Feasting on finger-lickin’ good fried fare

If you’re looking for fried food in the Lansing area, nothing beats the array of selections at Eastside Fish Fry & Grill. From chicken tenders, jalapeno poppers and onion rings to more unique offerings like alligator, frog legs and liver, this restaurant fries up just about anything you could think of.

I don’t get out to Eastside Fish Fry often because it doesn’t have many options for my vegan better half. So, when my coworker said he was planning on ordering takeout, I jumped at the chance to fill my belly with deep-fried delicacies, ignoring the sluggishness that would likely come for me later.

Since everything is so cheap, I decided to start with a small order of hush puppies to make up for missing breakfast. Not the most nutritious replacement for the most important meal of the day, but at least my taste buds were happy. The heavenly little balls of fried cornmeal tasted heavily of scallion, with a zesty coating of spices that amplified the flavor. While the insides were moist and doughy, the outsides were fried to a perfect, crunchy crisp — a theme throughout the meal.

After savoring my way through the hush puppies, I dug into the main course: popcorn shrimp. I expected the shrimp to be much smaller, hence the “popcorn” in the title, but from what I could tell, they were average shrimp size. While they were a bit mild in flavor, I made sure to douse them in the packets of Texas Pete hot sauce I received, which added the kick I was looking for. Again, the batter was satisfyingly crunchy, and the meat was tender, not chewy. I could imagine eating a dish much like this at a gulfside shack in the South.

Finally, the fries were potentially my favorite part of the meal, though it was a tough competition. They were covered in the same seasoning mix that coated the hush puppies, but it was much more noticeable on the potatoes. There was something slightly sweet and tangy about it, reminding me of salt and vinegar chips, my favorite variety. Beyond the seasoning, the fries were hot, thick and — you guessed it — incredibly crispy. Eastside Fish Fry had worked its deep fryer magic once again.

Whether you want to pretend you’re dining along the waterfront in Alabama or taste-testing culinary oddities at the county fair, Eastside Fish Fry will transport you there — for a much cheaper price. Just make sure you don’t have too much to do for the rest of the day, as you’ll definitely need a nap after finishing your meal.

Popcorn shrimp with fries

$8.99

Hush puppies (small)

$3.59

Eastside Fish Fry & Grill

2417 E. Kalamazoo St., Lansing

11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday

11 a.m.-midnight Friday-Saturday

(517) 993-5988

eastsidefishfry.com