Restaurant: Palladium
Address: 942 Cole Harbour Road, Dartmouth
Date: July 4, 2010
Fish: Haddock
Cost: $8.89

It was a bit of a strange night for us intrepid fish and chips reviewers. As you may already know, we take turns choosing where we’ll review next. It was Skippy’s turn to choose, but the first couple suggestions he made were nixed by Rachel.

Finally Skippy picked a restaurant which Rachel could agree with somewhere in the Dartmouth area. We drove over… went in… sat down… looked at the menu… saw that fish & chips were $17.99… and got up and left.

Unless we are going to some seriously swanky spot, there is NO WAY we’re paying 18 bucks for fish and chips! No way! We’re just average folks out there reviewing fish and chips so other average folks can enjoy a great deal on great fish and chips.

So… not that we’re going to say which restaurant it was *cough-cough* [The Vines] *cough-cough*, but your pricing for fish and chips is shocking! We’ve eaten there numerous times before and quite enjoyed everything else, so maybe we’ll come back to give the F&C a try… once we’re rich and famous.

So there we were, driving out of the parking lot trying to figure out a plan B (actually for Skippy it was like Plan D), which is why we ended up settling for Palladium.

And settling for is probably an accurate term for tonight’s fish and chips experience. While there was nothing wrong with our meal… there was nothing excitingly right with it either. It was just there.

The Palladium is a family style restaurant with a Greek emphasis… a perfect place to take your Granny when she’s in town. In fact while all us reviewers are nearing middle age… we felt like spring chickens at the Palladium among the row upon row of blue-tinged silver haired folks enjoying their food.

Our best suggestion for eating fish and chips at the Palladium? Get back in your car and drive one kilometer down the road to Jamieson’s… one of the top places we’ve reviewed so far.

Fish and Chips Score: 68

FCP Review Crew

Rachel’s Thoughts

The fish was dry and the batter tasted just so-so. I found it quite greasy.

The fries were not home-cut  and were also quite greasy.

This restaurant’s menu is mainly Greek, which I hear is good, but the fish & chips are not their specialty.

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Rachel’s Final Score: 63

Poochie’s Thoughts
The fish  was decent… not wow… just decent. The batter was a bit pasty on the inside but the flavour was nice. The fries were not home-cut and were average… some were quite tasty and others were limp and dull.

The coleslaw was tasty and they used Kraft tartar sauce.

When I review a restaurant’s fish & chips, it is so much more fun if there is something amazingly great to write about… or if it’s so horrible you just have to share some venom in the review. But with the Palladium there was absolutely nothing remarkable to write about.

The epitome of average… and that’s not a ringing endorsement.

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Poochie’s Final Score: 69

Minnie’s Thoughts
The fish was not bad. The batter on it was a little doughy on the inside, but it was about average for grease.

The others were quite confident that the fries weren’t home-cut, but I wasn’t so sure. But regardless, they weren’t anything special.

Their coleslaw tasted a bit like KFC’s.

The whole experience was just average. Other than that  I don’t know what else to write.

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Minnie’s Final Score: 70

Skippy’s Thoughts

In a word… average.

And now my clothes smell like grammie’s place.

Although it doesn’t factor into the score, the service here is excellent, and the staff are very friendly, accommodating, and great at what they do.

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Skippy’s Final Score: 70

Restaurant: Jamieson’s Irish-House & Grill
Address: 5 Cumberland Drive, Dartmouth
Date: May 16, 2010
Fish: Haddock
Cost: $9.99

It’s been a few years since we’ve been to Jamieson’s… for some reason we just seemed to stop going there. But since beginning this venture of finding the best fish and chips in the Halifax area, a visit to Jamieson’s was inevitable.

The atmosphere at Jamieson’s is very relaxed, and the staff are friendly, which is nice. The evening we were there they had live entertainment. One thing we didn’t expect was to be informed at the door of a $3 per person entertainment cover charge. We kind of looked at each other trying to decide whether to stay or not. I mean… we don’t want to look cheap or anything but… we do like bargains and try to avoid upsells as much as possible.

In the end we chose to stay, because our main goal is to provide our readers with the most comprehensive F&C reviews possible – and the entertainment was nice. However we’d be just as happy to pick a time with no cover charge for our next visit.

But even with the cover charge, we were glad to have dined there. It was amongst the best fish and chips we’ve tasted so far on our quest. Very nice tasting fish and batter, in a comfortable, friendly environment. You will not be disappointed eating the fish and chips at Jamieson’s. Tell them FishandChipsPlease.com sent you.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

Fish and Chips Score: 86

FCP Review Crew

Rachel’s Thoughts

I love the atmosphere at this restaurant – especially if you can get in the comfy chairs in the corner by the fireplace. The staff is excellent also.

