Captain Jim’s Fish Market

This was apparently the best fish fry in Rochester and I have to say I was not impressed. I came on a Friday and saw a huge line, which I was excited about (that meant this place is delicious if they already had at huge line by 6). Unfortunately, my fish wasn’t hot, warm at best. It was also soggy, I hate soggy fried foods. Their fries were cold too. The weird part was they sold malt vinegar, but they don’t have it available in the dining area. They only had apple cider vinegar. I don’t know it’s a Rochester thing since I’m not from here, but that was weird. I only reason why I gave this an extra star was because the fried clams were fresh, crunchy, and good. I can find better fish fry elsewhere, not worth the drive if you don’t live around the area. Peace.

Really good fish fry, fried clams and the service was fast and friendly. Definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a great fish fry that doesn’t have to wait til Friday!

Fantastic fish fry! Generous portions, tasty and not too sweet coleslaw, fish was fresh and fried to perfection with a crispy crust and not soggy or too salty at all!
At $ 10.99 a good value!
This is a must go to place if you enjoy a great fish fry during Lent or really any other time of year!
We only go once a year because of dietary restrictions and would only choose this establishment for our yearly treat!

After reading a good review in the newspaper, we gave it a try (carry out on a weeknight – they close early, as in 7:00p.m.) but probably won’t do it again.
The battered fried fish was very good and worth ordering, which earned the two stars.
Sadly the fried shrimp and scallops were mediocre and not improved by panko coating. Batter-​fried would have been a huge improvement. The coleslaw was goopy, the tartar sauce average at best. There are many better local places for fried fish.

Who says you have to wait for Friday to enjoy a good fish fry? This hit the spot on a Saturday night. In a world of homogenized fast food and tired chain restaurants, treat yourself to an original that’s been around for more than 20 years.

Our first time here and OMG the haddock is FRESH!!! The batter is crispy and golden!!! We also had a basket of fried clams– YUMMM! The sides were good and normal– coleslaw, fries, macaroni and potato salads. The dining room has 3 booths that seat 4, 2 tables that seat 4, one table that seats 2 and one that seats 2. You order at the counter and sit down and they will bring it out to you. We got here for lunch on a Friday at 11:20 am and we were the first customers. Our fish was fried fresh. Get here EARLY!!!

Went on a Friday night and the line was long. The fish is all pre cooked. Got it home and dug in. The batter was very thick and and fish was a bit dry. Cole slaw was OK. The fries were really bad. Like eating paste. Soggy and tastless.

Comfortably the best Fish Fry in the city. The staff crushes through the never-​ending stream of fish folks and they are nice. I like the french fries. You should go here because it is better than wherever you get your fish currently.
Strong 5. Plus they have a cool old map of Rochester. CARTOGRAPHERS UNITE.

Not sure that Jim’s merits all the hoopla… or possibly it’s gone downhill. I’ve had takeout fish fry dinners twice before, and they were decidedly average. Yes, the fish is crispy, but both times it was on the greasy side. Yes, the portions are huge, but I don’t need all those fries (and the fries are mediocre — mine were a bit undercooked and they needed some flavor). The fish itself was flaky and well-​cooked, but hard to enjoy when the outer coating felt like heartburn waiting to happen. Coleslaw is satisfactory, nothing to write home about.
I’d be more likely to head back to Jim’s if they offered a half-​portion for $ 5 or $ 6, as I ended up throwing away probably 75% of the fries and a good chunk of the fish. I suppose I could split the meal with someone, as well, but there are a lot of places in town that serve a really excellent fish fry for less money.
One last picky observation — the fork that came with my meal was so small and flimsy that it was hard to eat my fish with it. A knife would’ve helped, but Jim’s should consider upgrading their plasticware.

Love Captain Jim’s!!! Always fresh– great shrimp too. The fish is amazing– like it’s straight off the boat in New England– love it!

Excellent fish fry!!! Reasonable prices and clean! So happy we found this place!

I have purchased fresh seafood here and it’s always amazing and cheaper than most places… Not a fancy place but the food is what we come for… Sort of has a feel of a sea port place which works when dinning at a sea food restaurant… I also buy my seafood to cook at home here and it’s always fresh and clean… I would recommend Capt. Jim’s anytime…

Came last Friday and for a first timer can’t say I was impressed. The fish was a bit greasy and the mac salad lacked any flavor. The fried shrimp was yum and the haddock was fresh. I might check them out again but not for a fish fry.
Service was ok they have a great system to get food out fast and efficiently. Maybe too fast…

Captain Jim is our regular Friday
good not greasy. we get seafood combo fried everyweek. its so great to look forward to our Friday
complaints happy with meal every time
When my children visit from NC they look forward to captain Jims they were brought up on it. have been getting fish dinners there. For years. laurie and tom m.

