Fish Fry Review

St. Luke Parish in Brookfield has enthusiastically embraced the drive-thru fish fry standard that has popped up during the pandemic. (Photo by Colleen Jurkiewicz)

I’ll be perfectly honest here: as fatigued as I am with this pandemic, there are a few things about life in the world of COVID that I don’t hate. The drive-thru fish fry trend is definitely one of them.

Of course, I miss the community that you find in a church basement on a Friday in Lent as parishioners smile and greet one another as they wait in line for food. Of course, I miss the charm of the shy middle-schoolers who wheel by with the dessert cart (and, if you’re lucky and it’s the end of the night, they offer you the leftovers for free). Of course, I miss my water being eagerly refilled by the adorable parish Boy Scouts. And of course, I’m looking forward to the day that all comes back.

But, in the meantime, I’m OK sitting in my car and having fried fish delivered straight to my hands, to take home and eat in the comfort of my own living room.

St. Luke’s Parish in Brookfield provided an excellent fish fry experience on the second Friday in Lent. I was able to call ahead to place my order (pre-orders are not required, however), and a very friendly and helpful volunteer explained the menu to me and took my order down. Then I simply pulled up to the parking lot on Friday evening and retrieved my meal, which consisted of cod that had been fried to crispy perfection, tartar sauce, cole slaw, delicious rye bread and fries (other sides, like potato pancakes, were also available). Two meals only cost $20.

I have to say, though, that the real standout of this experience was the volunteers. I always have great admiration for folks who give of their free time to help out their parish, but when they do so outdoors, in the cold of winter and in the middle of a global pandemic, while still managing to be utterly patient and friendly — that’s when I really get the warm fuzzies. St. Luke’s should be proud of the community that is reflected in this event.

St. Luke’s will offer future drive-thru fish fries on March 12 and March 26. For more information, visit stlukebrookfield.org.