Wilson's Bar & Grill - Madison, WI

The Deal: Wilson's Bar & Grill, on Madison's Near East side, offers a basic fish fry of Icelandic cod,fries, dinner roll, tartar sauce & coleslaw. Three pieces of fish will set you back $7.50, five for slightly more.

The Food: My fish was served piping hot, and until it cooled a bit, it had an unpleasant rubbery texture. After a few moments, the good flakiness came through. I think the exact flavor is best described as "50 years of fish in the deep fryer". This isn't necessarily a bad thing.

The fries were good, but nothing special. The dinner roll was surprisingly tasty. Wilson's earned extra points from me by serving the roll with warm packets of butter. Too many restaurants give you rolls with ice cold butter that's impossible to spread. It's the little things, you know?

The Flavor: Get within about 30 feet of Wilson's on a Friday night and you're suddenly hit with an overwhelming and unmistakable fish fry smell. People talk about Wisconsin's "dairy air", but to me the iconic scents of Wisconsin are fish in the deep fryer, brats parboiling in beer & onions and paper mills (sorry, but that's the Central Wisconsin in me talking). Once inside, you quickly realize that Wilson's is sports bar heaven, particularly on a night with both a Packers & a Brewers game. TV screens line the bar and some tables even have individual TVs. As an added bonus, Wilson's features the most eclectic karaoke this side of Minneapolis' Vegas Lounge. Nice!

There was only one waiter handling the room when I was there and he worked his ass off. On the plus side, I think he at least had an easy time taking orders since the only thing coming out of the kitchen all night was fish fry after fish fry. Clearly, Wilson's has a reputation. I've had better dive bar fish frys, but Wilson's is fast and in the neighborhood and you can get your fish fry on without slacking in your support of The Crew!

Second Opinions:


Cool Dadio
Madison Fish Fry
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Stanley's Northeast Bar Room - Minneapolis, MN

The Deal: Stanley's, in Northeast Minneapolis, offers fish & chips, featuring beer battered cod, for a little over $10 and a walleye sandwich for about $8. The fish & chips come with fries and a huge vat of tartar sauce. The walleye sandwich is served with kettle chips.



The Food: while the cod itself was decently tasty and flaky, the batter wasn't crispy enough. It wasn't mushy, but it wasn't standing up to the fish either. I got two nice sized pieces of fish with my meal, but it wasn't worth eating more than half of a piece. The fries, on the other hand, were excellent and gives me faith that Stanley's really does know how to use their deep fryer. My dining companion had the walleye sandwich and reported back that the batter was crispy, so perhaps my cod was an outlier.

The Flavor: Stanley's is on the nice end of blue collar bars. You won't find many skinny-jean wearing hipsters here. Instead, the crowd's a bit older and a bit more likely to wear Carhartt. The bar has a lot of fun events like team trivia and bar bingo.

There's a huge beer list, heavy on local beers, local as in Minnesota though, not Wisconsin. On the downside, someone decided that the dinner rush was the perfect time to get a huge ladder and put a clock on the wall. Weirdos. :)

Second Opinions:

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Vita.mn
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Babes - Madison, WI

The deal: Babes has a variety of fish fry options, including beer battered cod, lake perch and walleye. Prices are around $12 and include bread, the choice of soup or salad and a "potato" choice (baked potato, regular fries, curly fries, fruit, cottage cheese or veggies). It was so nice to be at a restaurant that realizes that a good fish fry needs to include soup or salad.

The food: Babes' delicious lemon chicken soup wasn't on the menu, so everyone in my group opted for cod & salad. Despite the season, the salad was big and fresh and served with a deliciously, crusty piece of hot bread. Mmmm. Hot bread.



The fish was less successful. The batter wasn't crispy enough and the fish itself was solid rather than flaky. The french fries were way too salty. Nothing had any real flavor, unless you count "deep fryer" as a flavor.



Babes redeemed itself, however, with dessert. A chocolate brownie sundae looked exactly as decadent as it sounds and the chocolate & peanut butter cake was light & creamy and the perfect way to end the meal on a high note.

The Flavor: We went to Babes on a frigid New Year's Day night, so it was pretty empty. That meant that we had fantastic service. I'm sure our waitress is always friendly, but she just had extra time to spend on our party and we appreciated it. Our timing also meant that we didn't really explore Babes' beer list at all as most of us were still hungover and recovering. Someone did sample a Bloody Mary though. Bloody Marys aren't my thing, but even I have to admit that this looked and smelled delicious. Apparently it was, so be sure to add Babes to your "best Bloody" list.



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Sideroads - Wisconsin Rapids, WI

The Deal: Sideroads' fish fry has staggered pricing between $6.95 and $8.95 depending on whether you want one, two or three pieces of haddock. You can get your haddock deep fried or grilled. For sides, you can choose from a baked potato, fries, onion rings or garlicky rice. Meals are served with a small container of coleslaw (which, of course, I didn't touch) and a thick-cut, heavily buttered slice of bread.

