The Smiling Fish
4.5/5
Location
Information
Reviews
Details

Dishes

  • Fish & Chips,
  • Seafood,
  • Fish,

Products and Services

  • Restaurant,

Languages Spoken

  • English,
Location
7-111 Fourth Ave, St Catharines, ON L2S 3P4
Useful Information

Opening Hours *Holiday hours

Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
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Rates:

  • $11 To $25,

Methods of Payment:

Ratings & Reviews - The Smiling Fish

How would you rate this business?
4.5/5
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9
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1
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Lori S
By

Excellent fish and chips.very reasonably priced for the portion. Best in St.Catharines. Staff is always pleasent and friendly. Highly recommend this place.

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ArleneM572042
By

Best fish and chips I have ever had. The batter is thin and light so you can taste the fresh fish which is deliciously flavourful without the batter. My biggest weakness is fresh cut fries and these don't disappoint. I don't order fish and chips anywhere else since I 've tasted these.

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Restaurantica12
By

Awesome Lunch

I had another great experience at the Smiling Fish Co in St. Catharines. I decided to go for lunch with my boyfriend. The place was pretty busy for a thursday at lunch. A lot of regular people eating and they even had take out orders being picked up. We ended up seating ourselves because it was a small restaurant. They had nice music playing. The waitress came over quickly and got us drinks. I ordered the 2 piece halibut with fries and coleslaw. My boyfriend decided to try the Cajun fish. It was less then 15 minutes and we had our food. When the waitress came out with our order I was surprised to find 3 PIECES OF FISH on each of our plates and not two. Apparently because we were given smaller pieces of fish we got an extra each. Shows the restaurant cares with quality and the portion sizes were already huge to begin with! :) The presentation of the food was nice and orderly, nothing was mushy or mucky. The cajun fish turned out to be really good. And I was very happy with the halibut. I only ended up eating a third of my plate and the rest went to 2 other meals. I was even given extra tartar sauce again in the take home container. Price for 2 people came to $28. Overall great experience. Great Portions. Great Value. Will be back again soon :)

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Restaurantica12
By

Excellent Waitress and Cook Staff

After reading the reviews for this place I figured I would try it with my boyfriend. THESE REVIEWS ARE VERY ACCURATE! I was seated immediately. The server was friendly. Told us the specials. We had our drinks within 2 minutes. Ordered. It was 10 minutes or less and we had our food. They hand batter their fish, its VERY FRESH. Large portions and good value for our money. The waitress was very efficient between seating people, talking with others and getting our bill. She packed our food up for us. There are a lot of regular customers, she had their orders memorized. Left very happy and will be back soon. :D

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Restaurantica12
By

Excellent

This is a fish restaurant but with alternatives for those who don't like fish. The fish is fresh, the fries crisp, the shrimp and mussels tasty, and the rice excellent. They don't skimp on the portions either, as our two styrofoam containers can attest. Friendly service. Modest wine list and prices. For a casual small fish restaurant this is an excellent place for value and service. I want to add that we have frequently ordered out from this restaurant and have, as well, never been disappointed with the quality and quantity of the food.

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Restaurantica12
By

The best meal ever!

Food was the best ever. Never have had fresh food and great service anywhere,the owner even came to our table and talked to my wife about a special order for her personaly. The whole evening was very special and would recommend you guys to the world! Thank you for our great evening we really appreciate all your hard work,your truly the best!

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mikey06231
By

GREAT SERVICE AND FRESH FISH

I CAME FROM TORONTO AND HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR A FISH AND CHIP STORE WHO SERVES HALIBUT. I HAVE FOUND ONLY ONE IN THE NIAGARA REGION WHO SERVES HALIBUT AND CHIPS AND IT IS NOT GREASY AND YOU GET A QUITE A LARGE PORTION FOR THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU PAY. THE STAFF IS VERY FRIENDLY AND THE FIRST TIME I WENT THERE, THEY WERE CLOSING BUT THEY STAYED BACK TO TAKE CARE OF THEIR CUSTOMER (I CALL THAT CUSTOMER SERVICE) AND WITH A SMILE. THE LOCATION IS AT RIDLEY SQUARE AND WAS TOLD THAT THE WELLAND STORE HAS BEEN CLOSED DOWNED FOR A WHILE NOW. I TRAVEL FROM SOUTH NIAGARA FALLS AND IT IS WELL WORTH MY TRIP TO ST CATHARINES TO ENJOY THE FOOD THERE. THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE STORE IS CALM AND YOU ARE NOT RUSHED TO FINISH YOUR MEAL. I HAVE BEEN GOING THERE AT LEAST ONCE A WEEK MAYBE TWICE ON SOME WEEKS AND WOULD HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS RESTAURANT TO ANYONE.

