Fish Type: Cod Price: $13.00
Overall, I would recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Good Potato Score: Excellent Tartar Score: Excellent Bread Score: Good Miscellaneous Score: Excellent |  |
Comment: Little darling, it's been a long, cold, lonely winter... and fall... and summer... and even part of last Spring come to think of it. It's been an entire year of COVID basically, but finally... FINALLY!!! Here comes the sun, and I say, it's alright. It had be almost a full year - 51 weeks to exact- since I'd last ventured into take-out territory, and I gotta admit it was trying. Sure, I'd gotten pretty good at DIY FFF, but there is just something special about eating out (or even taking-out). Several new Frys had appeared around town since the pandemic took hold but few sparked my interest like that of Beef Butter.
BBB became an overnight sensation thanks to their melt-in-your-mouth brisket and plethora of savory sides, but there was something especially intriguing about their Lenten Special. The BBB FFF is a 2-piece cod affair and, as the previous sentence implies, seemingly came around on a whim. Apparently they were always offering it to their employees, but when the pandemic made it necessary for places to do everything they could to survive, they went public with it. In true southern fashion, the cod is cornmeal crusted cod, and supported by all the standard sides. What's more, it is served in the most COVID-friendly manor possible: a 20' conveyor belt at the end of the drive-thru (and no, that is not an exaggeration, in fact 20' might be an understatement). Since I live pretty close to Beef Butter, I put my order in online (using their super simple ordering system), and had the fish home about five minutes after it exited the tunnel.
The first thing I noticed about the cod was the cornmeal coating kept its crunchy texture despite its time in transit. It was a good for sure, and while I'd still appreciate another dash of seasoning in the mix, it did what it needed to do. The fish had the lovely flakiness we expect from good cod, and which offset the crumbly coating just right. The fries didn't travel quite as well as the fish, and were very soft upon arrival. Regardless, they were perked-up exponentially by the signature Beef Butter dry rub.
BBBBQ subscribes to the horseradish slaw philosophy, and this brew was incredibly pungent with a thick consistency. I really enjoy this kind of slaw, but know from experience that it can be a big turnoff for a lot of folks. Whereas the polarizing slaw brought the stank, the roll was surprisingly blase for a BBQ place (I guess maybe I expected Texas Toast or something?). Rounding out the take-out was their thick, homemade tartar which really drove things home. While I've gotten pretty accustomed to my homemade sauce over the previous year (it has a lot of zing and a fantastic flavor, but is thinner than I'd like), Beef Butter's is so hearty it can basically snap a piece of cod in half. It's a beast for sure, and pairs really well with the fish, clinging to the cornmeal with reckless abandon. It was a top-notch combo for sure.
Reviewing take-out is a difficult endevour. Sure, it's the same food you'd get at the restaurant, but transit can be detrimental to fried food (especially fish), and I really wanted to make sure I was as fair as possible. Luckily for me, BBBBQ is so close to home the food barely suffered at all and I feel like I can give it a good honest review. This was actually our second time trying this Fish Fry in this manor and I can safely say that it was much better than the first. Overall, we recommend this Fish Fry and are glad it's sticking around post-pandemic.
beefbutterbbq.com/
3001 N Sherman Ave
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 640-5000
