READER-FAVORITE FISH FRIES THAT HAD OUR DINING CRITIC HOOKED
The all-hallowed fish fry. When I first moved to Wisconsin 15 years ago, I didn’t get the appeal. Piling into a crowded dining room to sit down to a platter of deep-fried food all in roughly the same shade of brown was not exactly my ideal Friday night. ● But the more fish fries I bounced around to, the more hooked I became. It’s not solely about the food (though the type of fish, the shatter-crack of the fried batter and the preparation of the accompaniments set apart the great from the mediocre). It’s about the tradition, one that is steeped so deeply into Wisconsinites’ essence it’s become a passion as faithful as Packers fandom.
In early January, when I asked for your fishfry recommendations, I knew there’d be no clear winner. There are no impartial answers, with folks so loyally devoted to their favorite fish fry many of them thumb their nose at any other option.
You might like the casual ease of a tavernstyle fish fry or the retro vibes of a supper clubstyle space. Maybe you’re a lake fish lover or perhaps you go for a flavor that’s more exotic. The bar’s old fashioned might be the draw, or maybe the potato pancakes are the highlight of the night.
As reader Bill Avery wrote in: “As a lifelong Milwaukeean, there is no single answer to your query. It depends.”
So it does, and so I learned when I received 122 different recommendations for Milwaukee-area fish fries to visit. One hundred and twenty-two!
But readers, I am only one person, I have only one stomach, and there are only so many Fridays before Lent.
I calculated all the votes — via email, an online form, Instagram and X, formerly known as Twitter — and visited the six that were recommended the most.
Thanks to all of you who sent in recommendations. I now have a list I can’t wait to check off, and I’m always happy to add more to it, as well. But for now, here are my thoughts on your favorite fish fries. You’ve got good taste, Milwaukee.
Erv’s Mug
While the food is key to a memorable fish fry, ambiance is a close second. And, oh, does Erv’s Mug, 130 W. Ryan Road, Oak Creek, have ambiance.
Nearly everyone who cast a vote for Erv’s mentioned its over-the-top holiday decor. Even if this beloved Oak Creek bar and restaurant hadn’t been a top vote-getter, I was going to head there to check out the decor for myself.
I was delighted the moment I stepped in the door on a Wednesday night (Erv’s gets bonus points for offering the full fish fry menu twice a week) in early February. This year, Lenten season kicked off Feb. 14 — yep, the same day as Valentine’s Day. So Erv’s got creative and decked out the bar area in full Mardi Gras regalia while regulating its dining room decor to floor-to-ceiling hearts and cupids.
That was on top of the treasury of permanent metal beer signs that crawl up the walls onto the ceiling, covering every surface like patchwork on a quilt. There’s also the glowing stained-glass unicorn fixture emanating ethereal light from the back of the dining room that radiates magic in any season.
This is my kind of silly kitsch.
As reader April Springhorn put it in her response: “It’s like walking into a family reunion every week. And who doesn’t love the attention they put towards their decorations for the holidays and seasons!”
The thoughtfulness doesn’t stop at the decor. Erv’s puts just as much pride in its fish fry as it does in its selection of 32 craft beers on tap at the bar.
Timmy Brand, Erv’s Mug general manager, said the beer from the rotating tap list is the same used in its fish-fry batter. It changes depending on what’s on tap.
“You ideally want to use beers that are brighter and lower in ABV such as pilsners, lagers, ambers or IPAs,” he said. “The only two you can’t really use are fruit-based beers and
stouts.” Fruity beers mess with the flavor and stouts impart too deep a brown color. “But it still tastes good!” Brand said.
Options for Erv’s all-day fish fry, available on Fridays and Wednesdays, are beer-battered cod ($17.99), baked cod ($18.99) and lake perch ($22.99). There’s also a half-and-half option ($17.99): one piece of baked cod and two beer-battered. “For those who can’t decide,” the menu reads.
That’s me.
The baked cod was light and tasty — firm but flaky and served with a cup of clarified butter. And the batter on the fried cod was sturdy with a satiny sheen — thick enough to cling tightly to the long pieces of fish. They were meaty pieces of cod, with a clean taste and large flake.
The fish fry meal comes with soup (French onion, soup of the day, or crock of baked French onion topped with melty cheese for a $1.99 upcharge), coleslaw, slice of rye bread and choice of potato (potato pancakes, baked potato, french fries or potato salad). You can also opt for apple pecan baked beans in place of a potato.
