The Timber Inn

• Date Visited: October 12, 2018
• Location: Cty. Rd. C, Downsville
• Restaurant Type:  bar
• Fish Types/Sizes Offered: 2 or 3 piece, light hand breaded or baked cod
• Sides Offered: toast, choice of potato (baked, hash browns, tater tots, French fries, or cottage fries), and choice of salad (side salad, cottage cheese, or coleslaw)
• Cost: around $10

Timber Inn was pretty full around 6pm on Friday night. Cute with its rustic, country-style decor, you’ll want to make sure you make a reservation if you plan to try their fish fry. We were taken to our high top table, and there were also low top tables in the dining room, seats at the bar, and a very nice front patio; however, on Friday night, there weren’t any free seats to be seen.

Our waitress came to get our drink orders right away. We ordered an old fashioned, an Oktoberfest beer, and an appetizer of cheese curds and pizza fries, the latter which the kitchen doesn’t usually make during regular dining hours — however they made them for us upon request!

When our appetizers and drinks arrived, we were immediately a bit disappointed in the old fashioned. It tasted and looked like kiddie cocktail. There wasn’t any flavor of sour nor of booze. The Oktoberfest was great, however, as it came in an adorable Sam Adams mug. The cheese curds, though a small order, were also great. They had a medium-heavy batter and were creamy on the inside. We liked them but would have enjoyed a few more. The cheese fries were not homemade but were still greasy and good. They were a thin fry and had seasoning and a decent amount of cheese.

Our fish meals came out quickly after. The lightly hand breaded cod had a pretty thin breading which was crispy and had good flavor. We liked it a lot and also enjoyed the baked fish. It had great lemon flavor and was not too wet nor too buttery — just the way we like it. The fries were crinkle cut, a bit thin, and salty. The sweet potato fries and cottage fries (potato rounds fresh cut and fried) were also pretty salty but overall, tasty. We also liked the coleslaw and the toast. The toast was garlicky, and the coleslaw had a great texture. It could use a bit of a kick, but overall the ratio of slaw to mayo was right on. The cottage cheese was small curd, and the side salad was small and had a lot of shredded cheese on it.

The Timber Inn is right on Downsville’s main strip, which is just south of Menomonie about 10 minutes. Be careful on the way in or out as we saw quite a few deer, but check out the Timber Inn if you’re in the area. 

 

out of 5

Exit 88 Pizzeria Bar & Grill

• Date Visited: September 28, 2018
• Location: Cox Ln., Osseo
• Restaurant Type:  bar
• Fish Types/Sizes Offered: light battered, beer battered, baked
• Sides Offered: side salad and choice of: curly fries, crinkle cut fries, sweet potato fries, seasoned kettle chips
• Cost: around $10

Exit 88 Pizzeria is right off the highway and had a view of 94, which could be seen from their outdoor patio. When we walked in around 5pm on Friday night, patrons were sitting at the bar, but we seemed to be the first mealtime customers. We grabbed a seat at a high-top table, and a waitress soon came to get our order.

We started with an appetizer of cheese curds. They had an interesting cornmeal batter and were very fat and squeaky. We liked them as well as the pizza fry which was very, very greasy, garlicky, and good!

Next, after a side salad course, our fish arrived. The fish pieces were very large. The lightly battered fish was seasoned, and we liked it very much. The beer battered was greasier but still had good flavor with a little seasoning. The baked had good texture, was flaky, but was really buttery. As for the sides we enjoyed the curly fries which were battered, soft on the inside, and well seasoned. The sweet potato fries also had great flavor and were full of potato. The tartar was chunky and tasty.

Overall, we enjoyed Exit 88. The service was great, and the location was close to the highway as well as downtown Osseo. If you’re in the area, check out the

Norske Nook, Osseo’s premiere Scandinavian shop and restaurant. Their Snickers pie and poppyseed cookies are our favorite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1/2 out of 5

 

Fat Boy’s

• Date Visited: September 21, 2018
• Location: Main St., Bloomer
• Restaurant Type:  restaurant
• Fish Types/Sizes Offered: 1, 2, or 3 piece, deep fried or broiled (lemon pepper or cajun)
• Sides Offered: coleslaw, roll, French fries or baked potato
• Cost: less than $10

Fat Boy’s is right on the main drag in Bloomer. It’s a cozy place that specializes in pizza, but their menu has lots of other options, too, including Mexican food and burgers. When we walked in we were immediately greeted and taken to our table. The place has two dining rooms with low top tables and booths. It’s definitely a hometown favorite and got pretty busy as we enjoyed our food.

We started with an appetizer of cheese curds (white and orange are available), and we couldn’t resist trying their pizza fries — since pizza seems to be their thing. The curds came out very quickly and had a thick batter, were hot, and had a creamy cheese on the inside. Some were especially salty, and some had cheese popping out. They were good as were the pizza fries. On a medium thick, fluffy crust, the fries were very garlicky and had lots and lots of thick cheese. Coming in a small, medium, and large, the pizza fries could definitely be a meal on its own.

Next our fish arrived. The deep fried had a thin batter which was fried crispy. It was greasy but good. The cajun broiled was also a good choice. We liked that the fish wasn’t wet but still had good flavor. It wasn’t overly buttery, which we appreciated.

As for the sides, the fries were crinkle cut, fat, and seasoned. The coleslaw was very creamy and had a bit of a kick, which was pleasant. The tartar had very little pickle relish but was non-offensive otherwise.

The service was great at Fat Boy’s, and we’d like to go back sometime to try the pizza. Down the street is also Bloomer’s famous Main Street Cafe which boasts a lovely bakery. We stopped in and took home some delicious pie for later. Be sure to check out downtown Bloomer and enjoy some of these local favorites.

out of 5