I have never trusted a Friday that does not involve something fried.
In Wisconsin, this supper club gives that instinct plenty of support.
The cod is hand-breaded, the sides are familiar, and the whole plate has that old-school rhythm that makes you want to settle in instead of rushing through dinner.
The funny part is that Friday is not even your only shot.
The all-you-can-eat fish fry runs Tuesday through Saturday, while Friday simply turns the volume up with a bigger setup and more time to make a meal of it.
The place has been doing this since 1959, which helps explain why the routine feels so settled.
Personally, I would still pick Friday.
If you are going to lean into a Wisconsin tradition, you might as well do it on its favorite night.
Clifford’s Has Been Part Of The Hales Corners Dining Scene Since 1959
Clifford Schill established Clifford’s Supper Club in 1959, creating one of several Clifford’s locations that operated in southeastern Wisconsin.
The Hales Corners restaurant became closely associated with Friday fish fry as well as weddings, family gatherings, and other events.
Decades later, that combination is still visible in the way the business operates. The main dining room handles everyday meals, while larger spaces can accommodate groups and special occasions.
The ownership story changed in 1988, when Steve and Elaine Cannistra purchased the Hales Corners location from Schill. Both already knew the restaurant well. Steve had started there as a dishwasher in 1969 and later worked as a busboy, cook, caterer, carver, and manager.
Elaine also began working there in 1969 as a waitress.
Steve and Elaine had both spent nearly two decades working at Clifford’s before becoming owners in 1988.
By the time they purchased the restaurant, both had spent nearly two decades working there in front- and back-of-house roles, learning the business from several different positions.
Icelandic Cod Still Anchors The Fish Fry
The current all-you-can-eat fish fry is built around hand-breaded, deep-fried Iceland cod.
Clifford’s sources its cod from Icelandic waters, and the restaurant’s connection to that ingredient goes beyond a menu description.
In February 2002, Steve Cannistra traveled to Iceland and toured a fish-processing plant on an Icelandic fjord connected with the cod used for the restaurant’s fish fry.
That does not change how you need to order. The main choice is still straightforward: breaded cod if you want the classic fish fry, or another seafood option if you are in the mood for something different.
The current menu includes baked Iceland cod, lake perch, breaded scallops, shrimp, snow crab, and a seafood platter alongside the fried cod.
For the all-you-can-eat version, the cod arrives with french fries, coleslaw, rolls, rye bread, butter, and homemade tartar sauce. The offer is dine-in only and does not include take-home portions from the unlimited service.
If fried cod is the reason for the visit, there is no need to complicate the first round. Start there, then decide whether another serving is actually necessary after the sides begin taking up space.
Friday Gives The Fish Fry Its Biggest Stage
Friday is when Clifford’s expands the fish-fry setup beyond its regular dining-room routine.
The main dining room serves the fish fry from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, with the full dining-room menu available as well. The banquet hall adds its all-you-can-eat Friday fish fry from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The two spaces work differently. The dining room accommodates up to 100 people and welcomes walk-ins, while the banquet hall can handle gatherings ranging from 50 to 400 people.
On Friday, unreserved banquet-hall tables may be shared when open seats are available.
Groups of six or more planning the family-style fish fry on Friday should make a reservation. That is especially useful when everyone wants to sit together rather than sorting out seating after arrival.
Friday also brings homemade clam chowder to the menu, giving the meal another traditional supper-club direction before the cod arrives.
If your group is small, the dining room keeps the plan simple. If you are bringing a larger table, the banquet-hall setup gives the fish fry room to become the main event rather than just another dinner order.
The banquet hall also has separate hamburger, cheeseburger, and chicken-finger orders available for diners who are not joining the fish fry.
That can make a mixed group easier to organize without sending part of the table toward another restaurant.
Decide who is ordering fish before everyone sits down, and the rest of the meal can stay pleasantly uncomplicated.
