Fish market in Rochester's Maplewood neighborhood offers fish fries with a side of soul

Natasha Knorr grew up in Rochester and her family moved around often. During the short time when they lived off Dewey Avenue, they'd head to the fish market on Driving Park Avenue, where they'd order her mom's favorite haddock fish fry.

Kenneth Rivers grew up in Florida and he moved to Rochester as a teen. He remembers heading to the fish market on Driving Park to purchase frog's legs for his family.

Now the couple are the unlikely owners of a fish market in the same space that they remember visiting years ago.

"We never thought we’d be in a position to own it, operate it and be able to serve the community," Knorr said.

"It wasn’t something we planned on doing," Rivers said. "It wasn’t a dream of ours. The situation came knocking and here we are.”

Hooked Fish Market menu items

Hooked Fish Market, at 333 Driving Park Ave. in the Maplewood neighborhood, offers fresh fish, flown in daily from Iceland, as well as a large menu of prepared foods.

The best seller is fried fish dinners: haddock, catfish, cod or tilapia, served battered or cornmeal coated, alongside fries, bread and mac salad. But it also offers shrimp and grits, fish and grits, chicken wings, homemade crab rangoons, salmon sliders, crab cakes and more.

When it came to the sides, the couple decided to add some soul to the equation, making dishes that are beloved at family gatherings: dirty rice, baked beans and baked macaroni and cheese.

Different specials are featured each day, like 75-cent party wings on Tuesdays. Thursday brings Tasha Pasta: penne with shrimp, scallops, broccoli, mushrooms, bell peppers and a homemade Alfredo sauce.

Challenges from the beginning

Rivers learned to cook from his mother and grandmother, while Tasha began cooking for her siblings beginning at age five. Both were confident that their familiar fare would be well received by the community, but neither had experience running a food business.

They had a vision: "We wanted to bring a clean atmosphere," Knorr said. "We wanted people to feel safe. We just wanted to give the community something to feel proud of.”

It took 10 months to gut and renovate the space. "It took so much longer than we had expected," she said.

Rivers intently watched Jon Taffer on the TV show Bar Rescue to get ideas.

Hooked Fish Market opened on February 19, 2022, and with that Rivers said he "dove into the ocean head first." He now works 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. on a daily basis.

The couple figured out how to run their business through trial and error. Even something as seemingly simple as figuring out how to keep their grits hot and creamy was a conundrum until they found a solution.

And then, on Christmas Day of 2022, Rivers stopped by the restaurant to pick up some cheese. He was shocked to find the space flooded with water from a burst pipe.

The restaurant was forced to close for four months. It was a setback, but their spirits were lifted by the support of the community. “We’ve been supported by all walks of life,” Knorr said.

Hooked Fish Market owners give back

Knorr remembers being poor and receiving gift baskets from the community. Rivers also experienced poverty and was incarcerated; a reentry program helped him find a new path. Both are committed to serve the community through their business.

The restaurant has a Narcan kit on hand to counteract opioid overdoses. Each night at closing time, they serve leftover food to people in need.

For the past two years, they have invited community members to share Thanksgiving dinner with their own families in the fish market. A Black Santa visits at Christmastime.

Finally, Rivers tries to share his own experience, wisdom and advice with people who visit.

"We give back," he said. "We help out."

If you go

Hooked Fish Market, at 333 Driving Park, is open 10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Parking is on the street in front of the building and in a small lot in back.

The restaurant accepts SNAP for cold items, following New York State regulations.

For more information, visit hookedfishmarket.com or call 585-448-3736.

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Hooked Fish Market in Rochester NY offers fish fries with side of soul