Wando's

We at Madison Fish Fry have perused just about every Fish Fry in the greater Madison area and have come to expect a few things. Recently we have made a habit of hitting the campus area establishments and have found that the Regent Street Retreat (as unpopular as it may be) has a really good Fish Fry for a really good price. We even went so far as to say that it was best deal in town regardless of location. It turns out that we may have gotten ahead of ourselves a bit on that one. Recently, we paid Wando's visit and after having a plate of their lake perch, we may be refiguring our numbers a bit.

Basically we have been to Wando's a number of times and knew their fish was good, but unfortunately, on our last visit everything was seriously subpar due to the fact that we tried to hit the cozy bar with a less than cozy crew. We wound up with crummy service and fish to match. This previous experience left me less than enthusiastic about making a return trip. Since I was curious to see if Wando's did any work on the inside during their recent remodel, I proposed that we give them another try. Jer and I showed up just before noon, and a few minutes later our friends Gabe and Paul straggled in. The boisterous young waitress swung by our second story table shortly after and took our orders: three perch and one cod, at a mere eight bucks a pop. She bounded away to put in the orders and grab the complimentary Honey Weiss' that came with the Fish Frys (apparently they have some promotion stating that Honey Weiss is the "Official beer of Fish Fry" - we disagree with that assessment, but whatever, it's still free beer).

She brought back the Leinie's, some slaw, and a roll for each of us a few moments later. The slaw was actually pretty darn good and even Gabe had no trouble putting the bulk of it away. Mr. Paul was somewhat less enthusiastic about creamy goo, and likened it to "a manila envelope on a beige wall," which I guess means he thought it was pretty plain. The roll was also fairly ordinary, but was fresh and soft, and filled the void nicely. Upon finishing these precursors we tidied up our table and prepared for the goodness which was to come.

A grand total of 15 minutes or so passed before we got our fish, but when it appeared it looked fantastic. I wasted no time and took the perch to task. At first bite it was immediately apparent, this is the perch I had come to know and love. The hefty fillets were light and flaky, and sported a spicy breading which was nothing less than outstanding. For a moment I thought I had been transported to the Villa Tap and was eating the best perch in town, it was almost that good. I quickly downed my first two pieces and had to hold myself back a little to make sure I savored the flavor of the final pair. Pristine perch it was.

Along with the perch was a veritable plethora of thick cut crinkle fries. The tasty tubers were well fried and covered with plenty of season salt which really helped kick them into high gear. They were spot-on, and paired perfectly with the mouth-watering perch. For some strange reason, Jer and Gabe opted for the rice alternative, and when Jer saw his plate he was immediately hit with buyer's remorse. Unlike the fries which were well seasoned and delicious, the rice mixture was bland and most of it remained on his plate when all was said and done. In the battle of fries vs. rice, the fries easily won in a first round knockout.

The dill laden tartar sauce didn't pair with the fish quite as well as the fries did, but at least I can see what they are going for. When you have fish with a spicy batter and super-seasoned fries, you figure someone might like the cooling flavor of dill to even it all out, right? Wrong. We at MFF could do without the dill all together, but think it would at least benefit them to tone it down a notch, especially since the rest of the ingredients in the sauce were in balance. By and large it was acceptable, but I can't say it improved the fish one bit (although this fish was definitely good enough to stand on its own so dilly sauce isn't a total loss).

As we were wrapping up I noticed that one of Gabe's cod fillets was sitting idle. At his behest, Jer and I snagged it up and split it in half. It seemed to enjoy the same breading as the perch but was even flakier (which I wasn't sure was even possible). Like the perch, it was simply delicious and an exceptional value at eight clams in its own right.

Overall, this was simply a fantastic lunch at Wando's. Usually if you find a plate of perch this large you'd expect to drop a good $12 or more. When you add in the fact that they include a beer (even if it isn't my favorite beer per se) and only charge $8, you can easily see that this is a deal to be reckoned with. Yeah, it isn't quite as cheap as the RSR, but then again, perch is more expensive than cod, and beer is more expensive than soda, so I gotta give it to them. Ladies and Gentlemen, it appears we have a new champion when it comes to Madison's best value in Fish Fry. All hail, King Wando! Bow before your leader, or at least go there and get a Fish Fry.

We at Madison Fish Fry have perused just about every Fish Fry in the greater Madison area and have come to expect a few things. Recently we have made a habit of hitting the campus area establishments and have found that the Regent Street Retreat (as unpopular as it may be) has a really good Fish Fry for a really good price. We even went so far as to say that it was best deal in town regardless of location. It turns out that we may have gotten ahead of ourselves a bit on that one. Recently, we paid Wando's visit and after having a plate of their lake perch, we may be refiguring our numbers a bit.

