Jack's Fish and Chips rebrand wins over hungry crowds fast

Matt Brennan and Corvette Romero, the team behind the iconic Shameless Buns food truck, faced a tough call last month. Their brick-and-mortar Jack's Chowder concept, which opened last year in the old Shameless Buns storefront, was bleeding sales.

So they asked their community what to do. The answer came back loud and clear: fish and chips.

"We had a really tough couple of weeks, and we kind of threw it all out there," Brennan told Dished. "We talked to our followers, and it just all kept coming back to fish and chips."

The rebrand to Jack's Fish and Chips happened fast. The duo overhauled the menu and the whole kitchen is now buzzing.

What makes the fish and chips sing is the batter—a blend of all-purpose flour, cornstarch, and rice flour. The rice flour is where the crispiness comes from. They soak the fish in buttermilk and fry it in cold, non-alcoholic beer ("the temperature does make a difference," Brennan assured us). The result is super flaky, super tender fish.

It's served with salt and vinegar fries borrowed from Shameless Buns and renamed Sinigang Fries—coated in salt and vinegar seasoning instead of straight vinegar, so they stay crispy instead of getting soggy.

When Dished visited before opening, guests were already trying to push in before 11:30 a.m. Once a line of fish-starved customers formed outside, it was time to step back and let the kitchen work.

Order with a friend and get a little of everything. If you've been following Dished, you know they named The Fish Sandwich one of the best things they ate in 2024—and now you can get it fresh.

This is the kind of pivot that only works when you listen to your people.