I Ate Every Item From Fred’s Fish Fry’s Menu While Visiting Every One of Fred’s Fish Fry’s Locations in One Day

In March of 2021, I argued HEB was San Antonio’s second greatest icon — only behind San Antonio’s missions. This argument led me to walking every aisle of every HEB in the city of San Antonio. Because really, where else would this lead?

By June of 2021, I was questioning my argument — maybe HEB was not San Antonio’s second greatest icon?

Although an icon, HEB’s beginnings are in Kerrville, not in San Antonio, thus leaving the door open for debate on what is San Antonio’s second greatest icon.

Where I went next was obvious and not-so-obvious to true San Antonians: Fred’s Fish Fry.

Seen by San Antonians as a front for some type of illegal activity while at the same time rooted in happy memories of many-o San Antonians’ childhoods, Fred’s Fish Fry is still owned and operated by the family who founded it in 1963. Fred’s Fish Fry began and has remained in San Antonio while growing — apparently without the need for customers, as there are rarely any vehicles in its parking lots — to 16 locations.

This new answer to what San Antonio’s second greatest icon is, led me to questioning how many San Antonians have truly paid homage to this icon by visiting each and every one of Fred’s Fish Fry’s locations and delving into every one of its delicious menu items?

Dare I say the answer shamefully to this question was none — no San Antonian had ever done this before — probably not even Fred’s Fish Fry’s owners.

Thus, on June 5th of 2021, I, along with my partner-in-crime, Paul Franklin, by my side, set out to remove this shame on all San Antonians, for on June 5th, 2021, we set out to visit every one of Fred’s Fish Fry’s locations and eat every one of its menu items before their closing time.

(And on June 5th, 2021, unlike any other day, there would be at least one car in every Fred’s Fish Fry’s parking lot for at least a moment of time.)

Our Fred’s Fish Fry odyssey began at 11 am with the first Fred’s Fish Fry at 3303 Blanco Road opening its doors. Starting off with their most iconic menu item, the Fred’s Fish Fry fish square, we worked our way through each of their 18 menu items, ordering and eating one or two items at a time from each of their 16 locations throughout the heart of San Antonio.

Including drinks and sides, Fred’s Fish Fry’s menu includes fish squares, oysters, shrimp, chicken burgers, chicken strips, chicken wings, jalapeños, carrots, lemons, corn on the cob, French fries, onion rings, bread, Big Red, iced tea, Diet Pepsi, Pepsi, and Dr. Pepper.

With 15 minutes to spare, our odyssey was complete at 8:45 pm with the Fred’s Fish Fry at 1920 Nogalitos and the neatest people we met working at a Fred’s Fish Fry — Nancy and Linda.

With the last morsel on the menu finished, I can say the shame has been lifted off San Antonio, for each of its Fred’s Fish Frys now has been visited — and their entire menu has been consumed by at least two San Antonians.

Maybe for good reason, Fred’s Fish Fry has no website and provides no nutritional values for their menu items, so I cannot provide you with final “totals” of this shame-lifting adventure (and the potential for mine or Paul’s cardiovascular disease), but I can provide you with a best of the best list.

1. French Fries

2. Chicken Wings

3. Jalapeños & Carrots

Everything IS made fresh to order. Wings have a lightly fried crust then juicy all the way through.

All joking aside, and surprised to say it, but true: I would put Fred’s Fish Fry’s French Fries up against anyone else’s.

Lastly, if you have never visited a Fred’ Fish Fry before, then you must have one of their iconically square pieces of fish. They are quite tasty and always served hot. But if you are looking for some good tasting food, then a Pepsi, jalapeños & carrots, French Fries, and a 10-piece chicken wings from Fred’s will leave you in gustatory bliss.

I will leave with this final thought…

Belch!

Till the next San Antonio odyssey!

…

Dr. Don Lucas, Ph.D. is a Professor of Psychology and head of the Psychology Department at Northwest Vista College in San Antonio Texas. He loves psychology, teaching, and research.

If you like this story, then you may like Don’s videos on his YouTube channel, 5MIweekly or his other stories on this Medium channel.

San Antonio, Food, Foodie, Adventure, Life’s Meaning