Review
On that day two year ago the fish was cod (or at least we presumed it was) but today it happened to be haddock. Since it's not Madison, and it's not a supper club, the fish at the Friendly Tavern is cheap. The 3-piece runs around eight bucks and with a beer barely reaches double digits. Since we were on the backend of lunch the fish fried alarmingly quickly and was hot, hot, hot!
Being the overzealous sort, I jumped on the pile and damn near burned my mouth in the process. The fish was good, but not as alluring as the rendition we enjoyed so much previously. The fish was light and flaky, but had a little grease on its belly which makes me think the fryer wasn't at full blast so long after lunch. When haddock or cod is the canvass of choice the batter needs to be brilliant and last time it was. This go round is was on the dark side and while it wasn't burnt it wasn't far off.
While the fish wasn't as great as that of our memory the fries were every bit as amazing. The thick, house-cut spuds were well-seasoned and perfectly fried. Most fries can't compare to those from the county fair of our youth, but these are not far behind. Simple starchy perfection.
Warm tartar sauce can be a death sentence for a Fish Fry, but somehow the big squeeze bottle at they leave on the table at the Friendly remains tasty. It's zesty and thick enough to drown the grease on the fish completely.
The slaw was creamy, but not really noteworthy, while the slice of marble rye was very meritorious. It came slathered with melted butter and really gave the meal an edge that is sorely needed.
Portage isn't exactly Madison-adjacent, but when you're heading north a Fish Fry at the Friendly isn't too far out of the way. While I'd have a hard time convincing myself to take the trek otherwise it is certainly a worthwhile pit stop when you're heading that way. Overall, we recommend this Fish Fry and think it still has a lot going for it even if the fish itself is a little up and down.
In all honesty I may never have driven to Portage to get fish, but we had a wedding to attend at Castle Rock Lake and the Friendly was pretty much on the way so I decided "what the hell?" We rolled up to the nook of building around 1pm and made our way inside without much acclaim. The place was pretty much dead, but the lone waitress was still attentive and came right over. I ordered a 3-piece and a Spotted Cow in a single breath, and saw the cook joyfully hop from his barstool to the kitchen to get things going. The Cow was crisp and cold, and within 5 minutes my fish was ready. Game on!
Things at the FT are cheap ($7.00 for a 3-piece cod and $6.00 for 2-piece), but that doesn't mean they're cutting corners. Each chunk of cod was thick and meaty with an incredibly light texture. It was paired with a thin and crispy coating that complimented the fish without overwhelming it. It was expertly fried and while the batter could have used a hint more salt, that's a pretty petty critique. It was great fish, and dare I say superbly superb.
The French fries were also ample, and were cut in-house (which I love). It was basically a whole large potato, julienned, and again, expertly fried. The spuds looked as good as they tasted and lasted throughout the fish (and then some).
A big squeeze bottle of tartar sat atop the long bar when we arrived and about half of it remained upon our departure. I used a ton of the thick and creamy sauce because 1) it was there, and 2) I had plenty of fries to sop it up. While it was mostly mayo there was plenty of relish to keep it interesting, with its only real downfall was the fact that is wasn't chilled. Cold tartar > room-temp tartar.
Usually if a bar can get the fish, fries, and tartar right (and only charge me seven skins while doing so) I'll chalk it up as a win, but the Friendly folks take things a step further. They heap on a big old bowl of homemade slaw with the gooey texture you love and zip you crave, as well as a thick half-slice of marble rye. I found myself gleefully scooping the slaw onto that fat little sucker and living the Fish Fryers dream. It was simply glorious. The marble rye was plush, and while I could easily have eaten a full slice, it was thick enough that even a halfer was satisfying.
While I normally wouldn't drive 50 miles out of my way to go to a bar, the Fish Fry at the Friendly Tavern in Portage may have just changed all of that. It was nothing less than spectacular, especially when you consider the teensy-weensy price tag. Overall, we highly recommend this Fish Fry and will likely be coming up with excuses to go to Portage here on out... I hear they do a wicked Civil War Reenactment, and the downtown walking tour is a must! ;)