32 Weird and Wonderful Wisconsin Restaurants to Explore

The SafeHouse in Milwaukee

rom spy-themed speakeasies and goats grazing on rooftops to gangster hideouts still bearing bullet holes, the state harbors some of America's quirkiest dining experiences. This comprehensive guide covers 32 genuinely strange, unique, and memorable family-friendly restaurants across every region of Wisconsin.

Milwaukee and Southeast Wisconsin

SafeHouse remains Milwaukee's most legendary dining experience since 1966. Hidden behind a nondescript red door near the Milwaukee River, guests must either know the secret password or perform an embarrassing "clearance test"—dancing, hula-hooping, or making animal noises—broadcast on TVs inside for patrons' amusement. The labyrinthine spy-themed interior features secret passages, a disappearing booth, a piece of the actual Berlin Wall, and espionage artifacts allegedly donated by John Wayne and Austin Powers. Kids receive scavenger hunts and color-changing souvenir cups, making this ideal for families during daytime (becomes 21+ after 9pm on weekends).

• Address: 779 N. Front St., Milwaukee, WI 53202

• Phone: (414) 271-2007

• Hours: Mon-Thu 11am-10pm; Fri-Sat 11am-midnight; Sun 11am-8pm

• Price: $$ ($15-30 entrées)

• Family-friendly: Yes (daytime)

Don's TV & Repair hides a full 1980s/90s nostalgia speakeasy behind what appears to be a vintage electronics repair shop. The exterior displays old CRT televisions and repair equipment with zero indication it's a restaurant. To enter, ask the counter person for "an Ice Cold 7up"—then you're led through a freezer door into a wonderland of original Gremlins movie props, Star Wars memorabilia, vintage gaming consoles, VHS tapes, and floppy disks. The Fruity Pebbles Waffles at brunch are legendary, and Wednesday brings 99-cent burger night.

• Address: 1100 S. First St., Milwaukee, WI 53204

• Phone: (414) 808-0305

• Hours: Wed-Thu 5pm-8:30pm; Fri 11am-2pm & 4pm-9:30pm; Sat-Sun brunch 10am-2pm, dinner 4pm-9:30pm

• Price: $$ ($12-25 entrées)

• Family-friendly: Yes

Mader's Restaurant has operated continuously since 1902—over 122 years—serving as Milwaukee's time capsule of Old World Germany. The medieval Bavarian decor features suits of armor guarding doorways, stained glass windows, antique wood carvings, and traditionally attired waitstaff. Giant pretzels "the size of your head" and beer served in glass boots complete the experience.

• Address: 1041 N. Old World Third St., Milwaukee, WI 53203

• Phone: (414) 271-3377

• Hours: Tue-Sat 11:30am-9pm; Sun 11am-8pm; closed Mon

• Price: $$-$$$ ($20-45 entrées)

• Family-friendly: Yes

Foundation Tiki Bar ranks among America's finest tiki bars, hidden inside an unassuming house in Milwaukee's Riverwest neighborhood. The interior transforms into a full Polynesian paradise with bamboo forests, custom tiki carvings, blowfish lights, and items from the now-closed Oceanic Arts (world's largest tiki supplier for 66 years). Their Mai Tai follows the authentic 1944 Trader Vic recipe.

• Address: 2718 N. Bremen St., Milwaukee, WI 53212

• Phone: (414) 374-2587

• Hours: Sun-Thu 4pm-midnight; Fri-Sat 4pm-2am

• Price: $ ($7-12 drinks)

• Family-friendly: Adult-oriented (bar)

The HobNob in Racine exemplifies the quintessential Wisconsin supper club, perched dramatically on Lake Michigan bluffs with perfectly preserved 1950s-60s kitschy décor unchanged for decades. The relish tray service, Rat Pack ambiance, and signature ice cream drinks (Pink Squirrel, Grasshopper) transport diners to another era.

