Robin Garr's LOUISVILLE Restaurant Reviews

CLOSED: Out of business in spring 2003

73	Bardstown Road Fish Market 2902 Bardstown Road (502) 458-3317

If competitive zeal earned ratings points, this place would rank high on the four-star list. Aggressively going after diners with public-relations and E-mail efforts, the management - spotting Baja Grill's sails coming over the horizon - put a fish taco on the menu and declared itself the local originator of this San Diego treat.

That was good enough for The Courier-Journal, which has repeated this claim a couple of times in print. Unfortunately, first doesn't necessarily mean finest, and I've found an unfortunately lackluster product on several revisits here.

Fernando's fish taco ($3.95 for a pair) starts off on the right foot, er, fin, with crisply breaded and freshly fried white fish. But it seems carelessly thrown together, fish buried under a mound of coarsely chopped pale cabbage on a single corn tortilla and topped with a chunky and very mild tomato salsa.

On one occasion the taco was otherwise unadorned, like eating fried fish buried in undressed slaw; on a second visit a small amount of pinkish, slightly spicy dressing barely moistened the cabbage; but the overall effect remained uninspiring, even with the addition of more sauce from a squeeze bottle on the table. What's more, a big ration of cabbage on a small tortilla makes a package that's mighty inconvenient to pick up and eat; most of the cabbage falls back onto your plate if you're lucky and onto your lap if you're not. This fish taco needs work.

In fairness, there's a lot of potential here, but in three visits since Bardstown Road Fish Market opened late last autumn that potential has been less than fully realized. It's bright and colorful, a small space with mustard-yellow and sea-blue walls and a half-dozen high-tech metal tables and aluminum chairs (the tables draped with clear plastic in a recent innovation apparently aimed at making them easier to clean), with a serving counter and a display case offering fresh fish on ice for retail sale, along with a small selection of specialty-food grocery items, spices and hot sauces.

The eat-in menu is short and features mostly fried fare, with about a dozen dinners and "specialties" ranging from $3.95 (for two fish tacos) to $9.95 (for a seafood platter). Fish and chips are $5.95, a two-piece fish dinner is $6.65, and a three-piece fish dinner is $7.95. Fried shrimp, oysters and clams offer seafood alternatives, and landlubbers may choose from George's chicken strips and fries ($5.25) or Houston's Hopestyle chili from $3.75 (for a regular-size serving of three-way with beans and spaghetti) to $5.45 (for a large portion of five-way with beans, spaghetti, cheese and onion).

On balance, this isn't a bad place to dine. At its best, the fish is very fine, and there's no complaint about value, with lunches for two rarely going much over $10. But I have to shave off a few ratings points for a seemingly casual attitude toward customer service that too often manifests itself in monosyllabic service, uncleared tables and unswept floors; and the food quality can most kindly be described as "variable." We've delighted in sizzling, just-fried French fries enhanced with black pepper and spice and enjoyed at least one textbook serving of crisply fried fish and chips; but just as often we've grumbled about greasy fish, stale "marble rye" bread and drinks served in leaky cups.

There's a lot of fried fish in this town, and the competition is keen. Bardstown Road Fish Market needs to sharpen up a bit if it's to be a contender. $