Fish and Chip Memories

Newman's Fish Market

I had my first taste of fish and chips in 2008 this afternoon. It's not sunny yet, but I was in the mood for Newman's (maybe from St. Patrick's Day?) I tried the halibut and chips, which I've never had before at Newman's. It was good, but not as good as the salmon.

Today's adventure got me thinking about all the yummy fish and chips meals I've had. I thought I'd blog about it and tell you what I've had, where I've had it, and if it was any good.

Newman's
1545 Willamette
Eugene, OR 97401



The word around town is that Newman's is among the best fish and chips in town, and I think that word is basically correct.

Newman's started as (and still is) a market selling fresh fish, seafood and other goods. It has changed locations at least once in its life, and at some point started selling fish and chips out of a little window in the back of the store.

Obviously, you cannot get anything fresher when in Eugene. The market sells quality fish, and uses quality fish for its walk-up window. They use a cracker-crumb crust for their cod, salmon, halibut, salmon and daily specials. Some might call the portion size small - you get three little chunks of fish, each about the size of a playing card, and a small boat of fries. What you don't get, though, are high prices. The most expensive item on the menu, halibut, is only $8.50, well below the price of other places. Sodas are only one dollar, and you can get additional pieces of fish if you want. You could even skip the fries and just order four or five pieces of fish.

How does it taste? Very good! The cod and halibut are fresh, juicy, and fishy (in a good way). The crust is crisp and not very greasy. You will, however, get sticky fish oil all over your hands. The real gem of the place is the salmon. It's fresher than fresh, and somehow tastes better than normal when wrapped in a fried crust. The fries are real potatoes, medium-size, and most have a bit of skin on them. They're salted well, but not over-salted.

I've had better fish (well, better batter at least) and I've had better chips. But the whole package - fish, chips, and price, is best at Newman's. You get free atmosphere - a little take-out window, slightly sticky tables, birds flying around, loud, heavy chairs, wind taking your napkins away, and whatever weather happens to make an appearance that day.

McGrath's
1036 Valley River Way
Eugene, OR 97401

McGrath's is a semi-upscale fish restaurant with locations mostly in Oregon. Being as such, you'd expect the fish and chips to be superb.

Well, they aren't superb.

They serve two kinds of F&C - cod and halibut. I've never bothered with the cod. If I want fish there, I'm going for the best. They serve three chunks of fish along with a generous portion of fries and a little Union Jack flag for decoration. Not listed on the menu is the large amount of grease. The fish tastes good, and has my preferred smooth batter, but it's so greasy and wet! You taste the fish, but you also feel the oil sliding down your throat. You feel quite guilty eating it, and your stomach isn't at its happiest after you've finished. All this for a price around (or perhaps a little higher than) Newman's, and a tip, and whatever drink you want. If I'm at McGrath's, I may order it, but I would never go out of my way to get this plate.

Chelsea Pub & Grill
in the 5th Street Market
296 East Fifth Avenue
Eugene, Oregon 97401

A non-alcoholic pub? Only in Eugene. When I was last here, $9.00 would get you fish and chips, and $1.00 more for soda. I think this is cod, the most common of fish for F&C. The portion size is huge! Three fairly large chunks of fish, plus a mountain of fries. The fish is decent, but wrapped in a cracker crust. As stated above, I prefer a smooth batter on my chips, so the batter here is not my best friend. This F&C plate is good enough, and you certainly get a lot for your money, but it would not be my first choice. The atmosphere is nice, though. It's very pub-like, even amidst the hustle and bustle of the 5th Street Market dining area.

California Grill
65 Division Ave Suite M
Eugene, OR 97404

Now this fish and chips made my day! I can't remember when I ate there (I think it was a year and a half ago), but I was pleasantly surprised. This place is more upscale than the "grill" part of the name would have you believe. I also don't know what makes it Californian. I do know that you can get a good meal here.

The fish and chips is halibut. I don't remember the price, but it's around $10.00. The halibut is nice and firm, the batter smooth but not too greasy (like McGrath's). There's enough grease to please, but not enough to be overpowering. The fries are amazing. They dust them with some sort of power - I'm guessing it was garlic powder. They tasted different from most other fries, so that makes them a winner for me. I'd gladly eat these fish and chips again, as long as they keep them the same.

Mo's Florence
1436 Bay Street
Florence OR



Mo's is a famous chowder house with several locations on the Oregon coast. I ate at the Florence location in July of 2007.

I suspect their fish and chips are the most expensive I've ever tried - $14.00 for the halibut. But, oh man, was it worth the money!

The halibut was very fresh, firm, juicy, meaty - everything I look for in a piece of halibut. The batter was smooth, slightly crisp, only a little greasy, and clung to the halibut like a child to its mother. I enjoyed every single bite of this fish and I'd gladly pay $14.00 for more. The portion size was okay - three decent-sized chunks. I savored every little bit.

The chips were not very good, though. They had an 'off' taste, like they'd been swimming with the fish in the oil. Normally I'd consider that a negative, but the fish part of the plate was so delicious that I really did not care.

McMenamin's North Bank
22 Club Rd.
Eugene, OR 97401

This meal was two years ago, but I still remember parts of it. My memories of the meal are good.

I think McMenamin's fries would have to tie with California Grill for best fries I've had with F&C. They're shoestring style, very skinny with a powerful potato flavor. They're somewhat greasy, but quite addictive. McMenamin's gives you your money's worth on the chip portion.

The fish was halibut, and it comes in either two or three pieces. I do not recall which portion size I had. The fish was a normal F&C portion for this area: not too big, but probably a little bigger than Newman's. I remember it tasting fine - as good as halibut can be. The fries are must-have, and I would definitely order this again, expensive though it may be (about $10.00 for the two-piece).

Shari's
various locations in Eugene and Springfield

Shari's is a diner chain in Oregon (and probably other places too). I've eaten there three times, and the food was not good the first two visits. The third visit is when I had the fish and chips. I can't remember if it was halibut or cod, but it was a white fish for certain. It was not the best I've had, but definitely not the worst. It's not easy to screw up fish and chips. Shari's F&C is not award-winning, but it is a good, filling meal and a safe bet if you're at this restaurant.

I have yet to try . . .

Fisherman's Market
830 W. 7th St.
Eugene, OR

Those who don't think Newman's is best in Eugene usually mention this place. This is also a fish market, so freshness is assured. They do some wild variations of coleslaw and tartar sauce, but I don't like either of those. They also fry up mahi mahi and probably other exotic types of fish, so that's a plus. This isn't very bus-accessible, so I may not try this for a while. But it is on my 'to-try' list.

Rose & Thistle
398 E. 11th Ave.

This place does fish and chips and little else. I haven't tried theirs yet, and I've not heard good things about it. I may try it one day just to see how they do it. I can walk an equal number of blocks from the bus station and get to Newman's, so I'm more likely to go to Newman's instead of Rose and Thistle.
Eugene, OR

What's best?

Best fish: Mo's halibut, by far. Any time I think back on that meal, I get happy.
Best chips: (tie) California grill and McMenamin's. CG has a different flavor, and McMenamin's has very addictive fries.
Best overall: As I've stated above, Newman's. They have the best product as far as fish goes. Their fries are pretty good. Their prices won't hurt your wallet so much. Their food will not make your stomach rebel. Perhaps most importantly, they have a long history here and are very accommodating.

I apologize for not having photos for each place. If I have a camera and I'm eating a F&C meal (except perhaps in McGrath's and California Grill), I'll be sure to take a photo of what I'm eating.