Fish Type: Walleye Price: $21.00
Overall, I would highly recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Excellent Potato Score: Excellent Tartar Score: Excellent Bread Score: Excellent Miscellaneous Score: Excellent |  |
Comment: If you’re gonna try to sneak in a mid-week Fish Fry you can’t do much better than the walleye at @dextersmadtown.
Dexter’s has been tickling my tastebuds for nearly 20 years now, and while the menu continues to ebb and flow with the availability of certain fish, the quality has never waned - always elite wild-caught North American fish. Today there was only cod and walleye, and since I adore their freshwater options those are the waters I stayed true to.
The Canadian Walleye runs a flat $20 and is enough for two (if you feel like sharing). As per usual, Dexter’s puts as much care into the preparation and presentation as they do into the selection and my meaty fillet was laid gracefully across the plate, resting ever so gently on the rye and knocking knees with the garlic-chili fries. I immediately began separating my spoils, ripping the fillet down the seam and going to town - a squall was a-comin’ after all.
If you’re an old salt like me you probably assume everyone who grew up in the Sconnie has laid their lips on the lord of the lake, but if you happen to find someone who hasn’t, this would be a great place to indoctrinate them. The fillet was perfectly fried and the breading almost snappy. I’ve long lauded Dex for their fruit-rollup-sticky, potato-chip-crispy breading, and this one checked all those boxes. A+ stuff.
While waffle fries are a North Street staple I’ll opt for the garlic-chili if I’m feeling frisky, and I was randy as hell this Wednesday. Like the fish, the GCFs were on point and literally finger-lickin’-good. The tartar of 2026 is as thick as they come and the lush texture pairs perfectly with the flaky fish.
Rounding out the plate is a slice of traditional rye which I simply adore, and a vibrant slaw that’s a sort of creamy/vinegar hybrid. While I’ve heard grumblings about it over the years I can confidently say this slaw is a step up from Sysco and a leaps and bounds beyond the slaw from a decade plus ago.
Dexter’s gets busy on Friday nights, but if you wanna get the same quality fish in a calmer atmosphere slide in on a Wednesday. Overall, we highly recommend this Fish Fry and will creep in again soon.www.dexterspubmadison.com/
301 North Street
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 244-3535
