The Fish Keg

Late Night Take Out, street parking

I have been coming here for at least 20 years
always high quality — friendly service
the owners were often there and they are great
but…
went there a few weeks ago–
terrible service– 2 young employees talking with each other — not paying attention
I asked if the owners were there — I got a sullen ‘uh…no…‘
fish cooked in oil not hot enough
36 $ of fish and chicken– greasy and tasteless and very disappointing
not sure I’ll be back
used to spend at least 12 $ a week for decades
might not be back

Went out of my way to try this place again. It took almost an hour. I had tried it in the late 70’s early 80’s. I remember that it tasted the best! Not any longer. Not only was everything heavily battered, but all of the items I purchased, shrimp, scallops, calamari, clam strips, fish chips, catfish nuggets etc., all tasted the same. The calamari and clam strips were like rubber. I spent well over $ 100. So to say I was disappointed is truly an understatement. To top it all off my entire family got sick to their stomach. I called to inquire about the issue and was just told «nobody else has complained». That was about it, no apology nothing. I would never do business with this store again and wouldn’t recommend it.

I must have passed the iconic neon sign for the Fish Keg a hundred times, and was always on my way somewhere else. Tonight, I thought to myself, «You know, when a store does ONE THING for YEARS, it’s probably pretty good!» And so it was. It’s a small shop where you pick out your fish, either in fillets or pre-​cut/​battered pieces which they will fry up for you. Prices are by the pound for the raw weight of the fish.
Since it was my first time there, I figured I’d go with the cajun catfish nuggets, and a half chicken for the hubby. My dinner was cooked up, put in brown paper bags, and off I went. (This is a carry out place, so there’s no place to sit and eat.) As I drove home, the delicious scent of fried fish wafted through my car, and I found myself dipping nuggets of catfish into the tartar sauce. (No mean feat, when driving a stick shift). The contrast of the crispy, spicy batter and the moist, flavorful and tender catfish was absolutely perfect. By the time I made it home, there were only two pieces left, which I thoughtfully saved for the husband. I tried the chicken too, which was moist and juicy, but I thought the batter wasn’t quite as crispy as I like. (I had been a bit concerned, fearing that they might use the same oil for the fish and the chicken, but my fears were unfounded.)
You can get several sauces for your fish, and they have several kinds of sides, like macaroni salad, coleslaw, potato salad, 3 bean salad, and of course your choice of pecan, pumpkin or sweet potato pie. They also have soft drinks and even some ice cream. There are also some packaged goods, things like breading mix, bottles of sauces, beans/​rice etc.
If you like fried fish, you should go there!

My brother loves this place. While in the hospital after giving birth to my son he brought me some and it was amazing. That was in August 2013. I stopped there on a whim about a week or two ago. I don’t know if I ordered the wrong things or what but it was all nasty. The fish chicken and even the fries gross. Like I’m hungry but not hungry enough to eat that nasty. They get one star because in the past I really enjoyed their food and another because the young lady who took my order was so nice, polite, and helpful

No napkins. No utensils. Fish & chips were weird. Round fried circles with no flavor. Sauce is sold separately & was not offered. Asked the counter person what was good & they had no opinion. The potatoes looked the same as the fish circles. Building is old, no energy and needs some love.

Just OK. $ 16.00 for ½ shrimp and ½ catfish nuggets, that have so much batter you can’t even taste the fish (and the shrimp are so tiny). To top it off, each order comes with absolutely nothing else! I can’t imagine that this product is even fresh once you take a gander at the seafood case. Looks like everything has been sitting there forever (probably purchased from the local Jewel).
I’m spoiled by places like «Shrimp Express» on the far south side– lines out the door because the product is so fresh, succulent and less expensive!
I’m not sure how they are staying in business, as there is hardly anyone in there on a busy dinner evening!

The service was awful and the food was worse. It was greasy and tasteless. I wasted my. I’ll never go back.

