Southern Fried Takeaways is a fish and chip shop at 774 Main North Road in Belfast, on Christchurch's northern edge, rated 4.4 from 227 Google reviews. Travellers from both islands single out the thick, meaty fillets and shatteringly crisp batter, with blue cod a particular favourite.
Judging a fish and chip shop comes down to a few things. The batter should crackle and cling, sealing the fish so it steams in its own juices instead of going soggy on the drive home. Crinkle cut chips are more than nostalgia — the ridges hold their crunch and catch the salt and vinegar. And in the South Island, blue cod is the benchmark: firm, sweet flesh that southerners insist you can only get done properly back home. Add garlic butter chips and a meat patty, and that is the full local order.
For Belfast locals and anyone heading north out of the city, reviewers say this is the shop worth stopping for.