Fishwish

I love a good fish sandwich. Over the years I have tried many... some good, most not so good.To me, the best ever was the mighty Fishwich (with cheese) from Dock's,one of the greatest examples of dashboard cuisine in fast food history. Unfortunately, since the demise of Dock's (which also had great shrimp and the astonishingly wierd and forever indellibly staining ' Omar juice') I have been unable to find anything else that comes even close. When the fish sandwich jones strikes I usually just wind up getting a Whaler or double fish fillet at Micky D's or a few fish sliders to make do. Sometimes I find myself reaching for a Fez, putting on a skinny black tie and groping for a box of Mrs. Pauls... but the effect is not nearly the same. Anyone else feel my pain? Is there another great fish sandwich to be found??

A couple of years ago I had a terrific catfish po' boy at Dixie Kitchen (Hyde Park). I don't know if it's still on the menu, but it must have been pretty good if it still provokes fond memories.

Heaven on Seven probably could concoct a good catfish po' boy, too, altho I can't certify that since I'm usually working on andouille and cheese grits when I'm there.

Dixie Kitchen
5225 S. Harper Ave.
773-363-4943

Dixie Kitchen
825 Church St.
Evanston 60201-3706
847-733-9030

I used to frequent the Dock's on 53rd, in Hyde Park, for the fish sandwich. And, when that wasn't an option (due to the limited hours of operation), I'd head across the street to Ribs-n-Bibs.

I really need to get back and try one again.

Sober, this time.

Ribs-n-Bibs Inc.
5300 S. Dorchester
773.493.0400

E.M.

The halibut sandwich is still pretty good at the Berghoff, downstairs. On rye is the best, but they also offer a kaiser roll.

Berghoff
basement of 17 W. Adams

You guys saw something in Dock's that I never could. I think Bernie Mac had a whole bit about how bad Dock's (where he used to work) was.

Try Shark's. It's the new Dock's.

jbw wrote:A couple of years ago I had a terrific catfish po' boy at Dixie Kitchen (Hyde Park). I don't know if it's still on the menu, but it must have been pretty good if it still provokes fond memories.

I'm sure I'll get slammed for supporting a chain, but Bar Louie makes a terrific blackened catfish po boy.

Ralph Wiggum wrote:

jbw wrote:A couple of years ago I had a terrific catfish po' boy at Dixie Kitchen (Hyde Park). I don't know if it's still on the menu, but it must have been pretty good if it still provokes fond memories.

I'm sure I'll get slammed for supporting a chain, but Bar Louie makes a terrific blackened catfish po boy.

RW,

I join in on the chain bandwagon and praise the blackend tilapia sandwich from Cheeseburger in Paradise.

Flip

Of course you're right. Dixie kitchen and Heaven on Seven do serve a decnt catfish sandwich. Unfortunately neither is the kind of place you can easily just stop in for a quick bite.

Erik..we must have passed each other on that stretch of 53rd at some point. That was my primary Docks too (along with the one on Western near the Eisenhower). Ribs and Bibbs was my alternate as well (tip and link combo was pretty good). I would usually hit one or the other after a stop at Second hand tunes/Dr. Wax and the now departed B-side record shops...a route I would do on a nearly weekly basis for years

Bernie Mac or not... I really thought that the Fishwhich was a fast food work of art. I'll need to find a Sharks soon based on that comparison.

Non breaded fish sandwiches are a different animal entirely (like non breaded fish tacos) ...They can be great but don't really scratch the same itch as the breaded ones do. I will definitely try these..There's lots of Bar Louies around but where is CB in Paradise (are the cheeseburgers any good?).

There are a few CB in Paradises in the area. The one I frequent is in Downers Grove at the intersection of Butterfield Rd and Finley Rd. (visible from 355 at Butterfield). According to the website there are locations in Algonquin and Des Plaines, but I have not been to either.

The cheeseburgers are ok. I loved the conch fritters before they took them off the menu. (even though a friend of mine from the opening staff let me know they were really shrimp fritters). I really do enjoy the mini cheeseburgers and one of their specialty rum drinks after work. It's still my opinion that the blackend tilapia is the best on the menu, though. You get the same peice of fish as the blackened tilapia entree for $4 less. Instead of the rice and veggies that come with the entree you get fried sweet potato chips.