• Address: 277 Sheridan Rd., Racine, WI 53403

• Phone: (262) 552-8008

• Hours: Tue-Sat 5pm-10pm; Sun brunch 10:30am-3:30pm, dinner 4pm-9pm; closed Mon

• Price: $$$ ($30-50 entrées)

• Family-friendly: Yes

Madison and South Central Wisconsin

Prost! MSN serves Bavarian fare inside a Gothic Revival Lutheran church built in 1897, complete with original stained glass windows, vaulted ceilings, and church archways repurposed for communal beer hall seating. The space previously operated as "The Monastery" with waitstaff dressed as monks.

• Address: 401 E. Washington Ave., Madison, WI 53703

• Phone: (608) 230-5550

• Hours: Typically 11am-10pm (verify current hours)

• Price: $$ ($15-25 entrées)

• Family-friendly: Yes

The Harvey House offers dining in the renovated baggage claim house behind Madison's Historic Milwaukee Road Train Depot, with private dining available inside an actual 1960s train car sitting on the tracks. The chef spent six years at The French Laundry before bringing elevated supper club cuisine to this railroad setting.

• Address: 644 W. Washington Ave., Madison, WI 53703

• Phone: (608) 819-0227

• Hours: Mon-Fri 5-8:30pm; Sat-Sun 4:30-9:30pm

• Price: $$$ ($22-69 entrées)

• Family-friendly: Better for older children/adults

Toby's Supper Club occupies a building that looks like an abandoned house from outside—a divey roadhouse with neon striping around the roofline. This 50-year family-owned institution serves free homemade cinnamon rolls before weekday meals and maintains the classic supper club ritual: order at the bar, then wait to be seated when your food is ready.

• Address: 3717 S. Dutch Mill Rd., Madison, WI 53718

• Phone: (608) 222-6913

• Hours: Mon-Tue 3-9pm; Wed-Thu 3-10pm; Fri 3-10:30pm; Sat 3-10pm; closed Sun

• Price: $-$$ ($5-22)

• Family-friendly: Yes

Dorf Haus Supper Club near Sauk City holds 450 guests in Wisconsin's largest German supper club, decorated with authentic antiques, paintings of German castles, and breathtaking stained glass. The truly bizarre draw: roasted snapping turtle served during Lent—a throwback food nearly no one under 60 would consider. Free fritters replace bread before every meal, and live polka plays Friday nights.

• Address: 8931 County Rd Y, Roxbury, WI 53583

• Phone: (608) 643-3980

• Hours: Wed-Sun 4pm-midnight; closed Mon-Tue (expect 1.5-2 hour waits on weekends)

• Price: $$ ($15-35 entrées)

• Family-friendly: Yes

Campo di Bella provides a European "agriturismo" experience on a 20-acre working organic farm near Mount Horeb. Guests share communal tables with 20-30 strangers and walk through the fields between courses to see goats, pigs, and chickens while enjoying multi-course Italian feasts made from the farm's own heritage pork and vegetables.

• Address: 10229 Sharp Rd., Mount Horeb, WI 53572

• Phone: (608) 320-9287

• Hours: Fri 4:30-9pm; Sat 1-9pm (reservation-only)

• Price: $$$ ($40-60 fixed price)

• Family-friendly: Friday dinners only

Wisconsin Dells

Buffalo Phil's Pizza & Grille sends food and drinks to your table via miniature electric trains running on overhead tracks throughout the 500-seat restaurant. The space also houses a massive LEGO Brick City created from 400,000+ pieces, including themed displays and even a Taylor Swift Eras Tour section.

• Address: 150 Gasser Road, Lake Delton, WI 53940

• Phone: (608) 254-7300

• Hours: Sun-Thu 11am-8pm; Fri-Sat 11am-9pm (year-round)

• Price: $$

• Family-friendly: Yes

Hot Rocks is Wisconsin's only restaurant where diners cook their own steak, seafood, and lobster on 750°F heated volcanic lava stones right at the table—based on one of humanity's oldest cooking methods dating to 7,000 BC. Even dessert arrives on volcanic rocks: the Hot Rocks Fudge Volcano comes on frozen lava rock.

