Unearth The Voyage
There is a small, no-frills diner tucked away on a Detroit side street that has people driving across Michigan just to sit down for a plate of fish and chips. No flashy signs, no trendy decor, no social media campaigns pulling in the crowds.
Just perfectly battered fish, a loyal following built over decades, and a reputation that spreads almost entirely by word of mouth. I had heard about this place from three different people before I finally made the trip myself, and every single one of them said the same thing: you have to go.
So I went. And now I completely understand why Michiganders keep coming back, year after year, to a little spot on Fenkell Avenue that has been doing one thing extraordinarily well since the 1950s.
This is the full story of Scotty Simpson’s Fish and Chips in Detroit, Michigan, and why it deserves every bit of the hype it quietly carries.
A Detroit Legend at 22200 Fenkell Avenue
Some restaurants earn their reputation over a few good years. Scotty Simpson’s Fish and Chips has been earning it since the 1950s, and that kind of staying power says everything you need to know before you even walk through the door.
The diner sits at 22200 Fenkell Ave, Detroit, MI 48223, in a quiet northwest Detroit neighborhood that does not exactly scream “destination dining.” The building is modest, the parking lot is small, and the signage is the kind that has not changed much in decades.
But the cars in that lot tell a different story. On a Friday afternoon, people are already lined up before the 11 AM opening, which is a level of dedication you do not see for average food.
The phone number is +1 313-533-0950, and the website is scottysfishandchips.com if you want to check hours before making the drive.
This is a cash-only establishment, so plan ahead and hit an ATM before you arrive, because nobody wants to turn around empty-handed after driving an hour for fish.
The Hours That Keep You on Your Toes
One of the first things regulars will warn you about is the schedule, and it is worth paying close attention before you make the trip.
Scotty Simpson’s is open Tuesday through Thursday from 11 AM to 7 PM, Friday from 11 AM to 8 PM, and Saturday from 2 PM to 8 PM. Sunday and Monday, the kitchen is dark.
That Saturday opening at 2 PM is a detail that catches first-timers off guard more often than you would think.
The limited hours are not a flaw in the business model. They are part of what makes this place feel special.
The kitchen is not grinding through a seven-day week trying to cut corners. When Scotty’s is open, it is focused, fresh, and firing on all cylinders.
More than one person has driven out to Fenkell only to find the parking lot empty and the lights off. Save yourself the frustration and double-check the hours at scottysfishandchips.com or give them a quick call before heading out.
The Fish That Started It All
The cod at Scotty Simpson’s is the reason people drive from Flint, from Grand Rapids, from Ann Arbor, and from every corner of Metro Detroit. Big pieces, golden batter, crispy on the outside, and soft and flaky on the inside without being greasy or heavy.
The batter itself has a lightness to it that is harder to achieve than most people realize. It clings to the fish without overwhelming it, and when you bite through, the contrast between the crunch and the tender white fish inside is genuinely satisfying in a way that feels almost old-fashioned.
A pro tip that regulars swear by: ask for the small pieces. It sounds counterintuitive, but the smaller cuts tend to cook up with an even crispier crust and a better fish-to-batter ratio that makes each bite more consistent.
This is the kind of fish that makes you pause mid-bite and reconsider every other fried fish you have ever eaten. The bar gets reset the moment you try it.
Onion Rings Worth the Extra Order
Most people come in with tunnel vision for the fish, which is completely understandable. But skipping the onion rings at Scotty Simpson’s would be a genuine mistake, and the kind you would regret on the drive home.
These are not the thin, lacy rings you find at fast food counters. They are thick, substantial, and coated in the same excellent batter that makes the fish so good.
The result is a ring that holds its crunch all the way through, with a sweet, soft onion center that balances the crispy exterior perfectly.
Multiple visitors rate the onion rings a flat ten out of ten, which is high praise in a place where the fish is already stealing most of the spotlight. They arrive hot, they arrive fast, and they disappear from the plate even faster.
If you are coming with a group, ordering a round of onion rings for the table alongside your fish is the move. Consider yourself warned that sharing them requires a level of generosity you may not feel once you taste the first one.
Frog Legs, Shrimp, and the Rest of the Menu
Scotty Simpson’s calls itself a fish and chips spot, but the menu has a few more tricks up its sleeve that are absolutely worth exploring on your second or third visit.
The fried shrimp shows up on many tables, and the batter does the same excellent job it does on the fish. The shrimp comes out hot and tender, and when it is cooked right, it is sweet and satisfying without any rubbery texture.
Frog legs are another menu item that surprises first-timers. Not every neighborhood diner in Detroit serves frog legs, but Scotty’s does, and they have developed their own fan base among regulars who would not dream of leaving without an order.
The clam chowder rounds out the seafood side of the menu, giving you a warm, hearty option that works especially well on a cold Michigan afternoon. The menu also includes burgers and fried chicken for anyone at the table who is not in a seafood mood, which makes it a genuinely crowd-friendly stop for mixed groups.
The Fries Situation: An Honest Take
Honesty matters when you are driving across the state for a meal, so here is the straightforward truth about the fries at Scotty Simpson’s: they are the most debated part of the plate.