I went for the standard French onion soup — which was rich with umami flavor and caramelized onions, topped with a crisp crouton that didn’t sog out when broken into the soup — and potato pancakes — two thick pucks with crispy edges and a hint of onion flavor. I loved the rye bread, a mega-thick slice with a soft and chewy texture made by nearby Alpha Baking Co. in Cudahy. The tartar sauce is special, too — house-made with thick, tangy mayo that holds on tight to every piece of fish you swipe it on.
While I paired my meal with a beer, I was tickled by the variety of old fashioneds listed on Erv’s winter cocktail menu. Aside from the standard, the restaurant has a smoky barbecue version and a classic version with a “butter pecan twist.”
It’s the kind of playfulness that makes a fish-fry night feel extra fun, and Erv’s takes its fun as seriously as it does its fish. Fish fry hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Friday. Reservations:
Not taken. More information: ervsmug. (414) 762-5010
Jack Pandl’s Whitefish Bay Inn
So often for my job, I need to focus on the new, buzzy and inventive restaurants that are just making their mark on the Milwaukee dining scene. So I’m grateful for opportunities like this to visit long-established restaurants that don’t get a lot of press these days. Places like Jack Pandl’s, 1319 E. Henry Clay St., which has been a beloved presence in Whitefish Bay since 1915.
Pandl’s is a time capsule of supper club charm: white tablecloths, carpeted floors and Tiffany lamps hanging from the ceiling. I was so impressed by the service: exceptionally friendly, lightning fast and super courteous — my water glass was never more than half empty, and my server checked in frequently to make sure the night was going smoothly.
That’s equally impressive when the restaurant is as busy as it was. The place was packed at 6 p.m., tables shoved close together so servers had to shimmy their way between them. But they did so smoothly, and it all felt comfy and quaint in the dining room filled with oldschool personality.
I don’t want to give up my job, but Joe from Milwaukee might make for a great understudy. I loved the to-the-point review he sent with his recommendation: “One: The best tartar sauce I’ve ever had in my life. As a tartar sauce aficionado this is very important. Two: The breading is in the Goldilocks zone. Not overbreaded. Not under. It’s just right. Three: Potato pancakes and homemade applesauce complete the set. All of this and the nostalgic Wisconsin supper club atmosphere we know and love makes this spot my No. 1 for fish fry.”
What he said. Especially about that tartar sauce.
In fact, pretty much everyone who shared thoughts about Pandl’s fish fry mentioned the tartar sauce, and I understand why. It’s super smooth and creamy, with a distinct pickle-y tang and the teeniest hint of sweetness to balance it. I’m typically light-handed with tartar sauce, but I nearly used my whole cup that night.
Tartar sauce comes standard with the fish fry meal, but you have options from there. Choose a starter between coleslaw, clam chowder or salad; and pick a potato pancake, baked potato or french fries, or go for the vegetable of the day.
I love that chowder isn’t an add-on here. And it’s a nice showing, too — hearty and creamy but not too heavy.
Many of the potato pancakes I tried this year were thick, round pucks of finely diced potato. I liked the style at Pandl’s: thin and lightly seasoned patties made with shredded potatoes, crisped to the gods in golden brown perfection.
Now, on to the fish. Pandl’s offers four
kinds: lake perch ($19.95), fried or broiled cod ($18.95), potato-crusted cod ($18.95) and broiled whitefish ($18.95).
I went with the potato-crusted cod, as I hadn’t seen it at any of the other restaurants I’d be visiting. Maybe there’s a reason why. Though stunningly golden and crisp, there was very little seasoning in the potato crusting, which the mild cod needed to come to life. I was thankful for my lemon and tartar sauce.
But I did sneak a few bites of my dining companion’s perch, which was offthe-charts good. The fish is evenly coated with a super-fine breading that yields a light crunch and lets the perch flavor come forward. The six small pieces were delicate, yet meaty, and next time I’ll come back for them.
I’m trying to think of a closer that encapsulates the whole sweet experience at Jack Pandl’s, but Joe said it best up top. It’s the kind of place you think of first when you conjure nostalgia, and I hope it stays that way for another hundred-plus years. Fish fry hours: 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday. Reservations: Available online or by phone for 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Taken by phone only for reservations after 4:30 p.m. on Fridays. More information: jackpandls.com , (414) 964-3800
Kegel’s Inn
Before I’d even asked for fish fry recommendations, I was pretty confident Kegel’s Inn, 5901 W. National Ave., West Allis, would make the list.
