Review
The Shack has ridden the wave all the way to the finals of the Potosi Fish Fry contest in the Greater Madison Bracket (and I can see why) - it's an idyllic small town bar with a loyal clientele and great bar food. The lunch special is a pared-down version of their post-4pm list, and it just does what it should do. For 12 beans you get a nice 2-piece with fries, tartar, and slaw, all served on a paper plate. No fuss, no muss.
The two small chunks of cod are definitely made-to-order and pretty much exactly what I expected at that price point. The fish itself was stark white and super-flaky. Each piece was dotted with an incredibly light breading that let the fish fall apart when pulled, but still stuck when left alone. While there was a sheen of oil present it didn't saturate the wafer-thin coating or make things soggy. It all paired exquisitely with the thick and tangy tartar.
The fries were the standard fat crinkles which were nothing special, but certainly nothing to complain about; conversely, the slaw had "it." The large cup was packed to the brim with the ultra-creamy and tasty mix. While it could well have been a food service variety it didn't taste like any Sysco I've seen. I liked it a lot.
The Shack has an endearing quality that a lot of places in the city lack. It's comfortable, the food is made with care, and they genuinely seem to like having you there. As for the fish, it checks all the right boxes and, like I say, I'm not surprised they've made it to the 'ship. Overall, this is an easy one to recommend and if you love a great small town bar kick them a vote...it your last chance to do so.
Tavern Fish Frys tend to be pretty no-nonsense and the $13 3-piece at the Shack in Black Earth fits that description to a T. Everything comes on paper plates and bowls and is as bare bones as you're gonna find.
A straight-up bowl of salad comes before the fish and mine was "fully loaded." The greens were nice and crisp and set the stage for the fish and friends.
The fish plate was straight-forward and while I was worried it might be the pre-battered stuff, it was anything but. The cod was hand-battered, fall-apart flaky, and coated in a semi-frizzly dark beer batter. It was pretty nice for the price, and made exponentially better by the thick and delectable tartar.
A smattering of standard crinkle-cut fries did all they could do, and a big cup of super sloppy slaw nearly stole the show. There wasn't any bread with the fish, but the addition of the salad was a sort of a trade-off so take that for what it's worth.
The Shack is relatively close to home and since there aren't a lot of other place to eat in Black Earth I figured I needed to see what's what. Add on the fact we had the BOGO from the Madcity Cocktails book and it was an easy and satisfying selection this Friday.