A meal at Little Bohemia comes with more to look at than a menu. In the dining room, preserved bullet holes and artifacts tied to the attempted 1934 FBI raid give the lodge an unmistakably unusual backdrop for steak, fish, cocktails and a long supper by the lake.
This is classic Up North Wisconsin supper-club territory: a historic lodge, a bar where people settle in before dinner, rooms with vintage character and water views that turn an ordinary reservation into a destination outing. The building has the pleasingly time-worn air of a place that has collected stories instead of replacing them.
Little Bohemia is closely associated with the 1934 confrontation involving FBI agent Melvin Purvis, John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson and other public enemies. That episode is not treated as a distant footnote. Its remnants are present in the rooms, and diners can notice the bullet holes while they eat.
A dinner room with its own stories
The history is substantial enough to occupy anyone interested in gangster lore, but it does not overwhelm the supper-club side of the visit. Little Bohemia still functions as a place to meet friends, order a drink, sit down for a full dinner and linger over the setting.
The interior is atmospheric rather than generic, with the lodge's age and distinctive décor doing much of the work. A visitor can spend a few minutes looking over the artifacts, then turn back to the table and the practical business of deciding between walleye, schnitzel, a burger or something more elaborate.
Several dining rooms have been quiet enough for easy conversation, a welcome trait for anniversary dinners, family gatherings and groups introducing someone to the lodge for the first time. The scale also suits both a couple's evening out and a larger table.
The lake changes the pace
Some tables look over the lake, adding a softer counterpoint to the hard-edged public-enemies history indoors. The water view gives dinner a natural pause between courses, particularly when daylight is still on the lake.
Not every seat is established as lake-facing, but a water-view table is a fine feature of the experience when available. The combination is peculiar in the best Wisconsin-lodge way: history on the walls, a plate in front of you and a broad lake just beyond the dining room.
The setting has made the lodge a natural choice for holiday meals and special occasions. Even on a busy July 4 visit, it has worked as a convivial group stop rather than a rushed in-and-out meal.
Start at the bar
Before dinner, the bar gives a reservation party a sensible place to gather. Cocktails are part of the rhythm here, and Rum Runners have made appearances at dinner tables.
For a more recognizably Wisconsin opening move, Spotted Cow has been served in frosty mugs while diners waited to be seated. It is a small touch, but a cold beer in a substantial old lodge is difficult to improve upon.
Live music, including a one-person band, has occasionally added another layer to the evening. It is best thought of as a possible bonus rather than a nightly promise.
The pork shank worth ordering
Among the heartier entrees, the pork shank has drawn especially enthusiastic attention. Tender and generous, it is the sort of order that belongs in a supper-club dining room, where nobody is pretending that dinner should be dainty.
Steaks, parmesan chicken, pasta, burgers and pork schnitzel broaden the choices. One version of the schnitzel has arrived topped with eggs, an unabashedly rich detail that suits the kitchen's comfort-food outlook.
That range is useful at a table with varied appetites. One person can make a traditional steak choice while another goes for pasta or a burger, without the group having to negotiate its way into a single narrow style of dining.
Walleye, soup and a few old-school touches
Lake Superior walleye is another appealing route, served in pan-seared and broiled preparations. The fish has been noted for arriving fresh, moist and flaky, a lighter counterbalance to pork shank and steak without straying from the regional mood.
French onion soup has earned particular praise and makes a strong opening order on a cool evening. It is a familiar supper-club comfort, but familiarity is no drawback when the bowl is done well.
Shrimp de Jonghe is another menu choice that has appeared with linguine and, on another occasion, with a side salad. Bread and pâté have also accompanied a meal, small old-fashioned flourishes that fit the lodge's character.
Planning the evening
Reservations are a good idea at Little Bohemia, especially if dinner is tied to a holiday, group gathering or hoped-for lake view. Reserved parties have been seated at their scheduled time, and the bar offers a comfortable place to have a drink beforehand.
The property has a free parking lot with plentiful parking. Inside, service has been described as friendly, attentive and knowledgeable, with help on food choices and timely refills.
Specific dishes and offerings can change, but the broad appeal remains easy to understand: a historic lodge, a substantial Wisconsin-style dinner, a bar to begin the evening and enough tangible history to keep the table conversation going.