Big & Little's

-Grubbing in Chicago
Where everyone eats.

Today's stop is a fairly new spot on the scene here in Chicago that's made quite an impact early on. Big & Little's is a fish shack that opened in 2009 in the Near North neighborhood along the stretch of Orleans street abundant with Indian and some African restaurants. It's been featured in many publications and newspapers since its opening and also because one of the two owners was a Hell's Kitchen castoff a couple years back. Tony aka "Little" then teamed up with his buddy Gary aka "Big" and they put together a great addition to the neighborhood and one that's sure to be a longtime favorite down the road.


In the up and coming Near North neighborhood (Pic by Grub Seeker)


Menu is simple and good up to down

As my readers know I like to promote and give love to the Chicago classics that are located in every neighborhood (not just Bucktown, Lincoln Park, Lakeview and Downtown) and not just the Hot Doug's, Alineas, Big Stars, Mr. Beef's and the rest of the trendy spots that get more than enough love from publications and sites that for the most part is deserved. I just figure why do I need to let it be known what everyone else already has? However there are spots I make exceptions for and B&L's is going to be one of them. We need more places like this around the Northside as opposed to spots that are more of a marketing concept than an actual eatery. Big & Little's isn't going to wow you with its in house dining and wasn't designed by a hipster. Its plain inside and there's a table with stools along the backwall with some recent publicty on the walls and reggae music playing on the speakers. Its all about the food. I like most everything on the menu.


My go to side is the very refreshing kidney bean salad

The tacos at $3/each are something I order at least one of each visit. If your taking your order to go I would recommend an assortment of the tacos since some of the other must get items don't travel as well. All of them are available fried but I usually just get my fish tacos fried so most of the time I get an order consisting of one fried fish taco, one squid taco and then one shrimp taco which comes with different toppings than the fish and squids do. They are all very, very good. Chicago is lacking in a legit five star fish taco joint but B&L's scratches the itch pretty damn well.


Fried squid taco


Shrimp taco


Fried fish taco

I'm also a big fan of calamari and have been since I was a child. I hate it when I get served the fresh out the freezer from the bag pre-breaded calamari that comes only with the rings. I want the tentacles too and plenty of them. Calamari is a million times better when fresh battered and served with both rings and tentacles. Big & little's has some of the best calamari in the city and at $6 an order (side included) it's the best bang for your buck too. One of my favorites places for it in Chicago. Try it out.


Big & Little's fresh fried calamari

Need another reason I have made B&L's a regular in my Chowing rotation? They have the best fish and chips I have had in Chicagoland and the third best I have ever had (best were from spots in Scotland and Windsor, Canada) However at $8, which gets you two pieces of cod, perfectly fried to a much desired deep brown shade and a bunch of fresh cut fries which they also exceed at over there, this is one of the best meals under $10 to be had in the city. But you have to eat the fish and chips there. Like any other order of it from anywhere else this isn't a dish that travels well. So eat this dining in should you decide to order it and you wont be unhappy you ordered it. In fact you'll almost for sure be back for it again sometime soon.


Excellent fish and Chips from Big & Little...big up's to ya's

You might not think about the burger when you see it on the menu, after all this is a seafood place right? Do not sleep on the burger, especially with the fried egg on top. They take a hand formed patty and cook it to your desired doneness, perfect each and every time and then take a toasted bun and top that with the fresh toppings of your choice and a fried egg which takes it to the next level. Its gotta be one of the best bargain burgers in the city. Again its fresh and cooked to order and a steal at that price which has made it one of my favorites in my area. I would also recommend you eat the burger there since the yolk will drizzle down the side and can become cold rather quickly. So there you have it, I get around and have been to 1000's of spots in Chicagoland (more than most anybody) and B&L's is already a favorite of mine in its short time. If you want a little more pics and info on the place check out my guy Grub Seekers recent trip there over at his site HERE.


