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My favorite new hangout is The Eddy, a pub in Saxapahaw, NC. The sunset over the Haw River is a lot like the sunset from the Oasis on Lake Travis, so when I first went to this place, I expected to be paying for the view, not the food. Turns out, I'd happily pay for the food even if the view sucked, which it doesn't.

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Their fish & chips is actually fried catfish, which was new to me -- calling it "fish & chips" that is; catfish is an old standby, obviously.

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So, what's your favorite fish & chips? Cod? Pollock? Hake? And who makes your fave? Ever had it in newspaper like back in Merry Olde England? 

Cooper Island in the BVI used to have amazing fish n chips.  Served in a metal bucket with the fish on the chips.  The batter on the fish was perfect.  Crispy all the way to the fish with zero mush in between batter and fish and a perfect beer batter.  Then they hired a new chef and he completely fucked the dish up.  I was not happy the last time I ate there.

Edited by VABuckeye

Cod day-to-day, but fresh halibut fish & chips, like I got in Alaska is my all time favorite.

I’ve been forced to eat fish and chips all over both continents. Or, I’ve at least been forced to witness them being eaten. I can honestly say that my Texan ass doesn’t get it. Hell, catfish sounds like a solid change-up. I like damned near anything, but I’ve never really enjoyed fish and chips. There’s a place somewhere in a non-London part of England called Hanby’s. Their fish and chips is about as good as I’ve ever had it. I would definitely eat at that place again. 

The Red Door in Seattle was really good.  Also if you're unfortunate enough to be in Wichita Falls The Highlander Public House has good fish and chips as well as everything else.

11 minutes ago, closetojumping said:

I’ve been forced to eat fish and chips all over both continents. Or, I’ve at least been forced to witness them being eaten. I can honestly say that my Texan ass doesn’t get it. Hell, catfish sounds like a solid change-up. I like damned near anything, but I’ve never really enjoyed fish and chips. There’s a place somewhere in a non-London part of England called Hanby’s. Their fish and chips is about as good as I’ve ever had it. I would definitely eat at that place again. 

Agree. Don't get it. Fried white fish is good, and I am down.  Put some tartar on teh side and I will eat that shit. But not sure it is anything to get worked up about. Chicken, yes. Steak, yes. Venison, fuck yes. Bland ass fucking english fish and chips. Ok. 

Dog and Duck used to have some good fish and chips. Cod, I believe it was. Doused in malt vinegar, slammed.

Kennedy’s on Goswell Road in London served the best fish and chips I can recall. Huge pieces of haddock. 

haddock is the go to in the maritimes, actually pretty much all of canada.  halibut is the best though.

  • Author
14 hours ago, Topper13 said:

Doused in malt vinegar, slammed.

This is my one divergence from most fish & chips fans -- I don't much care for the vinegar. Don't really like most pickled things, either, when it comes down to it. But I'm clearly missing out on something, because those who like it really seem to like it. Must be the equivalent of the cilantro/soap gene for those poor bastards who can't appreciate cilantro.

Fish and Chips is like Chinese food. It sounds like a good idea and then I get it and remember why I never seek this meal out. It's never as good as I imagine it will be and almost always disappoints. Why end up eating 2,000 calories of fried food that doesn't taste that great?

Best fish and chips I had were from the shops that wouldn't open until the bars were closing, in New Zealand. Sitting on the curb drunk, tearing the corner off the paper packet, and eating fried, salty goodness.

28 minutes ago, irishtexan said:

Why end up eating 2,000 calories of fried food that doesn't taste that great?

Because this is America.

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Fish Bar - Anstruther Scotland

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Tailend - St. Andrews, Scotland

2 hours ago, Walden Ponderer said:

This is my one divergence from most fish & chips fans -- I don't much care for the vinegar. Don't really like most pickled things, either, when it comes down to it. But I'm clearly missing out on something, because those who like it really seem to like it. Must be the equivalent of the cilantro/soap gene for those poor bastards who can't appreciate cilantro.

Pickled everything is life

Tight Ends in League City has pretty good Fish & Chips.

20 hours ago, The Other White Meat said:

Horse Brass Pub in Portland is the best I've had. They use halibut.

Just a great pub in general. 

