Caleb Westphal hasn’t missed a Friday fish fry since 2013. Follow his never-ending adventures—sponsored by Miller High Life—HERE. This week: fish fry #622, at Swagger Sports Bar & Grill at the Root River Center in Franklin, Wisconsin.
I could hear the crack of bowling balls coming from the next room, and throughout the building the music was pumped up louder than necessary, as often is the case in bowling alleys. Nineties pop songs such as “Tearin’ Up My Heart” by *NSYNC and “Say You’ll Be There” by the Spice Girls blasted from the speaker directly above me. I was at a table in Swagger Sports Bar & Grill, inside of the Root River Center in Franklin (7220 W. Rawson Ave.; 414-425-7700).
Root River Lanes was built and opened in 1981. The 23,331-square-foot building, which today holds the bar & grill, a bowling alley, and a banquet hall, first began being referred to as the Root River Center in the mid-1990s, but was still often called Root River Lanes well into the 2000s. New ownership took over in 2015, and the Root River Center, with the new Swagger Sports Bar & Grill, reopened in August of that year.
I’ve never been to Swagger for a fish fry, although I’ve been to plenty of places nearby, such as the Polish Center of Wisconsin, The Steakout, and Joey’s Gerard’s, to name a few. It was Black Friday, when restaurants are generally busy, so I thought a place like Swagger—a bar alongside a bowling alley in a big building that’s not in a large commercial district—would be a safe bet to avoid large crowds and be able to have a quick, easygoing fish fry. I also wanted a fish fry that was less gut-busting than usual, since it was the day after Thanksgiving and I’d had all-you-can eat fish frys the past two Fridays.
While the bowling alley was nearly full, Swagger was nearly empty. I grabbed a menu from the bar and took a seat at a table, after being told by a bartender that a server would be with me in a moment. Swagger has changed up their fish fry over its decade run. As recently as at least June 2024 they offered breaded perch, homemade potato pancakes, and buy-one-get-one free Spotted Cow battered cod. The menu is simpler now, with cod dinners ($10.38) available with cod loins either battered in Spotted Cow beer or baked with lemon pepper or Cajun seasoning. The dinners come with french fries or housemade kettle chips, with substitutions for an extra cost available for tater tots ($2.08), sweet potato waffle fries ($3.12), or mozzarella sticks or cheese curds ($4.16). Two minutes after I had sat down, I had an order in for the beer battered cod with french fries, and a can of Upside Dawn Golden in front of me. Five minutes later—count them, one, two, three, four, and five—I had my fish fry.
A hefty slice of marbled rye had been buttered, roughly cut, and folded back on itself. It was thick, yet somewhat tough. With cabbage that was particularly green, an occasional squarish chunk of carrot, and a moderate amount of seasoning, the coleslaw was reminiscent of deli counter slaw. The french fries recalled the textured fries of the previous week, had a slightly crisp exterior and soft interior, and had an everyday flavor, not having much salt or seasoning.
There were three pieces of cod, which were not so much tender as they were chunky. They didn’t have a light, golden batter, as I thought Spotted Cow might give them, but a heavy and rather thick grease-free batter that presented like a breading. While any beer flavor was muted, salt and seasoning came through. The tartar was typical, yet leaned towards the relish in substance and flavor, without being overwhelmed by it.
The fish fry at Swagger Sports Bar & Grill is tepid in its approach, not drawing much attention to itself, unlike the thunder crack of bowling balls or JC Chasez and Justin Timberlake singing “Tearin’ Up My Heart.” The sides simply check off a list, while the fish and tartar are enjoyable yet don’t burn into the memory. But, with few fish options and minimal advertising about what they do have, it doesn’t seem like Swagger is aiming to do any memory burning.
Of course, my suggestion would be they bring back the perch and pancakes and the rest, commandeer the banquet hall—it didn’t look like it was in use on this Friday anyway—and start serving fish frys in it every Friday. If the demand isn’t there, it’s time to create the demand. Until then, Swagger is a place to get a fish fry when you are bowling, when you need a fix of the Spice Girls and *NSYNC, or when you want something quick and simple while avoiding restaurant crowds.
Takeaways: Slaw evocative of deli counter slaw; heavy and rather thick batter on cod that is more chunky then it is tender; relish-leaning tartar; affordable; come for the fish fry, stay to bowl or to watch a band, which they have every Friday night; there’s lots of extra space in this 23,331-square-foot building that could be used to serve fish frys.
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