# 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:** 3
**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, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/41 "2008-03-27T18:07:27Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] Look I’m 66 cut me some slack, me brain aint wot it was :smack: [/QUOTE] Do you still have all your own teeth 😃 ---
**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, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/42 "2008-03-27T18:36:27Z")
[QUOTE=yojimbo] Do you still have all your own teeth 😃 [/QUOTE] Not all of them but those I do have are like pearls black ones ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/43 "2008-03-27T18:56:03Z")
[QUOTE=friedo] There are plenty of English fish and chip shops in most big cities here. They seem to do fine. My favorite one in Brooklyn is a little joint called Oliver’s. They also have great shepherd’s pie. (Made from real shepherds!) [/QUOTE] _sob_ I miss Oliver’s. I used to order from them all the time when I lived there. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/44 "2008-03-27T19:01:21Z")
[QUOTE=chowder] Not all of them but those I do have are like pearls [/QUOTE] I thought you were going to say Pearl takes hers out at night. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/45 "2008-03-27T19:23:29Z")
The chips are never right in the fish and chips shops in the USA, the fish is usually ok. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/46 "2008-03-27T19:46:02Z")
[QUOTE=An Gadaí] The chips are never right in the fish and chips shops in the USA, the fish is usually ok. [/QUOTE] Oh, the pain… This thread made me want some fish & chips. I didn’t want Ivar’s (pronounced ‘eye-verz’ up here, for some reason), and anyway it’s a bit of a distance for a lunch half-hour, so I went to The Flying Fish. Knew I was in trouble when it looked more like a trendy night spot instead of a take-out. The chips were French fries. I want steak fries, dammit! The can-you-spare-it fish were limp. The coating was soggy. And the three pieces were tiny. The three of them together wouldn’t make one piece of Ye Old King’s Head fish. Malt vinegar? Salt? Nope. But then there were no napkins or a fork either. At least it only cost $13. ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/47 "2008-03-27T20:02:18Z")
[QUOTE=ralph124c] I remeber the H. salt Chain (in So. Cal)-that was great fish and chips! I think the key thing is having those british-made heated cabinets, that allow you to keep the fish warm, and the batter crisp. These are essential-I remember that H. Salts had them (made in England). That is the problem with USA fish and chips-unless you get your order right when the fish comes out of the fryer, your F&C will get soggy and unpleasant. [/QUOTE] There’s one just around the corner from me on Hollywood Blvd. I’ve never eaten there, and not sure I really want to–the fish doesn’t look all that crisp. It’s not really a chip shop. Just the fish and chips. ---
**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, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/48 "2008-03-27T20:22:10Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] I didn’t want Ivar’s (pronounced ‘eye-verz’ up here, for some reason)… [/QUOTE] I’ve always been curious how that name is pronounced in the U.K. Yes, yes, I know, it’s _written_ Ivar but pronounced “Mushy Peas.” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/49 "2008-03-27T20:32:24Z")
[QUOTE=Sal Ammoniac] I’ve always been curious how that name is pronounced in the U.K. [/QUOTE] Don’t know about the UK, but after three years of high school German plus some in college I can’t help but pronounce it ‘ee-vars’. (Come to think of it, a former employer had a financial officer named Ivar – pronounced ‘ee-var’.) I also tend to pronounce ‘ee-VAHN’ and ‘ee-gor’. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/50 "2008-03-27T20:35:04Z")
The main problem of fish and chips in America, is perception. Places like Long John Silver’s got associated with Fish ‘n’ chips in many people’s minds. Nasty smelly old Pollock battered in tire shavings and ass, cooked badly in rancid oil brought over on the Santa Maria. The good stuff mostly got relegated to trendy theme pubs who charged like it was lobster. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/51 "2008-03-27T20:36:12Z")
I’m surprised no one has mentioned **Arthur Treacher’s Fish and Chips**. It was a fast-food version of the British “Fish and Chips” (and claimed they could trace their ancestyry back, somehow, to the “original Fish and Chips” shop, whatever that means). They used actor Arthur Treacher (best known to me as the Constable in Mary Poppins) as spokesman, and at one time had some 950 locations. They almost went bankrupt, and are now down to about 45 – none of them anywhere I know of. But they were successful in the 1970s and 1980s. > **[Arthur Treacher's](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Treacher's)** > > Arthur Treacher's Fish & Chips is an American fast food seafood restaurant and former chain. At the peak of its popularity in the late 1970s, it had 826 stores. However, as of March 2023, there are only two stand-alone Arthur Treacher's locations remaining. The menu offers fried seafood or chicken, accompanied by chips (French fries). > The chain's namesake is Arthur Treacher (1894–1975), an English character actor typecast as "the perfect butler" for his performances as Jeeves, as a butler in se... Here’s their own account of their history: [http://www.arthurtreachers.com/about-at.htm](http://www.arthurtreachers.com/about-at.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/52 "2008-03-27T20:45:04Z")
[QUOTE=CalMeacham] I’m surprised no one has mentioned **Arthur Treacher’s Fish and Chips**. [/QUOTE] Man, that sounds familiar! Were there any in Southern California? ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/53 "2008-03-27T20:58:53Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] Ye Olde King’s Head in Santa Monica has the best fish & chips I’ve had. A bit far to go nowadays though. (And their bangers are better than the ones I get from the German sausage maker in Pike Place Market.) They used to have faggots, which were very tasty; but I haven’t seen them on the menu for a while. … [/QUOTE] Hey Johnny! Ye Olde King’s Head was the only place that was a must-visit whenever I went to the Los Angeles area. Sadly that hasn’t happened for over 10 years. Good food and ale - a winning combo. My old college roommate (lives in Orange Co.) became a convert after I insisted we go there. ---
