Category: Fish Fry Friday

Fish Fryday #6 2026: Muldoon’s and St. Joseph’s Parish

I was tempted not to go our for lunch today because I had so much work, but I found myself further along than I thought I would be. I had originally thought to stay closer to home and go to Sophie La Gourmande on Lee, but they only do Friday dinners during Lent (and unfortunately tonight is the last one for the year). I had also considered heading out to the Rowley Inn, but when I read that their Lent specials are available year-round I decided to go after Lent. That left Muldoon’s on my list. It helped that I had not been able to get the Seafood Pizza out of my head. When I got there I grabbed a booth and it just happened to be the booth with the framed Woodstock ticket. Very cool memorabilia.

I was greeted by the server and ordered an iced tea, the lobster bisque and the seafood pizza. The lobster bisque was pretty good. I could have done without the croutons, but I’m weird because I don’t like eating crackers with soup as it is. It’s most likely a texture thing and entirely my peccadillo. And there are no chunks of lobster or even rock lobster in it. But the flavor profile was tasty.

When I mentioned I came in for the seafood pizza, the server commented that it is available year-round as well and explained that the only Lent Specials that aren’t served year-round are the Cajun shrimp tacos and quesadilla because they aren’t breaded. I had to laugh. So much for me trying something unique.

That said, the seafood pizza is indeed a unique and tasty choice. The pizza is brushed with garlic butter and topped with crab, shrimp and mozzarella cheese. It had a nice chewy dough, and the garlic butter and seafood toppings (and green onion) were really nice. It was fairly innocuous, and I am going to try a Keith’s Hot Sauce on it when I heat up the leftovers. I think I’ll probably try the chicken one (Keith’s Hot Sauce comes in three different varieties: Burger Sauce, Taco Sauce, and Chicken Sauce). It definitely had a nice flavor to it, and I will definitely order it again when and if I crave it. I had three slices and boxed up the rest for later. It was fairly filling so I was tempted to just get my dinner at St. Joseph’s to go, but I had already ordered and didn’t want to mess their organized system up. They have a car line for dine in and one for carry out and probably two separate systems. Since it is the last church fish fry Friday I knew I definitely had to make it to St. Joseph’s Parish in Avon Lake this year.

St. Joseph’s is probably my favorite church fish fry in the Cleveland area. Certainly my favorite on the west side. For more detailed write-ups visit my first post on St. Joseph’s Parish in 2023 (with a second visit in 2023 on St. Patrick’s Day and then in 2025). I battled the construction on I-90 and arrived shortly after five. There was no line, but I had preordered on the website yesterday so could have skipped the regular line. I checked in and was given my color-coded index cards for the salmon with chardonnay dill sauce (my favorite), cabbage and noodles and tomato bisque soup. I dropped my coat and purse off at a table and got in the long line, which was wrapped around the gym and took about 20-25 minutes from start to finish. There was a guy playing guitar to entertain the masses, which was nice.

Once I got to the food station I grabbed a tray, grabbed a cole slaw and popped my index cards on the tray. Dinners now just come with cole slaw and all the sides have to be ordered extra. I guess no one ate the green beans. 🙂 I was given a china plate with salmon and scooted down so that the cabbage and noodles could be scooped onto my plate. The sauces, dinner rolls and soups were just down the line towards at the end. I got the chardonnay dill sauce ladled onto my salmon and grabbed a lid for the soup since I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat it. I thoroughly enjoyed my meal as well as the company at the table. We traded fish fry and restaurant tips and reminisced about Midway Mall in Elyria. It was an enjoyable evening. Unfortunately Lois and Don weren’t there. I hope they were having an enjoyable evening elsewhere. I love St. Joseph’s. It is definitely a well-organized fish fry. If you haven’t been you should definitely put it on your list for next year.

Contact info:

Muldoon’s Saloon & Eatery
1020 E 185th Street
Cleveland, OH 44119
(216) 531-3130

 

St. Joseph’s Parish
32929 Lake Road
Avon Lake
Fry time: 4:30 to 7 p.m. Fridays in Lent (no fish fry on Ash Wednesday or Good Friday).

Fish Fryday #5 2026: The Village Butcher and St. Mary’s Romanian Orthodox Church

Despite being overwhelmed with work (it’s a good situation to be in, all things considered), I decided to go out for lunch and dinner anyway today. I wanted something light, so I headed out to The Village Butcher in Mayfield Village. The Village Butcher has an amazing battered cod sandwich that I have been looking forward to having again, and since the Fridays in Lent are running down I knew it was now or never. The Village Butcher is a small butcher shop is located in a strip mall next to Heinen’s on SOM Center Road near the intersection with Wilson-Mills Road. They have a range of beautiful looking meats, prepared foods, and sandwiches that are made to order. I ordered my sandwich and then chose a couple of things from the cooler as sides and to enjoy over the weekend. I chose a pint of fresh cucumber and tomato salad and a “cup” of something they called Parmesan “glop.” I also ordered an individual-sized bacon-wrapped meatloaf and an eggplant parmesan (topped with angelhair pasta) and grabbed a quart of bacon cheeseburger soup from the freezer area. I waited about 10-15 minutes for my sandwich before heading home.

