The 75-Year-Old Detroit Fish And Chips Shop Locals Call Unbeatable

There are plenty of great restaurants in the Metro Detroit area, but none might be quite as adored as Scotty Simpson's Fish & Chips. Scotty's in Detroit, Michigan, is a beloved local staple that's been keeping locals and out-of-towners fed with fried seafood for 75 years. The fish spot was first opened by James "Scotty" Simpson in 1950, and since then, it has had only two other owners, "Uncle" Sean Gilmore and now Harry Barber, who began working at Scotty Simpson's in 1966.

Aesthetically, Scotty Simpson's lacks frills, but it features a warm and homey appearance, decorated with wood paneling on the lower half of the walls surrounding wooden chairs with worn vinyl seats on top of carpeted floors. The whole thing evokes the feeling that you've stepped into your fisherman grandfather's old recreation room. The walls are adorned with trophy fish of all sizes, framed photos and magazine covers, and a hodgepodge of quirky signs, with models of old galleon ships and lighthouses displayed on shelves and surfaces, all of which look like they've been slowly added over the years.

True to its old-school ethos, the restaurant does not accept credit cards, only cash or checks. As for the menu, well, it features a healthy helping of the typical fish and chips, of course, along with other various lightly battered and fried proteins like shrimp, chicken, frog legs, smelt, and perch. It's about what you might expect from a hole-in-the-wall fish and chips joint.

In addition to fried seafood, Scotty Simpson's Fish & Chips also offers chicken strips; grilled cheese, chicken, and steak sandwiches; and hamburgers, with sides ranging from coleslaw and onion rings to New England clam chowder. There are plentiful sauces, from tartar and cocktail to ranch, barbecue, and hot sauces, and, naturally, the classic fish and chips accompaniment, malt vinegar. The menu rounds out with pie as a dessert option, either plain or a la mode.

The fried seafood spot sports such a devoted fan base that there is an entire Facebook group dedicated to the restaurant called "We love Scotty Simpson's," with 5,700 members. Posts include not only happy memories and rave reviews of the restaurant, but also photos of customers wearing their Scotty Simpson's merch all over the world, from Alaska to Niagara Falls. The group is also full of posts and comments about childhood memories of visiting Scotty's, as well as photos of diners' recent visits and the smiling staff who work there.

Online reviews seem to adore the fried fish spot. "If you want to have the absolute best fried fish in the Metro Detroit area, this is the place to go to," one Google reviewer stated. "It has been around a really long time, so they have a long-standing reputation to uphold. They continue to do [sic] exceed expectations every single time." If you're craving fried seafood but not able to make it to Detroit, try your hand at home with our classic British fish and chips recipe.