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 #553: Walter’s On North in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.
“Do you want something specific, like Korbel, or is anything…”
I interrupted the bartender before she could finish her sentence, and planted the Korbel flag with a “Korbel sounds great!” response. Muddled with the same orange and cherry combo that was used as a garnish, the Old Fashioned was heavy on brandy, but mixed in such a way which made that hard to tell, with a fresh, summer-quenching quality.
There was a menu on the bar in front of me and I fixated on its bottom right corner: “Fish Fry Fridays.” I asked what that meant and what possibilities could be mine as I ventured into another Friday night. Were there options? Nope. Walters’ On North (6930 W. North Ave., Wauwatosa) offers a three-piece breaded cod fish fry ($13) that comes with french fries, coleslaw, and rye bread (sometimes). I’ll take it!
Walters’ is reminiscent of a well taken care of basement bar. It is clean, but retains an old-style aura, appearing how it might have 40-odd years ago. I’m not sure when the ceiling was put in, but it looks both like it’s from another era, but also almost new, without the piss-yellow smoke stains that ceilings of bars that have been in operation multiple decades tend to have. Tiffany-style lamps of many different sports teams (mainly from Wisconsin) hang from it. They, too, appear to be from another era, which is all the more obvious because one of them is of the Washington Redskins, a team that is now defunct and that had a (rightfully) scrutinized name and logo. More seating and bar games are beyond the bar, on its backside, but last Friday the action was up front, where the fryer to fry fish also is located.
George “Butch” Grbich owned Walters’ for more than a half century, and it was managed by Jimmy Wilkinson for almost as long. Grbich sold it to Jasmine O’Brien, Robert Deiss, and Christopher Trudeau on May 1, 2023, and the new owners opened it back up 10 days later. Where does the name “Walters'” come in? Russell “Big Jim” Walters’ 2004 obituary says he was the “original owner of Walters’ On North, the last of the original bar owners in Wauwatosa.” His son Wayne Walters’ obituary from the previous year says he “was the former owner and operator of Walters’ On North.”
“Where’s the rye bread?” I overheard the bartender who had been helping me ask the other bartender.
“We are out. We may have some in the freezer.”
The overheard message was relayed to me. Did I want a piece of white bread instead?
“Do you have a toaster?” I asked, after asking about the rye that was probably in the freezer.
“We can put it on the grill!”
I liked the idea. Hell yeah, grill-toasted rye bread with my fish fry, this is gonna be great!
Moments later, the bartender returned. “I don’t know how we could run out,” she lamented. There was no rye bread in the freezer. Yes, I was fine without white bread. This wasn’t a big deal.
The fish and french fries burbled in front of me and made their way to me in about 10 minutes. “Let me know if there’s anything else I can get you…except for rye bread,” the bartender quipped. But I had everything I needed; it was time to dig in.
Taste buds awoke with the cabbage-packed bite of the coleslaw, although it didn’t have much for seasoning otherwise. But what was that? Were those small bread and butter pickle chunks giving it a twist? I believe they were!
The french fries had a pillowy center, but held firm on the outside. They weren’t very salty, which became more apparent when the fellow next to me—who I’ll get to in a moment—loaded his up with salt.
The three pieces of cod had been left in the fryer perhaps a touch too long, although they weren’t burnt. Underneath the crisp and coarse—yet not entirely dismissible—breading were hefty, perfectly cooked pieces of fish. Whatever immense heat and pressure the breading had taken, the fish below had withstood it and used it to its benefit. The tartar was an apt counterpart to the cod. With an abundance of sweet relish and a dense consistency, it clung easily to the fish and brought out its best qualities.
Halfway through my meal, the fellow who later poured salt on his fries walked in and sat to my left. He ordered a fish fry with no questions asked. A true Wisconsin patriot. Moments later, another guy sat to my right:
“What are your fish fry options?”
“It’s cod. Three pieces. $13—but no rye bread,” the bartender answered.
“It’s not a deal breaker,” the comrade in fried fish to my left chimed in, “[I] probably wasn’t going to eat it anyway.”
The guy on my right wasn’t worried about rye bread either, but he was buying for someone else and said they were looking for beer battered cod, not breaded, so he walked out.
Some people order their fish fry after looking at a menu. Some people order their fish fry with confidence, no menu needed. Some people order fish frys for others and make sure to get the specific type of fish that was requested. From three such people comes a totally unreliable poll, and it has rendered a verdict: the lack of rye bread doesn’t stop anyone from ordering a fish fry.
Walters’ On North may be a longstanding bar, but it isn’t worn out. The vibes trend towards chill—although, during my short time there, Walters’ went from having two bartenders and about a quarter of the bar full, to four bartenders and almost the whole bar full. Its fish fry is simple, with only one option—typical of many bars that serve fish. While the fish fry is not outstanding, it’s no dud either. If you are looking to sit at a bar and have a fish fry without too much fanfare, this one is worth a try.
Takeaways: Longstanding bar that isn’t worn out; cabbage with a kick in the slaw, but were those bread and butter pickle chunks, too?; low-salt, pillowy-center fries; high marks for the fish and the tartar, and the breading was decent too, but was just a touch overdone; excellent rye bread; just kidding, they were out of rye bread, maybe you’ll probably get some this week if you go.
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