Basically we have been to Wando's a number of times and knew their fish was good, but unfortunately, on our last visit everything was seriously subpar due to the fact that we tried to hit the cozy bar with a less than cozy crew. We wound up with crummy service and fish to match. This previous experience left me less than enthusiastic about making a return trip. Since I was curious to see if Wando's did any work on the inside during their recent remodel, I proposed that we give them another try. Jer and I showed up just before noon, and a few minutes later our friends Gabe and Paul straggled in. The boisterous young waitress swung by our second story table shortly after and took our orders: three perch and one cod, at a mere eight bucks a pop. She bounded away to put in the orders and grab the complimentary Honey Weiss' that came with the Fish Frys (apparently they have some promotion stating that Honey Weiss is the "Official beer of Fish Fry" - we disagree with that assessment, but whatever, it's still free beer).

She brought back the Leinie's, some slaw, and a roll for each of us a few moments later. The slaw was actually pretty darn good and even Gabe had no trouble putting the bulk of it away. Mr. Paul was somewhat less enthusiastic about creamy goo, and likened it to "a manila envelope on a beige wall," which I guess means he thought it was pretty plain. The roll was also fairly ordinary, but was fresh and soft, and filled the void nicely. Upon finishing these precursors we tidied up our table and prepared for the goodness which was to come.

A grand total of 15 minutes or so passed before we got our fish, but when it appeared it looked fantastic. I wasted no time and took the perch to task. At first bite it was immediately apparent, this is the perch I had come to know and love. The hefty fillets were light and flaky, and sported a spicy breading which was nothing less than outstanding. For a moment I thought I had been transported to the Villa Tap and was eating the best perch in town, it was almost that good. I quickly downed my first two pieces and had to hold myself back a little to make sure I savored the flavor of the final pair. Pristine perch it was.

Along with the perch was a veritable plethora of thick cut crinkle fries. The tasty tubers were well fried and covered with plenty of season salt which really helped kick them into high gear. They were spot-on, and paired perfectly with the mouth-watering perch. For some strange reason, Jer and Gabe opted for the rice alternative, and when Jer saw his plate he was immediately hit with buyer's remorse. Unlike the fries which were well seasoned and delicious, the rice mixture was bland and most of it remained on his plate when all was said and done. In the battle of fries vs. rice, the fries easily won in a first round knockout.

The dill laden tartar sauce didn't pair with the fish quite as well as the fries did, but at least I can see what they are going for. When you have fish with a spicy batter and super-seasoned fries, you figure someone might like the cooling flavor of dill to even it all out, right? Wrong. We at MFF could do without the dill all together, but think it would at least benefit them to tone it down a notch, especially since the rest of the ingredients in the sauce were in balance. By and large it was acceptable, but I can't say it improved the fish one bit (although this fish was definitely good enough to stand on its own so dilly sauce isn't a total loss).

As we were wrapping up I noticed that one of Gabe's cod fillets was sitting idle. At his behest, Jer and I snagged it up and split it in half. It seemed to enjoy the same breading as the perch but was even flakier (which I wasn't sure was even possible). Like the perch, it was simply delicious and an exceptional value at eight clams in its own right.

Overall, this was simply a fantastic lunch at Wando's. Usually if you find a plate of perch this large you'd expect to drop a good $12 or more. When you add in the fact that they include a beer (even if it isn't my favorite beer per se) and only charge $8, you can easily see that this is a deal to be reckoned with. Yeah, it isn't quite as cheap as the RSR, but then again, perch is more expensive than cod, and beer is more expensive than soda, so I gotta give it to them. Ladies and Gentlemen, it appears we have a new champion when it comes to Madison's best value in Fish Fry. All hail, King Wando! Bow before your leader, or at least go there and get a Fish Fry.

Like me, Paco bought the Groupon to Wando's. Luckily for me, when Friday the 22nd rolled around, he had an itch to use it and offered to treat. Even though the little lady and I were in the middle of buying a new (used) car, I wasn't about to let that put the kibosh on my Fish Fry plans. We met him and Jer on the second floor and wasted no time ordering three plates of "perch" when the waitress came by.

The $8.75 perch was ready alarmingly fast and hot as can be when served. The pieces of fish were oddly sized and tasted much more fishy than normal, leading us to believe that Wando's subtly tried to switch to ocean perch. Gasp! Not a good choice. Even so, the "perch" was fine, but fish flavor dominated Wando's spicy breading (which isn't easy to do). Instead of the four large lake perch we are accustomed to seeing we got several smaller chunks of the presumed OP, which is a HUGE downgrade in our book.

Thankfully, lots of Wando's special thick-cut crinkle fries picked up some of slack. They were well fried and balanced out the fishy fish well, but couldn't overcome it fully. The tartar also couldn't take things over the top as Wando's special dill-mix just doesn't do it for us.