• Address: 399 County Road A, Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965

• Phone: (608) 253-2722

• Hours: Sun-Thu 4pm-8:30pm; Fri-Sat 4pm-9:30pm (year-round)

• Price: $$$ ($25-50+ steaks)

• Family-friendly: Yes

Grateful Shed Truckyard features a real 1960s Greyhound bus suspended from the ceiling above the bar—and guests can dine inside it. The turn the steering wheel actually moves the front wheels. Additional seating includes vintage VW Microbuses, old truck beds, and Winnebagos, plus multiple permanent food trucks (Low Rida Tacos, Cluck Yeah, Cousin Eddie's) inside the converted bus depot.

• Address: 1470 Wisconsin Dells Parkway, Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965

• Phone: (608) 253-0588

• Hours: Mon-Thu 11am-2am; Fri-Sat 11am-2:30am; Sun 11am-2am (year-round)

• Price: $-$$

• Family-friendly: Yes

Ishnala Supper Club operates inside Mirror Lake State Park where giant Norway pine trees grow right through the dining room roof. Guests drive through hundreds of acres of meadow and forest to reach this 72-year-old institution built on former Winnebago ceremonial ground ("Ishnala" means "by itself alone" in Winnebago). The building incorporates an 1826 log cabin trading post.

• Address: S2011 Ishnala Road, Lake Delton, WI 53940

• Phone: (608) 253-1771

• Hours: Mon-Fri 3:30pm-10pm; Sat-Sun 2:30pm-10pm

• Seasonal: Late April through late October only (no reservations—expect 2+ hour waits in summer)

• Price: $$$ ($40-80+ per person)

• Family-friendly: Yes

Sneaky Pete's Wild West Dinner Show operates as the largest Wild West dinner show in America—a 700-seat multi-million dollar venue with live trained dogs, goats, and a flying pig, plus singers, dancers, stunt performers, and audience participation (cheer heroes, boo villains). The all-you-can-eat family-style feast includes golden fried chicken, corn on the cob, and Wisconsin mac and cheese.

• Address: 564 Wisconsin Dells Parkway S, Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965

• Phone: (608) 432-7469

• Seasonal: May 9-September 6 (Wild West); rotating shows year-round

• Price: $$$ ($75 adults, $50 kids)

• Family-friendly: Yes

Paul Bunyan's Cook Shanty greets guests with giant Paul Bunyan and Babe the Blue Ox statues outside an authentic 1890s logging camp atmosphere. Food arrives continuously "lumberjack style" until you're stuffed—buttermilk donuts, flapjacks, scrambled eggs, sausage, and camp-fried potatoes served family-style across three dining rooms.

• Address: 411 State Highway 13 South, Wisconsin Dells, WI 53965

• Phone: (608) 254-8717

• Seasonal: Mid-March through October (limited weekend hours—call ahead)

• Price: $$ (~$19-20 adults)

• Family-friendly: Yes

Silver Coach in Stevens Point offers dining inside an authentic 1903 railroad sleeper car with original stained glass windows, carved wood paneling, and vintage railway fonts. The chef-owned menu features unexpected New Orleans influences—crawfish balls, shrimp jambalaya, and bourbon street baby back ribs.

• Address: 38 Park Ridge Drive, Stevens Point, WI 54481

• Phone: (715) 341-6588

• Hours: Wed-Sat 4pm-9pm; closed Sun-Tue (year-round)

• Price: $$$ ($35-60+ per person)

• Family-friendly: Better for adults

Door County and Northeast Wisconsin

Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant

Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant is famous worldwide for one reason: live goats grazing on the grass-covered roof. The building was commissioned in Norway in 1973, shipped across the Atlantic in pieces, and rebuilt with a traditional Scandinavian sod roof. A friend gave owner Al Johnson a pet goat for his birthday and climbed up to put it on the roof—breaking his collarbone—and the tradition stuck. The family even trademarked "Goats on the Roof" with the U.S. Patent Office.

