MILWAUKEE — The Lent season has fully commenced and so have fish fry Fridays!
Each week, a member of TMJ4's staff is going to go to a local fish fry destination and review their product. This week we have The Morning Blend Executive Producer Kim Buchanan and News Director Tim Vetscher.
Settler's Inn review from Kim Buchanan, Executive Producer of the Morning Blend
We recently tried the Friday fish fry at Settlers Inn in Cedarburg. They offer dine-in from 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. and carry out from 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. We called at 6:15 p.m. and got a 7 p.m. pick-up time.
They offer pan-fried or baked cod ( $14.00), pan-fried walleye ($16.50), and pan-fried perch ($16.50) The dinner comes with coleslaw, red potatoes or baked potato wedges, a roll, butter, and tartar sauce.
We settled on pan-fried cod and perch. The breading seemed a bit lighter on the cod. Both were delicious and we thought the portions of fish were hardy. We tried both types of potatoes and enjoyed them both. I preferred the red potatoes while my husband liked the wedges. I did miss the traditional potato pancake, but these were very good.
The roll looked similar to a small ciabatta but had the texture of a Hawaiian roll. I missed the traditional Rye bread, but my husband loved the roll (and is not a fan of rye). I love sauces and I thought this tartar sauce was exceptional.
We will definitely try this again but in the meantime will explore some other options. Plan ahead as far as calling in your order as they only take a certain number of orders every 15 minutes. Settlers Inn is in downtown Cedarburg W63 N657 Washington Ave. Their phone number is 262-377-1191.
Hot House Tavern review from News Director Tim Vetscher
Pro tip: if given the choice between perch and cod for a Friday night fish fry, go with the perch. I made that exact choice at the Hot House Tavern in Menomonee Falls and I’m glad I did. Not that there’s anything wrong with the cod at Hot House, it’s just that the perch is so much tastier.
The perch fish fry at Hot House Tavern comes with three meaty fillets, lightly breaded and perfect for dipping in the tartar sauce that is served with the meal. The fish fry also comes with a potato pancake you can eat with what appeared to be homemade apple sauce. The two made for a delicious pair.
The coleslaw, however, was a disappointment. It was fairly tasteless. I’d skip it altogether if you’re planning on visiting the Hot House Tavern. The rye bread, on the other hand, is some of the best I’ve had. The bread is nicely salted and very flavorful.
Hot House Tavern can get very busy so get there early if you want to avoid the wait. We waited about 40 minutes or so for our table to become ready after arriving at 6:45 on a Friday night. The fish fry will cost you $14, very reasonable given the amount of food you get for that price.
Enjoy!
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