Big Skenny’s Fish and Chips

I had the red snapper and fries… really good! The women who work there are really nice also.

Although the have a few tables, this is really a takeout place. I have been meaning to try for over a year (my wife has her nails done next store). We ordered take out:
Catfish and Shrimp
Red Snapper
Jalapeño Hush Puppies
Onion Rings.
The fish came with french fries. Other than onion rings which were very average, we all liked the quality and taste of the food. The corn meal batter was not heavy and fish was very tasty and cooked just right (moist and break in your fingers). Loved. Loved the Jalapeño hus puppies. The tarter sauce is good and the hot sauce is great with the shrimp (which were big and juicy).
Service was friendly and helpful. My only compliant was the size of the fish which could have been bigger. With the quality, I had no problem being a little smaller, but they were smaller than should be for the price. Still, I will go back, especially for the catfish, shrimp, and hush puppies. If you want quantity and beer battered fish, you probably should go elsewhere…

I would say 3.5 stars if I could.
We were craving some fish and chips so headed towards a place we knew about 15 minutes from our house. When we were almost there, I decided to check their hours on Unilocal,since we were going in the awkward-​in between normal lunch and dinner hours time of day. Unfortunately, the place we were headed to was closed that day, so we headed to this new place that’s fish & chips with a cajun twist. Of course, it was a little different than we were craving, but the fish was pretty good, and the fries were good. They had malt vinegar on the tables too, which was a nice surprise.
I got the sandwich with fried shrimp, which was their version of a shrimp po’boy I think. It was good, but way too spicy for my weak little taste buds, with no notice of it on the menu. Bummer. Also a little too much coleslaw on top for how much shrimp there was. It wasn’t bad, but it got more and more spicy as I ate more and more of it. The bun was a hot dog bun, though it was pretty tasty for what it was.
Overall, not a bad place. I would go back for the fries (they were really good!), and maybe for another sandwich without the spicy sauce. Everything was good, but not great. Maybe I’m just being picky about my cajun food, but it’s really nothing like the authentic NOLA stuff. I will say though, that it is nice to have a casual cajun place in the area, in case we ever do get that craving.

Dont waste your Time, Money, Appetite!
I should have known that this place was not worthy when i saw their Fish Tank and and it had Fake Fish and no water in it.
This Is the type of place reviewed on Unilocal that makes me Not believe Unilocal.
Lets start with the Prices. They are way over priced for the amount of food they give you. For 10.50×2 (My Fiancé and I) we ordered the Red snapper and Prawns combo. With that we received two small pieces of Fish (each less than 3″ to 2.5″ long) and three small prawns and a small portion of fries.
The Fish (small) tasted as if it had been Frozen and Fried Frozen. The Fish was tough and rubbery) Whats weird is i asked «how big each peice of fish was» and the Cashier wouldn’t tell me but instead brought up a huge picture on the computer and showed it two us. I thought it was strange that she didnt just show us with her hands.
The Shrimp seemed to be Frozen and fried Frozen as well. and the same rubbery texture. Maybe they just over cooked it but that does not make up for the lack of Flavor and Tiny Portions.
The Fries were also precut and Frozen as i watched them take out of a brown Bag and throw three small hand fulls into the fryer. I thought maybe that was for just one order but when I received my food I notice that they must have forgotten to give us our fries, but further inspection they just lined the bottom of the cardboard basket which the food did not even crest the top of. Other FnC places the chips fill the basket and The Fish is about to fall out. Here was the exact opposite!
Sauces, They gave us the smallest amount of malt Vinegar as possible but i guess it was enough for the amount of Fish. The Tartar sauce was very plain and nothing speacial and the Hot Sauce was also very generic. seems that they figured out the cheapest way to run a sub par FnC place and dont care about Quality. even their Napkins Suck.
If I was Unilocal i would investigate this place for phony reviews.
I have never been so DISAPPOINTED in a place as I was with this place. I wish i could Throw Up the food on their door step and ask for my money back.
WARNING: TRY AT YOUR OWN RISK.
PS The service was fine
Speacial message to the owner!
You should not be Proud of what you serve!

I found this place on Unilocal and tried them. They are hard to see from the road but worth the search. Not a big menu but go no further than the catfish!
It’s the kind of place you hope people find !
So, give them a try!

I found out about Big Skenny from a coupon we got in the mail. So glad we decided to check it out. I love fish and chips, but it’s so hard to find one locally where the fish isn’t half batter.
My bf and I went one night. He ordered the catfish and jalapeño hush puppies. I had the red snapper with the fried okra. We ordered different things so we could sample more variety. Both red snapper and catfish were fresh and perfectly cooked. Plus, they weren’t so smothered in batter we can’t even see fish like other fish and chips places! The fried okra is delicious, as well as the puppies. Perfectly seasoned and crispy.
We ended up chatting with the owner, and she is so nice. I love supporting local businesses, and the food is so amazing. I know we will be back there again in the future.

