Fish Fridays: Where to find the perfect catch this season of Lent in the Upstate

Joanna Johnson, Spartanburg Herald-Journal
·3 min read

Lent is the season of fasting, praying, and almsgiving for many in the Upstate. Those who observe also are required to give up eating meat on Fridays until Easter.

Many restaurants offer specials during the season. Here are some of the best places for fish Friday in the Upstate.

Smoking Butt Heads BBQ in downtown Spartanburg is offering a variety of seafood dishes for the season of Lent. From fried fish to deals on shrimp, this is a feast you can't miss on Fridays.
Smoking Butt Heads BBQ in downtown Spartanburg is offering a variety of seafood dishes for the season of Lent. From fried fish to deals on shrimp, this is a feast you can't miss on Fridays.

"Fish FryDay" at New Groove

New Groove Artisan Brewery, located at 4078 SC-9, in Boiling Springs, offers beer-battered pollock on Fridays with a side of creamy slaw and hand-cut truffle fries. Everything provided is homemade, from the batter to the tarter sauce.

New Groove Artisan Brewery, located at 4078 SC-9, in Boiling Springs, offers beer battered, Pollock on Fridays with a side of creamy slaw and hand-cut truffle fries. Everything provided is homemade, from the batter to the tarter sauce.
New Groove Artisan Brewery, located at 4078 SC-9, in Boiling Springs, offers beer battered, Pollock on Fridays with a side of creamy slaw and hand-cut truffle fries. Everything provided is homemade, from the batter to the tarter sauce.

"We use a wild-caught pollock and house-made beer batter made with our Lake Bowen Golden Lager," said Josh Dodson, owner of New Groove. "We also make our own wood-aged malt vinegar, from our Sonata Con Legno Marzen lager, for those that like to douse their fish and fries with malt vinegar."

The special is available every Friday during Lent.

"[The special is] for our friends who participate in Lent, and we love fish," Dodson said. "Our kitchen isn't set up to always have fried fish, but we set up a fryer specifically for the fish so we can keep the fish isolated from other fried items."

More: Popular Boiling Springs bakery opening a second location in Spartanburg. What to know.

The Fryday special is $16 and the kitchen is open on Fridays from 12-10 p.m.

"The Catch" at Blue Moon

Blue Moon locations offer fish specials during Lent, offering fried and blackened options.

Blue Moon at 130 South Church St., in downtown Spartanburg, is serving "The Catch" every Friday. "The Catch" includes a blackened grouper sandwich with bibb lettuce, tomato, and house remoulade on toasted ciabatta with choice of a house side for $13.99.

Blue Moon Downtown and Blue Moon Bodega are offering fish specials during the season of Lent on Fridays. Blue Moon Bodega offers "Fish Fry Fridays" with fried flounder, hush puppies, chips and slaw.
Blue Moon Downtown and Blue Moon Bodega are offering fish specials during the season of Lent on Fridays. Blue Moon Bodega offers "Fish Fry Fridays" with fried flounder, hush puppies, chips and slaw.

The special at Blue Moon Bodega, 220 East Daniel Morgan Ave., Spartanburg, includes fried flounder, hush puppies, house chips, slaw, and dipping sauces for $15.99. There's also live music on Friday. The Bodega also offers pickled shrimp and smoked salmon as a protein for their build-your-own rainbow salad every day of the week.

Fish Fry at Smoking Butt Heads BBQ

Smoking Butt Heads BBQ in downtown Spartanburg is offering a variety of seafood dishes for the season of Lent. From fried fish to deals on shrimp, this is a feast you can't miss on Fridays.
Smoking Butt Heads BBQ in downtown Spartanburg is offering a variety of seafood dishes for the season of Lent. From fried fish to deals on shrimp, this is a feast you can't miss on Fridays.

Smoking Butt Heads, 111 W Main St., Spartanburg, is known for its award-winning barbeque, but they are offering a variety of fried fish on Fridays for Lent.

Options include a fried flounder combo that comes with popcorn shrimp, fries, hushpuppies, and a drink for $15. A fried catfish platter is also available, which includes hushpuppies, fries, and a drink for $12.

Smoking Butt Heads BBQ in downtown Spartanburg is offering a variety of seafood dishes for the season of Lent. From fried fish to deals on shrimp, this is a feast you can't miss on Fridays.
Smoking Butt Heads BBQ in downtown Spartanburg is offering a variety of seafood dishes for the season of Lent. From fried fish to deals on shrimp, this is a feast you can't miss on Fridays.

Smoking Butt Heads has a special deal on Fridays which includes $2 off shrimp n' grits and $1 off a grilled shrimp platter.

Weekly specials at Gerhard's Cafe

Gerherd's Cafe is offering a variety of seafood dishes every Friday during Lent. Some options include peppercorn tuna with a signature Thai dressing, seafood alfredo with lobster, scallops and shrimp and blackened Australian sea bass that made it on the permanent menu.
Gerherd's Cafe is offering a variety of seafood dishes every Friday during Lent. Some options include peppercorn tuna with a signature Thai dressing, seafood alfredo with lobster, scallops and shrimp and blackened Australian sea bass that made it on the permanent menu.

Gerhard's Cafe, 1200 E. Main St., Suite 10, Spartanburg, offers a variety of specials every Friday during Lent. Some options include creamy seafood pasta, grilled swordfish, and pan-seared halibut.

Gerherd's Cafe is offering a variety of seafood dishes every Friday during Lent. Some options include peppercorn tuna with a signature Thai dressing, seafood alfredo with lobster, scallops and shrimp and blackened Australian sea bass that made it on the permanent menu.
Gerherd's Cafe is offering a variety of seafood dishes every Friday during Lent. Some options include peppercorn tuna with a signature Thai dressing, seafood alfredo with lobster, scallops and shrimp and blackened Australian sea bass that made it on the permanent menu.

Several options have become so popular that the restaurant included them, such as blackened Australian sea bass, on the permanent menu.

Joanna Johnson covers community news for the Herald-Journal. Reach her via email at jjohnson@shj.com.

This article originally appeared on Herald-Journal: Fish Friday: Here's where to find Lent specials in the Upstate