The Rod & Line Fish Bar in Shepway

I’d heard the place was back on track from other caravan owners at our holiday park, so thought I’d give it another go… big mistake. Large cod: there was more flesh in the ‘youngs frozen’ cod fillet that I had to cook myself. Why did I have to cook something - the fish I had was slimy and both smelled and tasted ‘off’ - a strong ammonia smell under the soggy and insipid batter. Chips: were dry and chewy like they’d been sat around and reheated. Battered Sausage - no longer using Korkers sausages which were meaty - the sausage was more filler than meat, anaemic looking and soggy batter. That’ll be a no-go for any return for me and family - there are better options in the High Street.

We were on the steam railway and decided to get off. The weather wasn’t nice windy and a bit rainy so it’s fair to say the only thing to do was eat. We didn’t fancy the cafe at the station so wandered down the road to the rod and line. The fish was crispy and tasty. The chips were crispy but could perhaps have done with a dash longer in the fryer as they were quite pale. Good with mayo and tartare. Bringing the seating options back they probably had pre-Covid would be good as we ended up sitting on a damp Bench over the road.

Visited a few times for take away lunch. Never an issue with the food, always cooked well & you don’t need to wait too long. Staff can come across as a little rude at times

Freshly cooked fish and chips. Great price and really good menu. Large Cod was large and lovely and chips were great. Definitely recommend this shop.

Excellent quality fish and chips, nice and clean, will definitely eat there again. Not expensive about the same as other chips shops

Lovely food. The fish and chips was fresh and crispy. What more could you want. Service was good. They try to get your order as soon as possible but it is a budy fish and chip shop which speaks volumes

Great food but no vibe and it was a long wait

EDIT 2023 Rod & Line has changed hands many times in 5 years, and often, the results have been very poor, so we opted out. New cook and serving staff have transformed this chippy back to the epic status it originally was, and a chippy dinner from Rod and Line is back on our menu 😋 Would like more options, e.g, battered fruit / Mars bars / samosa, something a bit different 😋

I would’ve given it 0 if it wasn’t saved by the chips and curry sauce. This was the worst piece of fish of my life, the batter was disgusting and so greasy I couldn’t eat it. I took the fish out and that was well over cooked not great for a £15 meal

Just driving past and stopped to buy some chips, got to say best chip I've had for a long time, wish I'd had fish as well👍👍👍

When we arrived in Dymchurch this evening we discovered that our usual fish and chip shop was closed. Then I remembered the rod and line, which we had used a couple of years ago under similar circumstances. So we went there, and when I arrived, I realised it was under new ownership. I did wonder whether the quality would be the same, but I needn’t have worried. Well done to the staff, the fish and chips were very Nice. In particular, the fish was fresh and perfectly cooked. The chips were also nice and the serving was very generous. We had ordered medium cod and chips. Recommend!👍👌

Did not visit Rod and line fish bar

Great fish & chips always cooked fresh each time but quite expensive now since new owners took over

The food was delicious. Could have kept eating even though I was full up !Light fluffy batter fresh fish and crispy chips

New owners again fish was barely cooked batter was soggy. I love my batter crispy so if I ever decide to use again will ask for fish to be cooked longer 😣

Really nice fish, chips were amazing would definitely recommend.

Great food Nice & fresh cook food👍👍👍

Fish was disgusting, Why do you make your customers pay for the fish and chips separately. 1ST AND LAST TIME eat here plus it gave my family really bad stomachs we had to run to the toilet all night.

Chicken and chips were really nice. Potatoes seemed like new, which can be a problem to cook, but they were really nice. It might help being quite thickly cut chips. With most places, quarter chicken is alright. This was quite tasty. Would recommend.

AVOID AT ALL COSTS. Overpriced under cooked chips grease swimming fish. Fish n chips twice £26. The WORST food I have ever eaten. Robbers who cannot cook.

Not overly impressed. Very expensive and chaotic in the ordering and receiving of the food.