I heated up the Parmesan glop in the microwave, which made the cheese melt and solidify a bit. It was tasty and very garlicky, but I really enjoyed the fresh tomato and cucumber salad. It was very refreshing. Obviously the cod sandwich was the star. It is a hefty slice of cod that is lightly battered and fried and topped with a slice of cheese. It came with the housemade tartar sauce/dressing on the side. It was perfection and just the right amount of food to fortify me so I could focus on my work afterward (close-up photo from last year).

I wasn’t really feeling like going out for dinner due to feeling tired, but I pushed myself to check out St. Mary’s Romanian Orthodox Church because I had heard good things about it. After battling traffic on I-90 W (we stood still longer than we moved due to construction bringing it down to one lane), I got there right at 5:00. The parking lot was fairly full and there was already a line out the door. They had one line, but take-out could skip the long line and get in the take-out line to the left of the dine-in line. I queued up and waited 30 minutes until I finally reached the cashiers. I amused myself by recognizing a college friend’s brother who I hadn’t seen in 30 years and chatted with the couple behind me.

We were pleased to see a cash bar. Those in the know came in, bought their beverage(s) and returned to the line. So keep that in mind for next time.

I decided to order the combination dinner, with 1 pike, 1 code and 4 breaded shrimp and 2 sides (I chose cabbage and noodles and coleslaw but they also had fries and mac and cheese) for $18 and a cup of chowder for $6. Once I paid one of the two cashiers I was greeted and shown to a table. They were very fast bringing out the food, first a plate with a slice of bread and butter pat (the bread was tasty), followed by my clam chowder. The chowder was really tasty, even if the portion was pretty small for the price. It was chockful of clams and had a nice creamy taste.

The fish was moist and nicely fried, and the shrimp came with cocktail sauce and was tasty. The cabbage and noodles were a little overdone in some spots, but quite tasty. I also really enjoyed the creamy coleslaw. One of the runners offered to run to the bar and get me some water, which I appreciated. And they had carts circulating with free coffee or tea as well as desserts (pie or cake for $4 or a cookie for $1). I managed to get a to-go box from the dessert cart and packed up half of my dinner for later. I popped the coleslaw in my chowder container. I enjoyed my cup of tea and then headed home. All in all, it was a good fish fry. Not the best this year, but definitely not the worst. The fish was really nice, and I liked that they use real plastic plates. And when I got home I saw on Facebook that several acquaintances were there who I never saw.

We’re getting close to the end of fish fry season. There are so many fish fries to choose from and only six or seven weeks, depending on whether you go to a church or go out on Good Friday. It was hard to narrow them down this year. Oh well, there’s always next year. And maybe I’ll post some during the year that serve fish on Fridays outside of Lent. In any event, I hope you all enjoyed your fish fries as well.

Contact info:

 

The Village Butcher
818 Som Center Road
Mayfield, OH 44143
(440) 565-7330

 

St. Mary’s Romanian Orthodox Church
3256 Warren Road
Cleveland, OH 44111
(216) 941-5550

Fish Fryday #4 2026: Yours Truly and Communion of Saints Parish – St. Ann

With the high wind warning lasting the entire day today, I decided to stick close to home. I have been hearing wonderful things about Yours Truly’s fish fry for a while now and I already love the tuna melt, so I headed there for an early lunch today. I ordered a coffee and the fish fry and was asked if I wanted one, two or three pieces of fish. Since I knew I would be going to another fish fry tonight, I opted for the one-piece (small fish fry for $14), but I soon regretted it because it was a phenomenal piece of fried fish. The fish was flaky and moist and just perfect. It may look burnt in the photo, but I can assure you that it was not and didn’t taste like it. If anything, there was a small pool of oil underneath, but that just proved its freshness. I had opted for the red skin potatoes when offered the choice of fries, red skin potatoes, hash browns or sweet potato fries (another option for my friend with the potato allergy!), and they were really tasty as well. The homemade tartar sauce was also next level, with clear chunks of what is probably some kind of pickle relish. I didn’t even touch the lemon, which I probably could have added to water if I had asked for one. It was probably one of the best pieces of fish I’ve had in a while. Yours Truly offers their fish fry year round on Fridays, so even if you don’t make it during Lent you should keep it on your radar.

I had planned to go to the Donauschwaben’s fish fry, but decided to attend the fish fry at Communion of Saints Parish – St. Ann’s (2 or 3 minutes by car from my home) at the corner of Coventry and Cedar instead. Usually the parking lot is the bane of my existence, since the Cleveland Heights police sit there with their radar and have popped me twice for speeding (once for 5 miles over the speed limit and one I successfully fought in court because I was going the exact speed limit).

