Cancel Friday night fish fry in Wisconsin? Yeah, right.
30 takeout fish fry options in the Madison area, because some traditions don't change.
Things are looking a little differently lately. Businesses are either temporarily closed or adjusting to stay afloat, schools are empty and plans are canceled. In the state of uncertainty and change that the world is experiencing in our attempt to contain COVID-19, small elements that remind us of life before this can be extremely comforting. One thing we’re sure of — Friday night fish fry is not canceled. You can still enjoy selections of seafood and sides made by many of your favorite Friday night haunts, just in the comfort of your own home instead of at the supper club.
“To be honest, sitting in bed eating Friday night fish fry while watching murder mystery documentaries might actually be my new favorite activity,” says Jordan Durst, who co-manages the food blog and Instagram account, @midwestmunchers.
While dine-in services are currently banned, many restaurants continue to offer the food we love through takeout and delivery. Below, you’ll find a list of a few local restaurants that are serving up the tradition that has brought Wisconsin together for decades, and will continue to fill our hearts with comfort and our stomachs with beer-battered cod.
Avenue Club and the Bubble Up Bar
Kelli and Anthony of @foodiesandthefeasts on Instagram were itching for a Friday night fish fry after their first week of quarantine. They picked up Avenue Club and the Bubble Up Bar’s beer-battered Atlantic cod fish fry curbside, and they were not disappointed – with the food or the pickup process. Avenue’s fish fry is served with creamy coleslaw, rye bread, tatar sauce, lemon and your choice of either chips, baked potato or fries. Kelli says they were told their order would be ready in 15 minutes and the restaurant asked them to call when they arrived. Kelli says they were pleased with the portion sizes and highly impressed with the quality of the meal and the pickup. “We knew we wanted to support the hospitality industry and those affected by recent closures, and also enjoy some favorites dishes and flavors of local establishments,” Kelli says. 608-257-6877, Click here to order online
Hooterville Inn
Jordan Durst hesitated to share her fish fry experience at Hooterville Inn in Blue Mounds because she’s worried word will get out about this great small-town spot. “We’ve been going there for years for their phenomenal bar burgers and Friday night fish fry,” says Durst, who ordered takeout from Hooterville on March 20. “Even with the change in having to make all orders to-go, they still came through with the same amazing quality we’re used to.” Aside from burgers and sandwiches, Hooterville Inn has a pretty popular Friday fish fry, and takeout during lunch and dinner hours includes one, two or three pieces of deep-fried cod, french fries and choice of coleslaw and cottage cheese. The current situation has limited the dining experience to takeout only for the time being, but a meal from Hooterville Inn is the same as always and promises to satisfy fish fry fanatics who are as dedicated to this Wisconsin tradition as we are. 608-437-5444, hootervilleinnwi.com
Kavanaugh’s Esquire Club
Friday night fish fry wouldn’t be the same without seafood from Kavanaugh’s Esquire Club. From 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. this Friday, Kavanaugh’s is offering takeout on all of its fish fry options. This includes ocean perch, Icelandic cod, and deep fried or broiled shrimp with sides of fries or potato variations, coleslaw and bread. Right now, Kavanaugh’s is also adding a bottle of wine with takeout meals for $10, with Beringer cabernet as just one option. Kavanaugh’s is offering carryout and curbside delivery at this time, with online ordering coming soon. Call about 20 to 30 minutes before pickup to place your order, or earlier if you’re in a time crunch during peak dinner time. 608-249-0193, kavanaughsesquire.club
The Laurel Tavern
