Wow! What a cool place. It has almost a basement vibe. The place was packed when I got there. Reservations were needed that night. But they got me into a spot at the bar. Service was phenomenal. The fish and chips were great! But the star was the side of curry gravy to dip my fries in! So freaking good! This was a great restaurant in downtown Syracuse. I hope to make it back someday. read more

I was craving some fresh, simply cooked fish and knew I needed to go to The Fish Friar. I was hoping to sit outside, but it was too cold so I sat at the bar. Service was great....the bartender was friendly and very efficient. I had the seafood chowder to start. While it was very tasty, ( haddock, clams and salmon- (?), I thought it was very skimpy on fish. I ordered a piece of grilled haddock and a side of mushy peas. The haddock was sweet, moist and delivered hot. The mushy peas were excellent with great texture. The menu is small, but everything I've tried over the years has been excellent....they know their fish and prepare it simply and beautifully. read more

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Heard lots of good things about this place. Waited an hour to get in so it's very popular. The inside of this place is nice. All exposed brick and an old school vibe. Once we got seated service was excellent. Food came out very fast and our service was great. We started with oysters and calamari. Both were good. I had broiled haddock,rice and mushy peas for my entree. It's was a bit plain but nice. My son had a fried haddock sandwich and he was happy. My wife had a shrimp dish and it was ok. I would go back. read more

Delightful place to have lunch or dinner, by the looks of it, maybe with someone else so you're not alone in a semi-romantic, dark setting. This little restaurant is in downtown Syracuse in New York, and I would like to come here again. It isn't super huge and the car park could be a hassle depending on the day, but with the whole experience, I enjoyed myself. The bartender who served me (bar seating), was very friendly and was ready to answer any questions I had, was fun to talk to, and gave me a sample of delicious whiskey. For lunch/ early dinner, I did have whiskey and as an appetizer I had calamari. The only thing I didn't like was the calamari was a little too salty for my liking. I wanted to take the rest of my dinner home to prepare for the next day. I tried their version of banh mi, shrimp and it was savory, I would get it again. All the flavors went well together, and I would recommend it to any other banh mi lover out there. The wait wasn't long for food, I got to mellow out and enjoy my appetizer and adult beverage, come here if you haven't tried it. read more

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What a fun spot! Tucked away downtown the Fish Friar is unassuming when you drive by, but we were very impressed after our first visit. Immediately, the staff were very friendly and helpful. While the hostess worked to get our table ready, we grabbed a bottle of wine at the bar to spilt. On Wednesdays their wine bottles are half off! The bartender, Matthew, is phenomenal and makes cocktails with such attention to detail. After we got to our table, our waitress made some recommendations based on what flavors we like and got us excited for the meal. The smoked salmon dip was yummy and we both really enjoyed our entrees. My partner slurped up every drop of the tomato sauce in his dish! My Po Boy made into a bowl was a lovely gluten free option with a delicious spice and citrus taste. I'm sure the sandwich version is great too. This is a great spot if you're looking for sustainable, wild caught seafood options on a date night! A cozy atmosphere with great staff and food. read more

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I didn't think much of it by the name. Just wanted to order some fish and chips and try it out. Small quaint but super cool inside. We order drinks and then settled in with The salmon grilled cheese. I know, I thought this is definitely not my thing, but it is one of the best sandwiches I've ever had. It comes with a kind of tomato soup to dip it in, but it really isn't just tomato soup. It is full of flavor and delicious. I just wanted to go and order the fish and chips but so many things on the menu looked so good. read more

Hands down the best fish fry in Syracuse area. It's not your average fish fry joint either. A higher end experience but the food is really selling point. The fish is perfectly breaded and flakey. The homemade tartar sauce is clutch. We came around 1:30 on a Friday and it was surprisingly quiet, but we didn't mind. If your looking for haddock in Syracuse, there is really only one choice; Fish Friar read more

The Fish Friar - Oysters - Fish & Chips Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Cute spot inside and out. Small but mighty menu and everything done top notch. This will win over those that aren't much of a seafood fan with well prepared meals and homemade sauces. Great cocktails and good service. This is a great place to visit. Highly recommend! read more

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The server seemed new and apologized when we returned an item and didnt get another. Very friendly however. Food was great enjoyed the cioppino and shrimp po boy. read more

