Sunday, July 10, 2005
Eater on "The Original Halibut's"
[Originally published June 11, 2005.]
Previous efforts to find a fish fry place in the Portland market have met with Limited Success. Halibut fish and chips is standard faire on local menus. But finding a fish fry joint? Not much here. Even the Skippers chain seems to have been left gasping on the dock (although there is a Long John Silvers somewhere in the suburbs). One place, Corbett Fish House, has adequately filled Timber Town's need for Midwestern lake perch, battered and fried. A single visit suggests that its nice for those who grew up with it and need such a fix every now and again, but conversions are likely few and far between.
HOWEVER, Northeast Alberta, which has seen some fried fish in its time, now has a new basket in the grease: The Original Halibut's—Fish/Chips and Chowder.
The space is a hole in the wall more often occupied by taquerias in these parts, a couple of tables squeezed in between the counter and serve-yourself fridge (no beer in sight?).
Fish is like BBQ in that if you don't eat it very often, you're may balk at the price. Halibut's four main dishes run from $6 to $8 for half orders and $8 to $11 for the full, all with fries:
Alaskan Halibut $8/$11
Alaskan Salmon $7/$9
Southern Catfish $6/$8
Alaskan True Cod $6/$8
You can also get coleslaw, corn on the cob (when in season), and for kids the ubiquitous chicken strips w/ fries for $3.50. Also, Halibut's Clam Chowder, which implies a fish that may or may not be present.
The folks have the battering and frying down: golden and crispy and flaky, with nice fish inside. A full order of halibut is plenty and an early favorite. The salmon was good as well, but salmon is pretty rich before you deep fry that, and I'd probably opt for a half order next time rather than trying to choke down a fourth piece.
Of course, I can't tell you how the catfish is, except to say that when you order catfish you get salmon. I figured I was making money and kept my mouth shut, but next time I'll probably give it another shot.
Fries are great.
The condiments table, in the corner as you come in, holds tartar sauce and cocktail sauce that you can pour onto your plates...a set-up that needed a little work.
The place is open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and you can eat in or take out. Or eat out front, which we did. Wobbly tables. It'll be interesting to see how this place fits with Alberta...it's not hip in the least and the fellow that seems to be running the place looks like a roofer collecting disability rather than a hipster with a hook in his own lip.
2525 NE Alberta
Portland, Oregon
503-808-9600/503-808-9601
Here is a link to a review by Chowhound;; a brief mention also ran in one of the local dailies or weeklies, but I don't remember which, when or where.
Previous efforts to find a fish fry place in the Portland market have met with Limited Success. Halibut fish and chips is standard faire on local menus. But finding a fish fry joint? Not much here. Even the Skippers chain seems to have been left gasping on the dock (although there is a Long John Silvers somewhere in the suburbs). One place, Corbett Fish House, has adequately filled Timber Town's need for Midwestern lake perch, battered and fried. A single visit suggests that its nice for those who grew up with it and need such a fix every now and again, but conversions are likely few and far between.
HOWEVER, Northeast Alberta, which has seen some fried fish in its time, now has a new basket in the grease: The Original Halibut's—Fish/Chips and Chowder.
The space is a hole in the wall more often occupied by taquerias in these parts, a couple of tables squeezed in between the counter and serve-yourself fridge (no beer in sight?).
Fish is like BBQ in that if you don't eat it very often, you're may balk at the price. Halibut's four main dishes run from $6 to $8 for half orders and $8 to $11 for the full, all with fries:
Alaskan Halibut $8/$11
Alaskan Salmon $7/$9
Southern Catfish $6/$8
Alaskan True Cod $6/$8
You can also get coleslaw, corn on the cob (when in season), and for kids the ubiquitous chicken strips w/ fries for $3.50. Also, Halibut's Clam Chowder, which implies a fish that may or may not be present.
The folks have the battering and frying down: golden and crispy and flaky, with nice fish inside. A full order of halibut is plenty and an early favorite. The salmon was good as well, but salmon is pretty rich before you deep fry that, and I'd probably opt for a half order next time rather than trying to choke down a fourth piece.
Of course, I can't tell you how the catfish is, except to say that when you order catfish you get salmon. I figured I was making money and kept my mouth shut, but next time I'll probably give it another shot.
Fries are great.
The condiments table, in the corner as you come in, holds tartar sauce and cocktail sauce that you can pour onto your plates...a set-up that needed a little work.
The place is open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. and you can eat in or take out. Or eat out front, which we did. Wobbly tables. It'll be interesting to see how this place fits with Alberta...it's not hip in the least and the fellow that seems to be running the place looks like a roofer collecting disability rather than a hipster with a hook in his own lip.
2525 NE Alberta
Portland, Oregon
503-808-9600/503-808-9601
Here is a link to a review by Chowhound;; a brief mention also ran in one of the local dailies or weeklies, but I don't remember which, when or where.
