>Roosters in Bloomingdale has a great Friday Fish fry

I tried this place and while the fish is tasty, the breading was very greasy. In fact I tasted the grease throughout the night as I tried to sleep. Unless it was an off night I would not recommend it.

D.

dodger wrote:>Roosters in Bloomingdale has a great Friday Fish fry

I tried this place and while the fish is tasty, the breading was very greasy. In fact I tasted the grease throughout the night as I tried to sleep. Unless it was an off night I would not recommend it.

D.

i might have been an off night then as I have eaten there on numerous occasions without issue.

It's not the old fashioned fish fry you're looking for but I've had the fish and chips at Laschet's twice now and both times it was delicious. Crispy batter and tender flaky fish. It's cod and comes with fries (but no peas which I always think of as a traditional accompaniment) and tartar sauce. The fries are crinkle cut which I don't normally care for but they were really good. They do not have malt vinegar, though. If you need a fish and chips fix and can't make it to a more traditional venue or the rest of the crowd wants German food, I recommend it.

G Wiv wrote:Abolt,

Atlantic Bar serves a tasty fish fry, crisp batter made on the spot, cod moist and they pour a mean Guinness.

Atlantic Bar


Enjoy,
Gary

Atlantic Bar & Grill
5062 N. Lincoln Ave
Chicago, IL 60625
773-506-7090

My boyfriend and I enjoyed the Friday fish fry at Atlantic Bar & Grill today. However, neither the fish or the fries looked like your picture. We had steak cut fries and the batter was a little thicker and more golden brown. The fish pieces were a little more rectangular and quite uniform in size and shape. Did you go on a Friday? I wonder if they use a different product for the special b/c our server asked us if we wanted the fish fry from the special menu or the regular menu. I wish I hadn't left my camera in the car so I could've documented the difference. We enjoyed it nonetheless. For $5.95, it was a steal. (Actually as I study your picture more, even our lemon slices looked like they had already been used compared to yours! LOL)

Update to prevsious post on Laschet's fish and chips--I had it on Saturday night and it appears they are now using pre-breaded frozen fish. It wasn't horrible but I can no longer recommend it.

We've had the Friday night fish fry ($9.99 for all you can eat) at Pilot Pete's out at the Schaumburg airport a couple of times. The cod is breaded/battered in house and comes out light and crisp. It has never been greasy. My husband, a fish and chips lover, said it was better than the fish and chips he's had a Davis Street Fish Market.

It's a locally owned and operated joint, but sometimes I think they are trying to be the next Applebee's or Friday's in terms of "concept". This place is over the top in its South Seas/Pilot theming. So, if you don't like schtick on the walls and a fictional story behind every menu item, it might not be for you. It is very popular with Schaumburg families with younger kids due to the airport view and the theme.

http://www.pilotpetes.com/

Kim

Kim3 wrote:We've had the Friday night fish fry ($9.99 for all you can eat) at Pilot Pete's out at the Schaumburg airport a couple of times. The cod is breaded/battered in house and comes out light and crisp. It has never been greasy. My husband, a fish and chips lover, said it was better than the fish and chips he's had a Davis Street Fish Market.

It's a locally owned and operated joint, but sometimes I think they are trying to be the next Applebee's or Friday's in terms of "concept". This place is over the top in its South Seas/Pilot theming. So, if you don't like schtick on the walls and a fictional story behind every menu item, it might not be for you. It is very popular with Schaumburg families with younger kids due to the airport view and the theme.


Kim

Ive eaten there once and have to agree on the whole Applebee scenario you describe...
I didnt think the food was all that great either..
always willing to give a place a second chance though so Ill have to check out the fish fry

Head's Red BBQ wrote:Ive eaten there once and have to agree on the whole Applebee scenario you describe...
I didnt think the food was all that great either..
always willing to give a place a second chance though so Ill have to check out the fish fry

Yes, I agree with you on the rest of the food. Nothing to write home about and very much trying to emulate the bigger chains. The fish fry was the only thing we've had there worth mentioning to date.

Kim

i hate to say it, but i was at mccormick & schmick and ordered their fish and chips and to my surprise it was quite good. the batter was light and not greasy. but, it wasn't the thick stuff. it was on the line of bread crumbs/panko breading. i would order it again if i went back to m&s.