Can be a little tricky finding this place. It's easier in the summer when the outdoor tables are set up. You can add yourself to the waitlist on their web site. I like the new bar. Smallish space but have a lot of outdoor seating when the weather is nice. The fish was panko crusted making it very crunchy. Great cocktails. The kiwi was a revelation. Love the mushy peas read more

The Fish Friar - Kiwi cocktail - Fish & Chips Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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It's been a while since I've been to the Fish Friar. The ambiance is really moody and lovely at night, on a winter's night when it gets dark early especially. I came early evening and the bar (which is beautiful) was busy, but tables were abundant. Got some calamari, which was well seasoned with a peppery kick. Food came out fast and was predictably tasty. I've gotten takeout lunch in the past here and that's always tasty. Fish is high quality and they come up with some inventive dishes. Love the final touch of giving a swedish fish candy instead of a mint with the bill at the end of the meal. read more

A cozy unassuming place. Wish I discovered it sooner. We went on Valentines Day so it was busy but service and food were great-no complaints. Food was DELICIOUS. Oyster special with the hot pepper sauce was great, even for someone who doesn't love oysters. Cioppino was delightful, perfectly spicy, and generous portions of all seafood listed. Everything tasted fresh and high quality. I got 2 cocktails, the blizzard of '93 was particularly good, absolutely one of my new favorites in Syracuse. The special lemon olive oil cake was a perfect blend of tart, sweet, and light, wish they sold it as whole cakes. Only downside. It's a tiny place so if it's cold out, those closest the door will feel it when it opens-just wear a sweater. The staff do a good job of getting the door shut quickly though. Highly recommend, can't wait to head there for a po- boy soon! read more

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As wonderful as it was in the winter. Sat outside, calamari still awesome. The salmon dip was light and the banh mi poy boy rice substitute was light and hit the spot. read more

The Fish Friar - Fish & Chips Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Stopped by The Fish Friar in search of fish and chips and was not disappointed. First of all--the atmosphere in this spot is chic pub perfection. From the tiny gas lanterns on the tables to the twinkle lit bar area--it's everything you want in a fish pub and more. We started our experience with poutine. They offer a delicious twist on their poutine with their curried gravy and diced vegetables. It's honestly amazing. The best poutine I've ever enjoyed. My dining companion was on the hunt for amazing fish and chips so that's what they ordered. I had a bite and their fish and chips here are top notch. I went for the caesar salad with shrimp added, which was also wonderful. They offer a twist on the caesar with crisp fried onions in place of croutons--no complaints here! I also enjoyed one of their tiki cocktails. The Saturn cocktail is a fruity gin delight. The service was the right amount of attentive and the prices were reasonable. Get to it! read more

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Love this place. Each dish is at once familiar and unexpected. Almost always the unexpected is delightful. Today I had a salad with shrimp--but the house dressing seemed like it was plain vinegar--so acidic that the lettuces and toppings were hard to eat. I should have noted this to the server, because it might have been a mistake. The shrimp were great, however. read more

What a cute little restaurant! Located in a neat old building we were seated right away and service was great. I tried a sangria which was drier than expected but good and fish and chips. Would definitely go back! read more

The Fish Friar - Sangria - Fish & Chips Near Me - Syracuse, New York

One of my favorite spots in town! Drinks are top-notch, as is the service. It's a small place, so not recommended for large groups. Favorite side: mushy peas Favorite entree: Fish and chips Favorite snack: ...I guess the spicy haddock bisque Everything I've had has been awesome. One time I got an extra shrimp in my shrimp snack and it made my month. read more

The Fish Friar - Oysters - Fish & Chips Near Me - Syracuse, New York

Still the freshest seafood in the area. What's not to love? Ambiance is warm and relaxing, fresh air on a nice day as both front doors are open, ac if hot and heat if not. The calamari is tender with light crispy breading and perfectly sized thin slices of cherry pepper for just the right amount of spice in each bite. The broiled haddock over rice with mushy peas is perfectly seasoned and cooked. One of the waitstaff was describing the smoked salmon grilled cheese that will be my order next visit for sure! Service is always friendly, helpful, and fast. The staff always seem happy and are fun to chat with. read more

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It's a clean and beautiful restaurant with an extensive menu. The service was amazing and the staff were very nice. I would definitely recommend their fried fish sandwich. It tasted very fresh to me. read more

The Fish Friar - Peanut butter pie - Fish & Chips Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Ordered The Captains Platter for delivery. My fish piece was large and cooked perfectly. Shrimp were excellent. Fries were cooked perfectly. Delivery was fast. This is now my go-to place for fried fish. read more

They seated us last minute on a busy weekend. Service was perfect and food was delicious. Drink menu is super fun, including mocktails.

