eating while walking wrote:aaahh who am I kidding, I just get two sandwiches now. But I always eat the fish first.

Always a good idea to begin with the fish course and then move on the heavier, red meat entrées.

I've always loved the fish sandwich at Superdawg, I think it's often overlooked in favor of the burgers and dogs, but this is a lovely fillet with or without cheese on a toasted onion roll with tarter sauce and fries on the side. It was profiled by Kevin Pang in the Tribune a couple of weeks ago and he confirmed that the fish, like the fries is done in beef tallow, sigh. I had to go and give them some love last week, it was as good as always.

mbh wrote:I've always loved the fish sandwich at Superdawg, I think it's often overlooked in favor of the burgers and dogs, but this is a lovely fillet with or without cheese on a toasted onion roll with tarter sauce and fries on the side. It was profiled by Kevin Pang in the Tribune a couple of weeks ago and he confirmed that the fish, like the fries is done in beef tallow, sigh. I had to go and give them some love last week, it was as good as always.

Absolutely concur on the Superdawg fish. It is usually a double fillet side by side on the bun. It is my typical order there. Sometimes to be radical I get it on their good pumpernickel bread.

Just echoing what mbh and Marco said up above...That's a SuperFish sandwich alright

Superdawg
6363 N Milwaukee Ave
Chicago, IL 60646
(773) 763-0660

Another place with what I would describe as a great fishwich is the cod fillet at old fave Ba Le Bakery. It is large and the breading is fantastic. My personal tweak is to ask them to add the pickled daikon. Then you are getting a really unique fish sub. It has become my go-to order there since they expanded the menu and added it.

http://www.balesandwich.com/our-menu

Marco wrote:Another place with what I would describe as a great fishwich is the cod fillet at old fave Ba Le Bakery. It is large and the breading is fantastic. My personal tweak is to ask them to add the pickled daikon. Then you are getting a really unique fish sub. It has become my go-to order there since they expanded the menu and added it.

http://www.balesandwich.com/our-menu

I had no idea they even had a fishwich, thanks

Here is my photo evidence in support of the Jim's fish sandwich:





If you are into the artificiality of the Filet-O-Fish (and I am) Jim's offers a way better version of that kind of sandwich.

AlekH wrote:

Marco wrote:Another place with what I would describe as a great fishwich is the cod fillet at old fave Ba Le Bakery. It is large and the breading is fantastic. My personal tweak is to ask them to add the pickled daikon. Then you are getting a really unique fish sub. It has become my go-to order there since they expanded the menu and added it.

http://www.balesandwich.com/our-menu

I had no idea they even had a fishwich, thanks

Yep, thanks for the rec...nice call

Ba Le
5014 N. Broadway
Chicago, IL 60640
(773) 561-4424

eating while walking wrote:If you are into the artificiality of the Filet-O-Fish (and I am) Jim's offers a way better version of that kind of sandwich.

What's artificial about the Filet-O-Fish?

spinynorman99 wrote:

eating while walking wrote:If you are into the artificiality of the Filet-O-Fish (and I am) Jim's offers a way better version of that kind of sandwich.

What's artificial about the Filet-O-Fish?

No matter how you slice up a pollock in your home kitchen, I promise you it will not become a perfectly square patty.

eating while walking wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:

eating while walking wrote:If you are into the artificiality of the Filet-O-Fish (and I am) Jim's offers a way better version of that kind of sandwich.

What's artificial about the Filet-O-Fish?

No matter how you slice up a pollock in your home kitchen, I promise you it will not become a perfectly square patty.

That's not a matter of being artificial, it's just how it's frozen. They take pollock fillets and press them into blocks for freezing. It's no different than how fish was frozen in the "old days" before you had individually frozen fillets. Look at it this way, you cut fillets from a dozen fish and then put them all into a Tupperware container and then freeze. Absent wax paper to separate the fillets they freeze into a solid block. Then take slices of the frozen block, add breading and deep fry. Are you getting a whole fillet in your sandwich? Obviously not. But what is it that you're losing? So each square is comprised of more than one fillet, that doesn't make it "artificial."

spinynorman99 wrote:That's not a matter of being artificial, it's just how it's frozen. They take pollock fillets and press them into blocks for freezing. It's no different than how fish was frozen in the "old days" before you had individually frozen fillets. Look at it this way, you cut fillets from a dozen fish and then put them all into a Tupperware container and then freeze. Absent wax paper to separate the fillets they freeze into a solid block. Then take slices of the frozen block, add breading and deep fry. Are you getting a whole fillet in your sandwich? Obviously not. But what is it that you're losing? So each square is comprised of more than one fillet, that doesn't make it "artificial."

