Fish Type: Haddock (AYCE) Price: $11.00
Overall, I would highly recommend this Fish Fry.
| Fish Score: Excellent Potato Score: Excellent Tartar Score: Excellent Bread Score: Excellent Miscellaneous Score: Good |  |
Comment: The Dorf Haus may be the best example of an All You Can Eat Fish Fry in the Madison area. They spare no expense, pile on the food, and really do things right. From heaps of haddock to oodles of fritters and nonstop fries, there is always more than enough to go around in Roxbury. It is a veritable Friday feast and one we make sure to hit up every so often.
The Dorf is definitely a destination, but the burned gas is more than worth its fish. We had a hearty contingent this Friday, but wound up with a mere 30 minute wait (not bad since wait times often exceed an hour). Our quintet contained mostly fish eaters, although a couple chicken lovers slipped into the mix (the chicken is AYCE too). The Dorf Fry comes in at $11, $13 with the salad bar. Since the fish is AYCE I never go for the add-on greens, but several salad lovers in our group claimed it to be “good, not great” partially because there was no coleslaw included in the spread.
Before the fish a basket or two of the Dorf’s famous fritters found their way to the table along with some squeeze bottles of honey. The fried sweet-dough was warm and gooey, and simply superb. They are definitely the devil in disguise and you could easily sit there and eat them all night long, totally forgetting about the fish in the process. They are dangerously delicious, and the best bread option we’ve ever found at a Fish Fry. For those AYCErs who don’t go for the salad bar a side of slaw will arrive before the fish. The Dorf goo is cool and creamy with consummate supper club zip. It is clearly made in house and blows the roof off the place.
Eventually our fish and fries arrived, and were steaming hot. My first plate was packed with three fat pieces of fish, a cup of tartar, and a decent portion of fries. As per usual, I started with the fish and was pleased, but not overwhelmed. The haddock was flaky and pure, and totally grease-free, but not quite perfect. While we’ve become accustomed to the Dorf’s “fried chicken-like” breading, the light coating lacked the seasoning we’ve come to expect. While it certainly wasn’t bad, it didn’t bowl me over as it has historically.
Like the fish, the fries were on the level. The skin-on, Julienne-cut spuds were plush and plentiful, and offset the flaky fish perfectly. What’s more, as long as you ask, more will come with the second round of fish which really helps to balance it all out. Some homemade tartar also strikes a balance, as the thick sauce adds a creamy pop that caps the haddock with flair.
If there was a failing to this Fish Fry it was definitely our waitress. She just wasn’t around enough, it even got to the point where we had to go to the bar to get our own drinks. It was really too bad since Nancy (the Dorf’s best) had the table next to ours, and was there every few minutes, getting this and grabbing that. Next time we’ll be requesting a table in her section.
Despite the lackadaisical service this was another fantastic Fish Fry at the Dorf Haus. The fish, fries, tartar, fritters, and slaw were all great, and since they’re AYCE we all left stuffed. Overall, we highly recommend this Fish Fry and will keep coming back to Roxbury anytime we want the best of the best.
www.foodspot.com/Clients/WI/SaukCity/DorfHausSupperClub/default.aspx?accid=19510
8931 Hwy. Y
Roxbury (Sauk City), WI 53583
(608) 643-3980
