Review
Apparently they were pretty backed up with dine-in and to-go orders and we waited for quite a while for our bluegill and cod orders to exit the kitchen. While a less patient patron may have up and left (we saw a few do just that), I knew this fish was just too damn good to give up on. While we waited we hit the salad bar, the real bar, and the pull tabs bucket. Our salad bowls were topped up with fresh greens, homemade dressing, slaw, other salads, and a slice of fresh French bread. We wolfed that down, enjoyed a couple bottles of Blatz, ripped those pull tabs, and eventually got our food.
We were tight on time by this point and I wasted no time digging into my devilishly gooey cheesy potatoes and crispy sunfish fillets. This was my second scoop of "funeral potatoes" in as many weeks and these were an artery-clogging delight - rich and creamy and portioned just right. So good.
The five bluegill fillets had all the hallmarks of the classic panfish - a subtle snap, a bit of bend, and light fishy flavor. It paired well with the Whip's crumbly breading, but I will say, this signature coating works even better on their incomparable cod. Of course, the fish was enhanced exponentially by the endless thick and zesty house tartar which is simply some of the best around.
I fully realize a lot of places are still short on staff, and as long as the quality of the food doesn't suffer because of it, a longer than expected wait is fine with me. Overall, we highly recommend this Fish Fry (especially the cod) and think it's more than worth the wait. Patience is a virtue after all...Apparently they were pretty backed up with dine-in and to-go orders and we waited for quite a while for our bluegill and cod orders to exit the kitchen. While a less patient patron may have up and left (we saw a few do just that), I knew this fish was just too damn good to give up on. While we waited we hit the salad bar, the real bar, and the pull tabs bucket. Our salad bowls were topped up with fresh greens, homemade dressing, slaw, other salads, and a slice of fresh French bread. We wolfed that down, enjoyed a couple bottles of Blatz, ripped those pull tabs, and eventually got our food.
We were tight on time by this point and I wasted no time digging into my devilishly gooey cheesy potatoes and crispy sunfish fillets. This was my second scoop of "funeral potatoes" in as many weeks and these were an artery-clogging delight - rich and creamy and portioned just right. So good.
The five bluegill fillets had all the hallmarks of the classic panfish - a subtle snap, a bit of bend, and light fishy flavor. It paired well with the Whip's crumbly breading, but I will say, this signature coating works even better on their incomparable cod. Of course, the fish was enhanced exponentially by the endless thick and zesty house tartar which is simply some of the best around.
I fully realize a lot of places are still short on staff, and as long as the quality of the food doesn't suffer because of it, a longer than expected wait is fine with me. Overall, we highly recommend this Fish Fry (especially the cod) and think it's more than worth the wait. Patience is a virtue after all...It had been ages since last we visited the Whip out on Highway 19, and from the sounds of it new owners have taken over since our last visit. Whatever the new owners have done they've done right, and the bar is very clean and well-lit, with plenty of adult and kid-friendly games. We put our order in on the bar-side, then were shown to our table on the dining-side once the food was ready. It worked very well.
It's a straight forward Friday menu at the Whippoorwill - cod and shrimp, but the cod comes as a 2 or 3-piece so there is a choice to be made. You can also get your cod baked if you're into that sort of thing...so maybe a second choice??? All dinners come with a trip through the salad bar, or you can tack it on to any sandwich if you're eating light or whatever. This salad bar is pretty robust for a bar-bar, and one any supper club would be proud to call their own. All the salads were fresh, and the slaw was peppy and looked to be homemade. Of course there were pasta salads and the rest of the goodies you'd associate with a real deal salad bar as well. Slabs of soft French bread were there for taking and take I did. Deeeeeeeelightful.
We actually had time to finish our salads before the fish arrived, but it was still piping hot when it did. The three planks of cod were nothing to sneeze at size-wise and featured flaky white meat and a thin, crispy breading. Sure, I'd take a hint more salt in the breading, but what was there let the cod take control with its luxurious flavor. This was great simply cod from the first bite to the last.
The smoothness of the fish paired remarkably well with the thick and creamy tartar that came along. Served in one of those big squeeze bottles, and straight from and ice cold fridge, I planted squirt after squirt on my plate and ate more than my share. It was big, it was bold, it was perfect.
Two-thirds of my plate was covered with lightly battered fries and I took the perfectly crispy numbers to town. While they lasted a long time I can outlast even the tastiest of fries, but these definitely gave me a run for the money.
Sometimes you need a trip to the Whippoorwill and after this visit I think those trips may need to happen more often. Everything about this Fish Fry was great from the hospitality to the food, it all clicked. Overall, we highly recommend this Fish Fry and think it's high time we put a couple miles on the old car.
