You burst onto a happening scene immediately upon opening the door into Anchor Fish & Chips. Bustling sounds of a neighborhood bar that is packed just months after opening are coupled with the sights of diners devouring simple yet scrumptious meals. We came to celebrate two birthdays and get out on a rainy cold night in March to a place we were told was worth a short wait.
Owner Kathryn Hayes greets you behind the bar of this newly opened space in NE Minneapolis with a soft and subtle endearing Irish accent and a cold pour. Her partners Jenny Crouser and Luke Kyle wanted to keep the food authentic, the menu short and the service spectacular every single night and this night was no exception. We had to wait in the small foyer for about 20 minutes but there was tons to keep our eyes busy starting with the ornate tin ceiling to the local artwork on the walls. Babies, singles, families and grandparents were all mingling as we waited to be seated.
As their charming website will tell you Vegans and Vegetarians Beware!! This place has Pasties & chips, Shepherd’s Pie & chips, Sausage & chips, Burger & Chips and of course Fish & Chips and slight variations on the burger- that’s it. The menu may be short, but everything is done with perfection and with consistency.
Grain Belt beer on tap for $3 and a basket of the biggest piece of cod you have ever seen sitting on a bed of gigantic fries for $8 is what we came for and we were more than happy with our experience. My teenage son and I each had the grassfed Minnesota beef hamburger with Irish cheddar for 8.50, my husband had the hand battered Banger and my daughter had the infamous fish and chips. Without exception, our meals were as spectacular as the service. Everyone fits snugly yet comfortably into the space, close enough to your smell your neighbors coffee yet far enough not to hear their secrets- that’s what makes it wonderful. Diners were eating full meals at the low and wide wooden bar that runs the length of the space. Plenty of elbow room here and lots of friends gathered there instead of waiting for a table.
Kathryn tells us that the sausage is made specially for her at a local butcher after my husband asked her how the meat was processed because it was not a blood sausage, as he expected- better! The fry cook is from Belfast, she tells us, which must be why the batter has a slight sweetness and texture like no other I have tasted.
Our server was cheerful and remembered who liked ice and who didn’t with every refill- a definite plus! Friendly, sustainable, consistent and conscientious. That’s what the Anchor is all about. We will be back!
theanchorfishandchips.com
302 13th Avenue NE
Minneapolis, MN 55413
(612) 676-1300
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