Fish & Chips

[Dirigible]

A question for the Americans (and anyone else who isn't an Aussie).

I have it on good authority that we have 'fush and chups'.

 

[Krieg]

Around where I grew up, A&W (known for their Rootbeer, of course) bought out a small chain of drive-in restaurants called "Dog and Suds" that specialized in hotdogs and rootbeer (in frosty-cold glass mugs!)

The A&W Rootbeer stand in my town didn't have frosty mugs...but you could buy one gallon jugs of rootbeer to take home!!

 

[Ferret]

I my town we have two fish and chips shops (next door to each other!), A kebab house, two chineses, and an indian. Thi is in a town of about 6k people, but a mujch larger tourist pop. Plus at least 6 pubs in the town center and four cafes. At least four, I might have lost count.

As Buttercup (and Mark) mention, Chicago has a ton of independent fast-food places; many of them are "hot dog stands". A Chicago-style hot dog is a "Vienna Red Hot" beef hot dog, on a poppy-seed bun, garnished with yellow mustard, green relish, chopped onions, sliced tomato wedges, kosher pickle spear, sport peppers, and celery salt.

A lot of these places also serve gyros, a sort of Greek sandwich on pita bread, with sliced beef / lamb meat, onions, tomatoes, and sauce. They'll also serve Italian beef sandwiches (vaguely like a French dip sandwich), Italian sausage sandwiches, hamburgers, etc.

I think I'm going to chicago.... *Drool*

 

[Belen]

Mmmm.....Captain D's.......

 

[kenobi65]

Around where I grew up, A&W (known for their Rootbeer, of course) bought out a small chain of drive-in restaurants called "Dog and Suds" that specialized in hotdogs and rootbeer (in frosty-cold glass mugs!)

Ooooh, Dog and Suds! Hadn't thought about them in a dog's age (so to speak ). We used to stop there for root beer after the movies when I was a kid.

 

[Eternalknight]

I have it on good authority that we have 'fush and chups'.

And when hungry, I guess you order 'sex bucks worth of chups?'

So it looks like many of these places don't sell deep fried fish? I wonder if that's just a local thing native to Oz, New Zealand and (probably) England? To be specific, the fish sold in these places is usually a piece of flake or hake, dipped in a beer-batter and deep-fried until golden brown.

 

[kenobi65]

So it looks like many of these places don't sell deep fried fish? I wonder if that's just a local thing native to Oz, New Zealand and (probably) England? To be specific, the fish sold in these places is usually a piece of flake or hake, dipped in a beer-batter and deep-fried until golden brown.

In the U.S., I think it's not quite as much of a fast-food staple.

McDonald's and Burger King both sell fried-fish sandwiches, but (except for during Lent), I don't think they're particularly big sellers. I know that those chains don't promote those sandwiches at all except during Lent.

(For those of you wondering the significance...during Lent (the forty days before Easter), Catholics and many other Christians abstain from eating meat on Fridays, though fish is allowed.)

What *is* common, in at least some places in the U.S., as Mark CMG notes, is the "Friday Fish Fry", particularly in heavily Catholic communities. Most (though certainly not all) of the places that serve these are either:
(a) bar & grill type restaurants (or, as they're known in Wisconsin, "supper clubs")
(b) fraternal organizations, like the VFW or Elks, that do it, at least in part, as fundraisers

In Green Bay, WI (which is something like 60% Catholic), Friday fish fries are extremely popular.

Though "fish fries" are particularly popular during Lent (for the reason described above), most places that serve it do so all year round.

In any case, it's almost always some sort of whitefish (cod, lake perch, etc.), battered and deep fried, served with french fries.

 

[kenobi65]

(double post)

 

[Thornir Alekeg]

In Syracuse they have Doug's Fish Fry. KB already mentioned the places on Cape Cod (which can also be found up and down the Maine and NH coast).

My experience in various places around the country is that, away from coastal areas big with tourists, the places that have deep fried fish pretty much specialize in it, with a few other items to keep those who don't like fish happy.

 

[buzzard]

Here around Denver we have a couple chains of no seating burger joints (Good Times, Sonic), but oceans and non freshwater fish are viewed as a mere rumor.

Albuquerque used to have a chain of stuffed sopapilla drive in type place with only outdoor seating. Those were quite good.

buzzard