Fish Type: Cod Price: $8.50
Overall, I would highly recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Excellent Potato Score: Excellent Tartar Score: Good Bread Score: Good Miscellaneous Score: Excellent |  |
Comment: The only reason I am familiar with Borland’s Tavern is because I have a friend who lives in Belleville. Well, as of this week he has sold his house and he will be moving out of “The Belle”. I figured this might be our last chance to hit up Borland’s, so we made plans to eat some Fish Fry and bid his first home adieu. Our first trip to Borland’s with him was a resounding success. The food was great, the service was quick and friendly and the small town atmosphere was just what the doctor ordered. I knew we would have to come back soon and get a second helping and this seemed like the perfect opportunity.
Last time we came it was later in the evening and there was basically no wait. This Friday was a bit of a different story. We arrived at Borland’s at 7pm during the peak rush. The bar area was just about full, as were the 4 or so tables that flanked it. The line protruding from the dining room signaled that we would have a decent wait, so we grabbed some beers. The line actually moved more quickly than I expected and we actually got seated in about 20-25 minutes which wasn’t too bad at all, especially considering we had a pretty large group.
It took our waitress a little bit to get a handle on our large group, but it was worth it. She had no problems splitting up multiple checks and even though she was a little older did a fantastic job with everything. Pretty much everyone in our party got the Fish Fry other than the two little ones who came along (they got chicken strips but were equally pleased). I think the Fish Fry was even better this time than the last time. The batter was great as was the fish itself. It was very tender, flaky and consistent from piece to piece. The French fries were straight-cut style and fit in perfectly with the rest of the deep fried delights.
The tartar sauce at Borland’s is good even though it just sits in a massive squeeze bottle on the table. At least one of our fellow diners remarked that he liked it like that. It doesn’t really bother me if it sits there as long as it’s good, and this stuff is. The coleslaw at Borland’s is also ridiculously good. It has to be some of the best out there. The bread they give you with the Fish Fry is a straight forward pre-buttered slice of white bread. Love it. This is a no-frills Fish Fry but usually those are the best kinds. Borland’s has done a great job at keeping it simple but of consistent quality and taste.
What could be better than celebrating the sale of a home with the Zahm fam, Gabe, Brown and our new friend Erika over some great Fish Fry? The food was excellent and the service was outstanding. The adults all had a blast and even the kids had a good time. With Brown no longer be in Belleville it will be harder to justify the drive but I will have to come up with some excuses to get to Borland’s because this Fish Fry is so good and probably worth the drive on its own.
119 W. Main Street
Belleville, WI 53508
(608) 424-3013
