OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — At Holy Name Church in North Omaha, members of the Holy Name Men’s Club and volunteers are hard at work getting ready to serve around 1800 dinners on Fridays during Lent.
- Bill Wilson and Downey Fitzgerald are volunteers who have both been with the Holy Name Men's Club for over two decades.
- Volunteers prepare over 1,500 pounds of fish, 600-800 pounds of fries and coleslaw per week, plus homemade tartar and cocktail sauce.
- To stand out among Omaha’s many fish fries, Holy Name offers two free beers to guests while they wait for their meals.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
At Holy Name Church in North Omaha, members of the Holy Name Men’s Club and volunteers are hard at work getting ready to serve around 1800 dinners on Friday's during Lent.
It’s the calm before the storm.
Volunteers are making preparations for one of Omaha’s largest fish fries, which was also the very first fish fry in Omaha.
"You know, this kitchen is just buzzing..."
Bill Wilson has been volunteering in the kitchen during Lent for 41 out of the 44 years the church has hosted fish fries.
For him and many others, it’s a family affair.
"Yeah, my granddaughters have worked the ice cream room, my grandson has worked the ice cream room, so yeah, we’ve been well represented over the years,” said Wilson.
With years of experience, Wilson knows exactly how much food the church goes through each week during Fish Fry Fridays—over 1,500 pounds of fish, 600-800 pounds of fries and coleslaw, and countless loaves of bread.
"You got all these serving stations up here. There’ll be guys hollering, yelling back there. They’re frying the fish and the fries. So yeah, it gets pretty crazy."
On top of all that fish, fries, and coleslaw, the crew will also make 35 gallons of tartar sauce and 25 gallons of cocktail sauce—a secret recipe Downey Fitzgerald has been perfecting for 20 years.
"It’s a little bit more of an art than it is a science here."
But with so many fish fries around Omaha now, how does Holy Name set itself apart?
By offering two free beers while you wait for your food.
"It’s just kind of our signature. You get one while waiting to buy a ticket and one while waiting to get served,” said Fitzgerald.
If you can’t make it to this one, there are plenty of other fish fries to choose from across the metro. We’ll be covering more in the coming weeks, highlighting different neighborhood options and what they bring to the table.
