I purchased a Groupon for the Fish Keg. It was the $10 for $20 worth of food. I went on 02/11/12. The place is very small and you need to know what to order. The fish is uncooked and they will cook it right in front of you. The food is weighted and you can buy by the pound, quarter-pound, etc. I guess they were getting a lot of Groupon on people because once I told them I had it the mood changed. They didn't want to tell me the weight of my order. And the skinny cook was rude but I let it pass. I was hungry and my co-worker recommended the Fish Keg. The owners and Groupon need to address this issue. It seems to be a theme (check out my Seafood Garden review later). I placed an order for a quarter pound of Canadian perch, Trout, and Salmon. I also ordered a half pound of hush puppies and one regular french fry. The food was DELICIOUS. The fish tasted very fresh and the hush puppies had lots of flavor. Note: I sent Groupon a message. read more

Back in the late '70s, there was a disco on Howard St. (near Ridge) called Frankenstein's. It was a great place to get drunk, pop a Quaalude or Mandrex, and dance to Donna Summer if you lived in the Rogers Park / Skokie/ Lincolnwood area. Many a night I got f-ed up and dragged some willing disco queen out of there for a night of rough sex and debauchery. Next door was a place to get fresh fried shrimp and fish to absorb the alcohol and drugs. Well, they don't make 'ludes anymore (and Frankenstein's is now a parking lot) but you can still get outstanding fried stuff at "The Keg". Open 'till 1 A.M., The Keg is still a place to stop for the perfect "meal" to soak up the alcohol. Make sure to spend the extra .29 on a few cocktail or tartar sauces, 'cause I ALWAYS underestimate how much I need. A half lb. of fried shrimp and a half lb. of fish chips with sauces and drinks for around $12.00 is a great deal too! They also offer various other types of "non generic" fried fish. Be sure to try the potato salad and cole slaw. They're made fresh on premises and are the perfect creamy accompaniment to the fried fish. Ahhh...memories! read more

I LOVE THE FISH CHIPS. These delicious little morsels of white fish are perfectly battered and taste best liberally slathered with the house tartar. The fries are also battered... and amazing! The vinegar coleslaw is finely chopped and a personal favorite. Honestly, I have yet to have anything disappointing. It's places like this that make Chicago a city worth living in. read more

unsanitary, gross, dusty cans of pop and condiments FOR SALE. got sick the next day. fiance claims "stupidest dinner ever".. why do kosher places have to be so cheap. never going back. quality of food horrible....clam chowder = water, sodium, cream, water, and clam. did i say water? yuck...gives me chills....i rate this place the worst of all places ive ever been. huge disappointment...sorry they charge for tartar, bbq, kethup, everything so please be sure you have some at home. byo napkins, utenclis, etc. theyll charge for a cup of water at the kosherhole. anyone down for a class action? read more

Loved this neighborhood spot for years (emphasis on past tense "loved"), but the quality has decreased, PRICES HAVE DOUBLED, and the owner nickels and dimes customers to the point of RIDICULOUSLY INCREASED PRICES. $22 for a pound of teeny tiny breaded scallops and then I must buy the cocktail, tartar, BBQ and/or hot sauce. Really? Speaking of scallops, they're the size of a dime, but forced to look large with a thick, hard-as-nails breading. Won't be going back. read more

This review is a professional non bias review. Me and my gf went here it was bad sea food. First of all nothing is house made im talking about sauces and bakery stuff are ALL STORE-BOUGHT products. if you genuinely call and pride yourself a with being a "fish keg" i assume you would have house made products. - the breading tastes very salty for shrimp and fish!!! -you taste more breading than the actual seafood - greasy I was looking for sauce to dip so i can get the taste out of my mouth. - they charge 50 cents for non-house made sauces big no no. Owner trying to recover costs of sauces! - the oil was old and made the seafood look very dark and greasy! - bakery items are all store bought - No place to sit down, they do only take out! Never again will be we come here, my gf didnt eat. Save youself some Money go to Trohas chicken and shrimp!!! Way better seafood, you wont be sorry! read more

