Perch and bluegill by the highway, cod two ways downtown, a supper club Friday plate on Main Street, and the July festival that started as one giant fish fry.
A harbor town that still holds a festival called Fish Days takes Friday seriously, and the Port Washington fish fry comes in three styles: perch and bluegill at a supper-club-style grill by the highway, cod two ways downtown, and the classic Friday plate at the supper club on Main Street.
Menus and prices change, so treat everything below as a starting point and call before you go.
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Perch, bluegill and cod: Seven Hills Pub & Grille
If you want a choice of fish, Seven Hills Pub & Grille is the one to try.
It is about 1.7 miles north of the marina, off I-43, so it suits a stop on the way in or out of town.
Cod two ways: Fork & Tap
Downtown, Fork & Tap on East Main Street runs a Fish Fry Friday.
It is at 203 East Main Street, with a lakeside patio listed by Visit Port Washington. Its happy hour in September 2026 took $2 off tap beers and cocktails, which makes an early fish dinner easier on the wallet.
Friday at the supper club: Moonlight Tavern
For the old-school version, Moonlight Tavern & Supper Club on East Main Street lists a fish fry every Friday.
The Port Hotel's guide gives (262) 235-1981 for reservations, which is worth using on a Friday.
Supper clubs are their own Wisconsin tradition, and Moonlight also appears in the supper club roundup around Milwaukee.
Plier's Full Circle and the Steerage
Two more kitchens are worth knowing for fish.
North of town on Highland Drive, Plier's Full Circle Pub & Restaurant lists crispy fish fries and fresh salmon, and Islands.com singled it out for its Friday fish fry in 2025. Visit Port Washington calls it a local supper club favorite; it is about 1.8 miles north of the marina.
Downtown on North Franklin Street, The Steerage Dining Saloon keeps fried walleye on its regular menu, for anyone who wants Wisconsin fish on a night other than Friday.
A fish fry with kids
Fork & Tap's fries and smashed potatoes and Seven Hills' sweet potato fries give picky eaters an easy side, per their listings and events. Go early in the evening, before the dinner rush, and the wait for a table is usually shorter.
Fish and chips at Fish Days
Once a year the whole lakefront becomes the fish fry: Fish Days in mid-July serves fish and chips at Veterans Park, with a beer garden nearby per the Ozaukee Press.
For more than 50 years the event was a single day billed as the World's Largest Outdoor One Day Fish Fry, the Ozaukee Press reported in 2025. The parade, the music and the shuttles are in the July Fish Days guide.
How to do a Friday fish fry here
Book ahead at the supper clubs, and arrive early anywhere on a summer Friday.
Ask which fish is on: cod, perch, bluegill and walleye all turn up on Port Washington menus, and perch and bluegill are Wisconsin favorites. Rye bread, coleslaw and a potato side are the usual Wisconsin accompaniments, so ask what comes with it before you add sides.
Lenten and Good Friday fish fries from local groups have appeared in Ozaukee Press listings, so check the paper each spring.
Before or after
A fish dinner downtown sits next to the harbor, so it pairs well with a walk.
The breakwater starts at the marina a short walk from Fork & Tap and Moonlight, and the 1935 pierhead light is at the far end.
For the rest of the week, Port Washington's restaurants run from tacos to custard.
After dinner, the downtown bars are a block or two away on Franklin Street.
Make a weekend of it with the beaches, preserves and lighthouses of Port Washington.
Frequently asked questions
Published September 7, 2026
