10 Ohio Bars Keeping The Fried Fish Ritual Alive

I still remember the first Friday I chased the glow of a neon fish sign across Ohio.

I was hungry for crisp edges and lake born flavor that tasted like home.

You know the feeling when a plate arrives, the steam hits your face and suddenly the week loosens its grip?

Well, that is the ritual I set out to follow across the state, one fryer hiss at a time.

Come along and let the crunch and the stories pull you to the next bite.

1. Jolly Roger Seafood House

The line was really long at Jolly Roger Seafood House.

That’s no surprise since people love their fried fish.

I stepped near 1715 E Perry St, Port Clinton, OH 43452, and the smell amazed me.

You can feel anticipation in your fingertips when the tray lands heavy with a walleye sandwich that leans tall under a toasted bun and a drift of slaw.

My first bite crackled loud enough to start a conversation.

The fries are unbelievably crisp and proud, while the hushpuppies carry a gentle corn sweetness that warms the back of your throat like a friendly toast.

I loved how the counter crew moved with lighthouse calm, calling numbers and handing out trays like gifts.

A platter here feels like a ceremony.

You play your part with a squeeze of citrus and a careful dunk into house sauce that balances tang and cream.

The walleye fillet shows a clean white flake that proves the fryer respects the fish and never bullies it with heat.

Between bites I watched gulls wheel above parked cars and felt a small thank you for lakes that feed neighborhoods with honest crunch.

You will leave with salt on your lips and a plan to return because rituals deserve practice and perch this clean deserves applause.

2. Brennan’s Fish House

The wooden door at Brennan’s Fish House swung open and the dining room greeted me with a lantern glow that made the platters shine at 102 River St, Grand River, OH 44045.

You hear forks meeting plates like rain on a skiff.

The batter here whispers rather than shouts.

It’s thin and crisp, just perfect.

I paired walleye with a squeeze of lemon and watched the fillet break into snowy flakes that felt like standing in a quiet cove in the evening.

The nautical room pieces together rope, net, and model ships without kitsch.

You relax and pay attention to the heat rising from your plate.

A side of house slaw brings a cool cabbage crunch with just enough vinegar to cut through the fry in a friendly handshake.

The tartar sauce shows dill and a hint of pickle brine.

That pulls the fish forward and keeps every bite nimble rather than heavy.

You will step back outside to the river air with a satisfied quiet, planning your next trip to Brennan’s.

3. The Seafood Restaurant (“The Seafoood”)

The Seafood in Sylvania wears its history like a captain’s jacket and the hostess welcomed me with a smile that hinted at decades of Friday nights at 5504 W Alexis Rd, Sylvania, OH 43560.

Each perch fillet snapped gently at the edge while the center dissolved into soft flakes that tasted clean and faintly sweet.

I added vinegar that crackled against the crust and cleared space in my head for nothing but the next bite.

The pickerel showed a slightly firmer texture with a pleasant note that lingered.

It made the tartar sauce feel like a reward.

The fries earned their keep with a russet depth and a salty crunch that held even after conversation slowed and stories grew longer.

Servers moved friendly while trading local tips about ice on the marinas and where perch runs stand best.

I loved that the plate arrived tidy and hot with no grease sheen and a golden crisp.

A squeeze of lemon brightened the whole spread and I caught myself grinning at the simple choreography of dip, bite, nod, and repeat.

You will leave certain that tradition can taste lively and new when a kitchen respects timing, temperature, and a fish that tastes like home.

4. Berardi’s Family Restaurant

Berardi’s Family Restaurant felt like a neighbor’s kitchen scaled up.

The aroma of frying walleye tugged me to a booth at 218 Cleveland Rd E, Huron, OH 44839.

The plate that landed held fillets arranged with clean lines, each one a golden ribbon balanced by a scoop of slaw and a neat lemon half.

The first bite delivered a satisfying crunch followed by a buttery interior that flaked and carried a gentle lake sweetness.

The fries leaned crisp and well salted, and I used them shamelessly to chase tartar drips like a kid guarding the last good bite.

A server mentioned recent praise for their walleye and her pride traveled with the plate.

It made the meal feel like a small celebration.

Everything arrived hot without grease glare, proof that the fryers here run like trusted instruments.

I noticed families sharing platters and swapping lemon wedges, and the room held that pleasant Friday hum that calms your shoulders.

You will walk out with a steady contentment, the kind that tells you simple food made well can still outshine the fanciest distractions.

5. Gunselman’s Tavern

Gunselman’s Tavern rang with cheerful noise when I grabbed a table by the window at 21490 Lorain Rd, Fairview Park, OH 44126.

They call it the best fried fish in town for a reason.

The basket that arrived did not argue.

The batter tasted airy and malty with a gentle hop note that played backup to a moist white interior that steamed like a promise kept.

The chips leaned toward thick cut with browned edges and a soft center that made salt stick like a friendly handshake.

Staff moved fast and checked in just as the second drink kissed the table and the basket invited a round two.

