fish fry in a basket
No season like Fish Fry SZN, ammirite? The season of Lent is all about holding back, and not eating meat on Fridays. But to slide in and fill that gap, Twin Cities kitchens bring fried fish to the center stage and we just do what we do: make the best of it. Actually, we make a party of it.
We have a triptych of ways to celebrate Friday Fish Fry: at church functions, in legions and VFW halls, and of course restaurants where the AYCE (all you can eat) deal is bonkers. We've done our best to round up as many as we can here, and we'll feature more weekly on The Feed each Friday.
And since we love to gamify things, get ready for the epic return of our Fish Fry Face-Off in a few weeks! This year we are waging a Mpls. vs. St. Paul battle that will allow one city to claim the illustrious and official belt of power. Stay tuned for that, but start your fry crawl with the list below.
CHURCHES
The legendary fish fry dinners at St. Albert the Great return this year! If you are seeking long tables of community, it's here. Find sustainably raised tilapia (baked and fried), potatoes, slaw, spaghetti, desserts, raffles, and bingo in the gym from 5:30-7:30. $15 cash or check at the door. $7 age 6-12. Free for 5 and under.
The dinners at Holy Family Maronite Church need to be on your rotation. The fish is great, but the green beans in tomato sauce over Lebanese rice, fried cabbage, garlic sauce, and flat bread are what I make room for on my plate. Desserts too! Buffet line for $15, 4-7pm
Holy Family Catholic Church in SLP has a secret gem on the menu. Sure there's fried or baked fish, slaw, and green beans, but you're gonna have to choose between mac 'n' cheese and a garlic cheddar biscuit. Go biscuit. $12 adults, $6 kids, 5-6:30pm
Up in Robbinsdale, Church of the Sacred Heart is on its 44th year of Fish Fry. They start next week 3/3 with beer-battered cod and meatless spaghetti, plus they'll do you a fish sandwich if you want. And, take out is available. 4:30-7pm, various $
Holy Cross in NE is using the Friday Fish Fry to support the Don Bosco Youth Fund. So, for the kids, get down with some fish, fries, baked potato, mac 'n' cheese, slaw and sweets from 5-7pm, for just $12 adults, $2 kids 3-11, and free for under. Takeout available.
Our Lady of Peace in South Mpls. is worth calling out for their two FFF dates, March 3 and 31. The OLP Men's Club serves up some crispy fish with slaw, mac 'n' cheese, and neighborhood famous scallop potatoes. Plus carrots! Get in line from 5-7pm, for $17 adults, $15 seniors, and $11 kids.
There's a sweet family friendly deal at Bloomington's St. Edward's Fish Fry on March 10. The beer-battered cod, mac 'n' cheese, french fries, slaw, and dessert menu is available for eat in or takeout, but the $15/person meal can be parlayed into a family four-pack for $50. Kids under 5 eat free, beer and wine on site from the Knights of Columbus if you're hanging.
LEGIONS, CLUBS, VFWs
The pierogi fish fry Fridays at the Ukrainian American Community Center are one of the reasons we are lucky to live here. It's takeout only, and you should order ahead. The first 2/23 dinner is nixed because of snow, but 3/3 is on! It's a $15 whether you go classic fish & pierogi dinner, with slaw, french fries, dessert or just pierogi dinner, which nets you a dozen dumplings with sautéed onions and sour cream packets.
I won $100 off the pull tabs at the Excelsior American Legion once, so it's home to me. From 5-8pm on Fridays, you can get a healthy supply of fried fish, slaw, a baked potato and bread for $18.50. And, important to note: full bar.
The Hopkins VFW off of Shady Oak is throwing down on Fridays with an AYCE deal for $15.95 from 5-7:30pm. Feel free to show up early at 4:30 for the meat raffle, which feels like such a good twist. They have live music after!
You could scoot a little northwest for the Rogers Lions Fish & Shrimp Fry for something different. Just $15 for adults, $10 for kids, for shrimp, fish, fries, slaw, and dinner roll. Cash bar, and maybe stash some hot sauce in your bag.
The 328 Grill at the Legion is roundly famous for the kitchen's burger game, but don't think they can't fish fry like pros. From 4-7pm it's an AYCE fish buffet featuring fried and baked cod, au gratin potatoes, green beans, mac 'n' cheese, and slaw for $17 adults, and $10 kids.
The B-Dale Club in Roseville was one of my uncle's favorites, so I'm bound to call it out. Simple and honest fish fry from 3-8pm includes green beans and fingerling potatoes. Choose 3 pieces of cod for $14, 2 cods with 4 shrimp for $15.50, or 7 shrimp for $16, because you need options.
RESTAURANTS
I put Obb's Bar at the top for a reason. It's Friday Fish Fry is an AYCE dream. These folks know how to fry a fish so that it's crisp and hot on the outside and never dry on the inside. Get onion rings if you have room, and take home some broasted chicken for Saturday. $17.95 from 4-9pm.
Dick's Bar & Grill in Hudson, WI also has my heart. Worth a Friday drive (then go visit Nova). Check out this OG 1860 bar for an AYCE situation that includes fried fish, slaw and your choice of fries, mashed po, hash browns, or baked potato all for $12.45. And you can do early bird dining and just call it happy hour from 3-5pm, for $11.45.
Ok, Smack Shack is leveling up for FFF. They are offering a crispy whole fried snapper with green papaya salad and yam chips as an adventure. But you can still get some stellar beer-battered cod with Cajun fries, slaw, and sauce.
Merlin's Rest has traditional fish 'n' chips (salt and malt, vinegar and paper) on the menu all the time, so it's not especially a Friday Fish Fry, but hello: this is one of our great whisky bars and please note that the Good Lord has not yet banned that on Fridays. Amen.
Listen value hunters, you can not go wrong with the My Burger Friday fried fish sandwich special. She's a cute bite of breaded Atlantic cod, shreddy lettuce, and tartar that comes with fries for $7.95!
St. Paul Grill is in the FFF game with a stylishly classic plate of beer-battered walleye, hand-cut fries, slaw, and tartar sauce for $26.95.
There's new ownership and new life at Manitou Bar & Kitchen in White Bear Lake. The new kids are using Lift Bridge Farm Girl beer in the batter, and that's a move. Crispy cod, fries, and sauce are AYCE for dinner at $15.95 from 3-10pm, and a two-piece lunch set runs $13.50 from 11am-3pm. And guess what, the same deal can be found at sister restaurant Gabe's by the Park!
Urban Growler is where you head when you want to FFF Wisconsinably. The panko-crusted walleye comes with pumpernickel rye (and a pat of butter), tartar, slaw, and your choice of potato (let it be tots), for $20. They've also got a special brandy Old Fashioned all teed up for the season.
Buster's on 28th has a FFF deal on AYCE beer-battered fish and chips for just $18.95.
Bull's Horn has brought back the basket! Beer-battered walleye with fries and sauce is $13.50 on Fridays.
The Lex brings some swank to the FFF game. Choose beer-battered North Atlantic Cod ($30) or Great Lakes perch ($38) with fries, signature slaw, artichoke tartar sauce, and malt vinegar, or stay simple with tempura smelt fries for $18.
Mason Jar Kitchen & Bar in Eagan gives you three generous hunks of Alaskan cod fried in a Grain Belt Premium batter, along with house slaw, Parmesan-parsley fries, and tartar sauce. All day on Fridays for $18.
Tiff's is doing a $17 FFF special. Find some Summit beer-battered Alaskan pollack sitting on top of their great fries with slaw and sauce. I'm sure there's a game on you can watch?
