The Fish Guys

We were across the street at the Arnold Fitness Expo, and the food options there seemed really underwhelming and overpriced. After being quoted a 45 minute wait time elsewhere, we hoofed it a block to this market.
Best. decision. ever. We ordered:
Cajun catfish Po’boy $ 7
Salmon burger $ 7
Manhattan Clam Chowder $ 3
Lets be real: their cooking setup is bare-​bones, but the food was great. Healthier, fresh, and fish: my fave!
My Po’boy was soooo good. The mayo, tomatoes, and slaw were perfect compliments, and the roll was soft. Did I mention FRESH?
I’ve had salmon burgers before that were awfully dry and bland. Not this one! I only had a few bites, but it was juicy and delish.
I’m disappointed that we didn’t make it back for a second trip, but if we’re in Columbus again, we’ll definitely be back!
Note: If you’re also visiting, know this isn’t a restaurant: it’s an eatery/​fish monger located in an indoor multi-​booth market (has both food vendors/​caterers and merchandise/​specialty booths). Seating is upstairs or outside.

I had the salmon sandwich for lunch.
Wasn’t that great. Really downstream. And at North Market premium prices. I’d rather buy a goldfish or 2 with that money. No not to eat. To raise.
Lackadaiisical staff putting your order together.
Not sure why the ratings so high — no line or anyone else ordering.

Yummy lobster roll and catfish po boy. The blackened crispy catfish was perfectly seasoned and I inhaled it in 2seconds. To bad I don’t live here to enjoy this more often.

The soups here are not to be missed. I had the roasted garlic and chipotle cream with scallops… Amazing… My mother had the pepper pot and it was very good as well. I have never tried other items on the menu but if they come close to the soups there is no way to go wrong!

2 WORDS: LOBSTER ROLL!
My main objective was to get a lobster roll, I tried it and I fell in love. The only thing I didn’t like was the price tag on that baby. $ 13??? Sheesh…

Every time I go to the North Market I tell myself that I am going to try something different. Most of the time I end up at the Fish Guys! Cannot recommend them enough! The half salmon wrap, cup of soup and drink can be had for around $ 7 and makes a great meal. As tempting as it is to get the New England clam chowder, try the other soups, you will not be disappointed.

Seafood Chili!
After a stroll around North Market, I decided on Seafood chili with swordfish and some other fish for $ 6.95 for 16 oz.
First off the smell was so intoxicating and drew few to take a few quick bites. Hot hot hot. Not spicy hot but hot as in temperature. Good, it hasn’t been setting around too long. Over the next hour I sipped, slurped, and gobbled down all 16 oz. I think this was the best Chili I have ever had. The spice in the soup was a little sweet with black pepper and little spicy spice to help. The fish flavor permeated through ever spoonful. I could eat this every week, I think. I had plenty of chunks of fish along with beans, peppers, and onions. This was spot on and introduced me to a new kind of chili.
Thank you Fish Guys, now my search for food at North Market just became even harder.

The Fish Guys have an attractive and presentable stall conveniently located inside the North Market. They have a variety of fresh fish that can be cut to exactly the size and weight that you happen to need.
I was at the North Market for the Firey Foods Festival and decided that there was nothing more capable of cleansing my palette of the searing capsaicin than some delicious fish. The Fish Guys did not disappoint.
I was privileged to try both the BBQ tuna sandwich and the tilapia po-​boy. The BBQ tuna was delicious– however it let me know that I was eating fish in name only. The flaky texture of tuna was there– but otherwise it was slathered in sweet BBQ sauce, a very hard flavor to argue with topping any food.
The tilapia po boy also wasn’t really a po boy at all. Battered and fried quite well– the outside is crispy and very lightly breaded while the inside is soft, moist, flaky, and flavorful. With a dash of tarter and hot sauces this fish sandwich holds its own.
At $ 7 each, the sandwiches are a fairly good value given the amount of fish they contain. Just be prepared to purchase separately any sides or beverages you wish to consume with your meal.

Went here for the first time last week and was pleasantly surprised. Has a great selection. I got the catfish poboy which was fantastic. They did an excellent job with seasoning and the sauce as well as the quality of the fish itself. I will definitely return.

I warned them that I went to grad school in Boston, and that my last lobst-​AH roll was on a road trip through Maine… so they had some competition. They gladly stepped up to the plate. It was DELICIOUS! Fresh tasting. I was a little hesitant because at first glance I didn’t see the huge chunks that I’m accustomed too. There were chunks, but there was also shredded lobster. Uh oh. I took a bite and immediately knew that I would be back. Sweet sweet lobster not overpowered by the mayo, nice, warm crusty bread. This is «lobst-​AH».