The fries are clearly homemade, cut thick, and cooked in-house, which is admirable. On a good day, they come out with a decent crust and a soft, starchy interior.
On a less perfect day, they can lean toward soggy, which is a common complaint in the reviews and something longtime visitors acknowledge freely.
The fish is so exceptional that most people overlook the fries entirely, treating them more as a side note than a centerpiece. A few regulars have discovered that asking for their fries cooked a little longer can make a noticeable difference in the final texture.
The fries are not the reason anyone drives to Fenkell Avenue, and they do not need to be. They are simply the supporting cast in a meal where the fish is absolutely the star, and that dynamic works just fine for the loyal crowd that keeps coming back.
Pie, Rolls, and the Sweet Finishing Touch
A meal at Scotty Simpson’s does not have to end with the fish, and the regulars who know this place well make sure they save room for what comes next.
Fresh rolls with butter arrive at the table before the main course, simple and unpretentious but genuinely good. They are soft, warm, and the kind of bread that disappears quickly without anyone planning for it to.
The pie is where the sweet finale lives. Lemon pie and chocolate pie are both available, and both have earned genuine fans among the diner’s loyal crowd.
The slices are generous, the flavors are classic, and the pies are available to go if you want to take a piece home rather than eating it at the table.
One group celebrated a birthday here and had their pie slice brought out with a candle and a round of happy birthday from the staff, which is the kind of warm, personal touch that no chain restaurant can replicate. The pie alone is reason enough to make sure you do not fill up entirely on fish before dessert arrives.
The Time Capsule Atmosphere Inside
The inside of Scotty Simpson’s looks like someone pressed pause sometime around the 1950s and simply never pressed play again. The decor is old-school fisherman style, the booths are worn in the way that only decades of use can produce, and the whole space carries a warmth that newer restaurants spend thousands of dollars trying to manufacture.
There are no flat screens on the walls, no curated playlists playing through Bluetooth speakers, and no chalkboard menus with trendy fonts. What there is instead is a sense of place that feels completely genuine and completely Detroit.
The table near the grill is a favorite spot for groups who want to watch the kitchen in action, and it gives you a front-row seat to the organized rhythm of a team that clearly knows what it is doing. The atmosphere is casual, unpretentious, and welcoming in a way that immediately puts you at ease.
Visiting this diner genuinely feels like stepping into a piece of Detroit history, and that experience is part of the meal whether you think about it consciously or not.
Family Owned and Community Rooted
There is something immediately different about a place that has been run by a family for decades rather than managed by a rotating corporate team. You feel it the moment you sit down at Scotty Simpson’s.
The staff here are fast, attentive, and genuinely friendly in a way that does not feel performed. Rolls and water arrive before you have even settled into your seat.
Condiments are on the table before you think to ask for them. The experience has the kind of efficiency that comes from people who care about the job and know the rhythm of the room by heart.
Multiple visitors have noted that the service alone is worth the trip, which is a remarkable thing to say about a seafood diner where the fish is already extraordinary. The team manages a full dining room during peak hours without losing the personal touch that makes the place feel like a neighborhood institution rather than just a restaurant.
Family-owned businesses of this caliber are becoming rarer, and every visit to Scotty’s is a small act of supporting something genuinely worth preserving in Detroit’s food landscape.
Lenten Season and the Friday Rush
If you want to experience Scotty Simpson’s at its most electric, show up on a Friday during Lent. The dining room fills up completely, the kitchen runs at full pace, and the energy in the room shifts into something genuinely communal and celebratory.
Michigan has a strong Catholic tradition, and the Friday fish fry is a cultural ritual that many families observe throughout the Lenten season. Scotty’s becomes a destination during these weeks, drawing regulars who come every single Friday and newcomers who have been meaning to try the place for years and finally make the trip.
The wait can be longer during peak Lenten Fridays, but the staff handles the volume with impressive calm. The food comes out hot and consistent even when the dining room is at capacity, which is a testament to how well the kitchen team operates under pressure.
Arriving right at the 11 AM Friday opening is the strategy most veterans recommend. Cars are already in the lot before the doors open, which tells you everything about how seriously this crowd takes their fish and chips.
Why People Keep Coming Back After All These Decades
A restaurant that has been open since the 1950s in the same location, with the same core menu, in a city that has seen enormous change, does not survive on nostalgia alone. It survives because the food is consistently excellent and the experience is consistently genuine.
Families who grew up eating at Scotty Simpson’s now bring their own children and grandchildren. People who moved away from Detroit put it on their must-do list every time they return to visit.
Former regulars who relocated out of state openly admit they have not found anything close to it in their new cities.
That kind of loyalty is not manufactured. It grows slowly over decades of doing things right, of not cutting corners on the batter, of keeping the staff friendly, of staying true to the original vision of a simple, honest, delicious meal at a fair price.
Scotty Simpson’s Fish and Chips is proof that the best things in Detroit do not always come with a reservation, a dress code, or a long Instagram caption. Sometimes they just come with a paper plate and a piece of the most perfect fried fish you have ever tasted.