“My husband and I had this delicious fish fry carry out from Laurel Tavern last night!” says Kaitlyn Gethe about her takeout meal last Friday, March 20. Located on Monroe Street, The Laurel Tavern is a friendly neighborhood joint that offers classic burgers, Saturday night prime rib, local brews and, yes, Friday night fish fry. While the Friday night guests are accustomed to looks something like a crowded bar with a Packers schedule on the wall, getting cozy at home with a box of walleye pike or fried or baked cod and the usual works doesn’t sound all that bad. Currently, you can call in your order and pick up your meal at The Laurel Tavern on Monroe Street. Takeout is available Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Saturday. 608-233-1043, thelaureltavern.com
Oakcrest Tavern
Is there anything better than Friday night fish fry? At Oakcrest Tavern, yes, there is — fish fry dinners on Wednesday, too. During this time, Oakcrest will continue to offer its fish fry dinners two days a week in a carryout-only format. There’s something to fill the stomach of every family member, and customers can choose from a fresh lake perch dinner, a hungry perch dinner, a cod dinner or simply baked cod, with kids options available as well. Each option is served with a fresh salad and choice of french fries, potato salad, coleslaw or baked potato. Online ordering through DoorDash is in the works, but for now give Oakcrest Tavern a call to place your order for “no-contact” pickup. And if you can’t get through to the main phone number or keep getting the busy tone, try 608-233-1081 — that’s Oakcrest’s fish fry-only takeout order phone number. 608-233-1243, Click here for updates
The Old Fashioned
“Picked up, and totally worth the wait,” says Kayla Bridges, who ordered Friday night fish fry, cheese curds and wine to-go from The Old Fashioned on March 20. “The food was fantastic.” Like many of the restaurants in Madison that are adapting to temporary dine-in closures, The Old Fashioned is offering curbside pickup and EatStreet delivery from its menu, including the Friday (and Wednesday) night fish fry. The delicious and authentically-Wisconsin standard that The Old Fashioned is so well-known for is ever present in the weekly fish fries: lightly-battered perch on Wednesday or a choice of perch, cod or walleye on Friday, all served with poppyseed coleslaw, matchstick fries, house-made lemon caper tartar sauce and rye bread. The only things that compete as Wisconsin food staples are cheese curds and brats, which you will of course find on The Old Fashioned’s menu as well. 608-310-4545, theoldfashioned.com
Tipsy Cow
Cooking can be complicated, but takeout is not. Tipsy Cow wants to help make your Friday dinner simple, tasty and comforting. Tipsy Cow Sun Prairie is offering curbside pickup this Friday for fish fry only. This means a menu of cod, walleye or lake perch, fries, Clasen’s rye bread and slaw. Preorder your fish fry online or call it in. If you’re looking to purchase a gift card for yourself or a friend, Tipsy Cow and Lombardino’s Restaurant (owned by the same folks) are currently donating 50% of all gift card proceeds to the Dane County COVID-19 Emergency and Recovery Fund. 608-318-0232, Click here to order online
Toby’s Supper Club
A Friday night at a place like Toby’s Supper Club is a familiar experience for many Wisconsin natives. While we aren’t able to dine and sip Old-Fashioneds in the dimly lit supper club venue at this time, Toby’s is still offering the fish fry that locals know and love. Last week, carry out from Toby’s Supper Club was so popular that by Friday, the restaurant was out of catfish and lake perch. However, Toby’s is restocked and ready for carryout orders starting at 4 p.m. this Friday. Fish fry specials offer a choice of deep fried walleye, bluegill, catfish or broiled or fried cod, served with a choice of baked potato, hash browns or fries, and either coleslaw, cottage cheese, soup or salad. 608-222-6913, tobyssupperclub.com
A few more carryout fish fry options to check out:
1847 at the Stamm House: Offering 3 pieces of fried cod with coleslaw, tartar, lemon and choice of fries or tossed greens with balsamic vinaigrette for $15. Order online for delivery or call 608.203.9430 for carryout.
Blue Moon Bar & Grill: Your choice of baked cod dinner, beer battered cod dinner, grilled salmon dinner, jumbo fried shrimp basket or beer-battered cod sandwich. 11am-10pm. Call 608.233.0441 for take out. Delivery available on EatStreet.
Brothers Three Bar & Grill: The spot is offering cod, perch, bluegill, walleye and catfish with coleslaw, a dinner roll and your choice of potato. Online ordering for delivery and carryout is available on its website.
