Best Fish and Chips in Utah

Best Fish & Chips in Utah 

- revised 17 Aug 2021

Check out our OTHER FOOD REVIEWS at TasterTestersClub.BlogSpot.com.

Especially see "Best Seafood in Utah" at: http://tastetestersclub.blogspot.com/2014/06/best-seafood-in-utah.html 
AND "Best Fish Sandwiches in Utah"

and "Best Restaurants in Utah" at:

http://tastetestersclub.blogspot.com/2013/09/best-restaurant-food-in-utah-2.html

Introduction

They’ll never be able to match true fresh fish off the coasts because it’s not truly “fresh,” and here’s why:  The government allows the definition of “fresh fish” to be, in reality, nothing more than softly frozen – which ALTERS the taste and texture of fresh fish.  Gotta head to the coasts, baby. 

We've tried every cafe and drive-in in Utah that batters their own fish - over 5 dozen places. First thing we ask is if their fish comes already battered from the distributor - if they do, they get the ax - never any good. (Well, JCW's is almost good - from frozen.) Downside is, if FRESH fish is not cooked that day, it gets a characteristic rubbing alcohol flavor to it. 

Note about batter: most places use beer batter. If you are not into beer, as we are not, then no worries - the alcohol is cooked out. Some places use either too strong of an ale or too much. The beer of choice for top-notch chefs, and used at Franck's and Squatters below, is Hefeweizen. However, the best-tasting beer batter we have found is at Wasatch Brew Pub in Park City, and they use their own. A really top notch restaurant in SLC, Pago, uses soda water. Our favorite overall batters were at Strap Tank, Current, Old Goat Cafe, Magleby's, O'Shucks, and Wasatch Brew Pub. Some places make the batter too puffy like a corn dog (such as Good Move). Others too thick and crispy. We like a thin crust texture, and some of us prefer some kind of flavor in the batter.


The List
THE TOP 4

B++
1. (tie) Current, SLC. 
a. In 2020, fresh cod or rockfish. If fresh, it's a B++.

b. In 2018 they served fresh rockfish, denser fish like a cross between cod and mahi. In May they served it but a day or two old, with slight alcohol smell and taste of no-longer fresh fish B/B+

c. In 2017 they served mahi, a chewy, much denser fish, but it was fresh. B+

1. (tie) Franck's Restaurant, Holladay, serves fish and chips only occasionally. Call and ask when they will have it again. They use local fresh trout, B++ 

1. (tie) Old Goat Cafe, Heber, great batter, fresh cod! B++

1. (tie) Strap Tank Brewery, Lehi, Springville B++

B/B+

5. Magleby's Provo location (never tested Springville location). Pieces are small but it's very good; they use cod, very good batter, but fish which is always slightly chewy when frozen.  B/B+

6. Garden Restaurant, SLC. milk batter, tempura style, rates B-/B; fresh fish alone gets an A-. Served Fridays only. Total: B/B+

THE NEXT-BEST GROUP:

7. Wasatch Brew Pub (kid-friendly), Park City. (The one at the airport may use the same recipe. Squatters downtown SLC has same ownership but different recipe, not as good as the one at Park City. This place has the best beer batter in the state, using their own, producing great flavor and crunch. But cod pieces are frozen with a slight chewy texture (most places have a very chewy texture that serve it from frozen state (except Pago and State Street Grill, which are fresh, and Cafe 300, which cooks it to taste like fresh). However, the cod pieces at Wasatch are too thin for our liking. Still, it's worth getting. B/B+

8. Garage Grill, Draper. Fresh halibut, just decent batter. Most expensive fish and chips in Utah as of 2018: $22. Fresh cod would be cheaper and perhaps better. B/B+

9. Hoppers, Midvale, very good Batter, from frozen cod. B/B+

10. Joe's Crab Shack, Sandy and nationwide. As of November 2014, very nice batter, slightly chewy, typically frozen cod. B/B+

11. O'Shucks, Salt Lake City location only. nice tempura batter with a cayenne kick, but fish is too thin. Depending on who makes it, sometimes it's thicker but still thin, and sometimes with a great quality fish. You have to ask for "tempura fish" - not "fish and chips." The Park City west location had a great one, same batter but bigger fish pieces, but they changed to a beer batter in fall  2014 that we find mediocre and is further down this list. B/B+. 