If that's really how they do it, I will eat my words (covered in Jim's Original tartar sauce)

eating while walking wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:That's not a matter of being artificial, it's just how it's frozen. They take pollock fillets and press them into blocks for freezing. It's no different than how fish was frozen in the "old days" before you had individually frozen fillets. Look at it this way, you cut fillets from a dozen fish and then put them all into a Tupperware container and then freeze. Absent wax paper to separate the fillets they freeze into a solid block. Then take slices of the frozen block, add breading and deep fry. Are you getting a whole fillet in your sandwich? Obviously not. But what is it that you're losing? So each square is comprised of more than one fillet, that doesn't make it "artificial."

If that's really how they do it, I will eat my words (covered in Jim's Original tartar sauce)

Working late tonight and McDonald's was my best bet. Had the Filet-o-Fish, which is still, indeed, filet-ish. Not bad. My only regret is not going whole hog and getting the shamrock shake.

I rea;ize it's pretty upscale for a 'fishwich', but the fried whitefish sandwich with parsnip pickle slaw ($11) at Found Kitchen in Evanston is fantastic - a really quality whitefish filet lightly breaded and fried on a fresh bun. I had one about a month ago and I have to go back soon to get another. I just wish Chicago Magazine would stop listing them EVERY month as one of the hot spots around town so the crowds would abate.

Found Kitchen & Social House
1631 Chicago Ave.
Evanston, IL

Tobermory wrote:I rea;ize it's pretty upscale for a 'fishwich', but the fried whitefish sandwich with parsnip pickle slaw ($11) at Found Kitchen in Evanston is fantastic - a really quality whitefish filet lightly breaded and fried on a fresh bun. I had one about a month ago and I have to go back soon to get another. I just wish Chicago Magazine would stop listing them EVERY month as one of the hot spots around town so the crowds would abate.

Found Kitchen & Social House
1631 Chicago Ave.
Evanston, IL

That's the one dish I found (no pun intended) disappointing there. Ended up being a little sweet-ish for my taste. Maybe better without the bun.

Another fulfilling Fishwish can be had at the classic Dengeo's. It is a LARGE 4oz codfish on a strong substantial bun--comes with cheese and tartar sauce. I add lettuce/tomato/onion/ and their good thick pickles slices all at no charge. It is $4 and worth it.

You don't hear enough good things about Dengeo's. I was there at the Skokie location tonight and every table was full, yet, the line moves fast and the orders get filled fast.

http://www.dengeos.com/

eating while walking wrote:Here is my photo evidence in support of the Jim's fish sandwich:

(pics removed 'cause they so dang big!)

If you are into the artificiality of the Filet-O-Fish (and I am) Jim's offers a way better version of that kind of sandwich.

Hello all, been lurking awhile and first post!

That fish sandwich food porn shot from Jim's Original is absolutely making me drool! It looks PERFECT for when I crave a soggy/crunchy version that can be the fish sandwich experience. I'd almost be tempted to do something crazy and order two, and try one without the tartar sauce and have em pile the grilled onions on instead. Sounds disgusting... but who knows? Not an expensive experiment to try.

@eating while walking, have you tried the fish from Express? That pic alone of the Jim's sandwich has motivated me to make a point to head on down to Union street tomorrow! I'll be sure to try the one from Express as well, and will report back. But if the one from Jim's tastes as good as that looks, holy moly goodbye McD's ever so occasional craving.

A pretty good Cod sandwich, and Crab burger can be found at Fish Bar in Lakeview. I also think their Lobster roll is better than the "purer version" at New England Seafood. It's become a part of my rotation when I'm in Lakeview to catch a flick at Brew & View, or at my Lawyers house... sigh.

This thread has also motivated me to finally give Culver's a try. There's one near my Parents house in Arlington Heights, it's on NW Highway in neighboring Palatine if I recall. I'll make a point to head on out there on my next visit.


-Brian

Fish Bar
2956 N Sheffield Ave
Chicago, IL 60657
(773) 687-8177

Funk Dracula wrote:Hello all, been lurking awhile and first post!

Welcome, Brian. Thanks, for the post.

