Eat This Now: Ahi tuna nachos at Mass Street Fish House
Mass St. Fish House bar / Photo by Olivia Steele
I’ve had a bad case of ichthyophobia–the fear of fish–for as long as I can remember. I didn’t swim in a lake until I was 17 years old, and I’ve had to leave the room when a housemate eats a tuna sandwich. Despite this, I had a Betta fish named Babygirl my sophomore year of college, and I love aquariums.
This summer, I took it upon myself to conquer my fear of fish, using the excuse of a celebratory dinner to visit Mass Street Fish House, a place I’d heard my friends talk about for years.
Nestled between the Kaw and Clinton Lake, hundreds of miles away from any saltwater, Mass Street Fish House transports patrons to the coastline. During my visit, I successfully knocked back a shared plate of ahi tuna nachos without complaint, washing it down with a Better Brine cocktail. Not only was it good enough to temporarily relieve me of my fear, but I dreamed about the dish again for months.
Fast forward to a temperate, late September day, I met with some friends for drinks on the Fish House patio. I once again got the Better Brine, an onion, gin, and vermouth martini that is to die for, garnished with a pearl onion. I’m not keen on martinis because of their strength, and adding some filth usually can’t salvage that for me either, but this martini hits different. You’ll leave needing to pop a mint, but it’s worth it, especially if you have a salty/briny tooth opposed to a sweet one.
Better Brine / Photo by Olivia Steele
We also dove into the bread on the table, which we later learned wasn’t complimentary, as reflected in a $2 charge. If you’re a restaurant bread connoisseur, it’s worth it, but it’s skippable if you’re typically indifferent. Salty, warm butter melts on slices of 1900 Barker’s Utility Loaf, a soft sourdough with a thick, crunchy crust—quite delicious, but outshone by our mains.
Prior to that day’s visit, I had only sat inside the restaurant, which is Lawrence cozy: a dimly lit, charming specialty establishment occupying a brick or limestone building probably burnt in some capacity during Quantrill’s raid. (I actually did look this up to see if this was the case after learning that Sunflower Outdoor & Bike was one of those buildings, but was unable to find anything about 719 Massachusetts St.) The interior is lovely for an intimate dinner, but the patio is even better for a larger group and some appetizers.
Ahi tuna nachos / Photo by Olivia Steele
Much like the 715 patio, the Fish House patio is like stepping into an enchanted fairy forest. Lanterns and twinkly lights are dappled throughout the trees shading the tables; potted blossoms are here and there. If you face away from the street and tune out the sound of traffic, you forget you’re in downtown Lawrence. You can imagine the forest in its place.
When my ahi tuna nachos came out, I couldn’t help but begin to dig in before our server left our table. My friends had been raving about this dish for years before I even tried it, and now that I had a plate to myself my second time around, I took complete advantage.
It’s an excellent combination of every flavor I love. Salty wonton chips serve as the base, topped with cubed ahi tuna from Tokyo that melts on your tongue, tangy slaw, spicy mayo, cilantro, and avocado, which acts as a palate cleanser for the heap of flavor. It’s truly a showstopper.
I also picked off some of my friends’ shared calamari plate, which I’ve ordered as an entrée before and crave when it gets chilly outside. When it came time for them to pick off some of mine, I wanted to refuse so I could savor as much of it as possible.
Looking back, I probably hit my weekly sodium intake during my late lunch/early dinner situation, but Fish House is a treat-yourself restaurant. The service is excellent, the food and drinks are incredible, and I always leave feeling very brave after successfully eating fish again.
Mass Street Fish House is at 719 Massachusetts St, Lawrence, KS 66044.
