JJ Fish and Chicken

Love the lemon pepper wings here. They have lunch special also. We always come here for the 5 wings special for lunch, comes with fries

JJ’s in downtown Chicago does NOT miss. 🔥 We pulled up hungry after The Art Institute and left plotting our next visit. The fillets? Crispy on the outside, flaky and tender on the inside that were seasoned all the way through, not just a little sprinkle on top. You can tell that oil was right and the cook knew what they were doing. And don’t even get me started on the catfish tails. Golden, crunchy, perfectly fried with that bold, savory kick that hits immediately. Every bite had that fresh, hot-out-the-grease flavor: no soggy breading, no fishy aftertaste, just straight-up fire. Portions were solid, food came out hot, and the flavor? Certified bang’n. If you’re in DT Chicago and craving fried fish done right, JJ’s is the move. 10/10. No notes. We’ll be back. 💯🔥

Not sure what they sprinkled on the top of the chicken, but overall, the chicken is pretty juicy. Unfortunately, the french fries are very oily. No free dip or sauce. The seller was too busy on the phone and its expected service we would get in this area. Not a very clean for dine-in. But again, the chicken is juicy!

This fish was way overpriced. I pay almost $20 for skinny pieces of fish that I’m not even sure were catfish. The fries taste like they were double fried 0 out of 10 I will not be back. Just nasty! This a prime example of greedy look at the picture this shouldn’t be what you get for that price!!

JJ is one of the great spots for late night munchies in The Loop. It’s open until 4:00 am on Fridays and Saturdays, and the fried fish is terrific.

I ordered a grilled chicken sandwich with fries. So good and the chicken tasted so fresh. Staff was friendly and place was spotless. Super clean i liked that the most. I will come again when I'm around the area.

I came in today with my mom and Godmother. The food is Delicious!!! We had small perch, 2 small Catfish Tails!!! Simply Delicious!!! Love this J&J!!!

I am posting this a little late, but the experience was so bad I still had to take the time to write a review. I went here twice last week for a 3 piece mix and both times the chicken was over cooked and extremely tough. It felt like they make it earlier, dropped it twice and left it under a heating lamp for hours. I have gotten better chicken from 7/11 and that is horrible. The first time my request for extra lemon pepper was completely ignored, not that it would have helped the chicken. The fries were also bad, they were dried out and hard. I was extremely disappointed because I usually get good service and food from this location, but last week was NOT a good week for them.... Despite this I will probably be back before the end of the year, but if it's a third strike I will never return.

The chicken was not seasoned, we ordered a side of lemon pepper seasoning (thank goodness). The service was okay, this wouldn't be my first choice for chicken.

Parking is pretty much nonexistent as it's downtown on the corner of one of the train station stops. If you've never been to a JJ's what are you doing? Heck, there's even one over in the Bay Area. The food takes no more than 10 minutes to make. The service is prompt and the food? There's seafood, chicken, and other items. The seasoning is excellent and they give you AMPLE fries. Super adorable and good. Make sure you get a side of mild sauce. The lighting is good and you can sit inside. Super low threat place

Jul 18, 2025 (Edited) Our first time at at this J J Fish and Chicken in Downtown Chicago Loop area, it had just opened up for the day we were the first customers there and the owner was welcoming to us and friendly he answered our questions with patience and expertise, the menu is a bit different than what we normally expected so we tried his recommendations the Catfish Nuggets and Fresh Cut Fries with Lemonade the food was very tasty, fresh and hot! The service was pleasant and fast (approximately 12 minutes). It is a cafe style small restaurant long table against the wall and padded bar seats, but it filled up rather quickly so it got crowded and tight by the time we finished our lunch. We plan to return to this location again when we are back in the area for early lunch or takeout! We highly recommend this J J Fish restaurant all thumbs up for the food fair! Enjoy

I love this place since back to 2019, I was working around this location, and compare to the local fast food, this fried chicken with paper&lime seasoning fried chicken is such a unique flavor, and I finally got a chance to taste it again, seasoning changed, but the crispy taste still the same! Service: it's a small takeout place, so all the service they offer is order and offer, they are patience when order. Ambiance: small but cozy with so many ppl waiting in line.

