Review
Back in 2013 the fish was pre-battered and just not all that appealing. The flaky cod of today is hand-breaded in a crunchy cornmeal-style breading and much improved. A small handful of crinkle-cut fries were about as standard as they come, but three bonus hush puppies propped them right up.
A thick and creamy tartar improved the fish a lot, some tangy slaw tickled the tastebuds, and a slab of pumpernickel kept it real.
For $15 this is a pretty decent little Fish Fry and a nice option to have when we need a quick dinner on a Friday night in town. Chalk this one up as a win.The $16 4-piece is available for lunch or dinner and this lunch hour load was large and in charge. The batter on the cod was a little frizzly this time around (as you can see) but it didn't taste burned or anything like that. The cod itself was flaky and paired well with the peppy tartar.
The battered fries were abundant and crunchy, as was the sizable cup of slaw.
The Fish Fry on the Green wasn't quite as good as impressive the round we had a few weeks back, but it still did the deed and I'd happily order it again...even if everyone else is getting burgers.We ran to the Village Green after yet another Friday night hockey practice and were pleasantly surprised to see we weren't the only hockey families there. We put in for curds, fish, and Old Fashioneds immediately and enjoyed the scene until they arrived. Our waitress was super attentive and got us our food quickly despite the raucous crowd.
I went for the 4-piece based on our previous visit and it turned out to be a bit much. The pieces were hefty and really put me in my place. The beer batter was flavorful but didn't cling perfectly to every piece - I took one of the more nude ones home. The fat chunks were a bit hard to handle and left a little grease on the fingertips, but were still really enjoyable when slathered with the thick and pungent tartar.
An average-sized handful of crispy battered fries offset the slick fish nicely, and the hush puppies, while lukewarm, added a great onion-y essence. The slaw was kind of just slaw...creamy and nondescript.
The Village Green offers a nice classic dive bar feel in the middle of what some would call a yuppie paradise. Overall, we still recommend this Fish Fry despite a few flaws and will be back to hit the Green any time we need a quick bite on the busy Friday.The crowd was pretty sparse by 8:20 but the grill was going strong and the oil in the fryer was still hot. I threw in an order for a 3-piece fish with a side of Andrew's recommended Old Fashioned. The OF came quickly and had a tasty maple-y flavor. While it didn't appear hand-muddled I didn't really care. It did the deed.
The fish plate flew out right on the booze's heels and was scalding hot. The VG batter/breading is seemingly a constant work in progress, but this current version is a winner. It was dark and smoky, and not too thick which allowed it to hold together and not harbor much (if any) latent oil. The fish appeared to be cod although that wasn't stated explicitly anywhere on the menu. It was dense and flaky and let the batter shine through.
The fries also seem to have evolved lately, and the battered beauties were crispy and satisfying. The tartar was thick and clingy with a fair amount of stank...maybe a bit much stank if I'm being honest. The slaw had a strong green pepper flavor which was pretty unique and the three hush puppies were fun quasi-bread option. 10/10 would eat again.
I can honestly say I was pretty pleased with the $15 3-piece cod from the Village and think this was easily the best rendition I've had there to date. See, change can be a good thing. Next time I might just change it up too... 4-piece all the way!
Even though plenty of time has passed, things at the Village Green have pretty much stayed the same (at least as far as the Friday Fish Fry is concerned). The fish is still pre-battered, the fries are still from a big brown bag, and the sides just kinda sit there. To be fair our $10 Friday special came quickly, especially when you consider how many burger orders were in line before it... That's about where the praise ends.
The number one no-no at a Fish Fry is pre-battered fish. It just isn't the same as the freshly hand-dipped stuff and has a distinctly processed taste. The Green trots out three pieces of the freezer fish, and even though they claim it to be Bass Ale Beer Battered, it must come from the distributor that way since they clearly aren't doing it in-house. It's just like the cod you get at the Glass Nickel (which is a pizza place for god sakes). For being frozen it's somewhat decent, but it just can't compete with the fresh stuff you get almost everywhere else on Fridays. Crispy? Yes. Tasty? Sorta. Satisfying? Far from it.
The thick, Julienne-cut fries were poured from a brown bag, and not even all that well-fried. Like the fish, they weren't the worst thing we've ever eaten, but certainly aren't going to wow anyone. The best thing on the plate may have been the tartar, which was thick and creamy, and mercifully masked the weak fish when liberally applied. Thanks be to Sysco for the respite.
An additional Solo cup was filled to the brim with some creamy coleslaw, but it didn't have any zip, and had a distinct apple aftertaste which was mildly off-putting. The fact that no bread comes with the Fish Fry is also off-putting, and the two hushpuppies they plop on the side far from make up for it. The crusty balls were oniony (good thing), but also dry and hollow (bad thing). No thanks.
The Village Green is one of those places we really want to like, but their Fish Fry just doesn't cut it. Perhaps if this was Madison Burger Review they'd receive the glowing marks we want to bestow upon them (burgers are clearly their specialty), but as far as the fish goes you're looking at Cs and Ds. Overall, we don't recommend the Fish Fry at the Village Green and definitely won't come back for it a third time... Although the Big Daddy might get us back in the door someday. That looks like one badass burger.