Where I grew up in southern CA the majority of Catholics are Hispanic, and AFAIK fried fish dinners aren’t really a Lenten thing in that culture. I never encountered the idea or even heard of it until I was in my 20s, moved away, and started noticing fast food places all promoting fish sandwiches in the springtime.
Funny enough, I’m typing this as I’m enjoying a tuna and chips lunch from a restaurant inside an old boat in Astoria, OR.
I never encountered the idea or even heard of it until this thread.
(I knew that Catholics eating fish on Fridays was a thing, and that Catholics doing Lent was a thing, but I’ve never noticed or known about some type of public “fish dinners” like described here. I’m from an extremely Protestant area.)
I have been there and I second this!
I enjoy them, but I don’t enjoy the 45 minute wait standing in line so I don’t indulge.
Sadly, “Buh-wheat” is no longer with us. He was shot a few months after John Lennon. I know because I saw it on TV. 
There’s a Catholic church in my city that has done it for decades, and of course they went to drive-through during COVID and will still do that, but they also do carry-out or eat-in now. It’s on the other side of town and in a hard to find location, so I’ve never been there. A Masonic lodge about a mile from me has a very good fish fry during Lent, and I’ve taken advantage several times. That money goes to the Shriners Hospitals.
When I was living in the very Catholic, but very far from the ocean, Santa Fe, I always thought it ironic that a food that had to be shipped thousands of miles at significant expense to get here was thought of as “humble”. It seems like the theologically appropriate lent food the area ought to be something like hamburger, because it is so cheap and abundant in the area.
Not too long ago, the rule in the Catholic church was no “meat” on Fridays year round, and no “meat” on any day in Lent. I think that only changed with Vatican 2, by which point Friday fish fries were already an established custom.
It’s not too surprising from a Lutheran church-- Lutherans are pretty close to Catholics (and Episcopalians even more so). But I’ve also seen Baptist churches hosting fish fries, not because of any particular Baptist Lenten tradition, but just because they know a good fundraiser when they see one, same as any other denomination.
Do you mean the things that are called “pierogi” in Ukraine (which are usually sweet), or vareniki, the local dish that’s equivalent to the Polish pierogi?
Willoughby? 
Those pierogies must be pretty damned good if people travel miles to get them!
Only because the Bishop of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe wasn’t on the ball like his counterparts in Quebec or New Orleans, who made beaver and alligator, respectively, acceptable for Lent.
I think it’s standard for Catholics worldwide for reptile meat to be acceptable for Lent. You just don’t hear much about it, because (at least in Western countries) reptile meat isn’t eaten much.
My Catholic college did occasionally have (awful) turtle soup on the Lenten menu.
It’s also common for bishops to issue exemptions on locally-popular cultural holidays, like St. Patrick’s Day. A few years back, Chinese New Year fell on Ash Wednesday, and some dioceses also had an exemption for that.
They make both savory and desert pierogis and ones with liquor in also. The only reason I know they are Ukrainian style is from reading the newspaper articles about the place that they have hanging on the walls.
Never been to one in a church, went to a bunch in bars in Milwaukee and once to Serb Hall. As others have said it isn’t at all a seasonal thing there. Here in Chicago what is unique to Lent is that the hot dog stands start offering those delectable little egg and pepper sandwiches.
I live in Upstate NY. Here in the northeast, there’s a fish fry place on every corner, usually open a couple of days a week (Fridays for sure) year 'round. During Lent, that’s their busy season and people line up at the takeout places, churches, VFWs, Elks Clubs, American Legions, and large and small restaurants all offering fish, fries, and coleslaw or potato salad. Very popular. It’s deep-fried haddock flown in from New England, breaded or occasionally battered. Mild and delectable, not fishy at all - It used to be cheap, but not so much any more. Fried shrimp and scallops and things like deep fried mushrooms. Scallops cost more than lobster!.. I’ve never seen anything but big slabs of haddock, though there are one or two places that use cod. I’d rather eat fish (and other seafood) than almost any other thing.
I grew up Catholic in a pretty Catholic area surrounded by the Great Lakes, so yeah, I know fish fries.
I am still in the midst of several Catholic churches, most of which offer Friday fish. The best local one, about a half mile from me, is selling the dinners for $17 this year.
As for pierogi, I make my own.
mmm
I’m Episcopalian and observe Lent, the answer is a big yes!
But I even more look forward to the seafood sales at Jewel/Osco (local grocery store) even more. Amazing deals and I absolutely love seafood of all types.
That was me too.
I’ve attended a couple of church fish fries when I lived in more religion-centric areas. Typically pretty well-organized as the OP says, but also pretty universally meh food.
OTOH, when the local Greek orthodox church is putting on their Greek days festival, that’s worth driving a couple counties for. Or at least was 30-40 years ago when all the little old ladies really hailed from Greece. They may have struggled with the English, but they sure didn’t struggle with the kitchen. Yummtasic!
This is one of the highlights of our Fall here. The old ladies are freaked out that an Indian dude is so passionate and knowledgeable about Greek food! Back in my 20s used to live next door (well my apartment building was next door) to a great Greek bakery cafe and I would have 2-3 meals a week there.
I find it amusing that people are saying there are a lot of fish fries in their area because it’s very Catholic and others saying they haven’t seen one because their area is not Catholic. I live in NYC, which has one of the highest Catholic populations in the US, and there have always been at least three Catholic churches in walking distance of anywhere I have lived - and I have never seen a fish fry in my life. Maybe it has something to do with the ease of getting fish/seafood in restaurants - I can get fish or seafood at any non-fast food restaurant , from Chinese take outs to the Dominican restaurants to every pizzeria (which sometimes don’t have fish, but always have calamari and shrimp in addition to other Lenten Friday appropriate foods) Even the diners have fish and seafood. ( I’ve also never seen the roast beef dinners that I’m told VFW s and such hold as fundraisers)