Next came the regular roll, which, unfortunately, was a little stale this time around. Like the change in fish, a change in slaw was also the order of the day. Mercifully, it was highly improved, as the new creamy blend had a great flavor with some serious zest.

This certainly was not the typical Wando's experience. Strange fish, stale rolls and new slaw really turned this Fish Fry on its ear. What's more, things no longer come in shifts like they used to, everything just comes on one big plate at the same time. I have to say, we like the old way and the old fish much better.

Who knows? Maybe this visit was just an oddball? Maybe they got duped by the supplier into picking the inferior perch? Whatever the case may be, we'll give them the benefit of the doubt and hope they right the ship next time. Overall, we still can barely recommend this Fish Fry, but if things keep (d)evolving like this they are going to fall out of favor with us faster than you can say "Hey, what the hell happened to my lake perch?"

When you get a Groupon for half-off at Wando's, you go with it. I mean, c'mon, that's a total score, especially when you read the fine print and it says nothing of not being valid of Fridays. Half-price Fish Fry is twice as nice.

No sooner had Reese, Matt, and I grabbed a table on the second tier, than one of Wando's friendly waitresses made her way over. She took our fish and drink orders in one fell swoop, and was gone in a flash to drop them by the downstairs frying crew.

Normally there is a cue, and the side of slaw and standard white roll come a good 5 minutes before the fish. The line was apparently short today and the whole shebang came all at once, about three minutes after the order went it.

Wando's has finally caught on to the fact that their fish was some of the best around for the price. They recently bumped everything up a notch, but even at $8.75 for cod or perch and $9.75 for walleye, it is still a square deal. My single walleye fillet was about averaged sized, which if you know walleye, is still a fair amount of meat. The fall-apart flaky fish was slathered with Wando's signature breading, which is simply some of the best out there. The fillet was so moist and flaky that it required even I to eat some of it with a fork for fear of it disintegrating in my grasp.

A hearty portion of Wando's seasoned fries followed suit, and filled the belly without breaking the bank. Wando's uses the thick-cut crinkle style fries right out of the freezer, but lays a little stank on 'em, making them about as good as these kind of fry can be.

Of course, Wando's signature massive cup of tartar came along. Unfortunately, this signature is practically illegible. While the homebrewed sauce did seem to be slightly improved, it still boasts a bit much dill, although it seems to have been cut with a hint more relish.

The standard roll was there - thank you very much - as was Wando's homemade slaw. The slaw also seemed like it was slightly revamped as it had a little more zest, and a lot more color than I remember it having.

Overall, we highly recommend every fish Wando's has to offer, but especially the walleye. It was simply another great meal, but thanks to Groupon, an even better deal. I guess, a Groupon for Wando's is as good as gold, 'cause, let's face it, we were going there anyway.

No need to beat around the bush here. You simply can't go wrong with the walleye at Wando's. Not only is it some of the cheapest walleye you are going to find anywhere, but also some of the tastiest. It is a total win-win situation and really doesn't need to be analyzed a whole lot more than we already have, but here is our (brief) synopsis of last week's visit.

Reese, Doug and I arrived at the stronghold on the Francis/University corner right around noon and took one of several available tables on the second floor. The waitress came over shortly after she saw us and grabbed our orders: walleye with fries all around. She rushed the order to the kitchen and returned lickety-split with our rolls and coleslaw. The slaw and rolls carried out their usual routines - the slaw lacking zest and the roll lacking flavor. They were both slightly below average, but at least set the stage and forced our focus to the fish.

The walleye came within 10 minutes of our orders going in, and was nice and hot. The adequate sized fillet was moist, tender, and complimented with a well-seasoned breading. The flaky fish fell apart effortlessly and was great with or without Wando's dilly tartar. While the walleye plate recently received a fifty cent bump in price, it is still a great deal as it really is a superb specimen.

The dill dominated tartar came in a massive cup and I barely got half way through it. While I don't particularly care for this kind of tartar, Reese actually really liked it, and said he prefers it to the thick mayo based sauces that I covet. To each his own, I guess.

Finishing off the Fry was a gargantuan pile of Wando's thick-cut crinkle fries. Like the fish, they came out scalding hot, with some serious seasoning. While they aren't cut fresh in house or anything like that, they are still great, and fried about as well as a freezer-to-fryer French fry can be done.

Overall, we highly recommend the walleye at Wando's, and think it is a great value at $8.75. In our opinion, any time you can score a nice sized walleye fillet for less than $9 you are doing pretty well and Wando's delivers. While there are some lackluster items in this Fish Fry the walleye is excellent enough on its own not only to salvage the meal, but actually make it desirable. That really says something in our book. Wando's simply makes wonderful walleye, try it and I think you'll agree.