Some things were tasty, others not so much. Little bit more expensive than expected. But a unique experience if you like things both fried and from lake/​ocean

Great hidden gem. Very clean, friendly and yummy!

You want freshly fried fish outta the fryer, come on over to the fish keg, standing room only. Walking in makes you feel like a roger’s park local, walking out makes you just want to walk back in and have some more even though you’re stuffed. Also I’m pretty certain everyone takes their food to go. A good go-​to is the fish and chips. If you are feeling a little daring, maybe grab a couple shrimp or some hush puppies. The brownie is a pretty decent go-​to dessert. Overall I love this place.

I used to go to the Fish Keg in the 80’s and 90’s. It has been around forever. There used to be a line out the door. Visiting the area today, I had to stop by and get the shrimp and scallops for my family. Spent $ 60+ for 2 lb shrimp and 1lb scallops and some fries.
I was so disappointed. Maybe the lack of a line should have tipped me off.
Seafood was, overcooked, over breaded, and flavorless. The fries were also not good.
Such a bummer as I used to love this place.
I would not want to return.

Great food OVER priced since they switched owners years ago! end up spending 25 $ and not knowing what you spent it on…

***Do not put the food in your mouth as soon as you get it! It’s so hot you’ll burn all your taste buds. You have to wait at least 3 – 5 minutes.***
The best shrimp and fish I’ve had in Chicago so far! the food is fresh and you can definitely tell when you eat it. For $ 7 and some change you get half pound of shrimp which is enough for one person. I was super hungry, so I got ½ shrimp and ½ fish and both were super delicious. Something I do not like is they charge you 50 cents for a small cup of tartar sauce (even if it’s your first one). I thought I’d get at least one sauce on the side included in the price.
It’s not a dine in place unfortunately. So we just sat in the parking lot and ate in the car. I wish there were tables outside or nearby.

Love this place!!! Everything I have ever tried is delicious and fresh. Customer service is always friendly and warm but not only that, by the time I get home (Park Ridge) my food is always still pretty hot! That’s a plus in my book. The Fish Keg is definitely a Chicago staple and is a must try for all my fish fry lovers.

Fish Keg has got the goods. Went there for the first time yesterday for lunch and got breaded shrimp and «fish & chips». Both were outstanding both in the quality of the food as well as with the manner in which it is prepared.
Yes it’s fried fish, but, oh, is it ever good. The breading is fantastic.
My only gripe is that it is a «store» versus a restaurant. BUT, the food is so hot that it is still hot by the time you get to where you’re going. For us it was over 4 miles on Western before we stopped to eat. I know that it was way hot because I tried sampling on the way.
Nice variety on the menu, am looking forward to sampling their fresh items, which looked good in the display case while we waited for our order to be prepared.

Some of the best seafood in the area! I grew up going to this place with my parents, and I’m still a fan as an adult. It’s carry out only, and the standing room only tends to get crowded in the small space, especially when the weather’s nice. You can call ahead or order when you arrive and wait a few minutes. Everything is fried, so I don’t get it a lot, but it’s also very fresh and tasty. My favorites are the shrimp (a must!), the Canadian perch, clam strips, and their delicious hush puppies!
They also have at least one fish on special, so we like to try those as well. They also do a ½ fried chicken (I remember it being under $ 3; it’s now $ 5.39). They have average fries and delicious cold salads in the case (macaroni, two kinds of cole slaw, 3-​bean, and my personal fave… their potato salad).
I don’t think they should charge extra for their sauces but they do. You can also get limited groceries here like condiments, seafood kitchen staples, drinks, snacks, and a few other items on their shelves in a pinch. I especially like that you can buy fresh shrimp and their fish uncooked, by the pound, if you prefer to take it home and prepare it yourself. I’m a huge fan of their whitefish. Not being from the area my husband had never heard of it and I turned him on to it. In the summertime we season it up and put it on the grill & it’s delicious! So if fried isn’t your thing, buy the fish here and cook it at home!

