Fish Type: Bluegill Price: $10.29
Overall, I would highly recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Excellent Potato Score: Excellent Tartar Score: Excellent Bread Score: Good Miscellaneous Score: Good |  |
Comment: Dexters is just too damn good to pass up, and believe me, I tried.
I had to grab a quick Fish Fry and get out of town for a wedding, and many thoughts passed through my mind. Wilsons? Rudes Lanes? The Villa Tap? Somewhere else? All sounded plausible, but didnt seem to fit the bill. I struggled with the options, some nudging me north, others pulling to the east, and still more wheedling me west. With the convolution it was nearly impossible to decide, so I just headed out, hoping fate would intervene. As I drove south along 113 the murky haze began to lift as an almost unnatural force willed me towards something. Eventually this something came into focus, it was Dexters Pub, and I knew fate was smiling on me.
Yes, Dexters was the epiphany I was looking for. It met all my criteria: open by 11, lots of great options beyond cod, and quick service to get me on my way. I landed on North Street at 5-to and waited for the doors to open. At 11 oclock on-the-dot the entrance flung wide and I scampered inside. Of course, since I was first in, I was first fried and my bluegill was ready in no time flat.
The bluegill has been getting steady bumps in price and now rests at $10.29, which is still a fair value in our book. On this day my eight small fillets were slightly under-fried and a little on the limp side, but that didnt bother me since I like em like that way once in a while. They housed a wafer-thin, nearly-transparent breading which was well-seasoned and delicious. The fish paired perfectly with Dexters homemade tartar which was rich, creamy, and zesty exactly what you want.
Practically pushing the fish off the plate was a mound of waffles fries which were produced from a big brown freezer bag. They were cooked to a perfect crispness and heavily spiced once removed from the oil and shook clean. They were delicious, and the sheer numbers added some serious beef to the meal.
Finalizing the foray was a regular roll, some room temperature butter and Dexters latest rendition of homemade coleslaw. While the roll was what we expected it to be, the slaw was again hit-and-miss. This go-round was not as good as our previous sampling as the thin, vinegar-based blend, missed the mark. It had a very pungent cabbage flavor, and while it was vinegar-based, it lacked enough of the acidic liquid to crush the cabbage tang.
Try as we might, we are instinctively drawn to Dexters and powerless to resist its charms. Their fish is simply superb, and you really cant go wrong with any of the options. We would love to change it up every now and again but the bluegill has us hooked. Whats more, the generously portioned fries make the meal feel more substantial and the tremendous tartar, average roll, and pedestrian slaw all do what they need to do. Overall, this is still, and will always be, a highly recommendable Fish Fry and one that will keep us coming back time and again.
www.dexterspubmadison.com/
301 North Street
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 244-3535
