[Closed] Whats the worst fish and chips or meal you have had?

Just do what I do in Tescos, help yourself to the free samples on the deli counter...and even the not so free ones in the salad bar.

Annoys me when I get frozen chips from a chippie. I can understand it in a pub, prepping proper chips is a PITA for the kitchens, but when a chippie can't sell chips that's a pretty fundamental failing.

Annoys me when I get frozen chips from a chippie. I can understand it in a pub, prepping proper chips is a PITA for the kitchens, but when a chippie can't sell chips that's a pretty fundamental failing.

Soggy/non-crispy chips from a chippy is a crime punishable by death. It's that simple.

worst fish and chips.... has to be any from the north (higher than oxford) they dont know how to do it properly it seems

Curry on brick lane, that bad I refused to pay and nearly caused a bloodbath with the gobby waiter...

The worst I've had was at the Neptune Fish Restaurant in Seahouses. A group of us ate there and the fish was totally over cooked and inedible, the chips were greasy and soft and the mushy peas were grey and tasteless.

Given the amount they charged it was disgusting and I'd never go there again.

Conversely I've had excellent fish and chips from the little chippy in Beadnell.

B&B near Brechfa (the one with the little bar in). Dreadful meal.

The local (Perthshire) chippy uses Spanish potatoes 🙄

And why, oh why, oh why, do my local chippies have to cook everything to order. Surely you could have a few fish ready?

every little helps eh jamie 😉

Glad that you are doing your bit to stem their profits

As for eating in them places-- were they not using free labour a while back, maybe they still have some in the kitchens

[quote=geoffj ]The local (Perthshire) chippy uses Spanish potatoes
And why, oh why, oh why, do my local chippies have to cook everything to order. Surely you could have a few fish ready?
I used to work in a chippie. It was 50/50 between folk wanting a fast turnaround and those who were determined that everything had to be cooked individually for them.

worst fish and chips.... has to be any from the north (higher than oxford) they dont know how to do it properly it seems

It's not often you're right, but you're wrong this time.

And why, oh why, oh why, do my local chippies have to cook everything to order. Surely you could have a few fish ready?

you are a heathen, fresh fish is freshly cooked, not sitting on a hot plate for ....how long !

the best f n c shops cook fish to order .

I used to work in a chippie. It was 50/50 between folk wanting a fast turnaround and those who were determined that everything had to be cooked individually for them.

So, work out how many fish you need, divide by two, have that many ready. Everyone's happy.

Soggy/non-crispy chips from a chippy is a crime punishable by death. It's that simple.

Or if not death, a good battering.

you are a heathen, fresh fish is freshly cooked, not sitting on a hot plate for ....how long !

Oh at least 10 minutes I would imagine.

The one at Bridge of Allan is the worst for this! 👿

Worst fish and chips I've had were at the Red Cafe at Old Trafford. Terrible.

[i]worst fish and chips.... has to be any from the north (higher than oxford) they dont know how to do it properly it seems [/i]

Well, some the best I've ever had were from the Alba D'Oro in Edinburgh and, indeed, Scotland in general is pretty good when it comes to deep-fried food...

Probably the chippy in Bala - totally ran out of chips! pretty basic you would think

The ones from the chippy in Betws-y-Coed = vile.

Tasted re-fried and cooked in veg oil which is fish n chip sin if ever there was one.

Running Horse Bewdley - Terrible overcoked veg, somehow it won awards for its fish a few years ago. I assume the management has changed as the fish now is just disgusting and over cooked.

The Duke William Bewdley - near the wyre forest. Avoid anyting in the basket, twice i returned my chicken in a basket as the middle was raw, on the third time it arrived still raw but same bit of chicken I had returned the first time, not the second time.

Good food - The cock and magpie bewley, fish and chips are excellent and they come sroight from the chippy next door so only take two mins to be delivered to your table yum yum

You ate at Tesco's? Why, oh why, oh why would anyone even consider doing this? Even for a fleeting second?

Its like buying clothes from a supermarket! Its flagging up to the world that you've abandoned all hope!