First of all, they get points for the signage. As regular readers know, signs directing you where to go are very important in my humble opinion. Not everyone is a parishioner and knows where to go. I got there shortly after they opened at 4:30 (it runs from 4:30 to 7), and the parking lot was about half full. I got a fairly close spot to the door though. After climbing down the stairs (I think there is a entrance for the disabled, because someone in a wheelchair was leaving as I was and came out another entrance), I was greeted by a young man and directed to the order tables. There was a table for credit cards (and Venmo!) as well as one for cash. I had brought cash but not enough for my meal, so credit card it was. I did have enough cash to buy a Sam Adams, which was a welcome addition to my meal. After I paid, my order form was handed to a runner, who seated me and took my order to the kitchen.

I asked to be sat near the beverages and was seated near the free beverages as well as the Beer Garden. I bought my beer from the Beer Garden and mixed up an Arnold Palmer from the table with free lemonade, tea and water.

I had the most enjoyable evening. The fish fry was good, but the company there was the best. I met a fellow fish fry enthusiast who had announced his presence on Facebook and came to meet me when I commented with my table number. I met a nice couple and his mother and a group of three women (one of whom had never been to a fish fry or had walleye before despite being a native Clevelander). She had seen the News 5 feature on St. Ann’s fish fry a few weeks ago and decided to check the fish fry out. All three were from Cleveland Heights. After the couple and his mother left, a gentleman was seated with us whose wife is in the Clinic for a double lung transplant. He’s from Rochester and said he might know my friend from college when I asked him. And then I ran into another friend, who is a German who lives here and was in my German Meetup group. She was there with her children, and her youngest (who was in a stroller when I met him) is now a tall young man who attends Benedictine. And apparently I just missed my friend Emil, who was there getting takeout when he saw my Facebook post. I love Cleveland Heights. The photo below is of the priest who said a prayer mid-meal.

Another nice addition was the accordian player. How Cleveland can you get? I love Cleveland Heights.

Anyway, you are here for the food, so… I ordered the fried walleye, and it came with fries or pierogi. I obviously went for the pierogi because the pierogi are just as important as the fish if you ask me. I also ordered a side of mac and cheese, which was the highlight of the meal for me. It was a nice baked mac and cheese. The walleye was great and nicely fried. The pierogi were good. I missed a side of sour cream, but the cole slaw worked with it. And the free cookie was a nice surprise – and so moist it fell apart easily.

The runners brought our food to the table written on the order form, which was apparently a new system they were implementing. By the time I left, it was packed and they were running about a half hour to an hour behind. They apparently hold their fish fry every other week, so only three times during Lent. I think that is definitely a way to ensure the volunteers don’t get burnt out. It was a nice fish fry that was run by the Knights of Columbus (and some student volunteers). I missed the raffle, and apparently they had another prayer after I left, according to Emil.

Before taking half of my dinner home with me, I stuck around to see what one of the women thought of the walleye (and told them not to order it at Sts. Constantine and Helen when they go in a couple of weeks since it has been too salty to the point of being inedible in the past). We also gave the gentleman from Rochester some restaurant suggestions in the neighborhood too (Zhug, Vero, Stone Oven, Anatolia, etc.). By the time I left at around 6 it had gotten pretty crowded. I headed home and stopped to pick up my neighbor’s bins from the middle of the street and my next-door neighbor’s shingles that had blown off into our back yard. I’m looking forward to reheating the leftovers tomorrow evening. I’m meeting friends for dim sum at Spice Spring tomorrow, so the small amount of leftovers will be perfect. This is what fish fry season is all about – community and good fish. I hope you all have a wonderful weekend filled with good food and good community.

Fun fact: Dean Martin, Paul Newman and Humphrey Bogart got married at St. Ann’s. How cool is that?

Contact info:

 

Yours Truly
Go to the website and use the location feature to find one closest to you
Available year round

 

Communion of Saints – St. Ann Church
2175 Coventry Road, Cleveland Heights
(216) 321-0024
February 27, March 13, March 27 4:30PM until 7:00PM

Fish Fryday #3 2026: Chelo’s Kitchen and St. Barnabas

I had already planned to go to Chelo’s Kitchen for lunch today to enjoy what I think is the best tuna melt in Cleveland. I was thrilled when a friend reached out yesterday to see if I would join him there, so it felt like fate. We met there at 1:00, and it was surprisingly empty. The breakfast and lunch rush had cleared out, and it was just us and the restaurant staff. I was greeted by everyone as I walked in, and our server came right over. I ordered the tuna melt, while my friend ordered the one piece fried fish special. He asked if they would be willing to make a pierogi appetizer from the dinner menu, and they happily agreed since I am a regular and it was empty. The pierogi app was three homemade potato & cheddar pierogi topped with grilled onions (he didn’t want the side of sour cream). He let me have one, and it was quite tasty. I also ordered a cup of Italian wedding soup (because I am not Catholic and can eat meat if I want). The Italian wedding soup was as delicious as always (no photo because it isn’t relevant here). The tuna melt was as exceptional as always. I love that Chelo heats it on the flat top before adding it to the bread – and that they add grilled onions and American and Swiss cheese, which I really feel elevates it from most tuna melts. My friend really enjoyed his fish lunch and the pierogi, and we shared a slice of their Oreo cake, which is always delicious. We paid our bills and were out of the restaurant by 2 PM, allowing them to prep for dinner, which starts at 3:30 on Wednesdays and Fridays.

