest in Poynette having an annual smelt deal going…usually in April when the smelt were harvested fresh.

And speaking of the delicate and delicious lake perch, perhaps the most infamous in Wisconsin would be Maricque’s in Green Bay since 1932…where you can choose perch “in the round” (whole) if you desire it that way. Many did with the help of a couple “old fashions”.

If you’re at all curious about the “good old days” take a few minutes and watch this nostalgic look at an iconic fishing operation from Green Bay Wisconsin.

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Try to hit it once or twice a year. Wendt’s on Lake Winnebago Has THE Best Perch I’ve found. It’s on Highway 45 between FDL and Oshkosh. They serve it every day that they are open.

Andy, that’s an interesting video. Dumb fisherman, but interesting. Old guy says “ya my only problem is the DNR” Then wonders why the catch rate is down. As he’s throwing wanton waste over the side all day everyday. Oh the good Ole days.

Joe Scegura wrote:

Andy, that’s an interesting video. Dumb fisherman, but interesting. Old guy says “ya my only problem is the DNR” Then wonders why the catch rate is down. As he’s throwing wanton waste over the side all day everyday. Oh the good Ole days.

I know, I just had to lol at that comment in the video…sounded exactly like the current judgement by many commenting on the Mille Lacs DNR management, specifically in other social media.

That commercial harvest culture in the video is mostly at the opposite end of the angling contingent that lives in the “atmosphere” that exists in the sport fishing world here and many other corners.

I found that side interesting and that fish are for meals exclusively for the supper club diners.

My parents who grew up in Cleveland would reminisce about driving west along the south shore of Erie in the 1940’s and 50’s seeing countless restaurants offering lake perch and the long gone blue pike dinners.

The older I get, the farther back I look in time.

It begins!!

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