The chippy in Brampton, Cumbria, is without doubt the worst I've ever been to. Unfortunate, because I live there! The fish appears to be reformed lumps of un-named greyish fish and the batter is greasy and soggy. Most of the locals seem to eat battered sausages or haggis, however.
There's a kebab shop in town which does better fish and chips - that shows how bad it is, I think.

worst fish and chips.... has to be any from the north (higher than oxford) they dont know how to do it properly it seems

You've obviously never been to Whitby or Scarborough

Burrells in Barnard Castle do awesomely good fish and chips.

The little one in Hawes with the 1970's orange varnished pine panelling interior does a decent fish and chip supper with bread and butter and a pot of tea.

The Blue Lagoon (RIP) next to Glasgow Central Station. Generally only eaten when drunk and waiting for the last train. Absolutely vile, and even in a drunken mess I still know it's vile. Even crap kebabs taste great when you're drunk but no amount of alcohol can mask the crapness of The Blue Lagoon.

Worst Meal though- i've had a few but the raw bloody chicken wings in a harvester was memorable!

The only really bad ones I've had were at school

philconsequence - Member
worst fish and chips.... has to be any from the north (higher than oxford) they dont know how to do it properly it seems

How many chippes have you been to north of oxford and where?

I was forced to have lunch in a cafe in the arndale centre years ago. The world smoking championships were being held at the same venue that day. Nothing I ordered off the menu was available. I had a jacket spud. It was horrid, so quickly drank my coffee to leave and there was a piece of sweetcorn stuck to the bottom of the cup.

that, and a pizza from a scottish chippie that was just a ****ing hot yellow mess from space.

Fish and Chips are the most consistently disappointing meal, generally its something you really fancy and then it's just poor quality. Our local Seafare has won the national title of best in the UK a few times, makes me shudder to think what the others are like then. Recent TV scoop showed how many places were selling cheap fish as Cod. Good news is we have found a nice place but it's very expensive, frankly you are better off buying some nice fish and oven chips (or new potatoes) from Waitrose

EDIT: re North / South - I have spectacularly good fish and chips in Padstow and oop North - secret is to get them from near/in a port with an active fishing fleet. I'd say most places in the South / South East are crap no better or worst than cities and towns in the North.

Ah - deep fried pizza.....

Any fish and chips NOT cooked in beef dripping.

There is a chippy in Roch on the way to St Davids that is/was beyond awful. Chips hardly cooked, limp, greasy vile. Went a second time as couldn't believe they could be that bad again, they were. Never go there you have been warned

I once ordered "fishcakes" in a chippy in Leeds. Turned out to be potato in batter with about 6 flakes of fish-like substance in it.

Binners, 5 month old baby was quiet so it was a grab soemthing quick while the wee fella is peaceful 😉

Patriotpro- will not agree on much, but will with you on the betws chippy-- the only show in town and its dire.
N wales is not renowned for great chippies, but two in particular are worth making a detour for-- The Harbour View in deganwy- fresh fish every time, decent chips, and Rob's in Pensarn -- same as before- but rob hiimself is a fanatical roadie--

You've obviously never been to Whitby or Scarborough

Seaside chippies are almost universally minging. Blackpool's the same.

As a rule of thumb, if chips are sold in cones then there's a high likelihood that you're about to be charged three quid for half a dozen frozen chips that have been cooked and left unloved in the warming tray thing for a couple of millennia, then quickly refried to heat them back up. I know of just two chippies in Blackpool that sell actual food.

PS: If you're in the area, here:

http://www.partyatthepub.co.uk/bars/cape-st-katherine-docks/

serves a plate of cod and chips with mushy peas that can only be described as Pukka.

Good beer too.

worst fish and chips.... has to be any from the north (higher than oxford) they dont know how to do it properly it seems

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If I ever come across something that can 'only be described as pukka', I'll have it round up and shot. I fear it's best for society as a whole.