After I left Chelo’s I stopped in at Harden Auto Body to get my car repaired, because I didn’t want to have my dragging wheel liner rip off on the highway when I drove to St. Barnabas in Northfield for the fish fry there. Because I was so preoccupied I failed to pre-order the lobster mac & cheese ahead of time, and it sold out online. I decided to venture down there anyway in the hopes that they had set some aside for walk-in dine-in orders, and they had! I was thrilled (but would have been fine with their Icelandic cod and delicious french fries).

They started serving at 4:30 (apparently there were already quite a few people waiting to get in). I got there at 4:45 and was greeted by the Girl Scouts selling cookies in the lobby. I unfortunately had to explain that I still had several boxes left from last year. I got in line to order at the register and handed the woman at one of the two registers my $21 in cash for the lobster mac & cheese and hand-squeezed lemonade. I was then directed to the food line to the right and the drink/lemonade area to the left. The hand-squeezed lemonade is always a treat for me, and this one was great (if you look closely at the photo below on the left the lemon press is to the right and there are rows of fresh lemons on the surface). Luckily the food line was fairly manageable. The Scouts serving the food did a good job keeping it moving. They had steam trays of fried fish, shrimp and french fries ready to go thaat were constantly being replenished. The salmon and lobster mac & cheese dinners were prepped in the kitchen behind them. The salmon looked great, with veggies and mashed potatoes.

My lobster mac & cheese was in a large gratinee plate and came with a nice salad of mixed spring greens and a slice of garlic bread. I grabbed my lemonade and got a seat. I enjoyed chatting with everyone around me. One woman came up from Akron to dog/cat/chicken sit for her daughter. She raved about the Heath Bar Cheesecake, saying it was the best thing there. I kind of regretted not ordering one, but didn’t need the calories. We were also greeted by the priest, who looked like he was twelve, but he was very personable and thanked us for coming. I grabbed two small to-go containers to bring half of my salad and lobster mac & cheese home. I drove home and admired the sunset on Cedar.

I hope you all enjoyed your fryday as well. I think I’m going to hit the Donauschwaben next week. Maybe I’ll see you there!

P.S. Unlike most church fish fries, since the St. Barnabas Fish Fry is run by the Cub Scouts and Boy Scouts and hosted by the church in the parish center it will also be offered on Good Friday.

Contact info:

 

Chelo’s Kitchen
4446 Mayfield Road
Cleveland, OH 44121
(216) 382-4490

 

St. Barnabas Catholic Church
9451 Brandywine Road (carry out is at
9200 Olde 8 Road) Northfield, OH 44067
(330) 800-6804

Fish Fryday #2 2026: Muldoon’s and St. Dominic

One of my friends was asking about panko-breaded fish the other day, and someone responded that Muldoon’s has great panko-breaded grouper. So I knew my first Fryday lunch had to be at Muldoon’s Saloon & Eatery today. I haven’t been to Muldoon’s in years, but the parking lot is always packed when I drive past it (especially on Fridays). Being an Irish eatery, I knew their Lent specials would be great. I was seriously tempted to order the seafood pizza (pizza brushed with garlic butter topped with crab, shrimp and mozzarella cheese or the tuna melt, but since I had driven there focused on the grouper I stuck to my plan. But I have a feeling I may be stopping there again this season for that pizza.

I was also faced with the choice of clam chowder or lobster bisque. This was actually a pretty hard decision, but I was in the mood for chowder. I ordered a cup since I was getting a sandwich. Soup and sandwich is always a nice lunch pairing. It came out very quickly (I hadn’t even taken a sip of my iced tea after adding my sweetener) and definitely hit the spot. It was creamy and had nice chunks of potato and clams.

Onto the sandwich… this is a huge sandwich. It filled the plate with just enough room for some fries. It was served with a lemon wedge and container of tartar sauce and topped with shredded lettuce and thin slices of tomato. I ended up cutting it in half. Honestly it was pretty bland even with the addition of the lemon and tartar sauce, but the fish itself was super light and not as filling as some denser fish are. Grouper is always a treat, since not many restaurants serve it. They do offer a fish and chips dinner that features beer battered white fish, but the grouper dinner can be panko breaded, beer battered or pan fried with Cajun or lemon seasoning. They also offer a panko breaded shrimp dinner.

I parked in the large parking lot, was greeted by servers telling me to choose where I want to sit, and served very quickly. I was there shortly before the lunch rush, so they were getting ready to be very busy. I was told to pay at the bar, where they use the honor system: tell the cashier what you had and she rings it up. I left wondering why I don’t eat there more often.

