Calumet Fisheries: Still Smoking Like No Other
- davidcdouglass
- Aug 18
- 4 min read
Tucked away on the far South Side of Chicago, at 3259 East 95th Street near the 95th Street Bridge, sits a small, unassuming shack with a big reputation. Calumet Fisheries, established in 1948, has been serving up smoked and fried fish for more than seven decades.
The business has achieved legendary status, drawing locals, tourists, and food pilgrims alike.
Count us among the food pilgrims. Driving up to Chicago through Gary, Indiana puts me in a hard scrabble, industrial, frame of mind.
What better place to eat then than a 75 year old fish shack set next to the Calumet river. Industry and iron structures dot the view. The only seating is 3 picnic tables next to the E. 95th Street Bridge. The iconic draw bridge is most notable for the Blues Brothers jumping it in The Blues Brothers Movie.
What makes Calumet Fisheries special is not just the food but the way it has stayed true to its roots, preserving a time-honored smoking tradition that connects Chicago to its working-class history, its waterways, and its culinary identity. But the real attraction is the food produced inside the small building that has barely changed in decades.
From the outside, the place looks almost like a roadside stand, with its hand-painted signs and a walk-up counter for ordering. There’s no dining room, no indoor seating, and no frills.
As soon as you set foot inside you are wrapped up in the smoky aroma and your senses are fired. Customers order their fish and either take it to go or eat it in their cars, often with the smell of smoked salmon, trout, or shrimp lingering in the air. What the establishment lacks in polish, it makes up for in authenticity.
At the heart of Calumet Fisheries’ identity is its smokehouse, a small, wood-fired brick structure attached to the building. The smokehouse is federally approved and is one of only a handful left in the United States still using traditional natural-wood smoking methods.
The process is labor-intensive and requires patience and skill. Fresh fish—commonly salmon, trout, chub, and sable—is brined and then smoked slowly over burning oak logs. The result is a deep, savory flavor that cannot be replicated with shortcuts or modern machinery.
This commitment to old-fashioned smoking is part of why Calumet Fisheries has endured. The flavor of their smoked fish reflects generations of craftsmanship, harking back to a time when smokehouses dotted the Great Lakes region, preserving and flavoring the day’s catch. Today, with most smokehouses long gone, Calumet Fisheries stands as a living link to that culinary tradition.
While smoked fish is the signature draw, the fried menu is just as beloved. Customers line up for fried shrimp, catfish, perch, and smelt, all cooked to order in a simple but addictive cornmeal batter.
The fried shrimp, in particular, is iconic—crispy on the outside, tender inside, and served with a side of tangy cocktail sauce. For many Chicagoans, grabbing a box of fried shrimp or catfish from Calumet Fisheries is a rite of passage, a memory tied to family outings, Friday fish fries, or long drives down the city’s South Side.
The combination of smoked and fried offerings ensures that the small shop appeals to a wide range of tastes. Some come for the rich smokiness of salmon steaks, others for the crunch of fried smelt, but all leave with the same satisfaction of a meal steeped in tradition.
Calumet Fisheries remained a beloved neighborhood institution for decades, but it burst onto the national stage in 2010 when it was featured on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations.
Bourdain praised the smokehouse and the humble dedication of the family that ran it, bringing new attention to the shop from outside Chicago. Calumet still shows its appreciation for Anthony Bourdain. There are multiple images of our acerbic hero adorning the walls.
That same year, the James Beard Foundation honored Calumet Fisheries with an “America’s Classics” award, recognizing restaurants that reflect the character of their communities and preserve culinary traditions.
These accolades didn’t change the essence of the business. The building didn’t expand, the menu didn’t dramatically shift, and the smokehouse continued to operate as it always had. But the recognition underscored what locals had known for years: Calumet Fisheries is more than just a fish shack; it is a cultural landmark.
Calumet Fisheries has been a family-run business for most of its existence, passed down through generations. That continuity has helped preserve not only the recipes but also the ethos of the establishment. It is not about chasing trends or reinventing itself; it is about consistency, pride, and honoring a method that works.
For the surrounding South Side community, the shop has long been a gathering place, a spot where steelworkers, truck drivers, and families could find affordable and satisfying food. Even as the neighborhood and industries around it have changed, Calumet Fisheries has remained, a constant presence offering familiarity and comfort.
In many ways, Calumet Fisheries reflects the spirit of Chicago itself: hardworking, unpretentious, resilient, and deeply tied to tradition. It is not fine dining, and it does not pretend to be. Instead, it embraces its identity as a humble shack by the river, serving some of the best fish in the Midwest. The long lines of customers willing to wait in any weather are proof that quality and authenticity matter more than appearances.
For food lovers making a pilgrimage, Calumet Fisheries represents not only a great meal but also a piece of living history. For Chicagoans, it remains a symbol of pride, a reminder of the city’s industrial heritage, and a taste of tradition preserved against the odds.
