11 Best Fried Fish Sandwiches In NYC

When you think of fried fish, you think of fish fry platters and fish sticks. The fish sandwich is sort of a forgotten child; a child that, left to its own devices, has been lured into the sewers by a sinister Scottish clown. Yes, it's difficult to talk about fish sandwiches without mentioning the 500-pound Grimace in the room. McDonald's Famous Filet o' Fish sandwich was basically created out of necessity. The burger giant needed a non-beef menu item it could market during the Christian holy season of Lent, and it came up with a hamburger made out of fish. Genius!

If you live in New York City, you don't need us to tell you there's a McDonald's on every other corner where you can get a fish sandwich. But you also don't need us to tell you that there are much better options out there. Below is a short list of places where you can get the best fried fish sandwiches in the Big Apple. Some of these are elevated takes. Some are steeped in history. Some provide overwhelming bang for the buck. All of them are great.

Fried Codfish Sandwich at Harlem Shake

For more than a decade, Harlem has been changing (cough, cough gentrification). The neighborhood has long been synonymous with Black activism, and while that's still very true, Harlem has had shifting demographics in the neighborhood. The watershed moment for this sea change seems to be world-famous chef Marcus Samuelson opening his Red Rooster restaurant in 2010. Long-time residents referring to the neighborhood's recent past often talk about it in terms of "before Red Rooster" and "after Red Rooster".

Harlem Shake is one of the newer, post-Red Rooster restaurants in Harlem that's dedicated to preserving the history and culture of its surrounding Harlem neighborhood. Since being opened in 2013 by a Croatian immigrant, the restaurant built a star-studded following with its burgers and milkshakes. It's also worked to carry on the singular spirit of Black Harlem. A Wall of Fame celebrates black celebrities who have come through the doors, from Maya Angelou to Diddy, while the restaurant's Wall of Fro shows off the afro hairstyles of its customers. According to the official website, the restaurant is dedicated to hiring staff members from the surrounding neighborhood.

While burgers and shakes put Harlem Shake on the map, don't forget about the restaurant's top-notch fish sandwich. Made using fresh local cod, the fried fish is much bigger than its bun and features a classic crispy beer batter, and the house-made coleslaw put this sandwich over the top.

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