Cheeseburger with fried egg added on

Big & Little's
939 North Orleans Street
Chicago, IL 60610
(312) 943-0000

Redhot Ranch

-The other Chicago-style hot dog: Depression dog's

We went North to Murphy's and then south to O'Malley's and now we end with a place both Cubs and Sox fans can agree upon. The newly opened Redhot Ranch located on Western ave. in between Fullerton and Armitage is a second outlet from the owners of White Sox Fans favorite and a previously featured joint on here...35th st. Red Hots. The original (35th st.) is located a stones throw from The Cell but the newly opened Redhot Ranch is on the Northside and sits on Western which extends from Evanston all the way south to the far suburbs. Aside from the name, nothing is different as far as the Original and newly opened outlets go. Both spots serve one of if not Chicago's best hot dog along with their addicting fresh cut fries loaded on top.


The best hot dog on Western ave and maybe in the city


The menu...all of it...same as at 35th street

Unlike the last two joints (Murphy's & Morrie O'Malley's) up to bat in the order Redhot Ranch does the original Chicago style aka the "depression dog" or "the minimalist" and they come with mustard, relish, onions and sport peppers served on top of a Vienna Beef natural casing hot dog stuffed in a steamed bun and loaded with freshly cut in house fries on top. Other options available are Polish Sausage and French Fried Shrimp. I think it was Anthony Bourdain who said "You pick sumthin and you stick to that and you do that good and perfect that" that's exactly what they do at Redhot Ranch the same way its done at 35th. The fries are put thru the fry machine multiple times a day and the shrimp are shelled and deveined on site and coated and freshly fried when ordered. Its the classic example of an old school Chicago hot dog stand.


Redhot Ranch French Fried Shrimp


available with hot or mild sauce

But the reason I was ecstatic when Redhot opened not too far from me was for their hot dogs. The minimalist style is done to perfection at this little dog shack on Western and the fries always come piping hot and fried to perfection and they make sure there's plenty of food for the $3 (tax included) it'll set you back for a dog and fries. The people that make their way up and down Western will be happy to know, just like I was, that Redhot Ranch is open late on weekends. It was great to get this other Chicago style of hot dog in the area since my other favorite spots are all out there. Make sure you put 35th Street North aka Redhot Ranch into your starting rotation. This is the type of place that all of Chicago is glad to have on its team.


Double Dog from Redhot Ranch w/ fresh cut fries on top

Redhot Ranch
2072 N Western Ave
Chicago, IL 60647
773-235-5538

Shrimp Daddy Dollar$

-Grubbing in Chicago(land)
Where the locals eat and also all those who know

Please Note this is a repost of one of my favorite stops along the Lake. The original page wasn't loading as I was made aware of by some readers thru an email. Since I get here now and then, especially during warmer months I'm reloading it with a few updates. I have a few more pictures to add into the collection as well as some additional info. Once again thanks for reading.

"Dino should be as much a treasured natural resource as Illinois Beach State Park"-JoelF

"Eat here once and you'll be back again"-Dino himself

"When I get my sail boat, I'm harboring it near Zion so I can eat Porky's big, juicy, succulent, shrimp all day" -The Stanimal

"do these come wrapped in bacon and served between a dixie cream?"-Don Barzinini

"This is the best fried shrimp I have ever had" -KingT

"So this is why Forrest Gump was so crazy for shrimp...huuuh, now I get it" -BStalworth


Capt. Porky's is straight north up Sheridan Rd. from Chicago

I wanna take this time to introduce you to Dino...king of fried shrimp and as we call him over in the Chi--"Shrimp daddy dollars" cause he's reeeal. Dino is also known as Captain Porky and has to be Zion, Illinois and its surrounding areas most popular resident. Captain Porky's is one of the great eating gems in all of America and it rests right along Sheridan road adjacent to Illinois beach state park in Zion along the Lake Michigan Circle Tour. It has no tables inside and it's takeout only but that's ok because you can eat it on the hood of your car, in your car or at the beach, weather permitting of course. In fact this place isn't just frequented by the locals, those who know and aren't from around the way will take the drive on a nice day and love doing so.


