Fish Type: Haddock Price: $8.00
Overall, I would not recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Good Potato Score: Good Tartar Score: Good Bread Score: Fair Miscellaneous Score: Fair |
Comment: Normally I would not even consider getting Fish Fry at a bowling alley but we went to Doubleday’s in Cottage Grove a few months ago and were blown away. The food was delicious and the banquet hall the Fish Fry was held in was just fine. I read about the Fish Fry at Wildcat Lanes in Verona and it sounded like a similar experience awaited us there. While it was similar, it was not quite what I was hoping for.
We arrived in Verona around 8:30 and were shocked to see that there was basically no one left in the restaurant and they were practically ready to close. Usually if you show up for a Fish Fry around 8pm you are greeted with big crowds and a sizable wait, this was certainly not the case at Wildcat which made me slightly uneasy. They told us to sit down anyway and they took our orders. The Fish Fry special consists of two or three piece of deep fried haddock with an extra piece for $2; we opted for the two piece but should have gone for three.
The haddock was actually really good. It was light and flaky and obviously high quality. Like I say I could have easily devoured a third and maybe a fourth piece. It enjoyed a light batter which was good but not overly flavorful. The fries were also quite good. They were crinkle cut and served in large quantity such that I had many to finish once my two pieces of fish were gone. The tartar sauce was also above average but was a little heavy on the relish. It also seemed to have a little something extra that I could not pin down.
Before we even ordered we received a basket of bread and a bowl of slaw. While they were a nice precursor for hungry mouths, they were both uninspired and bland much like the “banquet hall” itself. The restaurant is basically one large room that I assume gets used about once a week. It is probably just fine when abuzz with people but when you are the only group present it feels a little creepy. The waitress was good and tried to make it seem as cozy as possible but there is only so much you can do really.
Overall this is Fish Fry is borderline recommendable. The atmosphere certainly leaves something to be desired, but the food was actually pretty good and the waitress was very accommodating. I would like to think I will be back but with so many other great places I am not sure when…
www.wildcatlanes.com
415 West Verona Avenue
Verona, WI 53593
(608) 845-9595
