By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com
You probably didn’t even notice that I didn’t bother to talk about fried fish for Lent this year. Everyone else was doing it, it seemed, including our pals at LEO Weekly, so why add another voice to the chorus?
Plus, to be frank, with more than one-fourth of Americans now describing their religious affiliation as “nothing in particular,” and no more than one-tenth of the remaining religiously affiliated strictly observing abstinence from meat during Lent, it felt like the pressure was off.
On the other hand …
Who doesn’t like fried fish? We’ve all heard the intriguing if difficult-to-verify assertion that Louisvillians eat more fried mild white fish than many coastal cities, and we recognize a simple truth: We can enjoy fried fish any time of year.
What’s more, I recently ran across an outstanding place for fried fish, and when I say “ran across,” I mean just about the only way you’re going to discover Sharks Seafood is if someone tells you about it or you happen to be in McMahan Plaza at Hikes Point and notice it on your way to Kroger or Feeders Supply.
Why would this clean, modern, corporate-looking storefront that’s held down a corner spot in the shopping center for seven years have no website, no social media, not even a published telephone number?
“We don’t do publicity,” said the otherwise friendly guy behind the counter. And that was all there was to say about that.
Oh-KAY then. I’ll just say I’m glad we found it, finally, and if you make your way out to Hikes Point for a memorable fried fish (or chicken) repast, you can thank me later. This fish fry doesn’t shut down when Lent ends on Easter Sunday, March 31 this year. It’s here all year!
What makes Sharks Seafood’s fare so good? Simple, well prepared food for one thing. Appealing variety, for another. The menu reminds me a bit of an Indi’s, if Indi’s flipped from mostly chicken with some appetizing fish options to mostly fish with some appetizing chicken options.
Let’s count: Among the starters, seafood dinners, sandwiches, and combo meals that can serve a family, the menu lists 30 fish and seafood options vs. exactly seven starters and one sandwich that are land-based fare. Flip to the back of the menu and you’ll find a baker’s dozen fried-chicken wings and tenders.
Pricing is more than fair, with starters priced from $4.29 to $10.99 and most seafood dinners $12.99 and under. Only the fancy grilled salmon dinner rises to $17.99. Sandwiches are $6.99-$8.99, and most of the chicken items in portions for one are under $10. This is affordable eats, and if you want to feed a crowd, you’ll find it hard to beat the oversize box of 50 whole wings for $69.99. Standard sides such as fries, hush puppies, potato salad, cole slaw and green beans are affordably priced from $1.50 for small orders and $5.99 for large.
There’s no beer, wine, or liquor; soft drinks, bottled tea and bottled water are on sale, and Louisville Water Company’s finest is free.
The cod fillet dinner ($12.99 cash, $13.51 paid by card) comes in three pieces plus your choice of three sides. We were a little surprised by their appearance at first: They were shaped as neat cylinders tinted yellow cornmeal color. They were white, wonderfully flaky, and delicious, fried crisp and not at all greasy.
A side of three hush puppies were just what hush puppies should be: Neat spheres of cornmeal, flour, and onions, deep-fried until crunchy to the bite and seared dark chocolate brown. A side of green beans came simply, just about au naturel with little sign of seasoning, simmered until very tender.
Speaking of veggies, I always try to include an attractive vegetarian or vegan main dish in every review, but that’s hard to do at a fried-fish eatery. I went for variety with a trio of fried crunchies from the starters menu: onion rings ($5.19), breaded cauliflower ($4.46), and okra ($4.46). The rings were among the best I’ve ever had: Thick-sliced and juicy within a textured breaded exterior fried light golden brown. Skill in the frying department made treats of the okra and cauliflower bites, too. I’ll bet you can’t eat just one!
More fish? Don’t mind if we do! To try another kind of fish, we asked for a whiting fillet to go. It’s $11.99 on the menu for two fillets with two sides, but they were happy to box a single fillet without sides for $4.99 cash, $5.19 with credit card.
The large, thick fillet was not batter-breaded but lightly dredged in what appeared to be a cornmeal-flour blend. It was expertly fried – no surprise there – and fresh, with a more assertive fish flavor than cod. “When you eat whiting,” my wife says, “you know you’re eating fish.”
A first-rate lunch for two was $29.28 plus a 25 percent tip. A takeout order of whiting added $5.29.
Sharks Seafood
3099 Breckenridge Lane, Suite 101
No published phone.
No website
No social media pages
Google information page: https://bit.ly/Sharksforfish
Noise Level: Decibel levels weren’t out of normal range during a Saturday lunch with several other diners in the room.
Accessibility: The shopping center space appears accessible to wheelchair users.
