Roadfood tour of Wisconsin, where to eat?

Hypothetical question:  If you were to come to WI with your cousin for a week-long Roadfood tour, where are some of the places that you would eat?

One place that should definitely be on the list is the Covered Wagon in Manitowoc.  The place is not much to look at, but it is a great value for classic diner food.



Their Thursday special is roast pork with sauerkraut, applesauce and a raised dumpling for $5.95.  That dumpling was something special.  It was huge, but very light for a dumpling and delicious.



Bobbi had the fried perch with fries for $9.90 which was very good and seemed to be much more than the advertised half pound of fish.



But the reason you will stop at the Covered Wagon is for the pies.  Made from scratch daily on premise.



Bobbi had the Fudge Brownie Pie.  Delicious and with a tremendously flaky crust.



I had the Caramel Apple Cheese Pie.  We had to ask, it was a "Cheesecake" Pie - SUPERB and it had that same great crust.



The covered wagon is on my Manty-Trivers Top 10 list.  Be sure to stop at 2013 N Rapids Road when in Manitowoc.

There's a great little cafe, Ferch's, in Greendale, WI.

I'd also recommend Kopp's for dessert.

Also (and with the caveat that as a former employee, I'm kind of biased ), I have to suggest the excellent Bigg's Roadhouse in Wauwatosa. Here's their menu: http://www.biggsroadhouse.com/menus.html. I recommend the pulled pork pizza.

Aside from all the usual Milwaukee suggestions I'm sure my Cheesehead Contingent friends could make, I would toss in Saxe's Lone Star in Whitewater.  Dad and I first visited Saxe's back in 2007 on a Roadhouse Bar-B-Que Sauce Tour.  This is what I had to say about Saxe's back then:


Saxes is classic Roadhouse material. It appears to be created from a private residence much the same way Dick Manhardt’s was in Brookfield, Wisconsin before they lost their land lease. Wayne and Edith Saxe, your hosts, live upstairs of the restaurant and bar. Inside is what you’d expect to find in a back-road supper club, an old, hard wood, wrap around bar populated by locals who all know each other and spend almost every Saturday night together here, lots of knotty pine paneling and a bunch of free standing tables (no booths here folks) covered in attractive white linen tablecloths.

We started with a heaping bowl of complimentary home made Cole slaw, hot yeasty rolls and whipped butter, and a small bowl of applesauce. The slaw was very good with just a hint of horseradish that made me wish there was more in there. Not knowing how much food we had coming I had ordered an appetizer of sweet corn nuggets; bite sized corn fritters filled with whole kernel corn and melted cheddar cheese. These were clearly just institutional fritters but they were damn tasty! Made even better by the side of ranch dressing with an almost blue cheesy bite to it.

Dad had the prime rib sandwich, perfectly cooked to blood rare pinkness, thickly sliced, tender and as flavorful as can be. It came with a small cup of au jus which didn’t get used; the meat was so good on its own.

Confronted with a choice between cod, Lake Perch, and walleye, I went with the walleye at the very friendly and helpful waitress’s recommendation. I was also torn between the potato pancake and the hash browns. Once again the honest waitress offered that the potato pancakes were just frozen institutional versions while the hash browns were cooked fresh with lots of onion mixed in. No brainer, am I right people?

The walleye was served in two long, thick filets, deep fried to golden perfection. I started at the narrow end of the filet and the batter was almost too crunchy. As I worked my way up to the chubbier end the balance between fish and batter evened itself out and was delicious. The hash browns were everything promised and more. A thick slab of shredded potatoes filled the plate with abundant bits of red onion strewn throughout. It had a beautiful golden brown crunchy crisp outer skin with a moist fluffy/creamy inner layer. The epitome of what hash browns should be.

Saxes might have seemed like a lucky break for us, but the truth of the matter is we passed at least two other supper clubs of similar appearance and ambience while on the detour. In fact the entire state of Wisconsin is loaded with these types of establishments. It makes me wonder why Jane and Michael haven’t done a book devoted exclusively to the land of cheeseheads and their remarkable food.

