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.

East Side Club - Madison, WI

The deal: Pre-pay for your meal as you enter the East Side Club's dining room. Once inside, waitresses will take your drink order (non-alcoholic drinks are included in the price - you have to order boozy drinks at the adjacent bar). After that, you can hit the three buffet lines for your food.

The food: The main buffet included fried cod and perch, baked cod and crunchy baked scrod. You can also get unusual fare like spinach & goat cheese lasagna and minestrone. The fish either had good flavor but wasn't crunchy enough or, in the case of the scrod, the crunchiness was the only good thing about it. The sides were better - either perfectly salty french fries or baked red potatoes with parmesan cheese.

The salad bar has a surprisingly good selection of vegetables, including cucumbers and cherry tomatoes. The dessert bar isn't much - just some cookies (sugar, butterscotch, chocolate chip) and pudding, but at least they were really good cookies.

A note of caution - like many places in Wisconsin, our bartender thinks that "Captain & diet" is synonymous with "rum & coke". It's not.

The flavor: While the food at the East Side Club is nothing special, it's still worth a trip for the atmosphere alone. Set on the shore of beautiful Lake Monona, stepping into the dining room is like stepping back in time. You'll eat your dinner on card tables and folding chairs that are probably still warm from the latest game of Euchre or Sheepshead. The waitresses are salty, middle-aged Wisconsin women who are just as likely to hug you as to scold you for not dressing warmly enough. It's a slice of small town Wisconsin in the middle of crazy Madison. Awesome!

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Eating in Madison A to Z
Madison Fish Fry

River Jacks - LaCrosse, WI

The deal: At River Jacks, you order your fish and starch from a waitress and head to the buffet for the rest of your salad and sides.

The food: Although walleye was on the menu (always a bonus in my book), the fish was merely average and not especially crispy. The potato pancakes were the worst I've had in a long time - too thin and ultimately tasteless. The buffet was big, but by far the most distinguishing thing on it was applesauce. You gotta have applesauce for the potato pancakes!

The drink menu had a few fun cocktails and a good beer selection, as should be expected in LaCrosse.

The flavor: Rivers Jacks' location on the Black River is beautiful. Inside, I got the impression that the restaurant is something of a tourist trap and it makes me eager to find out where locals go for truly good fish.