Brit Inn

F O O D



fish choice:
1 2 3 4 5
battered and fried cod or grilled salmon

Cod is the standard for fish frys, but some places 'round these parts have more options than that. The Brit Inn only offers two and the second isn't fried, so it doesn't necessarily count as a fish fry. The grilled salmon, however, did look like a really tasty and healthy choice, so it's an excellent alternative if you're stuck going with the family and still want to stick to a somewhat healthy diet.

fish to batter ratio:
1 2 3 4 5
more batter than fish

crispiness of batter:
1 2 3 4 5
nicely golden brown, crispy, and thick.

It had an excellent breading texture, but there was no trace of beer; it did not appear to be beer-battered.

freshness/fishiness:
1 2 3 4 5
as with most deep fried foods, it's hard to tell just how fresh it is, but it was definitely not fishy

It may have been frozen, but we could have just as easily believed it was caught today. This is a huge plus in our book.

texture of fish:
1 2 3 4 5
excellently light and flaky

It had a bit of moistness to it, but not the type that one would characterize as slimy or rubbery. It was also not so light and flaky as to be brittle or dry. It was akin to al dente, for a fish anyway.

condiments:
1 2 3 4 5
lemon, tartar sauce, ketchup, malt vinegar

coleslaw:
1 2 3 4 5
fresh, light, crispy, finely shredded in little strings with some disks thrown in, good texture, not heavy on the sauce at all

It seemed to be oil rather than cream-based, but not soggy with oil. This is a sign of professionals. They do not underestimate the importance of fresh cole slaw and how it plays into the whole fish fry meal experience. It was definitely not soggy sauer kraut and half-and-half like so many other Milwaukee fish fry joints think they can get away with. (You're not fooling us!)

fries:
1 2 3 4 5
a touch mealy, not the crispest, but not super soggy: pretty much middle of the road; good level of saltiness, though

bread:
1 2 3 4 5
marble rye, soft but not soggy or rubbery, really good flavor

beer:
1 2 3 4 5
good imports

A M B I E N C E



smokiness
1 2 3 4 5
not too bad

Some smoke was at the bar, but not enough to bother us at the eating table. We didn't come home smelling like smoke.

'sconni-ness
1 2 3 4 5
completely lacking in the 'sconni factor

What can I say? It's a British-themed pub and all the employees are British, so it's not going to be very 'sconni. Also, it's in Shorewood, so the patrons are mosly white liberals.

service
1 2 3 4 5
decent

The waitress seemed a little rushed or harried or grumpy or something. Probably because it was slammed busy and she seemed to be the only one, so I wouldn't necessarily hold it against her or expect her to be too chatty. But I also didn't leave feeling like she was going to be my new best friend.

speediness
1 2 3 4 5
the food arrived super fast

kid friendliness
1 2 3 4 5
yes

The only reason I put this at a 4 instead of a 5 is because the place wasn't overrun with screaming children, so while it was a nice atmosphere where families could take their kids, it didn't seem like people have the impression that it's a sustitute for Chuck E Cheese. Which is good. In fact, all of the kids were very well behaved and left me with the impression that it would be very nice to have them some day. Also, there was a really cute dad/son team that came in and asked if they could use the dart board where we were sitting. Then they proceeded to play a game of darts and it left me with a very warm feeling in my heart. Dad/son bonding. My dad used to have a dart board. He taught my brother and me how to play. My brother was way better at it than I was. I sucked. For a while it was a fun family activity, though. My dad was really into it and it was good to have something to share with him. Later it devolved into him hanging out in the basement by himself, downing beers, chain smoking, and throwing darts. But for a little while it was fun anyway. And I think my brother would play darts down there sometimes, too. Anyway, the noise level was to a minimum and all of the kids there were more like funny little monkeys than bratty little hyper sugar-cracked monsters. All in all, a very pleasant atmosphere.