Ma Barker's decor and menu theme comes from the restaurant owner's love of gangster movies. Photos by Ronda Churchill.* The menu includes beer-battered fish and chips.

Fifty years ago, while living in Vancouver, British Columbia, Larry Harrison frequented a small place on the beach that served the best fish and chips.

"I hate fish, but this is delicious," Harrison says.

So when it came time to open his own restaurant, he searched out the owner of the Vancouver fish and chips restaurant and obtained the batter recipe.

It's a major seller at Harrison's quick-casual restaurant, Ma Barker's, at 4226 S. Durango Drive.

He came up with the restaurant's name from his love of gangster movies. Ma Barker, who was famous for her cooking skills as well as her ability to plan bank robberies, was perfect for the eatery's name, he says.

Ma Barker's 23-seat interior is decorated with gangster murals on the walls. But it's all about the food, Harrison says. "It has to come out right. I'd rather not have this business if it's not done right. All items are cooked to order. "We're not competing with Jack in the Box or Wendy's," Harrison says. "I want this to be a destination restaurant."

Ma Barker's is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Starters: G-Man hot dog, an 8-inch, quarter-pound, grilled Hebrew National hot dog with grilled onions and french fries ($4.75); Barker's Bites, five macaroni and cheese bites, batter dipped and quick fried, served with french fries ($3.95).

Soup and salads: The Gang's soup of the day ($3.50); Francis "Two Gun" Crowley's soup and salad featuring an appetizer salad and soup of the day ($6.50); Joe Bananas' Caesar salad ($7.50); Billy the Kid's shrimp salad ($9.95); Frank Costello's ham Cobb salad ($8.95); and "Mad Dog" Call's appetizer salad ($3.95).

Entrees: Fish and chips, beer-battered and deep fried in zero trans fat oil, served with french fries, coleslaw, tartar sauce and lemon wedge (two pieces, $8.99; three pieces, $9.99); Mob's Choice sirloin steak, a 10-ounce choice Angus grilled sirloin served with fries or a baked potato ($13.95); Hand Over the Loot chicken, four pieces of Southern fried chicken served with fries or baked potato and accompanied by coleslaw ($9.50).

Hamburgers, made with a steak blend, include Ma's Monster burger, a 1-pound burger with grilled onions ($8.95); the Getaway Car, a half-pound grilled burger served on a bagel or kaiser roll, topped with lettuce and tomatoes ($5.95); It's a Stick-Up combo, a half-pound burger served on a bagel or kaiser roll topped with a Hebrew National hot dog and grilled onions ($6.75); and Killer Burgers, miniburgers served on a slider bun and topped with grilled onions (one, $1.25; half-dozen, $6.95; dozen, $12).

Extras: Herman's battered shrimp, six batter-dipped shrimp served with cocktail sauce and fries ($6.75); a pound of Lloyd's russet potato french fries ($1.50); Creepy's curly fries ($1.75); Fred's coleslaw ($1.25); George's chili fries ($4.50); Arthur's deep-fried cod with tartar sauce and lemon wedge ($3.25); Ma's chili topped with cheddar jack cheese ($3.95); and Gangster wings, served with ranch dressing, carrots and celery sticks (six for $5.95; 12 for $10.95; 18 for $14.95), plus combo meals of several menu items.

Desserts: Dalton Brothers pie ($3.50 per slice) and Ma's cinnamon roll ($1.95).

Appetizers is a weekly informational column about new developments on the Las Vegas dining scene. Items should not be considered reviews or recommendations and none is a paid advertisement. Contact Ken White at 383-0256 or e-mail him at kwhite@ reviewjournal.com.