Spud Fish and Chips

Thank you, Wanderingjew! When our intrepid Roadfood friend offers eating advice, we pay attention; so even though we had a way-too-long hit list of Seattle-area restaurants and way too little time to sample them all, his suggestion that we head to Kirkland for fish and chips sent other plans to the back of the eat-queue. We don’t know how this little place previously eluded us. It has been a local favorite since 1935; and after a menu degustation, we’d rank it one of the region’s musts.

Except for salad and some fine chowder, a creamy pabulum here listed as “New England style” but classically Northwestern, the menu is entirely fried: cod, salmon, halibut, prawns, scallops, Buffalo shrimp (tiny ones), oysters, clams, and calamari. Big tiger shrimp encased in golden crust are dense and ocean-sweet; hunks of halibut flake into ivory white mouthfuls; and the house signature fish, cod — hand-breaded like everything else — is as moist as cream and nearly as rich. Tartar sauce costs extra, but is worth the small tariff; it is loaded with tart pickle nuggets. The chips are cut thin, expertly fried to the point where the inside of each twig maintains soft potato character but the outside has become rewarding crunch.

Dining at Spud Fish and Chips is an all-around happy experience, orchestrated by a staff that is extremely helpful, offering their take on the quality and character of each item they serve. Service is eat-in-the-rough style and dining facilities consist of booths and, outside, a stand-up counter and picnic tables for when it isn’t raining. Signs ask diners to please bus their own tables when they are finished eating.

A second location is at 174 Sunset Ave S. in Edmonds. 425-678-0984