Anyone able to recommend something out towards the west/northwest suburbs?

Lilya wrote:Anyone able to recommend something out towards the west/northwest suburbs?

Is there a Buds sports bar out that way still? they closed the one in Roselle but they use to have a decent fish and chips dinner.
I thought they also had one in the Aurora/Naperville area

In today's Daily Herald:

Trolling for a fish fry? (A variety of Lent-only and year-round suburban fish fries.)

Lenten seafood options (Beyond the fry -- selected seafood dishes at various suburban restaurants.)

And a few more fries:

American Legion Post 57, 820 N. Liberty St, Elgin, (847) 741-8143. Lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and dinner, 4 to 7 p.m., Fridays year round. Fried perch, catfish, shrimp, haddock, macaroni and cheese and more, $6.25 to $6.75. Evening bingo follows.

American Legion Post 690, 122 W. Palatine Road, Palatine, (847) 359-1606. 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 29 and March 7 and 21. All-you-can-eat fish and chips, $8.

The Elgin Turners, 112 Villa St. Elgin, (847) 697-4431. 4:30 to 8:30 pm Fridays year round. Fried perch, catfish, walleye, shrimp, scallops, and baked or fried haddock, plus a variety of other dishes, $5.69 to 10.79 with soup, salad and potatoes. A full-service bar is available.

Holy Family Parish, 2515 Palatine Road, Inverness, (847) 907-3439. 6 to 7 p.m. Fridays through March 7. Knights of Columbus members serve fried fish, pizza, macaroni and cheese, fries, coleslaw, applesauce, and dessert, suggested donation, $10. Stations of the cross follow at 7:30 p.m. and live music figures each evening.

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 1023 McHenry Ave., Crystal Lake, (815) 459-3033. 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 7. All-you-can-eat fried and baked cod and walleye, pizza, soup, sides and dessert, $12.95 adults, $10.95 seniors, $6.95 kids.

St. Joseph the Worker Church, 181 W Dundee Road, Wheeling, (847) 537-2740. 4 to 8 p.m. Fridays through March 14. All-you-can-eat fish fry with choice of potato, coleslaw, rye bread and optional salad, $7.50 to $8.50. Shrimp dinners, salad bar and soup also available, as well as bar and soft drinks.

St. Raymond de Penafort, School Cafeteria, 301 S. I-Oka, Mount Prospect, (847) 253-8600. 5 to 7:30 p.m. March 14. Fried perch and sides, with cheese pizza available for the kids., $8 adults ($1-off senior discount, 5 to 6 p.m.); $5 kids.

St. Theresa Parish, Pauline Center, 455 N. Benton St., Palatine, (847) 358-7760. 4:30 to 7 p.m. Feb. 29 and March 7. Fried tilapia, pizza, salad, coleslaw. $7 adults, $4 kids.

I really like BallyDoyle Irish Pub in Downers Grove for Fish n Chips. They have the traditional beer battered fish and also serve it with malt vinegar. There is great Guiness on tap as well. Another item to try are their PEI Mussells appetizer! I am absolutely addicted to these! Not sure what all of the ingredients are in the sauce besides Harp, cream, garlic and some herbs but they are wonderful!

Ballydoyle Irish Pub & Rstrnt
www.ballydoylepub.com

5157 Main St
Downers Grove, IL 60515
(630) 969-0600

Often overlooked, Czech restaurant Little Europe in Brookfield has all you can eat breaded cod on Fridays for nine bucks.

LAZ wrote:St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 1023 McHenry Ave., Crystal Lake, (815) 459-3033. 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 7. All-you-can-eat fried and baked cod and walleye, pizza, soup, sides and dessert, $12.95 adults, $10.95 seniors, $6.95 kids.

My wife attended this fish fry this evening and it received really rave reviews. She said it was buffet style, included fried shrimp and a couple of other seafood items and that it was great. Their group plans to make it a weekly group dinner.

Personally, my favorite is the VFW post in Union, IL which served both fried and baked fish ... and is generally well packed.

