Fish Fry Faceoff: Voting begins on the Final Four
In the Elite 8 round of the 2023 ROC Fish Fry Faceoff, the underdogs came to play and battled hard, but in the end, just one emerged victorious: Underpass Bar & Grill (15) in Fairport, which convincingly defeated Mama Lor's Café (6) in Webster.
Two top-5 finishers from the D&C's 2019 fish fry poll were still in the running as of last week, and now only one is left standing: Parkway Family Restaurant, the friendly diner just north of Lake Ontario State Parkway in Greece.
This week brings relatively new establishments in one matchup and a couple of tried-and-true titans in the other. Without further ado, here are this week's matchups and what you need to know about ordering takeout fish fry at both places.
Chick'n Out (5) vs Underpass Bar & Grill (15)
Chick'n Out, 37 Charlotte St., started out as a wildly popular pop-up in 2019. It is now at work on its own brick-and-mortar restaurant in the East End, and hopes to open its dining room by mid-summer. Until then, it is offering takeout from the building's entrance on Mathews Street, a one-way street that runs off of East Avenue next to Spot Coffee. Fish is offered only on Fridays; ordering goes live at 9 a.m. at chicknoutroc.com and it's a good idea to order early. Pickups take place between 5 and 10 p.m.
Underpass Bar & Grill, a roomy, casual bar and restaurant, opened in 2021. While its address is 1226 Fairport Road, its entrance is off of Baird Road, where it is set back behind Fairport Hots and The Frame Shop. Fish fry is offered only on Fridays; takeout orders may be placed at underpassgrill.com. Head to the bar to pick up takeout orders; you might want to plan to grab a beer while you're waiting.
Charlie Riedel's (4) vs Parkway Family Restaurant (2)
Charlie Riedel opened his first eponymous restaurant on Empire Boulevard in Penfield in 1969, and Charlie's now has three locations: 1843 Empire Blvd. in Penfield; 552 Route 104 in Ontario; and 3140 County Road 10 in Canandaigua. Fish fry is available every day. Online ordering for Penfield and Ontario is available at charlieswebster.com. Order from the Canandaigua location at charliescanandaigua.com.
Parkway Family Restaurant is nestled in a small strip mall at 697 Ling Road in Greece; it is marked by a bright blue sign and matching awning. Fish fry is available on Wednesdays and Fridays. This cozy restaurant keeps things old school. It's cash-only, and if you'd like to order takeout, call (585) 663-9689.
What to know
∎ Voting for the Final 4 round matchups begins March 15 and ends March 19.
∎ Vote online at: https://bit.ly/407G5Sj. Please vote once per matchup, per round.
∎ Getting a subscriber offer when you try to vote? That's because our system allows a limited number of free articles each month before you hit a paywall. Your subscription helps support local journalism.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: ROC Fish Fry Faceoff: Top four fish fries in Rochester NY 2023
