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 #584 at Coach’s Pub ‘N’ Grill in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
It wasn’t just another Friday, it was Friday Fish Fry Day. Even the mayor, county executive, and governor got in on it, issuing proclamations for the day. Tyler Maas and I were slated to DJ the official afterparty at Third Space Brewing, and decided to celebrate the holiday together beforehand. We considered eating in the large hall at Clifford’s, the most festive of rooms, as we did last year, but settled on Coach’s Pub ‘N’ Grill instead (5356 S. 13th St.; 414-281-8175), in large part to save time.
It made sense for other reasons, too. In recent years, Coach’s has become my neighborhood standby for a fish fry. This past Friday marked my third Friday going there in a year’s time, and I ticked off a visit in 2023 and 2022 as well. I had included them in my lists of best Milwaukee-area fish frys in 2022, 2023, and 2024, but hadn’t written about them since 2017, the year I started this column, when I was still using a rating system and gave their fish fry a middling 3 out of 5.
The time was ripe to give Coach’s an updated review. But truthfully, my focus was not at its peak: I was there to celebrate the holiday, there was a friend with me who I planned to pay attention to, and I was thinking about the afterparty. Would we get there in time to set up? Would people attend? (I also didn’t take notes immediately after my meal, as I almost always do each week.) Push forward regardless. Churn something out worth reading.
We walked in at 4 p.m. and were immediately seated. Before getting my hands on a menu, I got them on two sheets of computer paper printed with bold font. One informed me that those who order a fish fry between 2 and 4 p.m. and 8 and 10 p.m. receive a dollar off their meal. The other said: “Starting EVERY Friday, Coach’s will not be serving Broasted Chicken, Wings or or Boneless Wings AFTER 3PM. Sorry for the inconvenience.” Now, I was pleased to have a piece of chicken along with my nine pieces of pollock last week—and a chicken add-on generally makes my heart skip even though I steer towards the fish—but I was almost even more amused that a place seemed to be saying: “Nope, get that chicken outta here. It’s Friday and we need room in the fryer for fish.”
Coach’s has plenty of fish options to fill that fryer. Their seafood menu boasts breaded or beer-battered cod ($13.99), pan-fried or deep-fried walleye ($18.99), deep-fried perch ($17.99), deep-fried bluegill ($17.99), lightly-breaded or beer-battered shrimp ($16.99), poorman’s lobster ($14.99), and the fisherman’s platter ($18.99), which comes with 2 pieces each of cod, bluegill, perch, and shrimp. Additional pieces of perch, bluegill, or shrimp are $2, while you’ll have to give them $3 for an extra piece of cod. Each dinner is served with onion rings or a pick of potato, either potato pancakes, french fries, waffle fries, mashed potatoes, or sour cream & chive fries.
Back in 2017, most of Coach’s fish frys came with a side salad or a cup of soup, either clam chowder or spicy fisherman’s chowder. These are still available, but are no longer included and will set you back $3.50 each. Also still on the menu over seven years later: buckets of fish to go! Like I did then, I ordered the fisherman’s platter—which now comes with an extra piece of cod and a piece less of perch and bluegill—picked the pancakes, and tacked on a cup of clam chowder.
The velvety chowder was rich in flavor and filled with potatoes and clams. As I chattered to Tyler, the chowder evaporated, like a cigarette during a smoke break from 20 years in my past. Served less than two miles from the airport, this chowder flies under the radar, likely being one of the best clam chowders you can find paired with a fish fry within the city limits. It prepares those who eat it for a fish fry, but likely would serve a famished fisherman well too, especially if he was stuck in the sand aboard the SS Milwaukee. The SS Milwaukee!
A fisherman needs a fisherman’s platter, and mine wasn’t too far off, hitting the PVC tablecloth at around 4:20. The sides—the rye bread, coleslaw, and potato pancakes—were all typical fare, being satisfactory but not the reason why Coach’s has risen in the ranks for me since my first visit. Tyler questioned if the potato pancakes were even homemade, on account of their uniformity, something that hadn’t crossed my mind until then. What was apparent to me was that if they weren’t homemade, they had at least been fried right. I neglected to ask about them, not wanting to shatter my hopes, I suppose.
The cod, perch, bluegill, and shrimp are why I keep going back—I’ve only ever had the fisherman’s platter. All pieces were covered with the same coating, which has been consistent every time I’ve gone. It’s a light-toned breading that borders on a batter, slightly seasoned and having a rough-hewn surface. It is distinct, more distinct than the breading found on three-quarters of fish frys. This time around the bluegill were sizable and popped with flavor, the perch were on the smaller end and milder, and the pieces of cod were chunky and clean. They paired well with the light, thin, and tangy tartar.
In my best-of list from 2022 I wrote, “I’m unsure whether my perception of Coach’s changed or if something changed on their end since I wrote about them five years ago, but regardless, I’m including them here.” I’m still not sure the answer to that, but I think it’s just that the fish at Coach’s has become one of my loves, a reliable go-to when I’ve been at a loss of where else to turn. It was an ideal fish fry to celebrate the holiday with and to pump me up for the afterparty.
At Third Space, Tyler and I traded off spinning 45s, Interchange Food Pantry accepted food and monetary donations, friends stopped by to offer support, and Frida’s Cocina sold tacos, including fried fish tacos. While it wasn’t a blowout affair, I think it was a success. If just a few people went a little less hungry because of the event, it was worth it. For in a world of Friday night fish frys, no one should go hungry any day of the week. Thank you to everyone who participated in Friday Fish Fry Day 2025. We’ll see you next year!
Takeaways: Receive $1 off fish frys between 2 and 4 and 8 and 10; no chicken available after 3; buckets of fish to go; velvety chowder good enough to eat anywhere, but probably best enjoyed on the SS Milwaukee; distinct and original rough-hewn coating on all fish and shrimp; fine fish below the surface; tangy and thin tartar; a reliable go-to even after a recent ownership change.
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