It’s the fish fry I got the most shocked reactions to when I admitted I’d never tried it before. Heck, I even have a friend who’s catering in Kegel’s fish fry for his wedding this year. The Friday night fish fry is so popular that Kegel’s operates a separate drive-thru window for folks who want their fried fish to-go, and tout de suite.
While I appreciate the convenience, I wanted the whole Kegel’s Inn fish fry experience, so I chose to dine in. The true millennial I am, I was grateful for the online reservation system — no worries about waits or calling in early. I signed up for a 6:30 p.m. slot and when I showed up, the 100-year-old establishment was absolutely vibrant.
Every table in the expansive dining room was taken, but the space didn’t feel overly boisterous or overwhelming. Kegel’s oozes charm, with pretty stained-glass windows, dark wood trim and its iconic murals on the walls, handpainted more than 90 years ago by German immigrant Peter Gries.
The restaurant operates with unparalleled efficiency on Friday nights. Table turnover is done in a minute or two, servers take your drinks order just about as soon as you sit down, and my fish was brought out in what seemed like five minutes after ordering. Heck, even the old fashioneds are on tap (don’t worry, Kegel’s offers a classic, hand-muddled version, too).
But quickness doesn’t compromise quality. Considering how many customers Kegel’s churns through on a Friday night, I was impressed by how good the food was, how cozy the setting seemed and how jovial the hard-working staff were.
When reader Tom Fadden of Wauwatosa wrote what made Kegel’s fish fry stand out, he put it simply: “Gemütlichkeit,” the German word for friendliness.
Kegel’s offers nine different kinds of seafood: the classic cod ($17 for five pieces), lake perch ($21 for five pieces), walleye ($19 for two pieces), bluegill ($19 for five pieces), grouper ($18 for two fillets), catfish ($18 for two fillets), baked cod ($19 for three pieces), jumbo shrimp ($17 for six pieces) and even a vegan option ($17 for three fishless fillets). Can’t make up your mind? Get the 3-2-1 Platter, a combo of cod, perch and walleye ($25). “For hearty eaters,” as the menu puts it.
I went for the walleye that night, and it was exceptional — two huge fillets with a crispy-crunchy breading that felt light and not too oily.
All fish fry dinners come with french fries or baked potato, homemade coleslaw, Grebe’s rye bread, house-made tartar sauce and a lemon wedge. Upgraded sides can be substituted for $2 and include a loaded baked potato, potato pancakes and German potato salad.
I went for the french fries and had to stop myself from gobbling them all down in one sitting. They’re that extracrunchy style with a slightly crinkly coating that makes them super crisp and flavorful. My favorite kind of fry.
The rye bread was remarkable, too — deep brown and full of rye flavor, which still came through when slathered with butter.
There was a slight sweetness to the coleslaw which threw me off a little, but it was still crunchy and fresh-tasting, though lightly overdressed for my taste.
And if you love relish, you’ll love the tartar sauce here. It hits you with a thwack at first but is mellowed with a sweet-and-tangy aftertaste.
After nearly polishing off my plate that night, I looked at the time and was gobsmacked by how quickly dinner had passed. All told, from taking my seat to paying the bill (which comes with a mini pack of Haribo gummy bears, how sweet), I was in and out of Kegel’s within 45 minutes.
Maybe the reason so many folks recommended this place is because Kegel’s can turn over so many tables that quickly every week, but I’m betting much of it is about the stellar food it serves up so fast, too. Fish fry hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday; 4 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays through Lent (Feb. 14 through March. 27). Reservations: Taken online or by phone.
More information: kegelsinn.com ,
(414) 257-9999
The Thistle & Shamrock
I was instantly into the vibes at The Thistle & Shamrock, 3430 N. 84th St., where folks posted up at the center bar and the bar TVs projected a mix of basketball, a fly-fishing show and ‘90s altrock music videos (which was the soundtrack of the day, too). There’s a separate dining room, a small space just off the bar, but I was feeling casual, so I grabbed a high-top table near a sunny window.
I’d barely stepped foot inside when bartender and affable co-owner Richard Heil greeted my dining partner and me and asked if we’d been to the tavern and restaurant before. Being a first-timer, I got the full Heil welcome treatment where he walked me through all the beers on tap and excitedly explained the fish fry menu.
I was happy for the guidance, because I had 27 different kinds of fish to choose from.
