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 #557: The Duck Inn Supper Club in Delavan, Wisconsin.
After a few days in the Driftless Area—staying at the Don Q Inn, hiking in Governor Dodge State Park, and walking the whimsical streets of Mineral Point—my wife and I made our way back to Milwaukee. But we dipped south into Walworth County on our drive home. No, it wasn’t to see Nelly perform at the Walworth County Fair. It was to go to The Duck Inn Supper Club (N6214 WI-89; 608-883-6988).
The Duck Inn sits northwest of Delavan, near the town of Richmond. Its name dates to the Prohibition era, when it was a speakeasy and patrons would “duck in” for a drink. Freddie Adams turned into a supper club in 1949. Steaks and chicken were on the menu that year, as was an all-you-can-eat Friday fish fry for a dollar. After sitting vacant for close to a decade, Jeff and Nora Karbash bought it in 1994 and have run it since.
The question on my mind as we were heading east across the state was if this would be the type of place that required a 4 p.m. arrival time—which is the time they open—or would arriving closer to 5 suffice? (I didn’t notice at the time that reservations could be made online.) When we rolled into the parking lot around 4:10, the gears of Friday were already turning, but the small bustle was only a preview of what was to come.
The Duck Inn is divided into three main sections. The Drake Room is to the right upon entering. With vaulted ceilings, it resembles the interior of a house of worship, and has seating for over 100 guests.
The bar room is to the left. It not only has a bar, but about a half dozen dining tables along the wall opposite the bar.
Past this room, on the far west end of the building is the Duck Room, which was part of the original restaurant. Outside its far windows is one of the most gorgeous, if not also iconic, signs and exteriors of all Wisconsin supper clubs.
As you might guess, ducks are everywhere at the Duck Inn, too, not unlike the blue herons at the Blue Heron. (Although, duck is also on the menu at the Duck Inn, while blue heron is not on the menu at the Blue Heron.)
When we arrived, most of the folks were in the bar area. After we asked for a table we were brought to a seat in the Drake Room, which was largely empty. The Friday specials weren’t listed on the menus we were given—although a framed hand-drawn sign in the room mentioned them—so our server told us more about them. Both broiled cod and fried cod ($21) are all-you-can-eat, and can be ordered on their own or together. Smelt ($23) is also all-you-can-eat. Perch ($26) and mini shrimp ($18) round out the specials, and kids fish frys ($13) are also available. The potato choices are french fries and potato pancakes.
“Would you like any appetizers?”
“No, we’re okay.”
“Would you like a relish tray? It’s a supper club tradition.”
SOLD.
So, along with a Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet, I started off with a relish tray ($1.50). It had carrots, celery, olives, hot cherry peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, and baby corn, alongside the house buttermilk ranch dip. The stellar Old Fashioned was low on bubbles and balanced on sweetness. There wasn’t any fruit at its bottom, and instead of a cherry and orange slice garnish, it had a cherry and a lemon sliver. Lemon! I applaud.
It was a brief wait until the fish fry arrived. I had ordered the all-you-can-eat fried cod with potato pancakes. By some luck, there was a potato du jour of roasted garlic smashed potatoes ($4.25) and a vegetable du jour of fresh garden veggie sautée ($7) being served, so I didn’t feel like a completely terrible husband for bringing my vegetarian wife to yet another fish fry. (Side gripe: supper clubs need to start adding more vegetarian and gluten-free options to bring in these types of diners.)
Two slices of rye bread were underneath four pieces of cod. Were they lightly buttered or was it just the gentle grease of the fish upon them? Were they lightly toasted or was it just the warmth of the fish upon them? It was hard to tell (I’d guess the former), but whatever it was was fine by me. The bread was a light rye with caraway seeds, with a strong caraway flavor.
It was clear the coleslaw was not the creamy type, but what I imagined would be a vinegar-based slaw, which in part it may have been, tasted more like an oil-based one. The sauce was mild, but overall the slaw was not, because of the fresh cracked pepper that could be found throughout it, not just on its top. I haven’t come across many coleslaws that are similar to it, and that alone gives it street cred, but it was delightful, too.
Puffed up, with a crisp, hashbrown-string exterior, the potato pancakes were mirrored on their interior, except the crisp brown gave way to soft alabaster. The pancakes were speckled green and had a rich onion flavor.
The mighty morsels of cod, of which there were four, were each gone in two bites, but that mattered none because I knew there were more if I wanted them. The meat was by no means superior to so many others of its kind, but ran with the best of them in texture and flavor, lacking nothing. A light, thin, and almost translucent batter covered it. If there was beer in it, it went undetected, and it was mild overall. The moderately thick tartar was an essential component to making the whole package.
When we were asked if we needed anything, I asked for another round of fish. It turned out the potato pancakes were also all you can eat, and I requested one more. The plate arrived in just a few minutes. Maybe it was the extra pancake that put me over the top, or maybe it was because I had eaten a pasty at the Red Rooster Cafe in Mineral Point less than four hours earlier, but the second plate filled me up and I stopped there.
Less than an hour after we arrived, the bustle around us had grown. About half of the tables in the Drake Room were now filled, and a revolving door of people were coming in. They were in search of the same Friday fulfillment we had found. Make no mistake, with memorably curated food, familiar hospitality, and an inviting environment, the Duck Inn would ensure they found it too.
Takeaways: You can order all-you-can-eat fried cod or all-you-can-eat broiled cod or all-you-can-eat smelt or all-you-can-eat broiled and fried cod, but you can’t order all-you-can-eat cod AND smelt; it bears repeating: they serve smelt!; potato pancakes are also all you can eat; get the relish tray for a buck-fifty; stellar Old Fashioned; non-creamy slaw with a peppery punch; top-notch ambience.
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