Where to go in Greater Gardner if you're abstaining from meat or just like fried fish
Whether you are a practicing Catholic, cutting down on red meat, or just a regular seafood lover, here are some fried food spots in or around Gardner to get your Fish Fry dinner fixings.
A Fish Fry is a picnic, cookout, or large dinner event that features fried fish as the main dish and is usually a social meal done by Christians who are abstaining from meat in celebration of Ash Wednesday, Lent, and Good Friday.
From fish and chips to popcorn shrimp, local fry food spots offer Greater Gardner residents various tasty choices. Here are four local restaurants offering fried seafood for your Fish Fry needs.
Crown Fried Chicken
On Main Street in downtown Gardner is Crown Fried Chicken. Even though the small, locally owned fast food restaurant has chicken in the name, they offer a wide variety of fried foods. The restaurant offers meals with white fish, tilapia, and jumbo shrimp. The sides for the fish fry meals are coleslaw, fries, rice, or tostones (fried plantains).
A two-piece white fish meal with one side costs $8.99, and a five-piece white fish meal with a side is $14.99. A two-piece tilapia meal with one side is $10.99, and a five-piece tilapia meal is $17.99. A 21-piece of regular-size shrimp with two sides costs $9.99. A 10-piece of jumbo-size shrimp with two sides costs $11.99.
Crown Fried Chicken at 68 Main St. in Gardner is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Kay's Dairy Bar
The Westminster staple, Kay's Dairy Bar, serves more than ice cream. The Dairy Bar has a large menu filled with New England classics like lobster rolls, clam chowder, and several fish fry items.
There are 11 different kinds of fried seafood plates and 11 fried seafood sides on the menu, from a small serving of fried sea scallops for $10.99 to a fried plate of oysters with the choice of a side for $23.99.
Kay's Dairy Bar is open seven days a week. On Mondays and Tuesdays, the eatery is open from noon to 7 p.m. On Wednesdays through Saturdays, it's open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. On Sundays, the hours are 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Duguay's Fried Chicken and Seafood
A Gardner city classic, Duguay's Chicken and Seafood has been in business since 1968 when Phil Duguay decided to branch out the family business, the poultry farm and farm store at Coleman Street in Gardner.
The restaurant quickly became popular in the community for its signature chicken recipe and trademark Jo Jo potatoes. Duguay's menu has items for every taste and its seafood selection offers customers a total of 25 different seafood dinners, seafood rolls, and seafood sides, from a pint of fried calamari for $13.95 to a haddock nugget dinner for $13.15 served with fries and coleslaw. In addition, Duguay's offers burgers, so this might be an option if someone in your party doesn't want fish or chicken.
Duguay's Fried Chicken and Seafood at 632 Parker St. in Gardner is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
The Angler Fish Market and Chowder Co.
The Angler Fish Market and Chowder Co. in Westminster gives residents the opportunity to enjoy classic fish fry foods in a stylish atmosphere. The restaurant has eight different fried seafood platters, including the Jumbo Shrimp platter, which comes with French fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce for $25. Another example is the Fisherman's platter, which comes with fried scallops, fried shrimp, fried whole belly clams, fried haddock, French fries, coleslaw and tartar sauce for $38. Lobster can be added at market rate.
The restaurant at 1 Village Square in Westminster is open Wednesdays through Saturdays from 4 to 8 p.m. The Angler is not just a seafood restaurant; it offers locals fresh seafood on Wednesdays through Saturdays from 3 to 8 p.m.
This article originally appeared on Gardner News: Fried food restaurants in North Central Mass. for Ash Wednesday