Fried goodness and friendly service!
We had fried zucchini and two types of fish, along with the chips … the snapper and the catfish. The fish was relatively moist, and piping hot when we received it. The breading was good
I do wish they offered a few more «healthy» sides AKA «ones that aren’t fried» to combat and balance the abundance of fried items on the menu, but hey, I get it… it’s a Southern joint! And the friendly service speaks to that … I love the vibe of the place and you cannot beat service that comes with a warm smile.
Overall, this does fill a void in Sunnyvale’s culinary array of restaurants, and I’d return once in a while.

I stopped by here on my way back to work. I’m trying to eat more fish lately… for health reasons… so I decided to try Big Skenny’s. The place was defniitely a challenge to find. It’s tucked behind the McDonald’s on El Camino so make sure to enter the strip mall after Mickey D’s to find Big Skenny’s. Interior wise, very basic, blue walls, some interesting hanging light fixtures over the cashier area. Seating wise, the room is small so more than likely you will be taking your food to go. I decided to go with the fried mushrooms and the 3 pc catfish.
Now having been to places like Harbor that serve super jumbo long large pieces of fish… the corn meal crusted catfish I got were moderately sized. I’m not faulting them for having small portions mind you… but it was reasonably large enough for a meal. The fried mushrooms were also very good when dipping in the ranch that they provided.
The lady at the counter was very nice and accomodating. While I waited for my order, we watched the last few minutes of Divorce Court on the store TV. Yes!!! Nothing like a guilty pleasure show to make me feel better about myself and my life. The two of us bonded briefly over Divorce Court then she bagged my food.
Corn meal crusted fish really makes a difference and next time when I come back, I’ll try the snapper and hopefully catch Judge Judy on TV.

The skinny, or should I say «skenny,» on this place is don’t go there. In determining the number of stars to assign, I decided it was between 2 and 3, but since we have no intention of ever eating here again that brings it to solid 2 territory. (I reserve 3 and above for places we’d actually return.)
The snapper was only OK. The husband thought it was a bit fishy. Some parts were simply inedible because the fish was so thin. I wondered if it was skin, but decided it was just thin. (Hence the restaurant’s name that sounds like «skinny»?) If you’re going to batter fry fish it needs to be in big chunks.
Our take-​out order included three sauces: tartar, tabasco, and vinegar. One plus: the fries were still really hot after the ride home.
If you want good fried fish go to Cook’s in Menlo Park. If you don’t, go here.

I like Big Skenny’s! I read lots of reviews about the yummy food. I decided to stop by and order food to go. I walked in around 1:00 pm on a Friday and no one was there. There were three empty tables and lady behind the counter. Big Skenny’s is not big and I felt welcomed by the lady. She said hi and asked for my order. She smiled and took my order. I ordered the:
Catfish with zucchini: Delicious! My family ate it up. I loved the fried zucchini. It was fantastic and nothing was greasy. Everything was deep fried but there was hardly any grease. That is good in my book.
Fish and Chips: Once again, delicious! The fish was light and the fried bits were not greasy. They served standard french fries, freshly fried and salted to crunchy perfection. I think I am a french fries addict so most french fries taste good to me.
The lady took my order and payment. She handed me my receipt and said my order would be ready in a few mins. I then asked for a to-​go menu. I love to-​go menus and always pick them up at any restaurant I am eating at, driving by, or given to me by my friends who know I am a menu freak. :) Go Menus! The lady was nice enough to print out a menu for me. Let me repeat that… SHE PRINTED OUT A MENU BECAUSE I ASKED FOR ONE. WOW! She was really nice and I like establishments that take an extra step for the customer.
I would go back in a heart beat. The food was delicious. The price is high but the service and quality of food is well worth the visit, at least once a month… come on… it’s fried delicious goodness. NOM, NOM!

I always love small local businesses and I really enjoy trying their food and see what they offer. My trip to Big Skenny’s certainly didn’t disappoint. Nothing bid EXCELLENT FRIENDLY service and delicious not-​greasy fried food!
I had the chicken wings (4 buffalo and 4 regular fried wings), came with fries AND a piece of snapper. It took about 10 minutes til my food arrived BUT it certainly worth the wait.
The fish was delicious, the piece was a bit small BUT I loved that the batter was not too thick and they had the BEST tartar sauce to dip your fish into, delicious!
The fried wings were homey and simple, the wings were juicy and perfectly cooked and seasoned, simple but yummy. The buffalo wings were also delicious, it was not overly sour and the wings were actually quiet large in size!
The restaurant is small but very clean. It’s not as busy as their neighboring restaurants and if you’re looking for this place, it’s right behind McDonnalds so it may not be visible directly from el camino.
Come and try it yourself and support the small business! pretty good, seriously!