Wonderful food, service and staff. Perfect casual dining with great menu and drinks. Look forward to going again.

Beer recommendation: Boddington's A nice little gem in the middle of the city, cramped but lively. Staff has been quick every time we've been there and have had nice friendly bartenders. Limited menu is done well, would have said a few small changes each season would be warranted, but they just did that and what they do they do well. Cocktails sometimes tend to the sweet side, but it ends up a nice place to hang on its off nights to have a couple of drinks. Beer is limited but usually covers a range of styles, occasionally they won't have a sour or saison but it's still a range. Great little spot. Worth the hassle. read more

If you're looking for a place with good food and drinks, I'd recommend stopping by FF. I love their fish; it's always hot and fresh. I've tried out a lot of fish options in the area, and FF has one of the best fish dinners. The ambiance at FF is great too. I love this space. I've been coming to different restaurants in this space over the years. It's convenient to get to and has plenty of parking nearby. I can't wait to stop back soon. read more

My favorite seafood restaurant in Syracuse. The fish is so crispy, the apps delicious, the margaritas are DELICIOUS!! The restaurant is tiny, so come early or order take out. The fish stays crispy! The sides are so good: the potato salad is classic, the rice is tasty, the mushy peas are a must have! The sauces are delicious as well, with the tartar sauce (and others) being homemade!! read more

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Came here on a random Tuesday night as I was in town and staying less than a 10 minute walk away. I came for an early dinner so it wasn't too busy yet which I was thankful for because it's pretty small inside. Service was attentive and kind. Tex Max Tuesday so they had $8 margaritas which was perfectly done. I got the house chowder and crispy shrimp. Both were delicious. Chowder was super flavorful with a bit a spice which I loved. The shrimp were some of the best fried shrimp I've ever had. Nice and plump, extra crispy breading and seasoned to perfection. I got mine with the tartar sauce which was balanced and fresh. Will definitely have to come back to try some other items in the future. read more

The Fish Friar - Crispy Shrimp, House Chowder - Fish & Chips Near Me - Syracuse, New York

My family & I absolutely love The Fish Friar! Their fish, lobster & all their salads & sides are great. (mushy peas are loved by all as well) I love their haddock chowder too. Staff are always pleasant & a beautiful atmosphere inside while eating with candles lit. Very convenient for take outs as well. We appreciate all they do. read more

Fun environment with indoor and outdoor seating. Service was good and on the laid back side. Food was tasty. We split the two plate and it was plenty of food. Fried fish and shrimp basket and calamari. read more

The Fish Friar - Calamari with fried peppers - Fish & Chips Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Excellent seafood and service. I can't spell Calamari but I can tell you that the Fish Friar was some of the best I done ever had. A wonderful Fish and Chips, a pint and beautiful outdoor seating downtown, what more could a lad ask for- Bravo. 10/10 read more

such a cute place! we loved the outdoor seating and had a great view and great service :) read more

The Fish Friar - menu - Fish & Chips Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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Came here for celebration dinner for Syracuse graduate! Had the fish and chips plus calamari. Food was delicious. Cute restaurant, just wished the music was not as loud. Servers were very kind. read more

Let me just put it out there- I've been to the Fish Friar quite a few times. In my opinion, it's the best seafood spot in the city and it's not particularly close. I stopped in at about 3:30 on a Thursday. I was the only patron in the restaurant and as such was served quite promptly. I was allowed to seat myself. My server was friendly, prompt, and attentive even though I was the only one in the restaurant. Good stuff. I had a 12 oz beer and the special of the day, the Bahn mi boy. This is a riff on the classic Bahn mi sandwich wherein they swap the typical protein for their crispy shrimp. This sandwich was excellent. The mayo was nice and spicy. The vegetables were great, the cucumbers were long sliced which helped their coverage. The shrimp were nice and crispy, the breading they use is exceptional. I had fries and Mac salad as my sides. Both were excellent. Would recommend both in a heartbeat. Total came to just over 27 dollars. Well worth the money. If you haven't been, you really should go. It's fantastic. Bring a date, the atmosphere is pretty intimate in the evening. Only downsides is the place is quite small and could potentially be full if you go for dinner. Also you gotta park on the street in the city- always a bummer but what can you do. I'll certainly be back. read more

