Fish Type: Cod Price: $6.75
Overall, I would not recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Fair Potato Score: Good Tartar Score: Good Bread Score: Good Miscellaneous Score: Good |
Comment: It was a slow day for me so I proposed we try somewhere new. Since Player’s Sports Bar is right up the street and I had never been there before I thought this would be a good opportunity to give them a shot. The rest of the guys at the office didn’t seem to agree. They wanted to stay mired in their rut and head to Wilson’s yet again. So we went our separate ways; I to Players, them to Wilson’s.
Player’s is your typical Wisconsin Sports Bar. Not much more needs to be said about the ambiance. Since I was flying solo I decided to just sit at the bar and have myself a quick and dirty Fish Fry. I ordered myself a Spotted Cow and “The Fish Plate” in one fell swoop and waited. While waiting I enjoyed the Spotted Cow which was icy cold and delicious, a sure sign that they keep their tap lines clean. The “Fish Plate” is a standard Fish Fry lunch: 3 piece cod with French fries, coleslaw, tartar sauce and bread and will run you $6.75. It was ready about 5 minutes after I ordered it.
Since I was sitting at the bar and the fryer is practically right there I could watch the owner prepare the food pretty easily. The fish was frozen, pre-battered filets which were clearly not “homemade” in any sense of the word. Even so they actually tasted pretty decent but were slightly greasy and had poor texture. If I had to wager I would say it is the same fish they have at the Glass Nickel and the Argus, which is decent but never great.
The French fries were straight cut potatoes with the skins left on which were cooked and salted perfectly. The tartar sauce was also very good but served in a tiny cup which left me scraping the bottom. The bread served for a lunch time Fish Fry at a bar is usually less than desirable. Player’s serves up a nice sized piece of grilled Texas toast which is definitely above average. What was not above average was the coleslaw; it was just not very good at all. I will leave it at that.
Overall this was an okay Fish Fry, it was nothing special but still decent. It is just not quite recommendable. The French fries, tartar sauce and toast were the highlights of the meal while the fish was just not that great. I am glad I gave it a shot but if I had to choose a Fish Fry in the Atwood neighborhood there are some better alternatives.
2013 Winnebago Street
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 244-9722