When the UW Men's Hockey team runs up against an opponent like Canisius you expect Bucky to walk all over them. Likewise, when Madison Fish Fry runs up against a plate of fried fish, you can expect much the same thing - total and utter domination. A portion of the MFF contingent was already planning to attend the game, and when I scored a seat too, I suggested that we rendezvous at Wando's since it's just a stone's throw from the Kohl Center. We donned our Badger red, got our sieve fingers ready, and battled the blustery winds on our way to Wando's and a Badger victory.

I wound up at Wando's just after six, bounded up three flights of stairs, and found myself on the top floor amidst Jer, Paco, and Bethany. I immediately visited the bar where I procured a glass, and put in my order for Wando's famous $8 lake perch. No sooner had I rejoined the Crease Creatures than the bartender brought over my slaw and dinner roll. The roll was fairly average, but the slaw was right on the money. I'm not sure if I have ever enjoyed the slaw at Wando's this much, and I had no problem eating the entire cup before the fish arrived, which did so only a few moments later.

Since I was the only one eating I wasted no time when the same bartender brought the perch around. I grabbed one of the four meaty fillets and dipped it waist deep in Wando's dill-laden tartar sauce. The fish was good, but like Badgers this gusty winter eve, they didn't play the game flawlessly. For some reason the perch had a much fishier taste than normal, and the breading lacked the spice necessary to overcome it. On the whole, it was still above average, but not as mouthwatering as we have come to expect it to be. Oh well, every team dings a few off the pipe now and then.

Luckily for us, Wando's took a page from the Book of Gudmandson and played solid "D" with their thick cut crinkle fries. They backed-up the inconspicuous perch well, helping secure the win and a MFF recommendation. The classic crinkles came in droves and actually paired better with plentiful tartar than did the fish.

It was seriously no more than 15 minutes from the time I ordered until the time an empty dish sat before me. At the end of the period the bartender took advantage of the intermission to Zamboni the area clean while I grabbed another beer. This was my first time eating on the third floor and I never realized that they have a full kitchen up there before now, which I assume makes it easier to serve all three levels effectively. Consequently the service on this visit was really good, even if the fish on the third tier was just a little off.

Overall, this is still a recommendable Fish Fry, even if Wando's didn't bring their "A" game. As art mimics life, hockey mimicked Fish Fry, and the Badgers relied heavily on their shut-out pitching net-minder to squeak out a win against a far inferior Canisius squad. It's a relief to know that even when Bucky isn't playing to his potential he can still pull out a win. Thankfully, it looks like the same can be said about Wando's.

I guess Fish Frys are just like everything else in life. What is good for one person isn't necessarily good for everyone, and while one person may like their walleye, someone else might not care for the exact same fish. It's a tough thing to accept, but such is life, and such is Fish Fry.

Obviously, Wando's Bar & Grill is a college bar, and as with most college bars, it carries the "& Grill" stigma (a lot bar, not much grill). While I agree that the downtown destination is slightly more bar than grill, there are far worse offenders out there, and Wando's actually has pretty good food (especially their Fish Fry). While said Fry might bot be the "Best in Madison" as they claim, it is pretty darn good nonetheless. I suggested it to Nick, Rick, and Adam from work and they were interested, so off we went.

The waitresses at Wando's are always speedy and we had our orders in to the kitchen within minutes of walking through the door. For some strange reason we all went with the walleye (except for Rick the non-fish eater who got a cheeseburger or some such thing). The plates were ready in well under ten minutes and made their way to our second floor table in style.

I wasted no time and plunged right in to the fried bevy. My walleye fillet was long and thin - basically exactly what I have come to expect at Wando's. The fish itself was flaky and tender and I really enjoyed it. The moist meat was home to Wando's well-seasoned breading and I basically tore it to shreds. Unfortunately, Nick's piece had a few bones (which he was not a fan of), and a bit too much skin (which he also was not a fan of). Me? I'da just sawed right through the little buggers, but Nick was having none of it and picked through it until the end - to each his own I guess. Bones and skin are the risks of freshwater fish, and while I live with it and love it I accept that others can be skittish around them.

Thick crinkle-cut fries are the norm at Wando's and this rendition was respectable. The chunky taters were loaded with season salt, and could have been a tad warmer, but that said, there was an absolute shitton of them which was nice for a fry fan like me.

The tartar was also ample, and while they have toned down the dill somewhat recently, it is still visible in the mix. In its current state the dastardly dill is muted by the thick mayo and relish contingent making it much more desirable.

The roll on the side was nothing special and mildly-stale, but at least it was there. The slaw was homemade, and borderline creamy, but only so-so.

