Drive -thru Smelt! Catch of the Bay, Marinette, WI

We made a U-turn on our way north for Memorial Day.



A quarter pound, served with a full cup of delicious cole slaw, for $3.99


Better than Costas'. Way better than Lawrence Fisheries. Darn close to the smelt I remember fried on the beach of Lake Superior when I was a kid. I might still give an edge to the salt and pepper smelt at LTH, but even that's a close call.

The sign says "We catch 'em, We cook 'em." It struck me as unlikely--though an odd thing to say if it wasn't true--but google suggests they may indeed actually catch them themselves.

Long may they prosper.

Catch of the Bay
1415 Marinette Ave (U.S. 41)
Marinette, WI
715 732-4366

Drive -thru Smelt !

A dream come true!

Anne-

Is this place pretty easy to find? We're heading up that direction this weekend and I'm sure Mr. X would love me to take him for drive-thru smelts! (He's such a good sport about my dining obsession...)

-Mary (The GP)

Impossible to miss. On the main highway right through town. If you're going north it's after the stop light at the south end of town, but before the Culver's (which you could consider for dessert ). On the west side of the street. Great big sign.

But how were the whitefish tacos? That's very cool.

JeffB wrote:But how were the whitefish tacos? That's very cool.

Especially the ones made from two-handed whitefish. They are very rare, usually only found near nuclear power plants. (BTW quick thinking to photograph the menu as you ordered)

d4v3 wrote:They are very rare, usually only found near nuclear power plants.

And the 1/2 Smelt...
what is the other half?!

JeffB wrote:But how were the whitefish tacos?

As recently mentioned in another thread, this is not the nation's hotspot for good Mexican, or even Californian, cooking.

Think of a McDonald's fish sandwich, with what was undoubtedly better fish before it was overcooked, served on a pre-formed taco shell with a ketchup-y sauce on the side that I assume was meant to pass for salsa. Better yet, think of something else instead. Like those smelt.

d4v3,

Too bad. Sounds like a waste of great fish.

Hi,

Thanks Ann for giving me a fitting place for my smelt sighting.

Speedy Chick in Marshall, Michigan



In case you missed it:



Regards,

Alas and alack! "Closed. Thank you for your patronage."

I knew it was too good to be true.

I may have to make a trip to Marshall.

Ann,

My condolences.

Reading the menu just now I see they had a rare treat: whitefish tacos! I would have loved to tried that out.

Years ago in Champaign, IL there was a restaurant in a bad location inside a shopping center parking lot with frontage road businesses blocking it from view. Their name was Catfish City (I am certain on the Catfish, just not the second part of the name). I would always go to Catfish-whatever for their catfish taco consisting of a fried catfish filet with coleslaw in a taco. It was really very good. It was no real surprise when they closed because I was usually the only customer whenever I went.

Regards,