I tried this place for the first time. The food was great! I got a 2 piece catfish filet and jumbo shrimp combo for $20.10. It was fresh, hot and flavorful. There's no parking and it's located in Downtown Chicago. But it was worth the trip. I will return again!

Two of the six pieces left me feeling utterly ripped off. The other pieces were overcooked and dry. Even the container was destroyed by the hot oil burning the styrofoam.

Best fried chicken In town. never disappointed great food and great service. Definetly a must try

Stopped at JJ's for a late night hunger craving after a concert. Food was prepared fresh & it was delicious & piping hot! We shared a Philly meal that came with fries & a soda, it definitely hit the spot! Delicious! One star docked for no inside seating.

Hi foodies and friends with Cooties, JJ's is synonymous with Chicago, it's simply a must have. Everything about JJ's food just hit different compared to other fast food joints. It's more like home cooked meals, the only difference there's no auntie or grandmother with fat arms and diabetic ankles frying the food. By default you get plenty of mild, hot and, tartar sauce. Overall, good and fulfilling!

It was great to eat at JJ Fish & Chicken in its original city! The food was good!! My granddaughter loved their fries and wings!!!

Got a large shrimp dinner. Shrimp fried perfectly. Definitely will be back for the catfish and fried chicken. Well priced.

Found this place suggested by a local for a quick bite to eat on the go my last day in Chicago. I was very happy with my meal. The chicken was not greasy/oily, great crisp and seasoned very well. Don't forget to add the lemon pepper seasoning, it's a game changer. The fried okra was equally as delicious. This place isn't huge on customer service and very simple in terms of atmosphere but with the prices I have no complaints.

Don't use GrubHub the driver stole my food. And JJ at this store refused too make an adjustment for my lost I called corporate... got my money back... but no compensation ( food wise) I can't recommend this establishment... SCM... I was pissed off and hungry

I found this place while walking down the street. I was impressed with the selection of foods you could get there. I went with the gizzards and wings dinner. I also got an order of fried mushrooms with it. I probably should have not gotten the mushrooms because there was so much food in the fried gizzards and wings order. So much that it was hard to finish, but it was good so I did. My only complaint I have about the place is that the door is locked. I tried to go inside, but it was locked, so I went back to the hotel and looked up the restaurant and saw that I could order online. When I went to pick up my order, the door was still locked and I had to knock for them to come and unlock the door and let me in. So I'm guessing that this place is now online order only.

The chicken Philly is fire and the chicken is always seasoned well and they put lemon pepper on the fries.

Old Chicken....I wish I could give this 0 stars...my boyfriend bought me this chicken to eat on my lunch while at work....once he handed me the chicken I cold smell that it was old....but I was trying to give them the benefit of the doubt. I picked over 2 piece because this is all I had for lunch then picked up the 3rd piece this is what I see!!! Why would y'all sell people OLD CHICKEN!!!! I just threw threw the rest of the chicken in the garbage!!!!

F**king amazingggg dude late night food is crazy bomb here, y'all gooooooo the dope!!!!!

First, this is not the most attractive place. It doesn't pull you in nor does it make you want to stay. I stumbled at this place because i was lost going somewhere else. But what it lacks in looks it definitely makes up for the food. I ordered the combination with 2 catfish filets and 3 chicken wings and man, i was so completely full. It's a big box and flavor was definitely on point. I noticed many were ordering through grubhub or uber eats and i completely understand because the good food is definitely a must have. Definitely ask for that lemon salt on your fish!

I don't think these guys change their oil..I hate the hush puppies. But I enjoy the Italian Beef. Not a lot of choice around here in the loop but this will warm your bones on these 9F* days

Catfish was nasty. Just tasted like pounded flour. Very crunchy. Catfish was not flaky very dry. The cakes was good.

I came here because I really wanted to meet Ice JJ Fish but all I got was a mediocre fish sandwich served to me by a woman with a bad attitude named Dewanda. Be warned when going here that Ice JJ fish actually does not work here.

everything was burnt and statless .The catfish was hard as a rock and my fries where stale .. I ordered it off of uber eats and I cant even get my $25 back I'm soo pissed off right now.Its a wrap for uber eats and I'm never purchasing from this store again ...

