A & A Fish Market & Restaurant

My g/f picked up me for a long lunch and we decided to check out A&A Fish Market.  We walked in, sat down, ordered, and watched Judge Joe for an hour.  Finally I told the guy who took our order we would have to take it to go as I was going to be late getting back to work.  Magically or order was ready.  They mislabeled the bags so I ended up eating what my g/f ordered which tasted good but nothing that made me say "wow".  Bottom line, too expensive and too slow for what they offer.

Excellent catfish fillet dinners! They come with fries and, well, not exactly coleslaw, more like shredded cabbage and mayonnaise.  The catfish is perfection, though, which is what I was looking for.  Hot, crisp, moist and tender.  Nicely seasoned, but not so much that the flavor of the fish is overpowered.  It's a bit pricey, but you can make two servings of fish from one dinner easily.  Well, I can, anyway.

The part of Fairfax Street between 28th and 29th Avenues has sometimes been colloquially called "Soul Food Row", because at one point it housed four such restaurants in a row, each with its own unique character.

Going north towards 29th, the first two, Brooks Smokehouse Bar-B-Que (2856) and Joseph's Southern Food (2868), served delicious and wildly popular homestyle favorites before abruptly shutting their doors for good. The third, Dottie's Social Club & Restaurant (2878), is now basically only open for special events, and sometimes not even then.

Therefore, if you are looking for a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs, sit-down meal, your choice is clear. Our fourth and final stop, A & A Fish Market and Restaurant, is right on the corner of 29th and Fairfax (2896 to be exact) and is run by a very sweet lady from Arkansas who has occupied that spot since - well, let's not even go there.

During the week, the victuals on offer at A & A consist of a number of delectable types of fried fish (I tried the moist and supple perch) which, as the proprietress will helpfully remind you, can be supplemented with either fries *or* coleslaw.

At the weekend (starting around noon), you can also try her chit'lins, soft intestines of porkiness accompanied here by sugary sweet potatoes (or Southern yams, if you please), savory greens and a nice big hunk of cornbread. These chit'lins are considered the best in town by many, and after sampling them I see their point.

Personally, I highly recommend both facets of A & A.