While I'd call this visit to Wando's another resounding success the same can't be said for everyone in our party. I guess it's true what they say: you really can't win 'em all (Wando's still clocks in at around 95% so I'll take it). Overall, I still highly recommend this Fish Fry (even if Nick wouldn't have), and will be back for another round sooner or later I'm sure.

The most prized of all the freshwater fish has to be the walleye. Sure, lake perch and bluegill have their own intricate nuances, but there is just something special about a perfectly fried piece of walleye that sets it apart. Maybe it is the thick and tender fillets, or the unique taste that is akin to walleye alone? Whatever it may be, walleye is easily the lord of the lake when Fish Fry is the subject of discussion.

A hunger for walleye is often accompanied by a fairly steep price tag which can easily range upwards of $20 (see: Smokey's, Buck & Honey's, Mariner's Inn, or any number of others). A couple weeks back while partaking in a plate of perch at Wando's we noticed that walleye was also on their menu and for a mere $8.25 no less. Since Wando's has killer cod and near-perfect perch, we figured the walleye would fall in line. When we took into account the relatively tiny price tag, we knew what needed to be done; I grabbed Gabe, and we went wild with Wando, once more.

We wandered into Wando's just before 11:30 and grabbed a second story table. As per usual, the waitress buzzed right over as soon as she saw us. She grabbed our food and drink order in one fell swoop, hit the bar/kitchen, and rebounded with the customary coleslaw and basic bun instantly. Both slaw and roll served their purpose admirably and set the table for the fish, came a few moments later.

We have made numerous visits to Wando's, but for some reason have never taken the time to try the walleye, even though it seems to be the consensus among their Fish Fry patrons. More often than not, things are popular for a reason, but since I was almost certain that there was no way the Wando's walleye could surpass their perch, I couldn't bring myself to try it. The majority is the majority for a reason apparently, and we really should have paid this walleye its due sooner. The single large fillet came just as the perch or cod does: on a pile of fries with a massive cup of tartar at its side. While I normally prefer my walleye to be served in smaller pieces to increase the fish:breading ratio, the thickness of Wando's fillet melded well with its thin breading. The fish was moist and flaky and paired perfectly with the salty breading, which appears to be the same coating that adorns Wando's other fantastic fish. The flavors were well balanced between the spicy batter and tender fish, easily making this some of the best walleye we have eaten to date.

Pairing with the walleye was Wando's take on tartar sauce. While the dill-heavy blend is growing on us a little, it still doesn't really improve the fish, in our opinion. While there is a fair amount of relish present, and a thick mayo base, the oversaturation of dill makes it difficult for us to exhaust the massive portion. What we did deplete were Wando's thick cut crinkle fries, even though the allotment was more than ample. These heavily seasoned potato products were fried just right, and had a reddish-gold aura that seemed to make them glow with deliciousness.

Overall, we highly recommend the walleye at Wando's. The fish itself was simply delicious, while the well above average fries held their own. The tartar is relatively inoffensive, even if it doesn't keep us coming back for more; when you throw in their average coleslaw and a roll for only $8.25, it is easily a best buy in the Madison area. A lot of places would be more than happy to charge $12+ for the same offering, but Wando's is somehow making a go of it for much less. We're not sure exactly how they are doing it, but we certainly are glad they are. Walleye is apparently the most popular option of Wando's for a reason, well, maybe a few reasons. This is definitely an instance where the majority rules.

Wando's really used to deliver the goods. Not only was their fish tasty, but it was relatively cheap too. It was the best of both worlds and a Fish Fry we happily relied on for years. Moreover it was a diverse Fish Fry with cod, walleye, and lake perch every Friday and not one of them over $12.00. Oh how things have changed.

A few months ago we went to Wando's and tried the "perch" (which was historically the best of the bunch) and were massively disappointed when we were served ocean perch instead of the classic freshwater variety. It was the first sign of a Fish Fry in decline, but we hoped it was just a temporary setback. Unfortunately, on this visit the degeneration continued.

Not only was the lake perch absent from the menu again, but any form of perch was gone altogether. The only remaining options were cod and walleye and since I'd already had walleye earlier in the day I settled on the cod even though I was hesitant to do so. In addition, Wando's was busy this Friday (there was a Badger hockey game at the Kohl Center), but it wasn't that busy. Regardless, the waitress on the second floor completely ignored us for a good 10 minutes so we eventually went to the bar to get our own beer and put in our order with the bartender. It was a little bizarre to say the least.

The fish actually arrived pretty quickly after that and looked decent (I was worried it would sit by the kitchen since the waitress couldn't have cared less). The plate featured all five items you'd expect it to, and I started with the fish as you might expect me to. The cod actually tasted fine, but that was thanks exclusively to the seasoned breading. The fish itself was far from pristine and had a translucent appearance (a sure sign that it had been frozen for quite some time). Furthermore, it wasn't as flaky as you'd like it to be and the ends had a brownish twinge to them.

