Minocqua Brewing Company - Minocqua, WI

My friend Jamie valiantly steps in with a guest review of her recent Northwoods dining experience. Thanks Jamie!

I had lovely Fish 'N' Chips on the patio of the Mincoqua Brewing Company last Sunday. My cousin and I dined with her English granny (who's been here forever) and her friend (who was visiting from England). I wanted to mention that since I find it entertaining that it was my cousin and I who ordered the fish and chips while they opted for other dishes! Perhaps that's a testament to how strong the Wisconsin appetite for fried fish is!

The fish had an excellent light, crisp breading. For a side, rather than the traditional fries, I opted for the sweet potato fries and received a generous helping. My cousin Ali ordered a side of garlic mashed potatoes. We enjoyed that we had three sides to choose from. As I've probably stated in earlier guest reviews for this site, I do not care for mayo or tarter sauce. One of our dining companions was happy to sample the coleslaw for me. It agreed with her so she finished it all! She liked how fine the cabbage and carrots were chopped and enjoyed the sweetness of the dressing.

The meal was a good value at $10 and the only place the Minocqua Brewing Company faltered was the service. When a cute elderly English lady asks two questions before ordering, it's probably best to answer them politely. My cousin joked to this member of the waitstaff, "Good luck with her!" To which this server replied under their breath so only my cousin could hear "If she wants to eat, she'll need to order." Um, okay. Over-the-top and completely ungenuine niceness followed. My cousin has been there many times over the years as her Grandparents used to live in Mincoqua. She said service has otherwise been pleasant. Perhaps it was just a bad day. I'd hate to think this server hates their job this much everyday. The host was very friendly though.

The Longhouse at North Star Mohican Casino - Bowler, WI

My friend Jamie went up North and re-reviewed the new fish fry at The Longhouse, now featuring a buffett!

In summer, the far-flung members of my family usually spend some time in their native Shawano County and this almost always includes a meal or two (or three+ in the case of my Auntie & Grandma) at The Longhouse. I made it there in time for Friday Fish Fry! The Friday Fish Fry at the Longhouse is a bit different than when I reviewed it last summer.

It is now a buffet, featuring both beer-battered and baked haddock. This also includes a salad bar with a non-iceberg lettuce mix and assortment of toppings and dressing. Looked great but I passed right on by the salad and started my meal both a corn muffin & a piece of marble rye bread. I always love the option to have both baked and fried fish. The side was perfectly crispy wedges of red potatoes. The fish was perfectly battered and flavorful (I also had the good fortune of arriving just as they were refilling the tray with a fresh batch). Should one be so inclined (as I am not) there is a Lemon & Dill Remoulade sauce & coleslaw to accompany your fish.

Gruenke's - Bayfield, WI

The Deal: Gruenke's in beautiful Bayfield, WI is best known for its summer fish boil, which gets you whitefish, potatoes & onions, breads and dessert for $15.50. The restaurant also offers a traditional fish fry of whitefish & fries for $15.50. Yep, that's right, they charge the exact same price for the fish fry but don't include any of the sides. Nice. Actually, what would be nice is if they printed the fish fry price anywhere (the sign outside of the restaurant lists the fish fry lunch price which was $7.95 and included the exact same items). So basically, the fish fry is a rip off compared to the fish boil, but since the fish boil is only served at 6 pm, you may be stuck with the fish fry.

The Food: I wouldn't quibble so much about the price if anything Gruenke's served was at all inspiring. But it's not. You get bland, tasteless and somewhat soggy fish that falls off of the skin accompanied by some Sysco fries. Basically, it's cruddy bar food at supper club prices.

The Flavor: While Gruenke's fish boil is held outside in a charming, christmas-light filled garden, the inside of the restaurant is filled with kitschy movie & music memorabilia. It's a bit cramped and beware that you'll hear all of the other diners' conversations. So hey, be interesting!

