Rumblefish, a Fish Fry Featuring Invasive Species is Opening in Philly This November
Chef Chaz Brown is bringing a new restaurant concept, Rumblefish, to Philly, with a target opening date of November 2026. The 900-square-foot, fast-casual Caribbean restaurant will be located at 1700 North 3rd Street, at the corner of Cecil B. Moore Avenue, and will focus on preparing invasive seafood species.
The concept traces back to 2017, when Brown was working as a restaurant consultant in the Bahamas. He and his team regularly went spearfishing for grouper and snapper to host fish fries for locals, but found that lionfish, an invasive species, were damaging coral reefs and depleting the populations of other fish that the local economy depended on. In response, Brown and other locals began catching and cooking lionfish themselves, eventually hosting lionfish cooking competitions. That experience led Brown and his partners to develop a broader restaurant concept centered on preparing invasive species, which became Rumblefish.
Rumblefish will operate seven days a week for lunch and dinner, primarily as a takeout restaurant, with a few indoor bar stools and a 25-seat covered outdoor patio. The menu will center on southern-fried invasive fish sourced from waters throughout the U.S. and its territories, along with other Caribbean-influenced dishes. According to Brown, much of the menu will draw on Trinidadian spices, with seasoning blends supplied by Vista Durado Estates and hot sauces provided through a collaboration with Goodlands Food Co. All fish at Rumblefish will be fried using Anson Mills gluten-free corn flour, and the broader menu will rely on corn flour and cornmeal.
Danny DiGiampietro of Angelo’s Pizzeria will bake bread for the restaurant in the style of New Orleans po’boy rolls. The restaurant will also include a fixings bar in the tradition of a classic fish fry, along with sides such as slaws and French fries.
Rumblefish plans to serve a range of invasive species as they become available, including green crab, snakehead and Chesapeake Bay blue catfish, in addition to non-invasive options such as clams, Carolina shrimp and Gulf red shrimp. Beverage offerings will include sea moss drinks and Solo Kola Champagne, a caffeine-free Caribbean soft drink from Trinidad and Tobago.
Brown said fish frys are a common tradition throughout the Caribbean, but noted that chef-driven concepts built around that style of cooking are uncommon in the U.S. He said he and his partners are looking forward to bringing the concept to Philadelphia’s sandwich-centric food culture.
