Boy Could I Go For Some Fish 'N' Chips

A friend of mine lives in Andersonville, and another lives near 900 Michigan. Whichever neighborhood has the better fish 'n' chips within walking distance is where I'm headed. Any ideas? I want something mid-range, too, no fancy-schmancy stuff.

Thanks!

Your guys could meet in the middle (kind of) and go to Duke of Perth.

2913 N Clark St
Chicago, IL, 60657
(773) 477-1741

I haven't actually eaten them, but I have seen them numerous times (including yesterday) and the fish n' chips at The Gage would be where I would go....it's a bit of a walk from 900 N. Michigan, but it is a lovely day!

The Gage
24 S Michigan Ave
Chicago, IL 60603
www.thegagechicago.com
312-372-4243

PS- The Scotch Egg there is quite tasty!

Duke of Perth all the way.

Go on Wednesday of Friday and the fish is all you can eat!

Or Wilde around 3200 North on Broadway. I'm infatuated with their fish and chips.

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.ph ... ight=wilde

Chloe54 wrote:I haven't actually eaten them, but I have seen them numerous times (including yesterday) and the fish n' chips at The Gage would be where I would go....!

I have had the fish and chips at the Gage, i was not impressed. I am also unimpressed with the fish at Elephant & Castle's various locations. My all-time favorite "chippie" was the late great Clancy's on Lincoln and Berteau. I remember someone posted something recently about a place that has a similiar style fish and chip (the name of the place escapes me) I would go there.

I have to grab a ride on the Duke of Perth bandwagon on this question. I've eaten a lot of the fish and chips in this town and I think DofP does it better than anyone in town. The options are much more numerous near 900 North -- i live in A-ville and there's not a decent fish and chip anywhere in sight.

Now if you want middle eastern food, we're pretty good.

Or Swedish pancakes.

Or a pretty good bowl of mussels at the Hopleaf And good frites, too.

Life's too short to eat bad fish and chips.

shannon

If you also want good atmosphere and beers to drink, you can't really beat the outdoor patio at the Edgewater Lounge, especially with how nice the weather has been lately. On Friday evenings they have all you can eat fish and chips for around $10. Add a couple of Rouge Shakespeare Stouts and I'm pretty set. It's also right in Andersonvile as well!

Edgewater Lounge
5600 N Ashland Ave

(773) 878-3343



Sharona

Anyone know of an all-you-can eat fishery that would accept children? Most of them seem to be in taverns. And I love me some taverns, but my kid can eat some serious fish, and it might be fun to expose her to the world of all-you-can-eat one of these days.

mimismartypants wrote:Anyone know of an all-you-can eat fishery that would accept children? Most of them seem to be in taverns. And I love me some taverns, but my kid can eat some serious fish, and it might be fun to expose her to the world of all-you-can-eat one of these days.

Some pubs that are also restaurants will also accept children although you might want to consider some of the more old-fashioned Friday fish frys at places like churches and American Legion halls (some may still be operating, but it's late in the season for many).

See this thread for a lot of recommendations.

Best,
Michael

Kids are welcome in most "taverns" that have fish fries and all-u-can eat. Atlantic is a nice, kid-friendly option. Many (or most) of these places aim to replicate, with varying degrees of success, public houses from Ireland or England.

Really? That's good to know. I am pretty sure I've never seen a kid at duke of perth.

I thought it all depended on whether a place had a "restaurant" license or a "tavern" license. For instance, although these days Hopleaf seems more like a restaurant with lots of beer, they will not admit children because they don't have the right license and it's illegal. Or so I was told.

An owner at Hop Leaf stated to me that the "no kids" rule was hers, not Chicago's. I don't know anything about the licensing issues, just recounting what I was told.

