Got screamed at and told to leave when I tried to buy a burger because I had an Illinois I.D. Trash.
Gerald Frank
We're from North Racine. So, we got here at 5pm as the four of us were all off today from work. Had the breaded mushrooms and cheese curds to start. Yum.Then, went for the fish fry as suggested by a news feed I came across that featured Klinger's as one of the underated fish fry destinations in southeast Wisconsin.Our server was great. Let us talk, took our order few minutes after we got our cocktails, and then had a few minutes to digest the appetizer before our fry. The perch were great. 4 great sized fillets. The ladies chose the Regular Fish and Jr. Fry's. My cousins husband took the ribs. We all high fived a great dinner was had. Not a big crowd, surprisingly. But certainly worth going back. And I'm an outdoorsman panfish connoisseur. Perch were a breaded style, which i think brings out the correct flavor of the freshwater panfish over batter, and the ladies fish were of a battered style. The Jr. is certainly a meal fit for flavor on a small stomach. Which was my cousins choice My tiny frame wife was hungry knowing I picked a new place for us to go. She did not disappoint the kitchen staff. My cousins husband chewed the bones awhile just to retain the delight. We all Cleaned our plates! Great fresh pumpernickel bread already buttered. Very satisfied with this evening's pick.No offense to Klinger's. But a brewery is across the street where we finished off our evening with a little NCAA BBall. Maybe Klingers can adopt a brew to tap from their neighbors. Think that would be a greater collaboration as well as a sort of partnership!!We'll be back!
Brian B.
LOVED the food before covid and even during covid. Ordered take away last Friday and we were so utterly disappointed. Ordered onion rings as an appetizer; got about two actual onion rings, the rest was just small bits about 1" pieces of burned onions. Fish was greasy as were French fries. What happened to your great food?
Elexia C.
I just moved to the Neighborhood from North Carolina and my friends and I all decided to grab a Friday night fish fry. As soon and my gf and I came in, the bartender named frank came over asked for our IDs he jokes and said "all the fake IDs are from North Carolina" - where I just moved from. We all laughed and then he asked us what we wanted to drink...I asked him what his rail tequila was he proceeded to tell me it was Jose (which I later found out he lied) He walked away mid order and told my gf and I that there were other ladies at the other side that needed drinks..mid order. Like we weren't important. My other friend joined us 5 mins later then he finally took all our drink orders. He also got our food orders right away. Food came up. It was amazing. My friend accidentally spilled her beer. That's when everything turned sour. Accidents happen. I'm also a bartender. It happens. He stopped coming over to us even tho we needed condiments. If we asked him for something he just ignored us and walked away. Until the lovely owner Sue helped us out with our ketchup that we asked for as well as salt and pepper. We weren't even done eating and we were planning to stay there longer for another drink or two until frank just dropped the bill off. It was all together. We asked for him to split the tab. He told us it would be $20 each. Which wasn't right because my one friend had a grilled cheese and one beer as my gf and I had multiple drinks and two fish fry's. Frank than began to give me a napkin and a pen to figure out our bill ourselves. While his handwriting was a complete mess. We had no idea what it even said or what the charges were on the paper nor did he explain them. He also informs us that it was super busy while he was just standing there drinking a beer. We then began to overhear him tell the other customers "this is why I don't let kids sit at my bar". My gf and friend are well over 30. And I'm almost 30. Yes we were definitely the youngest there. Super disrespectful. Then we asked him what his problem was and he just said "when I go out I cover my friends tabs". I told him "Im sorry frank I'm not you. I don't. I cover my own bill never assume that people are all on one tab being a bartender" I would get it if we had a huge table but it was my two friends and me. Frank proceeded to stand there and drink more and have Sue split our tab. Being my first fish fry in Wisconsin and just moving into this neighborhood.....This was not it. My friends and I were embarrassed for the whole situation with how he was acting. Sue kept apologizing for his behavior and how he gets like this....this was unacceptable. I do want to say thank you to Sue for helping us out but please save your money if you are "kids" just looking for a place to eat.
joe stankovsky
The bartender named Frank is the best bartender in the world!!
