The dining scene in Wisconsin is totally amazing and totally underrated. There are awesome restaurants all across the state just waiting for you to check them out. Sure, we've got James Beard nominees and award-winning spots, but we've also got some of the most fun and unique places to eat you could ever imagine that make up the coolest restaurants in Wisconsin. From literal farm-fresh options to themed restaurants and more, there are dining options for every palette. Here, in no particular order, are 15 of the coolest restaurants in Wisconsin.
1. Cress Spring Bakery - Blue Mounds
An amazing bakery right on the farm, using wheat from a neighbor and other hyper-local ingredients. Visit the bakery on Friday, get their goodies at the Dane County Farmer's Market or head their for pizza in the summer. Located at Cress Springs Bakery is located at 4035 Ryan Road, Blue Mounds, WI 53517. To learn more, visit the website for Cress Spring Bakery.
2. Georgie Porgie's - Oak Creek and Mount Pleasant
This fun spot is treehouse themed. Your kids will love exploring the unique decor and you'll love the amazing burgers and custard that are all locally sourced. Georgie Porgie’s is located at 9555 S Howell Ave in Oak Creek and 5502 Washington Ave in Mount Pleasant. To learn more, check out the website for Georgie Porgie's.
3. Tom's Burned Down Cafe - La Pointe
This spot really defies description. It's the leftover bits of a spot that suffered a fire and it's sort of infamous for keeping the party going no matter what. Tom’s is located at 274 Chebomnicon Rd, La Pointe, WI 54850. You’ll need to take the ferry from Bayfield to get there. To learn more, visit the Facebook page for Tom's Burned Down Cafe.
4. The Classic Garage - Eau Claire
The Classic Garage is the brainchild of Texas transplants and business investors who have taken what used to be a service station and reimagined it as a great restaurant. Today, it serves as both a restaurant and Cadillac showroom. It's a totally fun and unique spot.
Located at 2111 3rd St, Eau Claire, WI 54703. Check out the Facebook page for The Classic Garage to learn more.
5. Choo Choo Charlies - Kenosha
There are a few spots in the state where you can have your food delivered via toy train, but Choo Choo Charlies is located in a depot, so you can also see real trains coming and going and even hop on one yourself. Or ride the Kenosha streetcar. It's an awesome train-themed experience. The Metra is a Chicago-area commuter train that has lines running into all of suburban Chicago (and beyond) making Choo Choo Charlie’s the perfect day-trip for folks from all over. It’s located at 5414 13th Ave, Kenosha, WI 53140. Visit Choo Choo Charlies's website to learn more.
6. Maggie's - Bayfield
Sometimes called the Pink Palace or even just FlamingoLand, Maggie’s is a bar with a theme – and boy, do they stick to it.. If a group of flamingos is called a flamboyance, then never has a "mascot" so perfectly described a place. Maggie’s is located at 257 Manypenny Ave, Bayfield, WI 54814. To learn more, visit the website for Maggie's in Bayfield.
7. A to Z Produce and Bakery - Stockholm
Pizza farms may be a new trend, but at A-to-Z Produce and Bakery, it’s something they’ve been doing since 1998. Located on 80 acres outside Stockholm, WI, A-to-Z is part hearth-baked bread, part long-running pizza night and always a local farm with tons of fresh produce as well as sheep, pigs and cattle grazing on the land. Located at N2956 Anker Ln, Stockholm, WI 54769. Check out A to Z Produce and Bakery's website to learn more.
8. Belfrē Kitchen - Delafield
From its 1868 roots as a church to its different incarnations as everything from a theater to a clothing boutique, "The Steeple," as this building is affectionately known around the area, is as much a part of Delafield as the surrounding lakes. Now it's a delicious restaurant focused on local products and seasonal menus. And they have a wonderful patio for the warmer months. Belfrē Kitchen is located at 606 N Genesee St, Delafield, WI 53018. Visit Belfrē Kitchen's website to learn more.
9. Vino in the Valley - Maiden Rock
This unique spot has an amazing location and takes incredible advantage of their 360 degree views. Open May through December, the vineyard offers its own wines, of course, but also a casual, gorgeous atmosphere in which to enjoy a delicious meal.
Located at W3826 450th Ave, Maiden Rock, WI 54750. Check out Vino in the Valley's website to learn more.
10. Ishnala Supper Club - Lake Delton
This stunning spot is everything you could want in a Wisconsin Supper Club tied together with the most breathtaking dinner view in the state.
Ishnala is located at S2011 Ishnala Rd, Lake Delton, WI 53940. Check out Ishnala Supper Club's website to learn more.
11. Suncrest Gardens Farm - Cochrane
An amazing pizza farm in the summer, you'll love the stunning location and delicious food you get to sample here.
Located at S2257 Yaeger Valley Rd, Cochrane, WI 54622. To learn more, visit the website for Suncrest Gardens Farm.
12. Rushing Waters - Palmyra
The Trout House itself is a wonderful dining experience we highly recommend, but what makes this place truly awesome is that you can catch your own lunch and then eat it not long afterward. Rushing Waters is located at N301 Co Rd H, Palmyra, WI 53156. To learn more, visit the website for Rushing Waters in Palmyra.
13. AJ Bombers - MIlwaukee
The peanuts get delivered via overhead "bomb" and the burgers are some of the most unique and delicious you'll find. Devour a delicious meal at 1247 N Water Street in Milwaukee. Visit the website for AJ Bombers to learn more.
14. Northstar Homestead Farms - Hayward
You’ve never had a meal fresher than the one you can get at North Star Farmstead in Hayward. This is farm-to-table in its most literal form – and in just a matter of steps. They produce so much on site here. There's farm-fresh produce that you get to enjoy on site, but can also buy from them at local farmers markets. A state-of-the-art aquaponics system nourishes and begets fresh produce year-round while also growing delicious tilapia. Pasture-raised poultry, sheep, and hogs. Milk, honey, eggs and incredible, house-made gelato are just some of the other specialties here.
North Star Farmstead is located at 11077N Fullington Road, Hayward, WI 54843. Visit Northstar Homestead Farms' website to learn more.
15. Al Johnson's Sister Bay
This Door County icon serves up amazing Scandinavian food you remember from Grandma's while also having a grass roof where sheep graze. It's weird and wonderful and all ours. Located at 10698 N Bay Shore Dr, Sister Bay, WI 54234. Check out Al Johnson's website to learn more.
Have you been to any of the coolest restaurants in Wisconsin? What other amazing and unique spots do you love? Let us know in the comments and feel free to nominate your favorites of the coolest restaurants in Wisconsin with our Nominations Page.
Looking for more awesome Wisconsin dining options? Check out our previous article These Irresistible Restaurants Define Wisconsin.
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