The fish and chips were very good. The batter had a nice flavour, and so did the fish – very fresh.

The fries were homecut and good, but I found them a bit salty. Tartar sauce was also very good but no coleslaw came with the meal.

I would recommend this spot to anyone… cool bathrooms too.

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Rachel’s Final Score: 85

Poochie’s Thoughts
I used to eat at Jamieson’s every so often, but for some reason we just seemed to drift apart, sorta like my first love – my grade 1 teacher Mrs. Tanner. I can’t remember having a bad meal or experience at the restaurant, and our most recent visit reminded me why I should be going there more often. Wow, their fish was GREAT tasting!

The fish and batter had a really nice flavour to it… about the best I’ve tasted so far. I will admit there was a bit of grease with the fish, but I felt it was no more than average… and you can certainly tell it was clean grease.

I loved the homecut fries… very tasty. The only reason I docked them a point was that, every once in awhile I got one that was perhaps a bit too seasoned (I hesitate to use the word salty because I think Jamieson’s uses a touch of something else along with the salt to sprinkle on their fries). So, if you don’t want overly seasoned fries I would recommend you mention that to your waitstaff.

The tartar sauce was homemade and nice, but no coleslaw came with our meal.

All in all I would have to rank Jamieson’s as my favorite place we’ve been to so far. The flavor of the fish, batter and fries was far above average. And the portion was more than generous… especially when you consider you get half as much fish (and waaaaay bad tasting fish at that) for essentially the same price just two doors down at Classic Fish & Chips.

Finally… another thing I  missed about eating at Jamieson’s… reclining in the comfy padded chairs with my meal placed on a small wooden platter. Said platter was then gently placed on my more than ample belly as I shoveled forkfuls of delicious food into my hot-dog hole. I felt like an immense, pampered otter floating down a stream eating chunks of perfectly battered fish and tasty fries placed on my furry tummy.

Seriously… try it.

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Poochie’s Final Score: 88

Minnie’s Thoughts
The fish was a bit greasy, but the batter flavor and consistency was simply awesome – best I’ve tasted so far.

I loved the fries, but found some of them a touch salty. The homemade tartar sauce was very good but, unfortunately, no coleslaw came with my meal.

I will definitely come back to Jamieson’s… even if I have to submit myself to the horror of watching Poochie act like a giant sea otter with food on his chest… that’s how good the fish and chips are at Jamieson’s.

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Minnie’s Final Score: 84

Skippy’s Thoughts

The staff, the setting, and the entertainment all made this location a treat. And that’s even before partaking of the main event.

Let’s cover the only (minor) downside first – the grease, which was average. Not bad.

The batter was beautiful. Close to perfection, in my books. Golden, crispy, not at all doughy inside, and superb flavor. Great job, chef.

The fish? Dee-lish. No complaints here.

Portion was good too. Nice hunks o’ fish.

Now the fries.

I could have made a meal on the fries alone.

Hand cut and awesome seasoning, which seems to typically be lacking in most F&C joints we’ve reviewed. Fair warning: Jamieson’s fries may be a tad salty for some taste buds (not mine). But because I am considering you, dear reader, I’m guessing the seasoning might be a bit extreme for the average consumer.

Although this has nothing to do with the scoring, it’s definitely worth mentioning that our server went above and beyond to ensure we had a pleasant experience.

Plus she had to contend with Poochie.

If you live in this area and occasionally get takeout from Classic Fish & Chips (two doors down from here), do yourself a favor and spend the extra $0.74 (that’s a whopping seventy-four cents) and be impressed. Your taste buds will thank you for it.

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Skippy’s Final Score: 88

Restaurant: Classic Fish & Chips
Address: 5 Cumberland Drive, Cole Harbour
Date: May 16, 2010
Fish: Haddock
Cost: $9.25

On our way to check out the fish and chips at Jamieson’s Irish House in Dartmouth we noticed an intriguing little spot just two doors down… Classic Fish & Chips. We thought, “Hey… we’ll review Jamieson’s later… lets give this place a try.”

Upon entering, all four of us uttered little squeals of delight (ok, ok… Skippy may have grunted as opposed to squealing) for what we saw. It just felt and looked like a little diner from the ’50s. Very cool. Our anticipation for the meal only increased when the waitress proclaimed their fish the absolute best in all of Halifax.

Sadly, while the look and mood of Classic Fish & Chips is great… the fish and chips themselves were far from classic. Small pieces of very greasy, oddly flavoured fish in a basket of ho-hum fries. To cap it off, at the end of the meal our very kind and pleasant waitress brought a sample of their haddock tips to our table. Wow… what a very odd, unpleasant flavour they had… like they had been made with salt cod instead of fresh haddock.

