Crazy Mary’s Fish & Chips

After reading such great reviews we decided to try this place. The fish portions are huge, tarter sauce good, coleslaw just OK. The batter on the fish was light and tasty. My only complaint is all of our fish pieces were overcooked. Instead of being a nice golden brown they were more dark brown to almost burnt and they were a little on the greasy side. This kept me from really enjoying the fish and I eventually just picked off the breading and ate it that way. I may try them again but not sure.

Do you have a few minutes or few hours? Either way come see Crazy Mary. I thought the namesake of the place was a cute-​sie play on words – okay so the lady the place is named after is a little eclectic. Nope. Seriously Mary is crazy. And this is a compliment.
We wandered in on a snowy day before thanksgiving and were the only ones in there. Considering every evening the place is packed, I was a bit surprised. Out pops a bubbly, adorably weird lady and introduces herself as none other than Mary. Over the next hour or so, she tells us all about how she was as able to acquire the location and how she became Crazy Mary. I could listen to her life story a million times and pretty much feel she needs a movie and not even a Lifetime movie or made for TV movie – a REAL movie, a film if you will. If Guy Fieri ever brought his lazy butt up to Billings Montana, he surely should come visit Mary.
The fish is one thing-​honestly I was a little skeptical about fish in a land locked state but Mary knows what to shop for and when and how to get it. That’s more than can be said for the sushi establishments around these parts. The portions are huge. The ambience is… well…crazy. I love it. Mary came to get our order and offered us hot chocolate on this cold day-​it was just above zero. It felt like my mom was serving me up some of her hot cocoa with a dab of whipped cream of course. Endearing. Totally sold. While I’m ordering I feel Mary’s hands on my shoulders – she says «I can also be a masseuse!» And quickly informs me of a stubborn knot in my back. Really?! Some people may have totally freaked at this point, but I gave in. Sure it was probably unprofessional but that really doesn’t matter, does it? I mean it’s a shoulder rub and I think we could list this place as full service… hot chocolate, fried catfish and a shoulder rub on the side. My kinda place!
I got waffle fries. They were cooked perfectly to match my chicken fried Catfish. The haddock/​cod was a beer batter and I think I liked the battering on this better. After I ordered, Mary returned to the kitchen, which is a pass through kitchen and immediately excitedly exclaimed, «would you like to see your fish?» Well sure. I peered over the counter at a large LARGE filet. I couldn’t believe it would be mine in just a few minutes. It was beautiful. She cut it up, battered and seasoned it, fried and set it before me. It was amazing. The real McCoy! The tarter sauce was homemade. Not the best I’ve ever had, but a great accompaniment.
We got an order of clam chowder, so thick your spoon could stand attention in it. Afterward, she gave us dessert… a little cup of Swedish fish. Man this lady is awesome.
We visited more before deciding we should probably leave. I don’t really know how long we’d been there. Time just ran away from us in this little dive. But I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it and will be returning in the not so distant future.
Mary is a one of a kind. And this place is a one in a million.

This place is the real deal.
First off, the food. In no way did I expect to get delicious fish and chips in Billings, Montana. Even when I saw the reviews for this place, I was like, «yeah, but… good for Billings, right?!» No. This place is great, full stop. I got the fried fish sandwich with a cup of New England-​style chowder and DUDE, was it ever delicious.
Adding to the amazing food is the restaurant’s owner, who is a wisecrackin’, friendly, funny type who cares about all her customers. You can tell she really puts her heart into her food and wants every eating experience to be good. She’s also, as the restaurant’s name implies, quite the character. She called all her clients «kitty-​kats» and made some pretty hysterical slightly off-​color jokes. She also gave us chocolate covered blueberries (!) along with Swedish fish for desert!
And, as you’d expect from a colorful owner, the restaurant décor is wonderful. Sea-​themed tchotckes are tastefully placed around the room, making the sensory experience complete.
Do not miss this place!

Fantastic local business in Billings. Today was my first visit, stuck with fish/​chips/​slaw. Couldn’t believe how great the food was, and how much fun Crazy Mary is. She is a one of a kind and worth the cost of admission.
Only thing to improve would be about 20 great craft beers on tap. Highly recommended!