12. Slapfish (fish is too thin, batter is crispy) B/B+

13. A Little Taste of Britain. Layton, on Main Street. Grade: B This was a best-kept secret until KSL TV did a feature on them in July 2012, then they had lines out the doors for weeks. Battered fish pieces are big, like England's. Cod is frozen, unfortunately, as nearly all places in Utah are except for a handful where noted below, but it's not chewy like most places that use frozen cod, and they don't overcook it like most do. We weren't crazy about the chips. The onion rings are OK. (On our last trip they had fixed an earlier concern we had - the tell-tall scent of fish being refrigerated too long at several visits the previous year, but on this trip the fish was excellent.) Very good batter as well. 

NEXT ON OUR LIST TO TRY: 

Places below B+ 

11. Spur Bar and Grill, Park City (actually catfish strips!). B

12. Blue Boar Inn, Midway
a. fish and chips (but very thin, like calamari, and not much to portion, but very good batter) grade B

13. O'Hana's Grill, Springville. This is breaded swai at a Polynesian cafe, not battered the traditional way and they don't call it fish and chips. B

14.  Pago, SLC. Served at lunch only. Fresh wild caught cod in batter of soda water rather than beer. Crispy but kind of tasteless batter. Grade: B

15. Red Robbin (national burger chain). (Most national chains serve pre-battered fish from the freezer via their distributor, and it's awful. But this one they batter themselves and it's surprisingly not bad.) Grade: B

16. Bohemian, SLC. Grade: B

17. Virg's Fish & Chips, Salt Lake Valley and Tooele chain. Grade: B, even though it's now from frozen-battered pieces! It's the best frozen pre-battered fish we've had. But it used to be better when the battered it themselves pre-pandemic. Then, it was more inconsistent than most from day to day: C to B/B+, with an average of B-. Pre-pandemic: 2nd best was haddock, at B- - -, and third was the halibut at C-

Note: Virg's has been around over 40 years, when it was at 3150 South State in SLC and before that at 30 east 1700 south as a cute dive. Most of the years they served fish only. Moved and enlarged, it's now served with other diner food that makes the fish & chips shine.  (In other words, stick to the fish.) Used to be our fav fish shop for 25 years (after Sheila's Fish and Chips went out of business, per below), but in our opinion it's not as good as then - a main reason was they used to serve thicker pieces of fish). The cod is chewy, as most frozen cod is when cooked, but is usually the best of the 3 or 4 fish offered there. If they offer this again, it's worth testing haddock, halibut, and swai and/or tilapia if they have it, with the "mix and match."

18. Cracker Barrell, national chain B (thick pieces are B/B+; the more numerous thin pieces are B-; average B)

19. Good Move, Provo. Puffy corn-dog like batter, but FRESH COD, a rarity. The fish is a A-, the batter C+/B-. Total: B

The next group are B-minuses.

a. Archibalds, South Jordan. Cod B- (cod is chewy from being frozen, batter is smooth like a corndog. As of 2018 they no longer serve halibut, rated only a C, farther down the list in 2012.)

19A. OUT OF BUSINESS  by 2018: Rumerz pub, South Jordan, at the District, about 114th South and Bangerter, just north of the theaters. Allows kids.. B-
 (Sometimes it rates a B for us.)

b. Sizzlers. B- (believe it or not, that amazingly mediocre-minus steak place - unless you love cardboard-tasting steaks - has decent battered cod.  See Note for Red Robbin (#4) above.

c. Flannigan's Pub, Park City (allows kids). B-

d. Daly's Pub and Rec,Park City (this batter is a B-; the fresh fish would rate it a B if it were fresh when we had it, but it had a characteristic "rubbing alcohol" flavor that fresh fish has when sitting in the fridge after a day or two. So when it is older, like our one trip was there, we gave it a C; but had it been fresh, it would have been rated a B- or B.