Nice fish and chips, would recommend. Price has gone up however to £15.50 for a large cod and chips 😬

Popped in for a sneaky battered sausage ...was well cooked ,without rock hard batter ...👍

The Rod & Line has been our go to for some time now but it has gone steadily downhill since it changed hands. The chips are now very greasy & the sausages are no longer Korkers but a cheap alternative. This downtown in quality has coincided with a price increase. We have had several bad meals from here recently & today thought we would give it one last chance & regretted it. It was disgusting & most of it went in the bin. We won’t be returning. Give the Rod & Line a miss.

We had pie 🥧 & chips which was lovely and hot Chips were brilliant and friendly staff

We ordered by phone to pick up. Asked if they had Coleslaw she repeated it back 3 times to us but when we picked up the order we had a Cod Roe instead of Coleslaw???

Takeaway fish and chips. Service was a bit slow but we ordered vege spring rolls which were much nicer than usual chip shop spring rolls filled with mush. They were very fat and filled with beansprouts and veg. Bit annoying the fryer was on his phone while cooking. Chips were OK. And kids enjoyed huge jumbo sausages.

Sadly gone down hill. Went on a Friday evening and they were training staff( I know staff need to be trained, but not on a Friday!)and got our order wrong which we didn't realise until we got home, long wait times. Chips were still good fish was overly greasy.

Lovely greeting, popper in after a weekend long football tournament and the guy working was great at cheering up my exhausted, downhearted son. Chips were perfect. Very generous servings. Would go back!

Appears to be ‘under new management’ and has sadly gone downhill. Chips greasy and with a dreadful after taste and no longer doing Korkers sausages - instead some cheap and nasty alternative that is more filler than pork. Disappointing given the previously excellent food served in this place. Wait times weren’t great. Meal served now in a plastic / polystyrene container rather than the previous cardboard or just paper wrapped - not a good environmental move.

Looked very dirty ,I probably wouldn't use it again ,very poor hygiene

Very tasty food and chips and fish 😊😊👍👍 thankuu so much ❤️❤️

Fish was dry, batter was awful. Chips tasted old. Won't go there again while we are here

Have just purchased fish and chips from what used to be a favourite of mine from here.. unfortunately myself and hubby was very disappointed as fish was very overcooked and dry to the point we couldn't finish our meal..

Called in to collect supper for wife and myself. Quiet Monday and waited over 20 minutes for meal to be cooked! I appreciate food being cooked to order but on a quiet evening this seemed to be a little extreme! Saveloy/Sausage was good, chips decent, Curry Sauce tasteless! Not sure we would use again based on speed of turnaround. It’s meant to be fast food.

We have ordered food from here a few times and it as always been ok, cooked fresh to order, however we think it is a bit overpriced. Friendly helpful staff. Easy parking

Great selection of high quality products. Very very popular fish and chip shop so yes expect a wait but they are also very fast diligent workers and we have to date never had a mistake with an order we've made.

Since they have changed hands (latter part of 2022) I have been three times, unfortunately I have to say I won’t be returning. I have brought food from there from the past three owners, George & Pat, there son and the last owners. The past three times with the new proprietor and each time the chips were lukewarm. Today my third and final visit even the freshly (supposedly) cooked fish was only lukewarm and the skin was snotty (undercooked). I will look elsewhere until it changes hands again as there busy will not last!

Ordered one lg chips, plenty in the server, no orders being filled. Waited 10 mins for them.

£9.50 for a piece of cod! cant complain about quality but ridiculous prices. shame the Varne isnt open. Cant see this place survivng at their prices. I understand cooking oil and electric has gone up but this is just greedy profiteering

Always a good experience consistant quality of fish and chips. Service efficient and courteous

Half poured curry sauce! X2 Very over priced. Cheap Quailty sausages..

Absolutely scandalous paid £14 for a large chips and two battered sausages, chips were cold and disgusting, they were brown. New owners are terrible.much prefer beach 48 in dymchurch.

Ordered tonight 3 large cod, 2 haddock, steak pie, savaloy, onion, pickle, 2 curry sauce and 2 large chips, have been going there for years..New people..absolutely disgusting.. fish overcooked, batter hard as rock, fish yellow colour, one portion of large cod, was given 2 small filets...spent £56.40.. It was warm, not piping hot...I used to like it when u saw them putting it in the box, didn't see that tonight, only when we got home..I would have complained if I'd seen it. I think the oil was rank... Never again...

