We didn't really know what to expect upon waking into 1855 Saloon and Grill. The name doesn't really fit the restaurant; instead of a bar feel, 1855 definitely has more of a classy restaurant feel, which we thought was a good thing. We sat at the bar because no seating was available on this Friday night due to the fish fry being served. As soon as we bellied up, the bar tender asked for our drink order. They have a local draft list, wines and cocktails, all decently priced. We shared a cheese curd appetizer and both had the fish fry special, which was Panko crusted bluegill with red potatoes and either a salad or soup ($15).
The cheese curds were cheesy, but the menu says the curds are lightly breaded, which is false. The breading was overly fried. Sort of a trend, I guess because the panko crust on the bluegill was a little too hard and thick for my liking, but I'm not a huge breaded fish fan. The potatoes were delicious and the salad was a nice mix of greens and fresh vegetables.
This is a nice option when in Cottage Grove, but I won't necessarily go out of my way to eat here again.