A great fish sandwhich? (Pittsburgh, Trafford: house, food, office)

[sz89128]

Which place would you say has the best fish sandwich in Pittsburgh and why? Would like your input. They closed the bar that I used to go to so I need to find a new place. I am a fan of the "hole-in-the-wall" places.

[ctoocheck]

It's a bit outside the city, but Keith Heinritz Katering on Brinton Ave./Rt 993 in Trafford, has fantastic and famously huge fish sandwiches (and lots of other delicious food as well).

[BrianTH]

Of the ones I have actually tried, I'd go with Benkovitz (for the quality of the fish), with an honorable mention for the Original Oyster House (for the overall experience).

But I'm sure the very best is being sold by some church somewhere I have never heard of.

[Impala26]

I'll second Brian for the Original Oyster House. It's located in it's own little corner of Market Square Downtown and the inside of the place looks like it's been the same since at least the 1940's or so.

[Copanut]

Willee's in the Wexford area is pretty good, 1.50 drafts to boot!!!

[bradjl2009]

Neid's in Lawrenceville has some very good fish sandwiches. You should see the amount of people waiting outside to get in to eat there during Lent!

[jay5835]

I've never eaten at the Old Oyster House. I should change that (assuming they don't put FF on the sandwich).

I like Benkovitz' and Wholey's fish sandwiches. I also like Penn Avenue Fish Company's; their cooking is a little more upscale, maybe, but it's basically a fish market you can eat in, like the other two, and you don't have to stand, like at Benkovitz. All three are in the Strip District, btw--Penn Ave and Wholey's at opposite ends of Penn Ave, Benkovitz on Smallman.

[nuwaver88]

Kretzler's Tavern on Babcock Boulevard in the North Hills is great. People from all over go there to get the fish sandwiches. It is a generous portion of cod with a great batter on a good fresh bun with an excellent tartar. Those are all of the prime qualities of a good fish sandwich. Combine it with a nice lager and you are livin' large.

http://www.kretzlers.com/Kretzlers/default.asp

[Blackbeauty212]

Armands in Bloomfield.....Those fish sandwiches are AWESOME and they give you alot...you have to take some off to even eat the sandwich....

[greg42]

Oyster House is pretty damn good (and close to the office for occasional lunch ). Also Benkovitz, been a while, but it was always good. Back several years ago we used to regularly trek farther to Benkovitz, but now I think I like Oyster House better anyway. I like Penn Ave Fish as well, fantastic stuff including sandwiches, but that's not where you go for a "fish sandwich". A fish sandwich is a battered or breaded and fried sandwich, and I don't recall Penn Ave Fish actually making one.

But there are any number of potentially good fish sandwiches in town, even when it's not Lent. You just gotta try some and see what you like. (Not everyone will like the same ones.) I haven't tried Nied's, Armand's or such.