Fish Type: Lake Perch Price: $8.00
Overall, I would barely recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Good Potato Score: Good Tartar Score: Fair Bread Score: Excellent Miscellaneous Score: Good |  |
Comment: I like the Stadium Bar. Obviously, it is right next to Camp Randall so it is a big time destination on Saturdays, but I have always found it to be much more enjoyable during the other days of the week when it is not so crowded. I have participated in their volleyball leagues and enjoyed the company of friends (AKA drinking beer) there more than once. Being a Wisconsin tavern they do have the requisite Fish Fry on Friday and since we hadnt been there for a while I figured it would be a good day to pay them another visit. Gabe agreed.
We arrived sometime around noon, grabbed a couple stools at the bar and sat back to watch the high speed chase on Fox News while we waited for the bartender to come over. With all the TVs and alcohol paraphernalia on the walls I had a hell of a time finding the specials listed anywhere and it wasnt until after the bartender brought some menus that Gabe finally pointed it out to me. The only fish related special on the board today was the Perch Plate for $7.95 so we ordered two and refocused our attention on the TVs.
We watched the silver Ford F-150 evade the Texas Po-Po for about 10 minutes before the lake perch was placed in front of us. The 4 large pieces were nice and hot and had a bubbly looking batter which was a little strange but still tasted pretty good. It was quite firm and crisp but not really as flaky as I like it to be. The fish itself was fine but could have been better as it also wasnt as light and flaky as I like. Overall it was pretty decent, but much like the driving skill of the officers in the chase, left a little something to de desired.
The tartar was also not great and didnt really do anything to help the fish. While a good tartar could have boosted the overall experience, this stuff tasted a little too sweet and almost tasted like a mass produced variety. Thankfully the skin-on French fries were very good and deflected some of the attention from the sub par tartar.
As the chase continued we saw more than one cop attempt to pit the truck, and fail miserably. It was almost as ugly as the slaw which accompanied the Fish Fry and left just as bad of a taste in your mouth. Luckily for the Stadium they saved face by offering up two large wedges of rye bread which I really liked even though I am not a huge fan of rye.
While we finished our lunch the chase dragged out to what seemed like no end. Unlike the Texas State Patrol, the Stadium did an excellent job of sealing the deal by offering up a warm chocolate chip cookie which could have easily been homemade. Since the rest of food was so-so it helped to put this Fish Fry into the recommendable strata for me especially when coupled with the quick service and fun atmosphere of the Stadium.
The chase continued as we exited the bar leaving us to wonder if it was all worth the $50 in gasoline the guy had stolen. It didnt really seem to add up. Luckily for us the Fish Fry at the stadium did. Alone, no single element was outstanding, but when put together the whole was greater than the sum of its parts. Overall I would say this is a good Fish Fry for lunch feel alright about recommending it.
www.stadiumbar.com
1419 Monroe Street
Madison, WI 53705
(608) 256-2544
