Well Respected North Charleston Eatery Bringing Proper Fish & Chips to Summerville Area
By: Jeff Walker, Restaurant Review
Six years into their fish & chips domination, it’s hard to believe anyone in the low country hasn’t heard of, and more importantly eaten at The CODfather. What started as a small operation on Reynolds Avenue in North Charleston quickly grew into the Park Circle food & beverage welcome mat at 4254 Spruill Avenue. And now their sway has taken over the Shops at Nexton Square in Summerville.
You can spend a couple of thousand dollars buying airplane tickets to Great Britain, and maybe a few hundred on accommodations just to spend a night or two across the pond in search of really good fish n’ chip dinners, or you could drop around $23 for a couple of World-Famous Fish & Chip meals at The CODfather. Authentic British fare without breaking your wallet. While a handful of upscale eateries have come and gone over the past several years in the low country, The CODfather has chartered a different path to success.
Setting up camp back in 2016 on Reynolds Avenue just outside the Old Navy Base, owner Adam Randall kept the focus on dishes from his native Macclesfield near the northwest section of Manchester, England. Young Randall followed his father to the United States pursuing a boxing career all the while working in his father's restaurant ‘The British Chippy' in Limerick Pa (fitting locale), outside Philadelphia. It was in dad's eatery Adam gained an appreciation for food service and family heritage.
Father and son would migrate to warmer weather calling Charleston their home in the early 2000's. Not long after setting up camp in the low country the Big Man upstairs decided He needed an exceptional fry cook to feed the heavenly hosts, so He called the elder Randall home. Uncertain what the future would hold and still in his early 20's Adam made a short trip (3 months) back to his homeland only to pack his bags and return to the Holy City.
A decade later driven by his father's commitment to excellence and customer service Adam decided it was time to introduce the low country to real fish & chips. From a non-descript building on Reynolds Avenue just over the tracks from Spruill Avenue near the shipyard Adam doled up lightly battered north Atlantic cod over a bed of seasoned fried potatoes. Nothing fancy, just ‘freakin good fried seafood'.
The art of making incredibly tasty fried cod is in timed tested tradition. According to Randall you need to create a batter slightly thicker than water, so it washes over the fresh cod. A less heavy concoction allows for the batter to envelop the cod allowing the diner to enjoy both the mild crispy surface and the tender white morsel underneath. Less than a month after their initial opening crowds filled the sidewalk outside The CODfather hoping to grab an affordable and sumptuous meal reflective of merry old England.
Fast forwarding a few years, Randall outgrew his first location finding ample accommodations at 4254 Spruill Avenue just a stone’s throw from Park Circle and the Olde Village of North Charleston. In a free-standing building perhaps four times the size of his original eatery, and with adequate parking The CODfather continues to serve up original fish and chip dinners including all the sides that complement the authentic English staple. House made meat and potato pies alongside mushy peas, succulent gravy and seasoned curry sauce complete the bill of fare.
The upside to the new Spruill Avenue location continues to be the overall ambiance of The CODfather. Plenty of dining inside with a picnic style courtyard adjacent to the quaint English style pub. Yes, that’s right The CODfather offers up frosty brews with your fish and chip dinners. The interior reflects a working-class neighborhood in typical Great Britian. A rustic mix of metal walls, concrete floors, and oversized beer barrels adorn The CODfather. Waiting for your takeout, maybe grab a cold one, or just sit on the old-fashioned church pew near the counter.
Now six years later The CODfather has opened a second location in the Shops @ Nexton Square and judging by the crowds they’ve been met with open arms and hearty appetites. Like their established big brother in North Chuck, the new restaurant and authentic British pub serves up English food & drink that tantalizes the palate and excites the senses.
If you’re not feeling in a particular fried food mood than I suggest ordering any of their home-made meat pies. Beef lovers will enjoy the Steak Ale meat pie, teeming with tender bite sized well-seasoned morsels of beef and potatoes under a flaky crust. Incredibly hearty and incredibly tasty. Easily feels you up for $8. Especially filling on a cold day. Another non-fish option is the Sausage Roll with chips. They all go great with a beverage or cold brew.
Of course, you don’t have to be British to enjoy The CODfather. All you have to do is really appreciate genuine fish and chips like folks across the pond. If you want to chow down like our forefathers from ‘merry old England’ than just hop in your car and head on over to 4254 Spruill Avenue in North Charleston or Nexton Square just half mile off I-26 (Moncks Corner exit) in Summerville.
In case you’re wondering the Nexton CODfather does offer outside patio dining as well, and much like their flagship eatery on Spruill both locations have old school pubs with a wide variety of beers. So, whether you’re coming in for food or drink, or food and drink The CODfather has you covered.
There are plenty of great seafood restaurants in and around greater Charleston, but if you seek ‘proper fish & chips’ from a reliable source you need drop anchor at The CODfather. Although the meal is fit for a king, the prices resemble Adam ‘s blue collar upbringing, with everything $12 or less. They will serve you a meal you can't refuse. The CODfather is open 11-9pm Tues-Sat, 11-5pm on Sunday, and closed on Mondays to recuperate or go fishing. Bon Appetit!
For more on The CODfather or to see their menu visit their Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/pg/TheCODfatherchippy/menu/?mt_nav=0&msite_tab_async=0
