Editor's note: This story was published in 2019. Prices and details may have changed.
Our mission:
To find some of the best places to get a fish fry in the Rochester area.
Ourmethod:
• We sought outword-of-mouth recommendations. We posted on the Democrat and Chronicle Facebook page. We published a story, online and in print, asking for emailrecommendations forfish fry. We also received a few suggestions via Twitter.
• Wecreated a spreadsheet, tallying almost 900 suggestions among 230 places. (This took hours.)
• Photographer Shawn Dowd and Ivisited the five places with the most recommendations to taste for ourselves. (Five fish fries in three days seemed like a great idea in theory.) We did not call ahead or identify ourselves, because we wanted to be served the same fish fry thatevery other customer would get. We paid full price for our meals.
Here were our readers'five most recommended places, ranked in order of our taste test.
1. Crabby Dan's Grill
The place
An adorable bright green building with sunny yellow doors and a picket fence, Crabby Dan's isset back offPittsford-Mendon Roadin the Mendon Village Commons.The small restaurant with an open kitchen is equally cheerfulinside; you place your order at a counter and the meal is delivered to your table.Heather Hoffman has owned this cozy restaurantfor the past 20 years. When we visited at lunchtime, her 17-year-old son, home during school break, was helping out with the cooking.
The fish
This fish fry was the hottest and the lightest of the fish fries we tried. The delicate, crispy batter clung to the moist,large fish fillet. The secret tothe batter? Hoffman isn't saying. She says the recipe for the batter is known only to her.
"When I'm gone, the recipe is gone," she said.
The sides
The fish came with our choice of macaroni salad or coleslaw, as well as a side. The long list of available sides, which changes weekly, included smashed potatoes, greens and beans, Southwest grain salad, twice-baked potatoes, bacon cheddar skins, taco pasta bake, green bean casserole and two kinds of pasta. For consistency, we stuck with the classic fries and coleslaw.
The medium thicknessfries were servedvery hot, lightly crispy and well seasoned. They were my favorite of the five fries. Another plus: malt vinegar on the table.
The crisp, shredded slaw had more sweet, creamy dressing than mostof the others but stopped just shy of being goopy.
The fish fry also came with a soft roll. Wedidn't have the appetites to try the rolls, butwe nibbled on a few of thepickles from large containers on the counter.
Other seafood options
Fish fries and other seafood dishes are available only on Fridays, the only night the restaurant is open at dinnertime. The Friday menu includes:
- Jumbo fish fry dinner ($13)
- Clam chowder ($4.50)
- Grilled haddock dinner, plain orwith Cajun seasonings; garlic and herb; lemon pepper or lemon butter seasoning ($11)
- Captain's platter dinner with haddock, breaded scallops and shrimp ($20)
- Breaded scallop dinner ($14)
- Breaded shrimp dinner ($13)
- Fish and chips ($10)
- Fish sandwich with coleslaw ($9)
If you go
Crabby Dan's Grill is at 1350 Pittsford-Mendon Road, in Mendon Village Commons. Parking is in a lot in front of the building.
Friday fish fries are especially popular during Lent (March 6 to April 20, 2019) and they sell out every Friday. You can call in your order to (585) 624-7760 as early as 11 a.m. to ensure you get some.
With the exception of Fridays, Crabby Dan's is a breakfast and lunch spot. It is open from 6 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday,6 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Fridayand 7 to 11:30 a.m. Saturday. It is closed Sundays.
2. Fairfield's Bar and Grill
The place
Fairfield's Bar and Grill is a casual place near the spotwhere Penfield meets Fairport (hence the name). There's a bar in front and dining room in back; wesat in one of the high-backed booths in the dining room. When we visited at lunchtime on a Wednesday, it was doing a good business.
The fish
The "Jaws" order of fishlived up to its dramatic billing. The extra-large, beer-battered, skin-on fillet hung off both sides of theoblong dinner plate. A thick, crunchy coating adhered nicely to the flaky fish. This was the largest,heartiest and, not surprisingly, the priciestof the fish fries we sampled.
The sides
Our shared fish fry arrived with two good-sized dishes of creamytartar sauce. The homemade coleslaw, made with crisp shredded cabbage and carrots and studdedwith celery seeds,was our favorite of the five places we visited.Steak fries were serviceable.
House salad or pasta can be substituted for the coleslaw and potato for a nominaladditional charge.
The seafood options
- Fish fry is offered on Wednesdays and Fridays; it isavailable beer-battered, breaded or broiled.
- The Jaws portion is $16.99; Minnow is $13.99; and a fish sandwich is $10.99. There's a small additional charge for fish broiled with lemon pepper or Cajun seasoning.
- Haddock French ($18.99), made with the classic sherry lemon butter sauce over pasta, is also available only on those two fish fry days (Wednesdays and Fridays).
- The clam chowder gets ravesand is only available on Fridays.
If you go
Fairfield's is at 2600 Baird Road, Perinton, at the intersection with Whitney Road. There is a parking lot all around the building, and it is handicapped-accessible, including a restroom.
Order wisely; the Jaws fish fry is really suited for people with huge appetites. You may wish to save room for one of the homemade desserts.
Reservations are not accepted on Fridays — readers advise that there can bea line out the door on Friday nights — but they are accepted every other day. Call(585) 383-0767. Takeout and Grubhub delivery are also available.
It is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; and 4 to 9 p.m. Sunday.
