Bilda's Friess Lake Pub — Restaurant in Village of Richfield

Suspect Fish Fry! We like this place; great draft craft beer selection, great BBQ and other food items, good location, etc. BUT, the Fish Fry is pure fraud! Visited in June of this year (2021) for FF at lunch with my friends. You place orders at the bar stand and they deliver to your table. I read ~3 choices on hand written on a board for the Friday Fish Fry: Perch, Cod, Walleye. The lady at counter, not the friendliest, took my order for Perch. My two friends ordered Cod. She delivers the orders and places the plates in front of us. I view my fish and immediately question if it is Perch? All fish entrees have the same dark brown oily batter. I question her and say "I ordered Perch". She replies, "Yours is Perch". I look at my friends and, after forking each, mine was a different meat. BUT, not Perch. I told her I have been eating WI perch for greater than 30 years and this is NOT Lake Perch. The Perch we expect at a WI Fish Fry and normally receive. She storms off. I tell my friends that this Ocean Perch and not even close to tasting or resembling Lake Perch. The manager guy comes by after we start eating. I mention to him that is NOT Lake Perch. He says, "Correct, it is Ocean Perch!" I said then mention with on your board and tell your customers!! I want my small curly, skin inside tasty Perch! not a cheap substitute and certainly want transparency to make a choice! He storms off, unfriendly and unforgiving. These Perch imposters looked more like Walleye with a thicker Cod batter on them. It was edible, not great and not Perch. It gets better. He came back in short order and tells me, " The Perch are German Lake Perch". I laughed and replied, "these are Zander!!! I knew it!" Zander is in the Perch family, but not anything like Lake Perch. Zander looks and taste like Pike or Walleye. Years ago restaurants in MN were substituting Zander for Walleye/Pike and it ended up being a big bust in the newspapers. Odd that they have Walleye on the menu and are serving a knock off called Zander and telling people it is Perch.

Long story. This is good place overall. Go here-for sure! But, owners, please serve Lake Perch, this is what we expect in WI. If not, then offer transparency. Last, the online menu for the restaurant says 'Lake Perch' in the description. Not sure what you...

(Note to anyone reading this: the owner below refused to acknowledge even the possibility of terrible service, and continued to lie by claiming we were rude. They were rude and dismissive. Spend your money elsewhere, like joe mamas!

We are not alone in noticing this inexcusable behavior from the owner, just check the other 1 star reviews. He NEVER owns up to their mistakes, it's always the customer.)

We’ve been to Bilda’s before and were looking forward to it. However, tonight was very different. While watching everyone around us receive food, including people who sat down after us, and having two round of drinks over an hour, we checked with the hostess, who rather abruptly said that there was a computer malfunction, the kitchen was backed up, and our food would be right out. Fast forward another half hour to our asking a server walking by to check on our food. He came back to tell us it would be up in ten minutes and gave us coupons for a free drink. Fast forward past that time, again, and we decided to leave, having been there more than an hour and a half at this point. As we headed to the register to pay for our drinks, we were met with our food and explained it was too late and were leaving. The owner came over and asked what the problem was. Not really interested in what we had to say or interested in making it right, he shouted over us when we said we wouldn’t be staying or coming back. He yelled after us, “We don’t want you back!” Computer issues happen, but yelling at the customer when trying to file a complaint? No thanks!

However, we can recommend Joe Mama’s down the road! We had drinks, great food in front of us within fifteen minutes of walking in the door and had at least half a dozen different staff...

I found about Bilda's, through advertising on the website, Washington County Insider. I was driving through the area I accidentally found it. It's on the corner of 167 and 164 near Richfield.

When you arrive, you get a menu at the cashier station, and find a place to sit. Go back to cashier to place your order. You can order the Friday fish fry earlier than 4 pm like the menu says. Just ask.

I started at the bar with a glass of beer from the tap, Barbe Ruby, Belgian Family Brewers, light sour cherry flavor. There's so many beers on tap and the fridge, there's a board with all that's available. It's okay to ask for a sample to help you decide what to drink.

For my appetizers, I had the burnt ends. It was like cubes of steak, fried and smothered in BBQ sauce. It was okay. Good snacking food while you're drinking.

I had the Friday fish fry. It was 5 big pieces of deep fried, beer batter cod. Little cups of tartar sauce and coleslaw. Large portion of deep fried potato wedges, covered half of the plate, they were kinda big fat curls. Fish fry was good and satisfying.

When you arrive, you get a menu at the cashier station, and find a place to sit. Go back to cashier to place your order.

The waitstaff and bartenders were polite, cheerful, and friendly. The decor was very interesting lots of old beer advertising signs, local business signs, quotations, and growlers. Outdoor seating with a firetruck as a tap,...