Hartbook Lanes, Hartland, WI

So, today's blog is just me, my opinion and my thoughts.  Ann is in Costa Rica on a yoga retreat, so I was left to fend for myself this weekend, my friend Z joined me and we decided to keep the trip simple and head to the local bowling center to check out their fish fry.

I've heard lots of good things about Hartbrook's fry, however, this particular meal did not live up to the billing.  So to my friends Jo and Jen of Ledgeview Lanes...your fish fry is still the best of any bowling center and most restaurants!! 

First of all, I have never been to Hartbrook and when I walked in I literally felt as though I just stepped out of the time machine.  The decor reminded me of my grandparent's restaurant back in the day.  With velour detail on the wallpaper, dark beams lining the ceiling and even a little carpet on the walls, I stopped for a moment to think about my decision to sit in this dining room.  But even the most "out of date" restaurants serve the best comfort food...so, I smiled at the lack of modern elements and made my way to the table.

We were seated immediately and within no time a smiling waitress was there to take our order, Z did not need a menu and I was a little perplexed, so I asked for one...then I realized why he did not need one.  You had two options for this meal, either the all-you-can-eat fried cod ($9.95) or a baked cod option ($11.95).  For the sake of simplicity, I just went along with Z and got the fried cod, knowing I probably would not eat $10 worth of food.

After receiving our drinks, the waitress brought us a basket of rye bread, creamy cole slaw and a mayo-based potato salad.  The cole slaw had an amazing flavor, I was impressed by how much I enjoyed it, however the potato salad was a complete bust.  We even ran into some friends at Hartbrook, who felt as we did about weird composition of this side.  It just didn't taste right, the potatoes had an odd consistency and the mixture was way "off".

Within minutes of getting the slaw/salad the waitress was already in tow with our dinners.  I was amazed at how quickly we went from sitting at an empty table to one full of food/bread/drinks.  If you are in a rush, I suggest an outing to Hartbrook.  I had literally two sips of my drink prior to our meals arriving and for some that might be a nice option, but when I go out to eat, I prefer a bit of time to enjoy the cocktail, conversation and bread...

The cod was a little overdone for my taste.  The pieces were small and it was apparent to me, that as the night wore on the grease used to fry the fish needed to be changed and it hadn't been.  There was little to no flavor in the batter and when a fish is overdone, it's tough to make up for it.  Fortunately I had some bread left and was able to put together a "makeshift" sandwich to cover the entree's shortcomings.  Along with our fish we got a basket of french fries...which, unlike the fish were undercooked and a little soggy.  I did not take photos of our food, it wasn't great lighting (obviously) and the tiny pieces of fish did not really photograph well...

I will have to give props to our great waitress, who was very attentive and pleasant to talk to, and like I've stated before, when you have good service, it makes a bad meal bearable.  She made it bearable.

When we were just about finished our server brought our bill and as I reached into my purse to pay with my debit card, the waitress stopped me and said Hartbrook does not take Credit Cards (establishments enforcing this payment method generally do so to keep their prices lower) but they DO take checks.  I chuckled at this statement and I was immediately taken back to the beginning of the evening when I walked in the door to the awful 70s decor, things truly were "backwards" at this place. 

Make no mistake about it, their prices are definitely in line ($4.50 rail old-fashioned, $3.25 domestic bottle) with 2010 and I'm still trying to figure out why they don't take credit cards.  LOL

Overall, the meal at Hartbrook was not impressive and I doubt I will go back unless I'm bowling.  I give the fry a 4 out of 10 stars, you can thank the cole-slaw and the service for any stars at all.

I hope you all had a wonderful Valentine's weekend and you were able to spend time with the ones you love.  Actually, you really don't need to use Valentine's Day as an excuse to be with people you love, it should be a practice you live out each and every day.  You don't need a holiday to remind you, do you?

Enjoy your week!