Rascal's

Alyssa R, our 6 month old daughter, and I came here for the first time to try the All-You-Can-Eat Friday Night Fish Fry. We called ahead & were informed they start serving it at 5 pm. We got there just before 6 and were able to get a table right away, with no waiting. The parking lot is shared with several other businesses. We found it to be a little tough to find a spot because of this. Nancy, our server, greeted us before we even had our jackets off. She asked us if we knew what we wanted to drink. Without being here before, we asked her what they had. She informed us they had a Happy Hour going till 6:30, so we could partake in cheaper drinks. We did. Alyssa R went with a Gin & Tonic. I did a Fat Tire.

The place is set up as a Bar & Restaurant. The Bar area is separate from the Restaurant. Divided by glass windows. So, in the Restaurant, you can see all the fun everyone is having in the Bar, but not have to hear it. Nancy came back with our drinks and told us about the dinner specials they had. We both went with the AYCE Fish Fry. No choices with the Fish Fry. It comes standard with Beer Battered Haddock, French Fries, and Coleslaw. She gathered up the menus, and scampered away to put in our order. About two minutes after she left, Alyssa R & I got on a conversation about Clam Chowder. We decide we wanted to try some. We wave Nancy over, and ask her for a bowl to share. This comes in a minute. It looks & tastes spectacular. A top 5 Clam Chowder of all time for us. Very homemade. Clams in every bite. It is a must try. I thought about licking the bowl clean. Maybe if my daughter wasn't looking.

When the Fish Fry's get dropped off, I gotta say, I was disappointed in how it looked. The plate had O'rida style crinkle cut French Fries and 1 inch x 2 inch cubes of breaded fish. We got a side plate of two small bowls of very creamy & white coleslaw. No color. It also came with a wedge of lemon and a ramekin of tartar sauce. As far as taste? The fries tasted just as they looked. O'rida-ee. The coleslaw was off. I swear it tasted fishy. I asked Alyssa R what she thought, and she thought the same thing. She said she thought the cook put the essence of fish fry into the slaw. It wasn't good at all. The Fish? Great. The Beer Batter was spot on. Crunchy, yet light. Perfectly done, flaky, white Haddock inside its golden shell. I wish they would keep the fillets intact for the eye appeal it brings, but the flavor wasn't compromised by cutting them up into cubes. The tartar wasn't anything special, and seemed store bought. It was sufficient, though.

Nancy was on top of her game, and checked in with us often. We got a 3 piece reorder between us. They came in about three minutes. It didn't come with tartar or lemon. We needed to ask for these. I asked if the fries or coleslaw was also included with the All-You-Can-Eat. Not that I wanted anymore of either. It was not. Just the Fish was. Boo. When our check was dropped off, it totaled just over $42 after tax. $13.95 for the AYCE Friday Night Fish Fry. This price point is too high for what you get. If they are going to charge that much, they should be including everything as AYCE. OR....They could give you options with the Fish Fry. Like a choice of potato and side. Also, maybe another style of fish. Like Baked. But nope. They don't.  That's going to be a factor going forward for us in choosing if we want to go here again for another Friday Fish Fry.

I will stop in for that Clam Chowder again, though. Wow Wee. Was that good stuff, Maynard! (Shout Out, John O)

I've been going to Rascal's on a pretty regular basis. We usually go for lunch, when they have a half-sandwich + cup of soup special. The prices are really good, the food tastes great - it has kind of a homemade, not over-processed quality - and comes in good sized portions. I love to eat and I always leave full, but never so full that it's uncomfortable. I usually have the Rachel and chili. Delicious.

Table for 9 ! ? #%

These are words I hate to utter at any restaurant, especially on a Sat. night !  Well, we got lucky maybe because the dinner rush seemed to be over. The hostess greeted us right away and the big table right inside the dining room was available !   I was with my wife and her older relatives from Iowa.  Our waiter was a nice young man named Jason, (I think) He had these older women in his lap right away, very nice and joking with them.
The wild rice soup was excellent, all the sandwiches and sides were great, everything was hot. I had a Smokehouse Burger and onion rings, it was as good as I remember 15 years ago !  This place has quality food, Big menu, Large portions and in the dining room, has a great waiter, I think it was Jason.