How Mayor O'Connor enjoys his fish fry
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Mayor Corey O'Connor is a fish fry fiend. Photos: Alexis Johnson/Axios
If you want to know which of Pittsburgh's hundreds of fish fries to try, just ask Mayor Corey O'Connor.
The intrigue: Axios Pittsburgh is searching for this year's best fish fry, and the city's mayor may have the deepest knowledge on the topic.
- He visits two to three every week and has visited dozens across the region over the past several years.
Driving the news: O'Connor had lunch with us Friday at Brother Andre's Cafe, below Epiphany Roman Catholic Church in Uptown.
Dig in: O'Connor eats his fish sandwich with tartar sauce and hot sauce. He was pleased that Brother Andre's had Frank's RedHot on offer.
- "I like spicy," he said.
- And no cheese: "I like cheese, but not on a fish sandwich."
His favorite side is mac and cheese, but he'll eat fries, coleslaw and other fish fry staples.
- "Fries in some places can be inconsistent. But mac and cheese, I think they're all unique because some people use different kinds of cheeses and all these different things."
- If pierogies are available, he's getting some. Potato-and-cheese are his favorite.
What about cocktail sauce?
- "It's rare. I'll use it sometimes," he said, noting how he enjoys Community Kitchen's homemade version.
What they're saying: He can't pick a favorite because there are "too many territorial fights with fish fries."
- But he started last week at Community Kitchen and Sacred Heart, and he is going out to McKeesport on Friday night to have fish fry with his brother, a priest.
By the numbers: There are roughly 250 fish fry venues in the greater Pittsburgh region, per Code for Pittsburgh's 2026 map.
- Most fish fries run every Friday through either March 27 or Good Friday on April 3.
The bottom line: He encourages everyone to try as many as they can because each provides community spirit and camaraderie.
- "Whether it's a church or an organization, they all have their own feel for it and they all have their different twist," he said. "I think that's cool because everybody has their own kind of vibe and they're all different."