Now onto the evening event…

I met a friend at St. Dominic just off Van Aken Boulevard for dinner. I had been planning on heading to St. Mary’s Romanian Orthodox, but a friend asked if I would join her and she loves St. Dom’s. She is allergic to potatoes, so most fish fries really aren’t good for her because they serve fries or baked potatoes or potato and cheese pierogi or some other variation on potatoes. St. Dom’s offers a sweet potato, so she can enjoy her meal without worrying about stomach pain later. This is definitely one of the cheaper fish fries out there. My dinner was $12 not including the sides, which were $5 each, while my friend’s dinner was $15 (dessert included). It is credit card only, probably for speed as well as security. I remember St. Adalbert getting their proceeds stolen from their safe a few years ago.

The fish fry is held in the school. I got there at 5:45 and managed to get a spot in the parking lot off Van Aken, but people were parked on the side street (Norwood) as well as in the RTA parking across the road. We met up at the entrance and walked into absolute chaos. Someone in a local fish fry group on Facebook said there were a lot of kids at St. Dom’s – boy he wasn’t kidding. The placed was packed – and not just with screaming children. We stood in a long line in the foyer to order (there were 3 of them! and it was credit card only); we then climbed down a flight of stairs (not sure if there is an elevator) and had to walk to the opposite corner to stand in a long line to get the food. It was not the fastest moving line. Once we got to the cafeteria window, there were three volunteers collecting our forms to pass to the folks putting together our plate of food.

They had a table with bins of condiments as well as a beverage station to the left of the cafeteria windows (one serving dine in and one serving carryout). Runners brought folks their carryout as they waited in the foyer. There was a dessert table stretched down the middle of the room. I managed to get a slice of tasty cream cake with fruit topping. They also had lemon squares, chocolate cake and brownies and towards the end brought out slices of cassata cake.

I ordered a small dinner (2 pieces of fish and sweet potato) because I ordered sides of clam chowder and mac & cheese. My friend ordered a large dinner with breaded shrimp and sweet potato. Two ladies at our table ordered the salmon, and it looked amazing (it came with mashed potatoes and green beans). The fish was nicely cooked and tasty (as you can see below on the right). The sweet potato was delicious. Great chowder. The mac & cheese is definitely for the kiddos. It was soupy and Stouffer’s-like. Alas, the rolls are standard dinner rolls, but they were tasty enough. I did miss Zoss’ bread rolls, but since he retired it wasn’t that surprising.

The volunteers did a good job clearing tables and setting up place settings with disposable dinnerware for new diners. The screaming children running around cleared out at some point after 6:30. Overall the food was good, but my nerves are shot. We were thanked by the schoolchildren for coming and supporting their fundraiser as we left, which was nice.

Contact info:

 

Muldoon’s Saloon & Eatery
1020 E 185th Street
Cleveland, OH 44119
(216) 531-3130

 

St. Dominic
3450 Norwood Road
Shaker Heights, OH 44122
(216) 991-1444

Bonus Fish Fry (Saturday) 2026: Mish Mosh Eclectic Eatery & Spirits

I was still craving fish and heard Mish Mosh in Solon was serving their fish fry on Saturday too, so since I had the best clambake I’ve ever had there a few years ago I headed there tonight. It’s a small place, so I got there before 5 (reservations recommended). It’s at the corner of Brainard and Miles tucked behind Capriccio’s (old Fisher’s American Tavern). I pulled into the parking lot off Brainard, which was filling up when I left about an hour later.

There was one table of three in one half of the space along with me and a few people sitting at the bar taking up the other half. I ordered an Orange Mule off the cocktail list and the fish fry special.

I follow them on Facebook, and they advertised “Freshly Beer Battered Dayboat New England Haddock | Old Bay Hand Cut Fries | House Made Slaw | Dill Tartar Sauce | Fresh Lemon.” I have to say, this fish fry is phenomenal! Moist and flaky fish (haddock) that fell apart. I thought I tasted cinnamon in the beer batter, but it turns out I was tasting honey. The beer batter also uses rice flour, so it’s super light. I was planning on bringing half home, but it was so delicious I ate it all – even the (creamy) cole slaw. The Old Bay fries weren’t overwhelming and were served with a bottle of malt vinegar in addition to ketchup. It was $28 and worth every penny. Unbelievably good. Be sure to put in on your list!

They will be serving the fish fry every Friday and Saturday through March, so you have plenty of time to check it out.

Contact info:

Mish Mosh Eclectic Eatery & Spirits
5020 Brainard Road
Solon, OH 44139
(440) 349-7300

Fish Fryday #1 2026: St. Mary Catholic Church in Hudson

It’s been a while since I have been thoroughly impressed by a fish fry. I had a continuing education event in Kent this morning/early afternoon, so I did some research to find a fish fry in the area. I was going back and forth between SS Cosmas and Damian Church in Twinsburg and St. Mary Catholic Church in Hudson. The lobster bisque and Pierogi Lady pierogi at St. Mary’s sold it to me. I also briefly toyed with the idea of stopping at the British-American Club on Ravenna Road, but, when I drove past, the sign indicated their hours started at 6:30. It was shortly before 5, and St. Mary’s serves from 5-7. They had their first fish fry last week.

