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 #569: Saz’s State House in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
No story of the last half century of Milwaukee can be written without Saz’s. Even if you’ve never been to Saz’s State House (5539 W. State St.; 414-453-2410), tried Saz’s barbecue sauce, or had Saz’s sampler platter at Summerfest or the State Fair, you know the name. You know they are Milwaukee. Everybody from Sigmund Snopek to Scott Walker can tell you that.
Steve Sazama opened Saz’s State House in March 1976 and steadily built the brand into the institution it is today. (Find a full accounting of their history on their website.) While not known for their fish fry, Saz’s has had one on the menu since the year they opened, when the haddock fry went for $2.75. I’d been to Saz’s just once, for a fish fry, naturally, on May 15, 2015. It was time to get back.
My wife and I were seated at a small table just past the circular bar, the iconic heart of Saz’s. I considered the sampler platter—listed as the Festival Combo on the menu—but decided to stick with the usual. On Fridays, Saz’s offers Miller High Life battered cod ($18.50) and baked cod with lemon butter ($19). Diners are given a choice of sour cream & chive fries or potato pancakes. I went with the beer battered cod and pancakes, added a cup of clam chowder ($4.50), and wet my whistle with a Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet ($7.25).
Do you ever look at the “Similar shots” feature on Google Photos? My life is so riveting that it almost always shows me picture collages of clam chowder cups, Old Fashioneds, or fish fry plates. My “Similar shots” currently consists of a slideshow with 15 Old Fashioneds. But I don’t need Google to remind me what an Old Fashioned looks like—I’ve got an afterimage of a rocks glass garnished with an orange slice and cherries imprinted under my eyelids. Indeed, this week’s Old Fashioned came in a rocks glass, had a half orange slice gripping the rim, and had a cherry skewered on a stick across it. The cocktail was non-muddled, but didn’t lack in flavor, because of what seemed like a strong pour of Old Fashioned mix, and had just the right amount of brandy.
A blend of carrots, celery, and potatoes formed the base for the chowder. Was there cheese in this chowder? I don’t think so, but its orange-tinted complexion along with its flavor made me question it. A comforting, salty soup, it was less thick and creamy than it was thin and light.
About 20 minutes after I had looked over the menu, the fish fry arrived. There was rye: swirled, sturdy, and small with salted edges. The prominent crunchiness of the green-hued cabbage matched its pungency in the well-oiled coleslaw.
The thin potato pancakes were buttery first and oniony second. It was unclear if the butter was spread on afterwards or part of the cooking (or both), but it brought such a rich flavor and softness to them. Were they just good because they were so buttery, or were they really some of the best potato pancakes I’ve had all year? If I can’t tell the difference, I don’t want to tell the difference. I’m calling them some of the best.
A faint beer flavor came through the crisp batter, which was otherwise modest. The three pieces of cod were rather ordinary in fleshiness and meatiness, with one piece being a little more lackluster than the other two. The tartar was light, tangy, and dill-pickle forward.
The fish fry at Saz’s State House is worth trying, but it’s also not surprising that fish frys are not what Saz’s is best known for, and that’s okay. While the potato pancakes were exceptional—and the other potato choice, the sour cream & chive fries, are also part of their heralded sampler platter—I found the cod to be rather commonplace, though not disappointing. The rye and slaw don’t turn heads, but it’s not like they are expected to, and the chowder is a positive addition if you choose to add it. Forty-eight years on, Saz’s is still there, on West State Street beneath the Hawley Road overpass, and whether you are in the mood for a fish fry, want some ribs or mozzarella sticks, or are searching for something else to quell your hunger, you’re sure to find it.
Takeaways: Upper echelon potato pancakes with a boatload of butter and an onion twist; straightforward fried cod; crunchy green slaw; they have a sampler platter that inspired a T-shirt; the regular menu also has walleye & chips ($26); they have a circular bar and the building was actually named the Circular Bar for a number of years before becoming Saz’s; Scott Walker met his future wife here and got engaged here, but has he gotten a fish fry here?
Note: Besides a best-of article next month, I’m going to take a break from the column and will likely be back sometime in February.
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