Cheap Eats: Pike Place Fish Fry
I think I might have finally gotten over my grief at the loss of Frites. The other night, before we saw Mirageman, the husband and I had dinner at Pike Street Fish Fry.
The basic layout is pretty much the same as Frites. But they’ve expanded to the left of the kitchen just a bit and added a communal six person table with a porthole window to the outside. In the main space, there’s a center standing table and another standing table against the front window. The ceiling is beautifully refinished wood and the whole space feels clean and almost bright, even on a rainy day.
They offer both fried and grilled items, but really… with a name like Pike Street Fish Fry, you really need to try at least one item fried. We ordered halibut (though I think there was a small mixup and what I actually got was Ling Cod) and catfish, as well as the fried asparagus. Also on the menu are oysters, salmon, ling cod, and one or two other items. They even had a grilled hanger steak.
First, the asparagus. The batter is almost a tempura batter and is light and decidedly not greasy. Every item comes with a dipping sauce and we chose lemon aioli for the asparagus. It was fried to perfection, with no part of the stalk unedible.
Next the fish. In the first image above, you see that round circular thing on top? That’s not a piece of fish. That’s a FRIED LEMON SLICE! Let me tell you… biting into that was a little disconcerting. Even though I knew they fried a lemon slice with their fish, I apparently forgot when I took my first bite. But once the confusion lifted, I was hooked. It was fantastic. I was actually fortunate enough to get TWO fried lemon slices in my order and I savored every bite. The fish is sliced very thinly. Every piece of fish was that thin. I tried curry ketchup with my fish, but I soon switched to the lemon aioli. The husband ordered the catfish and tried the smoked chili mayo, which was also excellent. 
Our entire bill, without the Mexican Coke that I decided I needed when we left, was $18.50. I’ll definitely be going back, whenever I have a movie at the Egyptian. And probably many times when I don’t.
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But, you didn’t get fries with that, did you? So, it was really $18.50 for two small orders of fish, an order of fried asparagus, and NO CHIPS.
Hardly a bargain.
Given the quality of the food, I consider it a very good deal. Of course, your mileage may vary. I didn’t want fries, so I didn’t order them. The three items we ordered were plenty for two adults who were reasonably hungry. There was at least 3/4 of a pound of asparagus in the order.
Had I chosen to get two orders of fish and two orders of fries (which were pretty large), the total bill would have been $21.50.
WOW, I really disagree with this restaurant review. First, let me preface this by saying I KNOW fried food, I know fried fish and I also know quite a bit about street food. Here’s a bit about my experience there. I ordered 1 halibut sandwich, 1 catfish sandwich, 1 fry, and two cokes. It was $28.00. After the sticker shock of the bill, I thought maybe the food will make up for the price. Disappointment. The catfish was completely slimy and tasteless. It wason a french roll with something they call "slaw", but it was bitter and disgusting. The fries are just fries, ok…..but not worth $4. They had several dips to choose from. I chose curry ketchup and salsa verde. The salsa verde literally tasted like pureed grass and smelled like pot. The curry ketchup was a side attempt at a spicy ketchup. Stick with the Heinz.
Street food is quick and cheap. This was neither. I don’t know how anyone can call it streetfood. I guess you do have to stand to eat it in their tiny little space, but the novelty is not worth the price, or the food.