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Acme Smoked Fish
Category: Food Specialty Food Seafood Markets Seafood Markets [Edit]
30 Gem StBrooklyn, NY 11222
Neighborhood: Greenpoint
(718) 383-8585
- Nearest Transit:
-
Nassau Av (G)
Greenpoint Av (G)
- Hours:
Fri 8 am - 1 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
21 reviews for Acme Smoked Fish
Review Highlights
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"...in the city (like Russ and Daughters and Zabars) actually..." In 4 reviews -
"...gets: Salmon (belly); whitefish salad; smoked trout." In 4 reviews -
"...con: it's open 8-1 Friday mornings only, and it's not all..." In 3 reviews
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21 reviews in English
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Review from Lan W.
Brooklyn, NY
2/21/2012
Walking down East Houston Street on a Sunday midmorning, it would be impossible to miss the throngs of people in line outside Russ and Daughters. This NY landmark/"appetizing store" (I think that literally means 'store selling things to eat with bagels') was famously started by Mr. Russ over a century ago, selling mushrooms to Jewish immigrants from his pushcart. Over 100 years later, you need only one bite of Russ's indelibly fresh smoked salmon to understand why it's worth the wait. R&D is the place to get your Sunday bagel, cream cheese, and lox.
And where does Russ and Daughters get such superior smoked fish? Acme! They supply wholesale smoked salmons, whitefish, tuna, herring, etc. etc. to several famous appetizing stores around the area.
As mentioned above, since it is a wholesaler Acme is only open to the public on Fridays from 8am to 1pm. So if you find yourself free at that time, treat yourself and get some phenomenal fresh fishy goodies right from the source. (Or if you're one of those unfortunate leave-for-work-by-7:45 folk like me, persuade your hates-smoked-fish-but-super-awesome boyfriend to go for you.) I hear they give remarkable samples!
Recommended: the salmon is truly out of this world. You haven't had smoked salmon until you've had this stuff. Delicious flavors--pastrami, cracker pepper--and many wild salmon options.
Next time I'll try: Given how much I love smoked salmon, I can't believe how few of the other offerings I'm tried. Whitefish? Tuna? Herring? Bring it. -
Review from krs m.
Brooklyn, NY
5/25/2012
Whatever it used to be, it's not any more. Pure garbage.
Smoked Salmon - I tasted half a dozen varieties, all awful. The only difference was the amount and type of seasoning smeared over them. Also, they were mushy and darkened by exposure to air, close to going off.
Picked Herring - Neither variety (plain and cream sauce) tasted much like herring, or anything. Both were HEAVILY sugared.
Whitefish Salad - Cheap mayonnaise with a tiny amount of some sort of fish mixed in. No detectable flavor of whitefish. And much too salty and sugary.
Sable - Sort of quasi-sable flavor, but weak and washed out.
From now on it's Russ & Daughters or Barney Greengrass. You pay (a lot) more, but at least it's the real thing. Leave Acme to the coyotes. -
Review from Menna J.
Manhattan, NY
5/8/2012
Just to set the record straight, Acme does not supply all the fish to Russ and Daughters or to all of New York like someone else mentioned. Acme does smoke a lot of fish, but for a price. They use commercial smokers and preservatives. While they have everything down to a science I am sure- it is not the best fish in New york.
I do like the whitefish, but I have had better salmon. -
Review from Jordan T.
Flushing, NY
11/17/2011
Acme is the source for smoked fish in New York City. Fish Friday is my favorite day of the week. I'm only able to get here every couple of months, so I always stock up. The whole smoked fish will stay good in the fridge for up to a month. All the prepackaged fish has sell by dates which are anywhere from a month to a year.
My favorites are the herring and the whole trout. The herring salad is made with apple sauce, so it has a nice sweet flavor, perfect with sea salt crackers. The whole trout filets very nicely, no worries about accidentally swallowing a bone.
Acme a bit hard to find if you're driving, Gem Street is one way. You're better off parking on Franklin or Messerole. -
Review from Lee H.
7/28/2011
Best way to stay cool on a hot summer Friday in Brooklyn? Head over to Acme and stick your body into the cold inner sanction that is their weekly pop-up retail space. Whole smoked fish, sliced fish, hot smoked, cold smoked as well as the packaged variety is all available each Friday between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m.
It's a great tip if you're hankering for smoked fish and want to purchase straight from the source at a great discount.. The area in Williamsburg is straight up warehouse-y and you may have to ask where the entrance is because folks, this isn't a retail shop.
The pastrami smoked salmon is a must. Everything we tried was smoked fish perfection.
Bring your portable cooler, because when you see the offerings, you're going to want to fill up!Listed in: I Left my Stomach in NY
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Review from Matt E.
