Each week, a member of TMJ4's staff goes to a local fish fry destination and reviews their product. This week, Meteorologist Kristen Kirchhaine is reviewing Liquid Johnny's in Milwaukee:
I had driven by the place plenty of times and never stopped. But, per a friend's recommendation, Friday's fish fry outing took us to Liquid Johnny's in Milwaukee.
We walked in around 6:15pm and were greeted by a friendly hostess, who let us know the wait was around 45 minutes.
Watch: OnMilwaukee's Lori Fredrich recommends must-try fish fry:
She added us to the waitlist, and we grabbed a drink at the bar. The atmosphere was that of a hometown, neighborhood bar with various sports and booze decor, including two eye-catching Schlitz Beer statues that bookended the bar.
Televisions featured sports games, trivia, and music videos. The smell of Friday fish fry filled the air, along with the sounds of friends and family gathered for an evening out. People sauntered in and out the front door, grabbing take-out orders from the bartender. It is a small establishment, featuring just seven four-top tables, and about 15 bar seats.
Much to our surprise, after only 10 minutes of waiting, two seats at the bar opened up. A smiling bartender brought us menus, which offered a variety of options for seafood lovers, along with a B-side menu that had options for land lovers (like my dinner companion).
The fish fry menu included original fish fry, grilled cod, shrimp, perch, walleye, a combo, or a fish sandwich - talk about options! All the dinners came with coleslaw, rye bread, and a choice of side. All the side choices sounded delicious - fries, tater tots, garlic mashed potatoes, or for an upcharge, potato pancakes, sour cream and chive wedges, onion rings, clam chowder, or a side salad. Is your mouth watering yet?
But before dinner, we did the very Wisconsin thing and ordered cheese curds. Our curd appetizer arrived within seven minutes of ordering. The white cheese curds were hot and fresh, crunchy and not greasy, salty and delicious, and came with a side of ranch dressing.
For dinner, I chose the grilled cod with Cajun seasoning and onion rings. Our meals arrived about 25 minutes after placing the order, a perfect amount of time to finish our app and enjoy our drinks. Everything came out as ordered, presented on a sectioned tray, a nice way to separate the fish from the other elements. The fish portion was more than generous with two large filets, arrived piping hot, and was served with a lemon and side of drawn butter, the perfect accompaniment. Like the cheese curds, the onion rings were tasty, crunchy, and not greasy. The rye bread was fluffy and fresh, and the small side of coleslaw was equal parts creamy and tangy.
The grilled cod meal, with the onion ring upcharge, totaled $22.70 with tax. Prices for the other fish fry meal choices range from $11.50 to $20. The checkout process was fast and easy, and we left satisfied and full. I would absolutely go back to Liquid Johnny's for a Friday fish fry, overall rating 9/10.
Liquid Johnny's is located at 540 South 76th Street, Milwaukee, WI 53214.
Previous fish fry reviews:
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