Jim’s Fish Fry

I stepped back into the 1960’s complete with handwritten «specials» signs, diner décor and a fry menu including frog’s legs. It was like being in a Stephen King novel… but I digress. This was some of the best fried haddock I have ever tasted (though I must admit I am more of a flounder fan, having grown up in NJ). It was served right out of the fryer, golden battered and tasty. I was disappointed in the fries, however, as they were oily. The next time I will try one of their many other sides; they even serve German potato salad. Portions are generous and prices are low. The lunch menu (which looks like it has been on the wall for the past 50 years) had many sandwiches under $ 5. The waitress/​cook was friendly and there appears to be a «regular» crowd. Oh, and the tables and interior seem to have a coating of fryer oil, adding to the retro experience. I will return!

You know this is a fried fish shack walking in the building, which probably had seen its better days. If you don’t like the fish smell, this place is not for you, even though they serve burgers too.
Fried fish is decent, so is the coleslaw. Serving is huge.
Unless I am in the neighborhood, I am not sure it is worth a long drive to have a fish dinner.

Shout out to Ms. Georgia for her excellent service. In town for work and wanted something different. Reviews are pretty accurate. I’m from the Deep South so I know what a nice fish should be…
I tried the fish dinner… Pretty good, a little Lowery and pepper will push this to the next level. But hey, salt isn’t that good for u anyway
I also tried the macaroni salad… Tasty. A hint of Paprika and vinegar would help…
Baked beans are tasty… Couldn’t eat them cold but Ms. Georgia hooked me up and microwaved them.
Want something other than ur standard sandwich or pizza for dinner, go check it out. Portions are huge and the fish would go well with your morning grits.

Came here for a fish fry craving. Ordered a fish fry dinner with two sides (macaroni salad and «German potato salad») and New England clam chowder as an appetizer.
The food was just plain awful, though the service was alright. The fish had a really thin batter and had no flavor whatsoever. Although the food is said to be «fresh», the clam chowder was heated up in the microwave and had no taste at all. The side of German potato salad was the only decent food in the entire establishment. The macaroni salad, as with most of the other good also had no taste. I will not be returning here and would recommend people to stay away from here unless you want to experience one of the worst meals in your entire life.

The service here is great. If you want a no frills fish fry, then this is it. The cole slaw is yummy b/​c i like the vinegar style. The fish wasn’t for me. I wanted more of a thick batter and this was thin. Regardless, this is a good place to try.

The best fish fry in the area. I don’t think I’ve eaten anywhere that comes close. The food is great and the portions are huge.
Not much to look at from the outside and the interior décor is a little outdated. But that is no reason to not to eat here.

I have been going to Jims for quite a while. And the food is not like at many fish fries. All the food is made from scratch. The fish is fresh and delicious. The fries are nothing like you will find in most restaurants. They are hand cut from fresh potatoes every day on the premises. Because of this they are not curly or the exact same size or crispy. You only get that from factory made fries. They might be greasy but boy are they tasty. The salads macaroni, potato, German potato, and baked beans are all made on site and yes they are delicious also. They do not put salt in anything so it you want salt you have to put it on you self. I go their a couple of times a week. They give you a ton of food and it is inexpensive. And did I mention that all there desserts are baked on site also. Yummy. The restaurant has been opened and owned by the same family for 75 years. They must be doing something right.

My husband and I were really craving fish fry, and this restaurant popped up, so we thought we would give it a try. Tucked away in north Syracuse, this restaurant might easily be missed — which makes it literally a hidden gem :)
Also, looking at the patrons of the restaurant, we quickly realized why there weren’t many Unilocal reviews for this restaurant despite the many cars in the parking lot — they were all more on the elderly side! But it looks like they have a loyal group of people who have been coming to this restaurant for ages.
How to not stand around awkwardly not knowing what to do: Walking into the restaurant, if you are doing takeout or picking up an order, head straight to the counter. Otherwise, just find any table in the room or the adjacent room, and a server will come bring you menus.
Food: we both tried the fish dinner, which was a large amount of food for the price! Their style of fish fry is less of the thick batter style, more of the coated cornmeal like type. The haddock was delicious and moist, lightly seasoned, and you could add your own salt/​pepper or dip it in ketchup, tartar sauce, or vinegar. The fries look home-​made, as they weren’t all uniform like frozen storebought ones. The coleslaw has a more citrusy/​acidic taste and is more finely shredded than your typical coleslaw — which might be hit or miss for you, depending on how you like your coleslaw.
Ambience: the décor hasn’t been updated in years most likely, and it’s very casual, and makes you feel like you are in the woods/​country/​lake house/​camping, given the giant fish on the walls, plastic picnic table cloths, would paneled walls, etc.
Bottom line: if you’re looking for tasty fish-​fry (or other seafood) and don’t mind the experience of the outdoorsy décor/​blast from the past + family feel, give Jim’s Fish Fry a try!