9/14/2011
Acme Smoked Fish Company is the largest smoked fish house in the country, smoking 6-8 million pounds a fish a year. They've been around for 50 years and have been turning out such exquisite product that all the places known for smoked fish in the city (like Russ and Daughters and Zabars) actually get their fish from them. Whether you want nova, lox, sable, whitefish, chub, and so on, Acme makes it. They're only a wholesale business but by some fishy miracle they've decided to open to the public every Friday from 8am-1pm and sell their products at wholesale prices. It's not a fancy shop, you just walk through the shipping bay into a processing room where they set up a couple fold out tables, a price board, and a few people to answer your questions and help you out. The place gets a steady stream of people but isn't busy at all, at least not when I went at 11:30. You can get prepackaged fish/spreads or buy fish by the pound. Basic nova is a steal at $15/lb and sable is only $25/lb (this same sable in a retail setting in the city usually goes for $40-60/lb depending on where you go).
When I went I was helped by a new girl who didn't know anything about the fish which was frustrating but she was incredibly sweet, cute, and sought out the answers from one of the old timers so it wasn't too bad. It was also her first Friday there so she had a very legitimate excuse. In terms of the per pound fish (cut but not sliced to order) you can get any amount you want and they don't mind letting you sample any of the items you'd like.
I almost didn't want to write about this treasure but between their very select hours and their not so easy to get to location, it's a good bet this one will stay one of those hidden New Yorker gems for a while. -
Review from Chris F.
Brooklyn, NY
8/21/2010
You have got to be kidding me.
The best smoked salmon I've ever had.
Amazing whitefish salad, a smoky puree that's so intense you can only eat a few bites.
Varieties of herring and salmon salads I haven't tried yet, smoked tuna (!), and the ability to buy massive bulk salmon at cheap prices.
Friendly people and all sorts of free samples to help you figure out exactly which smoked fish is right for you.
And I never heard of it before a month or so ago!
The only con: it's open 8-1 Friday mornings only, and it's not all that convenient to get to on tiny little Gem St. But I'm fine with that. It means more fish for me. -
Review from Becca S.
Brooklyn, NY
12/26/2008
File Under: ACTUAL Best Kept Secret
Gem Street would be the most inappropriately named street in history were it not for the Acme Smoked Fish Corp, which supplies Russ & Daughters and pretty much anywhere else in the city that sells fresh-cut smoked fish. Now why, you ask, would you ever shlep to Greenpoint for your smokey, salty fishiness, when you can just skip down to Houston St? Because on Fridays, you don't have to be a Russ OR his daughter to get your fish for the same price that they do--$12/lb instead of $26/lb for nova lox, plus half price on gravlax, sable, sturgeon, pastrami salmon...everything.
You will literally walk into the warehouse, be greeted by friendly workers in rubber boots and hairnets, and also literally walk into a room with a giant table piled high with fish. It's not a store, it's a fish room. You will get samples of everything, and you will spend every last dollar in your wallet on this fish, because it's the best, freshest smoked fish you've ever had, and also because...well, seriously now, how often can you really be expected to ride the G train?Listed in: Brooklyn, YES!, Don't Ever Leave Me
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Review from Moniker M.
Brooklyn, NY
5/1/2008
Fun! Friday morning, from 8 until 1, Acme opens its warehouse to retail customers for Fish Fridays. So much smoked fish for such little money. Cash! Cash only.
The packaged goods are fine (I'm not a fan of their whitefish salad, personally) but they have slabs of salmon, tuna and bluefish cured and smoked in various amusing ways that you can sample and buy hunks of. This is the stuff.
Oh, and the smoked trout. These are huge trout. These are delicious trout. -
Review from jae z.
11/3/2009
I hate to break the 5 star seal, but let me keep it real for you.
Remember that opportunity cost thing from econ 101? I do. Perfect example here: 1. the inconvenience of a small window of opportunity to purchase here. 2. the inconvenience of slicing smoked salmon yourself outweigh the monetary savings. [it's $3/lb less than Lobster Place]
Maybe I went on an off day but the Norwegian Smoked Salmon was NO BUENO. Not at all salty, it was way too sweet. Whatever formula they used did not bring out the salmon-ness. I was super disappointed. -
Review from Echo W.
Hopewell Junction, NY
8/9/2011
Best place to get smoked salmon and many other smoked items. The staffs were very helpful in helping us select our fish. Best smoked salmon that I ever had!
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Review from Sandeep G.
Austin, TX
12/17/2009
Shhhhh. Keep this a secret. Ask if they have salmon belly that day.
My consistent gets: Salmon (belly); whitefish salad; smoked trout.
Sometimes gets: Salmon in vinegar and onion -
Review from Lauren F.
