# Fish and chips in America **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 24, 2015, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329 "2015-06-24T05:45:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![installLSC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/54ee81/32.png) [@installLSC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/installLSC)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329/1 "2015-06-24T05:45:54Z")
Of course, fish and chips first became popular in the UK. When exactly was it introduced to the U.S., and did it take a while for it to be accepted? What if any major differences are there between British fish and chips and American made fish and chips? ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329/2 "2015-06-24T07:36:57Z")
Already by 1969 fish and chips were standard enough in the U.S. that three major fish and chips restaurant chains - Arthur Treacher’s, Long John Silver’s, and Captain D’s - were founded that year. Here’s an article from 1939 (I think) talking about a fish and chips shop in the U.S., and it sounds like it was fairly new to Americans at the time: > **[Pacific Fisherman](https://books.google.com/books?id=NSIxAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA26&dq=%22fish%2Band%2Bchips%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2lyKVdaoD8uy-QGcsIzoCQ&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22fish%20and%20chips%22&f=false)** > > Since 1926, includes the Annual statistical number, which supersedes the Pacific fisherman year book. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329/3 "2015-06-24T10:54:56Z")
One difference is the fish used is _sometimes_ regional which is normal for importing recipes, you can only cook what you can get. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329/4 "2015-06-24T14:20:27Z")
Fried fish and potatoes were enjoyed by many people long before the term Fish and Chips was popularized. There are stories of George Washington eating fried fish and potatoes in the 18th century US. The dish you get depends on who made it, here, in England, and everywhere else. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329/5 "2015-06-24T17:05:27Z")
Actually, I have found it difficult to get good fish and chips in America, though I have not explored every option. The best I have found is at a place called Chicken Shack, who fry up catfish with chips. It’s the closest I’ve seen to England, though I have not been to England since 1989, so my memory may be off. ---
**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:** [June 24, 2015, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329/6 "2015-06-24T18:25:46Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > Actually, I have found it difficult to get good fish and chips in America… My favourite fish & chips is at [Ye Olde King’s Head](http://www.yeoldekingshead.com/) in Santa Monica, California. [Picture](http://www.yeoldekingshead.com/files/1213/3652/5136/fishandchips3_1.jpg). I like their crunchy batter that’s just _made_ for soaking up malt vinegar! For the most part though, I’ve been unsuccessful finding _good_ fish & chips. The batter is too thin, or there’s something else I find sub-par. There’s a place a couple of miles from the office that’s been known for its F&C for decades. I tried them. Good god, man! _This_ is what they’re known for? :eek: The fish wasn’t even battered; it was breaded. The _second_-best fish & chips come from my own kitchen. The batter is pretty close to Ye Olde King’s Head, but not quite. I use a modified version of [Alton Brown’s recipe](http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/chips-and-fish-recipe.html). The only problem is that I always end up making too much fish (and chips). And I can no longer get haddock, so I have to use cod. There’s a little place not too far from the house that makes (or made) fish & chips almost as good as mine. I think it’s a little expensive though. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329/7 "2015-06-24T18:50:57Z")
Cod is far better option than haddock anyway. Ono is best. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329/8 "2015-06-24T19:04:07Z")
Not sole? I figured Dover Sole was de rigueur. We have a pub (Kilburns) around the corner and I may well have never ordered anything there but the Fish 'n Chips (with malt vinegar, thankyouverymuch). ---
**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:** [June 24, 2015, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329/9 "2015-06-24T19:31:46Z")
> [@garygnu](#): > > Cod is far better option than haddock anyway. Ono is best. When it comes to fish & chips, I prefer haddock. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329/10 "2015-06-24T19:59:02Z")
> [@Wendell\_Wagner](#): > > Here’s an article from 1939 (I think) talking about a fish and chips shop in the U.S., and it sounds like it was fairly new to Americans at the time: > > [Pacific Fisherman - Google Books](https://books.google.com/books?id=NSIxAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA26&dq=%22fish+and+chips%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2lyKVdaoD8uy-QGcsIzoCQ&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22fish%20and%20chips%22&f=false) August 1919 on the cover. When I was a kid Catholics still will not supposed to eat meat on Fridays. Stores existed all over the city that opened only on Fridays to sell fried fish, normally accompanied with fries and coleslaw. I suppose they sold other fried seafood as well but who cared? Nothing will ever compare to those memories, though virtually every restaurant still touts its special Friday fish fry. This is the heavily Catholic rust belt, so I doubt that the stores were some recent innovation in the early 60s. Fried fish undoubtedly goes way back, and maybe got a boost with the Irish Catholic immigration starting in the 1850s. The association of fish and chips with England is surprisingly late, according to [Fish and Chips: A History: By Panikos Panayi](https://books.google.com/books?id=6asBBQAAQBAJ&pg=PT69&dq=%22fish+and+chips%22&hl=en&sa=X&ei=qQqLVcP7BMO6-AGqqYGQBg&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=%22fish%20and%20chips%22&f=false), which says it wasn’t until the 1920s or 1930s that anyone in the U.S. linked it specifically with Britishness - and that most foods weren’t thought of in terms of countries before that. Haddock is the normal fish used here. Fried cod tastes odd to me. ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329/11 "2015-06-24T21:19:25Z")
I was going to chime in with Exapno’s observation. Worcester, MA. Main South Fish and Chips. Open Friday only. Divine. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329/12 "2015-06-24T22:16:03Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Fried fish and potatoes were enjoyed by many people long before the term Fish and Chips was popularized. There are stories of George Washington eating fried fish and potatoes in the 18th century US. The dish you get depends on who made it, here, in England, and everywhere else. Yeah, but Southern-style fried fish is not battered like fish and chips, and not usually filleted, so not really the same thing. ---
**Author:** ![Spoke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a88e57/32.png) [@Spoke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoke)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329/13 "2015-06-24T22:23:50Z")
I want to seize this opportunity to say that 30 years ago you could get a right decent fish and chips at Captain D’s and Long John Silvers. (And yes, I’ve had fish and chips in England. And Ireland, for that matter.) But the quality of those two chains has really declined over the years. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329/14 "2015-06-24T23:39:41Z")
If you’re ever in Anchorage, have the halibut and chips at The White Spot Cafe. Beer batter and fresh spuds. ---
**Author:** ![GreedySmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a698b9/32.png) [@GreedySmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreedySmurf)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2015, 11:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329/15 "2015-06-24T23:57:07Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > The fish wasn’t even battered; it was breaded. Interesting, in Australia, breaded, which we call crumbed is pretty much the de facto approach in most fish and chips shops. Albeit getting it battered is not at all strange. A lot of places will have a little sign to the effect of “_Fish comes crumbed, please ask for battered or grilled_” My personal preference is for crumbed. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329/16 "2015-06-25T00:34:57Z")
Damn I’m hungry now. ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329/17 "2015-06-25T00:57:22Z")
[Go Fish](http://www.yelp.com/biz/go-fish-rehoboth-beach-3) fish & chips in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Regrettably I cannot offer a personal review because Grotto’s pizza is right next door. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2015, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329/18 "2015-06-25T01:43:37Z")
The best fish and chips in SE Michigan are just across the river where they still have the queen on their paper money. Seriously, I order fish and chips in a seafood restaurant in Michigan and they can’t even offer me malt vinegar? It’s also nice that Canadians don’t laugh at me for using vinegar instead of ketchup on my fries. ---
**Author:** ![Banksiaman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/banksiaman/32/3334_2.png) [@Banksiaman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Banksiaman)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2015, 9:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329/19 "2015-06-26T09:53:11Z")
> [@GreedySmurf](#): > > Interesting, in Australia, breaded, which we call crumbed is pretty much the de facto approach in most fish and chips shops. … And in Australia its not just any fish, its often shark, although it gets sold as ‘flake’. Instead of chips you could get a bunch of [potato scallops](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_cake) - a ~1cm slice of potato deep-fried in batter. Sometimes called potato cakes or fritters by the ignorant, these are the golden medallions of starch, fat and salt. Sensational - the perfect food for shark-eating men to go with their man-eating shark. ---
**Author:** ![Yodalicious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yodalicious/32/8195_2.png) [@Yodalicious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yodalicious)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2015, 12:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329/20 "2015-06-26T12:57:30Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > My favourite fish & chips is at [Ye Olde King’s Head](http://www.yeoldekingshead.com/) in Santa Monica, California. [Picture](http://www.yeoldekingshead.com/files/1213/3652/5136/fishandchips3_1.jpg). I like their crunchy batter that’s just _made_ for soaking up malt vinegar! That looks delicious! I had a McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish with fries, the other night. Same thing, right? :rolleyes: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/fish-and-chips-in-america/723329.md?page=2)