Northeast Ohio Lenten Fish Fries Are Offering Takeout Options ​

During Lenten season, there’s plenty of fish to catch all across Northeast Ohio, but in response to Governor Mike Dewine’s orders to ban all large group meetings in excess of 100 people, that’s changing swiftly.

Yesterday the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland excused Catholics from attending mass and Lenten fish fries amid coronavirus concerns, kickstarting a wave of cancellations.

“The Catholic church has the responsibility to act in the interest of the common good,” says the Rev. Neil Kookoothe, who’s canceled the Lenten fish fry at St. Clarence Catholic Parish in North Olmsted. “We feel it’s just as important to act in the best interest of the community as anybody else.”

Still, others are switching gears in an effort to maintain Friday night fish fries by transitioning to takeout only options and even drive-in experiences. Our Lady of Guadalupe in Macedonia has cut young volunteers who typically serve guests fish fry fixings tableside to focus more on a fast-and-easy takeout approach for the rest of the Lenten season. Others, such as Mark Henning of St. Dominic Church in Shaker Heights, are resorting to the use of iPads, switching over to an online ordering system and providing car-side service.

“We look at this fish fry not as a fundraiser but a friend raiser,” says Henning, who’s overseen St. Dominic’s fish fry for the last three years. “There’s a lot of camaraderie and elderly people that look forward to this in terms of spending time with their parishioners and friends. So, we felt it was still important to offer the meal for people who count on it and look forward to it even though we can’t gather together in a large group.”

Last Friday night, Henning served more than 500 meals, and although he’s not sure if they’ll make it to that benchmark going forward, he’s planning for 100 meals and seeing where things end up.

“We do everything electronically with iPads and whatnot, so we’ll go out to the cars, meet with them, put numbers in the car windshield and when their order is ready, we’ll walk it back out to them,” says Henning. “We’ll just treat it like a Sonic or a Swensons fish fry.”

Fish fries offering takeout and drive-thru options include the following and will continue to be updated

EDITOR'S NOTE: Cleveland Magazine has verified each fish fry will be open as of noon Friday, March 13. But due to the evolving situation, we recommend checking with each church and restaurant before traveling. 

Annunciation Church/Visitation of Mary Parish
Takeout begins March 20, 88 Kent St., Akron, 330-535-4141, visitationofmary.org

Church of the Assumption
9183 Broadview Road, Broadview Heights, 440-526-1177, coabvm.org

Holy Name Parish
Haren Hall, 8328 Broadway Ave., Cleveland, 216-271-4242, holynamechurchcleveland.com

Our Lady of Guadalupe
9080 Shepard Road, Macedonia, 330-468-2194, olg.cc

Our Lady of Lourdes Shrine
21281 Chardon Road, Euclid, 216-481-8232, srstrinity.com

St. Adalberts Keller Center
Keller Center, 66 Adalbert St., Berea, 440-234-6830, saintadalbertparish.org

St. Andrew Ukrainian Catholic Church
7700 Hoertz Road, Parma, 440-843-9149, standrewucc.org

St. Dominic Church
3455 Norwood Road, Shaker Heights, 216-991-1444, stdominicchurch.net

St. Joseph
32929 Lake Road, Avon Lake, 440-933-3152, stjosephavonlake.org

St. Leo the Great Church
4900 Broadview Road, Cleveland, 216-661-1006, leothegreat.org

St. Mary of the Assumption
15519 Holmes Ave., Cleveland, 216-761-7740, stmaryscollinwood.com

St. Peter Catholic Church
35777 Center Ridge Road, North Ridgeville, 440-327-2201, stpeternr.org

St. Teresa of Avila Parish
1878 Abbe Road, Sheffield Village, 440-934-4227, stteresaparish.com

Canceled Fish Fries include the following and will continue to be updated:

Blessed Trinity, Cleveland

Boy Scout Troop 433 at The Church of St. Clare, Lyndhurst

Brunswick United Methodist Church, Brunswick (canceled March 20 & 27)

Church of St. Clarence, North Olmsted

Church of the Holy Angels Catholic Church, Bainbridge Township

First United Methodist Church of Akron (will continue March 20 & April 3)

Holy Family Church, 7367 York Road, Parma

Johnsons United Methodist Church, Norton (canceled March 20 & April 3)

Mary Queen of Peace Church, Cleveland

Ss. Robert and William, Euclid

St. Albert the Great Church, North Royalton

St. Ambrose Church, Brunswick

St. Barnabas Church, Northfield

St. Bartholomew Church, Middleburg Heights

St. Bartholomew’s Episcopal Church, Mayfield Village

St. Charles Borromeo Church, Parma

St. Colette Catholic Church, Brunswick

St. Columbkille Church, Parma

St. Francis de Sales Church, Parma

St. Gabriel Church, Mentor

St. Helen Catholic Church, Newbury

St. James Parish, Lakewood

St. John Bosco, Parma Heights

St. John Neumann Church, Strongsville

St. John Vianney, Mentor

St. Joseph Byzantine Catholic Church, Brecksville (canceled after March 13)

St. Justin Martyr, Eastlake

St. Ladislav Parish, Westlake

St. Luke the Evangelist Catholic Church, Lakewood

St. Mary of the Assumption Catholic Church, Mentor

St. Mary Romanian Orthodox Cathedral, Cleveland

St. Monica Church, Garfield Heights

St. Noel Banquet Center, Willoughby Hills

St. Stephen Catholic Church, Cleveland

Sts. Constantine & Helen Greek Orthodox Cathedral, Cleveland Heights