We’ll probably go back again, but next time to try their burger (it looked absolutely fabulous in the menu), but we’re going to steer clear of their fish.

Fish and Chips Score: 57.5

FCP Review Crew

Rachel’s Thoughts

The decor was very cute… a throw-back to the good ol’ days. So the expectation was the food would be like the good ol’ days too… tasty burgers, fries, milkshakes, and of course, fish and chips.

I was disappointed, as the fish was very strong tasting with a very greasy batter.  The batter was very crispy on the outside and doughy on the inside.

The fries were home-cut, but a bit musty tasting. The flavour reminded me of when I was a kid and we stored potatoes in the basement. At the end of winter they would have a unique, musty, old taste. That’s exactly what Classic’s fries tasted like.

The tartar sauce and coleslaw were homemade and quite good, but overall I would not go back for fish and chips. Next time I will try a burger.

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Rachel’s Final Score: 59

Poochie’s Thoughts

As you may know, we take turns choosing places to review, and Skippy chose this joint. I’m glad it was him, because the other reviewers already give me a hard time for picking the Ardmore Tea House (which currently sits solidly in last place in our reviews). At least I didn’t pick this stinker too.

The fish was very fishy tasting. Very fishy. I grew up with a father who was a cook on the offshore fish and scallop draggers, and I know fresh fish does not taste fishy. There was no way this was fresh fish.

It was very salty too, which sorta raised the hackles on the back of my neck. We felt we were eating salted cod and not fresh haddock, but our waitress assured us it was indeed haddock.

And the batter/grease… oh my goodness. I know there’s a big oil spill going on right now in the Gulf of Mexico… but you may not be aware of the gusher taking place right here in Dartmouth. I pressed down on a piece of fish with very little pressure, and the grease that immediately seeped out, pooled, and ran down the side of the batter was horrifying. The outside was quite crispy, but the inside was almost slimy with wet batter.

The fries were home-cut but kind of blah. There was absolutely no seasoning on them at all. None. Nada.

The meal itself was quite small, especially the fish. Not even remotely worth the $9.25. Two small pieces with a decent amount of fries. It did come with good homemade tartar sauce and coleslaw (although the coleslaw came in a tiny little container, shown on the right).

One of my worst experiences eating fish and chips so far. Sadly though, I think it was marginally better than the Ardmore’s, which means I’m still responsible for the worst selection ever <*sigh*>.

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Poochie’s Final Score: 59

Minnie’s Thoughts
The fish was very greasy. I pushed my fork on the top and it literally dripped. Also it tasted fishy, as opposed to fresh, and left an unpleasant aftertaste in my mouth. Yuck!

The homemade fries and coleslaw were good, but I found the homemade tartar sauce a touch sweet for my liking.

I would avoid eating the fish here at Classic’s, but I still plan return because the burger in their menu looked amazing.

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Minnie’s Final Score: 58

Skippy’s Thoughts

Hadn’t been here before, so wasn’t sure what to expect. Walking into the joint was a pleasant surprise: almost a fifties diner feel. This was a cool looking place. But looks can be deceiving.

Our server was great. Naturally friendly, and she assured us we were about to enjoy the best F&C in the city. (We’ve also learned not to set our expectations too high.)

Food arrived fairly quickly, and it was piping hot. But something was fishy about this fishy. It was supposed to be haddock, and we even asked to confirm this. Instead, it tasted like salt cod. Hmm.

The batter was too overcooked (on the outside) and very crunchy. Don’t get me wrong – crunchy is good, when you have the appropriate batter on the fish. However, I couldn’t even hear myself think when my teammates were biting into their fish batter. And the inside was… doughy…? (Huh?)

And the grease. Wow. Slight pressure from your fork and it just oozed forth from within. Not good.

Even the ketchup disappointed me. Not Heinz, although it was in a Heinz-shaped bottle (with no label), and the flip-top had been ripped off. It simply had a funny taste (the ketchup, not the bottle). For some, this might be a little thing. For me, all these little things add up, and ketchup is the only condiment I live by with my F&C.

The fries? Surprisingly average. Hand cut, but not great tasting, and absolutely no seasoning.

I would love to come back here some time and get a burger. I bet a burger from here would be really good. Which is odd, because Fish & Chips is right there in their name. But I think it should be Klassic with a K.

If you’re coming here to get fish and chips, I’m suggesting Jamieson’s instead. It’s only a couple doors down, a few pennies more, and the portion (fish-wise) is considerably larger.

But please, somebody try the burgers here and let me know how they taste.

PS – I liked the strawberry candies (instead of the standard after dinner mint). Yum.

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Skippy’s Final Score: 54