Another Lenten Friday means another delicious Pittsburgh fish fry! And while we’re all about expanding our horizons and trying out new places, there are a few fish frys that we hit up every year. Holy Angels in Hays is one of them.
Never heard of Hays? Don’t worry, neither had we. But I’m sure you’ve heard of Sandcastle Water Park, and if you can get there, you can get to Hays. And if you can get to Hays, you can get to one totally rockin’ fish fry.
Holy Angels is tucked away in an industrial stretch of the ‘Burgh, somewhere betwixt the South Side, Homestead, the Glenwood Bridge, and Century III Mall. It’s a little off the beaten path, and small enough that you could easily miss it in the shadows of the massive GalvTech plant across the street. But thankfully, there are small signs along the road directing you to your true destination of fish fry goodness.
Pro-tip for visiting Holy Angels: if you’re planning on takeout, call ahead. This place gets PACKED.
I know, you’re thinking, “How packed can a fish fry possibly get?”
Oh, pretty packed.
The fish fry staff at Holy Angels is a great group, managing the crowds and demand with ease. But still, this place is so popular that the lines can get a little out of hand during peak lunch and dinner times (Holy Angels is one of the local fish frys offering extended hours: 11am – 630pm on the Fridays of Lent, including Good Friday).
As I was stuck at work, Michael was in charge of our Holy Angels fish fry run. If you place an order by phone, they’ll give you a pickup time, then you just head down and stand in line to pay and pick up your dinner.
So what does $8 get you at Holy Angels?
This massive sandwich, fries, and coleslaw (coleslaw not pictured here, probably because Michael scarfed it down before remembering he had to do all the photography for this post, but it’s a hearty serving). Or, if you’d prefer to go the healthy route, you can have your fish baked with a baked potato instead of fries – but for me, personally, nothing beats a good fried fish sandwich from a local church.
The Holy Angels fish sandwich actually has TWO giant fish filets on the bun, and I always save half for lunch the following day (it heats up just perfectly). Again, this meal is definitely more than enough for two people, so bring a friend with you! The breading is crispy, the fish is juicy and meaty, and the fries are salty and yummy. Holy Angels’ coleslaw is a little lighter than what we had the previous week at Madonna del Castello, which made me feel a bit less guilty about all the tartar sauce they gave me for the fish.
Between the friendly, bustling atmosphere, the great deal for your dollars, and the consistently awesome sandwiches, it’s easy to see why Holy Angels is a yearly fixture on our fish fry list, but we recommend you check it out for yourself! It’s a chilly, blustery day outside, why not pick up a fish sandwich to go, queue up Jesus Christ Superstar on the DVD player, and make an evening of it?