Put Down That Burger

By Erin in Food on Mar 3, 2006 1:27PM

Ahhhh, Lent. Who doesn't love 40 days worth of suffering to make up for the 325 you spent rolling in your own debauched crapulence?

Here it is, the first Friday of Lent and, in case you've forgotten, that means no meat for those of you practicing. And though Chicagoist maintains—and will not be convinced otherwise—that Long John Silvers has the world's best fried fish, we know that not everyone else shares our pedestrian tastes.

Chicagoist would be remiss if she didn't note first off that when you can't find a LJS, the absolute next best thing is a VFW or American Legion fish fry. A derth of such things in our general vicinity makes us weep, but they're out there if you're willing to haul your cookies around a bit.

But in lieu of that, here are some options for some decent fried fish goodness:

• Lawrence's Fisheries, a long-time Chicagoist favorite.


• Southside Shrimp House, 335 W. 31st St., 312-567-0000


• Chief O'Neill's Pub, this has always been Chicagoist's go-to place for fried fish, and we've always enjoyed the family-friendly atmosphere.


• The Rail is serving up all-you-can-eat fish for $6.75 and, our favorite part, $2.50 Bass, Harp and Guinness pints.


• Duke of Perth comes recommended by the kids over at Chicago Foodies, and $9.25 means all-you-can-eat fried fish with hand-cut potatoes and peas.


• Grizzly's Lodge offers all-you-can-eat for $7.95, and that includes French fries and hush puppies, and Chicagoist is a firm believer that fried fish served without hush puppies is a crime against humanity.