Review
We arrived in suburban Verona around 12:30 and rolled into the crowed parking lot. The Draft House is a sizeable establishment with a separate dining room and bar area. We moseyed into the bar and grabbed the lone available table. As we waited for the waitress we glanced around at the many TVs and noted the Fish Fry special. Today the Draft House was offering Cod, Lake Perch and Walleye, all for less than 9 bucks.
Eventually the waitress showed up with some menus and grabbed us some beers. The menus weren’t necessary since we were all here for fish but we looked them over anyway to make her feel good. We gave her our orders (two perch and one cod, all with waffle fries instead of regular), and about ten minutes later they were ready. The lake perch was beer battered and was good, but not great. The batter overwhelmed the fish underneath which was actually pretty tasty. In addition there were only 3 tiny filets which is not a lot especially if you brought an appetite. Reports were that the cod was also decent but nothing special.
What was special were the waffle fries. They were spicy and delicious and came with a side of ranch. The ranch was offered upon request but must have become the norm since it was pretty much forced upon you whether you want that bastard or not. The tartar was super thick and tasted very good as well, although I’m sure I at least once dipped the fish in Ranch instead of tartar by mistake. The slaw was polarizing due to the hint of horseradish which I liked but others didn’t seem to. One thing I definitely didn’t like was the complete lack of bread with this Fish Fry especially considering the “conservative” portion of fish allotted. Oh well.
Overall this was a good, clean Fish Fry that I would recommend to a friend. The service was quick and friendly once we actually got it, the food was good and the establishment was well kept. If you are on the area I would not hesitate to stop by although if you have an extra 5 minutes you might wanna skip down the road to the 5th Quarter.
Luckily for me, there were a few open spots at the bar so I settled right in and got myself a beer. After some deliberation I chose the walleye over the cod or lake perch since they were all beer battered and I got (semi-) burned by some beer battered lake perch the previous Friday. All the fish options were cheap (in the $7.50-$8.50 range) so regardless of what I chose I felt like I couldn't lose. I definitely didn't.
The kitchen at the DH was pumping out food left and right and I had my order within about 7 minutes. Surprisingly, or maybe not, the walleye plate was just the right amount of food for lunch. It housed one medium-sized walleye fillet, a handful of waffle fires, a big Solo of slaw and a small one of tartar. While there wasn't a roll on my plate, I did see some sitting on the counter which made me think they were available upon request (I wish they'd just come be default). I never did get one.
Usually when I get a hunk of walleye I like to tear it down the seam to release some of the internal steam and make it more manageable, but with the beer batter completely covering the perforation it simply wasn't possible. I instead just ripped the tail end off and worked my way up with my fork. Even though it was tough to handle, the walleye was delicious. As you'd like to see, the fish was flaky and pure. It didn't have any odd flavors, but even if it did the yummy beer batter would have masked them. The coating was very tasty, but still light and airy. It had a minimal amount of grease, and totally stole the show. While I usually like a light, well-seasoned breading, this beer batter didn't spoil the mellow fish one bit and I can only imagine how well it would pair with the cod.
Adding even more allure to the meal were some well-seasoned waffle fries. The portion was plentiful and the sublime spuds actually approached the level of waffle wisdom you find at Dexter's Pub. They were most impressive.
A thick and tasty tartar came along for the ride and complemented the fish perfectly. It was rich and creamy with just the right amount of relish to keep it interesting. The slaw also kept my attention as the finely-chopped, homemade-looking mix had the ideal amount of horseradish on the back end to perk it up.
Despite the fact that the joint was packed I was in and out in around 30 minutes which was very impressive. It had everything to do with the well-coordinated kitchen and waitstaff which operated as one cohesive unit rather than a bunch of separate entities. One person took my order, another dropped off the fish, and yet another cleared my dishes. It was a true team effort. Overall, I highly recommend this Fish Fry, and think it's a one heck of a bargain at a mere $8.50. All for one and one for all seems to be an appropriate motto for the Draft House, and when you're talking Fish Fry that's a great place to start. No wonder the locals love it so much.