Guy Fieri hasn't been here yet...but you know he's coming

When I tell you that everything is good at Porky's, I shit you not, and the fresh fried jumbo gulf shrimp are the best I have ever had and I done eaten fried shrimp at alot of places. Got it? Good. When it comes to fried shrimp you can put it there with hot dog's, pizza, Italian beef, pizza puffs, ribs and other notable Chicago style foods. Unfortunately the fried shrimp shack is a dying breed and of those that are left only a handful do a five star effort. First up on the list is the best, I cant make you wait. The key to ordering your fried shrimp at Porky's is to make sure you order the large jumbo shrimp. The difference here is that you will watch Dino weigh, bread and fry the shrimp all after ordering. The fresh shrimp are large in size and hand breaded to a tempura like crust. My main problem with most of the places around today is that they use a pre-breaded frozen shrimp that has way too much breading...not here.


You get the idea of the size


Notice the thinness of the batter

The moment you walk into Porky's you are greeted by a large refrigerator packed with ice where you can see thru the glass what is available for fresh frying on that day. Aside from the shrimp which are a must order every time, they do everything exceptionally well here. The calamari like everything else is fresh breaded and contains both rings and crispy tentacles and not just a few of the good parts about half and half. This is some of the best 'mari I have had. On any given day they could have crawfish tails, lake perch, wings, alligator, frog legs, soft shell crab, gulf shrimp, fried clams ala New England, walleye and a handful of other seafood available fresh for frying. I have never had anything bad there from the display case. The shrimp, calamari, crawfish and clams are my favorites thus far. But since this is a repost with recent visits added on, it only gets better.


The calamari is better than any fancy sitdown joint's and also half the price


Close-up of the fresh fried crawfish tails


Captain Porky's Perfectly Fried Shrimp

Whats funny is when I made the OP on this place back when this site was first starting, I had that comment about Guy Fieri up above there. Well since then DDD has gone to Dino's other spot that the locals love called-The Shanty. I have not made it over to the Shanty yet but will do so this summer. I wonder if Guy made it over to the other family owned joint featured here? Well in my recent since the OP was made I have had nothing but goodness from the guys over there. Almost all of the fried veggies and cheeses come from Dino's own farm and as mentioned above are fried to perfection to the point where you can still taste the freshness of the veggies when their in season. Whatever is in season is also on the specials page taped to the glass.


Porky's fry's everything to perfection


My favorite battered veggie in the land is the fried zucchini from CP's


Smoked Rib Tips

If you like something in the display case then by all means order it up and watch them hand bread and fry it for you. It will be good. How serious is Dino about his craft? most of the ingredients he uses he also produces. The batter for the fried items, did I mention the fresh fried chicken wings are bomb? come from duck eggs laid by his ducks at his farm. On any given day you may find any variety of mushroom from his farm available for frying. Cheese from his local goats? yep that's fried fresh available to you too. As if all this selection wasn't enough they also have Gumbo, jambalaya, po' boy sandwiches and real smoked BBQ like Ribs, Chicagoland favorite rib tips, chicken etc. It has to be one of the more unique chow spots in the country. I love the dedication they have to be the best at what they do..and they sure do succeed.


Some of the finest fried shrimp anywhere

Captain Porky's
38995 N US Highway 41
Wadsworth, IL 60083
(847) 360-7460

Western ave. Shrimp House

-The Shrimp Shacks of Chi

I had me another shrimp craving due to all the Lenten specials around and on TV. It was later on in the night after a Bulls game and some drinks at the bars after going to the game that it hit us and we made the decision to cruise straight up the worlds longest street to the Western ave. Shrimp House located right off Taylor st. Here's a spot that I have never been to but passed by countless times so it was my 1st run in with this typical Chicago shrimp shack. Its open late night and there's a few seats with a counter extending around towards to the back customer ordering area if you want to eat there but most people stop in for pick up.


