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    Gene's Fish Fry

    3.6 (51 reviews)
    InexpensiveSeafood, Fish & Chips
    Open 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Gene's Fish Fry Photos

    GENE'S FISH FRY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Gene's Fish Fry

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    Seafood platter, haddock and chips.

    We were happy to stumble upon this great local venue! Outside under Canape roof dining. Nice crispy fried haddock and fries. Tasty chili sauce. A very cool find in Rensselaer New York.

    Nice white fresh fish!
    Jim S.

    A staple in the East Greenbush, Rensselaer and Troy area. Over the years there have been some small changes but one thing that has never changed is the quality of food. The fish fry is crispy and delicious! The French fries have good flavor. The process to order has become easier and easier over the years. The seating is outside over looking the Capitol of NY. There is lawn seating and an area under cover. There is also plenty of parking in back. The service is quick and friendly. This is a seasonal location, so when it does open, for the locals, it a must. They have more than FISH fries. They have Clam rolls, burgers and more.

    clam roll and Side of slaw
    Sharon W.

    This is a time honored family owned summer snack shack. People have looked forward to this summer treat for decades with the fish fry and milkshakes. During this pandemic safety precautions have been taken staff wear masks and hand Sani is available and signs with instructions are present. Staff were extremely friendly and helpful. My sister was in town so we stopped for a bite. The fish fries are consistently good I had the clam roll which was plentiful. I would choose the onion rings over the french fries, and the coleslaw was decent.

    Allegedly tarter sauce. You tell me. Mayo or tarter? Tasted like Mayo with a molecule of relish.
    Kia B.

    What happened, bro? This food used to be good. Taste buds were suffering. Haddock-bland.. fries... old.... Tarter... nasty blob of Mayo. The only reason I'm giving this 2 stars the cole slaw and lemonade were okay. It's a shame because they deliver great customer service. Oh well... maybe get a better cook or revise your recipe.

    Side entrance with outdoor seating
    Fred T.

    It was OK, that batter wasn't greasy and seemed pretty light. I had the seafood platter but it was tough to figure out what was what (except for the fish), I'm guessing they were clam strips in there with shrimp and maybe scallops but I'm just guessing as it the scallops and shrimp were so small they seemed mostly batter and the clam strips could have been squid or rubber bands for all the taste they had. Overall it was unique, a nice place to have an outdoor meal, maybe some other option would be better next time, just OK.

    You'll have to wait until May for the better clam strips in East Greenbush.
    Daniel B.

    Five stars for a seasonal inland roadside fish fry shack seems a little high, doesn't it? Perhaps. But this is my favorite of all the fish fry places in the region. However, one of the things I like most about the place is the same thing that drives a bunch of people away. And that's their non-traditional takes on the traditional sauces. At Gene's tartar sauce isn't a gloppy mess of mayonnaise mixed with relish. It's actually thinned down to more of a sauce consistency and is delightfully tangy. At some places chili sauce tastes like little more than relish stirred into ketchup. Not here. But I'm still team cocktail sauce all the way. Although this is the most tempting tartar I've ever tried. Whatever I order always gets a little dab of the stuff. Of course, you'll have to wait until May like the rest of us to get another taste from Gene's. They are closed for the season. And that's okay. The longing will just make it that much better. And it's good to support the place across the street during the winter months, because it's only at Gene's that deep fried fish in cheap hot dog buns is a warm weather affair.

    a view of the outside of the restaurant
    Ian W.

    This seasonal fish fry place is an East Greenbush institution for 48 years and has stood the test of time with all of the development going up around the area, at Route 4 and Third Ave Ext. Gene's Fish Fry was named after it's founder Gene Halsey. Gene's son Mark (now the current owner) was in my Scout Troop (Defreestville) back in the day. I can remember having Gene's BBQ chicken each year on family nights at the local Scout camp in Poestenkill, which was always very good and tasty, a very nice treat and many times better tasting than the slop served at the Dining Hall! The menu offers haddock fish frys, fried seafood (shrimp, clams, scallops, haddock), hot dogs, burgers, chicken, fries, rings, macaroni salad, cole slaw, shakes, & beverages (Coke cans & bottles, milk, coffee). The prices are reasonable with each item/dinner under $10. The Mixed Seafood Dinner is $8.75 plus tax (2008 price). You order your food at the inside takeout windows. The place has no indoor seating, but there's covered picnic table seating outside next to the DOT facility. I try and make out to Gene's each year! The fish frys are decent with the skin of the haddock left on and lightly breaded and fried. I also enjoy the fried scallops too! The one way access is kind of funky with the one way entrance next to Gene's to the parking lot in back. The exit driveway wraps around the back of Mobil On The Run. HOURS: Mondays-Saturdays 11AM-9PM, closed on Sundays

    Gene's Fish Fry's w/ Tarter Sauce, side of Onion Rings / Fries (tasted amazing)
    Bill K.

    Quick Look: Grew up in East Greenbush (EG) and summer means Gene's Fish Fry!! In Depth Review: No longer live in the area and reside in Las Vegas, NV. Believe it or not but we do not have one amazing fish-fry place like Gene's in this whole city. Fish Fry places are not big on the West Coast. I always try to go to Gene's when I visit family and friends in the Capital Region. It's one thing that never changes and holds up after all these years. It's the same fish-fry's and onion rings that I and so many grew up eating. May have a Rensselaer mailing address but Gene's sits in the town of East Greenbush, and us EG folks proudly claim it as our own! Great story, when I was a youngster I played Little League in East Greenbush and for many years I was fortunate enough to play on a team that was sponsored by Gene's Fish Fry. We always had a post game team party at Gene's on the weekends. We were the luckiest kids in town! Stopped by Gene's on a cold and damp evening this past Thursday, June 12th 2014. Despite the weather the place was full for dinner and we were able to sit outside and enjoy these amazing fish-fry's. They were delicious and still the best fish-fry's on the planet. Enjoyed watching other families indulge on Gene's. The kids still love it like my sister and I did growing up. Side note: Gene's still uses the more expensive / better tasting Haddock and has not switched to the cheaper Cod fish that many similar places in the area are using. Gene's Fish Fry on Route 4 in EG - Same building, same amazing food and same good vibes. Felt like I was that little kid celebrating with his team after a Little League game in the early 80's. Amazing how eating one fish fry made me feel like the luckiest kid in the whole town, again. DON'T CHANGE ONE THING GENE'S FISH FRY!!!

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    Great food! My family and I enjoyed their platter with fish, shrimp, scallops, etc. Worth checking out.

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