Do you live in the city? Most of the Northside faux-Irish pubs and Big Ten bars are lousy with kids, strollers and dogs on a weekend afternoon. Many have a rule like no kids after 10 or what have you. My local favorite, Gingers, is kind of rough around the edges and kicks kids out after a crertain time, but they are otherwise welcome. Again, I'd check out the Atlantic. It's very much like a "real" pub, very pleasant and family-friendly. They have an all-u-can-eat on Friday for a very popular price (or did recently).

Another option for FnC is the Red lion pub, located on Lincoln ave. Its an old english pub thats been in LP for some time now and in my estimate wont be around for much longer with its prime space. Red lion has also long been considered one of the most haunted places in the US and when your in there, you do get that eerie feeling.

I havent had the fish n chips for a few years now but I remember them being tasty and a good example for Chicagoland.

http://www.redlionchicago.com/

just to chime in on a couple of things . . . I am so happy to hear that the owner, or at least someone from HopLeaf is finally 'fessing up that their "No Children" rule is of their own design and not some weird Chicago law. When they first started serving food they flat out lied and said it was because they didn't have the proper "tavern" license. I love the HopLeaf and it's great that they know what they don't want at their establishment (children) but it always irked me to no end that they were falling back on a bogus reason. Why? Because it's confusing and you then think that other taverns don't allow children, when in fact they do. With restrictions but still. (You can bring kids to Resi's Bierstube, where it's so much of a bar serving food that they can bang their heads on the barstools!)

A couple of other suggestions not based on experience . . . Chief O'Neill's seems to be proud of their fish fry on Fridays--described as "All that you care to eat" (nicely put) and someone posted once on the Fish Fry at the Irish Heritage Center over off of Montrose. Not going to put Duke of Perth out of business but it's supposedly lovely and family friendly. With music at times and you're supporting a non-profit cultural center.

Finally, I have been hearing rave reviews for the once a month Friday Fish Fry at the DANK German Hall (odd, I know) up the coast of Michigan in St. Joseph. Just in case you wanted to throw a road trip into your experience.

good luck!

bjt

To be clear, the fact that the owners of Hopleaf do not want chilren in their bar does not preclude the possibility that they also don't have the proper paperwork to permit kids. It was plain to me, though, that they made a decision that kids are not welcome. As someone with a bunch of kids, I'm absolutely fine with that. I really enjoy Hopleaf, and like the no-kids atmosphere. Other people's kids can really get on my nerves.

you're right, but before HopLeaf ever served food and was just a "bar" I saw couples bring in babies in the car seats (you know that stage where you can cart your sleeping little bundle just about anywhere) and park them on the floor under their barstools and no one ever said anything. So if you can legally bring a babe into the bar sans license I don't see how adding food would make it now illegal or whatever. But the bottom line is I agree with you, I would rather know exactly where a restaurant stands on kids than being in one that is passive aggressive about them coming in. I guess what I am saying is I appreciate the honest explanation rather than the cagey/bogus "we don't have the proper license" line. And every parent that I know who adores the Hopleaf has said without malice but sort of laughing how transparent their claim is. But you know what? I think they're doing all of us parents a backwards public service as it has become our go-to place on the rare Date Night. And mussels are so much more rewarding when you can focus on the buttery broth rather than a squirmy toddler. So it really does all work out in the end.

cheers.

bjt

Irish Times in Broopkfield, facing the Burlington tracks, has really excellent fish and chips, and on Friday it's all you can eat. Kids are fine.

Just don't go there on St. Patrick's day.

I completely agree with the Red Lion rec: best Fish & Chips in the city. Sadly, The Red Lion is temporarily shut down. One of the partners in the bar's family also owns the land, so it's not a case of them being forced out by a landlord in favor of another soulless plasma-festooned kiddie bar.

The building was simply falling apart. They're going to do a tear down and rebuild. Hopefully all will go well and a new Red Lion will rise Phoenix-like from the ashes by year's end.

