Posts Tagged ‘Wisconsin Dells’

Otto’s Supper Club

Saturday, June 20th, 2015

Otto’s Supper Club in Wisconsin Dells opened in 2013 in the space formerly occupied by the long-closed Newport Steakhouse. Compared to the more visible and better-located Del-Bar and Ishnala supper clubs–Otto’s is located east of the Wisconsin River near the Big Sky Drive-In theater–Otto’s provides decent fare without the tourists.

To get there from Lake Delton or Wisconsin Dells, you’ll have to go through downtown on Hwy 13 and turn right onto Hwy 16. Along the 2.7-mile stretch, you’ll see the river and the occasional train, along with the aforementioned drive-in, on your right.

I tried all the staples of a supper club, including an Old Fashioned (good strength), coleslaw (super creamy), clam chowder (wonderfully hearty), potato pancakes (a bit bland), cheesy hash browns (yum!) and the all-you-can-eat deep fried cod ($15). This fish was light and flaky with a batter that provided a delicate fried crunch–definitely worth ordering again.

Grilled items weren’t a hit, unfortunately. The ribeye ($19 for 12 oz., $25 for 16 oz., $33 for 24 oz.), while tender and super juicy, had a weird char taste, almost as if really old coal was rubbed on parts of the steak. In fact, the hamburger ($8) was the same way.

Other items on the two-page menu include pickle chips ($5), pizza, jager schnitzel ($14/$16) and chicken marsala ($18). From the “Wisconsin-ville” section, I tried the frog legs ($15). Out of the three times I’ve had frog legs, these were the toughest, but at least the batter–which bore a slight resemblance to KFC’s original recipe–was good.

Otto’s Supper Club is open Thursdays-Mondays beginning at 4 p.m. Like most supper clubs, there’s a big bar here in case of a wait, though note that the biggest TV is behind where the patrons sit, for some reason.

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See more photos in our Otto’s Supper Club Flickr album.

Alabama’s Dixieland BBQ and Suds

Sunday, May 18th, 2014

On the far end of downtown Wisconsin Dells, right across the street from Famous Dave’s, is Alabama’s Dixieland BBQ and Suds, which opened in March. The old interior of previous tenant Gilly’s Island has been replaced with a southern/country theme, complete with live music each week.

I really enjoyed the food here, if not the prices, and I’m sure I’ll be back to have seconds of some of the restaurant’s platters, which come with corn bread and two sides. Let’s start with the half rack of ribs ($14.99), which weren’t quite fall-off-the-bone tender, but were meaty and full of flavor. You certainly didn’t need to add any of the homemade sauces, though I did drown my fries in them, they were that good (especially the hot sauce).

Onto the fried catfish nuggets ($11.99), which were light and flaky on the inside and not overly battered on the outside. I’d like to put them in a small popcorn cup and have them as a snack sometime.

I would describe the brisket ($17.99) and pulled pork sandwich ($10.99) the same way: juicy and well prepared, but a bit pricey. I don’t think brisket should be more expensive than ribs; this dish would be better priced at $13.99 (that’s also what Famous Dave’s charges), while the sandwich should have been less than $10. Other dishes’ prices were just as puzzling, such as the hot wings ($15.99), smoked turkey leg ($18.99) and 16 oz. T-Bone steak ($29.99).

I had nearly every side item on the menu. Hits were the Hillbilly baked beans, corn bread, corn fritters and pig tail fries (somewhat-curly versions of the steak fries). I was indifferent to the green beans and fried okra, and I couldn’t stand the potato salad, which was too pungent.

Remember, the word “suds” is in the restaurant’s name, and there is a full bar here with a two-page cocktail menu. I enjoyed a glass of the bacon-infused bourbon, which was surprisingly smoky and not at all salty.

Alabama’s Dixieland BBQ and Suds serves lunch, dinner and carryout. You’ll find street parking nearby.

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See more photos in our Alabama’s Dixieland BBQ and Suds Flickr set.

High Rock Cafe

Sunday, October 13th, 2013

The highly visible High Rock Cafe in downtown Wisconsin Dells is a smart choice for those seeking a slightly more upscale dining experience than typical restaurants in the area. Although I’ve eaten here before, I was invited to learn more about the restaurant through the eyes of co-owner and chef Wade Bernander. High Rock has evolved from a summer-only,  second-floor restaurant back in 2004 to a year-round, two-story mainstay of the Dells today.

For appetizers, you can’t go wrong with the jumbo lump crab cakes ($13), topped with an absolutely amazing remoulade (I told Wade to put this on a Po’ Boy sandwich), and the Gilly Goat ($9), a harmony of garlic, goat cheese and diced peppers that layered and smeared nicely on a baguette. It was certainly worth the subsequent garlic breath I gained.

As much as I liked that remoulade, I enjoyed the sherry sage cream sauce that topped the Sebastian (Lobster) Ravioli ($15) even more. Man, they are good with sauces here. In fact, my only disappointment with the entire meal was that there wasn’t enough demi-glace with the otherwise perfect root beer short ribs ($22). I liked the runny egg with this dish, and I give it an A+ for presentation.

On to dessert. The Kissel soup was an adventure. I could certainly taste the tart cranberries and powerful pickled ginger, but both were tempered nicely by the vanilla ice cream. I also had a double chocolate brownie ($6) with a side of spiced nuts. Interestingly, I enjoyed eating them together,  even though I normally dislike brownies with nuts. Wade also doesn’t like brownies with nuts, which is why he created the dish this way.

I should note that a few of the items I ate came from the “season’s freshest” menu, which changes every month to take advantage of the seasonal bounties.

To wash down this extraordinary meal, I was served a basil mango margarita ($8). I was impressed by how fresh this drink tasted, with its balanced mango and basil flavors. The full bar has an excellent selection of martinis as well.

High Rock Cafe is open seven days a week year round. You can find street parking nearby.

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See more photos of my meal on my High Rock Cafe Flickr set.

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