Scotty Simpson’s Fish & Chips

Best fish and chips in the Detroit area. Batter is just right; not too heavy. Home made cole slaw, which is different than most places but good. Home made tartar sauce. Cut their own chicken strips. Very, very friendly people. Bakery dinner rolls that are yummy. Been in business since 1950. Free parking behind building an across the side street. Like eating in your own kitchen, nothing fancy. Went at lunch time and felt very safe. Cash only!

This place is amazing! Our waitress has worked here for 46 years… and she was nothing but smiles and great service. The food was phenomenal, you could tell everything was homemade. And the dessert? Can I just say banana pie? Seriously out of this world.

Worth the wait… this place has had a great reputation for ever, and I finally made it! The hype is real, the fish meets the expectations of even the most discriminating palate! Service was over the top nice and friendly, we felt as if we had been coming in her for 25 plus years! The fries are real and taste great, the fryer oil must be changed regularly, as nothing tastes like fryer, awesome feet! Menu is simple and to the point, fish and chips, great, fried shrimp even better, and the chowder is a hidden gem here! The rolls are crusty and just get you ready for the awesomeness to follow. This will become an obsession of mine, I love fish and chips!!! This place does is the right way and have been doing it for a very long time! Can’t wait to go back!

Nostalgic! Such a great little joint, with a true niche’, in a not-​so– hip or revitalized Detroit neighborhood. Steeped in history, this establishment must be valued and preserved, not many left like this. Old memorabilia all over, the staff knows the customers and it seems like you are with a bunch of old friends.
Scotty’s doesn’t disappoint with their fish dinner. Crunchy, flaky but firm fish, fried in a tasty batter. You can order a light batter, if you choose, or a grilled fish dinner as well. The meal starts off with a nice dinner roll and fish dinner comes with a fresh, housemade slaw and decent fries. The price is nice and the whole experience is really pleasant! A good friend brought me here and he told me he started eating at Scottys when he was five years old and we went here for his retirement lunch! This small, comer restaurant is a real gem!

Best fresh fish & chips around. Very homey feeling. I love this place!

Just what I wanted. Crispy, flaky. nothing fancy but good food, good prices, nice people.
I will put it on my list

Sorry — I really, REALLY tried to like, dare I say, LOVE this joint, but alas just can’t do it. I know, we went there on the tail end of Lent, it was a Friday night, but not THAT late that the staff was beaten to submission. She Who Must Be Obeyed and I have been customers of Mercury F&Cs’ on 10 Mile in S’field, and Bet & Jessie’s on Grand River before the take-​over. I also was blessed in childhood to experience Fin&Feathers on 7 Mile. Nirvana. Tough swim fins to fill, for sure, but had hopes. Dashed on the platter. May try again, but not for a while SWMBO is harder to go a 2^nd time than Rover to the vet. Maybe if I ply her with Dairy Dan’s…

It’s in kind of a rough area and the building itself looks like the kind of place where you’d get food poisoning BUT once you walk in the staff is wicked friendly and the inside is nice enough.
Our server was PHENOMENAL. My coworkers got the fish and chips and I got the chicken and chips. Our food was out in a flash. The batter was pretty good. They LOVED theirs. But I found myself peeling the batter off my chicken. It was kind of gross. It was like the inside of the old school McDonalds chicken nuggets– seemed like it was super processed and formerly frozen.
The fries were good though and I feel bad knocking a fish place for serving crappy chicken. If you like fish, this is probably the place for you.

The absolute best Fish n Chips. Mouthwatering.
I crave this meal on a regular basis.
All homemade. Fries, slaw, battered fish, shrimp, onion rings, tarter sauce, and the delicious pies. Clam chowder soup.
It just makes me feel good to go to Scotty’s to eat.
The nostalgic past. And I love it.

Best fish & chips I’ve had in a long time! Fresh as can be, hot, crunchy, & tasty! The server lady was a real hoot and the atmosphere while a bit on the run down side is all part of the attraction of this place. I’m ready to go back and get some more!