There's no salad option, although the menu does have cheap cheese curds that your table can share. By the way, you can tell I'm from Wisconsin because I've somehow just managed to equate cheese curds with salad. Heh.

The Food: My deep fried haddock was perfectly cooked, tender and flaky. However, the breading was tasteless and added nothing more to the flavor. I opted for the garlicky rice, which was served on my plate in an unappetizing scooped shape. Blech. All I can say about it was that, yep, it was garlicky. My friends were nice enough to share their fries, which were dark, crispy & delicious.

I also sampled the grilled haddock and I thought it had a nice, spicy flavor. It's served with butter for dipping, but I'd skip the butter and savor that flavor.

True to our Wisconsin form, our table shared some cheese curds which were, of course, a delicious Badger treat. Yum!

The flavor: Sideroads is described as a "rustic bar and grill serving seafood, sandwiches, subs, pizza, and a full alcoholic bar." That about covers it. Although, for a rustic place, it has a lot of flair, like Paul Bunyonesque saws on the wall and more beer tchotchkes than you can imagine. The whole place kind of reminded me of a dive bar version of Madison's Ella's Deli. The kids sure loved it.

Second opinions:

None...yet

Wild Horse Saloon - Kellner, WI

The deal: The Wild Horse Saloon, just past the outskirts of Wisconsin Rapids, offers a two or three-piece cod fish fry for around $7 or fancier fish like grilled rainbow trout for about $12. All entrees include rolls, a choice of fries, red potatoes or hash browns and coleslaw. For an extra $2, add a trip to the salad bar or soup.

The food: Everyone in our group was disappointed in the "home fries". Expecting thick cut or cross cut fries, instead they received what just looked like normal, somewhat greasy fries. Ho hum. The hash browns, on the other hand, had a nice and crispy crust and were buttery without being greasy.

The cod was also crispy, but the batter lacked flavor. Some in our party had flaky fish. I didn't. While my fish didn't taste bad, it was almost more chunky than crispy. The rainbow trout had decent flavor, but the filet was too thin and therefore it was overcooked.

The rolls were obviously store bought and were not served warm, which is a big no-no in my book. The salad bar was good - a wide variety of vegetables, a few prepared salads and a nice addition of crustinis with various cheese spreads. What a good idea!

The flavor: Since Wisconsin isn't yet completely smoke free, you have to navigate your way through a smoky bar to the back dining room at the Wild Horse Saloon. It's a no frills kind of place. That's not a bad thing at all, you just can't go in expecting anything fancy. What you're going to get is decent food, decent drinks (as a beer snob, I have to say that I almost cried at the terrible tap beer list - lots of Miller & Bud products) and salty, but helpful, service.

Second opinions:

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The Old Fashioned – Madison, WI

Here's another review from my friend Kaya, of Madison Brunch. The lucky woman got to go to the Old Fashioned for Good Friday Fish Fry. Yum.

The deal: Beer-battered cod, walleye or flour dusted perch with poppy seed coleslaw, a large portion of matchstick fries, lemon caper tartar sauce and toasted rye bread. Prices range from $9.95 for 2 pieces of cod to $12.95 for a large piece of walleye. A classic cocktail will run you around $5-$8 and a craft cheese tray to share is $10.

The food: Until my last visit I had only eaten the macaroni and cheese here, which had yielded mixed results on two visits. The fish fry is where The Old Fashioned shines with a dark, crispy beer batter, golden matchstick fries and the most perfect coleslaw I’ve ever eaten. Usually an afterthought, this coleslaw is fresh with flavorful thin-cut cabbage and carrots and poppy seeds. I opted for the walleye, which seemed extremely fresh and came served as a generous piece. I am generally ambivalent about walleye, but this was the best I’ve had at a fish fry. My husband and our dining partners chose the cod. The consensus was the flavor of the cod was good, but that the slightly overcooked beer batter overpowered the fish. I think this darker color and taste is pretty common with this type of batter, but those expecting a light, golden brown crust may be disappointed. The only real neutral item was the limp, slightly smoky flavored rye toast, but there was so much good food on the plate, I didn't mind.

In addition to the fish fry, we chose a cheese tray to start with gouda, blue and sharp cheddar. The trays come with walnuts, honey and a short stack of water crackers. The tray is presented family style with hunks of cheese, which can be a bit messy. It would have been perfection if the cheese was pre-sliced and a few more crackers were added to the tray. I also tried a bite of the chocolate brownie dessert with crème de menthe ice cream. The brownie was a bit hard for my liking, but the overall flavor was good.