Last night, as a couple of friends and I qued up for the delicious all you can eat fish fry at Duke of Perth, we came to the realization, that on a Friday night in the middle of lent, there was an hour plus wait for a table at that establishment.

Discussing our options, we opted to take a walk around the corner and down Broadway to the fairly new and untested Wilde Restaurant and Bar.

I was in the mood for fish and chips at that point, so I opted for Wilde's version which included four good sized planks of cod battered in a Guiness beer batter and served over a heaping mound of largely unremarkable crispy french fries.

The fish was simply wonderful: crispy, hot, moist and flavorful. The portion was generous (as it should have been given the $13 menu price). One of my dining companions had the Shepherd's Pie, a huge serving which filled a wide brimmed soup bowl, which he wiped out quickly and pronounced delicious.

Wilde has a nice selection of beers both on tap and bottled. It was busy. But, not overloaded like the Duke of Perth was earlier in the night.

Based on my experience, I'll definitely be back. It6's not nearly as good a value as the $9.50 all you can eat special at Duke. But, they serve a good product in a comfortable setting.

This is a nice addition to an otherwise bland dining neighborhood.

Wilde Restaurant and Bar
3130 N Broadway

Packed up the family and headed to the VFW in Elk Grove on Devon. Sorry, don't have the exact address, but it is about 2 miles west of Rte 83.

I wasn't expecting much, and that turned out the be a good thing, cause the perch was borderline flavorless. Lent is all about sacrifice, but I don't think that sacrificing the flavor should count.

The servers and staff were all VERY friendly and helpful though. They said they were shorthanded that night but all were working extra hard to keep things moving. It was really obvious.

I'm looking for better options near the Elmhurst area if anyone has any.

Mack's Golden Pheasant (on North Avenue, just east of 83) has a decent Friday AUCE fish fry. They'll even let you mix the various types of fish throughout the dinner.



Also, a little further NW, Chandler's on Roselle Road in Schaumburg has the best lake perch we've ever had. $9.95 AUCE on Fridays.

I meant to add to this original post that Mack's also has $1 tap beers on Friday nights - quite a good selection too!!

jlawrence01 wrote:

LAZ wrote:St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church, 1023 McHenry Ave., Crystal Lake, (815) 459-3033. 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. March 7. All-you-can-eat fried and baked cod and walleye, pizza, soup, sides and dessert, $12.95 adults, $10.95 seniors, $6.95 kids.

My wife attended this fish fry this evening and it received really rave reviews. She said it was buffet style, included fried shrimp and a couple of other seafood items and that it was great. Their group plans to make it a weekly group dinner.

Personally, my favorite is the VFW post in Union, IL which served both fried and baked fish ... and is generally well packed.

Yesterday I impulsively sent jlawrence a PM inquiring which fish fry he was going to attend. Once I learned he was going to Crystal Lake, then I picked up the Moms to head out to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Catholic Church. While not exactly close by, it was not as far as Serb Hall in Milwaukee, which has been whispering in my ear for quite a while.

jlawrence had commented in his PM, they were hoping to achieve a world record in fish fry attendance. I was wondering how this might be verifiable, though the answer was learned upon walking in. Once paid, there was a path with judges and a digital recorder to record each participants face.



Once we settled in, we went over to the hot buffet line with trays filled with fried walleye, fried cod, bake cod that seemed to be really poached in butter, fried shrimp, mac and cheese, sweet potato and regular fries, hush puppies (the weakest item tried) and potato pancakes.



They had a really great cold salad bar with two different kinds of coleslaw: sweet-sour and creamy. While I concentrated on my favorite sweet-sour, the creamy was very good looking. Either they have have a very good local source or they made these coleslaws on the premises, I lean toward they were church-made:



Their dessert table was loaded with goodies that were more homemade than many community events I attend.

Did I tell you we were not alone enjoying this fish fry?



The record they were attempting to break was 801, which they easily breezed past. We stayed until the end when they announced an attendance of 1429 diners in 4 hours.

Thanks to LAZ and jlawrence for alerting us to this event.

Regards,

So while not exactly a fish fry like Cathy2 has documented - Another place to consider during Lent is the GNR awarded Laschet's Inn.

They have a special Lent menu that includes Fish, and other vegetarian items.