Serving some of the best Nova Scotian Cod anywhere in the Motor City since 1950, Scotty’s sits proudly in the middle of the gritty Brightmoor section of Detroit’s West side.
This location, on the corner of Fenkell and Dolphin, probably limits those suburbanites not comfortable driving the surface streets of the City. But for those willing to venture about 1.5 miles north off I-​96, the payback is tremendous.
Sandy, our server and 15+ year veteran of Scotty’s, warmly greeted our group of 4 upon entering and provided excellent service throughout our meal. Without hesitation, we all ordered «Scotty’s Famous F & C» and settled in with anticipation.
After ordering, I stepped up to the late 50s/​early 60s juke box to survey the jams as I reached into my pocket for a quarter. Sandy quickly told me that she had already deposited quarters and that all I had to do was punch in my selections! Very nice touch Sandy.
The fish and Chips were everything that the Unilocal reviews promised and then some… awesome light breading with tangy home made tartar sauce, a little slaw action and a roll & butter.
Classic Mo-Town…in the ‘hood…5 Stars.

I read about this restaurant in a magazine and was eager to try because it wasn’t far from home and I love cod. I really liked the hand cut fries and the fish. The restaurant is not fancy but comfortable enough to enjoy– I’d suggest eating there because the steam in the to-​go packaging made my fish batter fall off by the time I made it home.
Not their fault, I still enjoyed it and will return to dine jn.

Simply the best fish and chips you can get in the Detroit area — and maybe the world. We went on a Friday evening about 5pm. There were nine of us and we got the last tables available, so get there early on a Friday. Scotty’s has been in the same location for over 60 years and it is still one of the most popular restaurants for fish & chips in Detroit. There is a reason for that — fresh fish, great batter and pure, hot oil. The fish is served hot with a generous portion of three pieces and it melts in your mouth. On this occasion I also got the combination platter with shrimp and the shrimp was as good and fresh as the fish — maybe better. The chips were fried just right and you can use their delicious malt vinegar if you want and the coleslaw side is delicious. They also start you off with a very good hard role and butter, but be careful not to fill up because you can always get more fish. The service is as good as it gets, you won’t believe how fast they will have your meal in front of you.
It’s not fancy but is the best.

If you are looking for fresh and incredible seafood at a decent price, you must eat at Scotty’s. It’s a divey, diner atmosphere with great food and great service. I’ve been wanting to try Scotty’s for quite some time and now I am hooked. It’s my new go-​to for fresh fish.
We both got the perch, cod, and shrimp combo. The shrimp were HUGE. I’ve never seen a Michigan restaurant offer such large shrimp. Actually, I’ve only found shrimp this big in Mexico and Florida. The cod and shrimp were the tastiest pieces of fish I’ve had in a very, very long time! The only thing I was disappointed with is that the fries were soggy and stale and the cocktail sauce came out ice cold. I wish the dinner roll was also heated up. This certainly won’t keep me from coming back.
My friend enjoyed everything. He ordered a bowl of clam chowder and said it was the best frickin chowder he has ever had.
I look forward for another visit!

Very nice Ma & Pa establishment. Great customer service. Fish is just right! Homemade tartar sauce to boot. Good job Scotty. I will be back.

Scotty Simpsons is simply the best fish & chips anywhere, no frills just quality ingredients cooked to perfection.
If you have never eaten there you owe it to yourself to try it.

