Fish Type: Cod Price: $13.00
Overall, I would barely recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Good Potato Score: Good Tartar Score: Good Bread Score: Good Miscellaneous Score: Fair |  |
Comment: What a difference a day makes. Our last trip to the MTP was flat-out flawless. The fish was hot and flaky fish, the sides were superb, and the service was supplied by a remarkable roving troop of waiters and waitresses. This time hardly any of those things fell in line which was odd and really unfortunate since we had guests from out of town who wanted a truly tremendous Madison Fish Fry experience.
Last time I raved about the solid service, and now I feel like I need to take it all back. The every server waits on every customer model that had previously worked so flawlessly broke down in spectacular fashion this time around. Yes, we had a bigger group, including four adults and two kids, but our orders were nothing out of the ordinary and certainly nothing they shouldnt have been able to handle.
Lets start with the good: the fish came quickly after it was ordered and for the most part was spot on. It was hot and flaky with a rich beer batter that wasnt greasy. It was essentially exactly what I expected it to be based on my previous experience and pleased our guests. It was right in the zone.
The thick julienne-cut fries were nothing special but were generously portioned and stood tall alongside the trio of fish. The same cant be said of the big paper cup of tartar however. Although it appeared plentiful the three hulking chunks of cod absorbed it like a Shamwow. Luckily, the kids only wanted the fish part of their Kids Fish Fry so the extra sauce made its way into my greasy mitts. This sauce is dilly, but not over the top, and does its part to ice the cod cake.
You dont usually see garlic bread at a Fish Fry, but the Mid Town isnt your usual place. While it is unusual its also better than a plain dinner roll so Ill give it a bit of extra credit. Some average looking slaw with a slightly above average flavor finished things off and isnt Sysco as far as I can tell.
So, the fish was fine for all intents and purposes, but while the three adult Fish Fryers were happy my wife wasnt. The veggie lasagna she ordered never arrived and the roving band of servers didnt come by quickly enough to remedy the situation. She took it in stride but by the time someone did come to see how we were doing (and drop the check) everyone else was finishing up and her lasagna was a lost cause. Her dinner consisted of a few bites of slaw which painted the whole experience in an unpleasant light. While it doesnt have much bearing on the fish per se, someone dropped that ball big time and I cant just let it go unmentioned.
I still really like the MTP and some forgotten pasta wont exclude them entirely from my future Friday consideration, but Ill certainly have a more difficult time convincing my wife to give them another shot. Overall, we still recommend this Fish Fry and think its one of the best Middleton has to offer. Well just hope for better luck next time.
www.midtownpub.com
2405 Allen Boulevard
Middleton, WI 53562
(608) 826-5129