Great chowders and seafood soups! Besides the great fish counter good sandwiches. Don’t pass this one up for lunch when at the N.M.

I have two things I need to tell you. One, blackened catfish po boy. Two, pulled tuna BBQ sandwich.
If you are already hitting up the Fish Guys for seafood, you need to check out the whiteboards to see what the daily food specials are. You’ll be happy with whatever you choose and pleasantly surprised by the better than average fare available, from seafood soups to sandwiches to salads.
If you’re a foodie, when the Top Chefs tell you that you need to make friends with your local fish monger… THESE are the guys they are talking about. If a recipe calls for a firm white fish, don’t sweat trying to figure out what will work best… the guys will help you decide what’s the best and what’s fresh. Just ask!
My recommendation is the blackened (fill in the blank with the fresh fish of the day) po boy. It comes with slaw and is spicy, sloppy goodness on a bun. Throw in a bag of dill pickle chips and I’m set.
The guys are knowledgeable, helpful and friendly… not only with your purchase, but also with the best way to prepare what they sell.
Check em out.

If you are making GEFILTE FISH; these are the guys you’ll need to make it happen. They do the fish; you do the kitchen work. They will grind to your specifications, wrap as you tell them, with or without cheese cloth, and provide you the proper container. Fish Guys took over when Ray Johnsons closed, and they have learned how to cater to their GEFILTE FISH crowd. Top notch!

I cooked some lobsters from The Fish Guys for NYE this year and they were spectacular. Probably the best I’ve ever had. I’ve also recently had some clams for paella, and from time to time I get mussels for steaming in wine. Now it is seafood, so yes sometimes it’s more fresh than others. But all you have to do is ask! They’ll let you know what just came in. It’s nice to buy seafood from someone who is dedicated to it and not just some employee that applied to a big chain and got shoved in that department.

I was browsing around the NM today and saw that the Fish Guys had some really large shrimp already cooked and peeled. I mean that these were REALLY large. So I brought home 6 of them for dinner tonight and boy were they good. Cooked perfectly and they were so large that six was just the right quantity. I’m going to have to get them to let me know the next time they have those available.

They definitely have the freshest selection of fish in Columbus, second would be Whole Foods. Great quality does come with a hefty price. I think i once spent 15 dollars for a fillet of seabass, but the fish was awesome.
I’m also a big fan of their scallop, it’s huge, literally one scallop is as big as a bar of soap? (i’m just exaggerating) But they are the biggest scallop i’ve seen.
I’ve also tried the lobster roll, it wasn’t that good. The crabcakes are also very expensive, 5 dollars for the claw and 10 dollars of the lump (each).

When I decided to try my hand at sushi, this was my first stop. They were super helpful and enthusiatic and the salmon was incredible. It melted like butter in my mouth. Next time I make sushi I will definitely go back.

You’d think they stink up the place. But no! The Fish Guys are an odorless (almost) asset to the North Market. Here in Ohio perch is about as fresh as we get. The next best thing is fish from the Fish Guys. The owner is originally from New York and worked in a fishery there. He does a good job bringing that feel to Columbus. When you’re there, you half expect to see rubber-​aproned men throwing slippery fish at each other and catching them with newspapers.
There’s none of that, but there it’s still a great environment. The guys know their stuff, and they do their best to share their knowledge with those of us who are landlocked and perhaps not as savvy about seafood. They can give you a variety of cuts. They have some semi-​prepared stock like salmon patties. They can also track down fish for you if they don’t have it in on hand.
If you’re like me and don’t really like to deal with the mess of cooking raw fish, you have the option of buying hot soups, crisp salads, and tasty sandwiches from behind the counter. Don’t forget the oyster crackers.

The fish guys are all good people. Another North Market gem. I was eating a lot of sushi at Nida’s, and I thought I might save some money by buying raw salmon from The Fish Guys. So I bought a big hunk of sushi grade salmon from them. They answered my questions and sold me a good portion of salmon for about 14 dollars. The salmon was fresh and although I didn’t have the wasabi and pickled ginger I’m used to from Nida’s, it seemed like a good move. However, it was only good for about a day. And somehow sushi for breakfast, lunch, and dinner killed the sense of luxury that I was used to.

I dig the Fish Guys and I like North Market, but to be fair, the store is a bit of a ripoff. The fish is no fresher than that obtainable at any number of places and in all reality is probably less fresh than that at Whole Foods. Couple the limited (and/​or expensive) parking at North Market with the expensive fish and I’d MUCH sooner make my way to Whole Foods for better selection and equal or better quality.
Not a bad store, but not as eclectic as other North Market shops, and not as good a deal.
When and if they have Turbot, however, I’d strongly recommend it… at least last season their cuts were better than any I’ve had.