The Thistle & Shamrock claims to have “the Midwest’s biggest fish fry,” and with that kind of variety, I can’t contest that. Sure, it has your cod ($16.95), haddock ($16.95), lake perch ($19.95), bluegill ($20.95) and walleye ($22.95), but there’s also plenty you won’t find on a traditional fish fry menu, like swai catfish ($16.95), rainbow trout ($19.95), barramundi ($20.95), mahi mahi ($20.95) and arapaima ($20.95), among others.
I asked Heil about his favorites, and he pointed out the swai catfish, which is a much cleaner-tasting variety of freshwater catfish, and the arapaima. “You’re not going to find this fish anywhere else around here,” Heil said, before detailing that the massive Amazonian fish has both gills and lungs, and it tastes a whole lot like chicken. Consider my interest piqued. At Thistle & Shamrock, you can choose a split order of any fish on the menu, so I went with the catfish and the arapaima — I was open to adventure.
The swai catfish reminded me of a thicker tilapia — light and clean tasting, and baked in butter, so it was full of flavor.
And not only did the arapaima actually taste like chicken, it looked like it, too: a battered hunk of dense, opaquewhite fish that was meatier than any I’d tasted to that point.
Although the fish variety might differ from the typical fish-fry joint, the sides are staples. Fish fry dinners come with marble rye, fresh-made coleslaw, lemon, house-made tartar sauce and choice of potato: french fries, potato pancakes, baked potato or house-made “famous” Thistle chips.
The house-made tartar sauce was a standout — super thick and creamy with a fresh dill flavor that livened up my bites of arapaima. The coleslaw wasn’t as vibrant, but it was fresh and lightly dressed. I liked the potato pancakes, too — golden brown and crispy all around, with just the right amount of oniony flavor. If you order the pancakes, you can choose applesauce, sour cream or maple syrup (or all three, if you like). I didn’t try the maple syrup, but my dining companion mixed it with sour cream and loved it on his pancakes.
I was charmed by The Thistle, its friendly service and huge variety of fish. It’s a spot I look forward to visiting again, bouncing around the menu, trying different fish combos from the 27 choices.
I’m so glad readers like Mary Guenter clamored over this spot. “They have ruined me for any other fish fry,” she wrote.
I hope that’s not sincerely the case, Mary, but I can certainly understand why. Fish fry hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday. Reservations: Not taken. More information: thethistleandshamrock.com , (414) 871-3977
Swingin’ Door Exchange
In all the times I’d visited the Swingin’ Door Exchange, 219 E. Michigan St., I’d never tried their fish fry. I’m a fan of the restaurant’s top-notch pub fare and never doubted the fish fry would be excellent, as well, so I was excited it was a lead vote-getter when I asked for fishfry recs.
The Swingin’ Door can get busy pretty much any night of the week, so I knew Friday would be exceptionally busy. Reservations aren’t accepted, so I dropped in at what I considered to be an early dinnertime at 5:15 p.m.
The place was packed. The bar was completely full, as was the small dining area (with about 12 tables total, so seating is slim pickings, anyway).
I was told it’d be about a half hour wait, which wasn’t a big deal in my book. I grabbed a beer and slinked to the side of the bustling barroom, marveling at the level of chill the servers had as they snaked through the crowd carrying trays teetering with fried fish and tartar sauce.
My half-hour wait ended up being just 10 minutes, and my host took me back to the cozy dining room, with wood-paneled walls, crimson carpeting and festive white Christmas lights adding a warm glow to the space.
The Swingin’ Door’s fish fry doesn’t have a huge variety, but it is one of the handful of spots I’ve tried that serves bluegill ($19), and that’s fine enough for me. It also serves Icelandic cod ($14 for two pieces, $17 for three), a fried cod sandwich ($14), panko fried shrimp ($16), and a combo with cod, bluegill and shrimp ($27.50).
Standard sides are buttered marble rye, homemade coleslaw, house tartar sauce and a lemon wedge. Additional sides can be added a la carte, including french fries ($4), house-made potato chips ($4) spicy vermouth carrots ($6), grilled marinated beets ($6) and caramelized Brussels sprouts ($6).
I was a little bummed that potato pancakes weren’t an option, but only briefly. I’ve written about my love of the restaurant’s signature spicy vermouth carrots before, and I figured with weeks of potato pancakes ahead of me, a side with a little more color and nutritional value might do me good.