The 3-piece cod at the Whip isn't skimpy by any means, but the paper-thin breading makes each piece feel delicate. The fish flakes apart effortlessly but the breading clings perfectly making sure the full flavors are present in each and every bite. It's excellent and comparable to the cod at Toby's Supper Club, which is about as high a compliment as any cod can get.
The cheesy hash brown casserole scoop is equally alluring with my only complaint being that there isn't more of it to enjoy. I could eat 5x as much as the diminutive dish can hold, and that is no exaggeration. This stuff is elite.
The tartar has a noticeable tang that offsets the fish in a unique way, and the salad bar has all the goodies you'd want. It ain't flashy, but it's one of the few salad bars left in the wild, and the only one that comes to mind at a bar & grill.
The Whip is right on the snowmobile trail so there were tons of riders in and out of the place which made the atmosphere really lively this Friday. It was a fun time with good company and great food. Overall, we highly recommend this Fish Fry and are more than happy to keep crackin' that whip.The 5-piece bluegill runs $18 and comes with the standard sides plus a trip to the Whip's salad bar. The five sizable freshwater fillets were perfectly fried and featured that lovely subtle fishy bluegill flavor. It melded perfectly with the thick and tangy tartar. I also sampled some of the kid's cod and while the 'gill was great the cod still shone a bit brighter. That stuff is just tough to beat.
The side of fries was crunchy as all get out but the portion was unexpectedly petite. Luckily for me, the salad bar more than made up for the small side with plenty of greens, slaw, and toppings to mix and match.
The road being under construction seemingly hasn't hindered people's ability to visit the Whippoorwill at all. The parking lot was packed and tables were hard to come by...it was as busy as we've ever seen it which really shows you how much people love the place. Overall, we highly recommend this Fish Fry and while we hope the bluegill sticks around the cod is still king on 19.The cod is plentiful, as flaky as can be, and highlighted by a superb crumbly breading. It pairs perfectly with the creamy tartar, but the real star of this show are the 'will's cheesy hash browns. High school athletic banquet, eat your heart out.
p.s. I can't even remember the last time I had an honest-to-goodness salad bar.
The Whippoorwill looks like nothing more than a classic Wisconsin bar. It is a tiny building out in the middle of the country and upon entering my suspicions were verified, it is a classic Wisconsin bar. The Friday specials were written on the electric board in neon letters, 2 piece cod - $8.25, 3 piece -$9.25 and Walleye for $11. The everyday menu was neatly written on the chalkboard next to it but drew little of my interest since this was Friday. We bellied up to the bar to grab a quick drink and wait for the ‘hostess’.
This is definitely a ‘mom and pop’ joint. Once pop got us our beers mom was right there to grab our orders. There were only two of us this Friday and we both opted for the 3 piece cod. As soon as we ordered we were allowed to sit at one of the ‘family-style’ tables in the dining room and hit the salad bar. It is a rarity that salad bar is included with a Fish Fry but we were both thankful it was since everything on it was good.
The fish came out a little slower than I would have guessed it would have but that in no way means it sat under a heat lamp. This stuff was boiling hot. The three suspiciously similar looking pieces of cod were good but not great. The batter was very fish stick style, kind of crumbly but not ideal. The fish underneath was fairly decent but did taste a little processed, the fact that the pieces were all the same size and shape also makes me think this was the case. It wasn’t gross, but I wouldn’t necessarily call it a ‘filet’. The French fries were firm and slightly crispy, pretty good really. The bread was served on the salad bar and was average as was the coleslaw. The tartar sauce was actually very good. It was served family-style and was awaiting our arrival at the table. It was heavy on the mayo, a little relish-y and very thick.
Overall I think this was a decent Fish Fry. I don’t think it would be worth going out of your way for but I could see myself stopping again if I were on that stretch of road. The prices were very reasonable for what you got and that is saying something. They certainly aren’t going to make any top 10 list’s here but if you are on highway 19 sometime and find yourself in need of a beer and some bar food hit up the Whippoorwill.
The Fish Fry at the unassuming tavern on Highway 19 begins with a romp through their impressive little salad bar. This bar is highlighted by fresh veggies and chocolate pudding in a squeeze bottle (yes, you read that right). I took a smattering of salads and enjoyed each along with my slice of French bread before the main course made its appearance.
My 3-piece cod evolved into a 4-piece thanks to the order of my offspring and each piece was a little slice of heaven. This cod is flaky as can be, and punctuated by a crispy breading with a superb flavor.
The top-notch cod rallies around a small dish of cheesy hash browns which are impeccable in their own right. A thick and delectable supper club style tartar sits in a big squeeze bottle for the taking and I helped myself to seconds...and then thirds.
For a tiny bar on a bend in the road between Highways 12 and 78 the 'will puts out one heck of a Fish Fry. Overall, we highly recommend the big flavors in this little bar and will be back whenever we can.