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Mia's Brick Oven Pizza specializes in hand tossed, made from scratch pizza, baked in a brick oven, which has helped make them an iconic Tuolumne County restaurant destination. Over the years, fellow "foodies" and acquaintances have raved about Mia's fish and chips, as many connoisseurs of fine dining have posted articles promoting the top-shelf fish and chips, which grabbed my attention. The catch - no pun intended - is that fish and chips are only served on Fridays, so that made timing crucial. As luck would have it, the moon and stars aligned in the heavens, and on Friday, June 19, 2026, I was able to enjoy an early dinner of Mia's world famous fish and chips, at Mia's Brick Oven Pizza, located in Cold Springs, CA. With all of reviews that I publish, I have no affiliation with the restaurant reviewed, and there is no monetary gain on my part, as I am simply a person who likes to eat, and I love to write-up, and publish my dining experiences.
Photo: It's late in the afternoon, Friday, June 19, 2026 and I've arrived at Mia's Brick Oven Pizza, located in Cold Springs, CA. If you're familiar with the Pinecrest area of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, and the Dodge Ridge ski resort, you know the area. For some reason I checked the elevation, and my GPS noted the elevation is 5697 feet. Cold Springs lives up to it's name, as there is ample snow during the winter. For the last several years, I've been hearing Sonora locals rave about Mia's fish and chips, which is only served on Friday. Enjoying this fine offering had been on my "short list" for a couple years, and I was excited that the day had come when I could enjoy the dish for myself, and to see what others were raving about. Let's just say that I wasn't disappointed...
Photo: Mia's specializes in pizza, as their menu lists a wide array of pizza, many which are crafted to cater to local tastes. If you're simply ordering a pizza to go, or picking up a pizza, you order it, and pay for it at the counter, take a nearby seat in the foyer, and when your pizza is ready, the counter person will call your name. Mia's Brick Oven Pizza is a full-service restaurant, so if you're dining in, there is a counter, near the bar, where you'll be greeted and a staff member will happily seat you. Since today was a beautiful, sunny late Friday afternoon, with temperatures in the 80-degree range, I asked for a seat on the beautiful patio.
Photo: The restaurant, and the small bar were busy, as there wasn't a vacant seat at the bar. Past the bar, you can look into the kitchen to watch the talented staff perform their magic.
Photo: The restaurant menu has one page devoted to pizza, and the "other" page lists appetizers, entrées and more. Notice "Fish and Chips" is only offered on Friday, but it's every Friday, every day of the year.
Photo: The restaurant was very busy on this late Friday afternoon, with nearly every table seated. The time was around 4:15 when I arrived, which is usually a slack time, but not today. I'm glad I didn't wait until five or six to arrive! Despite the busy dining room, things moved smoothly, and all of the staff members were pleasant and efficient.
Photo: Meet Megan, my amazing friendly server, who brought my dinner to me with a smile and treated me like royalty. A few weeks ago, the restaurant's Facebook page featured Megan, highlighting how friendly she is, and how she is adored by both staff and customers. I was hoping that Megan would be my server, and as luck would have it, I was treated to her wonderful company. Despite the restaurant being very busy, my dinner arrived about 20 minutes after I placed my order.
Photo: I toast my friendly server Megan with a glass of Coors beer, as I prepare to savor a basket of some of the best fish and chips in Tuolumne County, and maybe even planet earth. Cheers!
Photo: From the "Entrées" section of the menu, I went with "Fish and Chips," which is served every Friday, and only on Friday. Since I'm not a local resident, the Friday timing was a bit on the tricky side, but today was my lucky day, as I'd been savoring to enjoy this fine offering for the past couple of years. The menu describes this delicious dish as, "Wild caught unicorn fish in a tempura-style beer batter, with a zesty tartar sauce, sweet and spicy coleslaw and choice of fries." In one word, I describe this dinner as "delicious." My early dinner included three pieces of fish, and each piece was coated in a light, seasoned, tempura-like beer batter, and perfectly deep fried to a beautiful medium golden brown, which was sheer beauty to admire. The chips were regular sized fries, very lightly battered, and deep fried to a golden brown, just a shade lighter than the fish. The fish was placed on top of the chips, which made for a beautiful presentation. Mia's coleslaw is unique, as I've never enjoyed coleslaw like this, and it was some of the best coleslaw... ever! The thin slices of cabbage onion and carrot are cut by hand, tossed fresh in house-made dressing. The dressing was robust, on the sweet side, with a pleasant spiciness. Between the fresh coleslaw and the house-made dressing, this was coleslaw to savor and remember. Megan had brought a bottle of malt vinegar to my table, but I didn't bother with it, as I'm a fan of tartar sauce, and I wasn't disappointed. The tartar sauce was thick, rich and zesty, and definitely not something that you'd find on the shelf of your local supermarket. My first bite into the fish was a sublime, culinary delight! The batter was light, crispy, crunchy, tempura-like, but robust, thanks to the beer. The batter-to-fish ratio was perfect, as the crispy, delicious batter complimented, but did not overpower the light, moist white fish. Since I'm a lover of tartar sauce, I dipped some of my fish into the tartar sauce, but the fish was so flavorful I almost forgot about the tartar sauce. The chips made for the perfect side, as they were deep fried to perfection, crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and complimented the battered fish. The coleslaw was unique, thanks to the fresh ingredients and Mia's sweet and spicy house dressing. I never use the phrase "the best," as it's such a subjective term, but I'll say that Mia's coleslaw was like no other coleslaw I've ever tasted, and it alone fast forwarded the meal to the head of the line. Yes, that's an optional Coors beer which did double duty as both appetizer and dessert. How can you enjoy a platter of fish and chips without a beer? No wonder Sonora and Tuolumne County "foodies" rave about Mia's "Fish and Chips!" I'm a believer! I've eaten a lot of fish and chips during my life, but I can't think of any that compares to the incredible platter of fish and chips I enjoyed today at Mia's Brick Oven Pizza, located in Cold Springs, CA.
Photo: Thanks to the beautiful presentation, it took me a minute of so to admire this amazing dish before I took my first bite. I cut off a small piece of the breaded fish to show the crispy, golden batter, and the tender, juicy white fish. Simply scrumptious! When you're heading east on Highway 108, through the high Sierra Nevada Mountains in Tuolumne County, whether you're heading so the slopes, or Sonora Pass and beyond, stop by Mia's for a delicious meal. Mia's Brick Oven Pizza is a favorite of locals, tourists and all who appreciate fine cuisine, served by friendly staff. This is delicious, gold country dining... For an exceptional dinner of fish and chips that you'll remember for the rest of your life, visit Mia's Brick Oven Pizza... located in Cold Springs, CA. Mia's Brick Oven Pizza Copyright(c) 2026 eRench Productions. All rights reserved. We've been on the web since December 22, 2002.
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