Second Opinions:

I Go U Go
Yelp

The Beach Club - La Pointe, WI

The Deal: The Beach Club in La Pointe on Lake Superior's beautiful Madeline Island offers a variety of fishy delights including a whitefish fish fry, fish tacos & sandwiches, whitefish livers and, apparently, even a sushi bar during summer weekends. Prices are in the $8-$12 range and sandwiches are served with fries.

The Food: As our group was there for lunch, we opted for fish tacos and a fish sandwich.



The tacos were quite light and delightful, but the real star was the fish sandwich.



It was the perfect combination of crispy batter & flaky fish. The lemons it was served with were almost completely unnecessary as the fish had so much flavor on its own. The accompanying fries were just of the humble shoestring variety, but were nonetheless tasty.

The Flavor: The Beach Club is located right on the water and you can choose to eat in the large indoor dining room & bar, on the front porch facing the main drag in quaint La Pointe or on the smaller outdoor patio right on the lake. You place your order with a friendly counter person and then find a seat. Or, if you're like us, find the bar.

Speaking of the bar, it looked to have the usual tap beers (Leinie's, etc.) and some specials, like the "Island Breeze" we enjoyed, which was basically vanilla rum with a small dash of fruit juices.

Second Opinions:

Urbanspoon

Harvest Restaurant & Bakery - Wittenberg, WI

Thanks to my friend Jamie for this review of the Harvest Restaurant & Bakery.

Harvest is located just off Hwy 29 and shares a building with a gas station. The décor is all Northwoods and large windows allow lots of natural light into the dining room. I dined here with my parents and grandmother on a Saturday afternoon.

Grandma and I opted for the fish fry. Our choices were Cod, Blue Gill or Walleye. I chose the Walleye, served with a potato and choice of two sides. I like how the potato is a category of its own before you even pick the sides. I chose fries, of course. I usually eat pretty healthy but when I’m out for a fish fry I put the emphasis on fry! I did, however, choose a salad as one of my sides. The iceberg lettuce was wilted but I still ate it all. The breading on my walleye was light and crisp and the fish was the perfect texture. For my other side I chose rice which turned out to be a serviceable wild rice pilaf. I couldn't finish that so my Dad helped me out by eating the rest.

My grandmother enjoyed her order of Cod. She received five pieces with a golden, crispy batter. It was more than she could eat so she took a doggy bag. Her sides were Chicken Dumpling Soup and Coleslaw. Her soup featured a dumpling that took up most of the cup it was served in and she claimed it was why she couldn’t finish her fish. The coleslaw was of the traditional mayo-drenched variety.

We had no room for dessert but we had some time so we bought some lottery tickets at the gas station next door. We didn't win a thing - not even a dollar. Should have spent my money on a candy necklace instead, or as I like to call it "dessert at my leisure." Ring pops also suffice!

Henkels Town Pump - Rhinelander, WI

Thanks to my sister Cherie, for contributing this review of one of her favorite local joints.

The Deal: Rhinelander's Henkels Town Pump offers a fish fry, pan fried or broiled fish for less than $10. Although there is not a salad bar, each order comes with a choice of french fries or potato salad, cole slaw and fry bread. Our bill came to $51.00 for five with two extra pieces of fish thrown in.

The Food: The two pieces of pan fried cod were excellent. The batter is light with a hint of nutmeg. It was fried to a deep brown. The fish was light and flaky. In this fish fry the fish really is the "star". The potato salad was flavorful and not dry, but creamy. The cole slaw was also very tasty. The only flaw was that one of my dinner companions requested a 1/2 order of fries and the other 1/2 to be potato salad. This was a request they would not grant.

The Flavor: The Town Pump is a local tavern that over the years has added a couple dining rooms. No need to dress up here. The dining rooms are decorated like deer hunting camps (without the odor). The walls are pine, and I could swear my Grandpa wore the black and white wool hunting jacket on the wall. The tables are an assortment of picnic tables. The food is served on paper plates. They have the usual Miller products on tap with some specialty beers in bottles. I give the Town Pump five stars, cause I can't stop thinking about that fish!

Second Opinions:
Fish Frys & Bar Flys