Absolutely lovely fish and chips not oily couldn't fault it. Although not a cheap meal any more.

Great portion chip size. Fresh cooked fish which was absolutely gorgeous

Fresh fish, real potato chips, friendly staff. Under new ownership & the quality is outstanding.

Really good chips, seemed a little pricey, but everything does at the moment.

Gone down hill lots, it used to be so nice and clean. The inside is dirty, cobwebs hanging from ceiling and around windows. The chips were also awful, cold and stale. I won’t be returning.

Friendly and efficient service by young lady.... Prices a little high for portion sizes.... Chips were great, some of the best I have had. Cod however was over cooked and the batter was not the best... Mushy peas good.

Chip shop chips... Need I say more? 💕

Good food, busy but not too busy, away from the beach so service was good.

Great customer service. Cod was really good. Best I have had in a long time.

Windows cleaner , although cobwebs internally by the fridge which is feeling somewhat neglected on the hygiene front as is the front door, the shelves both sides of the shop I feel sure would appreciate a wipe . On the plus side the floor looked cleaner The cod was a bit dry and the chips were to quote my sister in law " anaemic and soggy " It's a shame as this time last year the shop was clean and the food was nothing short of excellent. Dear rod and line you have lost your way somewhat, I hope you come true soon !

Saturday night takeaway. The evening ruined poor soggy chips burger no salad even though asked for it. Wont be back

My wife and I visited and had fresh fish and chips cooked while we waited, the young lady on front of house was great, very thorough and knowledgeable. We could see some changes had been made and were interested to see if standard’s were maintained! I think the incredibly high standards enjoyed over the years are almost impossible to replicate but we had two very nice takeaway fish n chip meals and enjoyed the attention to detail exhibited by the staff. We will visit again even though it is over an hours journey, I still think it’s worth it😀

Banging fish and chips. These guys have got a good reputation for a good reason. When the area gets unexpectedly busy, their shop gets unexpectedly rammed. It’s a shame some people feel the need to rate them poorly for waiting times that are outside of their control. I tend to visit in person, and if there is a long waiting time I’ll make other arrangements

Cod was just about ok but batter was soggy, haddock was dry and tasteless. Chips were undercooked and tasted very fishy.

I am writing this as I am very disappointed with the food they are providing lately the chips are bland and hard seem like they are frozen chips. The plaice we had was watery tasteless and again didn't seem fresh. Rod and line used to be the best chip shop on the Marsh it's gone down hill dramatically. Won't be coming here unfortunately any more as a local it's a big shame.

Awful. Tasteless chips, I think fryers need a clean because of excess crumbs all over chips. 'Korkers sausages served here' Never got one from there.... Cheap, pink sausages served.

Whilst waiting for my order I happened to notice the chairs were rather dirty and could definitely have done with a wash as were the window's inside and out particularly the outer upper windows which cannot have been cleaned for 6 months. Food and staff...

A very enjoyable fish and chip takeout, but the fish burger was something else. Very tasty and very enjoyable

Large fish is bigger then your forearm

Lovely staff great chips 🍟 mushy peas and fried chocolate 🍫 fish 🐟 over cooked but still nice

Sorry on this ocassion it was cold and over cooked. The delivery driver was prompt, but my food had been waiting around a while. The reason ( though i should not have to make one), is that this is that due to heart and other stuff this is a real treat for me! A few scampi and 6 chips off my sons plate( awful)! Disappointing. I shared the chunky curry sauce from my son, EVERYTHING else dipped in low fat mayo....and as burnt and cold ...sorry. when it us good i will heap on the praise! Please do not print my address or contact details , as i as a single older mum have been harassed and slandered abd mkre by recent neighbourssinhle

4 people in front of me, no one behind. Was told 10 minutes and ended up waiting over an hour for an order for 2 people. Food was average, definitely not worth the wait

As always top quality. Dry crisp batter tasty fish and proper chips. Well done to all staff.

Very good friendly staff and always willing to get your ouder Don quick.