The Fish Friar - Bahn mi boy - Fish & Chips Near Me - Syracuse, New York

The ambiance is sweet & cozy. Our server "Taylor" is super polite. This place was recommended for fish (broiled or fried) and it was great. The "Cool Boy" and the broiled "Haddock" was incredibly delicious! You ever had Haddock hard to season to taste? --Ya'll-- It was SO GOOD!!! read more

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Their scallop roll is a must try. I got the spicy one which has a kick but is very tolerable in my opinion. It was amazing. Added on a side of Mac salad too. I've gotta catch their happy hour deals one of these days! read more

love the vibe inside, its small but i've been lucky to get seated fairly quickly. scallop rolls are fantastic, and i love getting a side of fries with a few sauces to try out. friar dressing is my favorite read more

The Fish Friar's move from Solvay to downtown a couple years ago was more than just a geographic relocation. It was a total reset for the three-year seafood-only restaurant. Co-owners Giovanni Giardina and Phil Kelly now have a more appropriate home for carrying out their mission of "an elevated and elegant spin on fish fry that brings culinary experience to a simple concept." That simple concept is the fish fry, a Lenten tradition that has always been popular in CNY. Now, I'll admit...I'm not a seafood fan. Honestly, I'll have a fried fish sandwich every couple months and that's the extent of my seafood eating. The wife, on the other hand, loves seafood and has been wanting to try Fish Friar for years, so for her birthday recently, I decided to bring her home a fried fish dinner, one of her favorite meals, as a surprise birthday meal. I ordered on their website. Easy enough website to use. I got a fried fish sandwich platter with fries and rice pilaf. I ordered my wife the Captains Platter, a piece of fried haddock, fried shrimp and a side of fries. I also got a side of their spicy chili mayo. Parking was actually easy enough on Jefferson St downtown, plenty of room to park. I got an alert on my phone just as I walked into the restaurant that my food was ready for pick up. I was only inside for a solid 30 seconds, but the inside of the restaurant was nicely decorated and the employees inside greeted me and told me to have a good day on my way out. Employees were very nice when I called in after placing my order online and had to change something as well. I had about a 30 minute drive home, but everything was still hot and crispy when I got home. Everything was good, cooked well, fresh. Rice pilaf was a little bland, fries were decent. I liked that they put lettuce and tomato on their sandwiches, which most other places don't. The spicy chili mayo was good, had a nice smokey flavor. I only had two issues...one, while their coating was crispy and cooked perfectly, I felt it lacked in flavor. The second was their portions. They're a tad bit higher priced than most other fish fry places, yet their haddock pieces were smaller than I've had. They don't say how many pieces of shrimp come with the Captains Platrer, but I only recall seeing 2 pieces. Both the flavor and the portions are a little less than similar places in the area. Overall, everything was very good, and we'd go again if we had the craving while in the area. read more

The Fish Friar - Fish & Chips Near Me - Syracuse, New York

This is such a great find in Syracuse! The Ambiance and food is 10/10. Super crispy fish and chips, good fries and a super yummy dipping sauce to boot! Fish was just a hair overcooked, but it was delicious and flaky. Cool cocktail menu, drinks leaned a little on the sweet side and not very strong, but still super delicious! Service was slow, but they were working so hard. What can you expect when you have one server working as hostess, running food, and taking orders with the bartender hopping in to help. Overall, really enjoyed dinner here and would definitely return! read more

The Fish Friar - fish and chips, calamari, shrimp po boy - Fish & Chips Near Me - Syracuse, New York

