Fish and Chips

[seelig]

I've been browsing the site for a few months now and have thoroughly enjoyed reading about all the restaurants in the area and found the site to be very informative.

I just did a search and couldn't find anything so I thought I'd ask if people knew where to get some good Fish & Chips in DC if possible.

[Jacques Gastreaux]

I always liked the fish and chips at Portners in Old Town. They use halibut.

[CrescentFresh]

I just did a search and couldn't find anything so I thought I'd ask if people knew where to get some good Fish & Chips in DC if possible.

I haven't found anything in DC that can match Murphy's on King Street in Old Town.

[brr]

I had fried catfish and hand sliced chips (not fries) at Colorado kitchen yesterday - probably the best fried fish I've ever had

[squidsdc]

Royal Mile Pub in Wheaton has excellent Fish & Chips. Metro accessible via a shortish walk from the station.

[porcupine]

Johnny's Half Shell used to do f&c quite nicely, but I haven't been there in years.

[Al Dente]

I haven't found anything in DC that can match Murphy's on King Street in Old Town.

They're the only reason I'd go there. Great stuff.

[CrescentFresh]

They're the only reason I'd go there. Great stuff.

To Old Town/King Street? Or Murphy's?

[Al Dente]

To Old Town/King Street?  Or Murphy's?

Murphy's. Something about the joint just rubs me the wrong way.

[MeMc]

My father is going to be here. I know he'd love it if I took him for a fish fry on a Friday (he's pretty Catholic). Where can you get fish and chips on Fridays aside from Eamonn's? ('m predicting my father will hassle me about driving over the bridge and wonder why we can't find it in the District.

[Heather]

My father is going to be here. I know he'd love it if I took him for a fish fry on a Friday (he's pretty Catholic). Where can you get fish and chips on Fridays aside from Eamonn's? ('m predicting my father will hassle me about driving over the bridge and wonder why we can't find it in the District.

How about Hanks ?

[monavano]

Old Ebbitt Grill

[corndog]

Temperance Hall in Petworth has a great fish fry battered in Wolaver's Organic Ale--they offer it as a platter (with fries and salad) or a sandwich (fries or salad).

[Meaghan]

Royal Mile Pub?

http://www.royalmilepub.com/pubfare.htm

Many of the places I know are upscale. Kinkead's has really good ones. Johnny's Half Shell should have them (they need to practice for fish taco time). Ummmmm. It's slim pickings, I guess.

[bilrus]

It has been a number of years and the setting was not the restaurant (so take it with a grain of salt), but the second best fish and chips I've had in the area (aside from Eamonn's of course) were at the DC Food Festival booth of Biddy Mulligan's, which is in one of the hotels on Dupont Circle.

If anyone ahs any more recent experiences, feel free to shoot this suggestion down.

[monavano]

I suppose you could check out Irish pubs in DC, most of which should have fish n chips on the menu. The Dubliner for example, near Union Station, serves them up.

[Meaghan]

Historically, why are there so many Irish pubs by Union Station? Anyway, an Irish person just told me Fado had good fish and chips. True?

[bookluvingbabe]

Historically, why are there so many Irish pubs by Union Station? Anyway, an Irish person just told me Fado had good fish and chips. True?

My Irish co-workers says that used to be the Irish part of town (hard to believe there used to be homes in that area, isn't it?).

I

[bioesq]

My Irish co-workers says that used to be the Irish part of town (hard to believe there used to be homes in that area, isn't it?).

I

There have been Irish saloons in that part of Washington since before the Civil War. The area was called 'Swampoodle' for years, and the Washington Nationals had a ballyard called 'Swampoodle Grounds' where Union Station is today. Notwithstanding, I recall that a few of today's pubs on the Senate side were established in the early to mid-1970s, and provided a small taste of Boston to many an Irish Member of Congress and staffers requiring a wee drop of the nectar before heading home.

[TimmySmith]

I can certainly vouch for The Royal Mile and Temperance Hall as well as a ton of Asian owned holes in the wall. But for my money, the best fried fish in the city is found at the Maine Avenue Fish Market. Sadly they do not serve pints of Smithwicks.

[Tweaked]

Mackey's use to serve good fish and chips, but now they suck...so avoid.

[Hannah]

Duffy's does a lovely fish and chips.

As far as the original topic goes, I don't know of any traditional Friday fish fries in the District, but there's one at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Sterling. Of course, if you can't talk your dad into crossing the river to go to Eamonn's, there's not much hope of getting him all the way out to Sterling.

[Escoffier]

There have been Irish saloons in that part of Washington since before the Civil War. The area was called 'Swampoodle' for years, and the Washington Nationals had a ballyard called 'Swampoodle Grounds' where Union Station is today. Notwithstanding, I recall that a few of today's pubs on the Senate side were established in the early to mid-1970s, and provided a small taste of Boston to many an Irish Member of Congress and staffers requiring a wee drop of the nectar before heading home.

I believe that was called SwampDoodle...Linky-dinky and then there's this link to the area called SwampPoodle. Silly people didn't know where they lived.

[bioesq]

Silly people didn't know where they lived.