Craftsman Table & Tap: Beer-battered haddock with hand cut fries and coleslaw $14.99. Call 608.836.3988 for curbside pick or delivery via EatStreet 11am-8pm.
Fifth Quarter: Fried lake perch, deep fried cod, baked cod, deep fried shrimp, Cajun seasoned grilled shrimp or grilled cod with French bread, coleslaw and choice of french fries, baked potato or hashbrowns. Available until 8 p.m. for curbside.
Graze: Beer battered cod, horseradish coleslaw, with hand-cut fries and garlic aioli. Call 608.251.2700 to order pick up or delivery via EatStreet 4-7pm.
The Great Dane Pub & Brewing Co.: New London Bridge Fish Fry – Haddock, Peck’s Pilsner beer batter, homemade tartar sauce, malt vinegar, slaw, lemon, pub fries. $12 Add a third piece of Haddock $3. New England Clam Chowder – chopped sea clams, diced potato, celery, onion and traditional seasonings simmered in a rich, creamy broth $6 Small Fry’s Fish Fry – a smaller version of our famous haddock and pub fries. $6
***Clam chowder is only one size – bowl – and served with crackers
***Kids fish does not come with beverage Available from 4-7:30 p.m. at all Madison area locations. Available through EatStreet and greatdanepub.com.
Green Lantern Restaurant: Nightly fish fry specials include broiled cod, baked salmon, deep-fried cod and crab stuffed halibut. Open for carryout at 838-4730.
Jordan’s Big 10 Pub: Beer battered cod, walleye, perch, blue gill or salmon available. Call 608.251.6375 for curbside pick up or order delivery via EatStreet starting at 11am.
Madison’s: Two piece fried cod with coleslaw $12.59. Carry out and delivery available via EatStreet or call 608.229.0900 11am-9pm.
North and South Seafood & Smokehouse: Fried haddock and cod. Call specific location listed below for details.
Madison: Call (608) 829-0093 for pick up or order delivery via EatStreet 11am-8pm.
Verona: Call (608) 497-0256 for pick up or order delivery via EatSteet 11am-8pm.
DeForest: Call (608) 842-2601 for pick up 11am-8pm.
Paoli Schoolhouse American Bistro: Two-piece or three-piece fried mahi-mahi with fries and homemade slaw. There is curbside pickup or free delivery to Belleville.
Park Side Pub: Choice of 2 or 3 piece cod, fantail shrimp, jumbo shrimp, cod and shrimp combo, grouper, fish sandwich or 10oz walleye. Pick up 11am-10pm. Call 608.838.6045 to order.
Paul’s Neighborhood Bar: Baked or fried cod 3 pieces per order, perch 4 pieces per order, all orders come with choice of hash browns, French fries, baked potato and coleslaw and a bun for $14. Call 608.827.7285 to order for pick up. Orders start at 1pm and pick up 3-7pm.
Rodeside Grill: Blue gill, perch, fried or baked cod, walleye with coleslaw or hush puppies. Call 608-846-1874 for pick up 11am-8pm.
Skal Public House: Choose from bluegill, perch fillet or the fisherman special with both. Skal is open for carryout and deliveries (but people must call 437-1011 for delivery).
Smoky’s Club: Fried cod or fried perch served with salad, roll and choice of potato for $21. Call 608-233-2120 for carryout or order delivery via EatStreet.
Sweet Home Wisconsin: Offering cod or cajun catfish plates with coleslaw and choice of potato for $12.50 or fried fish sandwich with coleslaw and pub chips for $9. Call 608.819.6622 to order carryout or curbside pick up or order delivery via EatStreet or Uber Eats.
Tempest Oyster Bar: Your choice of beer-battered walleye or cod with hand cut fries, coleslaw and house made tartar sauce. Order online and pick up 5-9pm.
Thirsty Goat: Breaded lake perch with fries and coleslaw. Order through curbside pickup and DoorDash delivery.
Wilson’s Bar: Fish fry served with French fries or soup, coleslaw and a roll, 3pc $8.75 or 5pc $10.75. Call 608.241.2226 for carry out 3-9pm.
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