Great service. Your food is not prepared until you have ordered it, making it as fresh as possible. Great catfish and prawns, the fried zucchini side was delicious as well. Their malt vinegar has a kick an goes great with the catfish.
Only 4 stars due to portions/​cost ratio. The catfish & prawns combo got me 2 pieces of fish & 3 prawns… if you add 1 piece more of each, you’ll have 5 stars.
Tastes great, I’ll be going back again.

Nestled back in a nondescript strip mall, Skenny’s wouldn’t strike you as being a fish and chips paradise… but it IS!
It’s a humble joint, with about 5 – 6 tables. Very clean, with the blue painted walls giving a gentle aquatic ambiance. Nothing fancy, but very neat and clean.
I was happily surprised to learn that the fish is made Southern style — with cornmeal instead of batter. So I got three piece catfish (the gal up front was SUPER nice and let me substitute in a piece of snapper).
MAN ALIVE this fish was fresh, flaky and deeeeeelicious! The cornmeal covering has an awesome blend of spices… it is supremely tasty!
I was only sorry that I didn’t have more of an appetite to try the oysters or a po’ boy. There’s always next time!

I love fish and chips, so I’m going to make some opinionated comments…
On the first visit, I got Catfish, Red Snapper and Oysters.
The catfish was absolutely delicious. It was delicate, it was moist, it was cooked perfectly and the corn meal breading complimented the catfish well. The red snapper wasn’t so great. It was a little dry and didn’t taste right with the corn meal breading. I won’t be ordering this again. The oysters were fantastic. The corn meal breading suits them well. You get 6 for $ 8 which is a far better deal than that other Fish & Chips place a couple blocks away.
On my second visit, I received the Prawns, Oysters and fried Mushrooms.
The prawns? Just… wow. I’ll look past the fact that they were slightly overcooked (by maybe 15 – 20 seconds). The corn meal batter is just amazing on the prawns. The oysters were just as amazing the second time. I didn’t particularly care for the fried mushrooms. The flavor didn’t really mesh well with me, that’s not a deal breaker though, I rarely eat more than a couple of them no matter where I get them. I just wanted to try them to see how well they compared to other places…
The prices are comparable to The Bay Fish and Chips two blocks away. Overall I like Skenny’s thin and crispy corn meal breading much better than the thick and heavy batter over at The Bay. The oysters are much better with this batter and a lot cheaper at Skenny’s. The tartar sauce at The Bay is the only thing that is noticeably better. Everything else? Skenny’s is my choice.
The Bay’s battered halibut is better than Skenny’s red snapper and if I’m in the mood just for battered white fish, I’ll definitely go to The Bay. However, the catfish, oysters and prawns are just amazing at Skenny’s and will be my normal purchase from now on.
Skenny’s has it’s faults, and it’s not traditional Fish and Chips, but overall, I’d rate this place closer to 5 stars than 4 and definitely higher than The Bay. I’ve been to Skenny’s twice now and I’ve been to The Bay numerous times. Skenny’s is a little closer to home and offers cheaper and better oysters, great catfish and amazing prawns. I’ll just make sure to stock up on tartar and shrimp cocktail sauce at home.

Do you fellow Unilocalers ever eat fish and chips? what’s with all the 5 star reviews???
First off, the prices are beyond ridiculous for what you get. $ 8.50 for 3 small pieces of fish and chips. To top it off, if you want to change your side to something else such as onion rings or fried zucchini, they charge another $ 1.50. 10 bucks total, which is a complete rip off. I’ve never ever paid 10 bucks for fish and chips!
I had a 6 piece prawns and chips and it was nothing special. Granted, I do like the cornmeal crusted pieces but the prawns in itself was nothing special. I also didn’t even get cocktail sauce, no napkins etc.
I hate to be mean but there is no reason to come back here when I could go to Bay fish and chips just down the street for cheaper and get a decent amount of food.
They also offered gumbo for 10 bucks once again. I didn’t even ask how big this portion was for 10 bucks b/​c I didn’t feel like spending over 30 dollars for this small meal for two. Maybe someone can Unilocal that b/​c I’d be curious to see if those portions are worth it.
I’ll have to pass on this and make my own fish and chips at home, which I can typically do without breaking the bank and sacrificing taste.

