Fish Type: Haddock Price: $11.00
Overall, I would recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Good Potato Score: Good Tartar Score: Good Bread Score: Good Miscellaneous Score: Good |  |
Comment: Theres lots of goodness to be had in Lodi. Whether you venture up to Lake Wisconsin or prefer to just hang out on Main Street there are Fish Frys everywhere. Oh Lodi, how lovely thou art.
The newest addition to the Lodi Fish Fry scene is Dales Place. We were at Dales not all that long ago when it was Dolphins Pub and nothing has changed all that much with the transition. The bar is still long, the one wall is still lined with booths, and the Fish Fry is still really good (and one heck of a value all things considered).
Dales fish of choice is haddock which goes for only $11 (broiled for $1 more). I was on the backend of the lunch rush so there were a lot of orders in front of mine, but the Spotted Cow was crisp and cold an I had no problem with just sitting back and watching some fancy schmancy cars roll across the floor at the Barrett Jackson auction while I waited my turn. The fish eventually showed up after Id downed beer #1, so I ordered a second and dug in.
The fish was good and without the slightest hint of grease despite a semi-thick batter. The beer-laden barrier was pretty plain and the haddock was just haddock, but there was nothing wrong with it although nothing that set it apart either. Dales homemade tartar comes in a mammoth squeeze bottle, and features an equally hefty amount of dill. While the consistency was good and the sauce was essentially unlimited, the dill quotient was a bit high. It neither helped nor hurt the fish in the long run.
While the fish was fried on time the fries were forgotten so as they took their oil bath I turned my attention to the baked beans and bread that arrived along with the haddock. Baked beans are always a welcome addition to a Fish Fry and this little dish had some hamburger in the mix which was a bonus on top of bonus. The ciabatta-looking bun was squishy and delicious and a definite step up from a regular roll.
About three minutes (or 1.5 pieces of fish) in the fries and coleslaw finally arrived. It was a little slapdash to say the least, but not the end of the world by any stretch of the imagination. The fries were pretty basic, skin-on Julienne cuts, but in the haste to get them out some wound up being way over-fried.
The slaw was clearly made in-house and while it was ultra-creamy it was a bit odd to say the least. It had golden raisins, I repeat, RAISINS throughout the mix. It was a little strange to say the least, and while Ive never witnessed such a thing, they didnt totally ruin the zesty blend. They gave the slaw a unique texture, but by the end I found myself picking around them. Hey, maybe you love it when raisins show up where you least expect them, but I for one gotta say I like my slaw raisin-less. Sorry, Dale.
Dales Place is yet another in the long line of admirable Fish Frys in Lodi that just seem to go on and on. Overall, we recommend this Fish Fry and definitely see ourselves swinging back in for it someday. This is a solid Fry.
www.facebook.com/dalesplacelodi111
111 South Main Street
Lodi, WI 53555
(608) 592-2777
