Fish and Chips in Lexington

America isn't exactly a fish and chips country, and Lexington sways that way too. We're not Canada, so it can be hard finding a place that serves good fish and chips. You have to know where to look.

I'm a fish and chips guy. When the craving hits, it hits. Most of the time you end up at a chain restaurant where the dish is buried and you need a magnifying glass to find it. It's never a featured item, which means the quality varies a lot. I figured I'd start writing down what I find.

I'll keep updating this post as I work through Lexington's options. Four places in so far.

Ford's Garage, Nicholasville Road

Ford's Garage is the relatively new spot just off Nicholasville Road next to Fayette Mall, in the old Logan's Roadhouse location. The inside is impressive, with a full automotive theme, and the atmosphere actually delivers on the concept. It's known for burgers, and from the two I've had, that reputation is deserved.

The fish and chips is a different story.

The dish looked great when it arrived. A big piece of fish resting on a bed of seasoned fries, tartar sauce on the side, a couple of lemon slices. The shape of the fish was almost a convenience: you could hold it from the back and dip it directly in the sauce. (I'm not a utensil guy with fish and chips. It's all hands on deck. On the fish, rather.)

The fish was crispy and crunchy on the outside, which I appreciated. But once you bit in, there wasn't a lot of fish in there. Way more breading than fish. Not even a moderate amount. The tartar sauce was bland.

The fries were the saving grace. Crispy, well-seasoned, genuinely good. I'd order them again.

But the fish and chips overall? I won't be getting this dish again. Next time I'm here, I'm getting a burger. To be clear: Ford's Garage is worth visiting. The space is great, the burgers are great. The fish and chips isn't what you should order here, go with a burger instead.

Verdict: Skip the fish and chips. Get the burgers and good fries.

Cheddar's, 3604 Walden Dr (near Tates Creek Road)

Cheddar's near Tates Creek Road is a neat place to eat for one reason that has nothing to do with the food: the fish tank. They have a massive tank with all kinds of colorful fish swimming around. It's worth going just to look at it. Genuinely huge.

Worth knowing before you order: Cheddar's has three different fried fish options, depending on when you go. They have a dedicated Fish and Chips dish, but it's only available as a weekday lunch special, Monday through Friday until 3pm. After 3pm or on weekends, your options are the Cornmeal White Fish Platter (hand-breaded, lightly fried) or the Beer-Battered Fish and Shrimp Platter.

I went with the Beer-Battered Fish and Shrimp Platter. It sounded different from a standard fish and chips, and getting shrimp alongside felt like an upgrade rather than a compromise.

Three pieces of fish, four shrimp, with sides. The fish was excellent. Crispy on the outside, very meaty and thick. Flaky inside in the way good cod should be. There was actual fish in there, not just breading wrapped around air. The tartar sauce had real flavor, not just mayonnaise with a hint of pickle, like at Ford's.

The shrimp pushed the whole thing over the top. Four large, meaty pieces, beer battered, served with cocktail sauce. They could have been their own dish.

The fries were the weak point. Average at best. Not crispy enough, a few of them edged into soggy. They didn't ruin the dish, but they didn't help either.

I got corn as my other side. Good. I'd try the coleslaw next time. I'll update this post when I do.

Verdict: A great fish dish, fries notwithstanding. I'll order it again. The fish was so good I was staring down the fish tank with impunity while I ate. Come at me bro!

Next time I'm at Cheddar's for a weekday lunch, I'll order the actual Fish and Chips for a more direct comparison to Ford's. Worth knowing the dedicated dish is available if you can swing a lunch visit.

The Ketch, 2012 Regency Road

The Ketch is on Regency Road off Beaumont Centre Parkway, a casual seafood spot that takes the dish more seriously than the two casual American places I'd been to before. This is a real seafood restaurant, not a chain restaurant with a fish dish on the menu, and the difference shows.

I ordered the Fish and Chips. Two pieces of fish, one less than Cheddar's, but no skimping on what was there. The fish was crispy, thick, and meaty. Every bit as good as Cheddar's, though maybe a touch less flaky and slightly less crispy on the outside. Still crispy enough.

The fries were the surprise. Crispy and well-seasoned. No soggy doggies here. After Cheddar's average fries, this was a relief.