It would be impossible to go The Old Fashioned and not talk about their cocktails. We sampled the Maker’s Mark and Applejack old fashioneds, which are expertly mixed and garnished. Our companions enjoyed the $2 Point Einbock and Razzmatazz. As a former bartender, I highly appreciate the perfect mix, proper garnishing and immaculate bar. I can’t count the times I’ve been served an old fashioned or manhattan with cherries at other establishments and have been on the receiving end of dirty straws and buggy drinks.

The flavor: Upscale Wisconsin-themed tavern and restaurant on the Capitol Square. There’s a large, comfy bar and a cavernous room with a few cushy booths that seat 6-8 and table seating. The owners have an impressive background with Madison favorites such as L’Etoile, Harvest and Lombardino’s under their belts. They don’t take reservations, so if you want to eat at prime time, you may want to show up around 5:30 or 6 and enjoy a few old fashioneds while you wait. Note: the ambient noise level in this place is off the charts, so if you’re hoping for a quiet evening, this is not the place for you.

Second opinions:

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Menuism

Lucky's Bar & Grille - Madison, WI

The deal: Lucky's Bar & Grille offers a Friday night fish fry featuring cod, walleye or perch. The specials range from $8.95-$9.95 and include fish, fries, bread, coleslaw and a choice of soup or salad.

The food: I ordered the walleye and upgraded to a side of onion rings with a salad. The salad was okay, but was more croutons than anything else. While croutons taste good, that's not exactly what I want when I order salad knowing I'm going to be stuffing my face with a bunch of deep fried goodness.

Well, maybe deep fried "okay-ness". The walleye was HUGE (see the picture below), but frankly pretty tasteless. I appreciated that the breading was nice and crunchy, but neither it nor the fish itself had any taste. The onion rings, on the other hand, were delightful and actually tasted like onions rather than the deep fryer.

The meal was also served with perhaps the saddest looking bread in the history of the bread basket. Limp white bread. How appetizing. Blech!



The flavor: We experienced Lucky's on a busy night during the boys' state basketball tournament. So, the place was packed and we ended up eating right at the bar in the midst of a bunch of folks who had clearly been drinking since at least noon. The whole experience felt hectic and uncomfortable, which is exactly what I don't want after a hard weeks' work.

Second opinions:

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Madison Fish Fry

Dexter's Pub - Madison, WI

The deal: Dexter's Pub, formerly The Sandlot, fish fry offers a variety of choices including beer battered cod, walleye and bluegill. The fish fry ranges from $7.75-$10 and includes soup or salad, rolls, tartar sauce and choice of potatoes.

The food: For a bar, the salad was quite good and included a bunch of baby greens, tomatoes and cucumbers. I had a balsamic dressing that hit the perfect balance between sweet and cloying. The french fries were good, but nothing special. My cod, on the other hand, was just excellent. Three big, flaky pieces of fish covered with a perfectly crispy crust. For the price, it was absolutely fantastic.

My dining companion had clam chowder, which looked filled to the brim with bacon. Mmmm...bacon. They opted for some broiled lemon pepper walleye which was good, but apparently needed salt.

Dexter's has a well thoughout out beer menu and includes options from Guinness to offerings from Lake Louie.

The flavor: Although I still fondly recall Stevens, which The Sandlot replaced, I was very impressed with Dexter's Pub. The atmosphere is nothing special, especially when the restaurant is less than crowded but I suspect that when word gets out about how good the food is, there will be far fewer empty tables and many more happy, full diners.

Second opinions:

None...yet

Big Ten Pub - Madison, WI

The deal: The first thing to do when you step inside the Jordan's Big Ten Pub is check out the chalkboard behind the bar. That's where you'll see the huge variety of available fish as well as the catch of the day. On my visit, the options included lemon pepper grilled walleye, lightly breaded bluegill or perch, a variety of fish sandwiches as well as good old-fashioned beer battered cod. The catch of the day was intriguing: jerk swordfish over pineapple rice. The cod was $9.95, while most of the other choices were $11.50 or so. All of that includes soup or a salad, roll and choice of potato. What's exciting about the Big Ten Pub is that it's to my knowledge the only place in Madison that offers potato pancakes with applesauce. Why hasn't that caught on around here?

The food: Although I was curious about the swordfish, for authenticity's sake, I went with the cod. I got two big pieces of fish. They were a little of the greasy side, but they were still pretty crispy. The flavor was good, but not great. My dining companions had the bluegill and perch. Both plates were full of lightly breaded fish. I thought the bluegill was a little flavorless. The perch was more successful and a little crispier, but not as good as the cod. What was incredibly good were the potato pancakes. These were no flimsy sides! The pancakes were dense and complex with a crust fried to dark golden brown perfection. Add a little applesauce and you've got a meal.

No one at my table opted for soup, but we all agreed that the salads were better than you'd expect in a bar - not a piece of iceberg lettuce in the bunch (although, to be honest, I really like iceberg lettuce).

