Fish Type: Cod Price: $8.85
Overall, I would barely recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Good Potato Score: Good Tartar Score: Good Bread Score: Good Miscellaneous Score: Good |  |
Comment: There used to be a lot more Country Kitchens than there are now. The once seemingly ubiquitous chain has waned in popularity over the years, and many of the small town locations have closed up shop (including the one in our hometown). In some cases theyve re-opened, but under a new name and with (hopefully) better food. The Country Cafe in Sun Prairie is just such a place.
The Country Cafe is popular with the locals and the place was buzzing when I showed up at 11:45 this Friday. The kitchen was running like a well-oiled Fish Fry machine and orders were flying out as fast as they were coming in. Despite the rush there were some spots at the counter so I scooped one up and had my order in within a few minutes. While I was lured by the lake perch, and almost sucked in by the smelt, I stuck with the $8.85 cod that I intended on getting before noticing the other two fish were on special. Before the main course arrived, some homemade coleslaw started things off. It was creamy and featured a slight zip with a little kiss of sweetness. It was tasty, but wasnt quite a throat tickler.
The cod came quickly thereafter - the Fish Fry machine clearly in full swing. This machine kicks out your standard 3-piece beer battered cod, complete with a moderately thick batter, and plenty of grease. Despite my repeated rotating, some of the misplaced oil still settled into the beer-infused coating, but not badly enough to ruin it. The fish itself was flaky, and remarkably didnt get mushy. By and large it was good, but the grease was a stumbling block.
The Friday special comes with your choice of any two sides and I stayed the traditional course, opting for the hash browns with cheese and onion, and coleslaw. The potatoes I picked were the classic diner variety, and came in a massive pile. The lone slice of American cheese that topped them wasnt quite up to the job, and with the ample onion present I hardly even noticed it was there. I also saw plenty of fries coming through the window while I waited, and they appeared to be the standard Sysco Julienne-cut.
Capping off the creamy cod was an equally creamy tartar sauce. It was the thick variety, and had just the right amount of relish. Like the fries, I wouldnt be surprised if it was Sysco, and like the fries it wouldnt bother me if it was.
A rich and doughy piece of white bread put the finishing touch on this Fish Fry. It tasted fresh and had a notable elasticity which I really enjoyed. +1.
Ive been hearing for a while that this is a pretty good Fish Fry and Id have to agree that it is just that good - nothing more, nothing less. Overall, I recommend this Fish Fry, and would have no problem coming back for it if I was in the area. Sure, its far from the best of the best, but its also far from the worst of the worst, and a good deal at under nine bucks.
countrycafesunprairie.com/
1030 Emerald Terrace
Sun Prairie, WI 53590
(608) 837-5191
