madisonFishFry.com

Fish Type: Lake Perch Price: $11.75

Overall, I would recommend this fish fry.

Fish Score: Good
French Fry Score: Good
Tartar Score: Fair
Bread Score: Good
Miscellaneous Score: Good

Comment: I had a meeting at the office until 11:45 and all my co-workers apparently thought it would be a good idea to get an early lunch so I missed out on the trip to Wilson’s. Since I was flying solo I decided I might as well build the database and find a different outlet for my Fish Fry needs. Since Brothers Three is only a short drive from my office I decided to give them a call to see what was on the menu. I remembered they offered Catfish and Cod on Fridays, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear that in addition to those two fine options they also had: Lake Perch, Walleye, Mahi Mahi, Grilled Shrimp and a few other options on special. It was a slightly difficult choice but I settled on the Lake Perch for $11.75.

Brothers Three is practically located under Commercial Avenue at the intersection of Fair Oaks Avenue. It is that kind of creepy looking place you have driven past 1000 times that appears to have been a gas station at one time and when you drive by you say “Is that a restaurant or an old gas station that they turned into a used car lot”? The inside is not a whole lot nicer but as I have found, these kinds of “dive bars” often have very good Friday Fish Fry.

I arrived at Brothers Three and sat at the bar since it was just me. I put in my order for the Lake Perch and waited. About 15 minutes later my fish was up and ready. The grill and fryer at Brothers Three is easily visible from the bar so I was able to see the cook get my perch from the kitchen, fry it up and serve it to me boiling hot. The perch was very good, bordering on excellent. It had a slight fishy taste and a firm, dark batter which was good, but not as flavorful as you sometimes find on perch. I liked the fish but the tartar sauce almost ruined it or me. While it wasn’t horrible it was pretty dill flavored and didn’t enhance the taste of the fish for me at all. The French fries were skin on, straight cut potatoes which were very good. The perch was slightly expensive but this was a dinner sized portion made up of 6-7 large perch filets.

The coleslaw was not good at all, but the roll was actually was. I think it may be the same one you get at Wilson’s but it suited me just fine. The service and atmosphere at Brothers Three leave a little something to be desired but it is a bar and you have to expect it.

Overall this is a good low-key Fish Fry that won’t leave you hungry. I have been to Brothers Three on three different occasions now and have never had to wait which is always a plus. I have had the cod, perch and catfish so far and I have liked the cod and the perch about equally well. If you have never been to Brothers Three you really owe it to yourself to check the place out.

614 North Fair Oaks Avenue
Madison, WI 53704
(608) 244-6818