I went here last night with my boyfriend and his sister last night. I checked this place out based on Unilocal reviews and a friend who recently went and raved about teh fish fry!
I am so happy we went. For $ 11 you get a GIGANTIC piece of fish, fries and mac salad (or slaw or potato salad). It was so delicious. I was also super impress with the fact that they have Smelt! My father and I love smelt and we cannot find it cooked anywhere, you have to buy it and fry it yourself, but not at Captain Jims!
The fish fry was huge, but the batter (beer batter) was really delicious also. It was crispy and not too oily. We got pieces that were fresh out of the fry and we don’t live far, so there was much time for them to sit in the Styrofoam container and get soggy, which was great! The fries were standard fries, but still really good. The fish its self was very meaty. I hate when you get a fish fry that is all batter, you won’t have this problem at Jim’s.
I would definitely recommend stopping here for a fish fry. I think the sign said they close at 7pm on a Friday so we got there just in time!
next time I am going for the Smelt dinner!

Flavor wise, the fish fry was just okay for me. My expectations were probably high because this night I had a taste for fish fry and I chose Jim’s based on the positive Unilocal reviews.
Let me start with the pluses. It was a huge piece of fish fry. It must’ve been a foot lengthwise, at minimum. I liked the smooth and crispy batter. It was fried well until golden. The wait in line was short and the food came up fast. Luckily, we made it before the dinner rush. The place seems more like a takeout joint, but they offer seating near the front with about seven tables or so for those who want to eat there.
The downside was that it came up too fast. The fish fries were cooked ahead of time so they were plating dishes off of their buffet food line behind the counter along with my side of fries. I would’ve liked it fresh from the fryer and still hot. With that being said, it didn’t taste cold or not fresh, just room temperature. Also, I prefer a different kind of fish. This fish was fibrous. I favor flaky fish that break off in segments when cooked. The french fries were just fries and the mac salad was okay. The tartar sauce packs were simply Kraft brand and not even that tasty, but the flavor is not within their control.
I’m glad I tried their fish fry, but the next time I’m craving it, I will try another spot.

I can always count on my fellow Unilocalers to steer me towards tasty food. Captain Jim’s is a good example of this. After being the consensus Unilocaler favorite fish fry in Rochester, I had to check it out.
Captain Jim’s is not much to look at from the outside or inside, but who cares when the main objective is good fish fry. The same goes for the plastic utensils and styrofoam plates. The service is friendly and prompt. The value is outstanding as $ 10 gets you a generous portion of fried fish, fries and coleslaw.
I can’t say I am a fish fry expert, especially in Rochester. My sole basis for comparison is Tap & Mallet’s fish and chips. Jim win’s the fish battle hands down, although I do prefer the fries at Tap & Mallet.
Seemingly perfectly battered and fried, the fish is moist on the inside without being too greasy on the outside. The thin and crispy golden brown batter is truly something marvelous. Add some apple cider vinegar, a bit of ketchup and off to my happy place I go.
The fries are nice and crispy, but not spectacular. The same goes with the coleslaw. It’s a nice accompaniment to the fish, with some sweet and sour that refreshes your palate between bites of the fried fish. However, as individual elements, i’ve had better. Nevertheless, they serve to highlight the real star of the dish: the fish.

I was finally able to come to Jim’s…and well… it was not too bad. The venue is nice, service was friendly, quick (considering the line) and there is a decent amount of seating especially since most people seem to order takeout. I ordered the fish fry dinner which comes with two sides. I had the macaroni salad which was very good and the coleslaw was not bad. I was also able to try the fries which were OK in my view. Now to the main event — the fish. It was cooked well inside and not super fried — which is good. But overall it was pretty average when compared to others I’ve had locally. I wish they had some better tartar sauce and vinegar options which I think would have added some additional value.
I was hoping for a home run on this one but thats the way the fish fries sometimes :)

I love getting my fish fry, and occasionally seafood from this place.
Why? Well their fish fries are excellent, and their service have always been friendly.
The owner, is super friendly, he knows his stuff, and loves what he’s doing, and it shows.
What else can you ask from a small business?
Well, maybe an updated interior?
However, I always get my fish fry (or seafood fry) to go since I live about two minutes from this place.
Part of me didn’t want to write such a glowing review because they have huge lines on Friday! Especially during Lent, call ahead and order because the wait can be very long. So I wanted to be selfish (or shellfish), and not tell any more people about this wonderful place, but it’s the holidays, so here it is:
Captain Jim’s should be your fish fry go-​to place!
BTW he has real salted cod (not Alaska pollock), so I am getting mine there to make bacalao!

A Really Really Good Fish Sandwich and the Fried Clams are Very Good.
Eat them as soon as you get them! Yummy and Hot! The fish sandwiches were large, at least foot, and while crisply battered and fried, they were not all batter like some other places, but more of thin and crisp golden with perfectly flaky whitefish, that had no skin. Perfect. The soft yeasty, doughy white bread buns matched well, but next time I’ll be totally fillet focused.
Yes the business is mostly all take out, but there are a couple of tiny tables and stools, I suggest you use them, or sit on your car, or in your car, or on the sidewalk, as the freshness of the food is best enjoyed by getting it into your mouth as soon as you can.
They also have some refrigerated cases with fresh (uncooked) fish, and it all looked good and the prices were very competitive.
Served up in paper boats and covered with foil, the sandwiches and clams traveled well enough to enjoy at home, no sogginess or heat loss.
Worth the trip back.