Best Fried Fish or Fried Fish Sandwich in Cincinnati (Cleveland: house, buy)

[Wilson513]

Originally Posted by t45209

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

I could not agree more.

My opinions are known. Best fried cod Alabama Fish at Race and Liberty

Best fish sandwich Montgomery Inn Boathouse.

[Sarah Perry]

Gabby's in Wyoming has an excellent fish sandwich. Not sure what kind of fish, though.

[Sarah Perry]

I hit send too soon. Only on Friday evenings during Lent, Bridgetown Finer Meats sells a DELICIOUS and ginormous fish sandwich on rye that's a real bargain, I forget the exact price but it's actually enough to feed two people. And they have the most delicious tartar sauce I've ever tasted. You have to get there early to avoid a really long wait, and the traffic gets so bad they usually have a sheriff directing it. I'm writing this down on my 2011 calendar right now. March 11!

Home

[The Don]

Originally Posted by Sarah Perry

I hit send too soon. Only on Friday evenings during Lent, Bridgetown Finer Meats sells a DELICIOUS and ginormous fish sandwich on rye that's a real bargain, I forget the exact price but it's actually enough to feed two people. And they have the most delicious tartar sauce I've ever tasted. You have to get there early to avoid a really long wait, and the traffic gets so bad they usually have a sheriff directing it. I'm writing this down on my 2011 calendar right now. March 11!

Home

Thanks -- I will put it on my list.

[kjbrill]

My opinion is rather fishy on this subject. Over the long haul I have to make Frisch's my favorite fish sandwich, mainly due to the consistency and how it is presented with the lettuce and great Frisch's tartar sauce. I buy Frisch's tartar sauce in the store to use with my market purchased fish which I usually bake.

I don't have a favorite restaurant for deep fried fish, mainly because I find them too variable. The Fox & Hound in Mason serves a quite respectible fish & chips. However, I have been there when it was way below expectations. I suspect, like many locations, the specific personnel on duty in the kitchen have a whole lot to do with how the product comes out.

Wilson... You are right about one thing. In the basement I have a very nice deep fryer purchased to give me the restaurant quality fried fish, chicken, etc. at home. Boy, what a fiasco! The cleaning alone is enough to discourage you - filtering the oil and storing in an air-tight container between uses, cleaning the unit itself. Of course you can always throw the oil out and buy new for the next time, so the oil costs more than the product you are frying.

Right next to this deep fryer is the gas fired turkey fryer bought and used once at Christmas. That particular Christmas was like we might have this week, actual snow was falling. After several hours of struggling to keep the temp up to cook the turkey, which was emaciated beyond belief, we waited until Kroger re-opened and bought a spiral cut ham to have something to eat.

[Tubby513]

I agree about Alabama Fish down on Liberty/Race...pretty awesome. I'm not a huge fish fan though, so haven't explored a whole lot in the city.

Just to be a rebel, I'll say the best fish I've ever had was at Keyhole Bar in Mackinaw City, MI. Fried perch, squirt some lemon on there, dip in homemade tartar, proceed to love life. The ribs were purdy seksi too.

[Ohiogirl81]

Another vote for the Alabama Fish. You smell like fish for the rest of the day after you've gone in there, but it's worth it.

But if you're ever in Grand River, east of Cleveland, look up Brennan's Fish House for some melt-in-your-mouth fried lake perch and the fish chowder. I've never had anything as good ...

[Wilson513]

Ooooh that fried Perch sounds good and gets me thinking: If anyone has an interest in fried smelts, post up and I'll put instructions up. I have them for breakfast.

[kjbrill]

Beginning in the mid-60s, with my employer I participated in a large trade show in Chicago called IMTS held on a 2-year cycle. I participated in these through the 90s. One of the absolute musts during the show was a trip (or two) to Phil Smidt's in Hammond, Indiana. Their specialty was yellow lake perch from Lake Michigan, pan fried in butter with lemon juice available on the side. Everything was served family style and they would replenish anything until you called it off. I remember there was no such thing as a reservation and lines could wrap completely around the one-floor building, on mild evenings sometimes more than once. If there was any entree on the menu other than perch I never noticed.

I was sad to hear they survived until early 2009 when they closed.

Between Phil Smidt's and George Diamond's Steakhouse in Chicago, our two weeks of evening meals were pretty well filled up, but we would have to make a break for a trip to Gino's East Pizza, one of the original deep dish.

[Wilson513]

McAlpin's Fifth Floor dining room downtown had fried fish on Friday, all you could eat. We went almost every week. It had more breading on it than the tempura style that Alabama Fish has but it was still quite good.

For those afraid to venture into OTR for a visit to Alabama here is how it works. It doesn't help to call in an order ahead. They still make you wait. No matter how many people are waiting, you just go to teh counter on the left hand side and place your order and pay. The guy gives you a ticket and 6 to 8 minutes later they call your number. You can stand outside so your clothes don't smell as much like fish but than you get panhandled. Six of one . . . . Not to worry, in OTR 99% of the people asked for money say NO. It goes with the territory.

They call your number and present the beautiful fried fish on top of a little basket of fries (which will be soggy by the time you start to eat) on top of a piece of bread. This is a cusom in the hood as ribs fans know.

You apply your own salt, malt vinegar, other condiments (I recommend salt only) and push the basket back. The lady asks you if you want onions and peppers (which you do) and she give you a pack of sauteed onions and peppers wrapped in wax paper, puts the whole thing in a paper bag and off you go. Best fried fish in town.