I couldn’t wait to check out The Salty Cod in Athens, Alabama, after hearing so many good things after its late 2023 opening. Plus, there’s been a lot of buzz around the town’s picturesque historic square, with several new businesses joining the long-established ones.

While it took me until early 2024 to visit The Salty Cod, now I’ve been several times. After my first visit, I didn’t think twice when choosing a spot for my birthday this year. It has my vote for the best restaurant in Athens for special occasion meals, and it’s technically not a restaurant but a “pub, gelato, cake, coffee and butcher’s shop all under one roof.”

It may surprise some to find this sprawling, English-style pub off the historic square of a town of around 31,000 people. And yet when you look at Athens' steady, speedy growth rate over the past several years, it makes sense the owners invested in this enterprise that extends almost an entire city block.
Exterior of The Salty Cod in Athens, Alabama
Lisa Battles
This ownership group already knows about the opportunities that come with smart positioning in growing cities. This is its second offering after its success with a similar concept in downtown Huntsville – The Poppy & Parliament, an English pub, gourmet store, and butcher shop. That business began with Yorkshire, England native Shane Brown's pub, The Poppy, in 2019, which soon expanded into its other facets the following year. That evolution brought in Irish-born partner and chef Barry O'Connor, and then executive chef, general manager Kristen Caroselli, a New York native. All three form the leadership group for both ventures.
I enjoyed visits to The Poppy with old friends on a few occasions over the past few years, so I was eager to try this new place a bit closer to my Decatur home base. My first stop was in February when my cousin from Asheville made a visit. I often save trying these new spots for her! While she's lived in a small city with a world-class food scene for many years now, she never tires of exploring new destinations and dishes in her travels.
Lisa Battles
We scooted into the public house for a late lunch one cold and blustery Saturday and were greeted with a warm, cozy space and friendly service – exactly what hit the spot in that kind of weather. The food was just as comforting.
We started with the chicken, mac, and English cheddar cheese fritters, because, as my cousin says, "You should never pass up a fritter." While these are quite large (the three are plenty for two people), you'll want to split the third one so there are no hard feelings. They are that delicious.
The Salty Cod/Facebook
These fritters are perfection with a velvety, creamy concoction of Salty Cod's chicken, macaroni, mature English cheddar, spring onion, and garlic encased in a crispy, golden crust. While they have plenty of flavor on their own, they come with housemade sauces – a sriracha aioli for a contrasting kick and a chimichurri for a tangy twist.
After much deliberation about our entrees, we decided a first visit merited trying the traditional English fish and chips. After those fritters, we knew we'd come back for other things another time. The classic choice did not disappoint. The wild Atlantic cod was plump and juicy with just the right amount of crispiness and flavor to the light batter. As for the chips, well, I haven't met many fries I didn't like. These are especially flavorful since they're cooked in beef fat.
The Salty Cod/Facebook
Like the fritters, sauces really aren't necessary, but they're also made in-house, so we sampled them all. Of the tartar sauce, mushy peas, and curry sauce, I liked the latter best.
The portion for the fish and chips was huge, so we had what we'd left boxed up to go. Clearly, we had not saved room for dessert and yet had to order a couple of cake slices for later. We ordered the limoncello cake and the chocolate flourless cake and shared a few bites later that night while watching true crime and music documentaries.
The Salty Cod/Facebook
Have you ever tried a food and thought about it for weeks later? Well, that was the case for me with both of those cakes! So when a friend asked where I wanted to go for my birthday dinner, I didn't pause before requesting a return to The Salty Cod.
For my birthday visit, we were seated in the Paddington Bar, the upper bar and dining area, which opens into the pub's patio spaces. With a full bar and big-screen TVs, these spaces fill up and get quite lively on weekends.
Lisa Battles
For this occasion, I went with a lighter meal of crab cakes only because I wanted to offset the must-do chicken-and-mac fritters, a perfectly mixed martini, and limoncello cake (of course)!

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Next time, I hope to snag a seat by the open kitchen to watch the preparation.
Lisa Battles
My most recent visit was more about exploration because I really hadn't wandered around much before. It was then I discovered the connected Corkshire Butcher Co. While I am borderline pescatarian these days, I was impressed by the neatly arranged shop, counter full of cuts, and curing chamber. And they do have a selection of fresh seafood, too.
Lisa Battles
That day I only snagged a bag of dry-aged dog treats, which I distributed to my three and my neighbors' three. They gave all-paws-up reviews. In the meantime, I feel confident sending my grill-master family members (and you!) in that direction for high-quality steak, pork, and game. The butcher shop is where I met Executive Head Chef and General Manager Kristen Caroselli, who was gracious to give a tour of other spaces I'd not yet seen in earlier visits.
We stepped out beyond the curing chamber to a welcoming small event space. A bricked area with a large TV and seating for about 60 people opens into a charming courtyard. There, you'll find a handful of high-top cocktail tables, another iconic red phone booth, and eye-catching murals overlooking the space from the adjacent building's second floor. The murals tell a local history lesson, I learned from Caroselli, who told me to take a closer look.
Lisa Battles
The partners' names are incorporated into the 1800s-style advertising artwork, and all have a touch of the macabre. Why? Caroselli explained the space was once part of a funeral home and crematorium that faced the square on Jefferson Street. From the front of The Salty Cod, you'll notice another mural referencing that aspect of downtown history.

Intrigued, I found that it was the first site of McConnell Funeral Home, which opened under another name in 1830. According to The News Courier, in 1917, A.M. McConnell purchased the business, and his brother, Robert, took over as the manager in 1929 when A.M. won his bid to become probate judge.

Notably, Robert McConnell was the grandfather of House Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell. Personally, McConnell Funeral Home handled direction for my great-grandfather's services when he passed in 1951.

Coincidentally, we returned back through the butcher shop and then, ironically, to the gelato, pastry, and coffee shop – a very bright and cheerful space.
Gracie@TheSaltyCod
Here, you can enjoy Lavazza coffee and choose among a dozen or so gelato options and as many or more cakes.
Lisa Battles
This time, I opted for to-go slices of the chocolate flourless and a layered chocolate and cookie-dough confection.
Lisa Battles
Associate Gracie offered the tip to try a new-to-me variety, the tall cookie dough cake. Who am I to refuse an expert tip? She boxed them up nicely to go.
Lisa Battles

Have you had the chance to stop in The Salty Cod in Athens, Alabama? If you haven’t, you should get there posthaste. You can view the full menu on The Salty Cod website and keep up with the latest news by following The Salty Cod on Facebook. And if you want to burn some of the cake calories while taking in pretty creekside views, check out the Swan Creek Greenway, which isn’t far from downtown.

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The Salty Cod, 309 Market St W, Athens, AL 35611, USA