Summer is prime time for fish and chips. Who makes the best in Pierce County?

With Puget Sound at our doorstep, it’s no wonder that fish and chips are a common sight on restaurant menus, whether on the Ruston Way waterfront, a popular patio in Steilacoom or an Irish pub in Puyallup. But who fries the best?

A couple have “fish and chips” in their name, including a nearly 30-year-old hidden gem inside Freighthouse Square. Some offer more than one fish choice and multiple breading options, panko and tempura among them. At one, the kitchen pressure-fries the fish in the Henny Penny, just as they do the Pacific Northwest staple chicken and jos. Only a small handful hand-cut the essential partner potatoes.

We amassed a list of 40 restaurants in Pierce County with fish and chips on the menu. A majority of them focus on beer-battered cod, but a few also fry up halibut. One pub goes for the Scottish style with haddock, while another varies based on availability; there’s even fried salmon out there. For the purposes of this poll, we’re most interested in the classic English-style fish and chip, so the handful of places with only cornmeal-breaded catfish, for instance, have been omitted. (A couple that specialize in that version also bread cod, so they’re on the list.) Nonetheless, we tried to keep it varied geographically and stylistically.

Cast your vote below, and have your friends vote, too. We’ll accept tallies through Aug. 26 and reveal the results the last week of August — prime time for fish and chips.

We’re also interested in your deeper thoughts on why you love the fish you voted for: You can leave additional comments in the form below the poll. Did we miss your favorite? Please share it there.

If you can’t see the poll, try opening it on a different browser or use this link. If you can’t view the form, you can complete it here.

This story was originally published August 16, 2023 at 12:26 PM.