A familiar sign late night along Western

I call Western ave the "typical" Chicago style shrimp shack because its pretty much like the rest as far as interior and menu goes and its also open late. I had one thing on mind to try when we visited and that was the shrimp. Although they also have smelt, catfish, frog legs, scallops, wing zings and even pizza puffs, all fried, you don't go to Western ave. SHRIMP house to try some clam strips. On this visit there was a pretty decent flow of traffic and I went with a half pound of jumbo shrimp with the hot sauce to fill my craving.


Half Pound of Jumbo Shrimp

I was pleased with my shrimp and liked the fact that it wasn't like the other Chicago style shrimp shacks because they didn't use the more common "Chicago Style" breading. Most places like the previously featured Goose Island use this style which is a thick batter and includes different spices mixed in. Over at Western ave. they sliced the jumbos down the back for deveining and used a much thinner batter than some of the other spots around the city. All in all it was a good batch of fried shrimp that did the job when the craving came a calling. The hot sauce was alright and had a cocktail sauce base but Goose Island still has the best sauce. I'll stop back in at Western ave. Shrimp House if the situation ever arises for me to again.


Western ave. Shrimp House Jumbo Shrimp with their hot sauce

Western ave. Shrimp House
922 South Western Avenue
Chicago, IL 60612-4136
(312) 850-3474

Don's Dock

-The Shrimp Shacks of Chi

Its the Lenten season and so the fish and seafood consumption is going to go up during this time. I don't practice the whole eating rules of religion or any of that stuff for that matter and I'm not going to get into anything religious over here. You know like Chris Rock said and I totally agree with "I have a hard time believing my diet is going to come into question in the afterlife" except that I will say that at least its an excuse to eat me some seafood. Don's Dock is a spot I've only been to once and that was late last summer and I enjoyed my visit there and will get back next time I'm in the area. The family run fishing shacks of Chicago's past are becoming less and less these days but a few with a strong history remain and Don's Dock is one of them. Owned and operated by the Johnson family who started commercial fishing the Great Lakes during the 1930's, they opened up their first market in 1939 and have been at the present location in Des Plaines since 1971 and have been running Don's Dock since 1951.


A familiar face along Northwest Highway


Since 1951 for a reason

Its a family run joint that has over 100 years of experience from their veteran employees and they take care of all the fresh seafood needs in the area. Sometimes fish is delivered to Don's three times a day and you can take fresh fish home and prepare it your way or you can also pick up such specialty's like fried shrimp and other golden seafood goodies to dine in or carry out. As well as smoked fish, cocktail shrimp and homemade salads to accompany them. They will always have specials going on as well for all the different seasons. On my first visit me and a buddy kept it real simple and we went with a pound of fried shrimp and some fried Lake Perch which was in season and from the Great Lakes region.


Fried Shrimp from Don's Dock


Great Lakes Yellow Perch

I enjoyed both quite alot and slightly preferred the perch with the breading they use. The fried shrimp were fried hard and had a very crunchy texture because of this. I prefer a light coating on my shrimp but this was one of the better heavy coats I've e had. The sauce was more of a cocktail based than hot sauce but worked well with the shrimps. If I only lived a little closer to Don's I would use them on a regular basis. They had a glass display case with all sorts of fresh fish by the pound to take home along with smoked shrimp, whitefish and other specialties of the Great Lakes region. Its nice to see the multiple generation family run joints take it to the big boys.