During Lent the line winds toward the door and you can watch trays sail past carrying coleslaw and hushpuppies like savory life preservers.

A walleye special showed up crisp and confident with a clean lake character that stood tall under the batter’s lively crunch.

The bar felt like a clubhouse of regulars but nobody stayed a stranger after the second nod and the first shared basket.

You will leave with laughter and a firm belief that a tavern can teach patience with every extra minute of fry time.

6. Old Bag Of Nails Pub

Old Bag of Nails Pub in Upper Arlington greeted me with dark wood warmth and a chalkboard proudly promising the best fish and chips in your town at 2102 Tremont Ctr, Columbus, OH 43221.

The basket with crisp fillets lies lounging on thick chips with tartar in a tidy ramekin and lemon smiling from the corner.

The batter carried a pub soul, light and crackly.

Chips wore a proper brown and sported fluffy centers, perfect for vinegar that bites then mellows as heat warms the tongue.

A hushpuppy side showed sweet onion and corn and turned the basket into a full chorus of crunch and soft and bright.

The second fillet held its crispness to the last bite which told me the oil stays fresh and the kitchen mind stays sharp.

I liked the way conversation rose and fell like pub tide while the fish did the quiet convincing that claims are earned here.

You will finish with crumbs on your fingers and a small plan to bring a friend who still needs to believe Ohio nails British style.

7. Slyder’s Tavern

Slyder’s Tavern felt like Friday itself as the walleye special rolled toward me on a hefty plate at 836 Watervliet Ave, Dayton, OH 45420.

The fillet stretched edge to edge on a toasted bun.

A bright lemon squeeze cut through in one clean line and turned the next bite into a little song backed by a chorus of salt and heat.

I added a smear of tartar and watched it settle into the ridges of the crust.

Fries showed honest brown edges and carried a potato earthiness that made the basket feel anchored and complete.

The kitchen packed the plate with slaw that snapped cool and creamy.

It steadied the richer bites like a friendly arm at your shoulder.

Each crunch sounded clear, a sign that oil stayed clean and temperature stayed true even as orders stacked up near the grill.

I caught myself slowing down just to make the sandwich last because it felt like the week was finally shaking off.

You will walk back to the lot satisfied and with fingers that smell like lemon, a proof that a humble tavern can carry state pride.

8. Theo’s Restaurant

Theo’s Restaurant looks like a chapter from a road book and the door opens to the clink of coffee cups and fryer sounds at 632 Wheeling Ave, Cambridge, OH 43725.

The Fish and Chips plate arrived with tidy precision, two fillets and a neat fan of fries that smelled unbelievable.

The crust gave a delicate crackle and then surrendered to a smooth white interior that tasted fresh and quietly sweet.

I dabbed tartar and admired how dill and lemon lifted without crowding, leaving the fish to speak in its own.

The fries balanced crisp edges with a soft center that welcomed vinegar and a sprinkle of salt.

A server topped off water and shared how travelers mark road trips by this very plate and the dessert case that waits after.

Each bite felt like a small pause button on the day.

I leaned back in the booth and listened to the diner hum.

The second fillet tasted even better, proof that patience and heat can hold hands when cooks move with steady calm.

You will leave plotting another pass through town because sometimes the road rewards those who stop for simple plates done right.

9. Rusty’s Wharf

Rusty’s Wharf packs big flavor into a humble space on 7256 Hazelton-Etna Rd SW, Ste 310, Pataskala, OH 43062.

The hand battered cod arrived in hefty pieces that looked like golden pillows.

Inside, the fish stayed lush and gently sweet with steam that carried a cozy comfort you feel in your shoulders first.

Fries landed hot and crisp and the salt stuck nicely which made chasing crumbs at the end a minor sport.

The veteran owned pride shows in the tidy line and the way the fryer hum stays calm even when the ticket rail loads up.

A shrimp basket passed by smelling like garlic and I promised myself a return round because curiosity is a delicious motivator.

The cod held crunch all the way through the meal.

I love that the staff checked in with warm efficiency.

You will leave with a light step and a carton for later because good cod invites a repeat performance on the same day.

10. Steve’s Fish & Chips

Steve’s Fish and Chips has the kind of counter that feels like a handshake and the fryer answers like an old friend at 233 S 4th St, Steubenville, OH 43952.

The fillets arrived long with a rippled crust that crackled when my fork touched down.

Inside, the fish stayed silky and bright and tasted so clean it made me grateful for simple methods done with care.

I shook vinegar like confetti and watched the crust sip it up without sagging which proved the batter’s backbone.

The fries looked hand cut with a soft interior and toasty edges that held salt like a good secret.

The staff worked in easy rhythm and packed takeout boxes that sent a warm perfume into the evening air outside.

A second fillet kept pace and never drifted greasy.

I listened to regulars trade weekend plans and felt that happy hum that builds when a neighborhood trusts the same place for decades.

You will carry the box to your car and steal one more bite.

That’s because patience fails when crisp edges sing your name.