Calumet Fisheries

June 19, 2013

No Reservations – Chicago

Calumet Fisheries or Berghoff, Chicago. Calumet Fisheries has been attracting crowds since 1948. It’s not really a restaurant, but the take-out seafood shack’s smoked and fried fish make dining in the car worthwhile.

Calumet Fisheries is not really a restaurant. It’s a take-out fish shack and smokehouse on the edge of the Calumet River in Chicago, offering all manner of gorgeous smoked and fried fish to seafood-loving locals who wait patiently for their lunches and then chow down in their cars. It’s a classic institution, attracting crowds since 1948, and a must for visiting seafood fanatics. 3259 East 95th Street, Chicago, IL 60617.

Those seeking a historic Chicago dining experience with actual chairs and tables better head toward the Berghoff, the 114 year-old German icon and one of the oldest family-run businesses in the country. What started as a men’s-only beer hall to showcase the Berghoff family’s signature beer has evolved over the century into a modern German restaurant with pierogis, Jager schnitzel, beer-battered cod and some un-German selections like mushroom paninis and Cajun chicken salads. 17 West Adams Street Chicago, IL 60603.

Back in 1948, brothers-in-law Sid Kotlick and Len Toll opened Calumet Fisheries. Their dream was to serve the freshest, tastiest fish on the South Side. 65 Years later, Calumet Fisheries is still run by the Kotlick-Toll family. Our loyal staff is part of the family, too. And we’re still serving the freshest, most delicious fish around – served with a side of South Side history! Now, like then, we are strictly a take-out business. Sorry, no seating, no bathrooms. Many of our customers enjoy their smoked and fried seafood right away – in their cars parked out front.