Ok this place gets a lot of over hyped reviews, this place is ok at best. Décor, is minimal at best, like a very very cheap dive bar. Looks like the seventies came and never left, everything looked dirty and gritty, but was actually not as bad as I thought. Famous for their fish dinners, I say it was ok, nothing fancy, taste was ok, over priced for portions sizes, but I guess it a staple food. Makes me nervous when waitresses shakes out a rag to clean table top.
Service was ok, friendly, not much of a menu, everything seemed like fried items, it is a fish joint, but maybe offer a little variety. Everything is wood inside like an old ship. Not the best atmosphere, neighborhood is sketchy at best, but they have been around for years and lots of regulars show up. Good if you like the dive bar feel and the salty cooks, not a place I would go out of my way for. Recommend maybe if you need a fish fix, but Sunday dinner with the in laws maybe not, not a date type atmosphere, unless your date doesn’t care.

I have been coming Scotty Simpson’s ever since I was 4 years old. I can remember coming here back then too, always with my mom and grandmother, and not much has changed here at Scotty’s. For their Fish & Chips, it is always a solid four star experience. Open for over 65 years in Brightmoor ! That in itself is mind blowing if you are a Detroiter and know Brightmoor.
Their gig here is the Cod… good olé Nova Scotian Cod that is lightly battered. As well as the Cod, i have hard their smelt and chips, but it has been a few years since I have had the perch.
The cod fish and chips is always three pieces with fries and for around $ 11.00, it’s always a fairly descent deal.
Iconic neighborhood spot standing still in time.

Now this is a Detroit institution!
For over 60 years, Scotty’s has been cranking out hand-​dipped, fresh cod on Detroit’s west side. Fish comes out flakey and crunchy with their signature batter with just the right amount of grease. After all, it is fried fish and chips. Hands down, one of the best year-​round restaurants to get a fried fish dinner. The fresh cod, never frozen, makes all the difference in both taste and texture.
The menu stay simple, mainly seafood based, with fish varieties, shrimp, frog legs, and smelt but also offers chicken, steak and even burgers. Get the fries if you want but baked potatoes are always an option. Skip the spud altogether and GET THE ONION RINGS!!! Save room and get a piece of homemade pie.
Service here has always been great. It’s family owned and operated and the wait staff has been here for years. Be nice to these fine people because during the Lent, this place gets slammed for 4 – 5 hours a night and particularly on Fridays. They do a great job of pacing your meal so you don’t feel rushed but keep in mind there is «no camping allowed.» There is a line and they look to move it. Fear not, I’ve been 25 people deep in the line and waited no more than 30 minutes. At Scotty’s, do not let the line deter you. It’s worth the wait – I promise.
As for the décor, well, it’s not exactly modern. In fact, it’s not just old school but just downright old. Who cares? It’s clean for an old girl and besides, you’re here for the food.
Scotty Simpson’s is a family favorite of ours and should be on your Top 10 Real Detroit Restaurant list.

I came in here with a group of a dozen or so other Unilocaler’s and had a great experience. It’s a quaint and welcoming environment inside, the staff could not have been any nicer or more helpful, and the food was really good too (the most important part, obviously).
This was probably the best lightly breaded Fish & Chips I’ve ever had. My preference is for the more heavily beaded beer batter stuff, all thick crunchy beading and flaky fish. But this stuff was really really good. Just a thin coating of crispy batter with perfectly cooked fish inside, not at all oily.
The fries (chips) were arguably the star of the show. Pretty much the perfect fries for Fish & Chips. Seemed fresh cut, some skin still on, cooked to a point where you experienced multiple textures per bite. They held up great to the generous dousing of malt vinegar I applied. I will be dreaming of these fries tonight.
I also really enjoyed the tartar sauce. Thought the onion rings were pretty tasty (though one again I prefer the thick beer battered variety). The only part of my meal that I didn’t care much for was the cole slaw. Not to say I didn’t eat it all. I absolutely did. But I’m fairly picky about cole slaw and this slaw didn’t have that wow factor I look for. No big deal though, with everything else being as good as it was.
I’d like to come back and try the perch, which a fellow Unilocaler said was very good, better than the standard fish even. And I’d like to try the desserts as well. Will definitely be back.
Don’t let the neighborhood deter you. It’s really not so bad. And oh yeah… Cash Only!