Yesterday, I was in the mood for some fish and chips. I have also been feeling a bit traitorous lately because I have been promoting Wilde Restaurant and Bar's F&C over those of the nearby and very well established Duke of Perth of which I have loing been a fan and proponent.

So, i dropped into the Duke about mid-afternoon. I was a bit hungover and looking for a good grease quotient to take the edge off of it.

Unlike past trips to the Duke, where I was served big "planks" of deep fried fish, today, I was served three thinner strips (which probably amounted to the same amount of fish one would get in a one big "plank" order.

Maybe I'm getting spoiled by Wilde. But, the Duke of Perth product just didn't stand up as well to what I have eaten recently at Wilde. It was hot. it was crispy. But, the batter didn't have nearly the flavor that the batter at Wilde does.

Here's a major caveat in the Duke's favor: The fish and chips there was $8.95. At Wilde, the fish and chips is $13.95 though you can get a smaller plate of cod brittles (basically deep fried chunks of cod with no fries) for $8.95. I'm not a fan of the fries at either place, so the brittles may work best for me.

The Duke's $9.95 all you can eat special on Wednesday and Friday is still a value that's hard to beat.

Three Floyds might be a bit far if you're in the city and have a sudden craving for fish 'n chips, but theirs is very, very good. Excellent fries, really nice batter, and fried crisp. It's my favorite batch of fish 'n chips yet.

And the beer at FFF is pretty good, too. ^_^

Three Floyds
9570 Indiana Parkway
Munster, IN 46321
(219) 922-4425
http://www.threefloydspub.com/index.html

iblock9 wrote:My all-time favorite "chippie" was the late great Clancy's on Lincoln and Berteau. I remember someone posted something recently about a place that has a similiar style fish and chip (the name of the place escapes me) I would go there.

iBlock9,

McGill's is the place, crisp meaty moist lava-flow-hot fish, I've been twice, a terrific deal at $7.50 all you care to eat with tater tots. Not quite up to my memory of Clancy's, which was the best I've had in Chicago, but a more than reasonable substitute.

Enjoy,
Gary

McGill's Bar and Grill
4553 N Pulaski
Chicago, IL 60630
773-478-6096

Red lion has also long been considered one of the most haunted places in the US and when your in there, you do get that eerie feeling.

Agreed, on the suggestion, and the haunting, Da Beef. Good fish, and poltergeists; what more could you want.

Seconded on Duke of Perth as well. The food varies from solid to spectacular depending on the night and traffic.

Sharona wrote:If you also want good atmosphere and beers to drink, you can't really beat the outdoor patio at the Edgewater Lounge, especially with how nice the weather has been lately. On Friday evenings they have all you can eat fish and chips for around $10.

Edgewater is one of my favorite neighborhood bars, even though I don't live anywhere near the neighborhood. Friendly people (some from the old Augenblick), nice beer selection (always a selection from John's Locker Stock) and pretty good food (even when it misses it seems like they're trying). I enjoy the fish fry with battered cod, undercooked fresh-cut potato planks and homemade slaw. And of course a pint of whatever the Rogue special happens to be.

bjt wrote:. . . and someone posted once on the Fish Fry at the Irish Heritage Center over off of Montrose.

You can find a report on the fish fry at Irish American Heritage Center here but I believe it occurs only during Lent. The food isn't terribly special but the whole package certainly is. Extremely family friendly.

danimalarkey wrote:Three Floyds might be a bit far if you're in the city and have a sudden craving for fish 'n chips, but theirs is very, very good. Excellent fries, really nice batter, and fried crisp.

Like most of the menu, FFF's fish is a pleasant surprise, at least if you aren't expecting classic English-style fish and chips. Small chunks of fish in a spicy breading come paired with medium-cut fries. Attentive cooks regularly deliver crisp well-browned food instead of the pale limp stuff so often seen. The fish and chips go nicely with the great FFF beers, including brews you'll never see in Chicago as well as some well-chosen guest beers. It's worth the trip.