The start of Lent begins on Ash Wednesday, and there are plenty of places in the region to seek a seafood dinner on Fridays. Here are a few of them.
A.W. Beattie Career Center
About 80 students from around the North Hills will serve lunch at A.W. Beattie Career Center in McCandless starting on March 14.
Though the technical high school originally offered a fairly standard menu, Aaron Yureck, the school’s culinary supervisor, said Beattie has since expanded its menu. Aside from fish sandwiches, diners can expect shrimp, pierogis, chicken strips, crab cakes and numerous sides.
Yureck said the school normally serves about 300 people each Friday, using the lunches as fundraisers for its culinary and pastry students to attend a cooking competition in March at Seven Springs.
“It’s a lot of people coming back year after year, and they know kind of who we are and what we do,” Yureck said.
In keeping with school hours, the lunch will run only from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. for dine-in or takeout orders. Beattie does not accept preorders.
St. Aidan Parish
St. Aidan Parish sells a lot of fish.
“On average, we would have anywhere from 630 fish sandwiches to 875 sandwiches ordered for a Friday, then there are about 120 to up to 140 shrimp ordered for dine-in alone. It’s a lot of fish,” said Audrey Mackie, media chair for the fish fry.
The fish fry, now in its 18th year, begins as curbside takeout-only option on Ash Wednesday, March 5, and will continue for dine-in and curbside every Friday in Lent.
The dine-in and take-out dinners are held at the Ryan Center at the Blessed Francis Seelos Academy, located on the St. Alphonsus campus at 201 Church Road in Marshall.
In 2024, St. Aidan served more than 11,000 dinners, with an average of 700 dine-in dinners each night in the Ryan Center. Its curbside takeout served over 7,000 dinners — averaging more than five dinners per minute and serving a vehicle every 30 seconds, Mackie said.
Desserts also are plentiful.
“Hundreds of desserts come through the doors and are on display for Friday nights during the fish fry thanks to the generosity of the St. Aidan Parish community through donations and sponsorships,” Mackie said.
The whole process of the fish fry is carefully mapped out year-round by dedicated committee chairs, and each step is calculated to bring guests the freshest fish there is, she said.
Dine-in takes place from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Ryan Center. Patrons can call ahead to order online for the curbside pickup. Take-out dinners also can be picked up from 4:30 to 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria.
More than 100 volunteers sign up each year for food preparation, dining room setup, parking attending, cleanup or distribution.
“St. Aidan has a large amount of heart and soul that goes into carefully preparing and serving our fish week in and week out. It is a true labor of love and dedication by the hundreds of committed and faithful volunteers of St. Aidan Parish,” Mackie said. “Our guests enjoy the warm hospitality, the welcoming smiles of friends and neighbors, and warm embrace of the faithful of our parish.”
Dinners cost $14 for adults, and there is a dine-in-only dinner available for children for $5. Entrees include breaded fried shrimp, baked Atlantic cod and breaded fried Atlantic cod. Sides include macaroni and cheese, french fries, baked potato, applesauce and coleslaw.
Food also can be ordered a la carte. Tomato florentine and New England clam chowder soups, 8 ounces for $3.50, are available for dine-in; takeout-only quarts, 32-ounce containers, are available for $10.
Orders for St. Aidan’s fish fry can be done at www.fish-fry.org/home. Takeout orders can be placed after 2 p.m. on Fridays by phone at 412-585-3915 or 724-931-0596 or online at saintaidanparish.org.
All proceeds benefit St. Aidan Parish and Blessed Francis Seelos Academy.
St. Luke the Evangelist
The St. Luke the Evangelist Fish Fry on the SS. John and Paul Campus along Wexford Bayne Road in Franklin Park is held on Ash Wednesday and Fridays during Lent, from March 7 to April 11. There will be no fish fry on Good Friday or April 18.
Online ordering is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the day of the fish fry. Dine-in will take place from 4 to 7 p.m. at the church campus. A dinner platter with your choice of fried fish sandwich, baked fish sandwich or fried shrimp, plus three sides, costs $15. Sides include french fries, mac and cheese and coleslaw. Dinner with no sides costs $10. Takeout also is available.
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Cash is preferred but credit cards will be accepted.
The event also yields a lot of seafood, according to Krista Kollitz, a member of the church’s fish fry team.
During the season, the church typically serves about 4,900 fried fish filets, 1,325 baked fish filets and 606 orders of fried shrimp or more than 4,800 shrimp, Kollitz said.
They also serve about 100 cases, or 3,000 pounds, of french fries, she said. A new offering for this year is cheese pizza.
Online ordering is popular, with typically more than 300 online orders each week just at St. Luke’s. All of this is possible thanks to the help.
“Each week, we have over 50 volunteers that prep, cook, serve and clean up,” Kollitz said.
Proceeds benefit the parish’s outreach program. A fish fry also is held at the parish’s other church, Good Samaritan in Ambridge.
For details about the fish fry, visit saintluke.net/fishfry.
More area fish fry offerings
Shaler Villa Volunteer Fire Company
Where: Shaler Villa Volunteer Fire Company, 960 Saxonburg Blvd., Shaler
When: Pick-up windows range from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. March 5 and each Friday during Lent. Only preordered take-out is allowed.
Cost: $15 for fish dinner; price varies for sides
Extras: Butterfly shrimp, mac and cheese, breaded mushrooms and more
To order: 412-580-5443
Details: shalervillavfc.com
Our Lady of Perpetual Help
Where: St. Mary of the Assumption Marian Hall, 2510 Middle Road, Hampton
When: 4 to 7 p.m. March 7, 14, 21, 28, April 4 and 11
Cost: $15 dinner of baked or fried fish, with a choice of three sides
To order: Dine-in or takeout available; order online at www.olphpgh.org/fish-fry or call 412-486-4100 or 412-684-1112 during fish fry hours.
Details: olphpgh.org
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish
Where: St. Teresa Avila Campus, 1000 Avila Court, Ross
When: Dine-in 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. or drive-thru 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. every Friday in Lent, March 7 to April 18
Cost: $15 per person; fried or baked fish, or fried shrimp, and choice of sides
Extras: Dessert bar and soup are dine-in only; beer, wine and 50-50 raffle available
Church phone: 412-367-9001
Details: mountcarmelpgh.org
Regina Coeli Parish
Where: McGovern Hall in Assumption Church, 45 N. Sprague Ave., Bellevue
When: Takeout from 3 to 6:45 p.m. or dine-in from 4 to 7 p.m. every Friday, March 7 to April 18
Cost: Entrees are $15, with choice of fried fish sandwich, baked fish dinner or shrimp dinner and choice of sides; sandwich only, $10; shrimp only, $9; kid’s meal, $5, includes grilled cheese with fries and applesauce; additional sides available a la carte
To order: Preorder at 412-307-7724, 3 to 6:45 p.m.
Details: reginacoeliparish.org
SS. Martha & Mary Parish
Where: Social hall, 2554 Wildwood Road, Hampton
When: Dine-in, takeout or curbside from 4 to 7 p.m. every Fridays in Lent except Good Friday on April 18
Cost: Fish dinner, $13 for adults, $8 for children; shrimp dinner, $15 for adults, $13 for children; macaroni and cheese dinner, $6; fish taco, $15; shrimp taco, $13; cheese pizza, $7
To order: Online at smmpgh.org or call 412-486-6001, 9 a.m. Wednesdays to 5 p.m. Fridays
Details: smmpgh.org