St. Mary’s is just off Darrow Road just north of the square, and it has great signage and lots of helpful and informative volunteers. It is a well-run and efficient operation. I was greeted by several friendly volunteers and directed to the line to order. Pro tip: the way to go is apparently to order online. I got there a couple of minutes before 5, and they had already received 50 online orders. I originally had no intention of gettingdessert, but they had banana cream pie on offer. I dutifully ordered a dinner with 2 fried filets (which come with what they call sidewinder fries), a side of pierogi, the lobster bisque and a slice of banana cream pie. It ran me $30.50. I stepped from the order taker to the cashier, who printed out my order for me to hand to a runner, and I headed to the opposite corner to wait for my carryout.

If I had decided to dine in, there would have been plenty of seating (despite billing “limited seating”), but I imagine it gets crowded from 5:30 to 7. Because there was already quite a crush of people picking up carryout orders or dining in. They even had high chairs available for the little ones. If I had ordered a beverage, I would have collected it from the beverage table. As it was, I was directed to the dessert station for my pie. They had lots of boxed pies and large white and chocolate sheet cakes. When I asked if the desserts were from a bakery or made by a parishoner, I was told it was a bakery in North Canton (I think? He was quite soft-spoken).

I enjoyed sitting there and people watching as I waited. I had felt dumb because I wasn’t wearing a coat and it was cold out (it had been 50 when I left that morning and was now down in the mid-30s), but the guy in a t-shirt and flip flops!!! made me feel better. LOL! I also enjoyed talking with a woman from California who had moved here with her husband a few months ago. (Hi! Thanks for finding the blog!)

Once my food was ready, I was told to bag up a dinner roll (from the blue bucket with the metal tongs perched above it in the above photo) and choose from small sides of cocktail sauce, tartar sauce or lemon packets. When I asked whether there was sour cream, I was told “no, you’d think we would…” No worries. I had it at home. After not even getting butter at St. Sava because they are so strict during Lent, I was fine supplying my own at home. I drove 45 minutes home on I-271 north being tortured by the delicious smells emanating from the bag.

At that point I was so impressed that I told myself I didn’t even care whether it was good, but luckily it was. The lobster bisque was smooth and delicious. The Pierogi Lady potato and cheese pierogi never disappoint. Unfortunately, I was not as impressed with the fish because my filet was tough, but it looks like real fish instead of processed fish, so yay? It wasn’t tough because of the cooking process. I think that particular filet was tough. I hope the other piece isn’t as tough and reheats well. They have grilled lemon pepper filet, grilled crab cakes or breaded shrimp that I’d probably opt if I go again. Although maybe not the lemon pepper if these are the filets they use. I had to pull out the tough part again on filet #2 (see bottom of the one on the left).

I’ll enjoy the banana cream in the morning for breakfast and have half of everything to eat later. Post-script: not a single slice of banana in the pie. It was a nice cream pie, but no fresh bananas. Save your money or get a slice of fruit pie that actually contains fruit.

And I have to say that the guy who giddily exclaimed “I love this time of year” as he was leaving with his carryout and I was walking to the entrance absolutely charmed me. Same, dude, same. Welcome to fish fry season!

Contact info:

St. Mary Catholic Church
340 North Main Street
Hudson, OH 44236
(330) 653-8118

Yours Truly Restaurants

Yours Truly is a long-standing local chain that has been in operation since 1981. In fact, they are celebrating their 45th anniversary this year. Yours Truly is an ideal choice for a great breakfast, lunch or dinner. I have been going to Yours Truly restaurants for probably 25 years. My first experience was at the Yours Truly on Rockside Road in the Cuyahoga Valley. I have visited several Yours Truly locations over the years, but I have been frequenting the one on Chagrin Boulevard since I moved to Cleveland Heights. This restaurant with a smaller footprint offers the same burgers, sandwiches & omelets as other YT locations, but tables are at a premium here. The few tables and counter stools are usually full during peak hours; carryout is a reasonable alternative. There are locations in Beachwood, Chagrin Falls, Hudson, Medina, Mentor and Solon. Your Truly in the Halle Building in the PlayhouseSquare district is also a popular choice.

They serve breakfast all day. I met a Meetup brunch group there years ago, but it is simply not on my radar for breakfast. However, I do stop in during non-peak hours for either a late lunch or early dinner (off-hours ensure I can usually get a seat quickly). The Killet Skillet (two eggs, bacon, sausage, hash browns with onion, green pepper, and mixed cheese) and the Notso Omelet (three eggs, hash browns, cheese, chopped bacon and sour cream) are all very popular, but the #1 selling item is their Eggs Benedict. The Notso Fries™ are also extremely popular. Yours Truly’s menu explains: “They’re notso common. Golden brown cottage fries with melted cheese, chopped bacon and a dollop of sour cream.” They come in three different sizes. The one shown here is the small.

