5 Best Fish and Chips Spots in Boston

Fish and chips in Boston can be a lunch at the fish market, a pub dinner with curry sauce or a meal with the harbor outside the window. The plate sounds simple. Choosing where to eat it takes a little more thought, especially if you want to reserve a table or have a particular kind of fish in mind.

These five spots run from Back Bay to Dorchester. Some batter their fish, one lightly breads it, and the sides range from onion rings to chunky fries. There is enough variety here to have a preference beyond whichever restaurant happens to be closest.

The Banks Seafood and Steak puts IPA-battered cod on its weekday lunch menu, with slaw, fries and remoulade. It is a Back Bay restaurant on Stuart Street, so choose it for a sit-down lunch rather than a waterfront view. The raw bar gives you oysters and shrimp if you want something before the main plate.

Look at the lunch menu when planning this order: the current dinner menu is different. Reservations are available, and the broader selection includes a burger, lobster roll and fish tacos for anyone who arrives with another lunch in mind.

Boston Sail Loft has been serving seafood on Atlantic Avenue since 1984, with harbor views and a casual dining room. Fish and chips shares the menu with fried clams, scallops, chowder and lobster rolls. It is a useful choice when the water is part of the reason you came out for lunch.

The restaurant takes no reservations. Tables are first come, first served, and its menu asks diners to observe a 90-minute table limit. Plan for that if you are fitting the meal around a boat departure or another timed booking.

The Daily Catch’s original North End restaurant serves lightly breaded haddock with both fries and onion rings. It is a different plate from the beer-battered versions elsewhere on this list, with the restaurant’s calamari and seafood pasta dishes available for the rest of the table.

The room at 323 Hanover Street has just 18 seats and an open kitchen. It is walk-in-only and cash-only, with gift cards also accepted. Do not make plans around a reservation here. A small party and some flexibility suit the space better than a large gathering on a tight schedule.

Red’s Best serves beer-battered haddock with fries, cornichon tartar sauce and lemon inside Boston Public Market. The counter is part of a fish market supplied by New England fishermen, so you can buy seafood to cook at home as well as something to eat now. The prepared-food menu also includes chowder, fish sandwiches and fried oysters.

Check the ordering menu for the available portions and prices. The kitchen keeps its own hours within the market. This is an indoor market meal, with other vendors nearby if your group wants to order from different counters.

McGonagle’s in Dorchester serves battered haddock with chunky fries, coleslaw, tartar sauce and curry sauce. That last addition makes it the choice here for anyone who wants to dip the chips as enthusiastically as the fish. The menu also includes a spice bag of chicken, peppers, onions and fries.

The pub is at 367 Neponset Avenue. Its menus cover lunch, dinner, brunch and Sunday roast, and reservations are available. Check the live-music schedule if you want to build an evening around dinner, rather than arriving without knowing what is on.

Planning a fish and chips outing in Boston

For a weekday lunch you can reserve, consider The Banks. For the harbor, choose Sail Loft and allow time for a walk-in wait. The Daily Catch suits a small party willing to wait for one of very few seats, while Red’s Best is the market-counter option. McGonagle’s gives you a pub setting and curry sauce with the plate.

Check the menu for the meal you are booking, since lunch and dinner offerings can differ. If someone in the group wants something else, our Boston restaurant guide includes seafood restaurants with broader menus. For a weekend meal built around eggs or pancakes instead, see our brunch guide.