Fish Type: Cod Price: $8.00
Overall, I would not recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Good Potato Score: Fair Tartar Score: Fair Bread Score: Good Miscellaneous Score: Good |
Comment: Not all Fish Frys are great, but even a blind squirrel gets a nut once in a while. On our last trip Callahans Sports Pub the optically challenged little bugger got us, but he wasnt so clever this time.
The lunch fish special at the Stoughton Ave stop is nothing fancy a simple $8 2-piece but does come with all the trimmings. It took my plate about 15 minutes to arrive at my bar-side perch and everything was hot so I cant complain about the service. The fish on the other hand, begs my commentary.
On my last trip I was more or less pleased just to be getting fish (since I was with my vegetarian wife), and apparently viewed the whole experience through rose-colored glasses. This time it was just me, and I noted every nuance of the meal. The cod, while fine, was a letdown. It was lightly battered, but inconsistent from bite to bite. In addition, one piece was large while the other much smaller. The fish itself was slightly below average moderately flaky but not pristine, not greasy, but not flavorful either. The batter, while light, really needed a pick-me-up salt, pepper, something.
The curly fries I chose over the regular option were also just so-so. Like so many curly fries before them they were cold in an instant which is the bane of this style of fry. Im not sure if its the surface:volume ratio or what, but for whatever reason, the curlier the fry, the faster the cool down.
Following suit in the mediocrity department was a homemade-looking tartar that was very dilly despite the fact that the potent herb wasnt visible in the mix. Perhaps an abundance of pickle juice played a part, but whatever it was, the phantom dill was a real downer.
Surprisingly, the slaw was semi-scrumptious, although it sported a soupy substrate. The creamy concoction was almost over the top, and perhaps I appreciated it more since I had to ask for it when it didnt arrive initially. The roll was just a roll, and a little crushed at that.
While there was nothing glaringly wrong with this Fish Fry, not much was right either. Overall, I wouldnt recommend the Fish Fry I had on this trip, and likely wont make a point of coming back for it. The bar on the other hand might warrant a return visit. Its a pretty nice place, and the sports are ample, its just not a Fish Fry destination.
thesportspub.com/
1902 Bartillon Drive
Madison, WI
(608) 241-0147