Item 2/5 was the curly fries I chose over the plain variety, and they were a hodgepodge to say the least. They tasted fine overall, but there were a lot of nubs and some that were a too crispy. It was definitely a mixed bag, but a bag you didn't necessarily mind holding.

Next on the list was Wando's tartar which is their usual dilly blend that isn't terrible, but isn't exactly what you're after (especially when the cod could use a pick-me-up).

Sitting in the fourth spot was a 4 oz cup of standard coleslaw. It wasn't a bad blend and was totally edible, but nothing you'd come back for specifically. I ate it all anyway if that tells you anything.

Rounding out the quintet was a regular dinner roll which was every bit of ordinary.

While Wando's didn't deliver the goods this time around I don't think it's totally a lost cause per se. They still have their walleye which reportedly remained very good, and is reasonably priced. Overall, we don't recommend the cod at Wando's, but would still come back for another crack at the walleye (provided it doesn't disappear from the menu too).

A few weeks back we reacquainted ourselves with our good buddy Wando. It had been some time since we last saw him, and after renewing our relationship with his lake perch we knew we could simply not let that that much time pass between meetings again. Since we had a special guest joining us for lunch in the form of Gabe's mom, Peg, and we both figured that a lovely lady such as Mrs. K deserved a lovely Fish Fry such as Wando's, we knew what to do. We agreed to convene at noon and when I showed up fifteen minutes or so before the hour I was taken aback to see a former acquaintance of mine, Mike Bradley bellied up to the bar.

I knew Bradley from my days of painting lines for the City of Madison, but had not spoken to him in over a decade. As we reminisced I quickly realized that Mike Bradley was still Mike Bradley, and apparently comes to Wando's just about every Friday for fish. We caught up briefly and a few moments later Jerry entered. I introduced the two, and no sooner had their handshake broken than Bradley bid us adieu. He escaped to the street in search of crazy adventures, and knowing what I know about Mike Bradley, he found them. Gabe arrived in due time and his momma was not far behind. We picked a level two table, and chatted for a bit as we waited for the bubbly waitress to come by and take our orders.

She arrived posthaste, obtained our orders, and was off in a flash, bound for the kitchen with perch and cod commands. She came back almost instantly with some dinner rolls and some coleslaw, which were both fine and perfectly edible, but nothing to write home about. We barely had time finish them and get into the seamy details of back home gossip before the entrees emerged. As always, I went right for the fish to see what there is to see - the view was good, my friends, a real vista. The four large perch fillets were incredibly meaty and the actual fish was fall-apart flaky. They housed a spicy breading which was very good, but not quite as peppery as it was our last trip. On the whole it was still great with or without the dilly mix that Wando's passes off as tartar sauce.

The perch was placed atop a fair portion of cut crinkle fries which looked to form a very comfortable cradle for the star of the show. The fries were generously seasoned with a Lawry's-like mix which really perked them up and made me take notice. Wando's has figured out how to make incredibly flavorful fish and fries, folks, this much we know.

As I pounded my last piece of perch and finished off my fries I could not help but notice that Gabe seemed to have met his match after getting 2/3 of the way through his cod. Not wanting anything to go to waste, Jer and I split it and enjoyed it on his behalf. We are good like that, and were raised to not let food go to waste, so it was a total win-win situation. As we polished off the remaining morsels we mentally prepared ourselves for the rest of the day. We then said our goodbyes, Mama Gabe paid the check (Thanks, Peg!), and we were on our way.

Well Wando's, there isn't much more to be said. This is a great Fish Fry and I highly recommend the perch, with the cod not coming in far behind. Both styles are really great and a very good value at eight bucks a pop. As I strolled back to my office I thought good things about getting reacquainted with the delicious fish at Wando's, delving into small town happenings with friends, and seeing old Mike Bradley again. It certainly was a good Friday and a great Fish Fry, then again, it usually is at Wando's.

A few weeks back we reacquainted ourselves with our good buddy Wando. It had been some time since we last saw him, and after renewing our relationship with his lake perch we knew we could simply not let that that much time pass between meetings again. Since we had a special guest joining us for lunch in the form of Gabe's mom, Peg, and we both figured that a lovely lady such as Mrs. K deserved a lovely Fish Fry such as Wando's, we knew what to do. We agreed to convene at noon and when I showed up fifteen minutes or so before the hour I was taken aback to see a former acquaintance of mine, Mike Bradley bellied up to the bar.

