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 #585 at Ricky’s Double Barrel Inn in Franklin, Wisconsin.
There were a few reasons I wanted to get a fish fry at Ricky’s Double Barrel Inn (11318 W. St. Martins Rd.; 414-425-9971) with Rick: he lives (and grew up) near the restaurant, he “likes” the restaurant’s Facebook page, and of most importance, his name is Rick. It seemed like destiny. You may know Rick as the host of The Catered Quiz, a Family Feud contestant, the star of the world’s greatest television commercial, or just as the friendly guy you don’t know too well but whose integrity you immediately knew was impeccable the moment you met him.
Open since December, Ricky’s Double Barrel Inn is located in the building that formerly was Wegner’s St. Martins Inn, a place I had a fish fry at and wrote about in early 2022, and which closed last June. Ricky’s is owned by Nate Fabry, who along with his wife Laurie are also behind Romey’s Place Bar & Grill, which is less than a mile up the road and also serves fish frys. While Romey’s is a working-class bar with a kitchen, Ricky’s is more like a supper club. The interior has been toned down since its time as Wegner’s. Gone is the racing paraphernalia gracing the walls, as are the light, knotty pine walls themselves, with darker wood that takes up less surface area taking their place.
Rick and I walked in at 4:45. Although the bar area was full, there was space in the dining room for us to be seated right away. That was surprising enough, being that we’re now in Lent, but I was even more surprised when we were seated at the same back corner table I sat at when I ate at Wegner’s in 2022. Last time, I zoomed quickly to my seat like one of the race cars pictured on the walls, beating the hostess to the back of the room. This time around, the path I was taking between tables was blocked with chairs and I had to backtrack and follow behind everyone. I guess I’m always in a hurry on Fridays—racing-themed restaurants or not—but it didn’t work this time. It didn’t matter because seconds later I was looking over a Ricky’s Friday Night Fish Fry menu.
On Fridays, Ricky’s offers beer-battered cod (three-piece for $16.95 or four-piece for $20.25), beer-battered perch ($21.50), grilled salmon with rice pilaf and vegetables topped with mushroom sauce ($20.50), deep-fried jumbo fantail shrimp ($18.95), two-piece beer-battered walleye ($19.50), baked cod with rice pilaf and vegetables ($18.50), and the Friday night sampler consisting of cod, walleye, and perch ($22.95). The Friday menu also has a non-seafood option, the wurst platter, with Weiss wurst, smoked sausage, curry sausage, and a Weiss beer brat served with sauerkraut and boiled potatoes ($22.50). All dinners come with a choice of potato pancakes, french fries, or garlic butter pasta. There’s a children’s menu that includes a fish fry ($8.95). Clam chowder is also available by the cup ($4) or bowl ($6.50). I settled on the Friday night sampler with pancakes, along with a cup of clam chowder, while Rick went with the cod.
I wondered if the recipe for the fish fry had any connection to what was served at Wegner’s or is served at Romey’s. While our server didn’t have a definitive answer, after looking over the menus for those restaurants, it doesn’t seem to be the case. Our server did tell us that the German fare Wegner’s had is an inspiration at Ricky’s, which may explain why the Friday menu has a sausage plate on it. I also asked where the name “Ricky’s” comes from, and we were told it’s the name of Nate and Laurie’s son, to which Rick exclaimed that when he was younger he also was known as Ricky.
Not long after ordering, the chowder arrived. It was on the thinner side, with only a moderate amount of contents—clams, potatoes, carrots, maybe some celery—but its flavor was beyond reproach, aiding it in overcoming anything it lacked in substance.
The Friday night sampler plate is a sight to behold, even if half the perch remains unseen, being hidden underneath a hefty piece of walleye. This sight was quickly sullied when I toppled the cup of syrup immediately after taking the obligatory plate photo, soaking the tablecloth, which was thankfully paper, to be switched out when we left. But instantly visible or not, the Friday night sampler delivered.
I often get a fish fry at an Irish pub on a Friday close to St. Patrick’s Day. That wasn’t to be the case this year, so the rye bread would have to carry all the holiday weight. It was freshly soft, thick, and amply buttered, hitting all the marks it needed. While there was nothing exceptional about the coleslaw, it was not disappointing, being juicy and sweet, making its point, and then getting out of the way.
A brighter and lighter future might be what we all want, but I’ll settle for a brighter and lighter potato pancake, and that’s what Ricky’s is tossing onto their plates. These homemade cakes were tender and infused with the perfect amount of onion. While not potato pancakes that will be recalled years later, they were everything that was needed in the moment.
Four pieces of perch, a big piece of walleye, and a piece of cod made for six pieces of fish. Like with the pancakes, the beer batter was bright—and buttery. It leaned into sweetness, with scant a whiff of beer, being thicker with a breading-like composition and without a hint of greasiness nor being overdone. But this was golden batter, not gilded, because the fish beneath had its own sparkling story to tell, too. All three had their own distinct flavors and configuration, with the flavor of the flaky and fresh walleye being the most pronounced. The petite perch was milder, as was the cod, and may not have been up to the caliber of the walleye, but close.
The fish had enough going for it that it would have survived without tartar, but I’m for more than just mere survival. Being quite uniform in structure, with barely any pickles or relish or anything chunky in it, the tartar added sweetness to the already sweet fish, without going over the top.
If you were an adherent of Wegner’s St. Martins Inn and have been mourning its loss, holding off checking out its replacement, shake off your supper club blues and get yourself through the doors at Ricky’s Double Barrel Inn. It may look different, and the menu may be different, but there’s still a fish fry, and it’s a good one, with both the pancakes and fish being cooked with the same care. If you get there early, there might just be an open table for you right away. I suggest going with a friend named Rick.
Takeaways: Thin chowder with a flavor beyond reproach; St. Patrick’s Day worthy rye bread; bright and light potato pancakes; golden not gilded batter with an admirable fish trifecta beneath it; top notch service.
Want more Caleb? Hire him for all your 100%-vinyl DJ needs and follow him on Patreon.
RELATED ARTICLES
• Enjoy Every Fish Fry main page
• Enjoy Every Fish Fry: Wisconsin fish fry reviews
• Enjoy Every Fish Fry: The best Milwaukee-area fish frys of 2024