If you dine after 8, you can also take advantage of some good drink specials, like 2 for 1 Long Island Ice Teas. Oh sure, it's not an Old Fashioned, but it'll sure do the trick.

The flavor: During football season, the Big Ten hosts one of Madison's liveliest beer garden scenes. Let's be honest, the fish fry isn't that exciting. No one's gonna take her top off (although those pancakes are damn good...). But, it's still a sports bar and on many a winter Friday night the place is packed with fans getting in some fish and a beer before a Badger hockey game. It's loud and crowded, but the staff is fast and friendly enough to make it an enjoyable experience.

Second opinions

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Madison Fish Fry

Brocach - Madison, WI

The deal: While not exactly a fish fry, Brocach, on Madison's Capitol Square does offer a fish and chips. For $11.95 you get beer (Harp) battered haddock, fries, slaw & tartar sauce. In what seems to be a disturbing trend, there are no side or salad options. Boo!

Brocach is busy, but again, as is the custom here in Wisconsin, the bar is a fun place to wait until your table is ready.

The food: Brocach's fish had the most flavor of any fish fry I've had lately. So many fish fries serve up food that either tastes too fishy or tastes like nothing. What I liked about Brocach is that the fish had a distinct delicious flavor and the batter had a different distinct and delicious flavor (mmm...beer). That said, the batter wasn't very crispy which spoiled otherwise nearly perfect pieces of fish. The fries were just fries and nothing special. My dining companions ate the slaw, so I can only assume it was pretty good.

One great thing about Brocach, at least in the winter, is that they have Madison's best selection of hot toddies. Although it's pretty much required to order a Harp or Guinness at a place like this, it's worth it to check out the back of the menu and have them serve you up an amazing drink like a Spanish Coffee or the Cinnamon Stick - which is full of rum and cinnamony goodness. Mmmm...

The flavor: Brocach is Gaelic for "badger den" and is designed like a traditional Irish Pub. It's full of little nooks and different rooms, so it's fun to just stroll in, look around and take it all in. The rest of the patrons may not appreciate it, but little kids would love to run around and find a great hiding place.

If you come to Madison during the Farmer's Market, you may find yourself drawn to Brocach by a bagpiper. Heed his siren song, but beware that bagpipers are fun for about 5 minutes. After that, you realize you can't hear anything above the din (although if said piper has nice legs that might make up for some it ;-)

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Great Dane Pub - Madison, WI

The deal: Fish fry at the downtown Great Dane is the Friday "special" and costs a hefty $13.50, which gets you some beer-battered perch, fries and coleslaw. That's right - no salad, no side choices.

Expect a long wait, especially if you try to eat later in the evening. Luckily, there's a huge bar area to keep you comfortable and occupied.

The food: I normally love the Dane's food and I can't recommend the chicken pot pie, prime rib wrap, Capitol falafel or Big 10 burrito enough. Unfortunately, the fish fry was not up to par. My beer-battered perch was utterly tasteless. The batter wasn't cooked through enough and didn't have a hint of beer to it. I expected for more flavor in a place that brews its own beer. The fries were fine, but you don't order fish fry for the french fries.

Given that this entree was nearly double the cost of most items on the menu, I expected more, both in terms of taste and in sides.

The Dane's beer is always great. I had two Scone of Stone Scotch Ales, which were dark and sweet and full of the kind of flavor that was sadly missing from my fish. I did miss some of the great beers the Dane offered this summer, like the Belgian Ale and the absolutely wonderful Pepper Pilsner.

The flavor: The downtown Dane is hot spot with the "not-in-college anymore" crowd. The restaurant area is noisy and packed. This isn't the place for an intimate dinner (of course, let's be honest here - intimate dinners and "fish fry" just don't go together). This is a place to gather up some friends, play pool, shuffleboard or Big Buck Hunter and order anything but the fish.

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Madison Fish Fry

Echo Tap and Grill - Madison, WI

The deal: The Echo's fish fry isn't on the menu, but rest assured that it's available come Friday night. This is a strictly no nonsense affair. Place your order with the bartender, find a stool and get a drink while you wait.

The food: Okay, I don't even know what kind of fish the Echo serves. It's deep fried, if that helps ;-) Personally, I really like the Echo's fish because of its thick batter. Those of you that want less batter and more fish may not enjoy it as much.

Besides the mystery fish, you'll get a lemon slice and french fries. This a bar food version of a fish fry, so it's a little heavy and a little greasy. It tastes great, but it's definitely not less filling. You'll probably still feel sluggish for hours after your meal.

The flavor: The Echo is the most "Wisconsin" of any of Madison's downtown bars. It's a little rougher and a little more blue collar than the rest (just check out the picture at the link above for an example). Because it doesn't cater to the transient student population, there's a sense that it's a place where everybody knows your name. It's easy to become a regular - the fish just makes it even easier.

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