# An English Chip Shop in the USA **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [March 27, 2008, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906 "2008-03-27T13:32:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/21 "2008-03-27T16:39:19Z")
The thing to remember is that a proper chippie will sell big fat fuck off chips. None of your poncy froggie fries crap ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/22 "2008-03-27T16:46:16Z")
I for one had no idea that chip shops served meat pies and faggots. In America, it seems to go against the grain to have a seafood place serving lots of meat dishes. You might have one or two least-common-denominator things on the menu to accommodate non-seafood eaters, but you’d hardly call attention to it. The other issue is price. Fish these days is unbelievably expensive, even in the land of the bean and the cod. I can’t see fish and chips being offered for less than $10, while a typical fast-food meal might be half that. In other words, people will eat fish and chips at the higher price, but not three times a week. But now I’m curious what people pay for fish and chips in England. I read a figure the other day that made my eyes pop out – 20 quid, or something like that? But that might have been an upscale place in London. (To be sure, the fish are getting ever scarcer.) ---
**Author:** ![One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/838e76/32.png) [@One\_And\_Only\_Wanderers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/One_And_Only_Wanderers)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/23 "2008-03-27T16:48:47Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] But now I’m curious what people pay for fish and chips in England. I read a figure the other day that made my eyes pop out – 20 quid, or something like that? But that might have been an upscale place in London. (To be sure, the fish are getting ever scarcer.) [/QUOTE] At my local chippie last week, 2 fish, 1 chips, large gravy, large mushy peas came to about £8 ---
**Author:** ![Surok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@Surok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surok)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/24 "2008-03-27T16:49:09Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] I for one had no idea that chip shops served meat pies and faggots. In America, it seems to go against the grain to have a seafood place serving lots of meat dishes. [/QUOTE] A chip shop is not a seafood place. No way, no how. It’s just…not. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/25 "2008-03-27T16:49:16Z")
[QUOTE=Capt. Ridley’s Shooting Party] … You don’t have chips and gravy in the south? [/QUOTE] I hesitate to ask…but please reassure me that chips and curry sauce is available down south! ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/26 "2008-03-27T16:57:35Z")
[QUOTE=One And Only Wanderers] At my local chippie last week, 2 fish, 1 chips, large gravy, large mushy peas came to about £8 [/QUOTE] Call it $16 to feed two, I guess. That’s not too bad. And explain the mushy peas – are they a puree, or just peas like out of a can? ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/27 "2008-03-27T16:59:47Z")
Here’s one in VA. It’s called a Dublin Chipper which is the same thing as a Brit Chippy. [http://www.eamonnsdublinchipper.com/](http://www.eamonnsdublinchipper.com/) Prices are better. $3.50 for a large chips for example. It doesn’t have a very large selection, most of the chippers over here do chips, burgers, sausages(battered and not), Onion rings, pizza, kebabs etc. but it does do booze which is nice 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/28 "2008-03-27T17:01:34Z")
**Sal** [http://www.mrchipsoflouth.com/Haddock\_dinner2.jpg](http://www.mrchipsoflouth.com/Haddock_dinner2.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Surok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@Surok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surok)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/29 "2008-03-27T17:02:58Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] Call it $16 to feed two, I guess. That’s not too bad. And explain the mushy peas – are they a puree, or just peas like out of a can? [/QUOTE] They are mushy. No other word for it. Not quite a puree, but they do come out of a can. Pic [here](http://kellybarclay.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/mushypeas.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/30 "2008-03-27T17:05:01Z")
[QUOTE=Usram] [This](http://www.asaltandbattery.com/menu) one in NYC looks fairly authentic, if maybe a little clean and well-appointed - they have seats for the punters to sit on! And I’m not sure about “homemade mushy peas”. Mushy peas should come from a can. Not cheap either - $5 for a large portion of chips! [/QUOTE] I can vouch for A Salt and Battery. Everyone behind the counter is English, plenty of their customers are English, and the chips taste just like i remember from England. I love nice, thick English-style chips; such a welcome change from American fries. I don’t eat fish, but my wife says the fish they do is fantastic. It’s also located right next to a shop that sells English sweets, chocolate, and other products. Can’t remember the name of the place right now, but whenever i’m in New York i stop by to stock up on Maltesers, (proper English) Cadbury chocolate, and other similar goodies. ---
**Author:** ![Sal\_Ammoniac](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/8dc957/32.png) [@Sal\_Ammoniac](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sal_Ammoniac)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/31 "2008-03-27T17:07:39Z")
Ah, dueling pictures of mushy peas! **Yojimbo** gets a mention for his fast reflexes, but **Surok** takes the title with a spectacular closeup! ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/32 "2008-03-27T17:14:00Z")
[QUOTE=One And Only Wanderers] At my local chippie last week, 2 fish, 1 chips, large gravy, large mushy peas came to about £8 [/QUOTE] Yeah about the same here altho’ you can get different sized portions of chips: Small… 70p Med…1.00 Large…1.20 Waste of time getting small as there’s hardly enough chips to make a decent butty ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/33 "2008-03-27T17:18:06Z")
All of these prices make me want to weep. When I was a lad it was “six o’ chips 'an a fish please mate” Cost 1/1 or in todays dosh 10½p ---
**Author:** ![Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cc9497/32.png) [@Capt.Ridley\_s\_Shooting\_Party](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Capt.Ridley_s_Shooting_Party)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/34 "2008-03-27T17:24:59Z")
Yeah, but houses cost 12p back then. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/35 "2008-03-27T17:29:33Z")
[QUOTE=Surok] They are mushy. No other word for it. Not quite a puree, but they do come out of a can. Pic [here](http://kellybarclay.files.wordpress.com/2007/03/mushypeas.jpg). [/QUOTE] That looks like an accident with a pressure cooker. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/36 "2008-03-27T17:29:32Z")
Only tenements, a bungalow was upwards of 5/- ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/37 "2008-03-27T17:30:55Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] Cost 1/1 or in todays dosh 10½p [/QUOTE] One shilling converted to 5p, so 1/1 would be about 5½p. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/38 "2008-03-27T17:32:37Z")
Look I’m 66 cut me some slack, me brain aint wot it was :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Surok](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/cc9497/32.png) [@Surok](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Surok)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/39 "2008-03-27T17:33:22Z")
[QUOTE=Harmonious Discord] That looks like an accident with a pressure cooker. [/QUOTE] Maybe so. But it’s a delicious accident. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/40 "2008-03-27T17:44:52Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] Look I’m 66 cut me some slack, me brain aint wot it was :smack: [/QUOTE] Sorry, I’ll get off your lawn now. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906.md?page=3)