Shack Up

Attention all seafood-shack lovers: Joey's Shrimp House, a tiny counter-service BYOB, is your new destination for fried fish.

Grab a seat--made from red and white reclaimed buoys--and tuck into fried shrimp ($13.50 per pound) or fried catfish nuggets ($7 per pound) with Sriracha-spiked mayonnaise or house-made cocktail sauce.

The fish sandwich ($6) may look like a lot of others, but this Pollock fillet is marinated in Caribbean spices and topped with fresh tartar sauce amped-up with tomatoes and onions.

Cole slaw comprised of cabbage, carrots and raisins (75 cents) provides a break in the breaded action. But for those crave only fried with fried, try thick, hand-cut French fries ($1.50), dense hush puppies ($2), or platanutres ($2), plantains smashed into thin, flat rounds and fried until crisp.

The owners (two of whom cooked at River North's Japonais) cite Puerto Rican beach shacks, Gulf Coast fish fries and five-star fast food as their inspiration. A 20-seat sidewalk patio is set to open in the next week.

While there's no beach there, the charming hole-in-the-wall is festooned with nautical gear and an ocean mural; it's a welcome splash of color on a drab, land-locked strip of Western Ave.

Joey's Shrimp House, 1432 N. Western Ave.; 773-772-1400