• Address: 10698 N Bay Shore Drive, Sister Bay, WI 54234

• Phone: (920) 854-2626

• Hours: Daily 7am-3pm (year-round); extended to 6am-8pm May-October

• Goats: Late May through mid-October only (not in rain or extreme heat)

• Price: $$ ($12-25 entrées)

• Family-friendly: Yes

White Gull Inn serves Door County's oldest fish boil (since 1959) with the dramatic boilover spectacle: the Master Boiler throws kerosene on the fire, causing a 10-15 foot burst of flames that spills fish oils over the massive outdoor cauldron. Guests gather on the patio while the boiler shares history and stories.

• Address: 4225 Main Street, Fish Creek, WI 54212

• Phone: (920) 868-3517

• Hours: Fish boils Fri 6:30pm (year-round) + additional Wed/Sat/Sun May-October

• Price: $$ ($27.75 adults, $17 children)

• Family-friendly: Yes

The English Inn in Fish Creek features two life-sized armored knights on horseback holding lit torches flanking the entrance—causing Highway 42 traffic to slow down. The castle-like interior includes a huge stone fireplace, a chandelier made of wood and knight's armor, and stained glass throughout. Beef Wellington is always on the menu.

• Address: 3713 State Highway 42, Fish Creek, WI 54212

• Phone: (920) 868-3076

• Hours: Fri-Sun 4pm-8:30pm (expanded hours May-October)

• Price: $$$ ($20-45+ entrées)

• Family-friendly: Yes

Titletown Brewing Company operates inside Green Bay's historic 1898 Chicago & Northwestern Railway Train Depot—listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Original wood floors remain from the station era, and freight trains still occasionally pass on the tracks out front. A Donald Driver statue stands at the entrance.

• Address: 200 Dousman Street, Green Bay, WI 54303

• Phone: (920) 437-2337

• Hours: Typically 11am-10pm (year-round)

• Price: $$ ($14-28 entrées)

• Family-friendly: Yes

Nightingale Supper Club has operated continuously since 1913—over 110 years—with the quintessential Wisconsin supper club "holy trinity": taxidermy, twinkle lights, and dark wood paneling. Chef Marcia Brauer has been cooking here since 1984 (40+ years). Order a Grasshopper or Pink Squirrel ice cream drink for dessert.

• Address: 1541 Egg Harbor Road, Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

• Phone: (920) 743-5593

• Hours: Mon-Sat 4pm-9pm; closed Sun (year-round)

• Price: $$-$$$ ($15-35 entrées)

• Family-friendly: Yes

Northern Wisconsin and the Northwoods

Moccasin Bar in Hayward houses bizarre taxidermy dioramas unlike anywhere else—not just mounted animals, but raccoons boxing in a miniature ring, chipmunks playing poker, yodeling chipmunks (so notable the bar was featured in Trivial Pursuit), and animals running a moonshine operation being busted by police. The bar also displays Cal Johnson's 1949 world record muskie (67 lbs 8 oz).

• Address: 15820 US Highway 63, Hayward, WI 54843

• Phone: (715) 634-4211

• Hours: Sun-Thu 9am-2am; Fri-Sat 9am-2:30am (year-round)

• Price: $ (bar)

• Family-friendly: Adult-oriented (dive bar atmosphere)

Little Bohemia Lodge is the actual site of the infamous 1934 FBI shootout with John Dillinger's gang—and you can still see original bullet holes in the windows, walls, and chimney from that night. The informal Dillinger museum displays newspaper clippings, artifacts he left behind, and even the chair allegedly occupied by Dillinger when he was shot at Chicago's Biograph Theater. Movie props from the 2009 Johnny Depp film Public Enemies (filmed on location) remain on display.

