Fish Fryday Review

Our Lady of Providence – 3/22/19

Overall (3 of 5)
For this week, I filled in for our trusted Fish Fry reviewer due to conflicting commitments. After hearing about Nathan’s experience the last week with said 2 year-old, I decided to be completely obnoxious and strap her into a giant stroller. This would have probably worked in a gymnasium; however, the location of this week’s fish fry was in the smallest school cafeteria I’ve ever been in. It definitely took some talent and patience to navigate the skinny walkways around all of the big round tables to get to the back of the line. The people I encountered were extremely helpful and polite. They were empathetic which I appreciated.

I decided to get there early not knowing what kind of line or demand I would encounter. I was glad I did. The line was already to the back of the room when I pulled up with my stroller, but it moved quickly. They even offered snacks (fried mushrooms) while waiting. There was also a separate line in a different room for to-go orders, which was nice.

Everything was cash or check, which is annoying for someone who never carries cash, but understandable.
I thoroughly enjoyed chatting with the ladies who joined us at our table. They even offered to buy me a glass of wine. I really wanted to accept, but I decided against it since I was on borrowed time with my daughter.

Fish and Main Dishes (3 of 5)
VARIETY: Fried Cod, Fried Butterfly Shrimp, Catfish nuggets, Fried Frog Legs, Jack Salmon

TASTE: I chose the combo of Fried Cod and Catfish nuggets. The cod was average, nothing special. I really liked the catfish nuggets. The ladies I shared the table with said they came for the frog legs. I wished I had tried them, they looked amazing!

VALUE: Adult plates are $10, child’s plates (ages 4-12) were $5, and under that eat for free! See the menu in the pictures for more information. Each adult meal includes 2 sides, 2 hush puppies, bread and butter, dessert and coffee. Canned Drinks, bottled water, iced tea & lemonade are available for $1 and beer and wine is available for $3. It is a fair value for the size and quality of the fish. A la carte piece of cod is sold for $3 each.

CONDIMENTS: There were a variety of condiments on each table ranging from ketchup to tartar sauce all from bottles.

Side Dishes (4 of 5)
VARIETY: Cole slaw, green beans, French fries, meatless spaghetti and mac & cheese

TASTE: The mac & cheese was pretty good as were the green beans. I don’t like slaw and didn’t want the mess of spaghetti so I didn’t try either. I also didn’t try the French fries, but they looked good. The hush puppies were really dry and over fried. They almost crumbled to dust in my hands.

VALUE: Portion sizes for our dinners were generous, and extra side prices were not listed on the menu.

Beverages and Desserts (3 of 5)
BEVERAGES: Tea, lemonade, water, 1% milk, and coffee were complimentary with dinner. They offered sodas, bottled water and beer/wine at additional cost.

DESSERTS: Included with dinner, the desserts we a little skimpy, but we still found a delicious piece of yellow cake with chocolate icing (my favorite) and a brownie with powdered sugar. If all else fells, she’ll eat a brownie for sure!

Atmosphere and Extras (3 of 5)
The atmosphere was chaotic and cramped. You couldn’t move anywhere without saying excuse me or waiting for someone else to go first. There were way too many tables crammed into the space with very little room between tables. The people as I said before were very nice. I really enjoyed everyone I encountered. Next time I might just get it to go.

Signage, Flow, and Line (5 of 5)
There were two entrances and signs to both. I went to the one that involved stairs first because it was the closest to the parking lot, but quickly realized I wasn’t going to be able to go that way. I rounded the corner and found the second entrance which is also the to-go entrance. There was no wait to pay and the people taking money were extremely helpful and nice. I only had wished they accepted credit cards. Luckily, I had my checkbook! As I mentioned before, I got there early and the line was already pretty long, but it moved very quickly which I appreciated.