Hand-breaded haddock or beer-battered fish, deep-fried and served with German potato salad, coleslaw, rye bread and tartar sauce. A Buffalo Catholic Lenten staple available year-round at most taverns, peak through Lent.
Where to eat it: 12 restaurants across 3 cities.
Western New York's heavy Catholic population (Polish, German, Irish, Italian immigrants) built the Friday fish fry tradition around Lenten meatless Fridays. The dish predates the wing by decades and remains the city's most-ordered Friday-night dinner from mid-February through Easter. Wiechec's, Romanello's and corner-tavern fish fries anchor the tradition.
Common allergens: Gluten, Fish
Tip from the editors. Use cold beer for the batter. Cold liquid plus baking powder gives the lightest, crispest crust. Don't crowd the pot.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Why locals love it: An East Side neighborhood lounge that serves a haddock fish fry hanging off the plate, far from any tourist itinerary.
Tip: Friday or Saturday for the haddock fish fry. The half portion is still bigger than most full portions in town.
Why locals love it: Visitors stop at Anchor Bar for wings and miss Buffalo's older signature dish a twenty-minute drive south at Schwabl's in West Seneca, open since 1837.
Tip: Get the beef on weck with horseradish on the side and German potato salad. The kummelweck roll caraway is the point.
Pearl Street Grill on Pearl Street has anchored Buffalo brewpubs since 1997, four floors and nine bars with house-brewed beer from basement tanks.
Tornado Steak House on South Hamilton, the Capitol Square supper club, pairs a white-linen wine list with aged steaks and the Friday fish fry.
Signature pour: Steakhouse-paired California red or Wisconsin sparkling
Wine focus: Supper-club bottle list with steakhouse-friendly reds
Food: Wisconsin supper club menu, steaks and Friday fish fry
The Coopers Tavern on West Mifflin off Capitol Square, the craft-beer-and-Wisconsin-pub flagship, runs a kitchen until 23:00 on Fri-Sat with a fish fry.
Try: Gastropub menu, fish fry and Wisconsin tap beer
The Old Fashioned on North Pinckney, the Wisconsin-tavern flagship on Capitol Square, pours hundreds of Wisconsin beers and the brandy Old Fashioned standard.
Signature drink: Brandy Old Fashioned sweet, the city's standard
Food: Wisconsin supper club menu, fish fry, cheese curds
Schwoegler's Park Towne Lanes on Grand Canyon Drive, the Madison bowling-and-supper-club institution since 1919, runs a fish fry and a sports bar restaurant.
Signature: Friday fish fry, Burgers
Order: The Friday fish fry plate with the brandy Old Fashioned at Keglers Sports Bar.
Tip: Restaurant runs 11:00 to close all seven days; the 36 synthetic lanes plus volleyball draw the family crowd.
Lakefront Brewery on North Commerce Street, founded by Russ and Jim Klisch in 1987, runs the city's defining Friday fish fry, weekly tours and a Riverwest.
Five O'Clock Steakhouse on West State Street has been a Wisconsin supper club since 1948, with bone-in steaks broiled at 1700 degrees and a relish tray.
Signature: Bone-in ribeye, Brandy Old Fashioned
Order: Bone-in ribeye and the relish tray; a brandy Old Fashioned at the bar first.
Tip: Friday and Saturday book a week out on OpenTable; the bar takes walk-ins from 16:00.
River Lane Inn on West River Lane in Brown Deer is a North Shore seafood room with Lake Michigan perch and cedar-plank salmon, running since 1981 here.
Signature: Lake perch, Cedar plank salmon
Order: Lake perch fry on Friday and the cedar-plank salmon with lemon-butter.
Tip: Reservations on OpenTable for Friday and Saturday; bar takes walk-ins from 16:30.
Blue Jacket on East National Avenue in Walker's Point is a nautical-themed gastropub with a strong burger, Friday fish fry and a long cocktail program here.
Signature: Burger, Fish fry
Order: The Blue Jacket burger with smoked cheddar and a Friday cod fish fry.
Tip: Patio fills in summer; book on Resy for weekend evenings.
Buckatabon on North Farwell Avenue is a Lowlands Group Wisconsin supper club, serving Old Fashioneds, fish fry and broasted chicken in a Northwoods room.
Signature: Brandy Old Fashioned, Friday fish fry
Order: A brandy Old Fashioned at the bar and the Friday perch fry with rye bread.
Tip: Friday and Saturday book on Resy a week out; weekday dinners take walk-ins easily.
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