Next pop-up: Smorgasburg LA · Sundays 10 AM–4 PM · 777 S Alameda St
Southern fish fry in Southern California
This ain't no damn fish & chips, it's fish fry
Crispy fried snapper, seasoned fries, house-made sauces, and cultural experiences rooted in Black Southern tradition, joy, and mutual aid.
Find us Sundays
Smorgasburg LA · 777 S Alameda St · 10 AM–4 PM
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Corporate lunches, private events, festivals, and cultural activations.
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Get pop-up dates, catering drops, sauce news, and zine releases.
Best sellers
The plate that makes people close their eyes and dance
Seasonal Specials
New Year's plate: snapper nuggs, hush puppies, black-eyed peas, and collard greens.
Nugget Basket
Golden snapper nuggets built for dipping, sharing, and coming back for more.
Boiled Peanuts
Southern-style boiled peanuts. Salty, soft, and made to snack on. Fully vegetarian.
The full menu
What we're serving
Know before you order
A quick guide to what's on the menu
New to Southern food? Here's the lay of the land. Vegetarian items are marked Veg.
Thicky Thickumms
VegOur house-thick, hand-cut wedges. Crispy edges, pillowy inside. Made for scooping sauce.
Chow Chow
VegA sweet and tangy Southern relish of pickled cabbage, peppers, and onions. Bright, sharp, and cuts through anything fried.
Hush Puppies
VegGolden fried cornmeal balls. A Southern classic. Slightly sweet, deeply savory.
Snapper Nuggs
Bite-size pieces of fresh red snapper, seasoned and fried crispy. Kid-approved, adult-obsessed.
Collard Greens
VegSlow-cooked collards with the pot likker to match. A soul food staple. Can be subbed for boiled peanuts or sweet tea.
Ill Dill
VegOur signature house-made dill tartar sauce. Regulars have asked us to bottle it.
Word on the street
Reviews, press, and praise
"That tartar sauce is drinkable. I need a jar immediately."
Yelp Review · Los Angeles, CA
"The fish was crispy, seasoned, fresh, and nothing like basic fish and chips."
Smorgasburg LA regular · via Instagram
"A must-visit fish fry pop-up bringing real Southern soul to LA weekends."
LAist · Food Feature
Meet the founder
Hi, I'm Asha
I'm Asha Starks, founder of Hot Grease.
I grew up in Southern California, but some of my earliest food memories came from visiting family in Georgia. Fish fries weren't restaurant meals. They were where everybody showed up. Family, neighbors, music, folding chairs, stories, and enough food to feed whoever pulled into the driveway.
When I came back to California as an adult, I realized something was missing. We had fish & chips. We had seafood. We had fried fish. But we didn't have fish fry culture.
That's why I started Hot Grease.
We're not recreating nostalgia. We're continuing a tradition. Southern fish fry is its own thing, and best wrapped in white bread and doused in hot sauce. At least that's how I like it.
Hot Grease exists to preserve Black Southern foodways while introducing more people to them. Today that looks like pop-ups, catering, and community experiences. Tomorrow it looks like products in grocery stores, restaurants, and bringing fish fry culture to cities across the country.
Good food fills you up, and so does good company.
Mission + values
Food, culture, joy, and care in one hot plate
Hot Grease is a Southern food and cultural brand reintroducing the fish fry through pop-ups, catering, events, and community-rooted storytelling across Southern California.
We create spaces rooted in Black culture, music, and connection, and every plate supports reproductive justice through The Potlikker Line, our mutual aid fund.
Culture
Southern food without gimmicks, rooted in legacy.
Community
Gatherings that feel warm, intentional, and alive.
Mutual Aid
A portion of sales supports reproductive justice care.
Good Food
Crispy fish, bold seasoning, and sauce worth talking about.
Catering + events
Need somebody to feed the people?
Bring Hot Grease to your office lunch, brand activation, private party, festival, gallery night, or community gathering.
Don't miss the grease
Get the schedule before everybody else
Join the Hot Grease email list for pop-up dates, sauce drops, zines, and first access to special events.