Caleb Westphal hasn’t missed a Friday fish fry since 2013. Follow his never-ending adventures—sponsored by Miller High LifeHERE. This week, fish fry #564: Tower Tavern in Manitowoc, Wisconsin.

The last time I was in Manitowoc was likely in 2019, when I saw Booker T. play for free, which was even cheaper than the time I saw him for $20 at the Racine Zoo. I don’t get to the city often, and the last time I was there before the Booker T. show might have been when I played some hole-in-the-wall bar in the mid-2000s. But the boys and I had a gig with Exitstatements and Vile Bees at PetSkull Brewing this past Friday, so I was returning. Along with playing a show, I had the opportunity to get a fish fry in a city I may have never had one before.

When I came across a place about four blocks from the venue that had something called Double Perch Lunch listed on their menu, it was all over. I looked no further. Still, with a rarely updated Facebook page that didn’t have any pictures of fish, I wasn’t exactly sure what I’d find at Tower Tavern (602 N. Water St.; 920-682-3922). It wasn’t clear what a Double Perch Lunch was either, or if this “lunch” was even available for dinner. But this was the kind of feeling that I wanted while on the road on this particular fall night—a bit of uncertainty and a whole lotta faith.

When two of the boys and I strolled into the tavern like parched cowboys in an old western movie, we found almost all the seats taken except three bar stools across from the fryers and staging station where burgers and fish frys were getting assembled. This buckaroo skipped the shot of whiskey and ordered an Old Fashioned instead. Non-muddled, with some brandy, a special sauce, and a citrus slice tossed in, it was a pint glass pleaser—the kind of drink that soothes a work-ravaged soul who just finished another week toiling to make someone else rich, or soothes anyone, really. The price of such a drink? $3.25.


Under the “fish fry” section of the menu—which is available every day of the week—one finds: deep fried breaded scallops ($7.95), fantail shrimp (shrimp only for $7.95/ with slaw and potato for $9.95), beer battered cod (fish only for $9.25/ with slaw and potato for $11.45), perch (fish only for $12.95/ perch lunch with slaw and potato for $15.95/ double perch lunch with slaw and potato for $24.95), and grilled mahi mahi with slaw and potato for $11.95. The potato choices are German potato salad, American potato salad, or fries, with sour cream fries or waffle fries available for an extra 80 cents, or sweet potato fries for an extra dollar.


I asked if it was okay to order the perch lunch even though it was dinnertime, and was told the perch lunches are served all day, every day. I asked what the difference between the perch and double perch was, and was told the single came with four pieces, while the double came with eight. Despite the significant price jump between the two, I had no hesitation in choosing the Double Perch Lunch, and ordered it with the french fries.

“Since you are getting the double perch, I’ll give you this right away,” the server said, as she placed a cardboard tray with bread, coleslaw, and two tartars in front of me. The bread was a medium marble slice, slathered with butter. The slaw made itself known in two ways: it had a captivating pungency and was exceptionally juicy.


“We had a perch casualty, you have two more coming,” I was told, as a plate of six pieces of perch on a bed of fries was set in front of me. I heard something said about how this would be a lot for me to finish anyway, but while it was a lot, I knew it wasn’t too much. Moments later the two missing pieces of perch arrived in their own tray.


With some seasoning visible, the breading on the perch was salty and somewhat sweet. Fried to perfection, it was slightly crisp but not crunchy. The perch fillets beneath it were soft, and small but meaty. They had some of that quintessential candied perch flavor, although it didn’t smack me upside the head, instead taking a more relaxed approach. The fillets and breading were consistent between each piece. What stood out most was the high quality of the texture, particularly of the fish itself, but also of the breading. The tartar was down the middle, not too thick or thin, and not swinging too hard with flavor or with relish.

The base of the bulked-up straight-cut fries—or deflated steak fries, depending on how they are perceived—were on the softer end but not soggy, and were great for ketchup dipping. Like the perch, I was able to finish them off, and it made me chuckle to myself that I could have gone for a Triple Perch Lunch.


Tower Tavern isn’t exactly a tower, but it’s been standing—and serving fish frys—for a long time. An ad from the Friday, July 10, 1936, edition of the Manitowoc Sun-Messenger alerts readers that Tower Tavern has a PERCH FRY TONITE. The tavern does take its name from a tower—Manitowoc’s first water tower stood behind it until 1938. With a Double Perch Lunch that’s served all day, every day, Tower Tavern towers high despite being a one-story building, and if they were serving Friday perch frys in the era of Franklin Roosevelt, there’s reason enough to believe they’ll be doing it for decades to come.


Takeaways: Tall as a tower Old Fashioneds for $3.25 (and bottled High Life for $1.75); slathered medium marble rye; pungent and juicy slaw; a bed of big straight-cut fries; well-sourced perch with a terrific breading, fried to the sweet spot; three words: Double Perch Lunch; I’ll be off from the column next week—see you after the election!

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Originally hailing from Fond du Lac, Wisconsin—home of Walleye Weekend, the self-professed "World's Largest Walleye Fish Fry"—Caleb Westphal has not missed a Friday night fish fry since sometime in 2013. He plays saxophone with the surf-punk-garage outfit Devils Teeth. He also spins classic 45s and would love to do so at your roller skating party, car show, or 50th high school reunion.