A chip shop in St Andrew. had a red pudding supper and went down to the harbour to scoff it. it was rank. couldn't eat it so chucked it out the car window. a gull swooped down on it, took a bite and dropped it. food even the gulls won't eat - can you get much worse?

worst fish and chips.... has to be any from the [s]north[/s] south ([s]higher[/s] souther than oxford) they dont know how to do it properly it seems

Seaside chippies are almost universally minging. Blackpool's the same.

A couple of years ago I had rock n chips from my local chippie and the smell of ammonia nearly knocked me out when I cut into the batter. NOt repeated.
A particularly poor meal was last Friday lunchtime at the North Greenwich Wagamama which went completely through me in about 40 minutes. Fortunately the meal I had in a box at the O2 watching Murray in the evening took longer to show itself.

PS: If you're in the area, here:

http://www.partyatthepub.co.uk/bars/cape-st-katherine-docks/

serves a plate of cod and chips with mushy peas that can only be described as Pukka.

I used to work in a chippie. It was 50/50 between folk wanting a fast turnaround and those who were determined that everything had to be cooked individually for them.

"If you want an individually cooked meal, go to a restaurant you testicle"

That's what I would have (wanted to have) said.

😀

My local chippy is pretty damn good. My other even local-er chippy is pretty damn disgusting. The former regularly has queues out the door, the latter rarely has more than two customers at any one time. Surprised they're still in business.

If that's Pukka as in the Pies, then that'll be rank as well

+1

But that's a whole different kettle of pastry products.

[img] [/img]

I'd describe effort there as casting pearls before swine...

And:

rudebwoy - Member

Patriotpro- will not agree on much, but will with you on the betws chippy-- the only show in town

You must be kidding. Bettws has four or five good restaurants, two of them superb. 😯

worst fish and chips.... has to be any from the north (higher than oxford) they dont know how to do it properly it seems

Worst I had was from Brighton, can't get much further south.
Backs up the cr@p seaside chippy theory too. Port towns are far better for chippies than beach towns down south too.
Best "seaside" fish and chips I had was in Southwold. Genuinely very nice.

gixer.john - look at it positively. Life's taught you a valuable lessson 😉

Worst chippy meal? On the occasions I've been, Harry Ramsdens has always been massively underwhelming experience, to say the least. Which would be ok, but for some inexplicable reason they charge restaurant prices

A restaurant* in that Canary Wharf covers everything in Mayo, no seriously it really does. It's quite mental looking down on a plate on Mushroom Risotto to find it covered in Mayo.

It went back, we walked out.

*Begins with an Sm and ends in Y's.

[i]worst fish and chips.... has to be any from the north (higher than oxford) they dont know how to do it properly it seems[/i]

So is this why we had some pretty crap ones in Cornwall then?
Having said that, the absolute worst thing I've ever had from a 'fish shop' was Scotch Pie & chips from one in Caol next to Ft William, the chips were rank mush & the pie was still frozen in the middle.
The chippy next to the pier at Saltburn is ace but thats up north so it must be crap really.

1) it's harder to find a good chippy than a bad one
2) what's worse than a bad chippy is an inconsistent chippy. at least with a bad one you know not to go back, but an inconsistent one that lulls you back because you had great fish and chips there last year a couple of times is like torture.

if anyone knows a good one in the Crouch End/ Finsbury Park/ Haringey/ Muswell Hill* area shout up

*it will have to be very good for me to go up the hill to get it.

Cougar - Member

If I ever come across something that can 'only be described as pukka', I'll have it round up and shot. I fear it's best for society as a whole.

Really, why's that, then?

Worst chips was in padstow on holiday in this really posh place, £4 for 8 chips and they were shit

Best was from Norfolk, went on holiday there with my ex we had some at a pub next to an amazing beach. They were great chips ( was an amazing holiday though, might have something to do with it)

Harry Ramsdens has always been massively underwhelming experience, to say the least.

They're frozen chips too, aren't they?

Is there a difference between the chain and the Yorkshire original, incidentally, or are they all the same?

Really, why's that, then?

Crimes against vocabulary, for a start.

Cougar - Member

Really, why's that, then?

Crimes against vocabulary, for a start.

Who's vocabulary? Yours?

... and what else?