e. O'Reily's Pub, Park City B-

f. Boneyard Saloon and Kitchen, Park City. (batter thicker than fish) B-

g. McCools, SLC. (the fish alone is B-, batter is a B-/B, tartar is C+, cottage fries: C) fish overall: B-

h. O'Shuck's, Park City, Gordozia Pines Location only. B- (In April 2014 they used a better tempura batter, rating a B/B+)

i. Cheesecake Factory (Oct 2016) B- -

j. Culver's, A.F. and expanding in Utah, chain out of Wisconsin. Cod: B- - -

Fair places, all using their own batter, rating in the C's, not in order:

a-1. not tested with all these below was McGrath's Fishhouse, which rated a C+

a-2. Left Fork Grill, Midvale: halibut C+, with tartar sauce (sauce alone B). combined: B-/B

a-3: Piper Down: C/C+

a-4.   Miner's Sports Bar, Park City. C

a-5. Avenues Proper, SLC (batter is too crispy and not that good overall) C-/C

b. Squatters's Pub and Grill, downtown SLC. C

c.    Glade’s Drive In, Spanish Fork (Unfortunately, they use shortening to fry in hydrogenated oil - which is outlawed in the state of New York for all it’s 33,000 restaurants, and rightly so.  Even so, Glade’s tastes pretty decent for the area.) C

d.    Daley-Freeze Drive-in, in Payson.  Another small-town surprise.  You can't sit down in the place, but the fish is worth standing in the cold, waiting for it at the walk-up counter. C

e. Sommerhays, Salt Lake City, 4870 South Higland Dr. This is not a drive-in, but you pay at the counter like drive-ins and don't have to leave a tip, so it's cheaper, like drive-ins are. As of 2012 they were serving only battered haddock and halibut. Whereas the halibut in 2011 was a B, they both rate a C+. 
(The swai was the best fish they ever had there: B in 2011, which they stopped serving in 2012.)
(Cod is wisely no longer served, it was a C- / D+ and very chewy). Nice people, quaint atmosphere. We like it. (Check out the grilled salmon sandwich, the best fish sandwich we've found in Salt Lake Valley - See our reviews for Best Fish Sandwiches - we found a couple amazing places in Utah Valley.)

f. Scaddy's. fish and chips: battered Halibut, overall: C+. The batter rates a B- - but the fish is overcooked and chewy and gets a C- - .

g. Eating Establishment, Park City. C

h. Market Street Grill, 3 Salt Lake Valley locations. C+

i. Collie's Sports Bar and Grill, Park City. C++

j. No Name Saloon, Park City (actually C-) (no kids allowed)

k. Red Rock Brewery on 200 West, SLC. C

l.     Christopher’s Steak and Seafood.  Pricey but fair.  This and Red Rock serve pretty thick halibut - not my fav for fish & chips, but pretty darn OK.  A few other places have thick halibut as well and are about as good – like those below. C

m.     Marriott Hotel, SLC.  Another thick halibut, pricey. C

n. Ruby River Steakhouse. C

o. n/a

p. Claimjumpers, Heber City. C

q. Archibalds, South Jordan, Halibut. C (but their cod rates higher, per above).

r. Iggy's, Utah chain, Halibut C++

s. Ruth's Diner C+

t. Chubby's C/C+

u. Wingers (not currently serving it) C

v. Cafe 300. They used to have a B+/A- fish and chips but switched their batter in 2016.

w. Golden Corral. C

Some but not all the above 22 C grade places are not in order; the 6 below are. 

x. Denny's, national chain. C+

y. GONE: Iggy's, Utah chain. C. 
    Has overcooked halibut, small pieces.

z. Hook and Ladder, SLC on California Ave.. C 

aa. JCW's battered fish C

bb. Village Inn, national chain; the supposedly better Friday night special, when they batter it themselves: C-

cc Black Bear Diner, regional chain. C-

dd. Iggy's, third test: small, overcooked portions C++

Historical footnotes (good places now gone:) 

a. Our all-time fav in Utah is only in the history books.  It was Sheila's Fish & Chips, later Audrey's Fish and Chips (even written about by fish & chips aficionados in L.A.)  Two old ladies from Liverpool launched the best fish place probably ever in the Rocky Mountains, located at 9th East and 9th South in SLC; then retired and sold it in 1980 to a couple Afghan guys, who started up an Afghan restaurant but kept the SAME FISH recipes, and cooked it right!  (Their Afghan fare was pretty decent too.) But alas, they folded their nomadic tents and disappeared into the desert in the mid-80's, taking the sacred Liverpool recipes with them.  Allah is looking down on them most favorably for their years of extra great fish they brought us. 