Flip

Hi,

From time to time I enjoy the fried fish sandwich at Portillo's. It appears to be a real fish filet (not square), and it's served on a decent bun. Not bad.

Peggy

Thanks for the suggestions. I haven't tried the fish sandwich at Portillos.. just assuming it would be the same square slab on a burger bun you get everywhere else. I am not really surprised to hear that it's good though, as I think most of the things they offer (dogs/beef/combo/fries etc.) are way above average.

I haven't tried the fried fish sandwich at Portillo's, but I have enjoyed the broiled tuna sandwich on many occasions. Its a thin tuna steak that's run through the broiler. Ask for the sauce on the side, as sometimes a heavy helping of tartar sauce is applied.

The grouper sandwich at PJ Clarke's is decent, though it's permanently on the menu, leading one to suspect that it's frozen grouper during some of the year. But, as a grouper lover who doesn't live in Florida, some days I'll take frozen grouper over no grouper. If anyone else can point to other grouper sandwiches I'd love to know about them! (But I like this thread because I love a good fish sandwich in general.)

Re Grouper sandwiches, you should know that many here share your affection for them and much has been written on the topic (often in the context of the FL Gulf coast). I'm always on the lookout for a good one here. Can't say I've had one since Joe's dropped it from the bar menu, years ago.

Interestingly, the fish sandwich now listed on PJ Clarke's menu is tilapia. The old menu in the Google cache shows "a grouper" sammy for a buck or two more than the tilapia. I have to wonder whether that was New Zealand Bluenose Grouperoid. Very unlikely that it was not frozen.

Wonder if Bob Chinn's would do a grouper sandwich. Why not, right?

Hate to be low-rent, but I've enjoyed the fish sandwiches at Arby's. They're not square, come with lettuce and mayo, and are pretty tasty.

I've had deep fried grouper sandwiches in Florida , but never locally and found them quite good. I would certainly be in line if someone were to offer these on a regular basis. Grouper is an exception here as otherwise I think freshwater fish usually fry up better than ocean fish.

As you can tell by my fondness for Docks, when it comes to this topic, ' low rent' is good by me. I'll definitely add Arbys' to my list. Now I'll have something good to go along with the potato cakes and Horsey sauce I get every so often. Thanks for the rec..

I like the filet-o-fish at McDonalds with extra sauce. I like to dip my fries in the extra sauce. The double decker filet-o-fish during Lent is ok if they go a little heavier on the sauce than they are inclined to do, otherwise it can be dry. The perfection is in the original form with the slightly sour tartar sauce.

In the early 1990's, McDonald's introduced an adult sandwich menu, which included a fish sandwich. They removed the filet-o-fish from the menu. I guess there must have been some fish heads out there protesting because it returned.

When I was a kid, we ate fish sticks and mac n'cheese every Friday evening. We lived in suburban Washington, D.C., our local grocery store sold fish cakes. I now understood them to be poor man's crab cakes, which were pretty good as-is or on a hamburger bun with tartar sauce. I have tried to find them every time I am in the area, but have never hit on what my childhood memory clearly sees and tastes.

Regards,

Cathy, thanks for the kind reply. I agree entirely that the double fish filet requires extra sauce to avoid seeming mealy/dry.It's clear to me from these comments (as well as your earlier posts about shrimp houses) that you have a deep understanding of this issue..

I too remember the dark days of the 'Adult"menu at McDonalds...what I recall most (after the removal of my beloved filet o'fish) was that they had evidently hired some 'famous chef' to redesign thier menu and that he had spent a huge ammount of time and money looking for 'just the right bun' for his new adult-o-burger. What he finally wound up offering was like a (very) bad version of those awful pre packaged "deli" buns at the supermarket and was actually the worst part of the sandwich. Not hard to see why that whole experiment didn't last too long.

I grew up with fishsticks myself...In fact I still like them. I actually find that what I can make with fishsticks (done in the oven, not the microwave) a good bun and my own Tartar sauce often beats what is readily available around town .... a sad state of affairs indeed.

In the early 1990's, McDonald's introduced an adult sandwich menu

Yes, I remember when they got rid of the old breaded chicken sandwiches with the yellow wrappers and got that new peppery one, which was more of a whole chicken breast. I was so sad- I used to love that processed greasy patty with tons of mayonaise and just lettuce, no tomato. They were like crack to me. Now they have the $.99 McChicken, which is close, but just not the same.