Halal deep fried chicken and wings Good service and friendly staff. The location seems a little sketchy, but the food is good!

I ordered 2 large chicken liver dinners. Cooked soft. Upon pickup, the order was cold and the livers were fried very, very hard. In addition, there were only a few french fries (approx. 6). I called the store and spoke with Brian. He apologized for the poor quality of the food received, and told me he would replace the order free of charge on my next visit. I called to the store to place the make-up order, and ask for Brian. Initially, he denied speaking to me and committing to replacing the order, citing people lie about the quality of the food all the time. After assuring him again that I spoke to him, he said, I will give you a small order. I reminded him of his promise to redo the complete order of 2 large chiciken liver dinners cooked soft. He was very argumentative and angry, but finally stated, ok, 1 large chicken liver. He was very rude and talking fast with a demeaning tone. To deescalate the situation, and to calm him down, I told him, since it was a problem, he did not have to redo the order, as I was talking, Brian hung up the phone. I will not do business at this store again.

IF YOU'RE A WOMAN BE WARNED. This establishment allows homeless people to solicit money for food INSIDE their business even if they harass customers in the process. My mom and I went in order food here November 19th, a homeless man sat at a chair near the counter and my mom felt uncomfortable from the homeless man begging for food literally sitting directly behind her as we stood in line ordering, so she offered to get him food. The owner gave us a small discount for helping the homeless man. The homeless man said "let me tell you about something" to my mom, she said no and he attemped to grab her and continued to talk at her with sexual undertones even after she moved even further away. She walked closer to the door with me, but it is a small restaurant and we had already paid. We felt cornered and scared. I let the manager know, and he said he's had his business for 17 years and he knows how to run his business and about everyone around here. His words of condolences were simply that other women had yelled at this homeless man before, so to "just say no" and if he doesn't accept no he'd "kick his ass" I believe this homeless man's soliciting is an intentionally manipulative and dangerous business tactic put forth by management, that made my mother and I feel uncomfortable and endangered in the establishment. We got our food in a timely fashion but felt too uncomfortable to eat there like we had planned.

I enjoyed everything about dinner from this spot. Halal chicken and good service. Small shop on a pretty forgettable street. The owner (I assume he was) was very cool. Nice to everyone and very helpful when ordering. Offered different sauces and spices with the order. The food was on point, one of the best fried chicken I've ever had. I got the leg and thigh my wife the tenders. Came in a greasy paper bag with fries. The breading was perfect not too thick and seasoned well. Have to come back and try the fish next time.

I eat here about once a week. You can't beat these cheap and delicious hushpuppies, and the chicken and lemon pepper combo is off the chain.

Nothing like a walk out the office down the street to JJ Fish. The block smells of garbage left out in the street for several days. It was a toxic odor, worthy of making Oscar the Grouch reel in agony! We got in and saw a menu of fried tilapia, fried catfish, fried shrimp, fried chicken wings, fried liver, fried gizzards, fried cat nuggets, fried chicken nuggets, you get the picture. My ex-roommate helped himself to a small tilapia combo. I helped myself to a small shrimp and wing combo. After a short wait, we were awarded our food and helped ourself to some hot saurce. We rolled out to the Art Institute less than a block away, but the garden was closed. We walked up a block to Millennium Park and helped ourselves to some magical JJ Fish goodness. Battered fries, crunchy shrimps, and chicken wings were in my box of eats with a helping of cole slaw. Come to think of it, it was six shrimps, and three chicken wings and a load of battered fries. We ate, discussed the economy, and headed back to our offices. I am down with JJ Fish, are you?

