A supper club with a drive-thru window built just for Friday fish fry? That window has been handing out crispy fish since the late 1980s.
I can’t imagine a more Wisconsin answer to a Friday night craving. The fish gets hand-breaded in a scratch kitchen, where even the tartar sauce is made in-house.
Dining room guests also get a cup of clam chowder before the main plate lands.
The same family has run this place for more than 50 years. I like how it still treats Friday like a small holiday, with rye bread, coleslaw, and potato pancakes on the table.
Perch fans, stay with me here. The menu leans proudly toward cod these days, yet the whole Friday ritual might shake up how you rank every fry you have ever loved.
So which basket ends up on your plate?
The Friday Fish Fry Comes With A Surprise Starter
Clam chowder before the fish even shows up feels like a bonus round. At The Packing House in Milwaukee, dining room guests get a cup with their Friday Fish Fry.
The star of the plate is hand-breaded Icelandic cod. Each filet gets coated by hand in a breading made right in the kitchen.
Then comes the big decision of the night. You pick French fries or potato pancakes, and both sides have their own loyal fans.
The rest of the plate reads like a Wisconsin Friday checklist. House-made coleslaw, tartar sauce, rye bread, and lemon wedges all come along for the ride.
Potato pancakes deserve extra attention here because they pop up again and again in fish fry talk. They make the meal feel heartier, which matters on a chilly Midwest evening.
My advice is simple and a little greedy. Bring a friend, order one plate with fries and one with pancakes, then share like civilized people.
Squeeze that lemon over the cod right away. A little brightness keeps every bite tasting fresh from the first forkful to the last crumb of rye.
Perch Lovers Should Ask Before They Order
Here comes the honest part for the perch crowd. Current Friday menus at this Milwaukee supper club put cod front and center.
Older fish fry guides mention perch appearing at times, sometimes in limited amounts. That history makes perch feel like a happy possibility rather than a sure thing.
So ask your server what fresh fish is running that day. A quick question beats a long face when you had your heart set on one specific fillet.
The broader menu at The Packing House carries a variety of fresh fish and seafood dishes. Shrimp specialties and lobster also show up, so seafood fans have backup plans.
Wisconsin takes its perch seriously, and plenty of Friday diners chase it from town to town. Still, a well-made cod fry can win over even stubborn perch purists.
Think of it like rooting for a new player on your favorite team. You might miss the old favorite, but the new one keeps scoring.
And if perch happens to be available that night? Consider it your lucky Friday and order before the kitchen runs out.
Your Fish Fry Can Roll Right Up To The Car Window
Most supper clubs ask you to park, walk in, and wait for a table. This one added a drive-thru window for Friday Fish Fry back in the late 1980s.
That’s right, a supper club drive-thru. It sounds like a joke your uncle would tell, yet it has stuck around for decades.
The window serves one purpose, and it does that job well. It exists specifically for the Friday fish fry, so don’t expect a full steak dinner through the glass.
Busy families love this kind of shortcut on a packed Friday. You can grab dinner after work and still eat in your comfiest sweatpants at home.
Here’s a small tip for the ride. Keep the tartar sauce and coleslaw upright, because a tipped container makes for a messy seat.
The drive-thru also says a lot about how serious this place is about Fridays. Few kitchens build an entire window around one weekly tradition.
Of course, the dining room perks like clam chowder stay inside. Choose the drive-thru for speed, or sit down when you want the full experience.
Nearly Everything Gets Made From Scratch Back There
Shortcuts don’t get much love in this kitchen. The Packing House calls itself a scratch kitchen, and the list behind that claim is long.
Dressings, stocks, sauces, breadings, and soups are all made in-house. That covers the breading on your fish and the tartar sauce beside it.
Why does that matter on a Friday night? House-made breading means the crunch on your cod comes from a recipe the kitchen controls, not a box from a truck.
Soup fans get rewarded too. The clam chowder that greets dining room guests on Friday comes from that same from-scratch approach.
