White Oak -redux- - Janesville - Friday Night Fish Fry

11 July 2014

White Oak -redux- - Janesville - Friday Night Fish Fry

This entry was posted on 7/11/2014 1:30 AM and is filed under Taverns Wisconsin, Friday Night Fish Fry, and Friday Night Fish Fry - book version

Recently ol' Dadio has been bunkered in the Janesville area due to another one of life's many setbacks.  But, not to be undone by "setbacks," via experience Dadio keeps a lot of Aces up his sleeves.  And Friday night fish frys are no exception to the rule.  Dadio will not be denied his damn fish ritual. 

About three miles from my house in Janeville, Wisconsin, right near the corner of Parker Drive and Centerway Street in down town Janesville, is the White Oak. The restaurant is strategically located just around the corner from the main drag in town which is usually thought to be Milwaukee Street. Around another corner is the Farmer's Market on Main on Saturday mornings. And, poetically, the Rock River runs a block away. 

I used to work down town and drive by the place every day.  Nowadays, the company I work for has me in their edge-of-town facility.  None-the-less, I do a lot of writing in an old tavern just down the street from White Oak.  Friday nights, I pack up my computer and head for fish. 

On the front side of the building you will notice some military crests. It is inside that you get the timbre of the theme. The bar and seating area are decked in a menagerie of mostly Korean War memorabilia. 

This is an old time fish fry presentation. It will start out with a prompt presentation of a basket with ample slices of uber-fresh hot bread.  A cup of whipped butte will accompany the bread.  

You get a good baked potato. And I mean one that is cooked right - steam'n hot in foil.  It reminds me of the ones we cooked on the farm. It almost had a twice-baked flavor. You can also get fries. A cup of fresh sour cream comes too. The cole slaw is diced into small pieces. It also reminds me of Mom's home-made cole slaw we ate on the farm.

As always, this Friday they offered either fried Cod, Perch, or Catfish. I have had them all at one time or another. I had a hanker'n for Catfish this fine evening. Two giant slabs were crisp on the outside, tender and hot on the inside. It looked and tasted like fried Catfish should. And, no bones what so ever. 

The tarter sauce tasted smooth and also home made. If you desire, one extra piece of fish is included if you are still hungry. With a PBR and a 20-percent tip I got out of there for a minimal re-numeration.

One last note, the silverware is spotless. And, I love the white porcelain-esque plates, cups, and dishes.  It just fits the whole theme of the old favorite eatery and watering hole. 

White Oak is cool with Cool Dadio. 

White Oak is a well known local spot so give yourself extra time during peak fish hours in the evening in case you have to wait a bit. But even so, they are pretty quick. Call (608) 756-4070 for more details. White Oak can be found at 429 North Parker Drive in down town Janesville, Wisconsin. 

{ 12 October 2007 White Oak fish fry review }  WordPress backup

Note: You can find a chronological list at the Cool Dadio Media Fish Fry Page of these fish frys as we have visited them. The list presents the most recently visited fish fry at the top, in lieu of alphabetical order. 

Note: This Friday Night Fish Fry book version includes some of my favorite Southern Wisconsin fish frys after a revisit - a redux as it were. You can find all the fish fry reviews at the Cool Dadio Media Fish Fry Page.