If you have dietary issues they are pretty accommodating. You can order a gluten-free bun or no bun at all (they bill it as a carb-conscious choice), and their salads can be customized. The cottage fries aren’t gluten-free, but I hear the hash browns are. They are known for their Fish Fryday, serving filet of cod as a dinner or sandwich. Clam chowder is the soup of the day on Fridays, and it was extremely tasty and full of clams, potatoes, etc.

They are also known for their chicken and tuna salad, and you can get them by the scoop on a salad, as a ‘Temptation’ with a hard-boiled egg, as a sandwich, as a platter with fruit, or as a Melt. As regular readers know, I am a sucker for a good tuna melt, and they do a great tuna melt here. It features two scoops of tuna with a tomato slice and topped with melted cheddar on a toasted English muffin. A tuna melt on an English muffin is in fact my preferred form of tuna melt. The tuna salad was warmed up just enough and the cheese was nicely melted.

On my most recent visits I tried to focus on a little bit of everything. I absolutely fell in love with the chicken noodle soup. The noodles are hearty, the broth is extremely well-seasoned, and it is chock full of chicken, veggies and noodles. It has become my go-to chicken soup since The Red Chimney closed after a fire.

Their burgers are made with fresh certified Angus beef, and there are nine different burgers to choose from. If you order the Deluxe it comes with coleslaw and cottage fries. The Sweet Deluxe comes with coleslaw and sweet potato fries. I love a good mushroom and Swiss burger, and the Special Delivery burger here did not disappoint. It features an 8 oz burger patty topped with Swiss cheese, sautéed mushrooms, grilled onions and a dollop of sour cream on a seared brioche bun. I ordered the cup of soup picture above, so I didn’t get it with any sides.

There are seven different chicken sandwiches to choose from. The chicken is marinated and then fire-grilled. I ordered the Buckeye Bacon Broil, which features American cheese, bacon strips, lettuce and tomato on a seared brioche bun. I was particularly struck by how huge the chicken breast patty is. It hangs far over the sides of the bun.

The Monte Cristo is also a really nice choice. It is made with their lovely cinnamony French toast and is filled with Swiss, natural fresh turkey breast and ham. It is served with a side of our homemade tango sauce, which was kind of like a honey mustard. I will probably order it again, because I loved the cinnamon French toast paired with the savory sandwich fixings and the dipping sauce. I also really enjoyed the slice of cantaloupe, which was perfectly ripe.

They also have a well-stocked bar and a vast array of beverage choices. They serve coffee (regular and flavor of the day), several espresso drinks, fresh squeezed juices like tangy and diet limeade, orange juice and grapefuit juice as well as hot chocolate and bottomless lemonade, iced tea, Arnold Palmers or fountain drinks. I enjoyed a Dirty Snowman on a particularly cold, snowy day near Christmas – gotta love a boozy hot chocolate topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The photo is blurry, but I didn’t feel blurry when I left because I stuck to just one.

Yours Truly restaurants are open Mon-Thurs from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fri-Sat, 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sun from 7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. They have longer hours in the summer. The downtown Yours Truly in the Playhouse district is a nice choice after a show at PlayhouseSquare.

Contact info:

Yours Truly
Go to the website and use the location feature to find one closest to you

The Fairview Tavern

The Fairview Tavern in Fairview Park is a hole in the wall bar that serves great food. It is located in a strip mall on Lorain Road and is open every day of the year from 11 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. (and opens at 7 a.m. on Sundays). There is a basic menu, but the Blue Plate Specials and Chef’s Specials change weekly and a happy hour that runs from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. They also serve breakfast on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. If you live nearby that might be a fun option, but since I live 40 minutes away it isn’t one for me.

There is plenty of seating in the bar area, but I have always sat at the dining area at the back of the venue. There are plenty of tables that can accommodate any number of diners.

The Friday special is their perch dinners. I met a chef friend here when we heard about their perch. They use real perch because it curled up perfectly. The perch filets are perfectly fried. They are $14 for 3 filets and $17 for 4. They come served with fries and slaw, but we were able to upgrade to pierogi, which were really well prepared. One of my friends ordered a perch sandwich on another visit. The sandwich only has 2 perch filets. It would have been perfect with 3. He ended up cutting the sub roll in half and only eating half a roll with both filets. So if you want a good perch sub ask to add another filet even if there is an additional charge.

The appetizers are also tasty. I have had the kielbasa coins, which were stellar, and another friend recently ordered the pepperoni rolls, which featured phyllo dough. He also raved about their fresh made pork rinds. So if an appetizer appeals to you by all means order it.

My friends who live on the west side and appreciate a good bargain turned me on to the place. The Blue Plate Specials are $10 and include a generous side salad. They also haven’t charged us for non-alcoholic beverages. We initially met there for the Tuesday burger and pint special (for $10 – $8 for the burger and 2 for a domestic beer). The burger patties are generous and you can get whatever burger fixings you want.