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I'm not in Syracuse that often these days, but The Fish Friar is one of the restaurants I've had bookmarked to try for takeout when visiting the area - and I definitely wanted to get an array of items in my order to really sample the menu. Before leaving Syracuse on my recent visit, I placed an order from my phone... including a family size soup (crab bisque), two salads (including the shrimp caesar), the "Honey Boy" sandwich, a captain's platter, and various other items (I was ordering on behalf of both myself and my mother, as she was with me for this little trip). I was about 10 minutes away, so I turned on my GPS (because I have no idea where I'm going when driving Downtown Syracuse) and made my way to the restaurant to pick up the order. I was able to find parking nearby, and so masked up and wandered over to the restaurant... which, for what it's worth, reminds me of NYC with the fact that they can fully open the front area of the restaurant when the weather is nice. While they have some metal shelves near the entrance for takeout orders, my order wasn't waiting... but a member of the staff quickly saw me, asked my name, and explained that my order was being prepared. I had included a request for a single slice of the peanut butter pie in my order, and apparently there was quite a battle going on in the kitchen to get that single slice from the pie only recently taken out of the freezer. (Fortunately, no fingers were lost in The Great Frozen Pie Battle of 2021.) The staff were all wonderful, welcoming, and seemed to be passionate about the experience they were providing. When my order was finally complete, the server working that afternoon offered to help me bring everything out to the car, which was much appreciated. When I passed one of the takeout bags to my mother in the car, she quickly commented "Oh my god... this smells SO GOOD." It really did. I'm honestly surprised I wasn't drooling on the drive out of Syracuse. As for the food itself, everything was DELICIOUS. My mother, who tends to be picky about restaurant fries and can be somewhat "meh" about fish fry dishes, commented about just how good her fish was... and how she was pleasantly surprised that the fries stayed crispy too. The crab bisque soup had nice bits of crab throughout, and my Honey Boy sandwich (described as "Crispy fried shrimp on a bed of lettuce and tomato, dressed in our house honey mustard, and topped with fried pickled red onions on a sub roll") was filling and a generally delightful take on the po boy sandwich. Basically, The Fish Friar is a gem of a restaurant in Downtown Syracuse and it's not to be missed if you're a seafood fan. It's certainly a new favorite of mine and has been added to my "must revisit" list. Many thanks to the folks at The Fish Friar for everything they do to provide a delightful experience! read more

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I'll give 2 stars with a caveat that I think this was just an off day for the staff. I've eaten at Fish Friar before and had good meals with good services. Tonight, not so much. We stopped in on a Friday night around 6:15 and it was fully occupied both indoors and out with diners in various stages of their meal. We had about a 20 minute wait before we were sat (Tip- do not sit on the bench outside of the gate. It's under a tree and you'll constantly have these little green bugs falling on you. Within 10 minutes we were constantly swiping them off our shoulders and laps or picking them out of our hair) By the time we were seated, things had died down a bit though I'm sure there were to go orders as I saw plenty of cars pull up. We ordered a glass of wine, a beer, a salad and an order of fried fish and chips and soup. After 20+ minutes with our table clearly void of any food or drink... our waiter stopped at our table and said " you haven't gotten your drinks yet?" And proceeded to wait for us to respond. Once we said no, he walked away and returned shortly with our drinks. He set them on the table and promptly walked away. He didn't acknowledge or apologize for the wait. After another 15 minutes we finally received our meals which were delivered by a different server. Our waiter did not check on us during our meal. When we finished eating our plates were cleared by yet a different waiter. Shortly after our original waiter bought our check and quickly returned once we put down our credit card. He ran the credit card and when he came back was suddenly chatty. Hmm.... Now it's time for the tip and you suddenly have a personality? Spare me. Although I'm sharing a bad experience i would still recommend this restaurant because normally it's a great dinner spot. read more

3.5 stars. I really wanted to rate this place higher since I've heard good things about it. Service here was excellent and we tried both the scallop platter (with rice pilaf, peas and mac salad) and the haddock sandwich (which came with fries and cole slaw). Portions were great on everything. Haddock sandwich - 4.5/5. Tasty lightly fried fish, delicious tartar, overall great. Fries and cole slaw were also tasty Scallop platter - 2-3/5. Portions were good but the dish was so heavily salted that I unfortunately couldn't get past (including the rice, scallops, peas). Otherwise, scallops had a nice sear and were buttery. Overall a good place to go to, but too salty for my taste unfortunately. read more

The Fish Friar - Fish & Chips Near Me - Syracuse, New York