Eat Arkansas: Feisty Food at Flying Fish.

Blogging food all over the state.

Feisty Food at Flying Fish.

Flying Fish Eat Arkansas.jpg

First off, might I just say that I find it incredibly odd that there are three -- THREE -- eateries in the River Market with the first name "flying." There you go.

But with Lent just days away, it's time to start thinking fish. And The Flying Fish has it -- fried catfish, grilled tilapia, grilled salmon, fried oysters, fried shrimp -- lots of different seafood choices on one big standard menu above the counter.

I've been before -- to the location in Memphis, strangely enough, but not here. But I walked in on a Saturday and stood in line patiently -- a line of a couple dozen patrons. The line flies... I was at the front in less than five minutes, and 30 seconds later had been dispersed with empty cup for beverage and pager. Five minutes after that, and I had my food and started searching for a spot.

Instead of the catfish or fish tacos I so love (especially with pickled green tomatoes) I decided to try fried oysters and something taped up to the wall -- grilled squash and zucchini. I mean, the suggestion, not the actual vegetables. The oysters? Everything I expected, good and juicy with a crispy batter coating. The fries with the basket were adequate, but the hush puppies were outstanding, small and firm and sweet with bits of onion. The veggies? Well, while they were firm and crispy, they were way on the salty side. Good, but... yeah, I wouldn't put that much salt on at home.

Gotta love the accoutrements on the table, though -- saltine crackers, four different types of hot sauce, Worchestershire... and paper towels. Lots of ways to change that flavor.

The Flying Fish, by the way, is across the street from the Museum of Discovery... open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. Never had dessert there, but they do have a rather large 18 ounce dessert-like frozen Margarita for eight bucks. I'll stick with my iced tea. Menu available on the website.

Posted by Kat Robinson on February 21, 2009 01:29 AM | Permalink

Comments

I think Flying Fish is pretty cool...playful atmoshpere with fast, flash-fried food.

For those around the Conway area, be sure to checkout the Fish Taco's at Mickie's Bluefish Grill.

The Clicky will take you to their website.

Posted by: IrradiatedFuelHandler | February 21, 2009 08:11 AM

I eat at FF all the time. I'll have to try the fried oysters again b/c so far, that's the only thing I've tried & not loved. My favorites are their raw oysters, boiled shrimp (never over done), red beans with a side of pico de gallo , & of course the catfish. I find their beer a little on the pricey side, but you only live once. The food usually comes up quick, so if there's a long line to order I usually find a table first & then send hubby to order. Nothing worse than having your food & no place to sit. The banana pudding is nothing to write home about, but it's a nice finish.

Posted by: Ann | February 21, 2009 09:05 AM

"[T]he hush puppies were outstanding, small and firm and sweet with bits of onion."

The hush puppies were SWEET? And that's a good thing?

Since when is sweetness a praiseworthy quality of a hush puppy?

Posted by: JusticeforAll | February 21, 2009 05:11 PM

Okay, I will be the bad guy...

Flying Fish is CRAP. The only semi-decent thing I've ever eaten there was their fish tacos, and they were WAY too over-breaded and over-salted.

It seems that people in Little Rock have obsessions with crappy dive places that serve crappy food (Browning's, anyone?)

Flying Fish falls right in line with what Little Rockers are looking for... A catchy concept with crappy, unimaginative, bland food. People just LOVE to go there and say "Make it snappy!" aka "Throw some cayenne on that bitch!" It seems like cayenne and salt are the only two spices that place seems to carry.

As for the banana pudding, don't even get me started. I ordered it once and seriously considered handing it back and saying "nevermind." You can't just slop some vanilla pudding in a bowl, top it with bananas and a couple of vanilla wafers and call that banana pudding. My mother put more effort into her banana pudding and she was a horrible cook.

My family drags me to Flying Fish constantly, and every time I have to go I dread it. The only good thing they have going there is that GIANT margarita. At least I can get a little buzz on so I don't have to fully taste the garbage they serve.

Go ahead and begin defending the BELOVED Flying Fish... I'm just saying, good location, catchy concept, crappy food. If it were out in a remote ghetto area of Little Rock, no one would go.

Posted by: ArgentaGirl | February 23, 2009 09:32 AM

Ahhh, Argenta Girl.

I hear they have an "amazing" gumbo. I can't back you up with my personal experience, because I have never been to FF, and frankly, have never felt intrigued enough to try it. I'd be willing to venture that most of they grilled fish they serve is farm raised, minus the catfish (maybe), which I think is disgusting, anyway.

Part of the lack of interest is based on so many of their menu items being fried- fried, fried, fried, fried, fried, fried, gah, does it ever end with these places?

Just wanted to praise you for your no-bullsh*t honesty and willingness to share your opinion. Even if *gasp* it means expressing that you don't like *has a seizure* yet another LR joint with uninspired food.

Posted by: JenJens | February 24, 2009 10:48 AM

I'd says that's a litle harsh, Argenta. I've had some great meals there, and I've had some pretty bad ones. Mostly, it's pretty good. About the only thing I had there that really didn't like were the fish tacos. I go for a more traditional taco with grilled fish and cabbage, etc., but each to her own.

Posted by: oh, come on | February 24, 2009 10:49 AM

Justice:

I think Kat intended to express that onions, which posses a quality of sweetness when cooked and rendered, merely infuse an element of said sweetness into the hush puppy. Which makes perfect sense.

Posted by: JenJens | February 24, 2009 10:54 AM

FF is a very uneven place. Like the above poster, I've had some great food there, and I've had some food that was so salty I couldn't eat it.

Overall, not worth a special trip downtown by any means, but if I'm there at lunch and there's not a long line, I'd stop in again.

Posted by: PoeticGrin | February 24, 2009 04:01 PM

Never, ever, ever order the banana pudding. Echk.

Posted by: Basil | February 24, 2009 06:09 PM

I'm not a fan of fried fish so I've never been.

Posted by: Melissa | February 26, 2009 12:35 PM

I absolutely love the flying fish! I get the fried oyster poboy and have NEVER been disappointed!

Posted by: Striped Elephant | March 10, 2009 04:33 PM