I have been coming here since I was a baby and the place has not changed. The food is terrible for you but it it so delicious! You can not go wrong with anything here. Wear your bulletproof vest and head on over to the fishkeg! read more

Always so delicious and quick. I love all of the seafood here but especially the cajun catfish, shrimp, salmon and trout.

i've been looking for a fish fry place for 15 yrs since i moved from wi to chi and i may have found it, had the lake perch last night and it was excellent. plan to try the walleye next. read more

I will never buy seafood at the grocery store again. We buy fresh fish to cook at home and get take out. They fry everything perfectly. I love the fried clam strips, fried fish and french fries. read more

I know this place is a hole in the wall and I didn't have much expectations, yet I've heard multiple times from friends it's good. It was terrible. I ordered calamari and clam strips. On the way home the car smelled like fried dough, enough to open the windows. Once I got home and ate it, all it tasted like was dirty oil. They need to change their fryers more often so it doesn't take terrible. read more

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

What's my favorite cuisine you ask? The answer is deep fried. Batter and deep fry it, I'll eat it. That being said, the Fish Keg rocks. A hole in the wall seafood joint that serves your fried goodies in lined paper bags so the grease doesn't soak through. The breading might be a tad heavy for some but I like it. From catfish and shrimp to the hush puppies, it's all good. Don't forget the hot sauce and a side of vinegar slaw. I'm a good Catholic boy, so come Fridays during Lent when I can't eat meat, you'll know where to find me. Sorry Long John Silvers!! read more

Less then mediocre for the price. This place used to be much better alas this is my last visit. I ordered a pound of shrimp and not only was it expensive it seemed to have a lot of breading and they charged me extra for more cocktail sauce. I went to Lawrence Fisheries recently got a pound of shrimp was much better tasting and extra sauce was not extra charge I mean the price was over 20 for both places but i was satisfied at Lawrence Fisheries read more

This was my first time at a fish fry spot in Chicago, and it was a good experience. I was confused when I first walked in, but figured it out pretty quickly. You can choose from a big variety of fresh seafood in the showcase, and they'll deep fry it for you. I chose 1 piece of walleye, some clams strips, and some smelt. It was kind of pricy, but it was definitely delicious. I probably wouldn't order the walleye again(it was a tiny piece for $4), but the clam and smelt were a good value. The guy at the counter had a friendly demeanor and was helpful. I would definitely come back to try some of their other offerings. read more

I purchased a Groupon on a whim and waited till the day before expiration to use it. I purchased the Shrimp, Cajun catfish, fish chips, calamari, hush puppies, cole slaw (vinegar & creamy) & macaroni salad. I must say everything tasted pretty good. My only complaint would be how greasy the calamari were. The grease soaked through the bag and stained my car seat. All in all, would I return, Yes. Their service was fast, pleasant and courteous! read more

The neon/sign alone is worth four stars, but as many others have pointed out, the breading is pretty heavy here. Even so, I'm a fan of this hole-in-the-wall, no frills fish-fry. They've got a lot of different fish options on the menu, so it's easy to mix-and-match, and it's fast, tasty, and pretty cheap-- well, not super-cheap, but they're constantly running Groupon deals, so there's no reason to pay full-price. While I'm leery of buying chicken at a place that has "fish" in the name, next time I'll give the fried chicken a shot. read more