Jambalaya - +1 to Seafare. It's not dreadful as in 'never go back' but best in the country? 😯

So where's this great but expensive chippy you speak of. I'm stuck in the US until saturday but that's saturday night's tea sorted now.

it's not correct say that something can only be described as 'pukka'. IME, 'crap' is an equally valid description

3 Chip Shops have opened in the village in the last 2 years, pre that we had none, the only one serving us was at the top of the river and that was always rammed, to be fair they were quite exceptional. Now we have 4 choices and have to say the one closest to home is the best, bit dear but best. F&C (be it Cod or Hake) £7

If you get a blank stare when you ask for “one of each” then it’s a fair shout that they won’t be very good.

Who's vocabulary? Yours?

If I could only think of one word to describe something, and that word was 'pukka', then yes.

... and what else?

IME anything describing itself as 'pukka' has turned out to be anything but.

Can we dispense the world's most tedious and pointless argument now and carry on discussing chippies?

id have eaten that fish the day i was served as my main evening meal with zero options on even going to the shop for a chocolate bar ......

[img] [/img]

rudebwoy - Member
Patriotpro- will not agree on much, but will with you on the betws chippy-- the only show in town and its dire.

*nods*

BigButSlimmerBloke - Member

it's not correct say that something can only be described as 'pukka'.

I wasn't suggesting that "something" was "pukka". I was saying that the fish and chips at The Cape pub on the estate where I work, specifically, is "pukka".

Difference.

Unless of course, you are suggesting that if something is described as "pukka", it is necessarily "crap", therefore.

In which case, you are a devolved flibberdegibbet, most likely.

There's a new chippy just opened down the road from us. Yay!! I've heard very good things. We shall be sampling its delights at the weekend. How exciting! 😀

O.K. This place:

http://www.viewlondon.co.uk/restaurants/the-cape-bar-info-32463.html

serves really pukka Fish and chips.

Good beer, too.

Now, now boys. Stop bickering...

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The Harry Ramsden's chain has no connection to the original, IIRC. The original chippy was excellent, the chain is crap - frozen chips!!

In Elland there is a 'chippy' called The Kais. I think they also do chinese food which should have started the alarm bells but like the OP, I was hungry that night so thought what the hell.

What the hell indeed...

When in That Harrogate there is a really good chippy on Cold Bath Road, if anyones interested that is.

There's a chinese in Barnoldswick that does a fab fish. The batter's almost Tempura-like. Chips aren't wonderful, though

I had an Indian takeaway at the weekend.

The starter - a mixed grill was fabulous. Tandoori chicken on the bone, chicken tikka pieces, tandoori lamb and a really hot seek kebab.
Devoured with vim. Delish.

Main course - beef vindaloo. The sauce was spot on but the pieces of beef were I'm sure:

[img] [/img]

The Harry Ramsden's chain has no connection to the original, IIRC. The original chippy was excellent, the chain is crap - frozen chips!!

The chain shut the 'original' down recently (not the shed, the first restaurant)...I remember a programme trying to sort out HR's problems and it looked utterly dire.

The best fish and chip supper was from a chippy on the quay side in Poole, i can't remember the name of the plaice but they were proper bo.

Neptune Fish Restaurant in Seahouses

+1

Strangely, it was recommended as being really good in some guidebook or other, but was actually utterly dreadful.

Worst ever for me was in Ruthin

I can still remember the orange colour of that batter, and the smell of old shoes that came off it!

I wasn't suggesting that "something" was "pukka". I was saying that the fish and chips at The Cape pub on the estate where I work, specifically, is "pukka".

Difference.

Unless of course, you are suggesting that if something is described as "pukka", it is necessarily "crap",

Pukka Pies sum up the definition of pukka in my experience of sampling pukka things.

IIRC, 'pukka' is a Hindu word meaning 'solid.' Maybe that's what the pie people are referring to.

IME and without exception - yes it has been. Pukka Pies sum up the definition of pukka in my experience of sampling pukka things.

You need to expand your obviously limited horizons.

fish and chips at heston blumental's little chef was a big dissapointment.