Some of the freshest and tastiest seafood you’ll get from a fast-​food style restaurant in Chicago. They have sales on different items almost every week, and they offer a Groupon that will save you $ 7 every now and then.
First, you should know that this place is only to-​go. There is no place to sit let alone very little room to stand when it is busy. You go up to the counter, order by the pound, wait, and pay. But you are rushing home because your car is filling up with that fresh fish and deep-​fried batter goodness.
My favorite fish is the Cajun Catfish. Lot’s of flavor, perfect blend of spices, and flaky fish. Half a pound will feed two people if you get something else like fries (which are decent but nothing special). I like their scallops because they have this really buttery texture and slightly sweet taste along with the light batter on it. I like the shrimp. Though they tend to be a little heavy on the batter, they are crispy and succulent! Their tartar sauce is yummy, and I usually use 2 individual cups for my meal. If fried fish sounds like a delicious meal and you’re not looking for anything too fancy, you have to try Fish Keg. It’s a Chicago staple for seafood.

Put Fish Keg on your list fort fried seafood spots!
A few days ago I was comparing Groupon offers for two fried shrimp and seafood joints in the city, neither of which were near my usual travelings. My mom began to reminisce about a place her and my father used to go for excellent fried seafood in the 70s, Fish Keg, and wondered if it was still open. A quick search showed it was, so we made plans to hit them up for dinner yesterday since we weren’t going to be far. Mom was surprised to see how nothing changed, and the employees said it was run by the same owners from back in the day.
We ordered 1lb shrimp, 1lb fish chips, ½lb clams, ½lb smelts, and ½ chicken fried out of curiosity since it was only $ 6. Most of the food was brought home to the burbs but I ha to try the smelt, shrimp, and clams first. Oh wow, I seriously have superhuman will power to not eat it all because it was damn good! While heating the food up a little in the oven wad the best way to warm it up, it wasn’t the same. The seafood itself was fine but the breading turned a bit hard and did a number on the roof of my mouth. The chicken wasn’t bad but if you want chicken specifically you’ll go elsewhere, this place is first and foremost seafood.
To the few critics I saw below, either you went on an off day or you’re judging Fish Keg to lesser quality establishments. First, the prices are in line with other quality seafood joints of this caliber. I just checked 5 other popular places and the shrimp cost the same while a couple other items were higher or lower. None had anywhere near the number of options Fish Keg had either. Second, dried up and bland? No way, sorry. A couple people said the breading was too thick but I didn’t think so, it was pretty sufficient and wasn’t as much as some places that actually do get carried away with breading. Charging 49 cents for condiments is lame though, and it would be nice if they had a coupler seats.

Looking for Nemo !
Yes, this is true. I came in to see if I could find Nemo but unfortunately
he wasn’t home. Damn. my timing is always off!
So, I didn’t find Nemo but I did find a great little Seafood Place not far from
me on Howard and, what a find this place was!
It’s a fairly small storefront but once you enter you can smell the tremendously
delicious fish cooking and it pretty much takes over your senses,
They have a great selection of fresh Seafood that you can take to go or
they will cook it there for you if you prefer.
But, honestly, anyone who comes in here and tries to leave without some
freshly cooked shrimp/​fish chips needs to think twice.
And, actually I was going to leave without Shrimp but I simply decided that would
be a major mistake, and after bringing that shrimp home have to say I definitely
made the right decision.
The Shrimp was battered perfectly, not too much, nor too little.
Perfect taste!
And, it can get a bit pricey if one buys this stuff by the pound, so go for the half-​pound,
so very worth it!
And, they have pre-​packaged salads you can take with you as well, but do yourself
a favor and order the Hushpuppies, they are the best!
So glad I came upon this place, they are quality and that means a lot.
Looking forward to seeing them again in the near future.
And next time, Nemo had better be home!