3. Captain Jim’s Fish Market
The place
Captain Jim's is a perennial favorite for fish, either cooked or for preparing at home.At the corner of East Main Street and Winton Road, thisno-frills joint has been a stalwart in the North Winton Village since 1991. To the left of the main entrance is a counter where orders are placed, and to the right is a small room with a few tables and booths.
The fish
Captain Jim's is arguablythe gold standard for a haddock fish fry in Rochester. The batter, which straddled the line between thin and thick, was golden brown and had a great crunch. The fish was nicely cooked and well seasoned.
The sides
The medium-cut french fries were perfectly cooked, crisp on the outside and creamy on the inside.
The coleslaw wasmade only of shredded cabbage, tossed with a somewhat plain dressing;acceptable but nothing special. It also came with a couple of packets of tartar sauce.
The options
Captain Jim's offers a wideassortment of fresh and cooked seafood. The seafood may be fried or baked. It may be ordered as dinners that include sides, or by itself by the pound. Among the fried dinner options:
- Fish fry special ($12.49)
- Shrimp or scallop dinner ($12.99)
- Fried clam dinner ($12.49)
- Seafood combo, with haddock, shrimp and scallops ($16.49)
- Fried smelt dinner ($11.49)
If you go
Captain Jim's is at 2329 E. Main St.; a limited amount of parking is available in front of the building or in a lot in back. It is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday,9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. Cooking starts at 11:30 a.m. each day. It is closed Sunday and Monday. Call(585) 482-3640 for takeout orders. Expect it to be busy on Friday nights during Lent.
4. Parkway Family Restaurant
The place
An unpretentious diner in a small strip mall on Ling Road in Greece, the Parkway Family Restaurantis marked by a bright blue sign and matching awning. (The sign was cracked during our visit but it has since been replaced with a new one.)Inside, it has a homey, comfortable feel, with both counter and booth seating.
“Ninety percent of the people that come in here I know by their first name," saidLaurie Stathopoulos, one of several owners in the same family, which has owned the restaurant for the past 35 years. "Honey" is often the fallback for newcomers like Shawn and me.
The fish
A large skin-on haddock fillet, prepared from fresh fish,had an appealinglycrispy batter coating. The flaky fish had good flavor and it was well seasoned.
The sides
The homemade yellow tartar sauce had brighter yellow color and apunchier flavor than the others; they aren't saying what's different, but we suspect a higher than usual proportion of pickle relish.
The fries were crinkle-cut, which we preferred to steak fries. The coleslaw was crisp, fresh and distinctly sweet. The fishalso came with temptingly soft rolls and butter, but we were too stuffed from fish to try them.
If you're not in the mood for the standard sides, you may substitute, at no extra charge, home fries, rice, baked potato, mashed potatoes orhomemade macaroni and cheese.
The options
Haddock fish fries are available on Wednesdays and Fridays only. The choices:
- Fresh haddock fish fry ($12.99)
- Fresh baked haddock in a lemon butter sauce ($12.99)
- Deep fried scallops or shrimp ($13.99)
- Deep fried seafood platter with haddock, shrimp and scallops ($15.99)
- Shrimp in a basket ($10.99)
- Deep-fried clam strips ($10.99)
If you go
Parkway Family Restaurant is at 697 Ling Road inGreece. There's parking in front of the building.It is handicapped-accessible, including restrooms and tables that can accommodate wheelchairs.
Bring cash, as it does not accept check or charge — but if you forget, the restaurant does have an ATM.
Groups of four and under may seat themselves. The restaurant appreciates a group of five or more calling ahead to (585) 663-9689. Takeout is available.
It is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday.
5. Stone’s Countryside Tavern
The place
A homey restaurant and bar down the road from Churchville-Chili High School, Stone's Countrysideis divided into a few cozy rooms. Thedining room was nearly full when we visited about 1 p.m. on a Thursday. Aroom in back of the building was filled with a group gathered for a celebration, anda few folks were sitting at the bar.
The fish
When we ordered the large fish fry to share, the kitchenthoughtfully split the fish in half and put it on two separateplates. The serving was smaller than the others, but at $11.95, it also was the most reasonably priced. The fish was skinless andsomewhat firm.This was the only one of the top vote-getters that was breaded instead of fried, and it had an appealing crunch. It was well seasoned, verging on salty.
The sides
This fish fry was top of the heapwhen it came to the number of sides included. In addition to crinkle-cut fries and coleslaw, it also included macaroni salad, made in house, and bread and butter.The shredded coleslaw, studded with carrots and red cabbage,was fairly plain, but pleasant enough. The mac salad, with mayo and bits of celery, carrots and red cabbage, was a surprisingly enjoyableaddition.
“We’re very well known for our macaroni salad,” said Sharon Dorris, who has worked for the restaurant for all 40 years of its operation.
The options
Stone's Countryside offers its fish fry on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays. Options include:
- Fish fry ($11.75 for large, $9.95 for small)
- Broiled haddock served plain, or with lemon pepper or Cajun seasoning ($12.50 for large or $10.25 for small)
- Seafood platter with breaded fish, clam strips, scallops and shrimp ($16.95)
- Fish sandwich ($6.50)
If you go
Stone's Countryside Tavern is at 6120 Buffalo Road inChurchville. It is handicap accessible and has a largeparking lot around the building.
Fish fry nights can be busier during Lent. The restaurant will take reservations for every night of the week; call(585) 293-1520. Takeout is also available.
It is open 8 a.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.
TRACYS@Gannett.com
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