Nice little place. Nice owner who knows how to treat customers. Good Food, good prices.

Great place for lunch or early dinner. Open 11am-​8pm. Amazing fish & chips! They also offer shrimp & soups. I liked being able to choose my favorite fish for the basket ($ 11.50). She sources from east to west coast depending on where that type of fish is best. Loved the coleslaw and tarter sauce. I will be back for sure. Today I had the cod basket, three HUGE pieces of fish served in a red basket with a large portion of fries. Fresh ice tea & lemon. You can taste the quality of each item served. Mary really cares to make an amazing scratch meal. I had only heard about this place through online reviews & was impressed. It’s the best place in Billings for fish n chips!

I haven’t had Fish & Chips this good since I lived in Seattle… and even then, they weren’t THIS good.
I LOVE how small and simple this place is. Stick to the basics which means «The Food». And Mary is absolutely awesome. What a find!!! I cannot wait to bring friends and family here for lunch!
Go for lunch, go early, and enjoy!

First off, I’m not sure about some of the other reviews. This place is incredible! Best fish and chips I have ever had. I go there as often as possible, with a possi of friends for lunch who are all big fans as well. Mary herself is worth the experience. She is so sweet, and is not shy at all. She never fails to amuse us.
Now the food… is excellent. Yes, just about everything is fried. Yes the portions are huge. No, vegetarians and dieters will not be pleasantly surprised by the servings. This is where you go when you want fresh, huge, hand breaded fish filets and shrimp. Everything is cut and breaded to order, so this is no fast food joint. The seating can be cramped at times, but it is a worth the wait if it comes to that.
This is the best kept secret in billings dining if you ask me. Crazy Mary’s was strongly suggested to me, and now I strongly recommend to everyone. Mary takes pride in her food and every customer becomes a friend the moment they step in the door. Love it!!!

You need to know a few things before venturing into Crazy Mary’s.
1. It’s not fancy.
2. It’s tiny inside.
3. Almost everything is made from scratch while you wait so it isn’t fast.
4. Nothing is low fat. Nothing!
Ok, with that out of the way, what an awesome fun little place! Mary herself is at the helm and won’t hesitate to harass you (in a sweet way of course) if you take too long to order or try to order chicken. The portions are huge, the atmosphere is extremely casual, and Mary is a riot! It’s really more of an experience than lunch.
Mary hand breads and fries all of the fish and chicken and hand cuts fries for every order. Where do you find that anywhere? I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea but we thought it was great. This is clearly a great lay who loves to feed people good, stick to your ribs food, and has a great time doing it.

While eating my clam chowder I bit I to a very tough piece of «something». I thought it was a bad potato peel. When I pulled
It out of my mouth I was mortified to find a used bandaid.
I was refunded my money, but is there really any way to get over that! Gag

As a fish loving New Englander — this place wowed me!
The haddock and slaw were terrific. I plan on trying the Clam Chowder
On my next visit.
maureen

I ate here once and after seeing how big the fish portions were decided to have a crab roll instead. The crab toll was pretty good, but the chips were the greasiest I’ve ever had. Took my wife there and they had removed some of the seating. This is a small place made even smaller by having fewer seats. The quality was not worth the wait so we left. A friend told me his fish was also swimming in grease. I think this is a place that’s better just left alone.

We stopped at Crazy Mary’s on the way through Billings, and arrived a few minutes after closing but they waved us on in anyway. Very, very friendly people, and Crazy Mary is a kick! I should mention that I stopped here specifically to try the fish and chips after reading positive reviews other food review sites. I should also mention I am Irish and a bit particular about fish and chips. (So many places serve fish sticks and call it fish and chips. Yuck!) Mary’s lived up to my expectations. I received a very generous portion of fish breaded fresh as I stood and watched it prepared. No fish sticks here… it was a full filet. There are not many places where Fish and Chips is done right, but Crazy Mary’s does it right. I highly recommend it.
The restaurant is very small. In fact, I believe they call it a food stand, although there is some inside seating. The prices are fair. Not great, but not bad, especially considering what a person gets for the money. I will be going back again for my Fish & Chips fix, and might even venture a bit and try other menu items. Give Crazy Mary a try. You’ll get a taste of Ireland, and a great meal.