Salad dressings follow the rule as well. Even something as small as the dressing on your side salad gets made by the crew, which is a nice detail in a busy restaurant.
I believe this is the quiet reason old-school supper clubs still matter. Cooking from scratch takes time, people, and stubborn pride.
So when you taste that tartar sauce, give it a little respect. Somebody back there mixed it with care, probably while the fryers hummed nearby.
Steak Night Might Steal Your Next Visit
Fish may rule Fridays, but the steaks carry awards of their own. The menu lists award-winning cuts like the Garlic Stuffed Filet and Steak au Poivre.
That Garlic Stuffed Filet sounds like a dare for garlic lovers. Pack mints, or better yet, make sure everyone at the table orders garlic too.
Steak au Poivre is the classic pepper-crusted choice. It brings a bold, old-school supper club feel that fits right into this dining room.
Bar-B-Que Ribs also hold a spot on the menu for anyone craving something saucy. Shrimp specialties and lobster round things out for a surf-and-turf mood.
Prime rib comes up often in talk about this place, too. It’s a supper club staple across Wisconsin, so it makes sense here.
My strategy would be a two-trip plan. Come Friday for the fish, then return on a Saturday for a big steak dinner.
That plan sounds reasonable until you realize how hard it is to stop at two visits. Consider yourself warned, and maybe start a punch card in your head.
Live Music Gives The Lounge A Little Swing
Jazz drifting through a supper club lounge feels like a scene from an old movie. Live music is a regular feature here, and jazz gets a starring role.
The lounge seats about 60 people. It’s cozy, warm, and a fun place to settle into a booth before or after dinner.
The main dining room is much larger, with room for roughly 270 guests. That size makes it a strong choice for families and big birthday groups.
Both spaces carry that classic American supper club mood. Think warm lighting, friendly servers, and a menu that never tries to be trendy.
Music can bring a lively energy to the lounge on busy nights. If you want quieter conversation, the dining room might suit your group better.
I like how the setup gives you options. Date night can lean toward the music, while a grandma-friendly dinner can stay calm.
Either way, Sinatra-era vibes and crispy fish make a pretty great team. It’s hard to stay grumpy when a tune is playing and dinner smells this good.
One Family Has Kept The Lights On For Over 50 Years
The Wiken family opened this supper club in 1974, though a few sources point to 1973. Either way, that’s more than half a century of Friday nights.
The family still owns and operates the place today. Chris Wiken serves as General Manager, keeping the tradition moving forward.
Family-run restaurants carry a special kind of pride. Recipes, routines, and little habits get passed down like treasured heirlooms.
Fifty years is a long time in the restaurant world. Trends come and go, yet a hand-breaded fish fry never really goes out of style.
That history explains a lot about The Packing House. The drive-thru, the scratch kitchen, and the supper club feel all grew from decades of steady care.
I can’t imagine how many birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays have played out in that dining room. Generations of Milwaukee families have likely shared a table there.
Next time you bite into that rye bread, think about the timeline. You are joining a Friday tradition that started before many of us were even born.
Plan Your Friday Around These Handy Details
Getting there is easy enough on the south side of Milwaukee. You’ll find The Packing House at 900 E.
Layton Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53207.
Layton Avenue sits close to the airport area. That makes it a handy stop before a flight or after picking up family.
Fridays run the longest, from 11 am to 9 pm. Tuesday through Thursday, the doors open at 11 am and close at 8 pm.
Weekend hours shift later in the day. Saturday runs 3:30 to 9 pm, and Sunday goes from 4 to 8 pm.
Mondays are closed, so don’t plan a Monday fish craving here. Your stomach will have to wait patiently, like the rest of us.
The restaurant also hosts private events, banquets, and holiday gatherings. Custom catering is available for groups wanting supper club flavor at their own party.
Wisconsin has no shortage of fish fry fans, so plan ahead on busy Fridays. Arriving early gives you a better shot at a relaxed meal, extra rye bread, and maybe even that elusive perch.