19 hours ago, Topper13 said:

Dog and Duck used to have some good fish and chips. Cod, I believe it was. Doused in malt vinegar, slammed.

RIP

21 hours ago, Topper13 said:

Dog and Duck used to have some good fish and chips. Cod, I believe it was. Doused in malt vinegar, slammed.

You put the vinegar on the chips and not the fish, right? I love vinegar on fried potatoes. I wouldn't put it on fried fish. That sounds gross. 

5 hours ago, Lat22 said:

Tight Ends in League City has pretty good Fish & Chips.

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12 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

You put the vinegar on the chips and not the fish, right? I love vinegar on fried potatoes. I wouldn't put it on fried fish. That sounds gross. 

Both. It's great on fried fish. 

4 minutes ago, Hank_Hill said:

I do both. It isn’t gross.

I wouldn't put vinegar on the fish because the flavor of the fish is too delicate. Even if I did want vinegar on the fish, I wouldn't douse the fish in vinegar. All that can do is turn the crispy batter into mush. I'd dip the fish in vinegar one bite at a time. 

The potatoes can absorb the vinegar and get filled with tangy goodness. I can't see that working with a batter coated flaky white fish. Maybe just a spritz of lemon juice. If it was fried catfish then I could see using a vinegar based hot sauce. The thought of dousing crispy batter fried fish in any liquid sounds horrifying. 

18 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

I wouldn't put vinegar on the fish because the flavor of the fish is too delicate. Even if I did want vinegar on the fish, I wouldn't douse the fish in vinegar. All that can do is turn the crispy batter into mush. I'd dip the fish in vinegar one bite at a time. 

The potatoes can absorb the vinegar and get filled with tangy goodness. I can't see that working with a batter coated flaky white fish. Maybe just a spritz of lemon juice. If it was fried catfish then I could see using a vinegar based hot sauce. The thought of dousing crispy batter fried fish in any liquid sounds horrifying. 

Eh, the flavor of the fish is overwhelmed by the batter and grease.  The vinegar helps with the greasiness.

I wouldn't say doused to the point of making either fries or fish soggy, but generous application is good.  It's like lemon juice.

18 minutes ago, WhatTheBuck said:

I wouldn't put vinegar on the fish because the flavor of the fish is too delicate. Even if I did want vinegar on the fish, I wouldn't douse the fish in vinegar. All that can do is turn the crispy batter into mush. I'd dip the fish in vinegar one bite at a time. 

The potatoes can absorb the vinegar and get filled with tangy goodness. I can't see that working with a batter coated flaky white fish. Maybe just a spritz of lemon juice. If it was fried catfish then I could see using a vinegar based hot sauce. The thought of dousing crispy batter fried fish in any liquid sounds horrifying. 

Well this was dramatic. Don’t douse it. It’s a fried piece of bland just like a chip and if the batter is decent it can hold up to a little bit.

  • Author
1 hour ago, Stunns38 said:

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Coastal Living puts them first on their list. The other "Best Fish and Chips in America" according to their contributors:

  • A Salt and Battery, New York, New York
  • Andria's Seafood Restaurant and Market, Ventura, California
  • Tides Tavern, Gig Harbor, Washington
  • The Bamboo Room Restaurant, Haines, Alaska
  • The Wharf Rat, Baltimore, Maryland
  • Chinook's at Salmon Bay, Seattle, Washington

I haven't been to any of these places, but I am keeping this list, in the event that I'm ever in any of these locations. The Wharf Rat and A Salt and Battery are the two I'm most likely to visit anytime soon.

 

2 hours ago, Hank_Hill said:

Well this was dramatic. Don’t douse it. It’s a fried piece of bland just like a chip and if the batter is decent it can hold up to a little bit.

The man said "doused." That's a dramatic word. 

On 3/2/2020 at 9:25 PM, closetojumping said:

I’ve been forced to eat fish and chips all over both continents. Or, I’ve at least been forced to witness them being eaten. I can honestly say that my Texan ass doesn’t get it. Hell, catfish sounds like a solid change-up. I like damned near anything, but I’ve never really enjoyed fish and chips. There’s a place somewhere in a non-London part of England called Hanby’s. Their fish and chips is about as good as I’ve ever had it. I would definitely eat at that place again. 