I knew Bradley from my days of painting lines for the City of Madison, but had not spoken to him in over a decade. As we reminisced I quickly realized that Mike Bradley was still Mike Bradley, and apparently comes to Wando's just about every Friday for fish. We caught up briefly and a few moments later Jerry entered. I introduced the two, and no sooner had their handshake broken than Bradley bid us adieu. He escaped to the street in search of crazy adventures, and knowing what I know about Mike Bradley, he found them. Gabe arrived in due time and his momma was not far behind. We picked a level two table, and chatted for a bit as we waited for the bubbly waitress to come by and take our orders.

She arrived posthaste, obtained our orders, and was off in a flash, bound for the kitchen with perch and cod commands. She came back almost instantly with some dinner rolls and some coleslaw, which were both fine and perfectly edible, but nothing to write home about. We barely had time finish them and get into the seamy details of back home gossip before the entrees emerged. As always, I went right for the fish to see what there is to see - the view was good, my friends, a real vista. The four large perch fillets were incredibly meaty and the actual fish was fall-apart flaky. They housed a spicy breading which was very good, but not quite as peppery as it was our last trip. On the whole it was still great with or without the dilly mix that Wando's passes off as tartar sauce.

The perch was placed atop a fair portion of cut crinkle fries which looked to form a very comfortable cradle for the star of the show. The fries were generously seasoned with a Lawry's-like mix which really perked them up and made me take notice. Wando's has figured out how to make incredibly flavorful fish and fries, folks, this much we know.

As I pounded my last piece of perch and finished off my fries I could not help but notice that Gabe seemed to have met his match after getting 2/3 of the way through his cod. Not wanting anything to go to waste, Jer and I split it and enjoyed it on his behalf. We are good like that, and were raised to not let food go to waste, so it was a total win-win situation. As we polished off the remaining morsels we mentally prepared ourselves for the rest of the day. We then said our goodbyes, Mama Gabe paid the check (Thanks, Peg!), and we were on our way.

Well Wando's, there isn't much more to be said. This is a great Fish Fry and I highly recommend the perch, with the cod not coming in far behind. Both styles are really great and a very good value at eight bucks a pop. As I strolled back to my office I thought good things about getting reacquainted with the delicious fish at Wando's, delving into small town happenings with friends, and seeing old Mike Bradley again. It certainly was a good Friday and a great Fish Fry, then again, it usually is at Wando's.

This is the 400th entry in the MadisonFishFry database. I was hoping that a monumental entry such as this would be saved for a great Fish Fry. Since we were meeting some people who live in Cottage Grove I figured this would be the ideal opportunity to hit up Doubleday’s again (great fish, good prices and a short drive for them). It turned out they were more interested in the glitz and glamor of downtown so I was called upon to find somewhere more appealing. I knew if we were trying to eat at 7pm the Old Fashioned and the Avenue Bar were out, so I suggested Wando’s, an overlooked Fish Fry that I have had nothing but good experiences eating.

We arrived at Wando’s at 7pm, grabbed a couple beers and headed upstairs to eat with our group of 6. We took the only area that can actually accommodate a group that size and pulled some tables together. The Fish Fry options for dinner are the same as they are for lunch: cod, perch or walleye. The cod and perch are $8.00 but I’m not sure about the walleye. Since I was going with the perch everyone else tried to follow suit. We put in for 5 orders of perch and I was absolutely shocked when the waitress came back and said they only had 4. What!? It is 7 o’clock on Friday night, we are the first group of people eating dinner, you have a Fish Fry special, and you only have 4 orders for the entire night? Huh? Luckily for them we had someone who was willing to get the cod instead but running out of your special during the first table of the night is really unacceptable.

The food came about 15 – 20 minutes after we ordered and was screwy even then. For starters there was an option for regular or curly fries. But when the people who ordered curly fries got their food they had waffle fries instead. Huh? We had some other friends show up later who ordered fish with curly fries and they actually got curly fries. I thought, what the hell was going on here? The old bait and switch? I was lost, it was weird.

Once we got past these oddities we actually got to enjoy the fish. The perch was okay but needed to be hotter. The flavor of the fish and batter was just fine but once it starts to cool, even a little, a lot of greatness goes with it. The highlight of the meal this time was probably the regular fries which were salty and delicious. I can’t speak about the curly/waffle fries but I did notices there were a lot left on the plates at the end whereas the regular fries were long gone. Stick with regular if you have a choice.

I seem to remember the tartar being a reasonable blend with hint of dill. This time it was either new recipe or mixed in different proportions because it was laden with dillyness and a lot of relish. I think I may have seen a caper in there too but can’t be sure.

Wando’s is smart enough to give you the slaw and roll ahead of time which is nice since you are hungry before your fish comes and you might actually eat them. The slaw had some horseradish in it which some seemed to love while others wouldn’t touch it with a 10 foot pole. I thought it was just fine.