JeffB wrote:Interestingly, the fish sandwich now listed on PJ Clarke's menu is tilapia. The old menu in the Google cache shows "a grouper" sammy for a buck or two more than the tilapia.

Oh no! That's a disappointment. I do volunteer work near PJ Clarke's, and a group of us will often head there for dinner once we're done. That grouper sandwich was always my no-brainer choice...I honestly don't think I've ever ordered anything other entree.

BTW, just got home from Costco and they were sampling breaded Mahi Mahi nuggets (which, from the bite I had, seemed to be made with real filets, not re-formed nuggets). They were surprising good, and I ended buying a package. The brand is Jana, and they cost $9.99 for a 3# bag. For those of you who said you whip up a sandwish using Mrs. Paul's when you get a craving, I think these would make a good sandwich. Three or four would probably fit on round roll, six or seven would fully load a six-inch po' boy roll. And remember, if you don't like it, Costco will take it back.

Great tip! I'm there Sunday. Thanks.

Hi,

Lent coming to a close, so will the annual visit of the double Filet O'Fish at McDonalds.



In the past, I was not always happy with the quantity of tartar sauce applied to the double decker. It seems they have improved the sauce portioning, because my fish sandwich as-is hasn't needed extra sauce.

Enjoy it while you can.

Regards,

try the new one at Wendy's-
It's actually pretty good, the breading is nice and crispy, and it's pretty big,

I really like the fish at Culvers is the best of the chain places. Not too many around here, but they are coming.

Yes. Culvers, esp. if they have walleye as some do. Really very good. I tried the Wendy's recently in a pinch and thought it was awful.

Hi,

I went to Wendy's for lunch just to try their Deluxe Fish Sandwich:



Compare it to the Filet O'Fish, it does not compete. The filet may have the illusion of larger because it is flatter, it is not as thick as the McD's, though there is the possibility they weigh roughly the same. Cheese is a 30 cent upcharge on a sandwich already more expensive than the Filet O'Fish.

While McD's now has a just-in-time delivery system with your Filet O-Fish is presumably assembled just as you order and boxed to keep it neat. The delivery of the Wendy's was about as quick as I uttered it from my mouth. While I try to take pictures as-is, it was really hard to make a somewhat flattened sandwich look better. The tartar sauce was applied to the lettuce on top of the fish filet, which made the filet seem drier than it had to be. This was remedied by getting extra sauce and applying it directly to the filet.

I ordered a combo, that had the option of several sides. I was quite happy with their chili, because the fish sandwich alone would have left me feeling much more disappointed with my meal.

While I will skip the fish sandwich, I might go for a bigger portion of the chili. This reminds of a chili cook-off story I heard over Christmas. One person's prize winning chili is based on buying a crockpot of Wendy's, then dressing it up with additional fixings. Nobody believes her when she readily admits to beginning with Wendy's as a base. They just believe she is withholding her recipe.

Regards,

I'm headed to Culvers this week for sure. Thanks for the tip.

+1 on Culver's. Sometimes I'll pick up a couple pieces of fish filet from Long John Silver's or some fried tilapia from a Mexican supermarket, and take them home and make a fish sandwich on rye bread with tartar, ala Berghoff. Usually, it's pretty tasty.

Although I haven't had or even seen advertisements for them this year, I am a HUGE fan of the Arby's fish with spicy sauce. Most Arby's only do a fish around Lenten season. My biggest pet peeve about fried fish sammiches is that overly sugary, sweet garbage tartar sauce that apparently is a preferred taste for some. I'd MUCH rather have real mayo based tartar sauce since I do not think fried fish coated in sugar is a treat at all. Anyway, the spicy sauce from Arby's is NOT sweet, and actually has a cayenne kick to it. Their regular tartar sauce, however, is loaded with sugar and really ruins the sandwich imo.

Cogito wrote:Sometimes I'll pick up a couple pieces of fish filet from Long John Silver's or some fried tilapia from a Mexican supermarket, and take them home and make a fish sandwich on rye bread with tartar, ala Berghoff. Usually, it's pretty tasty.

I do the same as well and make my own sandwich with lettuce, tomato, and sriracha mayo.