=R=

Kudo's for turning me on to this gem at Jim's Original; I would never have thought of ever getting anything but the Polish or Pork Chop from here if it weren't for this thread. Now my new favorite "junk food" (a category of it's own IMO) fish sandwich! I was raised never eating meats on Friday's (all year 'round thing, not just lent), so a fish sandwich has always been a pretty frequent lunch/dinner thing in rotation for me.

It don't look pretty, but try it with a pile of grilled onions smacked on top! It was really, really surprisingly good! Be brave, do it!
The "Maxwell Fish!"


I will end up asking for extra tartar the next time I order this, the addition of the onions requires more sauce... which shouldn't be a problem because the patty is substantial enough to deal with more sauce.

I was planning on giving Express a try as well, but ordered two of these from Jim's (one with onions, one without) and was too full to contemplate eating any more food.

If your getting a craving for a fish sandwich from McDonald's or Wendy's, don't do it! Get down to Union street and get this!

Oh, if your foolish like me and eat this in your car... let's just say I think I'm going to have to get my car detailed on the inside to get rid of the stench.

Regards,
-B

Jim's Original
1250 S Union Ave
Chicago, IL 60607
(312) 733-7820

mbh wrote:I've always loved the fish sandwich at Superdawg, I think it's often overlooked in favor of the burgers and dogs, but this is a lovely fillet with or without cheese on a toasted onion roll with tarter sauce and fries on the side. It was profiled by Kevin Pang in the Tribune a couple of weeks ago and he confirmed that the fish, like the fries is done in beef tallow, sigh. I had to go and give them some love last week, it was as good as always.

For this article, Kevin Pang sampled a dozen fried fish sandwiches across Chicago and lists his favorite 5. I'd be interested in knowing which 7 did not make his cut....

Marco wrote:Another place with what I would describe as a great fishwich is the cod fillet at old fave Ba Le Bakery. It is large and the breading is fantastic. My personal tweak is to ask them to add the pickled daikon. Then you are getting a really unique fish sub. It has become my go-to order there since they expanded the menu and added it.

http://www.balesandwich.com/our-menu

Clearly I have not been to Ba Le recently! Since I assume that the area near Broadway and Argyle will be free of drunk people wearing green, this may be what I'm doing for dinner tonight.

We went to Jim's this afternoon for fish sandwiches, and I enjoyed it a lot. To me, quite a bit better than a McDonald's Fillet o fish. Of course, the fries are terrible.

I often purchase breaded cod patties by the case to feed our staff, and like anything else, the quality varies quite a bit according to what you're willing to spend. Some, but not all, are natural fish as spinynorman suggests. The better ones come raw, breaded and frozen. Other options include breaded cooked squares, and quite a few of these are manufactured from chopped, blended, and extruded/formed fish. (White slime?)

Interesting that Sysco was sold out of the good at the beginning of Lent.

I think the one I had today started as a raw breaded cod square. The sweet tartar sauce was delicious. No onions though.

Evil Ronnie wrote:Some, but not all, are natural fish as spinynorman suggests.

My response was limited to the McDonald's product containing actual fillets. I'm well aware of minced fish products such as grocery store fish sticks and fish patties - and which are generally abhorrent. Although at the other end of the monced fish spectrum a well-prepared Thai fish cake can be very, very good.

Funk Dracula wrote:@eating while walking, have you tried the fish from Express? That pic alone of the Jim's sandwich has motivated me to make a point to head on down to Union street tomorrow! I'll be sure to try the one from Express as well, and will report back. But if the one from Jim's tastes as good as that looks, holy moly goodbye McD's ever so occasional craving.

Glad you liked the Jim's fish sandwich. My brother is scared to eat seafood from a place that looks like Jim's so I will point him at this thread to try and shame him into action.

I have tried the Express fish and I found it to follow the general Jim's VS Express comparison rule: a bit colder, and a bit staler. I would really love to see the back of house operations at Jim's because I can't figure out how their fried food is always so fresh out of the oil.

We both thought that Jim's fish sandwich is superior in every way to that of McDonalds. Crispier and better tasting fish, better bun, better tartar sauce. Can't wait to go back.