This visit to Wando’s was not what I was hoping for. It was good enough but not the great experience I had the last time when I sat at the bar by myself and got everything fresh and hot. The service this trip with a large group was fine until time to leave. Between splitting the bill and having two waitresses servicing our group things took way too long. We waited at least 20 minutes to get the bill before another 20 minutes to get out the door. If you have group of 5 or more it is probably wise to skip Wando’s on a Friday night. The Fish Fry is tailored to a quick lunch and if you are looking for something more it isn’t there. Damn.

I was hesitant to even try stopping by Wando’s this week because I figured it would be an absolute zoo downtown with girl’s state basketball going on. Since I wasn’t in a huge hurry I decided to just brace myself for the expected huge crowds and go anyway. On my way in I noticed that traffic was surprisingly light and when I got downtown the parking ramp on Francis was surprisingly empty, I was feeling a lot better about my trip by this point. Upon entering Wando’s I almost hit the floor; there was not a sole present at the bar, save for the 3 folks who were working the grill. My god I thought, there is a Badger basketball game in just over an hour and WANDO’S is empty! What is the world coming to?

Wondering was going on I took as seat at the bar and waited for the polite co-ed bartender to come take my order. Wando’s has a nice variety of fish on Friday including Cod, Lake Perch and I think walleye. I opted for the $8.00 Lake Perch since I remembered it being very good the last time and I knew I was going to have Cod later in the evening and didn’t want to have the same fish twice in one day. As a precursor to the main dish I received a little basket with a roll and a cup of coleslaw. Both were fine, but nothing to write home about. They did do a nice job of bridging the short gap between ordering and consuming however. I had a clear view of the grill and fryer and saw my food go in and come out within a matter of minutes. A few seconds later it was in front of me and ready to be devoured.

The Lake Perch was just as good as I remembered and maybe even a little better. It had a nice texture with a delicious batter that was light and crumbly. The French fries were also quite delectable and fried equally well to the fish. While the tartar sauce did have a slight hint of dill it was still rich and creamy and complimented the fish without drawing too much attention.

Overall I was very impressed with the quality of the Fish fry at Wando’s. The most important items were all great and the periphery items, while not being outstanding, served their purpose well. The bar is pretty nice (and clean) inside and the service and hospitality were great. I still can’t believe it was that dead at 12:00 on a Friday afternoon especially with a Badger game on TV and state basketball in town but I’m glad it was, it enabled me to have an awesome Fish Fry without having to fight the crowd to get it. I am going to have to make a conscious effort to make it Wando’s more often. This is a great little Fish Fry for a fair price. Yum.

This was my first time trying the Fish Fry at Wando's, and will likely not be the last. There was hardly a soul present, which gave me an uneasy feeling initially - these fears were soon put to rest. The waitress we had was very good (probably because she didn't have a whole bunch of people to wait on other than us). Regardless, she was on point. They have three fish options at the Wando's: cod, lake perch and walleye. I got the perch and tried some of the cod as well. Both were easily recommendable, but the perch was the better of the two. The batter on the fish was light and not too crispy. There were probably about 5-6 decent sized pieces - while not a ton it was more than enough. The crinkle cut fries were hot and well (but not overly) seasoned. The tartar sauce was good and plentiful, which is always nice (I hate running out). The bread served was edible but not great, at least it was there. The coleslaw came out early along with the bread, it was not good. Wando's is actually a pretty nice place. I had never been on the second or third floors before but they are pretty well laid out making the place much more spacious than I would have expected. If you are looking for a good lunch time fish fry for ~$8 give Wando's a shot. They may not be 'Madison's Best Fish Fry' as the sign on the door says, but they do fry a mean piece of fish.

This was my first time trying the Fish Fry at Wando's and will likely not be the last. There was hardly a sole present which gave me an uneasy feeling initially, these fears were soon put to rest. The waitress we had was very good, probably because she didn't have a whole bunch of people to wait on other than us, regardless she was on point. They have three fish options at the Wando's: cod, lake perch and walleye. I got the perch and tried some of the cod as well. Both were easily recommendable, but the perch was the better of the two. The cod was good, not greasy, and not too creamy. It was flaky and tasted pretty fresh. The crinkle cut fries were hot and well (but not overly) seasoned. The tartar sauce was good and plentiful, which is always nice (I hate running out). The bread served was edible but not great, at least it was there. The coleslaw came out early along with the bread, it was not good. Wando's is actually a pretty nice place, I had never been on the second or third floors before but they are pretty well laid out making the place much more spacious than I would have expected. If you are looking for a good lunch time fish fry for ~$8 give Wando's a shot. They may not be 'Madison's Best Fish Fry' as the sign on the door says, but they do fry and mean piece of fish.