Crandall's Carry-Out

Update August 2013: This Crandall's is closed, but a new one has opened on State Street.

In a word: Like Mama used to make... when she ran a drive-thru...

The specs: #0103
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; news re: second location; reviews at Madison Fish Fry; official web site;

Latest Crandall's news and reviews

JM ate the 1/2 fried chicken and a Coke raspberry lemonade.
Nichole ate the fish fry.
The bill was $11, or $5.50/person, with a 2-for-1 coupon.
JM gave Crandall's a B; Nichole gave Crandall's a B+ (see our grading rubric).

If we could call do-overs, Nichole would try Crandall's again. Only after she ordered virtually the same thing as JM did she see what she really wanted to try: a chicken dinner special with wild rice and veggies. The large, somewhat imposing menu was far more detailed than that found at a typical carry-out place, and we suspect there are some real treasures there.

However, we might have picked a bad fry medium night, as the dinners we tried were less than we'd hoped for from this Madison institution. Both our entrees came out dark and extra-crunchy, and the rolls (served with margarine! Isn't that illegal?) were rather dry.

We did enjoy eating in the tiny dining area on tables wilth shiny, moodily-lit pictures of foodstuffs. The service was very welcoming and fast, and the dessert samples were enough reason to make us (Nichole, at least) want to return.