T&S Takeaways on Grey Street in Hamilton East is a classic Kiwi fish and chip shop with a menu that runs far beyond the basics. The fryers turn out fresh New Zealand fish — light, flaky hoki, subtly sweet tarakihi, rich gurnard and delicately flavoured snapper — served on its own, over chips, or as a combo with a bottle drink or milkshake. Alongside the fish you'll find homemade mussel, paua and corn fritters, scallops, oysters, mussels, salt and pepper squid and prawn twisters.
The burger board is one of the longest around, from a double-patty Classic Cheese Burger to crispy chicken, fish, prawn, veggie falafel and slow-cooked pork belly versions, with loaded fries and box meals in between. Sharing packs bundle fish, hot dogs, crab sticks and chips for groups, and a dedicated gluten-free menu — cooked in a separate fryer — covers fish and chips, burgers and even dessert.
Open from midday most days and from 4pm early in the week, T&S offers online ordering with pickup and no-contact delivery, lunchtime specials, kids meals, and sweets like creme brulee and deep-fried Moro to finish.
T&S Takeaways sits on Grey Street in the heart of Hamilton East, doing the things a great Kiwi fish and chip shop should: fresh fish in crisp batter, chips by the scoop, and a steady stream of regulars who know their order before they reach the counter. But this is a takeaway that refuses to stop at the classics. The menu stretches from homemade paua fritters to slow-cooked pork belly burgers, with a full gluten-free menu running in parallel.
The heart of the menu is the fish. Hoki is the everyday favourite — light, tender and flaky. Tarakihi brings a soft texture with subtle sweetness, gurnard a richer flavour and firmer bite, and snapper appears when supply allows, delicately flavoured and soft. Each can be ordered as a single piece, as the classic fish and chips with tartare and tomato sauce, or as a combo rounded out with a bottle drink or milkshake.
The fritters are where the kitchen shows its hand. The mussel fritter is made with 95%-plus real mussel meats, and the paua fritter packs 55–60% paua into a 100-gram serve — the kind of honest ratio that keeps seafood lovers coming back. Corn fritters mix sweet corn, kumara, lemongrass, ginger and fresh coriander, and there is a potato fritter for the traditionalists.
Beyond the fritters, the seafood list reads like a good chippy's dream: mussels, scallops and oysters with tartare sauce, salt and pepper squid, squid rings, prawn twisters and crumbed prawns, plus fish bites, crab sticks and hot dogs for the kids at heart.
The burger board is one of the longest you will find at any takeaway. The Classic Cheese Burger stacks double beef patties and double cheese with lettuce, tomato, pickles, onion and sauces. The Double Decker adds bacon and BBQ sauce, while chicken fans can choose from crispy fried, deluxe with onion rings and bacon, spicy with jalapenos and peri peri mayo, or topped with pineapple. There is a fish burger with battered or crumbed fish, a prawn burger built on a homemade prawn fritter, a slow-cooked pork belly burger with grilled onions and slaw, and a veggie falafel burger.
Box meals pair the favourites with chips — fish, chicken or seafood — and the loaded fries come crowned with everything from grilled chicken to bacon and cheese. Feeding a group? The numbered packs run from Pack E, with two pieces of hoki and sides, all the way up to Pack A, a six-fish feast with hot dogs, crab sticks and a mountain of chips.
T&S takes gluten-free seriously without overpromising. A dedicated menu covers fish and chips — with a gluten-free, dairy-free batter available — burgers on gluten-free buns, battered mussels, oysters and scallops, potato fritters, nuggets and even a gluten-free creme brulee. The kitchen uses a separate fryer and cooking equipment for gluten-free food, but it is upfront that the kitchen is not 100% gluten-free, and anyone with coeliac disease or severe allergies is encouraged to speak to staff before ordering.
Desserts run to silky creme brulee with a caramelised sugar crust, cinnamon sugar donuts, deep-fried Moro bars and pineapple rings. Wash it all down with a milkshake, smoothie or iced coffee, or pick from bottled drinks, organic juices, ginger beer and Pump water. Kids get their own meals pairing fish bites, a cheeseburger or nuggets with chips and a juice, and lunchtime brings a specials board of burger combos, hoki and chips, and loaded fries.
Even the sauces are taken seriously — house aioli and tartare come in single serves or take-home bottles, alongside Watties tomato sauce.
You will find T&S Takeaways at 447 Grey Street, Hamilton East. The shop opens from midday Wednesday through Sunday and from 4pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, serving until 9pm, with a later 9:30pm close Thursday to Saturday. Order online for pickup or no-contact delivery, or call 07 222 0262 to have dinner sorted.