Everything is deep-fried here. EVERYTHING. And some days, that is exactly what you want to eat for lunch. I remember seeing my co-workers walking to the employee lunch room with J & J to-go bags. The smell of fried fish and wings tortured me (in a good way). After a few weeks of this, I had to try it for myself. They have fried catfish, whitefish, perch, shrimp, and oysters. Don't like fish? Go for the chicken wings. Huge wings, breaded and deep-fried. The hot sauce is from the large plastic container, pump included. Fast-food, indeed. Those of you who are fond of the chicken's *other* parts, fried chicken livers and gizzards are on the menu as well (they are delicious!) Sides include fries, onion rings, hush puppies, and fried okra. If that isn't enough food, they also have peach cobbler and banana pudding for dessert. There aren't any tables at J & J Fish, with the exception of a few stools along the wall. Your best bet is to take your food to-go, since it does get pretty crowded here during the lunch rush.

Deep. Fried. Everything. Seriously, every food item here is beige. Had fried chicken gizzards for the first time. This place gets points just for serving that, I think. They were appropriately chewy. For $7, you get a styrofoam box bursting with fried batter-coated gizzards and chicken livers on a slice of bread, with fries. Getting the prescription for Lipitor is your responsibility. The self-serve Louisiana hot sauce from an industrial-size jug is good.

Fried fish, gizzards, okra, shrimp...anything fried, they have it...yummy! And, it being close to work makes it even better. Is it on the cleanest street? No way! Is it at times sketchy walking in there? Of course! Is the food delish? Oh yeah baby! When I have an itchin' for some fried catfish nuggets, I'm at JJ's. Plus, on Tuesdays, there's a special for catfish nuggets, bread, coleslaw, and fries all for $5.99. Sounds good to me! For the low expectations, this place beats all of them. Not the classiest joint at all, but the food is consistent and reminds me of home...

24 hours later and I'm still having diarrhea from my catfish nugget dinner. It tasted like fried, which wasn't too unexpected but I felt gross the whole night. brb gotta poop Anyways, the fries were okay. Nothing to return over. The man who was working was friendly. The hot sauce was okay. Actually the fish wasn't too bad, but my insides disagree. Earlier today I drank a liter of Gatorade hoping it would calm down my queasiness. It did- about 20 min later i had some pretty good vomits at Trader Joes. I walked past JJ on my way to work and the smell of fried fish made me uneasy. You get the picture. The 2nd star is for their hours being better than everything else in the loop and for the decent customer service, but I don't think I'll be coming back anytime ever.

The worst customer services ever .. Mean cashier with mood based menu and prices. I don't like his sauce so I asked for tiny cole slaw he ignored me and after I asked him for the fourth time gave it to me frowning like I killed his son!! Didn't gave me the drink with my meal though I had the time before with same order lied and said he didn't give me a drink that time. I will not come back again

Decent deep, fried, salty, greasy chicken, fish, shrimp with fries and everything else in between that will probably cause bad things to happen to your health if you ate there every day. It's also reasonably priced. Nothing less.. nothing more. It's a solid spot to get your fried fish and chicken fix in the area. It's not the best, but it's exactly what you'd expect. I recommend getting the hot sauce. The service is pretty decent too.

This one of the best locations downtown. But you will pay downtown prices. But they do have a specials board with a lot of choices to choose from. The food is always fresh and hot. The man that takes the orders at the register is also very keen on getting your order exactly as you want it. For example, when you order you tell him how you want your fish or chicken fried (regular or hard) and when your order is done, he also makes sure your satisfied with your condiments (mild sauce, hot sauce, & lemon pepper). He makes sure you're satisfied to the point that he will give you the lemon pepper shaker to ensure you're satisfied with your level of extra lemon pepper. That kind of service is a plus in my book.

Pretty near perfect. Stopped in for liver and wings combo. Got my food quickly, server was friendly and didn't begrudge me 4 containers of hot sauce. The place seemed like a decent value, although I would have preferred more wings and less liver (or at least 50/50), but that might just be personal preference. Overall, solid South side style wings in a bit more convenient location with better service than you might get in other chicken shacks.

I'll just start and end by saying I ordered 4 wings. I opened the bag and there were wings. Ok so the wings were so small there was nothing on them. I didn't even get one bite because under the fried skin was nothing. 6.00 wasted, I should've went to the Harolds food truck.