The Hales Corners Location Keeps The Weekly Routine Easy To Plan
Clifford’s Supper Club is at 10418 West Forest Home Avenue, Hales Corners, WI 53130.
The restaurant is currently open Tuesday through Saturday. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday run from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Saturday from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Dinner service begins at 3 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, while lunch is served Tuesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. The fish fry itself is available Tuesday through Saturday, so a craving for cod does not have to wait for the traditional Friday window.
Carryout is available too, including a traditional fish-fry order with breaded Iceland cod, fries, coleslaw, bread, and tartar sauce. The all-you-can-eat option, however, stays in the dining room.
That distinction makes planning easy. Choose carryout when the goal is simply getting dinner home. Choose dine-in when the repeated servings, rye bread, rolls, and slower supper-club pace are the point.
For a first visit, Friday gives you the fullest version of the tradition, but a quieter midweek meal can deliver the same core fish fry with fewer moving parts.
Homemade Tartar Sauce And Classic Sides Complete The Plate
The cod may lead the meal, but the supporting pieces are not random extras.
Clifford’s all-you-can-eat fish fry includes french fries, coleslaw, rolls, rye bread, butter, and the restaurant’s signature homemade tartar sauce.
Those sides keep the plate firmly in familiar Wisconsin fish-fry territory without asking you to build the meal one add-on at a time.
The tartar sauce has its own history. The recipe was created by longtime manager Jack Glynn and remains closely held by the restaurant. It is still made in-house and appears throughout the current fish-fry menu.
The coleslaw, rye bread, rolls, and butter give each round of cod something different to land beside. Fries bring the hot side, while the slaw adds a cooler contrast between bites.
There is also a relish tray available upon request for dine-in customers ordering from the broader dinner menu, another detail that keeps the supper-club format visible beyond Friday fish fry.
The best move is to pace the first plate. An unlimited fish fry loses some of its charm if the opening round arrives like a challenge. Eat what is there, then decide whether the table genuinely needs another serving.
The Fish Fry Runs Beyond Friday Now
Friday remains the traditional focal point, but Clifford’s currently serves its all-you-can-eat fish fry Tuesday through Saturday.
That expanded schedule gives you more flexibility if the classic Friday rush does not fit the week. Tuesday through Thursday offer the same hand-breaded Iceland cod and core sides during a regular service day, while Saturday gives you another evening option.
The lunch menu also includes a portioned fish fry Tuesday through Friday. That version comes with three pieces of breaded Iceland cod, homemade tartar sauce, coleslaw, and a choice of potato, making it useful when unlimited servings are not the goal.
The dinner menu adds baked cod and other seafood choices for anyone sharing the table with a dedicated fish-fry fan but wanting a different plate.
Friday still has the widest range of fish-fry formats because the main dining room and banquet hall are both involved. The rest of the week simply makes the tradition easier to reach.
That is useful if your schedule is doing the deciding. Pick Friday for the full weekly ritual, or choose another service day when the priority is the cod rather than the calendar.
More Than Six Decades Later The Supper Club Routine Still Holds
Clifford’s has changed owners, expanded its fish-fry schedule, and adapted its dining spaces, but the core Friday meal remains easy to recognize.
The restaurant still serves Iceland cod with fries, coleslaw, rye bread, rolls, butter, and homemade tartar sauce. The main dining room still handles regular Friday service, while the banquet hall gives larger groups a place to settle in for the all-you-can-eat version.
Steve and Elaine Cannistra’s long connection to the restaurant adds another layer to that continuity.
They began working at Clifford’s in 1969 and became owners in 1988, carrying forward the supper-club operation they had already spent years learning from different sides of the dining room and kitchen.
For the reader planning a visit, the practical choices matter more than nostalgia. Decide whether you want lunch or dinner, whether the group needs a reservation, and whether all-you-can-eat or a regular fish-fry plate makes more sense.
Then stop planning.
A Wisconsin Friday fish fry is supposed to end with fewer decisions than it started with, and Clifford’s current setup makes that pleasantly easy.