Fish Fry Review: Steven's Steakhouse

Nate and I hadn't been out to a fish fry in almost a year (I know--it's that terrible for a Wisconsinite?!), and I had been craving one for a while. We decided last Friday would be the perfect night to go out for one. We invited my parents along, and they suggested a nearby restaurant we had been to a few years ago and had a great meal: Steven's Steakhouse on 92nd and National Ave. in West Allis.

The restaurant has a supper club-type feel to it, even though it's in a very urban area. The crowd is very local and everyone is super friendly. Steven's has just two rooms--half the place is the bar and the other half is a dining room. Luckily, we got there a bit after 8:00, so there was plenty of space in the dining room.

We all knew we wanted fish, so we turned our attention to the specials board, which lists all the fish specials. Clam chowder immediately caught my eye (as it usually does), so I ordered a cup of that. Nate had the other soup special, which was a beef vegetable soup. The clam chowder was really good--it was creamy, but not thick and overly rich. It had a unique flavor that we couldn't quite pinpoint. We first thought it might have some curry in it, but the waitress said it didn't.

We also started with a basket of freshly-baked bread and garlic butter. It was delicious, but I have to say, I do like rye bread with a fish fry.

For meals, my dad, Nate and I each had the regular fish fry, which was three good-sized pieces of breaded haddock (we're pretty sure it's haddock, but it could be cod). Of course, each plate came with a side of coleslaw and a potato choice--of course, I chose potato pancakes with applesauce (we all did, actually), one of my favorite parts of a fish fry! It was all really good--the breading on the fish was nice and crispy and pretty thick, but there was enough fish for each piece that it wasn't overwhelming. The pancakes were good too--a great potato flavor, but not too thick.

My mom got something a little different--the shrimp dinner with a twice-baked potato (sorry, no picture). I didn't try the shrimp, but it looked good--nice and lightly fried with shrimp sauce. I did try the potato and it was just OK. It seemed as it had likely been made much earlier in the day and just heated up to put on her plate. Her meal also came with soup or salad, and she got a house salad.

Overall, we had a great experience and I would definitely go back for the fish fry and recommend it to others. It's probably not a place many people would seek out (or even know about), but it's a place with great food that provides a slice of typical Wisconsin life on a Friday night. (Plus, they make really strong drinks!)