I found this place through yelp since my neighborhood seafood fry place doesn't open late. My husband was hungry and I certainly acknowledged his hunger. We order 1/2 shrimp, 1/2 clam strips, and 1/2 hush puppies. The young man who took our order friendly reminded me to "scale down" my original hush puppies order since I intended to order the full pound (lol)! Well, he was right, because they whole meal was filling for my little Asian stomach, I liked the "buttery" breading a lot since it gave a good aroma to the seafood. There are some nice, big shrimps that I consumed. My husband added on the Mac salad, which wasn't too crazy about but it was ok. The whole order came to about $21. I didn't think it was that pricy since I know there are other similar establishments would charge more. The place was clean. They do have ample parking and some light groceries. Don't know if the location is convenient for me to go back but I will definitely remember it whenever I wanna fulfill my fried seafood addiction! read more

Back in the day, when I was able to eat all of these fried and salty wonders freely, Fish Keg was the place to go to. Deep-fried seafood heaven!! Catfish, shrimp, scallops, oysters, clams, walleye, and many more covered in tasty, crunchy breading. My favorites would have to be the catfish, shrimp, and clam strips, they're even more amazing dipped in Fish Keg's own vinegary and spicy hot sauce. The hush puppies are delicious as well, especially with the tartar sauce! How I long to eat this goodness as carelessly as I used to... read more

The family has been going to the Fish Keg since before I was born and it is always a treat to pick up tasty deep fried shrimp, and fish and chips here. Not much has changed here over the years and that is a good thing. Sure hope they stay in business for another few decades. read more

We've driven past this sign about a zillion times. Finally I found a Groupon so had to try it out! It is quite a drive for me to get here. So we came to pick up dinner. I don't know if I should have lowered my expectations or what but I was totally underwhelmed. It wasn't busy so I thought the staff would at least walk me through what to do. I went up to the counter and said I'd never been here what do they recommend. She said about 1/2 lb of fish per person. I didn't see the boxed dinners until after we ordered. They were not friendly. So we got the fried cod, scallops and hush puppies. Also you're charged for sauce so we just got a cocktail and a tartar and shared a diet soda. All that was over $30. We went to the car and ate. The cod was a snooze. We really enjoyed the scallops. That was well done. And the hush puppies were pretty good but we didn't have the right sauce for it. Given how far away it is and the unfriendly service I doubt I'll be back for just ok food. I'm so close to Joey's Shrimp House that I think I'll get my fix there. read more

The fried fish and shrimp is fresh, good & convenient for me as far as location. JUST TOO DARN expensive for a few little pieces. I don't think it used to be this expensive. This place has been here for years. read more

Went here one day with a friend and her dad (who has been going here since he was young). Both of them were so excited to eat seafood in a paper bag in the car, which made me slightly nervous. However, sitting in the backseat of the car eating fried shrimp and scallops from that paper bag seemed to be the most appropriate way of consuming the delicious food. The scallops were very large, and the shrimp were clearly REAL shrimp, not just like the weird sponge shrimp covered in ten thousand layers of nasty breading. This place seems like the perfect ending to night of drinking. Next time I want to try the hushpuppies and the white fish. read more

Back to the great place they were! I am way late updating my review of The Fish Keg. After a couple of less then stellar take out orders I was bummed, one of my go to places was not what I remembered. Well it is back, and has been for a while. Their fish is excellent, as you would hope a place called The Fish Keg would serve. Now the big surprises, the rest of their offerings are even better. The prepared salads; potato, coleslaw ( both creamy or oil and vinegar) and possibly the world's best 3-bean salads are staples in our house. They have an inexpensive 1/2 Fried Chicken that is great and they serve up the meatiest, juicy wings I have had. The wings are simply fried, you can either buy sauce or eat them plain. Either way they are unbelievable. read more

I was actually fairly dissapointed when I went here. A friend had recommended me to this place when I had said I was looking to make fresh fish for some guests that evening. The selection was minimal and not as fresh as I would've hoped. I would recommend going here though if you like southern style fried fish and seafood - they had a a much larger selection of this premade stuff ready to go. read more

Order the salmon! Tasty and very filling. I highly suggest calling in your order, with about 30-40 minutes, so there's no waiting due to their made to order routine. Do this especially during midday and early evening. Add more time during Lent. read more

Fish keg rocks. Not a place I would go to without a recomendation of what to buy. They have shrimp at incredible prices. What a great fish mart. read more

Cajun Catfish and Shrimp are what I always get! Service is good and so is the food. My friends and I always come here.