New York, NY
4/7/2010
WE LOVE ACME. Insanely good value on smoked salmon, baked salmon, real lox,* fish salads, sable, trout, whitefish...you name it, Acme probably has it and will sell it to you at wholesale prices on Friday mornings. Don't be afraid to ask for a sample. The staff are busy but accommodating.
*Tip for the reviewer complaining about lack of salt: it's lox that's supposed to be very salty. Norwegian is mild, mild, mild. -
Review from Jennifer F.
Lake Worth, FL
6/10/2011
WOW, to bad they are only open to the public on Fridays... yeah I think that's right. I'm in love with the smoked whiting, many choices of lox and salmon, and they let you taste before you buy. Everyone is always polite and never a super long line. Great quality product!
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Review from Drinky C.
New York, NY
3/6/2009 3 photos
Can't say anything more than what's already been said, but I can totally vouch for the amazing prices and quality. Went there today and picked up a huge slab of salmon, 2 whole brook trout, a slab of cod, and a container of baked salmon salad, all for $28.
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Review from Liza M.
Sunnyside, NY
Updated - 8/28/2009
The adorable ACME ladies clad in white lab coats and rain boots continue to provide excellent service, but when the guy directly in front of you orders $375 worth of very carefully (read: slowly) selected smoked fish products, it can take awhile. And makes for a lot of angsty fish lovers. Beware. Still totally worth it, though.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/26/2009
First trip: December 26th, 2008
Arrived at employee coffee break time with Becca S. Encountered… Read more »
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Review from Courtney T.
Brooklyn, NY
3/9/2011
There is something incredibly comforting about walking through the loading area and into the warm, bustling fish room. I vowed a few years ago to venture beyond smoked salmon and onto other types of omega laden fish, and this place has helped me considerably. It is also responsible for making my cat go from 16 to 17 pounds, I think.
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Review from Wendy R.
Brooklyn, NY
7/16/2010
My Friday mornings are the best ever since I have discovered this gem on Gem. Even in the dead of summer it's a ice cool wonderland of smoked fish galore. Russ and Daughters has had me wondering if there was a less wallet splitting way to tame the smoked fish craving and now alas there is the answer to my dreams.
I'm a sucker for Gaspe Nova and actually prefer that they don't thinly slice it like Russ and Daughters. Instead they cut you a big slap of delicious smoked fish and you can take it home to slice the thickness to your own pleasing.
I love the whitefish salad but my friend swears Russ and Daughters is better because Acme's is a bit thinner in texture. To each his own. More for me. -
Review from Joe B.
Jackson Heights, NY
2/4/2011
Yes, this is a unique set up as this wholesale smoked fish company is only open to the public for a small window of time but on the other hand even a limited window is a gift for the average shopper to get what is normally offered to retail stores exclusively. If you are only looking for a small amount of fish, then the effort to get here may not be worth the savings, which ranges from 30 to 50 percent off retail depending on where you shop. Keep in mind re the prices, your local deli/appetizing store may very well have the same type of products at a similar price range but they are not getting the same quality or freshness (ex local supermarket porterhouse 7-8 dollars lb vrs prime cut aged 18+). These are the guys that sell to many of the top restaurants and food marts in the city Also its an interesting experience to see their set up.
Now on to the food. They offer a wide variety of fish in various preparations including smoked, cured, both fresh and cut to order as well as already vacume packed. Fresh selections will vary based on what time you get there and yes, they do run out of some offerings as the day goes on. They offer a nice variety of fish including smoked salmon, gravlox,, peppered salmon, smoked bake salmon, jarred herring or salmon, smoked white fish, as well as jarred spreads. There are usually cut samples available and if not just ask for a taste, they are always willing to cut one fresh for you, dont be shy. Tip: re the jarred fish, herring is a pick but the salmon in cream is too mild to stand up to the rich taste of the cream and onions.
On average the smoked fish runs about 24 a lb and up depending on the
fish, which is about 30-50 percent off the prices at places like Zabars and
Barney Greengrass. Again keep in mind this is not your local bagel shops
cut of Nova, this is the good stuff and you will taste the difference.
As it isnt the easiest place to get to, think about making your visit worthwhile by ordering enough to last awhile, if stored properly the fresh smoked fish can last awhile and the vacume packed can be either frozen or kept in the fridge for weeks, some packages even state storage limits.
Lastly think about doing your friends who cant get here on a Friday am a favor by taking orders for them, they will love you for it.
Lastly for real, while in the area, if you have a sweet tooth, dont forget to visit PeterPan bakery for some of the best donuts and such you have ever had. -
Review from anastasia s.
Brooklyn, NY
12/5/2010
Great deal
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Review from Ryan M.
Brooklyn, NY
2/1/2010
russ and daughters is a thief