Just re-reading my old review has me longing for a roadtrip up north.

Buddy

Saxes Lone Star
N416 Twinkling Star Rd.
Whitewater, Wisconsin
(262) 473-9899

Darn it!  If only I had a Roadfood loving cousin who was willing to got to Wisconsin with me to eat pie.

Oh wait.....
 
Thanks for the suggestion JRPfeff and I would love to hear any others you got.  You know that pie puts this place on our "must try list"!

Just in case people are wondering what this is about, my cousin Johnny and I are going to take our week long vacation together in May in Wisconsin, with maybe a day or two in Minnesota.  We will be driving all over the state. 

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.  Buddy, Saxes Lone Star sounds like a great place! 

 I hear that the " Nite Owl " is very good...... 

How far north does "all over" cover?

I'm heading up to Appleton next weekend.  Maybe I'll come back with a couple of suggestions.

Oh, and the new rest stop is open on I-90/94 near Portage.  But you really need to experience a traditional Wisconsin wayside while you're here.

Brad

AHI MPLS


 I hear that the " Nite Owl " is very good...... 

You deserve a time out, young lady!!!
 
Brad-
Anywhere in the state is fair game.  We will definitely be driving along the Lake Superior coast.

Speed Queen BBQ or Ashley's BBQ

Ferch's, in Greendale, is ok, but I'd head across the street to Ricardo's Pizza.

Also, Maria's Pizza, just for the sheer novelty.

Alem for Ethiopian food - it's awesome

The Milwaukee Brat House

Wisconsin Cheese Mart

O&H in Racine (or any kringle place in Racine)

Fred's in Burlington

Well you got some GOOD eating ahead. I've been up, down, left and right around WI and still havent found half of the goodies. Here is a very nice link to get you started, many food stops on there. I would rec everyone of those and if you continue reading thru May, youll find a few more added on. I have a trip myself planned for middle July headed to the top near Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.
 
I would highly rec for pizza (all spots are Midwest tavern style thin)
 
Wells Brothers (Racine, WI)
Zaffiro's (Milwaukee, WI)
Maria's (Milwaukee, WI)
Frank's (Appleton, WI)
 
Just a few that pop into my mind as I type...
McBobs (Milwaukee, WI) friday fish fry, corned beef sammy's
Jakes Deli (Milwaukee, WI) corned beef, deli food etc... 
Brat Stop (Kenosha, WI) brats
Kewpee's (Racine, WI) old school burger joint
Bendtsens Bakery (Racine, WI) kringles, cookies, donuts...the best!
any of the Drive In's of Kenosha, WI (many of them)
Frank's Diner (Kenosha, WI)
Charcoal Inn (Sheboygan, WI) brat burgers, tavern steak sandwich, butter burger
Meisfields Meat Market (Sheboygan, WI)
Mickey Lu's Bar B Que (Marinette, WI) Charcoal burgers
Monk's Bar and Grill (Wisconsin Dells, WI) burgers
Fred's Burger (Burlington, WI)
New Orleans Takeout (Madison, WI) NOLA cuisine
Mickey's Dairy Bar (Madison, WI) breakfast
 
So many more...
 
There are so many stops your going to wish you had thw whole summer, hope those help.Check the link though, that def. will help. Ill be adding more spots from my eating travels as the days go on over at my site and in the forum here.

KingT


I would highly rec for pizza (all spots are Midwest tavern style thin)
 
Wells Brothers (Racine, WI)
Zaffiro's (Milwaukee, WI)
Maria's (Milwaukee, WI)
Frank's (Appleton, WI)

To this list I'll add Cranky Pat's (I had a good pizza at the Neenah location a couple of years ago), and Stuc's is a favorite of my Appleton/Lawrence U. friends.  Stuc's offers deep/pan as well as thin.
 
Brad

Like I mentioned on another thread, BB, The Spot drive-in in Kenosha has some really tasty burgers. The place is rather unusual in that root beer ( good stuff ) and orange drink are the only beverages served there. No cola, lemon-lime, etc.  

