WISCONSIN — Supper club tradition runs deep in Wisconsin. Built on family, fish fry and Old Fashioneds, they’re our gathering places, clubs where everyone is welcome, the likes of which you can’t find just anywhere.
If you like your dinner with a view, you’re in luck: each of these clubs are right on the water, and boast some truly stunning sights of the state’s natural beauty. Sit down, stay a while, and enjoy the view at these eight scenic supper clubs.
Ishnala – Wisconsin Dells
Inside Mirror Lake State Park, tucked between pines, is a unique supper club with lovely and elevated lakefront views. A little teepee and walkway torches are reminders of century-old history, when the property was a trading stop for Native Americans. Most popular cocktail: the Chief Ishnala, created 60-some years ago. Open May to October.
Blanck’s Lake Aire Supper Club – Fond du Lac
Steps from the western shore of Lake Winnebago is the newer of two supper clubs that the Blanck family began operating in the 1950s. Now a third generation is involved, serving pork belly tacos as well as thick ribeyes. Linger on the patio, which is heated or air-conditioned as needed.
Silvercryst Supper Club – Wautoma
What began as a log resort in 1894 now has walls of windows that face Silver Lake. An outdoor beach bar operates in summer, and regional musicians perform in the indoor lounge. Besides views of natural beauty, look for splashy wall murals, kitschy décor and the iconic greeter – six-foot-tall Boris the Bull, a statue added in the 1960s.
The Copper Dock – Hubertus
The coppery hue of sunset on Freiss Lake is like a beacon for boaters and others in search of relaxed waterfront dining, just five miles from the basilica on Holy Hill. Musicians perform on the deck seasonally, on Wednesdays, the same night when all-you-can-eat snow crab meals are served. Look for all-you-can-eat specials on other days, too.
Gib’s on the Lake – Kewaunee
Nestled between cornfields and Lake Michigan is Gib’s, where nearly all diners get a Great Lake view. German food is the specialty, and pork schnitzel is always on the menu. This prime piece of rural real estate was merely a bar and grill in the 1920s. When three sisters took over for a while, their initials spelled G-I-B.
Donny's Glidden Lodge – Sturgeon Bay
Tucked back in the woods, this charming supper club is the perfect place to unwind with a lakeside drink overlooking beautiful Lake Michigan. Dine outside on the patio or inside the cozy stone cottage, and treat yourself to their extensive menu of traditional supper club fare: steaks, prime rib, and fish fry are all regular specials.
Maiden Lake Supper Club – Mountain
Customers arrive by auto, boat and seaplane for broiled or coated walleye, prepared by the same family for three decades. The wait might be two hours on a summer Friday, but who cares? Settle onto the three-level deck for a gander at pretty Maiden Lake in Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest.
Pinewood Supper Club – Mosinee
Picture windows in the high-rafter pine dining room frame Half Moon Lake, but that is not the most unusual feature at woodsy Pinewood. Check out the mascots: a herd of fainting goats, whose munching reduces landfill waste. The animals also fertilize the supper club’s numerous flowerbeds.
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