Fish Type: Bluegill Price: $15.00
Overall, I would recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Good Potato Score: Good Tartar Score: Good Bread Score: Good Miscellaneous Score: Good |  |
Comment: I feel like I need to preface all reviews like this by saying one thing: I know the owners of Kickapoo Creekside personally. My family has done business with them over the years, and their son and daughter-in-law are personal friends of my wife and I. That being said, I don't think I'm biased when I say this is a darn good Fish Fry.
For starters, KC has a bunch of options on Fridays. From cod to catfish, and walleye to bluegill, there is something for everyone. Since I was feeling fresh this Friday I settled on the bluegill, while my mom went walleye, and dad chose catfish. It was a perfect storm since I knew I'd get to sample a good 3/4 of the menu. The bluegill goes for $15 on Fridays ($17 the rest of the week), which isn't cheap for rural Wisconsin, but more than fair when taken in the context of the state as a whole. Before diners catch sight of the fish some crunchy little garlic toasts and an intensely salty cheese dip crest the horizon and serve as a lovely little unexpected appetizer.
Six or so fillets make up the bluegill plate, and my sextet was composed of two tiny "chips" and four fat supple ones. The light batter was essentially just there as an accompaniment, as there wasn't any pronounced flavor to it. Luckily, that's alright when you're talking about bluegill since it gives the subtle fishy flavors a chance to sing. The "chips" as I referred to them were super thin and crispy, while the large fillets were meaty enough to make up from tiny twins shortcomings. All were presumably fried for the same duration which is likely why the large ones were juicy and the small ones dried up a bit.
A nice handful of skin-on fries were right in the zone, while the super thick supper club style tartar bolstered the already admirable bluegill. Grandma's dinner roll got a little smooshed but it was still fresh and soft; and although it was a little soupy, the slaw was still satisfying.
In all honesty I've been let down with the Fish Frys around my hometown recently. They've ranged from inconsistent to downright bad, but this was a breath of fresh air. The bluegill was good, and the reports were also positive on the beer battered catfish and walleye - I enjoyed them on sandwiches the next day so I presume they were even better freshly fried. Sure, $15 for a Fish Fry in Readstown might seem expensive to some, but, believe it or not, bluegill is a premium fish in this day and age and the Creekside is a nicer than average joint so they're going to have slightly higher than average prices. That's just the way it works. Overall, we recommend this Fish Fry and will camp out at the Creekside again soon I'm sure.
kickapoocreekside.com/menu
827 W Kickapoo Street
Readstown, WI 54652
(608) 629-5565