**Author:** ![Mycroft\_H](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/898d66/32.png) [@Mycroft\_H](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mycroft_H)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/54 "2008-03-27T21:14:56Z")
[QUOTE=Beadalin] I’d suspect there’s at least one in every major US city. Our’s is [Brit’s Pub](http://www.britspub.com/). It even has lawn bowling on the roof. [/QUOTE] And an advantage with Brit’s pub is the selection of proper (read:English) beer on tap. (Brit’s is in Minneapolis, for those following from outside of Minnesota.) Not far away in St. Paul is another chippy called “Mac’s Fish and Chips”. They do a very close imitation to the English fare. The original owners were from Canada. The last few times I’ve been there the people running it have been 1st generation Asian (China, Vietnam or similar) but I don’t know if they are the new owners or in the employ of the original Canadians. The food is still high quality. A strange thing - in earlier years the place served the fish 'n chip basket with a piece of buttered white bread (Wonder bread! 😕 ) and coleslaw. **Cal** , I was thinking about **Arthur Treacher’s** as well. They plasticized fish and chips in the same way that McDonald’s plasticized hamburgers. I couldn’t stand them, and that was not long after I moved back from England and needed periodic fixes for my grease habit. (Back in the day of full meals costing 20p, cooked in boiling lard and wrapped in newsprint. None of this healthy stuff of today.) There are enough places around that many people who are interested can find fish and chips,although it might involve a bit of a drive. Problem is that many Americans are most comfortable with the sameness and blandness of McDonald’s and aren’t willing to try something different. The people who do want to try something different have a lot of options. Chip shops are in competition with Mexican, Vietnamese, Chinese, Indian, etc. places that abound. The bland and boring also have a wide variety of choices. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/55 "2008-03-27T21:20:01Z")
We’ve got a swell English pub about 6 miles south of me in Ponte Vedra, Florida. The owner, a real cockney sort, had the dream for many years of moving to Florida and opening an authentic pub with her husband. Well, the husband died (or maybe they just divorced, I forget), so it took her longer than expected to open the pub. Over the next few years, she made a number of trips to America, bringing bits of her vast array of pub memorabilia with her each trip. She finally opened a few years back and her pub is quite charming, complete with a red double decker bus out front, darts, good dark beer by the pint and lots a old English stuff on the walls. I bring my 87-year-old mum (a world war 2 English war bride) and dad (the ww2 American flyboy) there whenever they feel up to it and we order bangers and mash, steak and kidney pie, Scottish eggs or fish and chips (only with fresh cod\*). I even like the callous personality of the proprietor: she bosses everyone around, even me mum: \*you can’t sit there, dearie, that’s for our important guests, you sit over ‘ere…\*later they get together and reminisce about the good old days in merry old England. - Interesting book about [cod](http://www.amazon.com/Cod-Biography-Fish-Changed-World/dp/0140275010/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206652409&sr=8-2). It really factored into the economies of many countries. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/56 "2008-03-27T21:28:27Z")
The only proper chips are served with salsa. Thank god for Mexican food. ---
**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, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/57 "2008-03-27T21:28:33Z")
[QUOTE=Dr. PoopiePants] We’ve got a swell English pub about 6 miles south of me in Ponte Vedra, Florida. The owner, a real cockney sort, had the dream for many years of moving to Florida and opening an authentic pub with her husband. Well, the husband died (or maybe they just divorced, I forget), so it took her longer than expected to open the pub. Over the next few years, she made a number of trips to America, bringing bits of her vast array of pub memorabilia with her each trip. She finally opened a few years back and her pub is quite charming, complete with a red double decker bus out front, darts, good dark beer by the pint and lots a old English stuff on the walls. I bring my 87-year-old mum (a world war 2 English war bride) and dad (the ww2 American flyboy) there whenever they feel up to it and we order bangers and mash, steak and kidney pie, Scottish eggs or fish and chips (only with fresh cod\*). I even like the callous personality of the proprietor: she bosses everyone around, even me mum: \*you can’t sit there, dearie, that’s for our important guests, you sit over ‘ere…\*later they get together and reminisce about the good old days in merry old England. - Interesting book about [cod](http://www.amazon.com/Cod-Biography-Fish-Changed-World/dp/0140275010/ref=pd_bbs_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1206652409&sr=8-2). It really factored into the economies of many countries. [/QUOTE] Was the bus allowed in the carry on luggage or did it have to go in the cargo hold? 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Inigo\_Montoya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inigo_montoya/32/124_2.png) [@Inigo\_Montoya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inigo_Montoya)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/58 "2008-03-27T22:33:47Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] … battered cod … [/QUOTE] uhh huh huh … _battered cod_. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Gadai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/d6d6ee/32.png) [@An\_Gadai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Gadai)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/59 "2008-03-27T22:38:48Z")
[QUOTE=Jackmannii] The only proper chips are served with salsa. Thank god for Mexican food. [/QUOTE] To the pit my good man! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2008, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906/60 "2008-03-27T22:53:54Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] Ye Olde King’s Head in Santa Monica has the best fish & chips I’ve had. A bit far to go nowadays though. \ [/QUOTE] Hey! I’m gonna be in the general area of Santa Monica on June 13-14 for **Queen Bruin’s** graduation! We’ll have to make a stop there! There is no bloody place here in Grand Junction, CO that makes good fish and chips. They all want to use salmon. WTF? There used to be an H Salt in a strip mall near the corner of Vermont and Sunset (IIRC; that was like 40 :eek: years ago). The last time I was there (dinosaurs still roamed the earth, then) it wasn’t very good. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/an-english-chip-shop-in-the-usa/442906.md?page=4)