Don's fried their shrimp hard

Don's Dock
1220 E. Northwest Hwy.
Des Plaines, IL 60016
(847) 827-1817
Website

Northside Institutions: Goose Island Shrimp House

-The Shrimp Shacks of Chi

Chicago is the city of roadfood. When it comes to signature food items that help shape the city and its food culture, the Second City is second to no one. Just like so many other regions, some of these staples and the places that serve them have long gone by and only a handful survive. Like the few fried shrimp shacks that remain as popular a part of Chicago as any pizza or hot dog place out there. In fact over time "Chicago style" wasn't just used for hot dogs and pizza but also for the way you'd find fried shrimp at all the old fish shacks gone by in the city. The Goose Island Shrimp House has been at its current spot in Goose Island since 1973. Its seen a neighborhood (Cabrini Green) go from one of the worst in the country to a rather safe one during its time. Just like any other great eating institution it is a family run place and has had the same employees for as long as I can remember. When I first got my license the Goose was one of my frequent stops for food and I still make my occasional visit there these days. Its got the power to give craves.


a Northside Staple and sick picture of it (Pic by Justin Kern)

Goose Island is what I would describe when asked to give an example of a "no frills Chicago locals type joint". You walk into a little room with a back counter and large storage cooler where they place the cans of pop and packages of macaroni and potato salads and house made hot sauce. There is a tall counter where they take your order, which you can give from the menu placed tall above the cooler. The walls have a few pictures and there are a few shelves to store bags of chips, saltine crackers, bottles of sauce and ketchup and photos and decorations. The menu is fried foods ordered by the pound, half lb etc...It consists of all the Chicago shrimp house regulars like shrimp, perch, catfish, oysters, scallops, smelt, frog legs etc...You place your order and you will get it in a brown bag and have to take it to your car or back home because here are no seats inside. There is however a Pac-Man game for you to play while you wait. Goose Island is not responsible for any quarters lost in the machine. The service is friendly and they have as wide of a clientele as anybody in the city and its hours are late and prices very reasonable. Its easy to see why it has many followers.


Holiday Season at The Goose Island Shrimp House

If your smart enough to figure out that-maybe the item to order is the one that's in the places name (shrimp)-then you might have the skills necessary to become a roadfood explorer. I've had a few different things over time but nowadays I always order the same. That's a pound of jumbo shrimp fried with a couple of hot's. The shrimp at GI is served "Chicago style" which means it has a well seasoned heavily breaded coating. I actually prefer a lightly coated batter but also enjoy this Chicago style version of fried shrimp from time to time. I think that of the places serving the heavily breaded Chicago style fried shrimp-Goose Island might be my favorite. Since it does have alot of breading its important to get the jumbo shrimp so that the ratio of shrimp to bread is better than the regular sized shrimp. A pound of regular will set you back eight and change. The jumbo is also quite the bargain at $12 a pound.


Brown bag fried shrimp is big in Chicago

What sets the Goose apart from the rest for me is their hot sauce. Also a part of every shrimp shack around town is whether you want cocktail or hot sauce with your fried food. At GI they use a housemade blend that is as good as I've had. I love the stuff. When you use it on the shrimp its an addicting combination. One thing you cant have if you eat here is a loose tooth. The breading is very crunchy and they are fried hard but the shrimp remains moist and juicy inside. Goose Island has served generations of people and all the stuff they used to do-like serve cans only of pop and sell saltine crackers by the package and hot sauce and ketchup by the bottle, they still do. Next time you find yourself up and hungry after midnight and wanting something other than tacos-shoot over to the Goose. Its right off the Kennedy expressway on Division. They are open until 5a Monday thru Saturday.


Goose Island Jumbo Shrimp with their signature hot sauce

Goose Island Shrimp House
1011 West Division Street
Chicago, IL 60642
(312) 642-3640
MenuPages Menu

"Little" Three Happiness

-Grubbing in Chicago
Where the locals eat.

It wasn't hard to find what is most definitely one of my favorite Chinese joint's in the city. If you do a search for Chinese food in Chinatown you may find a few results that come from LTHforum.com. Well that's because LTH-as its known-is one of the great food boards on the world wide web. Its based right here in Chicago but it also has amazing info on "Eating out Beyond Chicagoland" and also recipes and all the general food talk you could ever care for. The regular posters over there take their food seriously and you can find everything from info on Coney Dog's to amazing pictures and better reviews of the high end joints like Alinea and everything in between. Including a great Chinese restaurant that also happens to be the sites namesake. You see there are two "Three Happiness" restaurants and they also happen to be not too far from each other. So the distinction between the two is too call the smaller one located at 209 w. Cermak "Little" Three Happiness. Its a place that specializes in Cantonese cuisine.