We came here after seeing some great Unilocal reviews and they did not lie! Small Mom and Pop shop that super tiny and is AMAZING! We each ordered the Prawns and Catfish and in just a few minutes out it came with a yummy cornmeal coating that was so tasty! Giant pieces of catfish and prawns which was good quality fish! I also got the fried mushrooms and those were big as well and so fresh tasting! The lady was super sweet and brought us out our food and drinks. Prices were very reasonable and service was quick. If you love cornmeal coating this is your place!

My husband & I had dinner here tonight… craving fish & chips & not knowing of a good local place, we went to Unilocal.We were delighted!
We walked in & were greeting in a friendly manner (important to me!) & checked out the menu. The interior is small, 4 – 5 tables, simple décor & VERY clean, we arrived not long after 5:00 so we had the place to ourselves. Thank goodness I’d read other reviews or we’d have never found them, when you see the McDonald’s pull in, they are right behind it next to a hair/​nail place.
It’s simple fare… snapper, catfish, shrimp & oysters with fries, onion rings, zucchini sticks, etc. We shared snapper & chips and shrimp & zucchini sticks. The batter was just right, a light cornmeal concoction that didn’t over-​power the food.
The owner mentioned that she’d just cooked up a batch of jambalaya so we ordered some of that too. Oh my! SO GOOD! I don’t think that was a regular menu item though.
The lady who was doing the cooking came out & talked to us as well & brought us water to go w/​our sodas. It was nice to be able to thank the cook!
Oh…did I mention the lemon cake? It was on the specials board & we shared a slice… so moist & tasty!
All in all, a great meal at a very reasonable price, we’ll be back!

I had the opportunity to try the fried snapper, catfish, oysters, shrimp and fries. Lucky me!
I didn’t think I’d like the cornmeal batter, but I loved it. The catfish and snapper were both fried perfectly. Both fish tasted surprisingly light and fresh. The snapper was good, but I thought the catfish was better… super moist and delicious.
My boyfriend liked the oysters the most. I never order cooked oysters because I love them RAWR, but these were some super moist delicious nuggets that tasted fresh like the ocean. Really! No fishiness or metallic grossness that I’ve experienced elsewhere.
Unfortunately, our shrimp was a little overcooked. I’m sure it was just a fluke, but it was a tiny bit disappointing.
I’m sure my taste buds are broken from all the spicy food I eat, so take this part of my review w/​a grain of salt, but the tartar sauce was kinda weak for my taste. I wish it had more punch… acid, salt or something? It actually looks like prepared horseradish so I got really excited thinking it was going to be packed with flavor, but it kinda tasted like a slightly seasoned mayo. I made up for it by using a bunch of hot sauce and that was enough to make me happy.
I hope they expand their menu… I’d love to see some non-​fried options available… maybe a chowder, cioppino or a salad? Currently everything is fried other than their beverages! :D
This place is pretty small, but very clean. I think there were five tables in there. maybe six? Luckily not many seem to know about this place so there was no wait and no line. Yay.

There are a lot of places that fry things but there aren’t many that really know HOW to fry them. Skenny’s is one of those that does. Got the snapper/​oyster combo and a side of drumettes to boot. Everything also comes with french fries if you haven’t had enough fried goodness already. As I mentioned earlier, they KNOW how to fry stuff here and all the proteins came out perfectly cooked and well seasoned. They give you malt vinegar, hot sauce, and a special tartar as enhancements. You may not even need them but they do give you flavor changeups. You’d think the basic act of frying would be easily replicated but it’s not and Im happy to see a great comfort food joint finally emerge in the area.

Southern style fried fish can be heavy — but Big Skenny’s was light and fresh. Fish, shrimp, oysters — all great with a crunchy but light cornmeal coating. Generous portions. Fries and fried zucchini were light and not greasy. Served with tasty homemade tartar sauce, hot sauce and wedges of lemon.
The owner took our order, fried our fish, then came out to chat with us. Her younger son was watching the Giant’s game on the wall mounted TV and greeting arriving customers. What a wonderful, friendly establishment.
Once Big Skenny is discovered by Bay Area foodies, I hope the restaurant will expand its menu. Coleslaw would be a welcome addition. Por boys made with Big Skenny’s fried fish, shrimp or oysters would be divine.
The location is in the strip mall, hidden behind the McDonald’s drive-​thru. Though little more than a storefront, there are four tables inside (max three to four people per table with one even being handicapped accessible!) For just a few dollars more than a McD extra value meal, you can have a catfish and shrimp combo at Big Skenny’s. Why wouldn’t you?