b. A Salt Lake icon for decades, now gone: Chris's Fish and Chips on about 2800 South State in SLC was around 30+ years but folded when the married couple from Maryland retired around 2004 or so. It was decent, about on a par with Virg's then (when Virg's was a solid B and thicker and better), but Chris's had a different, flakier/crispier batter, kind of like Red Robbins now.


c. Another old icon: Picadilly Fish and Chips. Started in early 70s in Provo, spread with several locations to SLC. The fish never rated above a C+, but the clam chowder was the best in the state. The old owner sold it, went on to start the Health Rider craze and made millions, but was disheartened that the new owner changed the chowder recipe his wife had developed. For nostalgia buffs, you can get the same fish (if it's still there) at a Chinese place calls Lee's, in Layton, just off Main Street. The wife of the husband-wife team who runs it used to work at Picadilly's under the first owner and brought the fish recipe with her. Even the fish was a bit better under the original owner. Picadilly finally closed after 40 years, after going through several locations, sometime in about 2012. The last one was on State Street, around 15th south; before that one, for over a decade, was the one on 2100 South and about 200 East. 

d. best ever fish and chips in Utah Valley: lasted the year of 2014: Madison Gastropub, downtown Provo, and tied for best in the state. Madison Gastropub, Provo, Chef Mike called it Cajun Fish and Chips and used fabulous mild Cajun spices and an absolutely perfect batter with decent cod. B+

e. another historical footnote:  Rocky Mountain Drive-In of Provo is now out of business (the one across from D.I is gone, but another one with different owners and not the same recipes is still around). Why do we list it?  The former owner might see this some time and give his recipe to somebody still in business:  It had little green herb specks in the batter and other herbs that really rocked, similar to Crown and Anchor Pub in Vegas, and the batter was exceptionally good. Update: Cafe 300 has that same magic in their batter. Not exactly the same recipe, and it's actually a little better. Most who remember Rocky Mountain Drive-In across from D.I. and who try Cafe 300 might agree.

f. Other out of business places that served fish and chips with their own batter: 

Matty's Bistro, Midway (nice batter, but the frozen cod was too chewy as are most if not all places that serve cod that's not fresh): B. 

Wild Mustang, Orem. Batter gets an A. The frozen cod with its typical texture got a C. Overall: B

Neil's Seafood, Draper. Cod C+ and Swai B

State Street Grill, Pleasant Grove.  Went out of business due Feb 2017 to land being sold to car wash, but they were busy! The only FRESH cod, along with Pago, and occasionally O'Shucks, SLC, among those tested. The fish, like "A Little Taste of Britain" and "El Tropical," is large, probably 12 oz., like in the UK. The batter was originally too hard, and the fish with batter in Feb 2014 tested B-/B. But they improved it to the following: fish: B++/A-, batter: B/B+, taste: B+. Overall: B+

1.  Sea Bass, Ogden. the catfish and chips was best! Not the standard fish for fish and chips. They offered 5 different battered seafoods, rated below; we recommended only the first two!

a. catfish fish and chips (best catfish in state, tied with Boudreau's Bistro in Salem, also out of business) A-
b. tilapia fish and chips (best tilapia in state) A- -
c. cod fish and chips (dry, like halibut) B-
d. halibut B
e. NOT FISH AND CHIPS OF COURSE IS THIS OTHER MENU ITEM THERE: fried oyster (it had to be freshly served super hot) A-
(For our grading of their other food items, see our site, "Best Restaurants in Utah.")

El Tropical, Provo. ONLY IF THEY USE POLYGAMY PORTER beer batter from Wasatch Pub in Park City. They use swai, but fish and chips is not on their menu, so custom order it 24 hours in advance. B/B+ 

RE: Fish and Chips. The East and West Coast is where you'll find the best.  Check our "Best Fish & Chips in Los Angeles" (we found two incredible places of well over a dozen we've tried that were rated the best over a several year period by visiting Brits and UK ex-pats).  Elsewhere off the Sacred Coasts . . . check for Best Fish & Chips in Vegas for one pretty good place only.