Not with a saloon on every corner I would suspect. The origin of the word "swampoodle" (there is one in Philadelphia, too) comes from the swamps and puddles created by the overflow of the Tiber Creek and the undeveloped marshland that surrounded the Capitol. See here.

[queuedc@gmail.com]

snap in georgetown just added fish + chips this past weekend to their menu.

the beer battered fish is served with our revamped fries and now homemade sauces.

the feedback has been great!

the menu is at www.snapcrepes.com

Margarita

owner

snap

www.snapcrepes.com

[Pool Boy]

Just as an FYI, there's a joint/carry out place on Rt. 198 in Maryland near No Such Agency (NSA) called Casey's Crab Co. that makes quite a serviceable fish & chips. You have to drive fast to get home or just sit in your car to eat as the fries do not hold up very well. But when hot & fresh it's pretty good.

[Ferhat Yalcin]

still the best fish and chips are by Eamonn`s.

worth the drive

[Sthitch]

Eamonn's chips are still the closest approximation of a decent post-pub bag of chips available in the area, and they're not quite right either - current spousal theory is that OSHA/Dept. of Health regulations don't permit the truly gigantic vat of oil necessary for the production of proper chips.

Tallow, a large vat of bubbling beef tallow, that is what is missing in every attempt I have had at a decent chip in these parts, and becoming exceedingly rare on the other side of the Atlantic as well.

[Hannah]

Tallow, a large vat of bubbling beef tallow, that is what is missing in every attempt I have had at a decent chip in these parts, and becoming exceedingly rare on the other side of the Atlantic as well.

The beef tallow chips are the true standouts, but even the places that have switched to vegetable oil but still have the giganto-vat can generally manage a much higher standard than we get over here. I'd assume that there's a much smaller temperature change when any given amount of spud or fish is dropped into one of the giganto-vats than into your standard Frialator, and that the difference there must be noticeable in the end product.

[Sthitch]

Hannah,

I agree that the amount of fat matters a great deal, but to me the fat is as important. And the scourge of vegetable fats has ruined the chipper. When I was a kid living in rural Scotland I would join my friends in riding our bikes several miles to the local chipper to enjoy some seductive fish and chips, or a meat pie built on a lard laden dough. The smell of vegetable oil or shortening just can't elicit the same fervor.

[ulrath]

Just to add my two cents to the reply, Eammons is already well known but Hunters Head in Upperville has a pretty good rendition of Fish and Chips. Jimmy's in Herndon was good but I can't abide the smoke there.

[Hannah]

Hannah,

I agree that the amount of fat matters a great deal, but to me the fat is as important. And the scourge of vegetable fats has ruined the chipper. When I was a kid living in rural Scotland I would join my friends in riding our bikes several miles to the local chipper to enjoy some seductive fish and chips, or a meat pie built on a lard laden dough. The smell of vegetable oil or shortening just can't elicit the same fervor.

Mmm, yes. I just came in from standing outside for a fire drill, and this is getting on towards pie weather. You'll undoubtedly be familiar with saveloys as well, then - another of those foods that only really seems like a good idea when you're basking in the glow from the glass case in the chip shop.

[Sthitch]

Mmm, yes. I just came in from standing outside for a fire drill, and this is getting on towards pie weather. You'll undoubtedly be familiar with saveloys as well, then - another of those foods that only really seems like a good idea when you're basking in the glow from the glass case in the chip shop.

Because of the economical streak that we Scots have; Saveloys are simply known as red pudding, and sit in the case with their black and white brethren. This was long before the fine people of Stonehaven introduced the world to the concept of the fried candy bar. Had that confection existed at the time I am sure that I would have been rendered into a portly and slothful lad.

[Rieux]

Mmm, yes. I just came in from standing outside for a fire drill, and this is getting on towards pie weather. You'll undoubtedly be familiar with saveloys as well, then - another of those foods that only really seems like a good idea when you're basking in the glow from the glass case in the chip shop.

I have always thought DC is missing two things: a good bagel shop and a really great savory pie shop. There is literally nothing better than biting into a good pasty or a good steak and ale pie on a cold day, or when you are too tired to cook dinner, or are a bit drunk. I've been a devoted pie fan when traveling or living in Ireland, the UK, and New Zealand. I REALLY miss good pies here. We need a place like the Keswick shop in New York!

[goodeats]

It's the Lenten season and Friday. Where would a good Midwestern gal go these days?

[DonRocks]

It's the Lenten season and Friday. Where would a good Midwestern gal go these days?

For fish and chips? Eamonn's, Daniel O'Connell's, or Fishnet.

[Bob Loblaw]

It's the Lenten season and Friday. Where would a good Midwestern gal go these days?

How about Freddy's? I haven't tried the fish & chips there yet, but all the other fried items I've had there recently have been excellent. Or maybe the Codmother on U St.? (also haven't tried)

Though I can't imagine either place would be better than Eamonn's...

[The Hersch]

I'm surprised I never chimed in on this thread before, but Kinkead's does a top-notch fish and chips.

[goldenticket]

I saw this sign on the front of Earl's as I walked by at lunch:

[thetrain]

I saw this sign on the front of Earl's as I walked by at lunch:

As I've posted before - Earls has really good fish and okay chips.