Shepherd Express Readers’ Favorite Milwaukee Friday Fish Fries

Shepherd Express readers have spoken in the 2024 Best of Milwaukee contest, giving top votes to these four places for a true Friday fish fry in Milwaukee

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Food & Drink

Wisconsin is famous for its Friday fish frys. Rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition of not eating meat on Fridays, fish frys became even more popular during Prohibition so restaurants could offer something special instead of alcohol to keep afloat. And because of the close proximity to freshwater, there’s a constant supply of inexpensive local fish.

Over the years, it’s become a huge draw for people interested in the culinary scene of Milwaukee. In fact, it was a challenge on last season’s “Top Chef Wisconsin.” Furthermore, restaurants have added different types of fish and proteins to ensure people of all diets can participate. While everyone has their favorite local spots, Shepherd Express readers have spoken in the 2024 Best of Milwaukee contest, giving top votes to these four places for a true Friday fish fry in Milwaukee.

The Packing House

The Packing House is one of Milwaukee’s staple supper clubs located at 900 E. Layton Ave across from Mitchell International Airport. It’s known for its traditional Wisconsin menu and entertaining atmosphere. Steaks and chops might come to mind, but they’re also one of the most popular fish frys around town.

The restaurant has a scratch kitchen, meaning they make everything in-house. So, when you bite into their Friday fish fry, they make the breading and hand-bread each filet to order. The tartar sauce, potato pancakes and clam chowder are also made from scratch and accompany each fish fry.

Operating since 1974, The Packing House is a dependable dining landmark. Fish frys can be enjoyed in the bar, dining room, or through their drive-thru window every Friday from 3 to 9 p.m.

Lakefront Brewery

Anyone who’s been to Milwaukee must stop at Lakefront Brewery on the Milwaukee River at 1872 N. Commerce Street. Home of “America’s favorite brewery tour” and many of our beloved local brews, it also has great food. Famous for their fried cheese curds, their menu is vast with salads, flatbreads, sandwiches, entrees and sausages. Let us not forget their excellent Friday fish frys either, served from 4-9 p.m. weekly with a side of polka.

Their classic fish fry comes with three pieces of fried cod, choice of side, creamy coleslaw, housemade tartar sauce and a lemon wedge unless otherwise specified. Lakefront offers a ton of different sides: potato pancakes, dill pickle kettle chips, fries, mac’n’cheese, coconut rice, a side salad or your choice of ginger, vegan or creamy coleslaw. Their food and drink menu offers a lot of choices for dietary restrictions and allergies, so this is the place to go for anyone who can’t stomach the more classic fish frys around town. Plus, they have different choices of proteins including shrimp, walleye or plant-based “fish” frys.

Friday nights at Lakefront Brewery are super fun with live music and dancing. While you might have to wait for a table, it’s always worth it. This is a great place to take out-of-towners or simply a fallback when you just feel like going out somewhere you know is going to be good.

Kegel’s Inn

This year, Kegel’s Inn celebrated 100 years in business at 5901 W. National Avenue in West Allis, and it’s no surprise that its excellence has continued for four generations. Walking in, you immediately feel like you’ve jumped the pond and have been transported to Bavaria. Their Friday fish fry has options: classic cod, lake perch, walleye, bluegill, grouper, catfish, baked cod, jumbo shrimp, or vegan fishless. And if you can’t decide and want it all, they’ve got their 3-2-1 platter featuring three pieces of cod, two pieces of lake perch and a walleye filet.

Served Fridays from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., each plate includes French fries, homemade coleslaw, Grebe’s rye bread and butter, house tartar sauce and a lemon wedge. For an extra charge, you can substitute fries for a baked potato (loaded or not), potato pancakes or German potato salad.

Layman Brewing

A cozy West Allis nano-brewing corner bar, Layman Brewing offers tasty pub fare in a relaxed atmosphere located at 6001 W. Madison Street. What is a nano-brewery? One that produces less than 15,000 barrels of beer per year. And much like other places around West Allis, Layman is growing in popularity and gaining clout in the bustling food scene.

For their Friday fish fry, they serve crispy pub-style beer-battered cod, freshly dipped to order from 4 to 9 p.m. each week. Guests can order two, three or four pieces of fish with a choice of potato side, including their hand-cut fries. Meals also include rye bread, butter and lemon, along with scratch-made coleslaw and unique chunky onion tartar (a family recipe), which is closer to a relish than a sauce.

However, their fish fry is seasonal and disappears with warmer weather, so it’s best to go for it between October and May.