Big flavor happening inside this little Chinatown gem

LTH is a site where I find alot of info and always get an answer. You better believe that a food joint that is the namesake of a site with this much knowledge is going to be pretty damn good. Well its really good and one of my favorite eating spots in the city. There isn't going to be anything fancy about the dining room. It has maybe 10 round tables and there's usually Chinese programming on the TV next to the cash register. A few old ladies sit at one of the tables peeling vegetables or prepping things for the kitchen while watching the tele. It does a pretty good takeout business and is a great option for it but I try to go there with a few people so we can get a few things. Just like any other Chinese restaurant its about knowing what menu items to get. One thing I always recognize is the difference in the customer base. Everyone from White folks to Black families to groups of Asian friends eat here. It is loved by all. I cant imagine anyone going there and ordering the RIGHT dishes and leaving not liking what they had.


Little Three's GNR award (for being a great spot to eat at) from LTH

Since their is so much useful discussion on this excellent neighborhood joint, I'm going to show you some of my favorites and lead you to the posts that will give you all sorts of other rec's. If your going into Chinatown with a group of people and want to keep the price reasonable and the food great-then try LTH. Some of the dishes that are on my must try list are-Salt & Pepper Shrimp, Crispy Skin Chicken, the Roast Duck/BBQ Pork Fried Noodles and the Stir Fried Blue Crab-served dry. I always like to order some pot stickers and am a big fan of their fried rice. I consider both from LTH to be better than good.


Pot Stickers

^The Pot Stickers aren't the best I've had but I really like them. A huge part of this is because I mix up the soy sauce, vinegar and Gary's chili oil. It creates a delightful sauce that pairs well with the crispy skinned pot stickers. Whats Gary's chili oil? click HERE to learn about that.


BBQ Pork Fried Rice

^If your a consumer of fried rice like myself then I imagine you've had some bad fried rice at one point or another. I don't know why it is but lot's of places screw up this simple dish. Not over at LTH where I have found their fried rice to be a very fine example of it. When you order the rice while dining in the plate is loaded high into the sky. Portions are very generous on top of the food being prepared very well.


Crispy Skin Chicken

^Another one of my favorites and almost always a must have is the CSC. I don't know much on the preparation of this Cantonese dish but I can tell you its good. I think they flatten a half or whole chicken and then cook it on high heat in a wok or something to that extent. Spices are also a factor and the end result is the most amazing crispy skin chicken with juicy meat inside. When you add the juice from the lemon and salt they provide it really goes from choice to crack. Its addicting and well leave it at that.


Salt & Pepper Shrimp

^The one thing I always know when I'm headed there is that I will be getting Salt & Pepper shrimp. The only thing that switches is whether I get it with the shell or without. With the shells they become messy but that's evened out by the extra flavor they pack. Yes I do eat the head. But if you don't like the shell then its also amazing without them. In case you don't know what S&P shrimp is-its fried shrimp (w or w/o head) stir fried to a beautiful color and seasoned with salt and pepper. It also has sauteed onions and jalapenos and is served with white rice. It just might be my favorite shrimp dish in the city. I cant think of one I like more. Little Three Happiness are experts at this popular Cantonese dish.

If you wanna know more about this Chinatown crowd pleaser with a cult like following then I suggest checking out the GNR page over at LTHforum. Just click HERE to do so. It will tell you everything you need to know and give you an idea if its your type of spot for Chinese. I didn't even get into the clam's with blackbean sauce Evil Ronnie style or the dry stir fried blue crab along with so much more.

