Review
The cod is modestly priced at $9.00 and the 6 ounces you get are reasonably satisfying. The walleye is a bit of a different story and while the portion is only slightly larger, at seven ounces, the price tag nearly doubles to $15, which is a bit steep all thing considered.
Six ounces equates to three small pieces of cod, each of which is coated in a medium-thick breading. This extra girth enables the breading to hold together well, and stay fully attached to its host. In addition to its clinginess it also has a decent amount of seasoning which perks up the plain fish a bit. The walleye shares the same breading but since it has more inherent flavor any seasoning in the breading is almost indiscernible. Like the cod, the walleye had some flake to it, but was slightly mushy thanks to the few minutes it spent in transit (Bunky's specializes in carryout if you didn't know).
The highlight of Bunky's Fish Fry has to be house-cut fries which are plentiful and ultra-delicious. While they lost some heat on the drive they were still superb. They are clearly cut onsite, expertly fried, and salted to the sweet spot. If every place would just make French fries like this the world would be a happier place.
Bunky's tartar is also impressive, and the thick, creamy blend effectively covers any imperfections in the fish (of which the cod and walleye both had a few). Like most good tartars it is made mostly of mayo, and has just enough relish to let you know it's there.
Keeping with the homemade theme is Bunky's coleslaw which looks scrumptious and tastes okay, but really needs a little more oomph. That said, it has a very good consistency and while there is a little slaw water at the left at the bottom of the cup the cabbage concoction isn't swimming in it.
Bunky's Deli historically specialized in carryout, but on the last of our three visits they had annexed the space next door and opened up a dedicated dining space (which we will certainly be taking advantage of on any subsequent visits). Fish is just better when it's freshly fried and even a few minutes sweating in a bag can really take a toll on it. Overall, we recommend the cod, but the walleye is a little tougher to fully endorse. At $15 it really isn't a good deal, and in the end you have to ask yourself if you'd get it again at that price, and unfortunately $15 it's a bit too expensive for what you get.
The cod is modestly priced at $9.00 and the 6 ounces you get are reasonably satisfying. The walleye is a bit of a different story and while the portion is only slightly larger, at seven ounces, the price tag nearly doubles to $15, which is a bit steep all thing considered.
Six ounces equates to three small pieces of cod, each of which is coated in a medium-thick breading. This extra girth enables the breading to hold together well, and stay fully attached to its host. In addition to its clinginess it also has a decent amount of seasoning which perks up the plain fish a bit. The walleye shares the same breading but since it has more inherent flavor any seasoning in the breading is almost indiscernible. Like the cod, the walleye had some flake to it, but was slightly mushy thanks to the few minutes it spent in transit (Bunky's specializes in carryout if you didn't know).
The highlight of Bunky's Fish Fry has to be house-cut fries which are plentiful and ultra-delicious. While they lost some heat on the drive they were still superb. They are clearly cut onsite, expertly fried, and salted to the sweet spot. If every place would just make French fries like this the world would be a happier place.
Bunky's tartar is also impressive, and the thick, creamy blend effectively covers any imperfections in the fish (of which the cod and walleye both had a few). Like most good tartars it is made mostly of mayo, and has just enough relish to let you know it's there.
Keeping with the homemade theme is Bunky's coleslaw which looks scrumptious and tastes okay, but really needs a little more oomph. That said, it has a very good consistency and while there is a little slaw water at the left at the bottom of the cup the cabbage concoction isn't swimming in it.
Bunky's Deli historically specialized in carryout, but on the last of our three visits they had annexed the space next door and opened up a dedicated dining space (which we will certainly be taking advantage of on any subsequent visits). Fish is just better when it's freshly fried and even a few minutes sweating in a bag can really take a toll on it. Overall, we recommend the cod, but the walleye is a little tougher to fully endorse. At $15 it really isn't a good deal, and in the end you have to ask yourself if you'd get it again at that price, and unfortunately $15 it's a bit too expensive for what you get.
The original Bunky's has been a fixture in the Atwood neighborhood for a while and I was thrilled to hear they opened a second location in the old Deli Delicious space. Rumor had it the new place would be a bit of a departure from the original, but would maintain several of the staple dishes that made them so popular. It didn't take us long to notice the "Friday Fish Fry" sign blowing in the breeze and see the rumors were true. Departed they had. Go we must.
Since we hadn't been to the carryout locale we had no idea what was on the menu and figured we'd just order there instead of calling ahead (they just opened, how busy could they be, right?). It turned out they were plenty busy and calling ahead would have saved us about 30 minutes (a feature we will certainly be taking advantage of next time thanks to the menus we took with us this time). The only fish on special is cod with a single to-go order going for $8, so that's what I got.
It took quite a while to get the food, and my fish was ready slightly before my wife's Mediterranean Platter (or whatever it was that she got). We raced home, getting the fish there in fairly good condition although some grease had settled. The 3-pieces of cod present in the container amounted to around 6 ounces, which is on the smallish side as far as Fish Fry portions are concerned. The fish itself was flaky and pure, and accompanied by a flavorful batter that was very light and overcame the tiny bit of grease with ease. Overall, it had a really nice flavor, but portion was so tiny it was gone in a flash.
Like the fish, the wedge fries were also few and far between. While each one was hefty, there were literally 5 of them which appeared to equate to one potato worth. They were impressively cooked, and very well-seasoned, but I just wanted, no NEEDED, more of them.
I didn't really expect it, but of all things Bunky's took tartar sauce to the next level. The homemade mix was simply superb. It was thick and creamy, and very unique. It was deeeeelicious and some of the best I can remember eating anywhere. Ever.
Rounding out the meal was some homemade slaw that was right over the fat part of the plate - nothing superb, but fresh and inviting. I ate every scrap of it, since the portions everywhere else were underwhelming, and there was no bread at all to back it up. Seriously, not even a piece o' pita or somethin'.
The Fish Fry portions were definitely on the small side (and we accidentally got charged for two of them instead of one), but the Mediterranean Platter was plentiful, except for the pita bread of which there were only two. Next time we'll be asking for more, or adding a side order, or whatever it is we need to do get some, because that pocket bread is tasty (and necessary). Overall, we barely recommend this Fish Fry since everything tasted great, but was hard to come by. Next time we visit, we'll be sure to phone ahead, ask for a jumbo order of fish (with bread), and count our change before we go.