Absolutely lovely little chip shop, there were 6 of us, including the kids who can be quite fussy at times and not one person had a single complaint.

Food not bad at all. Came in at lunchtime 11/04/22 Girl behind the counter was not right to be serving customers.... her demeanour came across very abrupt and at times rude.

Huss & cod were lovely batter a bit overcooked. Chips dry hard & tasteless. Couldn't believe the price £9-80 for fish & chips !! Can't get the fish now was the excuse. Used to be best in kent sadly not anymore. Staff need to be...

Fantastic food, portions, and service here. Look forward to coming back!

Very good food! Some of the best chips we’ve had and we’ve tasted quite a loudly in Kent ! Really generous portions freshly cooked!👍

I came in and got some chips earlier and they were absolutely lovely. Lots of crispy ones, which I love!!

Very disappointed made an order to be delivered. Was told it would be half an hour after making 3 phone calls it finally arrived an hour and a half later. So a couple of days ago when wanted fish and chips I went to get them got home to find I had been given a pickled onion and not a pickled egg and the chips were very over cooked. Disappointed as normally very good.

Really lovely freshly cooked fish and chips. Will certainly return when in the area.

Cooked from fresh, open on Sundays, super friendly staff. The best fish and chips I’ve ever had, literally! absolutely delicious.

Came to stay in a friend's new chalet and passed this chip shop so stopped as busy (always a good sign) ... but was awful ... fish was dry and the chips disgusting, brown and hard ... most of our meal ended up in the bin, so unfortunately would definitely not recommend

Very good service friendly staff portion size good efficient service all freshly cooked to order very busy shop all nice and got

Thank you so much for our amazing take away this evening , 12 meals as it was my sons birthday , the portion sizes are incredible and each and everyone of us enjoyed our food - we all had different things from cod , pies,...

Very VERY large portions, delicious food 😋

Great value chips only £2.30 for a regular portion and you get a lot for your money. Very nice tasty chips and didn't have to wait long.

Getting my fish&chips here for years. Lately had the experience to be served with over cooked fish multiple time wich shouldn't be served to customers,not happy. If I wouldn't live far from the shop I would have taken it back.

Been coming here a while now the staff are really friendly and the food is fantastic always fresh and hot even when it's busy the food is still amazing definitely worth a visit

Lovely meal tonight thank you 👍

Have they changed hands really gone down hill horrible chips

Food freshly cooked and was fantastic.

Delicious fish here good size and freshly made to order, chips are nice and a decent size for the price. friendly staff and it's clean.

Fantastic cod roe and chips for me and fantastic Cod & Chips for my 84 year old mother who has never tasted fish n chips like it. She said it was the best she's ever tasted and she's tasted a lot n her time. Will...

Knew I should have driven over to Torbay at Hythe.

I know this isn't relevant, but probably the most attractive girl that's ever served me fish n chips

Yummy fresh fish and chips and very friendly staff.

This place used to be the best not any more had large cod and chips tonight the cod was half the previous size and the chips were like a load of sticky stodge won't bother again!

Absolutely fantastic all cooked fresh not left under a hot heater drying our the food.clean friendly and highly recommended just hate the boxes prefer paper like it use to be.readonable priced when it's fresh.

The food was lovely, they seemed a bit overwhelmed at managing the orders, but you can't really complain when it's all fresh

Phenomenal fish and chips, served with a smile. Ordered 2 lge Cod and 1 lge Chips, received 4 pieces of Cod and more than enough lge chips for 2. Plus I received change out of £14.00. I think I will move here. Try you will not regret. 👌

Wonderful food, though they cook from fresh so you may have to show some patience and wait..but it will be worth it. They have a good menu and the staff are friendly and very hardworking. This is a very busy fish and chip shop, and rightly so. They have never let me down in four years I have been coming here. The best chip shop in New Romney.

Fish cooked to order and was absolutely amazing

Just love the Rod and Line. The fish is fresh and the chips are lovely. We travel quite a distance to go there but it's worth it 😁

We had the nicest fish and chips here. We stumbled on this place while we had a stop on during our railway day out. Highly recommended this place to have a take out.