'Little' Three Happiness
209 W Cermak
Chicago, IL 60616
(312) 842-1964‎

Chicago's First Family of Shrimp: The Troha's

-The Shrimp Shacks of Chi

Everyone knows about Chicago's legendary hot dog stands, pizza shacks, Italian Beef's, basketball god's and football coaches but not too many know about the fried shrimp shacks. Although the amount of shacks serving up fried shrimp and other fried seafood and chicken has gone down over the years there are a number that remain. There are two things that all the shrimp shacks around town have in common. They are almost always family owned and the ones that remain in business have been around for a while. Its a trend that was started by the Troha's when they opened up shop at the current location back in 1920 over on 26th st. The sign on the exterior read "A stein of beer and a bowl of chili for 5 cents" So how did they go from a chili parlor that served beer to fried shrimp shack?


a familiar sign in Chicago's Little Village

It was during the great depression when chili meat became scarce that Troha's had to resort to selling fresh and smoked fish instead. It was 15 years after first opening its doors in 1920 that Mr. Troha took a trip to New Orleans. It was on this trip that he and the family fell in love with fried shrimp and decided to scratch chili and beer from the menu and become Chicago's first fried shrimp shack. It started a trend that became big and soon after many others started popping up around town. Then during the 40's and 50's these smoked and fried seafood shacks thrived and continued to do so leading up to the 80's. However just like any other city experiencing growth and real estate boom many of the neighborhood shacks are no more and its becasue of this that the ones that remain all have a lengthy history. But none as old as Troha's.


So you know its good


Troha's is strictly carry-out so its best to order ahead

You don't stay in business for 89 years and not perfect the art of golden deep frying. The menu at Troha's is pretty much a "if its good fried then we got it" type thing. Along with various forms of seafood that include shrimp, scallops, catfish, perch, whitefish, smelt you got stuff like fried chicken, frog legs and pork tenderloin. Just in case you need something that didn't come from a deep fryer they also have various salads such as crab, potato and macaroni along with cole-slaw available in different sizes. As the years passed by Troha's remained, and still does, the same. A few changed were made here and there like adding fried chicken to the menu circa 1959. The chicken is still fried to the exact same recipe as the original and the secret ingredient remains a mystery to this day. Some of the best fried chicken in Chicago can be found at Troha's.


The Seal of Approval


a perfectly fried wing...


...which the same can be said for the leg


chix-dinner gets you a breast, thigh, leg, wing with fries, slaw and a pickle for under $10

Like everyplace else that becomes legendary over time you need a signature dish to gain popularity and help you stay afloat and that item is the shrimp. I don't know what the people of New Orleans told the founding father of Troha's about perfecting the art of fried shrimp but the told him everything he needed to know. The shrimp comes out perfectly fried to a golden exterior with just the right amount breading (very light) mixed with secret spices. The size is right and the price is too. With a dinner order you get about 8-10 scrimp with fries and slaw and its also available by the 1/4, 1/2 lb etc... They offer two dipping sauces for your fried seafood along with tarter sauce and I prefer the hot which is a mixture of cocktail sauce and hot sauce. This my friends is the best fried shrimp in Chicago.


Hot Sauce for some dippin'


Smelt in season are always good for me


fried shrimp perfection

Despite a massive change to the neighborhood, nothing else has changed at Troha's. Unlike so many other family businesses it has been able to survive past the 2nd generation with no ruffles over ownership and is now run by 3rd and 4th generation family members. The neighborhood of Little Village has evolved into the largest community of Mexican people outside of Mexico and is a food destination in its own right. So when your sitting around bored one day this summer with nothing to do-take a ride down 26th St. You get to check out out one of Chicago's premiere food strips with a heavy emphasis on Mexican street eats and then get some Chicago style fried shrimp at one of the city's most historic food stops. Its a great 1-2 punch.

Troha's Shrimp & Fish House
4151 W 26th St
Chicago, IL 60623
(773) 521-7847
Menu