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My wife has been driving me nuts about finding a fried grouper sandwich since she had one at the Milwaukee Public Market's St. Paul Fish Company recently. Does anyone know where I can find a good fried grouper in the Chicagoland area? Tried Google, etc. and all the major fish restaurants (Chinns, Mccormicks, etc.) but can't seem to find anything. Anyone know?


Thanks

They were on the bar menu when Joe's opened, later dropped, but you can still special order one. At least you could when I asked last year. Good luck. This is not something that is often very good outside its native habitat (the Gulf Coast of FL), and is most often not made with actual grouper, even in FL.

For my money, the walleye sandwich at Culver's is easily the most true local version of this sort of thing we have. They use a nice, big, beer-battered filet, not a breadcrumbed hockey puck like most fast food fishwhiches. Tell them to make it with burger fixings and you might as well be at Frenchy's in Clearwater.

Chicago Cut Steakhouse has a grouper sandwich. May be available at lunch only.

Amen to that.

Frenchy's Fried Grouper Sandwich

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Steve Z.
Photographer/Pseudojournalist

"The only time to eat diet food is while you’re waiting for the steak to cook." - Julia Child

I'm on my way to El for dinner in a few minutes and I'm afraid that all I'm going to think about for the rest of the night is that picture Steve--ugh!!

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“The problem with people who have no vices is that generally you can be pretty sure they’re going to have some pretty annoying virtues.” Elizabeth Taylor

I regret to say this, but I took my wife to St. Paul's in the market and we had to deal with a person behind the counter that was such an (unprintable word) that my wife told me we were leaving that instant. The guy was either a) drunk or b) an a*hole.
My wife puts up with a lot from me, but I have never seen her this upset. Dealing with the guy from St Pauls when we ordered and dealing with the insults had her more angry than I have ever seen in our marriage.

AJ's Carryout at 35th and Halsted has grouper sandwiches on the menu. The owner is/was a
chef for the Sox. Good food. I haven't tried the grouper yet but everything I've eaten has been
very good.

Chef AJ's
748 W 35th St, Chicago IL 60616
(Btwn S Emerald Ave & S Halsted
Phone: (773) 523-4000

Kevil's, at Circle and Elgin in Forest Park, makes a very tasty grouper sandwich. I'm not sure if it is a regular menu item, or I just got lucky the last two times I went there. A call ahead might be a good idea.

JeffB, do you have a particular location in these Chicago-parts that you go to for a walleye sandwich? I've tried them @ Rosemont, Morton Grove and Franklin Park and found them completely inedible. Sumpin' bad was going on in all of the fryers there. I don't think I'll order one in Illinois again [have had HUGE success with them traveling in Wisconsin].

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"Enjoy every sandwich."

-Warren Zevon

What made them inedible?

I got one once that was undercooked and raw in spots and had a very unappealing taste and texture. I haven't ordered one since. I usually stick to their very bland breaded pork tenderloin sandwich.

What made them inedible was that they were greasy and over-cooked in bad oil. [Bad oil defined in this case as oil that had the flavor of other foods in it and the fish was greasy because the oil had been over-used.]

And I've had GREAT walleye sandwiches in Wisconsin from Culver's. Maybe they care more? Maybe they're closer to corporate? Anyway, I won't order a walleye in Illinois any more.

Giovanna

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=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=o=

"Enjoy every sandwich."

-Warren Zevon

If you don't mind a trip to Minooka, the Shrimp Barn there has pretty good Grouper. It's hard to tell from the picture of the menu board, but they have a pretty good selection of fried seafood there.




THE SHRIMP BARN
125 Mondamin Street
Minooka, IL 60447
815 828-5526
http://www.shrimpbarn.com

The Islamorada Fish Company in the Bolingbrook Bass Pro Shop usually has a grouper sandwich on the menu.

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When I grow up, I'm going to Bovine University!

All my Culver's experiences have been in IN. MI and WI. Sorry about the bad IL experiences. I've had the grouper sandwich at the Bass Pro Shop in Porter, IN. Surprisingly not too bad, which can be said for a few things on the menu, actually. You have to instruct them on the condiments. Easiest is to just ask for them to make it like a cheeseburger.