My husband and I enjoyed the Mushroom goulash and the Cheese Spaetzle (Kaesespatzle) quite a bit a week or so ago.
But then again - we always enjoy the food, beer and service.

My observations were pretty similar to Cathy2's.

The food was well prepared and a lot of the fish was better tasting than what I normally get in the local restaurants on Friday's during Lent. The baked cod was done very well. the fish was hand breaded, and the salads were very fresh and homemade.

The desserts were homemade but prepackaged. Early in the evening, they were asking people to take their desserts "to go" so that they could feed more people early in the evening. And they had the required MCHD required sign "These desserts were not prepared in a commercial kitchen, eat at your own risk."

Anybody have any new picks? Particularly looking in the NW Burbs (Arlington Heights Area).

BAT

I know this is not in the NW suburbs, but I had to post it anyway.

I just had the fish fry at Emmett’s Ale House in Downers Grove. The menu offered beer-battered cod for $15 (AYE). I believe it was the worst I have ever had. (Ok, slight exaggeration.)

While each fillet was of a decent size, they were 70% breading with a small piece of fish inside. And the breading was not that tasty. The fish part was just OK.

I would avoid this place for their Friday Fish Fry.

D.

We have a new McCormick and Schmicks in our work neighborhood in Rosemont. They do a very nice Cod and Chips for around $10 at lunch. 3 good sized pieces of fish with a Goose Island beer batter- decent fries.

dodger wrote:I know this is not in the NW suburbs, but I had to post it anyway.

I just had the fish fry at Emmett’s Ale House in Downers Grove. The menu offered beer-battered cod for $15 (AYE). I believe it was the worst I have ever had. (Ok, slight exaggeration.)

While each fillet was of a decent size, they were 70% breading with a small piece of fish inside. And the breading was not that tasty. The fish part was just OK.

I would avoid this place for their Friday Fish Fry.

D.

$15 for cod? I don't care how good it is, it isn't worth that much.

Grey rainy day, didn't have lunch, hungry. I am pretty sure I will be at Duke of Perth in a couple of hours.

I hate to do this, but my favorite best kept secret is Club 81 Too in Chicago's Hegwisch neighborhood. Friday fish fry is as old school as this bar. The Walleye dinner is $12.95, and the Hungry Man Walleye is $16.95. I dare ya to eat all of that one! I do! And it is good. Draught Miller lite is $1.50.

TheWindyCity wrote:I hate to do this, but my favorite best kept secret is Club 81 Too in Chicago's Hegwisch neighborhood. Friday fish fry is as old school as this bar. The Walleye dinner is $12.95, and the Hungry Man Walleye is $16.95. I dare ya to eat all of that one! I do! And it is good. Draught Miller lite is $1.50.

WindyCity,

Club 81 Two has been discussed by the ever interesting Cathy2 and the virtually omnipresent Rene G here and and Erik M, who's range goes well beyond Thai, here.

I agree it is a very cool place, though I've not had the chance to eat at Club 81, Too, just look around.

Club 81 Too
13157 S Avenue M (written as stated on the signs)
Chicago
773-646-4292
The restaurant is ONLY open Wednesday and Friday!
Wednesday: 11-2, 4-8
Friday: 11-2, 3-8:30

Thanks G Wiv! Yes, I loved her write up. I checked out her post a while back before we paid another visit, and she covered it so well I decided to leave the camera at home! But I do go way back with the original Club 81. The original bar was on the 8100 block of S. Exchange. My parents had a store across from the bar at 8140 S. Exchange. A lot of their "fish decor" is from the old place. The original owner, Chester Dombrowski, used to run the bar, and repair TVs at the back end of it. He'd be testing tubes and running the tap! In South Chicago, it was THE place to go for Friday fish frys. It's really great to see that they serve things the same way as their father did back in the 60s. You have to make it a point to pay a visit soon.

Is there a weekly fish fry around here that also serves potato pancakes as done in some Southern Wisconsin establishments? I never much cared for the fried fish of the fish fry but those thick and rough grated pancakes were damn good, and got me through many a mandatory family fish fry of my youth. Of course my disposition towards these meals was also thwarted by the Supper Club's harsh exclusion of my beloved relish tray, from the family style fish fry.