Seafood distributors in Chicago

Isaacson's & Stein's was on Fulton and Halsted. They had plastic gloves and you could root around in the fish and seafood piles to pick exactly which cuts or fish you wanted. They had incredible marlin and sardines. They'd pack the fish on ice for you to take home. Fulton Market has some great places but I'd trade all of them for I&S. Dirks and other places just don't offer the same experience.

You should check out [Isaacson & Stein](http://www.isaacsonandsteinfishcompany.com/). It's a wholesale fish market on the edge of the west loop that's open to the public. Buy as much as you want. Make it yourself.

There was a big fish processor & wholesaler called Chicago Fish House on Division near Goose Island, but I don't think they did retail sales or are around anymore. Isaacson & Stein was the oldest and most well-known traditional fish market in the city. It has since merged with Supreme Lobster in Villa Park and I'm willing to bet it isn't anything like the place at Fulton & Halsted was. That place was quite the old-school buying experience and sadly isn't there anymore. Edit: [Here's a 30 year old Trib article on it.](https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1990-04-19-9002010758-story.html)

When I moved to Chicago in the early 90s the area was literally a market -- it smelled bad and was full of forklifts and guys in smocks. Wholesale goods, run-down warehouses, no place to sit or eat or live, and it wasn't an economic engine, just a turnover spot bringing fish to market. Now it's an economic powerhouse with housing, food, entertainment, etc. It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but that kind of gentrification is what makes Chicago a destination. Granted, gentrification is a mixed bag with significant downsides, but when I go to Fulton Market now I'm astonished and admittedly thrilled at how far it's come from, well, a smelly fish market. Yes it's pricey, but that it's thriving means it's a viable business model, and Chicago is doing well too.

Thought we had a fish market area on our Fulton Street with the surviving tail visible on the east side of the Kennedy. Or is that just marketing hype?

So that means the original Randolph street business were demolished and the "Randolph" front pushed back maybe a half block north? I'm not remembering the Fulton St. fish market very well. What have you got about its borders?

You're in luck! Supreme Lobster and Seafood is in Villa Park at 220 North Ave. One of Chicagoland's biggest seafood distributors, and this is their retail store.

I would say Boston Fish Market in Rosemont, IL (near O’Hare)… depending on your means of transport and where you live in the city this could be a little far but the serving sizes def are about this portion and it is very good. It is pricey though.

Not in Chicago but in Des Plaines. Boston fish market .. but ONLY the Des Plaines location, not the one in Wheeling.

Boston Fish Market is the best (but it's in the burbs), in the past I always liked Fahlstrom a lot but they recently closed for good due to covid. IMO KaiZan is the best sushi spot.

I cannot confirm 100% from experience on the lobster tail’s size. But I wouldn’t be surprised if they were that big. But the portions are massive and they do awesome seafood style platters for groups. It is a wholesaler as well with a retail aspect so the portions are large but the ambience is not nearly as nice as a Shaw’s or mid/high end restaurant… it’s definitely a no frills fish market vibe but they did add a solarium/greenhouse style attachment for outdoor seating… last I went they were building but it could be fully open now.

Sushi grade is not regulated, but Dirk’s, Joong Boo, HMart, Mitsuwa, and Tensuke all have options. The Asian markets have fish portioned into saku blocks for slicing for sushi. They often have pre-sliced fish as well, if you don’t feel comfortable slicing it yourself.

Gonna highjack with some more details… “Sushi grade” is just a marketing term with no official certification. What actually matters is whether the fish has been frozen properly. The FDA requires most fish meant to be eaten raw to be frozen at very low temperatures to kill parasites, like -4°F for 7 days or -31°F for 15 hours. The exception is certain farmed fish, like farm-raised salmon, which are raised in parasite-free environments and don’t need freezing. A lot of people think sushi grade means super fresh and never frozen, but it’s usually the opposite. Flash freezing is what makes it safe. If you’re buying fish for sushi, make sure it was handled and frozen according to FDA guidelines, not just labeled nicely.

Shipping directly through ohare is the answer to this question. It is one of the largest transportation hubs in the us, let alone the Midwest, otherwise omakase restaurants wouldn’t exist here where they are known to have fresh, clean seafood.

Midwest state. Restaurant I used to work at sold fresh salmon. Faroe Islands farm raised, never frozen, whole, cleaned, head on. Never more than 22 hours on the tags. Eyes were always clear, never a smell. We got 3 deliveries per week. There is a whole system to ship fresh fish nowadays. They pack them on airplanes. It's not like they're shipping them on stage coaches, it's the 21st century. Oysters from PEI, never more than 12 hours on the tags.

Nearly all sushi is flash frozen on the boat to kill parasites. In 2026, being on the water makes almost zero difference in terms of freshness. Also, most high end sushi has some degree of aging as well.

You do know they frequently freeze seafood on the boat when they catch it, right? So it can actually be as fresh here as on the coasts, it’s not an issue.

Not necessarily. I'm in a small Midwestern city and we have a seafood place that flies in fresh, never frozen seafood daily. I actually worked FOH there years ago and they legit send a guy to the airport a few times a day to meet flights with iced down, fresh, uncut fish.

Almost any ocean fish sold here (and honestly in 90% or more of the US) has been frozen before it makes its way to the shelf. There's no official definition of sushi-grade, it's just a marketing gimmick to jack up the price. Go with the high quality fish markets/Asian grocers that people here have already mentioned and you'll be fine. When in doubt, tell the guy at the counter you're looking for something that'd work well for sushi/sashimi.

All fish that’s sushi grade has been frozen. Sushi grade isn’t regulated so it doesn’t mean anything. But for fish to be considered safe to consume raw according to the health department, it must be frozen, I forget the specifics, but it’s beyond just throwing a raw fillet in the freezer and calling it safe to eat raw.

Chicago is far from the major fisheries providing the bulk of the best seafood to the country. A lot of it does ship here, so quality tends to be fine, but compared to MANY other cities the selection is narrow, expensive and broadly isn't a significant aspect of our food culture. Calumet Fisheries, Allegrias, Shaw's, Half Shell as others have stated are some of our best and favorite spots, but in Chicago we do many things better than we do seafood - just want to make sure you're making an informed choice in deciding where to dine while in town. Enjoy your time here, hope you get some great food.

What are you looking to buy? In the city for your basics, tuna/salmon/yellowtail, Martinez seafood's retail operation is going to be the best bet. They sell online as MPS Groceries and deliver for free in Chicago if you spend $80 or so. Nothing really will come close. The joong boos and H Marts will sell platters and stuff, but the availability of whole fish is not reliable, though you may have to go there anyway for things like flash frozen squid and scallops. For interesting stuff, the produce manager at Mitsuwa will special order you stuff from Toyosu. Be prepared to pay a substantial premium. They also have the best quality scallops and botan ebi that's available retail. They do sell farm raised madai and Shima aji, but you want to call a couple days in advance so they save one back for you. Wholesale accounts exist, but aren't really available unless you are a business dealing in volume.

[https://mpsgroceries.com/](https://mpsgroceries.com/) Not quite as good a deal as when they used to have 5lbs of Faroe Island Salmon for $55 at the start of pandemic but still quality stuff at good prices. Free next day delivery in Chicago.

Well-said. And to add just a bit more, beyond the deep freezing, safe handling of the fish until you receive it, process it, and consume it is very important. And if your fishmonger doesn’t know if something is appropriate for raw consumption, don’t take the gamble.