We found Jim’s passing through Syracuse on vacation. The fish was wonderful and the portions were very generous! Even though the restaurant was quite busy, our meals arrived quickly. Great service.

Good fried food. Fish and fries came out piping hot and well seasoned. Beans were warm; otherwise, this is your backcountry fish fry house.

Only place I’ll go for a haddock dinner. My mom started going there over 30 years ago. I’ve been going for as long as I can remember too and I’m 33. The staff is friendly, the service is fast, and the food rocks. I’ve also had their wings, very good and only place that cooks them right.

Whenever I’m in town from Detroit I hit Jim’s. I have not been able to find the same taste anywhere else. from their oil to their dredge you can’t duplicate it.

My family was visiting from out of town for Good Friday and wanted to enjoy a fish fry. Given the glowing reviews, we decided to go to Jim’s Fish Fry. Unfortunately, the entire meal was a big disappointment and I will never be returning.
The service was incredibly slow, since they apparently had only two waitresses working on what must have been one of their busiest days of the year, and it took 30 minutes from the time we sat down to the time we got our beers. Worse than this, though, is that the food was incredibly bland: the fish was lightly breaded and had zero seasoning whatsoever, the coleslaw made with vineger rather than mayonaisse was quite monotonous, and the french fries were very soft (probably because the cooking oil wasn’t hot enough) and again had no seasoning. This is not to mention that the beer selection was substandard and that there were no lemon wedges to go with our fish.
None of the food was bad, exactly, just incredibly bland and boring. I’ve had better fish and certainly better fries in a cafeteria line than I got here. Perhaps their food is better on days when they aren’t so busy, but given that we ordered the very first item on their menu — fish fry — you would think they would have delivered a better product.

LOVE Jim’s! Haven’t been in a while, but I really miss it. The fish is delicious and the PILE of fries is greasy and packed with YUM! A real greasy spoon that my family patronized for years.

Good Fried Food. Jim gets it done!

Good fish, an atmosphere you can only find in a place like Syracuse (seriously, the place is easier to find based on smell than looking at it — the sign is faded and illegible, but you can smell the food with the windows up).
It’d get 5 stars but I’m not a fan of their coleslaw (no mayo, real vinegary) and like many places in Syracuse, it serves enormous portions of food that isn’t good leftover. If you could get 2/​3rds of the food for 2/​3rds the price, it’d be great, but dropping 10 bucks on fried fish, eh.
Still, definitely worth a repeat visit.

Well, no, it isn’t ANYTHING to look at from the outside, in fact, you wouldn’t want to use the parking lot to turn your car around in. The inside is… interesting. Décor? There isn’t any. Darkish, dingy-​ish. A mishmash of different wobbly little tables and different kinds of chairs. One section near the bathrooms is a catch-​all for the spillover of chairs, baby seats, etc. (There is another big room, an extension, which looks a little more ‘normal’. It wasn’t open at that time, so I just glanced inside — there were, not surprisingly, tables and chairs.)…And the floors apparently haven’t been mopped since the 80’s… But enough about externals! Its the food! The food is EXCELLENT. Fried haddock, best quality, and you get a lot of food. * Although I must note right here, the fries are very thin and very greasy. Very. If you don’t like them like that, beware. * (Since Jims has been there forever, maybe this is a holdover from the days when there were workin’ men in the factories in the area.) There are no menus, you go there for fish and order at the counter, go take a precarious seat, and then go back and ask if its ready yet. There are other things besides fish you can order, diner type things, written on a sheet of paper up at the counter. Macaroni and cheese, sandwiches, rice pudding! In the spring, it is a real treat to order the fried bullheads, and when I went earlier this year, I got a plate with three whoppers, with fries. Excellent!

I moved away from Syracuse years ago and hadn’t been to Jims in 37 years. This summer 2011 I went there and found that Jims had not changed except for the fish tank was gone. The fish sandwich is still #1 in my book and the frys are the same excellent quality that they always were. The staff was as courteous and friendly as before and the portions were gigantic. Jims son has aged a bit, but so have I and I hope to be back each week until I return to Florida for the winter. I am looking forward to next week. I am not sure if «stick» is still on at nite anymore.

I’ve been eating here since I can remember. If you’ve never been here, probably one of the best kept secrets in Syracuse for fried fish. Make no mistake, the place hasn’t been redecorated since the 80’s, possibly longer. But I’m not going there for the ambience, I’m going because its Friday and I’m getting a fish dinner w/​double order of fries. Of course they have mac salad and coleslaw, but the fresh cut fries are up my alley! They also have a full seafood menu as well. I’m also pretty sure they still have frog legs as well, but whatever you get the gist.
There isn’t much left on Wolf St. and don’t let the outside appearance of Jim’s fool you. It is the best place for fried haddock!