If anyone gives this awesome place anything below 4 stars then thwy don't know seafood....I love this place any truck driver that sees this....its a must stop. ...shrimp are huge and delicious.....really good flavor...and they have lemon pepper anything. If I'm in a hundred miles radius if this place I'm going out of route for some good seafood.

Make sure you look at your food before you leave if you're doing take out, I asked them to fry my food hard so it'd be crispy and they burned it. My onion rings were so burnt, they were dried out.

I was very skeptical to eat from this restaurant because it's located at a gas station. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Unfortunately, they did not have any catfish steaks (I was told that their truck was late), so I got their $5.99 special with a pizza puff, 3 wings, and fries. It was very good. I'm not a fan of their fries, but they weren't the worse that I've had. What was even more impressive, was their sanitary practices. I saw that the kitchen area appeared neat, the cook changed his gloves often to avoid cross contamination, and the cashier/assistant was pleasant. I hope these standards remain.

A pretty good place for lunch in the loop.. . the prices are cheap and the service is fast!

The food was ok, the prices reasonable, could have been better if everything didn't taste like it was fried in old grease. The breading on the fish and chicken was very nice and crisp and tasty otherwise.

I am totally not understanding the low reviews here! JJ has like the best fried chicken in the loop. Actually, it might be the only fried chicken in the loop aside from Popeyes. I am a huge fan! The chicken is always piping hot, made to order, fresh, AND they sprinkle lemon pepper seasoning on it for you and this just sends it right over the f*cking edge when doused in the hot sauce. Yall, even the fish is lit. The perch and the catfish are the best. JJ reminds me of my father and his fried meats and seafood. And, its all reasonably priced. It gets cramped, and can be a bit of a wait since meals are made to order, but its so worth it. Try the cakes too. Notably the red velvet and caramels.

disgusting!! the chicken was NOT fresh, it was rubbery and both the chicken and fries were fried in old grease and smelled bad out of the bag. 0/10 would NOT recommend.

I come here once a week because it is close to my work. I get the chicken tenders every time and they are the exact same every time: huge, juicy pieces of chicken that is so good you'll eat it all and need a nap.

There ain't nothing fishy about this awesome fast food restaurant. Upon walking in your senses are kicked into overdrive by the pungent smell of deep, deep fried fish. Your sense of hearing will enjoy the colorful dialogue between the staff and the assorted group of patrons all wanting some fried fish and shrimps. Your eyes will never see a more flashy, yet nostalgic decor...complete with photos of people I have never heard of. After you order be sure to run your fingers across the table and enjoy the residual grease from a previous satisfied customer! On to the food. I usually judge my seafood by the napkin test. If my fish fillet will not fall through 3 napkins when held up I will return it. No returns for this happy customer...that fish dropped like a pound of bricks and added a little love to my pile of flies used as a landing pad. Sadly they were out of mayo so I dipped my fish into something they called "tartar sauce.". It was tasty once I removed what looked to be pickles in it. It took about 6 minutes to get it all, but it was worth it. It ended up tasting almost like mayo. My only complaint was they were out of Orange Soda, so I had to drink a RC. To be honest it made me feel like royalty. long live JJ and his deep fried fish!

Awful excuse for a JJs to be honest. Food is horrible. They try hard to be typical chicken joint but this honestly the worst I've ever had, it's sad that's in right in the loop so even tourists have to taste it. Rude owner/cashier, you'd think the food would offset the bad attitude but it doesn't.

Word of advice: if a rapper names themselves off of a restaurant and goes on Tosh.0 to get made fun of for it, we're looking at a winning establishment. Luckily, it's right around the corner from where I work and it's a welcome alternative to McDonald's and other nearby sad excuses for lunch. I'd suggest going for the catfish nuggets and shrimp lunch combo special they often have, for about $7 with soggy fries to meander through for the last 45 minutes of your American mid-day break. Their mild or hot sauces are a must, and the actual fish/seafood and chicken options are delicious.

I will not be returning as I observed one of the workers which was an older guy barefoot wearing flip flops. I've found this to be unprofessional and unsanitary while working in a food establishment. I ordered wings and those didn't seem all that fresh either. No need to return.