Considering the crowd, I was ready for a wait, but my food was brought out impressively quickly. I reckon much of it has to do with the pre-portioned coleslaw and tartar sauce grabbed straight from the fridge, as well as the marble rye, two bitty slices that came out cold, with a pat of cold butter pressed between them.
The rye was a letdown, but I liked the cool and finely chopped coleslaw, flecked with carrot and red cabbage for extra color and crunch. The homemade tartar sauce was a nice touch, too, with a slightly thinner consistency than any of the other fish fries on this list and a noticeable, relishy tang.
The bluegill was beautiful — lightly breaded with a light hand of seasoning, letting the flavor of the firm and flaky fish come through.
Though not everything on my plate hit the high mark, for me, the thing that makes The Swingin’ Door special is the coziness of the setting. It was a frigid January night when I visited, but inside those wood-paneled walls was the warm snuggle of camaraderie among customers huddled in the small saloon together, slinging back old fashioneds or Miller High Lifes while Bob Seger purred over the speakers around them.
The charm of the Swingin’ Door’s Friday night fish fry lies far beyond what’s put down on your table.
Fish fry hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday. Reservations: None taken. More information: swingindoorexchange.com ,( 414) 276-8150
Wegner’s St. Martins Inn
A moment of panic swept over me as I approached the parking lot at Wegner’s St. Martins Inn, 11318 W. St. Martins Road, Franklin. I knew the restaurant didn’t take reservations on Fridays, so in an attempt to avoid the evening crowd, I stopped by for lunch one Friday afternoon. Typically, Wegner’s isn’t open for lunch, but on Fridays it makes an exception.
At 12:15 p.m., the parking lot was full, every bar stool was taken and the dining room had its share of customers, too.
As Andy Toth from Muskego put it when he wrote in his recommendation: “It’s a great little ‘hole in the wall’ place, but it’s no secret. It’s packed every weekend.”
Because I came in by myself, I was happy to grab one of the available hightop tables in the corner of the knotty pine-paneled bar (of note: I will always be partial to wood paneling). While I was waiting to order, I looked to my right and noticed the wooden plaque hanging on the wall beside me. On it was a clipping from an old Journal Sentinel article with an inscription on a metal plate underneath.
“Getto’s Favorite Fish Fry, 2002,” it read.
Could it be an omen?
Dennis Getto, the late Journal Sentinel dining critic, was a big fan of this place, it seemed, and I chuckled to myself at my coincidental seat choice.
I’m not sure what Dennis’ go-to order was, but there’s a lot to love on the fishfry menu.
The classic is beer-battered Icelandic cod ($16.25 for three pieces, $18.50 for four), but there’s also yellow lake perch ($21.50), jumbo shrimp ($18.50), steamed Icelandic haddock ($18.50), Cajun-style salmon ($20.95) and “Chef Dennis’ Friday Night Sampler,” ($22.95) which is a little bit of everything listed, plus scallops.
I went for the “Taste of Our Friday Night Favorites,” ($19.50) a combo of hand-breaded yellow perch and the beer-battered cod. It came with marble rye bread, tartar sauce, coleslaw and a choice of potato: potato pancakes, french fries or German potato salad. I can see why Dennis loved it so. The breaded perch was fabulous — a butterflied filet that was so crunchy with a panko-like coating. And while I’m not so wild about cod, I liked it here quite a bit, thanks to the thick and buttery shell of batter, smooth with a glass-like sheen on the outside. It added a lot of flavor to the mild fish, which was cooked beautifully and flaked in large chunks.
My potato pancakes were a treat, too — two thick discs with an onion-forward flavor, soft on the inside and crispy outside. I had to stop myself from eating them both.
I was headed to another fish fry for dinner that night (what a life!), so I told myself I’d just take a couple nibbles of everything. While I didn’t leave a clean plate, I polished off a whole lot more than I’d intended.
As I sat in the bar area, savoring my platter before me, I eavesdropped on some friendly conversation at the bar. A group of three fun-seeming ladies were parked there with bloody marys, chatting up the bartender about the night’s main event.
“Oh, Fridays are always something here,” the bartender said. “It’s constant turnover from 4 to 7 p.m., so if you want a seat, get here right away or be fine with a wait or a later dinner.”
But if you can swing it, take it from me: The fish fry is just as tasty at lunchtime, too. Fish fry hours: Lunch: 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.; dinner: 4 to 9 p.m. Friday. Reservations: None taken on Fridays. More information: stmartinsinn.com , (414) 276-8150