I will fucking destroy some catfish and hush puppies.  
 

fish and chips are usually a bit underwhelming 

Dive in Vancouver.  Go Fish.
 
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Yessss that place is so GD good. Also really like 167 Raw in Charleston. Their lobster roll is usually the thing, but they had some crazy good F&C the last time I was there.
Coastal Living puts them first on their list. The other "Best Fish and Chips in America" according to their contributors:
  • A Salt and Battery, New York, New York
  • Andria's Seafood Restaurant and Market, Ventura, California
  • Tides Tavern, Gig Harbor, Washington
  • The Bamboo Room Restaurant, Haines, Alaska
  • The Wharf Rat, Baltimore, Maryland
  • Chinook's at Salmon Bay, Seattle, Washington
I haven't been to any of these places, but I am keeping this list, in the event that I'm ever in any of these locations. The Wharf Rat and A Salt and Battery are the two I'm most likely to visit anytime soon.
 

If you make it to Baltimore drop me a line... the Rat is just down the street and I’ve yet to taste their samplings.

Malt vinegar on fish or chips is great, but I'm an infidel--I prefer generously applying Sriracha as if it were ketchup. My favorite condiment on anything fried.

Coastal Living puts them first on their list. The other "Best Fish and Chips in America" according to their contributors:
  • A Salt and Battery, New York, New York
  • Andria's Seafood Restaurant and Market, Ventura, California
  • Tides Tavern, Gig Harbor, Washington
  • The Bamboo Room Restaurant, Haines, Alaska
  • The Wharf Rat, Baltimore, Maryland
  • Chinook's at Salmon Bay, Seattle, Washington
I haven't been to any of these places, but I am keeping this list, in the event that I'm ever in any of these locations. The Wharf Rat and A Salt and Battery are the two I'm most likely to visit anytime soon.
 


A Salt and Battery is the best I’ve had. Very light with a great flavor and perfect batter. My wife who normally doesn’t eat fish even loved their fish and chips.
Just now, Stunns38 said:

My wife who normally doesn’t eat fish even loved their fish and chips.

Be a lot cooler if she did.

 

16 hours ago, shnsajax said:

Just a great pub in general. 

Seems like every brewery we visited in the Oregon had it on the menu. And they were all good.

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You haven't lived until you've tried the Ashvale Whale.  Well, not really.  But it is pretty good.

On 3/3/2020 at 8:54 PM, Landomatic said:

Long John Silvers FTMFW

This guy fucks...  throw in some chicken planks as well. 

On 3/4/2020 at 8:39 AM, Steamboat1874 said:

Back in the day this place was pretty good.....Anderson Lane and Burnet Road.....

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There used to be one in Texas City 

Long ago, there was a place called Arthur Treacher's that was pretty good.  Pretty much Long John Silver with a very English theme. I suspect Alfie's above was a former Arthur Treacher's.

My mom was raised on cornmeal-breaded panfish and occasionally catfish.

She was super-intrigued by the breading of fish and chips, particularly the very savory crust of Long John Silvers.  To that end, she actually purchased a package of their breading mix and for a while we had it at home.

2 hours ago, TwiceHorn said:

My mom was raised on cornmeal-breaded panfish and occasionally catfish.

My grandma used to fry up fresh caught flounder in a cast iron in Crisco with a bit of bacon fat for flavoring.  Cornmeal, salt, black pepper, cayenne. Everything else, GTFO.  

Fish and Chips was basically my favorite thing to eat while in Ireland and London 15 years ago. My favorite was at Davey Byrne's in Dublin. But my favorite of all time is Sally's at the Manchester Grand Hyatt  in San Diego. They use sea bass and it is the tits.

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And they serve it with the usual malt vinegar and tartar sauce, but also a tamarind sauce for the adventurous eaters.

i've never had a whatacatch.  any good?

  • Author
4 hours ago, Underdog said:

This guy fucks...  throw in some chicken planks as well. 

Every time the debate over the best chicken fingers would rage in College Station ("Layne's!" "No, Cane's!") I'd think, "Fuck all y'all. Gimme Long John's chicken planks." Now that I know they exist, I'll take Bojangles over all of the above, but still, for fast food chicken, Long John's has always been tough to beat.

  • Author

...and, of course, the wife reads over my shoulder, and reminds me of the following:

 

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