Doug's Fish Fry opened on Jordan Street in Skaneateles in 1982 and has been doing essentially one thing — frying fish — better than almost anyone in Central New York ever since. The original location is a no-frills counter-service operation where you order at the window, wait for your number, and eat off a paper plate at a picnic table or in your car. The fried haddock is the signature: a thick, golden, crackle-crusted filet that is crisp on the outside and flaky-moist inside, served with hand-cut onion rings and coleslaw. A full dinner runs under fifteen dollars, which in a village where lakefront restaurants charge three times that for similar fish feels almost charitable.

The line is part of the experience, and on summer Fridays it stretches out the door and into the parking lot. Locals know to arrive at 11:30 before the lunch rush or after 2 p.m. when it thins out. Doug's has expanded to multiple Central New York locations without any noticeable drop in quality — the batter recipe and the cooking technique travel well. The place has earned FLX Finest recognition for Best Seafood Restaurant every year from 2022 through 2025, including Gold in 2024, which is remarkable for a place with no table service, no alcohol license, and no ambiance beyond fluorescent lighting and the sound of a deep fryer. Doug's is the essential Skaneateles casual-food experience: unpretentious, affordable, and genuinely excellent at the one thing it does. Bring cash — though cards may now be accepted at some locations — and do not skip the clam chowder if it is on the board.