Guide to Fish & Chips in Tucson

Quaint little counter service restaurant, Crispy’s offers both white fish as well as catfish on its menu. The fish is breaded in a very well-seasoned cracker crust and served with steak fries and tartar sauce. Any other sauces, hushpuppies, coleslaw, or potato salad are on you to customize your Crispy’s experience. Also note, they have some big, reasonably priced family meals.

Cup Cafe uses beer from Crooked Tooth Brewing Company (just half a mile away) to batter their fish. The spicy tartar sauce and pepper slaw also spice things up a bit.

Gourmet Girls uses cider in their gluten-free battered fish, served with house-made chips, coleslaw, and tartar sauce.

New England-themed sports bar and grill on the far east side offers beer-battered “cawd” served with fries and housemade tartar sauce. Their fish fry Fridays have a huge five-piece portion or a grilled option on special.

Nestled in the heart of downtown Tucson, HUB Restaurant's fish and chips comes with a side of caper remoulade.

Being the long-time “King” of Tucson seafood restaurants, of course, the Fisher made our list. They are serving up a classic fish and chips with Alaskan cod, “big” fries, coleslaw, and all the add-ons. The real beauty about Kingfisher, while practicing pescetarianism, is the copious amount of seafood options.

Like a little whiskey with your fish and chips? Mulligans on the east side has cultivated one of the city’s biggest and most versatile whiskey lists. I digress, this is about the fish basket! Wild-caught Alaskan cod is hand-battered in a housemade beer batter and served with shoestring french fries, coleslaw, and tartar sauce.

Noble Hops touts itself as “Tucson’s First Gastropub”. Well, what self-respecting gastropub doesn’t provide a solid fish and chips? The noble one provides just that in Oro Valley!

Wild-caught Alaskan cod, battered to order in a beer and tempura batter, served with hand-cut fries, house coleslaw, caper tartar sauce, and lemons — not to mention the views of the Rincon Mountains and Saguaro National Park East.

The sign on the menu when you walk to the counter exclaims: “One bite and we gotcha!” You have to love the bravado of this small yet colorful seafood spot. Their fish comes in combos with an option of pairing the cracker-breaded thin white fish filet with shrimp, scallops, or oysters, served with crinkle-cut fries and Sue’s Sauce (a hot sauce-laden take on a cocktail sauce). Tartar sauce is secretly available upon request.

The Parish, serving chef-driven Southern cuisine is offering up a N’Awlin-style fish and chips on its regular menu. This version is Abita beer-battered Mississippi catfish, Crystal hot sauce, and hand-cut fries. Add an order of hushpuppies and cast-iron cornbread and you are in soul food heaven!

Thirsty’s is the only place on the list that has both fish and chips on its regular menu and an all-you-can-eat fish fry on Fridays. Atlantic cod beer-battered and served with fries, coleslaw, and garlic toast.

Inspired by Poseidon’s three-pronged spear, Navy SEALs, and sports, Trident has garnered a reputation for providing great East Coast seafood dishes to Tucson. The fish and chips is no exception. Alaskan beer-battered cod, with all the fixin’s is offered up in a two and three-piece option. Add a cup of their famous clam chowder and you got yourself a really delicious way to stray from meat for the day.

Beer-battered Arctic cod, malt tartar sauce, fresh coleslaw, now that’s a Union! Enjoy your fish and chips in the beautiful gastropub ambiance located in St. Phillips Plaza, and don’t forget to peruse the huge whiskey list, unless, of course, you gave that up for lent.

Wildflower keeps their fish (pictured above on the top left) delicate with a light batter.