Serb Hall Fish Fry is Back for Dine-In
Dine-in is available every Friday for duration of Lent. Wednesday is drive-thru and carry-out only.
American Serb Hall, 5101 W. Oklahoma Ave. Photo by Dave Reid.
The Friday fish fry is a popular tradition in the state and a plethora of Milwaukee restaurants offer the classic meal of crispy, battered and deep-fried fish, typically accompanied by buttered bread, slaw and some form of potato — especially during the Lenten season. And as of last week, there’s one more to add to the list.
After a two-year hiatus, American Serb Hall welcomed guests back to its historic President’s Hall for fish fry on Friday, Feb. 17.
The hall, 5101 W. Oklahoma Ave., enjoyed a full house for its first dine-in service since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2022, the hall offered meals for carry-out only.
Fish fry will be available on Wednesdays (drive-thru or carryout only) and Fridays (dine-in, drive-thru or carryout) for the duration of Lent, which began Wednesday, Feb. 22 and ends on Thursday, April 6.
Fish fry is available from 3:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. Drive-thru and carry-out meals are available on a first come, first served basis. For dine-in, the hall accepts reservations for eight guests or more.
The hall offers two options for its twice-weekly fish fry. Serb Hall’s classic Icelandic fish fry includes two or three pieces of deep-fried, square-cut cod, while the Traditional Fish Fry includes two or three pieces of hand-breaded cod, available deep-fried, baked or Serbian-style with a tomato-based sauce with peppers, onions and garlic.
Both options are served with a choice of french fries, garlic mashed potatoes or Serbian potato salad, plus Serb Hall coleslaw and salted marble rye bread with butter.
Built in 1950, Serb Hall, or American Serb Memorial Hall, its formal name, is known as a bipartisan location for political rallies and other events. Beyond that, the location has been the site of countless wedding receptions and anniversary celebrations.
The facility includes 12 bowling lanes, two bars, a commercial kitchen, hall and a 400-stall parking lot.
In January of 2021, the hall was listed for sale by its owner, St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Cathedral, raising questions about the future of the long-standing fish fry tradition, which first started in in 1967.
The hall was never sold, and continues under the operation of St. Sava.
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