Atmosphere: 5/5
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
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Restaurantica12
By

This restaurant was recommended to us, and we were very pleased with the fish--fresh, well-prepared, and large portions. Don't go if you're looking for ambience/atmosphere--very casual, and although it was only 7:30 we almost felt like we got there at closing time because the wait staff and management were putting things away. Granted, it was a Friday evening at 7:30, and perhaps the rush was over. We would highly recommend the food.

Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 5/5
Service: 3/5
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Restaurantica12
By

We were taken care of as soon as we arrived and...

We were taken care of as soon as we arrived and seated. Waitress offered her best advice on what was good to eat, although she did express she loved it all. BIG portions when you get your dinner. Great value for your buck. We've been back a few times since and I've continued by ordering take out once in a while. Clam chowder was very very good, and the shrimp were humungus in our cocktail.

Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
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Restaurantica12
By

Dining in & Take out are equally as good!!

I've ordered many times, both eating in & getting take out. The fish is always great, the rice & fries are equally tasty.

Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
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Restaurantica12
By

Excellent quality fish, good and fast service...

Excellent quality fish, good and fast service, even during a busy lunch time, and very fair and well priced menu. Others were a bit meh on the fries, but my meal and their fish were all great. Definitely making this a regular lunch option.

Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
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Restaurantica12
By

we've ordered from the Welland location a few...

we've ordered from the Welland location a few times & each time, the service is awful... the woman who works there is so miserable & makes no attempt to hide it. the fries are always either over or undercooked (today they were over done) i ordered a cajun w/rice & got deep fried halibut & rice. the chowder had nothing in it! it looked like the bits that had fallen off the real pieces of fish that are supposed to be in there. in contrast, the St Catharines store is 100 times better with service & food. Sounds like the boss man needs to put a shorter leash on the welland operation because it's bringing down the reputation of the company.

Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 3/5
Service: 1/5
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Restaurantica12
By

My daughter and I went to the Smiling Fish...

My daughter and I went to the Smiling Fish Company on Fourth Avenue in St. Catharines for her birthday. Although it was very busy, we experienced the BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE & FOOD! The servers were friendly, efficient and very polite. The food was superb. Because of our experience, we asked if there were other Smiling Fish in the area and decided that our Good Friday dinner would be ordered from the Smiling Fish Kiosque on Clare Avenue in Welland as we were told this one was run by the Fourth Avenue owner`s wife. There began the worst Customer Service experience I have ever had. Since I was feeding 6 adults (including 2 very robust young men) we called serveral days before Good Friday to inquire as to whether they took pre-orders. The woman on the phone was more than rude and even gave me the impression that she really hoped no one would buy meals there on Good Friday. On Good Friday, I went in early to order food for 6 adults. Despite the bad customer service on the phone, I felt the quality of the food was worth it. When I went to order and pay, I was once again treated very rudely and the food I ordered was absolutely awful!!!! Very greasy fish, uncooked fries, buns just thrown into the bag (with the other super greasy containers)!!!! Needless to say, I will NEVER ORDER FROM THE CLARE AVENUE kiosque again. That woman needs to learn manners as well. Perhaps she was unhappy with my over $60 order or maybe she just hates dealing with the public. I gladly give five stars to Fourth Avenue and absolutely no stars to their Welland location.

Atmosphere: 5/5
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
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Restaurantica12
By

The seafood is always second to none in quality...

The seafood is always second to none in quality! One only needs to see how patrons will line up at the door of this cozy dining room waiting for a table to become available. The serving staff are efficient, courteous, friendly,...and wa-a-a-aayyy overworked! I especially recommend any of their baked fish platters, they are absolutely splendid.

Atmosphere: 5/5
Food: 5/5
Service: 5/5
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Restaurantica12
By

This is a wonderful small family owned...

This is a wonderful small family owned restaurant.. We are always pleased with the food quality. The service is good, considering how busy it gets. Because of the small restaurant size, and it's popularity, you often have to wait in line for a table at peak times/days. Other than the wait, it's great!

Atmosphere: 4/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
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