Trying to pick the best fish fry in Milwaukee is like trying to choose a favorite star in the summer sky. The number is almost infinite. So, to decide who to include in this year’s Shepherd Express Fish Fry Guide, we relied on you, our readers. We singled out the winner for fish fry in this year’s Best of Milwaukee contest and the three runners-up for special attention. The people of greater Milwaukee have spoken!
American Serb Hall
Serb Hall fish fry
5101 W. Oklahoma Ave. 414-545-6030 americanserbmemorialhall.com
While every restaurant, church and bar with a fish fry gets busy during Lent, there’s nothing quite like what happens at Serb Hall. The decades-old South Side banquet hall and bowling alley—yep, there are lanes in there!—bursts at the seams, packing people into its various event spaces where it serves a no-nonsense, family style fry. News crews show up to film segments, and the line of cars in the drive through stretches around the block. Even Al Roker once worked the drive through for a Food Network TV show.
Your table will be covered with fries or mashed potatoes, slaw that’s tangier than it is creamy and a basket of rye bread, no matter if your group has 16 people or just one. Breaded cod and haddock are available by the piece or go for the gusto with all-you-can-eat. Perch, shrimp and fried chicken round out the options, along with a Serbian-style cod. Not much has changed at Serb Hall in the 50-odd years it’s been around, and judging by the fish fry’s popularity, it won’t be changing anytime soon. (Lacey Muszynski)
Kam’s Thistle & Shamrock
3430 N. 84th St. 414-871-3977 thethistleandshamrock.com
Like every good neighborhood bar, Kam’s menu brims with snacks, apps, sandwiches and many daily specials. Friday nights, though, are when the kitchen really shines. They go all out for fish fry, cooking up 17 different types of fish: swai, cod, haddock, smelt, northern pike, salmon, bluegill, perch, grouper, walleye, barramundi, tilapia, red snapper and shrimp. Most options are available either fried in a thin, finely textured crumb coating or baked with butter. Opt for fried if you can, as the breading is delicate and clings to the fish better than a heavier coating. It’s an especially great way to bread smelt without it turning into a fish stick-like finger.
The fry comes with the standard sides, including homemade slaw and tartar sauce. Skip the crinkle-cut fries and order either the homemade potato chips or the potato pancakes. The cakes are deep brown, crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, with just a bit of onion. They come with a cup of applesauce or maple syrup, something not too common. (Lacey Muszynski)
Kegel’s Inn
Kegel's fish fry
5901 W. National Ave. 414-257-9999 kegelsinn.com
Kegel’s Inn is a remnant of Old Milwaukee in West Allis, a German restaurant and corner tap whose Old World charm is authentic. The dark Teutonic interior boasts the original mahogany bar and wooden tables and chairs that could date from the place’s opening in 1924. The high wooden wainscoting is surmounted by murals of hunting and merriment. Beautiful leaded glass windows suggest an old ratskeller and (no surprise) beer steins line one wall. The environment is remarkable, but people keep coming back for the food, including the many Bavarian dishes and the fish fry served Wednesdays and Fridays.
Kegel’s offers a half-dozen options, including baked fish and a seafood combo. At a recent lunch visit, Kegel’s “classic fish fry” included five pieces of lightly battered, golden brown cod. They don’t let you leave hungry. The fish fry comes with two slices of hearty rye bread, homemade coleslaw and choice of soup. French fries and mashed potatoes are the standard sides, but Kegel’s has unusual alternatives: potato pancakes, red cabbage or spaetzle (German egg noodles). Kegel’s offers a good wine list, plenty of beer and—as they say auf Deutsch—Gemütlichkeit! (David Luhrssen)
Lakefront Brewery
Lakefront Brewery fish fry
1872 N. Commerce St. 414-372-8800 lakefrontbrewery.com/beer-hall
The raucous, convivial atmosphere at Lakefront Brewery on Friday evenings is second to none in Milwaukee. It’s everything a beer hall should be, from the family style seating prompting you to make new friends to the live polka music from the Brewhaus Polka Kings. You’ll have to wait for a seat during peak times, but the fish is worth any hassle.
Cod loins in a crispy beer batter are clearly the most popular order, but the menu doesn’t stop there. Baked cod with lemon and capers, baked salmon with New Grist Ginger, fried shrimp, perch and smelt round out the seafood offerings. The smelt fry, with whole fish in a light coating of breadcrumbs, is especially well done. Potato pancakes come with a cup of better-than-usual applesauce, and German potato salad beats fries on the side any day. Unlike many restaurants, Lakefront serves plenty of other food on Fridays as well, making it a great stop with large groups that may have fish haters. Plus, you can always count on great beer. (Lacey Muszynski)
