What I Thought of It

Red Sea Fish & Chips
4105 4 St NW
Calgary AB  T2K 1A3
Phone: 403 289 9904

I was craving fish and chips, so I decided to try a new place - Red Sea Fish & Chips - for dinner. This place is next to Stavros in the strip mall on the corner of 40th Avenue and 4th Street NW.

The first thing you’ll notice when you walk into Red Sea is that everything is blue. The place is casually decorated in the style of a fast-food restaurant. Everything is sea-themed, down to the signs on the men’s and women’s washrooms.

The restaurant has a row of tables along one wall and a bar against the other wall. Not much was happening when I got there on a Tuesday night. Only one table was taken up, so I had my pick of where to sit.

I had a look through the menu, then the server approached to take my order. Red Sea seems to be a nice little family business. My server was carrying her 14-month-old, fast asleep, on her back. I ordered the Seafood Platter, which comes with bacon-wrapped scallops, battered prawns, 2 pieces of cod, and fries - all for $15.95.

The food took some time to arrive but looked pretty good when it came. The scallops wrapped with bacon were a great flavor combination. The battered prawns were not too greasy and decently meaty. The cod was heavily breaded, making a hard, crispy shell around the fish. The fish inside was flaky and great with the tartar sauce.

The fries/chips were cooked to a nice crisp taste. I’m a big fan and consumer of fries, and you could wake me up in the middle of the night for these Red Sea fries.

Last thoughts: Red Sea Fish & Chips is a great little gem. As a family business, it delivers much more than chain restaurants, where these days no one seems to care. The food is good and worth the visit. If you like your fries crispy, you’ll have to check out Red Sea’s take on the chips. Go on any day except Sunday (when they’re closed).

Food ++++
Service ++++
Ambiance +++
Washrooms ++++

Joey’s Only Seafood, Motel Village
2120 Crowchild Trail NW
Calgary AB  2TM 3Y7
Phone: 403 284 4968

Joey’s Only Seafood Restaurant in Motel Village is nicely situated next to the pedestrian overpass from McMahon Stadium and just meters away from the Banff Trail CTrain Station.

The interior has a pleasant ambiance. It is a small space that manages to contain a good number of tables, and there’s a large aquarium in the center for your viewing pleasure.

Service at this Joey’s is always a bit rushed and not too friendly, but the staff do what they’re supposed to do, which is enough for me.

I have no complaints about the food. Joey’s Seafood has some of the best fish & chips - crispy, not too greasy, just enough batter. Go for the two-piece meal, because I can’t imagine anyone being able to finish three pieces of fish. Joey’s also has the best tartar sauce, which is supplied in a big squirt bottle at each table.

On Tuesdays Joey’s has all-you-can-eat fish & chips for $9.99, so if you’re famished you can fill up on tasty fish and fries for a bargain.

Sometimes Joey’s offers a fish-&-chips platter with one piece each of pollock, haddock, and halibut, so that you can decide which one you like best. In my experience, all three are delicious.

If you’d like a departure from regular potato fries, you can subsitute sweet potato fries. Joey’s does them very well - hot and crisp - and serves them with a lime mayonnaise dip. Joey’s sweet potato fries are so good, I could live on them.

Last thoughts: Joey’s is one of my favorite restaurants, and I’ve yet to have a bad experience in the times I’ve frequented Joey’s. It’s a cozy, affordable place for fish & chips and other seafood.

Food +++++
Service +++
Ambiance ++++
Washrooms ++++