Marco wrote:Another place with what I would describe as a great fishwich is the cod fillet at old fave Ba Le Bakery. It is large and the breading is fantastic. My personal tweak is to ask them to add the pickled daikon. Then you are getting a really unique fish sub. It has become my go-to order there since they expanded the menu and added it.

http://www.balesandwich.com/our-menu

I wish I'd paid more attention to your comment about adding pickled daikon...because this underscores a personal pet peeve of mine. At the top of the menu board, it says "All (I think) sandwiches come with house mayonnaise, pickled daikon and carrots, onions, cilantro, jalapenos, and is topped with either soy or fish sauce." (The website says "Most sandwiches...") When you order the cod sandwich, they ask if you want everything on it. Neither the menu nor the order taker makes it clear that "everything" is different from the "everything" that's on every other Ba Le sandwich I'd ever ordered.

I enjoyed my cod sandwich with (I think) lettuce, cilantro, pickled jalapenos and red onions on it, but toward the end was getting a distinctly nutty taste. (Maybe chopped peanuts?)

chgoeditor wrote:

Marco wrote:Another place with what I would describe as a great fishwich is the cod fillet at old fave Ba Le Bakery. It is large and the breading is fantastic. My personal tweak is to ask them to add the pickled daikon. Then you are getting a really unique fish sub. It has become my go-to order there since they expanded the menu and added it.

http://www.balesandwich.com/our-menu

I wish I'd paid more attention to your comment about adding pickled daikon...because this underscores a personal pet peeve of mine. At the top of the menu board, it says "All (I think) sandwiches come with house mayonnaise, pickled daikon and carrots, onions, cilantro, jalapenos, and is topped with either soy or fish sauce." (The website says "Most sandwiches...") When you order the cod sandwich, they ask if you want everything on it. Neither the menu nor the order taker makes it clear that "everything" is different from the "everything" that's on every other Ba Le sandwich I'd ever ordered.

I enjoyed my cod sandwich with (I think) lettuce, cilantro, pickled jalapenos and red onions on it, but toward the end was getting a distinctly nutty taste. (Maybe chopped peanuts?)

When they first came out with the cod sandwich, they had a sauce similar to a tarter sauce to which they added only lettuce/tomato. So next time I specified I wanted the typical condiment package [minus the jalapenos]. Most times they get it right, depending on who is doing the construction. Lately the quality control has been not as consistent.

Another real good fishwish I haven't had lately is nearby at the Edgewater Lounge on Ashland. Wondering if it is ever a daily special this time of year.

eating while walking wrote:This will sound a little crazy, because who goes to Jim's Original and doesn't get the Polish? But I have to report that the fish sandwich at Jim's is really delicious, maybe the best thing on their menu.

A real surprise to me too. If you hadn't mentioned it, I'm pretty sure I never would have ordered a fish sandwich at Jim's.







The onions seem essential to me (though I haven't tried one without). I found myself wishing for a few dill pickle slices but that's not in Jim's condiment repertoire. Still, a surprisingly good fishwich.

Encouraged by Jim's deft hand with seafood, a week later I decided to try a fish sandwich at Express Grill.





Although it looks similar, the patty was unpleasantly mushy and fishy. And sport peppers aren't an ideal complement, especially when they're brown and withered. Not good at all.

On my fish sandwich scoresheet, it's Jim's 1, Express 0.

Jim's Original
1250 S Union Av
Chicago
312-733-7820

Express Grill
1260 S Union Av
Chicago
312-738-2112

I've now had several more fish sandwiches from Jim's, and still have yet to have tried the one from Express. I'm sure to avoid it now. Thanks for taking one for the team ReneG!

The sandwich from Jim's just hits "that craving" so dead on. I can't see myself getting a Polish from there ever again, as my favorite Polish is the one they dish out at Odge's anyway (deep fried.)

I find myself hitting the expressway @ Augusta southbound quite often on a mission to eat another one of these yummy, huge, and super affordable fish sandwiches.

By the way, I laughed uncontrollably at that burnt deserted car wreck in front of Express in that pic! Makes me smile to think the Union St location still hasn't lost all of it's "abandoned lot" charm, even after they permanently switched N/S locations and the shiny UIC buildings finally popped up. (and the college kids wearing really expensive hipster clothing began replacing the usual suspects in line.)

-B

Funk Dracula wrote:By the way, I laughed uncontrollably at that burnt deserted car wreck in front of Express in that pic! Makes me smile to think the Union St location still hasn't lost all of it's "abandoned lot" charm

Rene G's picture made me smile as well, I meant to comment. Have not had the fish from Jim's yet, but its high on my list.

Plus one on Superdawg's fish sandwich and, while it won't replace the Superdawg hot dog for me, is a hell of a tasty fish sandwich.