Friday nights during lent are the time of year when our family seeks out the best fish fry in town. It all started when my wife and I lived in a more ethnically diverse part of town, and every street corner had a church that offered up fish on Friday nights during lent. We made it a point to sample the different offerings each week, and because there were so many different options to eat, we usually had a tough time deciding where to go. Our experiment became an annual tradition for our family, that was not so much about the food, but rather about getting out and trying the fish fry establishments.

The quest has become a tradition to find a location that has a good assortment of food for a respectable price. Unfortunately, most of the fish fry locations we have been too are filled with small pieces of fish, tons of carbs (fries, perogies, bread, mac-n-cheese, cabbage and noodles), and none of it was all too great tasting or appealing other than the tradition aspect and often times getting to meet up with family. When we used to live closer to downtown Cleveland, it was a lot easier to find some local Lake Erie perch dinner on Friday nights; however, in our new town, it is a lot harder to find new locations to try their local fare.

So now that we were a couple of weeks into lent, we had the chance to try a couple of the local churches, and I was far from impressed. It was time for a new plan of action, and the further away we got from downtown, the fewer choices available. As we researched for new locations to eat, my father-in-law was asking around, and happen to again and again get recommended to an establishment in Lakewood, OH called Sullivan’s Irish Pub & Restaurant.

While I typically would like to try and avoid a standard restaurant for a fish fry during lent, I was open to the proposition of getting some good quality food. In addition, it was close to St. Patrick’s Day, and there are few great Irish places remaining to eat in the Cleveland area. So we made a plan to go a couple of days before the holiday to avoid the onslaught of people.

Unfortunately, my wife had to work late, so it was up to me to take the boys out to eat with their grandparents. Diaper bag and toddler drink bottles in hand, we met at Sullivan’s around 5:30 PM. For reference, the restaurant does not open until 5:00 PM on weekdays. Luckily, the crowds had not yet descended upon the restaurant, so we were easily able to get pretty much any table in the establishment.

The problem was pretty much from the moment we walked in the door, the service was poor. After standing at the front door with Lan-Shark in one arm, a bottle bag on my other arm, and holding Bug’s hand, it took quite a while for anyone at the restaurant to even realize we were waiting for a table. When we finally were taken to our table, I requested a highchair, which never came until I actually went to seek one out. All of the employees seemed like they all had just woken up and were not ready for customers. I expected more in an Irish bar around St. Patrick’s Day, but was quite disappointed in the staff.

Regardless, I can often overlook poor service if the food is great. The menu was quite extensive, yet we all were there for one purpose, the fish and chips. Drinks were brought promptly (there was no one else in the restaurant for the most part), and we talked about our days while we waited for the food.

My in-laws ordered an appetizer, Irish Cheddar Dip (hot Irish cheddar, served with crispy boxty wedges for dipping). The appetizer was a fabulous amount of Irish style potato pancakes presented with an amazing cheese dip. The food got snarfed up so fast by everyone at the table, I was unable to get a picture. At this point in the meal, we were extremely impressed, and Bug devoured his couple pieces and asked for more. Sweet, great food, and both toddlers loved it!

Shortly there after our fish and chips (tender cod, hand dipped in tempura batter, and piled on top of our thick cut chips; served with a side of tartar sauce) arrived at the table. Now this is a fish fry! Two ample pieces of fish presented with a pile of potato wedges. This was not your typical church assortment.

Besides being served with a small portion of tarter sauce, and even after asking for more, they only brought a couple, the meal was delicious! The only other thing that would have really added to the meal would be an excellent Irish coleslaw.

So for the same money as the weekly church fish fry, we had a superior meal. After another Irish restaurant in the area closed about a year ago, Sullivan’s is now our new replacement, and well worth your time. The atmosphere and decor fit and what I believe a real bar in Ireland might look like. The food was all excellent with ample portions. In addition, Sullivan’s was pretty kid friendly. They featured a kids eat free night on Wednesdays, and had smaller size portions of several dishes on the kids menu.

I hope everyone had a nice and safe St. Patrick’s Day. Save Money, Travel More!