The tartar sauce was the standout detail. It's seasoned with Old Bay, which gives it a mild spice (not heat) and an entirely different flavor profile from typical tartar. You don't get the usual tangy hit. I prefer tang in my tartar sauce, but this version was different in a good way. Genuinely a different sauce, not just a riff on the standard.

I also ordered hushpuppies and coleslaw as sides. The hushpuppies were good. Not as crispy as the fries, but hushpuppies are hard to mess up. The coleslaw was average. I've had better, I've had much worse, this was solidly in the middle.

The only real consideration with The Ketch is the portion. Two pieces of fish instead of Cheddar's three. Some people eat more than others, take that as you will.

Verdict: Worth ordering again, and I will. Next time I'm trying the catfish instead.

O'Neill's, 2051 Richmond Road

O'Neill's is the spot on Richmond Road, and the plate that came out was generous from rim to rim. Nothing lacking, full meal of food, the kind of portion that makes you feel like you got your money's worth before you even take a bite.

Two pieces of fish, with a decent amount of actual fish inside the breading. The breading was crispy, though not quite as crispy as Cheddar's or The Ketch. Solid, satisfying, just a step below the top of the leaderboard on that one specific texture.

The fries came in equal generosity. Crispy, no soggy issues, but not really seasoned. They held up fine, they just didn't have the flavor punch that Ford's or The Ketch managed. Add salt and you're good.

The tartar sauce was basic. Nothing wrong with it, nothing to write home about either. Standard issue.

Here's the wrinkle. They served cocktail sauce alongside the fish, which I first mistook for ketchup. I've never had cocktail sauce with fish and chips before, and our server Trinity was wonderful, friendly and quick about bringing me ketchup once I realized what was in the cup. She made the meal better in that way a good server always does. Question for you, though: have you ever had cocktail sauce served with fish and chips? I'd genuinely like to know if this is a thing somewhere and I just haven't seen it. Email me.

The coleslaw was the standout side, and I mean standout in a way I wasn't expecting. It had diced jalapeños in it. First time I've had that in coleslaw, and it worked. Tasty, a little bite, not too hot but enough to wake the dish up. Could have used slightly more creamy dressing and it would have been perfect.

Verdict: A good plate of fish and chips, not the best in town, but worth ordering if you're already on Richmond Road. The jalapeño coleslaw alone is a reason to come back.

A local band called Barrel Creek Revival was playing live the night I was there. Talented, great show, I thoroughly enjoyed it. O'Neill's hosts live local bands frequently, so check their schedule and try to catch Barrel Creek Revival when they come back through.

Comparison

Four places in, here's where things stand. The Ketch is still the top pick. It's the only one where both the fish AND the fries delivered, and the Old Bay tartar sauce sets it apart from any of the others. If you had one craving and one trip to make, The Ketch is still the answer.

Cheddar's wins narrowly on individual fish quality (slightly flakier, slightly crispier), but the average fries drag it down. Ford's wins on fries but the fish wasn't worth ordering.

O'Neill's lands in the middle. The fish was actually worth ordering, which puts it above Ford's overall, but the breading wasn't as crispy as Cheddar's or The Ketch. The fries were crispy but unseasoned, a step behind Ford's seasoned fries and The Ketch's well-seasoned ones, though ahead of Cheddar's soggy ones. The real standout was the jalapeño coleslaw, genuinely unique among the four. O'Neill's is more of a "fine if you're already there" pick than a destination, but the live band schedule and that coleslaw could change the calculus on a given night.

If you want the best fries on their own, Ford's wins, but you're not going to Ford's for fish and chips anyway. You're going for a burger and some beers under that suspended Model T. Ford's burgers are good, but Shake Shack at The Summit is my current Lexington burger pick.

What's next

I'm hoping to try more places. If you have recommendations for fish and chips in Lexington, send them my way. The Ketch is the only spot so far where the fish AND the fries both worked. I'd like to find a couple more like that.

Places on my list to try next: Smithtown Seafood, The Goose & Gander, Winchell's. I'd also like to go back to The Ketch and try their catfish for comparison.

If you want more of the dish-by-dish working reviews, I'm doing the same thing for Lexington pizza.

I'll update this post as I add visits.

Looking for more Lexington restaurant ideas? See my Best Restaurants in Lexington guide.