(2 out of 4 Fishes)
Beautiful historic church in south St. Louis. Good, clear signs direct you to the parking lot. Finding the right door is a little tougher, but not too bad. The fish fry is located in the basement dining hall down a steep flight of steps. No menus, but they are not needed since all sides are included. A sign for their after church coffee house saying desserts are a $1 is a little confusing, since it doesn't apply to their fish fries. They have a good selection of Polish beers, but you have to ask since there isn't anything letting you know what they have. Plastic plates and cups. No recycling, even for the glass bottles. No condiment packages at least.
Food
Fried talapia instead of fried cod. The talapia was hand breaded and good. Might be a little too fishy for those who are used to nice white, flaky cod. Some unique sides like Polish sauerkraut which was seasoned with apples and carrot. The bread was also a highlight. Other sides included french fries, rice, potato salad, green beans, cole slaw. Dessert included both a cookie and a piece of cake.
Value
Great value. $6 for adults and $3 for kids which includes all the sides, dessert, and water/coffee. Your plate is overflowing with all the sides. $3 for a wide selection of Polish beer. I had a 500ml porter (which is almost 17 oz). $21 for our family of five.
Atmosphere
Cozy basement dining hall, which only seats about 60-70 people. Table centerpieces of Polish and American flags were a nice touch. Even the lights had coverings of white and red. At 5:15 we were the only ones there, so while the fish fry is not set-up for large crowds, a few more people would be great. A background hum of the volunteers speaking in Polish lent a nice feel to the small room. Friendly volunteers were very helpful and were eager to share the ingredients for the Polish sauerkraut.
Overall
2.5 out of 4 fishes. Could be an undiscovered gem in the shadow of Pestalozzi Street. The unique features of the Polish sauerkraut, homemade bread, and Polish beer are enough reasons for a visit. I don't usually offer recommendations, but some kolacki's on the dessert menu might be the niche needed to be the St. Celia's of Polish fish fries. While not set-up for crowds in the several hundreds, a full house would offer a great cozy atmosphere. So stop by!
Reviewed 3/19/10
Other Reviews and Fun Links for St. Agatha:
If you know of other reviews or links, please share via the comment section below!
Reviews
2011 - The 13 Blog review
2010 - No Meat for You blog review
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