Jim Spotts
Awesome old school Milwaukee Pub in River West! Always entertaining conversations at the bar.The best Friday Fish Fry I have ever had! You can see the chef breading and frying the (if you sit at the bar). Love the bartender Frank! Order the cheeseburger when Frank is there! You won't be disappointed!!
Susan Scarbro
Fun fun & fun. Fine food and entertaining staff doesn't get any better.
Benjamin Porter
Family vibes and the city's best Fish Fry!
Tamar Smirl
Best Fish Fry on the East Side in a Dive Bar.
Sue G.
Tried to go there tonight. It was pouring outside and I brought in Some guests from out of the country. The bartender asked to see their ID. After examining them he said he would not serve them because they didn't have a Wisconsin ID and said "This conversation is over" ???? (the younger ones were 30 and 27) RUDE! The woman bartender explained that because the police station is nearby that they get checked quite often... O.K. We went to sit in the restaurant but made the mistake of not seeing the sign that says wait and were screamed at again. We apologized, went back, and waited for the hostess. We decided to leave because of the bartenders rudeness. The hostess was super sweet but could not convince us to stay. Too bad. They blew it. Pretty sure that their establishment would have gotten mega views on YouTube if he wasn't rude.
Classic spot for a Milwaukee Friday Fish Fry. Great service, affordable food, and lovely atmosphere. They have potato pancakes too, which is how you know they are legit. Nice local beers as well. On of our favorite places for a Fish Fry.
John Pires
You need to know what you're getting with Klinger's. It's a local sports bar run by very nice people. I've been watching sports games here for nearly a decade and have always experienced kindness and welcome. That being said It's a bar first and a restaurant second. The food is good but you don't order a burger medium rare or well done; you order a cheeseburger and are given a burger made from a frozen patty that is cooked the same way every time. And in this case that's just fine.
Charles Meyer
Always the best! The fishfry is one of the best in the city. Staff are excellent !
Luthoratemybaby
Clam chowder was not good, but the fish and potato pancakes definitely made up for it
Got screamed at and told to leave when I tried to buy a burger because I had an Illinois I.D. Trash.
We're from North Racine. So, we got here at 5pm as the four of us were all off today from work. Had the breaded mushrooms and cheese curds to start. Yum.Then, went for the fish fry as suggested by a news feed I came across that featured Klinger's as one of the underated fish fry destinations in southeast Wisconsin.Our server was great. Let us talk, took our order few minutes after we got our cocktails, and then had a few minutes to digest the appetizer before our fry. The perch were great. 4 great sized fillets. The ladies chose the Regular Fish and Jr. Fry's. My cousins husband took the ribs. We all high fived a great dinner was had. Not a big crowd, surprisingly. But certainly worth going back. And I'm an outdoorsman panfish connoisseur. Perch were a breaded style, which i think brings out the correct flavor of the freshwater panfish over batter, and the ladies fish were of a battered style. The Jr. is certainly a meal fit for flavor on a small stomach. Which was my cousins choice My tiny frame wife was hungry knowing I picked a new place for us to go. She did not disappoint the kitchen staff. My cousins husband chewed the bones awhile just to retain the delight. We all Cleaned our plates! Great fresh pumpernickel bread already buttered. Very satisfied with this evening's pick.No offense to Klinger's. But a brewery is across the street where we finished off our evening with a little NCAA BBall. Maybe Klingers can adopt a brew to tap from their neighbors. Think that would be a greater collaboration as well as a sort of partnership!!We'll be back!
LOVED the food before covid and even during covid. Ordered take away last Friday and we were so utterly disappointed. Ordered onion rings as an appetizer; got about two actual onion rings, the rest was just small bits about 1" pieces of burned onions. Fish was greasy as were French fries. What happened to your great food?