The Spot has been there FOREVER. Big Star is only open during warm months & they use Velveeta on their cheeseburgers.

I can't believe I forgot about Dick's Bar in Hudson, Wisconsin.  JRPfeff recommended Dick's to me as a good place to stop for dinner on my way to the Twin Cities.  It turned out to be an excellent place for a burger in a great old river town bar.  I will be stopping again at Dick's anytime I'm in the area.

Here are my comments from my first visit, last summer:

"Excellent old time bar, virtually unchanged from its founding in the mid 1860s.  Possible exception would be the large flat screen TVs hung throughout the room.  The Big Richard Burger was outstanding.  Almost, almost, almost as good as the burgers at Fred's Bar in Burlington.  The Big Richard is a 1/3 pound burger, smothered in sauteed fresh mushrooms (nuthin' out of the can!) and onions, oozing with melted Swiss cheese, all blanketed by a generous portion of thinly sliced smoked ham.  The burger was cooked to medium rare perfection and was accompanied by a double sized portion of fresh cut, skin on, skinny (not quite shoestrings) fries."
 
The rest of the menu looked pretty good too.  I went for the burger because that is what JRP recommended.  I would definitely delve into other areas of the menu now that I have determined the high quality of their burgers.

Buddy
 
Dick's Bar & Grill
111 Walnut Street
Hudson  WI  54016
(715) 386-5222
http://www.dicksbargrill.com/

MFL - Where does a guy go for a Limburger sandwich?

bb - I forgot to mention the price for the pie.  It was only $2.50 for a one sixth pie slice.  They must not tip very well at the Wagon Wheel, because the lady who took my payment was thrilled that I left 20% for our waitress.  Really sweet and friendly staff.

Limburger - Wisconsin Cheese Mart, or up to Monroe, to Baumgartner's.

Baumgartner's
1023 16th Avenue
Monroe, WI 53566-1764
(608) 325-6157
baumgartnercheese.com

I haven't been on in a few days so I see the stinky cheese question was answered and answered perfectly. I think that if a person headed as close to the shore of Lake Michigan as possible from just north of Port Washington and headed up to Kewaunee, you could find some of the finest Roadfood in all of Wisconsin. Great meats, bacon, brats, bakeries, supper clubs, sausages, hams (although I'm partial to country hams which don't exist here as far as I know), sandwiches, and cheese factories await you. That said, if a person has a chance to visit, sample and buy the 10 year old sharp cheddar from Shurmans, any cheese from Uplands and most any cheese from Carr Valley, your trip would be a success if that's all you did. We have many excellent cheese makers but these 3 are very special and worth seeking out. If the only summer sausage you've ever eaten is Hillshire Farms, some from Newton, Whitelaw, Konops or even Usinger would spoil you. Is there better bacon than Nueske's? Possibly, but who care as that is some great bacon. A City Bakery hard roll, Gosse's for a double brat, Frankie's for a cheeseburger, Misfeldts Meat Market and Il Ritrovo for a wood fired pizza and you could have a great Wisconsin visit wrapped up in just one town, Sheboygan. Ditto if you just went to New Glarus (but you'd have to include Monroe, Wisconsin's cheese capitol~buy a Wisconsin Girl's High School basketball team Championship sweatshirt with it's "Lady Cheesemaker's" logo for a unique souvenir. My favorite burger is still the simple burger from Basil's II in Fontenoy and likewise the simple Friday night dinner of fish, chicken and the served family style fixins at Suster's in Denmark are both in my personal top ten.