The Fish Keg is a wonderful place to have on an otherwise unremarkable stretch of Howard St. I don't get there nearly as often as I'd like to, but have always had a great experience with their fried shrimp and hushpuppies. The store has a great rustic and laid-back vibe and almost convinces you that you're on the New England shore. Open late too, which is a truly great thing. read more

I love Fish Keg. My favorites are the clam strips and obviously the fried shrimp. The French fries and coleslaw are pretty solid too

If you're looking for reasonably priced fried fish to go, you've come to the right place. They price things by the pound here -- the fish, the cole slaw, and the hush puppies. I liked the walleye, but my friends like the Cajun catfish more (quite mild for Cajun seasoning). The hush puppies were good, as were the tartar and cocktail sauces. I recommend the vinegar-y cole slaw over the creamy one -- I think it helps balance the palate when eating fried food. read more

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. read more

Really interesting place. We got an order of shrimp, orange roughy, fries and slaw. The fish was really really tender and fresh. We will be back to try more fish and I think it could be a good option for a party or to bring to a potluck. Will skip the sides next time. read more

This place has seen a dramatic decline over the years. Every time I pass by, I think about giving it another shot. I go and am instantly reminded why I stopped eating here. I'm writing this so I can remind myself never to eat from here again. This review is more for me than any of you. I stopped eating fries here awhile ago, when they changed from the excellent crinkle cut fries to the whipped garbage they have now (think BK's fries). I always liked the fried chicken, though it's slowly fallen out of favor with me since the price has almost doubled since I began eating it. This last order of chicken would have been a ripoff even at the original price. Completely flavorless. However, that's better than the smelts. I wish they had been flavorless. I'd guess that I was the only person to order smelts within the last 3-4 days, because they tasted like it. By far the worst fried smelts I've ever eaten. They don't put salt on anything. ANYTHING! The person before me ordered fries and was told that they don't salt them. My order sure could have used salt, or anything that resembled decent flavor. Service was friendly and the hours are great, but the food has become awful. Hey, Joe! Don't go there! You've been warned! read more

So many wonderful choices I ended up getting the Canadian perch and a half of fried chicken yummy

Been going here since the 70's and it is still the same. like the shrimp, fish chips. Love the canadian perch & walleye

I live literally within walking distance of this place and have to control myself from going into it every day just for the smell. Fish Keg has figured out the trick to fish which is not everyone knows how to cook it. Granted they only offer it fried but they do their work well. If you are good at cooking fish they have a none cooked selection as well which always looks fresh and tasty. Keep in mind this place is a fish market, not a restaurant. Don't expect to go in and sit down. Ordering half a pound per person is usually a good idea but you'll need sides which will likely make your body happier too due to the fact that you are eating deep fried food. I suggest a nice salad or some sort of greens to go with it. All and all I look at this place as a drive thur. Call ahead, run in grab my order, and go home. It's simply so I don't have to worry about messing up the fish or cooking a main dish. Fast, convenient, and tasty, all I could really ask for. read more

This place is not what it was, the "fish and chips" have no chips with that, the fish not fresh and heavily breaded with corn meal not a batter as in a normal place, the oil they use is old. I would not recommend this place!!! I have been traveling and eating in restaurant every day for he past 30 years, this is not a place for seafood!! read more

Hush puppies are amazing! I will definitely go back, only bummer is there is no real sitting room if you went with a group.

The Fish Keg is legendary for a reason. The fried stuff is good, the shrimp cocktail (hand-peeled, boiled, and chilled - sold by the pound) is GREAT. Fresh, quick. Don't skip the homemade cocktail sauce. Go! Go now. read more