I just moved to the Neighborhood from North Carolina and my friends and I all decided to grab a Friday night fish fry. As soon and my gf and I came in, the bartender named frank came over asked for our IDs he jokes and said "all the fake IDs are from North Carolina" - where I just moved from. We all laughed and then he asked us what we wanted to drink...I asked him what his rail tequila was he proceeded to tell me it was Jose (which I later found out he lied) He walked away mid order and told my gf and I that there were other ladies at the other side that needed drinks..mid order. Like we weren't important. My other friend joined us 5 mins later then he finally took all our drink orders. He also got our food orders right away. Food came up. It was amazing. My friend accidentally spilled her beer. That's when everything turned sour. Accidents happen. I'm also a bartender. It happens. He stopped coming over to us even tho we needed condiments. If we asked him for something he just ignored us and walked away. Until the lovely owner Sue helped us out with our ketchup that we asked for as well as salt and pepper. We weren't even done eating and we were planning to stay there longer for another drink or two until frank just dropped the bill off. It was all together. We asked for him to split the tab. He told us it would be $20 each. Which wasn't right because my one friend had a grilled cheese and one beer as my gf and I had multiple drinks and two fish fry's. Frank than began to give me a napkin and a pen to figure out our bill ourselves. While his handwriting was a complete mess. We had no idea what it even said or what the charges were on the paper nor did he explain them. He also informs us that it was super busy while he was just standing there drinking a beer. We then began to overhear him tell the other customers "this is why I don't let kids sit at my bar". My gf and friend are well over 30. And I'm almost 30. Yes we were definitely the youngest there. Super disrespectful. Then we asked him what his problem was and he just said "when I go out I cover my friends tabs". I told him "Im sorry frank I'm not you. I don't. I cover my own bill never assume that people are all on one tab being a bartender" I would get it if we had a huge table but it was my two friends and me. Frank proceeded to stand there and drink more and have Sue split our tab. Being my first fish fry in Wisconsin and just moving into this neighborhood.....This was not it. My friends and I were embarrassed for the whole situation with how he was acting. Sue kept apologizing for his behavior and how he gets like this....this was unacceptable. I do want to say thank you to Sue for helping us out but please save your money if you are "kids" just looking for a place to eat.
The bartender named Frank is the best bartender in the world!!
Awesome old school Milwaukee Pub in River West! Always entertaining conversations at the bar.The best Friday Fish Fry I have ever had! You can see the chef breading and frying the (if you sit at the bar). Love the bartender Frank! Order the cheeseburger when Frank is there! You won't be disappointed!!
Fun fun & fun. Fine food and entertaining staff doesn't get any better.
Family vibes and the city's best Fish Fry!
Best Fish Fry on the East Side in a Dive Bar.
Tried to go there tonight. It was pouring outside and I brought in Some guests from out of the country. The bartender asked to see their ID. After examining them he said he would not serve them because they didn't have a Wisconsin ID and said "This conversation is over" ???? (the younger ones were 30 and 27) RUDE! The woman bartender explained that because the police station is nearby that they get checked quite often... O.K. We went to sit in the restaurant but made the mistake of not seeing the sign that says wait and were screamed at again. We apologized, went back, and waited for the hostess. We decided to leave because of the bartenders rudeness. The hostess was super sweet but could not convince us to stay. Too bad. They blew it. Pretty sure that their establishment would have gotten mega views on YouTube if he wasn't rude.
Restaurantji Recommends
Classic spot for a Milwaukee Friday Fish Fry. Great service, affordable food, and lovely atmosphere. They have potato pancakes too, which is how you know they are legit. Nice local beers as well. On of our favorite places for a Fish Fry.
You need to know what you're getting with Klinger's. It's a local sports bar run by very nice people. I've been watching sports games here for nearly a decade and have always experienced kindness and welcome. That being said It's a bar first and a restaurant second. The food is good but you don't order a burger medium rare or well done; you order a cheeseburger and are given a burger made from a frozen patty that is cooked the same way every time. And in this case that's just fine.
Always the best! The fishfry is one of the best in the city. Staff are excellent !
Clam chowder was not good, but the fish and potato pancakes definitely made up for it
Love... great fish fry