A Lake Wissota Supper Club Dinner Worth Settling Into

A dinner beside Lake Wissota has an easy way of stretching into an evening. Start with a drink at the bar, settle into a booth or a table with water in view, and leave enough time for the salad bar before the steak, fish or ribs arrive.

This is traditional Wisconsin supper-club territory: cocktails have some ceremony, dinner comes in hearty portions, and the setting gives a simple meal a little more occasion. The restaurant has indoor dining, a bar area, booths and outdoor seating, so a visit can be anything from a lakeside drink to a long group dinner.

The complimentary salad bar included with dinner is not a token plate of lettuce and a few toppings. It has been described as broad, fresh and well supplied, with about 50 items in the mix at times. It is substantial enough that choosing what to put on the first plate becomes a pleasant little project.

Two soups are included in the spread. Mushroom steak soup has stood out among them, a fittingly rich option before a Wisconsin-style main course.

Then there are the spreadable cheeses and crackers. Three varieties have been offered, adding a distinctly local, supper-club flourish to a station that already has plenty to explore.

The drink list gives the Old Fashioned the attention it deserves. Multiple variations have been available, including brandy and dark-cherry versions, and the bar has even offered Old Fashioned flights for anyone inclined to compare a few approaches.

That makes the bar more than a waiting area before a reservation. A cocktail can be the opening move of the meal, or the purpose of a shorter stop by the lake when a full entrée is not on the agenda.

The entrée list is built for appetites that came to dinner. Prime rib, filet, New York strip, salmon, walleye, chicken, pork, ribs, burgers and pasta give a mixed table plenty of directions to go, while each dinner entrée comes with a choice of side.

A steak with garlic mushrooms makes a straightforward order when the mood calls for a classic. Nueske's bacon-wrapped pork filets offer another distinctly Wisconsin-sounding route, while smoked chicken and ribs bring barbecue into the picture.

The chicken-and-ribs combination is one of those supper-club plates that does not pretend to be dainty. A quarter smoked chicken paired with ribs has been a particularly memorable choice for diners who want a little variety without straying from the restaurant's hearty center of gravity.

Fish remains a natural choice in this part of Wisconsin. The menu has included salmon, walleye and the Friday fish fry, alongside a Parmesan-crusted salmon served with lemon-dill sauce.

Sides have their own supporting role here. Baked potatoes and hash browns are familiar, satisfying companions to a steak or fish dinner.

The Duchess potatoes deserve special attention. Described as twice-baked potatoes, they bring a little more richness and texture than an ordinary side, which is not a bad thing on an evening designed for lingering.

Outdoor dining puts Lake Wissota closer to the table. The patio or terrace is a good fit for a meal that begins in daylight and carries on as the evening settles in, while the open-sided portion of the bar offers another place with a more outdoorsy feel.

Live music has occasionally accompanied outdoor dining, though the schedule and seasonal availability can vary. Even without it, the lakefront setting gives the meal a welcome change from the usual dining-room routine.

Dessert can come with its own bit of theater. Campfire s'mores are served with a miniature campfire at the table, letting diners roast their own marshmallows rather than receiving a fully assembled version from the kitchen.

It is a playful finish after prime rib or ribs, especially for a family table or a group that has already made an evening of cocktails, salad-bar rounds and a leisurely dinner.

Reservations are commonly recommended for weekends and other busy dinner periods. The restaurant accommodates both smaller tables and larger groups, but a party that wants a particular time or seating preference is better off planning ahead.

A free parking lot is available, and diners have found ample room there. Inside, the choices range from booths and dining-room tables to bar and counter seating; outdoors, the patio or terrace offers the lake-oriented alternative.

The menu runs heavily toward meat and seafood, so anyone seeking vegetarian choices should check current offerings directly. Current hours, outdoor seating conditions and music schedules are also worth confirming before heading over.