The burgers and sandwiches are served with housemade kettle chips, which are quite tasty, but the star of the show is the chip dip. I ordered a Patty Melt most recently and was quite pleased with it. I ended up taking half of it home to eat later.

The clam chowder is great – with lots of big chunks of potato, clams, celery, etc. If it’s on the menu definitely get it. I ordered a bowl along with my Patty Melt. The serving was huge. The chowder was creamy and not at all lumpy. I enjoyed every bite.

The pizzas are also quite large. I haven’t tried one yet, but my friends who did enjoyed it. One ordered the Mediterranean and the one below is mushroom and pepperoni. The mushrooms are fresh and not canned, which is always appreciated. Both had several slices but had to get boxes for later. I will probably order one the next time I go and none of the Blue Plate Specials appeal to me.

The schnitzel and spätzle were quite nice on another visit. They were supposed to come with a lemon basil sauce, but the waitress happily substituted brown gravy instead when my friends asked for the sauce on the side because it was extremely lemony on a previous visit. It was a lot of ofod for only $10 0 with two pork cutlets and lots of fresh made spätzle.

The servers have all been friendly and accommodating every time I have been there. We tip generously when we order the Blue Plate Specials because they run around a lot for a $10 tab, bring out salads and then the entrees, refilling our beverages (which they don’t charge for), etc.

It isn’t fine dining, but it is quite tasty for a hole in the wall bar. I’d go so far as to call it a diamond in the rough. And the food changes often enough that you won’t get bored. I’ve only been there for lunch, but the live music apparently can bring in the crowds. I can’t wait to try their clambake.

Contact info:

The Fairview Tavern
21867 Lorain Road
Cleveland, OH 44126
(440) 799-4200

Fish Fryday #7 2025: Eugene Kitchen at the Bottlehouse Brewery & Meadery

It’s Good Friday and officially the last Friday of Lent. This means the blog will be going back to posts every two weeks. To all of you who have recently found me by searching about fish fries in Cleveland: I hope you have enjoyed my posts and maybe will consider sticking around. I had been thinking about shutting the blog down because I wasn’t sure if people were reading it, but the traffic on Fridays have really be heartening for me. So thank you.

I enjoyed a final tuna melt at Chelo’s Kitchen for lunch, but I won’t bother posting a photo or writing about it since I have talked about it frequently in the past. If you want to see a photo just scroll down to last week’s post. I added a cup of New England Clam Chowder and a side salad today, since I knew my dinner would be fried fish and French fries.

I decided to go to a restaurant fish fry since most churches have Good Friday services today. Eugene at The Bottlehouse has been on my radar all season since I heard about it on Ash Wednesday at Voodoo Brewing, so I was looking forward to finally giving it a try. There are two locations (in Lakewood and in Cleveland Heights), and I chose the one five minutes from my house in Cleveland Heights. I got a parking spot on the street right in front and got there shortly after 4 when they open. The weather was in the 70s, and I was tempted to sit outside on their patio on the first official warm day of spring.

The Bottlehouse holds a special place in my heart. I used to come here when it hosted the Bread and Soup Experiment just before the pandemic, and I have met friends here for beverages on occasion. It has a nice floor plan and is a great place to get together with friends (they have games available and large tables that accommodate groups). They have a nice selection of beer, mead, cider and non-alcoholic beverages. Families and kids are welcome. Eugene Kitchen has been a welcome addition to provide food for its guests. Eugene is known for its Tinman Burger, which I enjoyed back when the food hall on W. 25th (Ohio City Gallery) opened. The Tinman Burger is a “drippy double smash burger with American cheese, special sauce, and sweet and spicy pickles on a brioche bun.”

Eugene is a little enclosed kitchen just inside The Bottlehouse. I walked to the order window and ordered the fish fry, which features Lake Erie walleye, fresh cut French fries, hush puppies and cole slaw for $22. I paid cash, so it was several dollars cheaper than the initial price the employee at the window quoted, which reflected the credit card price. She gave me a beeper (see above), and I then walked to the bar to order a beer. After I asked for a lager, the employee recommended I order the Community, which is a Czech / Bohemian Pilsner that tastes more like a lager than a hoppy pilsner. It paired nicely with the fish fry, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I can see myself going back to enjoy one again soon.

The fish fry was fantastic. The slab of walleye was nicely fried, and the fish itself was very moist and flaky. I tore off pieces and dipped it in the nice tartar sauce that came with the fish fry. The French fries were nicely salted and perfectly cooked, and the hush puppies were nice as well. The coleslaw was okay, and if you prefer a less creamy coleslaw you will enjoy it. The sweet, spicy pickles were a nice surprise. I’m not a huge fan of bread and butter pickles, preferring dill, but these were flavorful enough to not be too reminiscent of sweeter pickles. The lemon wedge was also a nice touch to squeeze over the fish. It was a great way to end the Lent season. Thank you for accompanying me on my journey this year.

Contact info:

The BottleHouse Brewery & Meadery
2050 Lee Road
Cleveland Heights, OH 44118
(216) 214-2120