We almost NEVER drive through Green Bay without a stop at
Titletown Brewery.
It's right next to the railroad tracks, and they brew all types of wonderful choices, including home-made rootbeer and other sodas, if you have more road ahead of you.
While I like many of their brews sometimes they make an "enriched beer that is about 10% alcohol, and when they have it, it is wonderful!
The food is excellent, including some wonderful sweet potato fries, and Hamburger witha french onion sauce, YUM.
The chef also makes some very creative daily specials.

http://www.titletownbrewing.com/
200 Dousman Street, Green Bay
920-437-BEER (2337)

Another Green Bay favorite, right across from Lambeau field is Krolls West.
They have wonderful burgers, patty melts, and shakes.  You can sit in these fun round booths, and press a button when you want your waitress to show up.
I don't know, but my kids always got a huge kick out of that. 
If you are into the Packers, of course there's tons of memorabilia here.

www.krollswest.com 
1990 S. Ridge Rd, opens 10:30 AM 
920-497-1111

In Two Rivers WI,
There is a hotel called the Lighthouse Inn right on Lake Michigan that is a very pretty stop.  It's a nice peaceful overnight stop as well.
The restaurant (Watrer's Edge) is a really sort of a throw back kind of a place, the kind of a place your folks might have gone to, but the food is really good.  There's also an ice cream parlor inside.

www.lhinn.com
1515 Memorial Drive
Two Rivers,  WI
920-793-4524

The owner of Basil's II is a cousin in the Kroll's family so their hamburgers are similar.
 
Added this:
 
Irisarbor, you know you can get a Kroll's hamburger in Chicago. Click on the "about" tab. I've never tried the Chicago version so if you do, let us know if they are the same.
 
http://www.krolls-chicago.com/

Thanks to everyone for the suggestions so far.  They will really come in handy.  Has anyone ever stayed at Stout's Island Lodge near Birchwood, WI?  If so, what did you think of the place?
 
http://www.stoutsislandlodge.net/default.aspx?pg=home&rp=about

bb, can't tell you anything about the resort but you're not too far from Copper Falls which is pretty scenic. My reservation, The Bad River in Odanah also isn't real far but truth to tell, it isn't much. Ashland, Bayfield and The Apostle Islands however all worth the journey should you have the time. Bayfield is a tough city to have a bad meal and I've heard they have some very good pie places. It's cute but not touristy cute if you know what I mean.

ANother gorgeous stop if you go farther North is Taquemenon Falls in the UP.
I think I heard the were the second largest falls after Niagara (here in the USA),
they are stunning, Upper and lower each have their own uniques beauty, but lower is really treat in the warmer weather, when you can wade around the central island in your water shoes.

http://www.exploringthenorth.com/tahqua/tahqua.html

There was also an excellent restaurant/brewpub right in the park.
http://www.superiorsights.com/tahqfallsbrew/

Tahquanamon Falls is quite a ways east of Wisconsin in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. But it is the only state park that I know of that has a mighty fine brew pub right in the park. That is definitely worth the trip for roadfooders. I would not say they are the second largest after Niagara. Yellowstone NP for one has them beat easily. Maybe Tahquanamon the Midwest for width but Grand Portage SP on the Canadian border in Minnesota has Tahquanamon beat for height. Tahquanamon Falls is the most Niagara like in appearance. Yes it is worth going to.

buffetbuster - Since you will be near the WI-MI border and possibly in the UP, you will definitely have to stop for pasties.  A favorite from the 2009 Ayersian World Eating Tour was Dobber's Pasties (also featured in 500 Things to Eat Before It's Too Late).

I was disappointed with the pasties from Miles Teddywedgers in Madison.  There are many other better dining options there.

After reading the Contingent's interest in smoked fish in another thread, I was reminded of this place in Two Rivers.  The Susie Q Fish Company is only a few blocks from the Lighthouse Inn.

Someday we're gonna need to arrange a Contingent tour that extends north of Milwaukee, into Door County.  Susie Q looks good.  And some of their smoked salmon prices are dirt cheap!

Buddy

CSD wanted to do one a few years ago. I'm game, spent time at Peninsula state park as a kid.

Couldn't swing the time or the expense a few years ago.  I'm not sure this is the year either what with a certain wedding coming up in May, but I would like to do one somewhere down the line.

Buddy

How convenient, there are a couple stools next to the pie case waiting for buffetbuster and Cousin Johnny.



Cliff - There are some possible stops for your tour of Wisconsin in today's Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel travel section.