Mel's Fish & Chips - Woodstock

My family is new to Woodstock, so we decided to order some take out from here. I was a walk in, it was a Wednesday and every table was full and a line up was beginning to build out the door. I thought to my self this place must be good because of how busy it was. I then noticed that the entire place was incredibly out dated. As I was waiting for my order (took 45 minutes) I looked around and noticed that the equipment was incredibly old and out dated with giant pieces of paint pealing off the ceiling. (I am so surprised a health inspector hasn't fined them or made them fix it.) Then I got to thinking if you can't spend $50 on some white paint and a scrapper, I worry about the condition of the kitchens fridges and freezers, cutting boards ECT... Basically what els did they cheap out on. And then I got my order. My fish was not golden, it was dark brown a.k.a as burnt. I watched them cook it and it didn't appear to be in too long then it dawned on me, if they keep adding new oil/lard/crisco to old oil/lard/crisco the fryer temperature becomes inconsistent causing over cooking or over browning. Then my suspision was confirmed when I took a bite of my overly brown french fry, there was no crisp at all, and no I didn't wait until I got home I ate one right off the fryer. Needless to say I was dissapointed, I waited to ask to have my order redone but I figured I would just get the same thing and after already waiting 45 minutes for my food I wasn't going to wait again, so I left. I think this resteraunt really needs to reinvest some of their money back into the place, it would greatly improve the quality of the dining experience and food. Start small with the ceiling first before paint falls in someone's meal.

I love their fish and chips. Sometimes though it can be really greasy. Not a lot of places to sit and not really comfortable chairs. I prefer to take out because of that. Service is good.

Yep, it is just what the heading says: burnt fish!At an acquaintance's recommendation, we recently tried this restaurant. My friend and I both received the most terrible looking pieces of dark, burnt fish (cod) which was also quite greasy. As we had traveled all day and were so hungry, we immediately dug in only to find that the fish had been so overcooked that it tasted gritty (only word I could find to describe it). Fish that is cooked properly AND taken out of the deep fryer on time is soft, smooth and melts in your mouth AND is definitely not dry. The fries were also little bits of greasy potatoes and not served the way fries should be served. Believe you me, both my friend and I know how to properly cook fish as we both cook cod, haddock and halibut at home on a regular basis and serve it along with the proper size pieces of delicious fries that are not in the form of little bits. We; therefore, can profess to know how fish should be cooked and it is definitely not what they serve at this establishment. (No, I cannot give your our address!)This restaurant may have been good at one time as I do think that they are definitely not the original owners or they would not have stayed in business for almost 30 years by serving such unacceptable food. I say that because somewhere below in these reviews on Trip Advisor, it was stated that the lady had been working there and cooking fish for two years. Well, to me, she definitely needs another two years or so to learn the proper way to cook fish and learn what a decent plate of fish and chips should look AND taste like. We did not finish our meal which was totally overpriced for what was served on the plate and simply left feeling totally ripped off.The only positive thing that I can say is that the restaurant was very clean and the service was quite satisfactory and attentive. But, heh, we went there to eat decent fish and chips!As a result, we will NEVER return!I also read somewhere that this was supposed to be THE best place for fish and chips in Woodstock. THAT'S MEANT AS A JOKE, RIGHT???

My wife and myself visited for a midweek supper. We used to live in Woodstock and haven't been to this restaurant in almost 40 years. Layout is exactly the same and was a taste of nostalgia. Having said that, the restaurant was clean and reasonably busy for a Tuesday evening. The owner was doing the cooking and said she had been there for 2 years. Portions were generous with lots of excellent fries and mushy peas! My only criticism would be that for my taste, the fish was a little over cooked. We had halibut, which is a dry fish, so a little well done tends to dry it more. On the other hand, the batter was crispy. All in all, a pleasant enough visit with our past.

Went for lunch with our grandson. The halibut fish and chips were the best we have ever tasted. Clean but not fancy. Just good food with good service.