Fish Type: Cod (AYCE) Price: $13.00
Overall, I would highly recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Excellent Potato Score: Excellent Tartar Score: Excellent Bread Score: Excellent Miscellaneous Score: Excellent |  |
Comment: The long and short of it is that there are too many supper clubs and not enough Fridays. I've known about the Elias Inn for what seems like forever, but just have never been able to get to Watertown on a Friday. Luckily, today was my birthday and I laid down the law - out of town for an AYCE, and away we went...
Of course, any supper club you show up at on a Friday night at 6:30 is gonna have a wait, but the bar at the Elias wasn't too crowded, and the taxidermy wasn't too grotesque (actually it was quite intriguing), so having a couple beverages while we waited wasn't a big deal. And truth be told, we didn't even wait the full hour we were quoted before sauntering into the quaint dining room for our feast.
I say quaint, but the dining room at the Elias was waaaaaay smaller than expected - it was basically the same size as the bar area (no wonder there was a wait). On Fridays they scrap their normal menu, so if you don't want the AYCE fish and chicken you are SOL. The whole shebang goes for $13 and they pump it out like clockwork. As soon as you order the food starts flowing, and the first thing to hit the table is a Lazy Susan loaded with: Asian-style slaw (sesame flavor and Ramen noodles in it), regular potato salad (cool and dilly, would be right at home on a picnic blanket), German potato salad (warm and sweet, but not for me), baked beans (Bush's would be proud), breads (regular and pump rye, both of which were stellar), and tartar (more on that later). It was almost too much for one man to eat (my wife decided to opt out), but I did my best....truth be told I crushed it all except for that German fella.
The fish basically came at the same time as the Lazy Susan and if the waitress had three hands I believe she'd have brought it all at once. Four nice pieces of BBC (Beer Battered Cod) came on the first round and were moist and flaky. It was cod, so it was basic, but home to a beer batter that was light and crispy with a nice flavor. While all was in order this cod simply exploded when married with the homemade tartar.
While I can't be sure what was in the sauce it was perhaps the best I've ever had. It was thick as anything I've seen and had a sweetness that I couldn't put my finger on. It was delectable and twisted the cod in new directions the likes of which are unrivaled in my (vast) experience. This benevolent sauce took the cod from tactful to transcendence and resulted in a flavor combo for the ages. Three more pieces of cod got crushed on round two and by the time all was said and done I could barely move...and was better for it.
In addition to the two potato salads on the Lazy Susan, some battered fries came along as well. This is a potato poppers paradise. These crunchy spuds had a delightful orange hue and pillowy soft interiors. They mimicked the fish to some extent and my handful was gone just before the second round of fish hit the table. While I considered asking for more I had plenty of PS of the LS to suffice.
While I've never had a Fish Fry in Watertown before I have to assume the Elias is THE place to go come Friday. This was an outstanding Fry and one I'd definitely consider making the drive for again. Overall, we highly recommend this Fish Fry and think well stop in at the Inn again soon.
www.facebook.com/pages/Elias-Inn-Supper-Club/116392781717675
200 N 2nd Street
Watertown, WI 53094
(920) 261-6262
