Where to Find Boston’s Tastiest Fish and Chips
Crispy, crunchy, and comforting.
If you want fried seafood in Boston—well, we’ve got you covered with everything from clam rolls to calamari. Sometimes, though, you just want to skip straight to a standard pairing of perfectly crisped fish and chips. For that? Sea below.
Last updated on April 4, 2023; stay tuned for periodic updates.
Blackmoor Bar & Kitchen’s fish and chips. / Photo courtesy of Blackmoor Bar & Kitchen
Blackmoor Bar & Kitchen
Fish and chips is a Fridays-only special at Olde Magoun’s Saloon, Blackmoor’s sibling restaurant in Somerville. It’s always on the menu, though, at this Charlestown restaurant, which also benefits from views of a marina and the illuminated Zakim bridge. Good thing, because we’d pull up a seat for the beer-battered haddock and extra-creamy coleslaw any day. (You’ll also find it daily at another sibling spot, LongCross Bar & Kitchen at Medford’s Station Landing.)
1 Chelsea St., Charlestown, Boston, 617-580-8166, blackmoorbar.com.
Boston Sail Loft
Schooner-sized portions help elevate the Sail Loft to Boston institution status, and that’s as true of the superlative fish and chips as the overflowing cups of crown-stealing chowder. Adding to the appeal is the clapboard shanty’s North End waterfront locale, where steadfast fans are known to keep the sangria and rum punch flowing.
80 Atlantic Ave., Waterfront/North End, Boston, 617-227-7280, thebostonsailloft.com.
Courthouse Seafood
Case closed: The super-reasonable ($9.95!) fish and chips is a winner at the takeout restaurant attached to this century-plus-old, family-owned Portuguese fish market. While you’re there, pick up a fresh local catch to cook at home, as well as sardines and stickleback imported weekly from Iberian waters.
498 Cambridge St., East Cambridge, 617-491-1213, courthouseseafood.com.
The Druid
If you’re going to this authentic Irish pub in Inman Square for the amazing fish and chips (and you really, really should), you might as well time your visit to take in a fiddle-filled live music seisiún—or at least experience the beloved, boisterous brunch service, which is popular with Pats Nation and other sports fans on game days. (Note: The tasty battered cod is also available in sandwich form.)
1357 Cambridge St., Inman Square, Cambridge, 617-497-0965, druidpub.com.
The Dubliner’s day boat fish and chips. / Photo by Rachel Leah Blumenthal
The Dubliner
This 2022 addition to Government Center is a hit; it’s everything you’d want from a traditional Irish pub, amped up a few notches. On the culinary side, that’s thanks to chef and partner Aidan McGee, who has worked his way through Michelin-starred spots across the pond. His enormous portion of fish and chips features haddock with thick, triple-cooked fries, peas, and tartar sauce. Good news: It’s available at dinner, weekday lunch, and weekend brunch.
2 Center Plz., Downtown Boston, 857-317-2695, thedublinerboston.com.
The Haven
Boston’s only Scottish pub, now in a much bigger space! Come for the haggis-stuffed ravioli; stay for the fish supper: beer-battered haddock with chips, tartar sauce and mint mushy peas. It’s perfect for pairing (on the roomy patio, perhaps?) with something from the extensive selection of Scotches and craft beers imported from the High- and Lowlands.
284 Amory St., Jamaica Plain, Boston, 617-524-2836, thehavenjp.com.
JP Seafood Cafe
A talent for tempura sets apart the coleslaw-accompanied fish and chips at this wonderful Korean-Japanese fixture in Jamaica Plain, the kind of charming neighborhood seafood joint appointed with a wall-sized ocean mural, decorative fish tank, and friendly, familiar service.
730 Centre St., Jamaica Plain, Boston, 617-983-5177, jpseafoodcafe.com.
Lehrhaus
This Somerville newcomer—which bills itself as a “Jewish tavern and house of learning”—is operating in “soft opening” mode as of early spring 2023, but stay tuned for a grander opening shortly. An early standout is the ultra-crispy fish and chips, served with amba vinegar (amba is a tangy pickled mango condiment with Indian-Jewish roots), spicy s’chug aioli, and Old Bay-dusted fries. Pair it with something from the very fun cocktail menu: We suggest the Some Like It Harif, a tequila-based drink that also gets a kick from s’chug.
Lucy’s American Tavern
Chef Chris Bauers was a key force in making JM Curley in Downtown Boston an early cornerstone of our city’s creative-American-gastropub scene. Now he’s doing things on a grander scale—literally, the place is a lot bigger—at Lucy’s in Dorchester, a rustic-cool tavern where the deep-fried haddock is crusted in potato chips with salt-and-malt-vinegar seasoning, served with fries, tartar sauce, and slaw.
13 Granite Ave., Dorchester, Boston, 617-326-6677, lucysamericantavern.com.
Row 34’s fish and chips. / Photo by Michael Harlan Turkell
Row 34
The Fort Point-born seafood spot knows a thing or two about beer—that’s why its list has previously won our Best of Boston award. Naturally, chef and partner Jeremy Sewall, armed with a fine-dining pedigree, similarly knows how to serve fantastic beer-battered fish and chips. (Find additional locations in Burlington, Portsmouth, and—opening in April 2023—Cambridge’s Kendall Square.)
383 Congress St., Fort Point, Boston, 617-553-5900, row34.com.
Yankee Lobster Co.
Sure, the shiny Seaport has plenty of swank restaurants now, but when it comes to classic fish and chips, the Bostonian’s heart wants what it wants: to return yet again to Yankee Lobster. The decades-old landmark (and Best of Boston winner) serves fresh fish from its market, while the restaurant portion provides fried fare that continues to crush the thick competition.
300 Northern Ave., Seaport District, Boston, 617-345-9799, yankeelobstercompany.com.
