Vote now for the 2020 Ultimate Pittsburgh Fish Fry champion

It’s time to crown a champ. Who’s it gonna be?  

In just a matter of weeks, we’ve whittled the list from 32 Ultimate Pittsburgh Fish Fry Bracket contenders to the top two. And now we need your help naming the winner. 

Last week, we introduced the Final Four and explained our decision to continue the bracket in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. We realize we all have bigger fish to fry right now (*takes a bow), but we thought this might provide some much-needed levity and a balm for those missing March Madness.  

So we asked you all to keep voting online and you did — with more than 2,120 ballots cast in the last round. And the results were, well, they were blowouts. 

About the final contenders:

Keith Heinritz Katering in Trafford

The Trafford catering company bested Swissvale Fire Department in the Final Four. Located in a tiny black-and-white building in Westmoreland County, there’s a picture of a fish on the outside, so you can’t miss it. It serves fish year-round, along with wings, haluski, hoagies, and more. Keith Heinritz Katering has won several readers’ choice awards from local publications.

A nominator described Keith Heinritz’s fish as: “HUGE!” “Crispy and juicy. On delicious buns. They make their own hot sauce which is out of this world!

Here’s a look at their fish sandwich. 

St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church in McKeesport

The McKeesport church beat Pittsburgh’s St. Mary of the Mount church in a landslide in the latest round of voting. Established on Oct. 15, 1901, St. Sava says it’s the oldest Serbian Orthodox Church in the Eastern United States. Despite population declines in McKeesport after the loss of manufacturing jobs there, the church says it’s growing while embracing “our Serbian Culture.” The church is known for its paintings.

A nominator lauded St. Sava’s friendly atmosphere and fish fry fare. “The food is excellent but unique in a way because not only do they offer the excellent fish fry classics (fried/baked fish, shrimp, crab cakes…) but they offer Serbian specialties too.”

Here’s a look at their fish sandwich … with commentary from a raptor.

A reely big showdown

All of this sets us up for a very interesting final, head-to-head matchup between St. Sava and Keith Heinritz Katering. Both were successful in drumming up votes in the most recent weeks of a very unusual — and now partially frozen — fish fry season. And interestingly, they’re both underdogs who weren’t seeded highly on the bracket.

It’ll be interesting to see what happens next. And, as always, that’s where you come in.

Your votes will help determine the winner of the 2020 Ultimate Pittsburgh Fish Fry Bracket. So use the form below to vote as often as you’d like between now and noon on Thursday, April 2. (We always give everyone a little more time to vote in the final round.) 

Click here to download and print a high-resolution PDF version of the bracket to see how the matchups played out.

We’ll be back to announce the winner on April 3.

Until then, be well and keep voting.