For consumers who have reached their fill of the same old food places popping up on every corner (do we really need another frozen yogurt shop?), Cod Almighty Chippery proves that thinking outside the box can be rewarded. Tucked away in a strip mall, strong word of mouth has attracted a steady stream of patrons to the restaurant since it opened two years ago.
The restaurant is run by owner and head chef Rick Andreola, who recognized the need for a casual seafood restaurant that balances both traditional and healthy dishes. Customers’ favorite dishes include the classic fish-n-chips, as well as fish tacos, the Fat Fish Sandwich, and seafood chowder. All of the food is homemade and Rick’s control over the restaurant allows him to offer daily specials that reflect what he thinks his customers will enjoy. The specials, ranging from mako shark to pulled pork, are usually some of the most popular dishes at the restaurant. Deep-fried Oreos and Twinkies are an option for people looking to end their meals on a sweet note.
The care that’s taken with the quality of food here is easy to see and taste. The battered fish is both moist and crispy, while the accompanying chips are phenomenal, cooked well and seasoned liberally with Old Bay. An order of fish tacos impressed too, delicious in its simplicity. Even something as simple as a side of baked beans, made from scratch with smoked bacon left us wanting more.
Cod Almighty Chippery is not a restaurant that’s content to sit on its laurels and is constantly looking for ways to expand its offerings. The restaurant offers catering (its buffalo wings are a big hit during football season) and more recently the restaurant began delivery. Rick did hit a speed bump with delivery as he worried about the food getting soggy before it reached its destination. The solution? Each takeout bag is poked with holes, allowing the food to breathe and keeping it hot and crispy. With that much attention paid to the quality of its food it’s easy to see Cod Almighty Chippery sticking around for many more years.
Cod Almighty Chippery
231 South Avenue East
Westfield, NJ 07090
Telephone: 908-233-5533
Michelle Stavrou, the Union County regional editor, has hop-scotched across the Garden State, growing up in Bergen County, then moving to Hoboken (after a stop over in Queens) before finally settling in Cranford. After too many years stuck in tiny kitchens Michelle finally has a kitchen that can accommodate multiple batches of cookies. Her husband and her co-workers are probably even more thankful than she is. Michelle’s baking adventures are documented here: jerseygirleats.blogspot.com.
