An old Cincy restaurant chain - Squire Jacks Fish & Chips (Columbus: house, bankruptcy)

[Wilson513]

Frisch's used halibut until the cost got out of reach. The famous halibut sandwich was continued for a time at Annette's in Kenwood (named for Annette Frisch). Annette's burned down after some landscapers covered metal halide exterior lighting fixtures (the 1000 degree kind) with pine bark mulch. Frisch's may have made a cod sandwich recently, I don't know. Its whiting now I'm pretty sure. Cod has never been any more expensive than it is today and it is not very. A couple of days ago I got a magnificent fried cod dinner at Alabama Fish (6 large pieces) for $8. Halibut on the other hand is off the charts.

Today, the best fried fish at a sit down restaurant is the fried cod at Montgomery Inn.

[t45209]

Originally Posted by wilson1010

Frisch's used halibut until the cost got out of reach. The famous halibut sandwich was continued for a time at Annette's in Kenwood (named for Annette Frisch). Annette's burned down after some landscapers covered metal halide exterior lighting fixtures (the 1000 degree kind) with pine bark mulch. Frisch's may have made a cod sandwich recently, I don't know. Its whiting now I'm pretty sure. Cod has never been any more expensive than it is today and it is not very. A couple of days ago I got a magnificent fried cod dinner at Alabama Fish (6 large pieces) for $8. Halibut on the other hand is off the charts.

Today, the best fried fish at a sit down restaurant is the fried cod at Montgomery Inn.

Annette's? Or Prime & Wine? P&W was owned by Frisch's and burned under similar circumstances.

The best fish sandwich in town is a debate worth of its own thread.

[Wilson513]

Originally Posted by t45209

Annette's? Or Prime & Wine? P&W was owned by Frisch's and burned under similar circumstances.

The best fish sandwich in town is a debate worth of its own thread.

That would be a coincidence wouldn't it.

It was Prime and Wine when it burned, but I am thinking it was originally called Annette's. I'll check that. I was on the Frisch's audit team and spent a little time at their headquarters on Stanton Ave. at the time the new restaurant was built and I may be confused about its original name.

[kjbrill]

The original restaurant at the corner of Kenwood and Montgomery Rds was named Annette's and opened in 1966. I believe it suffered a kitchen fire and was rebuilt as Prime & Wine.

[Cincy Rider]

Yeah, I mentioned Squire Jack's in the "restaurant thread".

Their fish and chips was awesome, I remember going to the one on Colerain Avenue (if memory serves, it was between Springdale and I-275 on the west side of the ave.). They would wrap the food in faux 1800's London newspaper...

[kjbrill]

Squire Jacks was one of our favorite carry-out restaurants. We just loved the taste of the fish and everything else we ordered. Frankly, you had to consume it hot or at least warm. Once it got cold the appeal dropped about 200%. And every household at that time did not have a microwave oven.

When I think back about it and the cod wars of the late 70s which sent the price spiraling, I am reminded you may manage everything well but circumstances outside of your control may deal you a death blow. But anyone owning or managing a business today is dealing with a whole myriad of additional problems.

[Holden888]

Originally Posted by t45209

We used to go to the one on Kemper Rd in Springdale. I think it lasted into the early '80s. My recollection is that Squire Jacks was far better than any of that slop turned out at Long John Silvers. The pieces of fish were pretty big and I thought it was pretty cool that the bags and papers to line the trays were reproductions of old London Times.

I remember this location pretty well, because it was right across the alley from Springdale School. I used to get my haircut at Corky's Barbershop, right next door to SJ. We used to get gas at the old Tresler Comet filling station right behind it at the corner of Kemper and Rt. 4, and then across the street was Igler's Drug Store and the Springdale Pony Keg, where you could pull a bottle of pop out of the cooler and get a sandwich made to order. Loved the big longhorn colby cheese there. Also, Beezee Bikes was there and an Arthur Murray studio....ok, I totally digress!!!

The other thing I remember about Squire Jacks is that they were in business before the crispy batter drippings became a menu item in and of themselves!

It was excellent, until they started screwing up the fish and it was a fried and dried up piece of nothing. Also had "scrumps" which was nothing more than artery hardening deep fried batter that had come off the fish during the frying process, so crunchy and good.

[Holden888]

The Springdale location also had a United Dairy Farmers nearby, my grade school immediately next door, and good old Bill's Marathon service at the corner. My dad used to get pissed (drunk) at Bell's tavern down route 4 aways, then there was Bing's Steakhouse where you could get rubbers from a vending machine in the mens john. Better than asking some nosy lady pharmacist at Sav All Drug store next to Thriftway.

[kjbrill]

We started out going to the Squire Jacks in Silverton on Montgomery Rd. We loved it. When they opened one in Montgomery we switched there as it was a little bit closer.

I don't remember what caused their demise. But it is likely the vane of most restaurants - they cannot maintain the quality of the product at a price the customers will pay.

I understand many fish species have confused designations. For example Filet of Sole. I cannot identify an actual fish species called sole. Rather the designation covers several different species all classified as whitefish.

What I do remember as a fact is that as a boy I would spend time working summers in my Uncle's Big Boy restaurant. I would work as the relief when they gave their employees summer vacation. Day shift, night shift, whatever I was the substitute.

In return, right next door was a drivein theatre. At night, I would take a quart coffee container and go up and down the soda fountain, a scoop here, a dip there, a squirt here, and I would have a quart sundae. I would ask the kitchen to make me a couple of Brawny Lads with lots of onion. Then I would crawl through the fence separating the properties and sit in the kiddie area up front consuming my sandwiches and sundae. I ballooned over 30 pounds that summer.

But I digress. At that time, Frisch's had a direct contract with a fishery in Oregon to supply them fish. It was flown in to Cincinnati. Timeframe - mid 50s. I frankly don't know exactly what species of fish it was. All I know is when it came to the stores it was in large slabs, so obviously not a small fish. I would assist my uncle in cutting the fish to the sizes to be served on the fish sandwiches. He discarded much of what he cut, saying this has far too much strong viens, in other words too fishy.

[jlawrence01]

Originally Posted by kjbrill

But I digress. At that time, Frisch's had a direct contract with a fishery in Oregon to supply them fish. It was flown in to Cincinnati. Timeframe - mid 50s. I frankly don't know exactly what species of fish it was. All I know is when it came to the stores it was in large slabs, so obviously not a small fish. I would assist my uncle in cutting the fish to the sizes to be served on the fish sandwiches. He discarded much of what he cut, saying this has far too much strong viens, in other words too fishy.

In the 70s and 80s, Frisch's was using Icelandic Cod for their fish sandwiches, usually cut into portions by the managers.