• Address: 5625 Little Bohemia Lane, Manitowish Waters, WI 54545

• Phone: (715) 543-8800

• Hours: Tue-Sat 4pm-10pm; Sat-Sun breakfast 8am-2pm; closed Sun evening & Mon

• Price: $$-$$$

• Family-friendly: Yes

Anchor Bar & Grill in Superior was featured on Guy Fieri's "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives" for its legendary burgers and fresh-cut fries. The walls and ceilings are completely covered with nautical artifacts and Lake Superior maritime memorabilia—ship wheels, anchors, buoys, life preservers, and Edmund Fitzgerald tributes. Most diners spend under $10.

• Address: 413 Tower Avenue, Superior, WI 54880

• Phone: (715) 394-9747

• Hours: Daily 11am-2am (year-round)

• Price: $

• Family-friendly: Yes

Four Seasons Supper Club near Minocqua features dining just feet from Big Arbor Vitae Lake while watching resident loons, bald eagles, and ducks from every table. The cult-favorite "Famous Four Seasons Pressure Fried Chicken" uses special pressure-frying technique for impossibly crispy results.

• Address: 10338 Big Arbor Vitae Drive, Arbor Vitae, WI 54568

• Phone: (715) 356-5095

• Hours: Tue-Sat 4:30pm-9pm; closed Sun-Mon (year-round)

• Price: $$-$$$ ($18-35 entrées)

• Family-friendly: Yes

Wabegon Bar & Grill holds the distinction of being the only bar in Wisconsin accessible only from Minnesota—the state line runs through the parking lot about 100 yards in from Minnesota Highway 23. During COVID, this created a bizarre interstate situation when Minnesota closed restaurants while Wisconsin stayed open.

• Address: 14030 MN-23, Superior, WI 54880

• Hours: Variable—call ahead

• Price: $-$$

• Family-friendly: Yes

Western Wisconsin and Mississippi River valley

Pete's Hamburger Stand in Prairie du Chien has operated since 1909 (over 115 years) using one of America's most unusual cooking methods: poaching burgers in onion-flavored water on a flat-top grill. The menu is absurdly simple—burgers "With" or "Without" onions, plus chips and canned soda. No cheese offered. No indoor seating—customers eat standing on the corner or sitting on curbs.

• Address: 118 W. Blackhawk Avenue, Prairie du Chien, WI 53821

• Phone: (562) 531-7775

• Seasonal: Late spring through fall, Fri-Sun 11am-7pm only

• Price: $ (~$5-6 per burger)

• Family-friendly: Yes

The Livery Restaurant and Saloon in Eau Claire occupies Oleson's Livery, an 1880s historic livery stable—one of the few still intact in Wisconsin. The upstairs game room features pool tables, arcade games, darts, and mounted big-game taxidermy with "their own stories." Large garage doors open in summer, and a massive outdoor brick fire pit draws crowds.

• Address: 316 Eau Claire Street (approximately), Eau Claire, WI 54703

• Phone: (715) 833-7666

• Hours: Tue-Thu 4pm-10pm; Fri 4pm-midnight; Sat 3pm-midnight; closed Sun-Mon

• Price: $$

• Family-friendly: Yes

The Driftless Cafe in tiny Viroqua (population 4,362) is run by Luke Zahm, host of PBS's "Wisconsin Foodie." The menu changes daily based on what's available from nearby organic farms—often not finalized until afternoon. The rustic wood interior resembles "an old-timey western bar" while the food incorporates multicultural influences from Hmong migrants, Black chefs from the Great Migration, and other diverse traditions.

• Address: 118 W. Court Street, Viroqua, WI 54665

• Phone: (608) 637-7778

• Hours: Tue-Sat lunch 11am-3pm, dinner 5pm-9pm (10pm Fri-Sat); closed Sun-Mon

• Price: $$-$$$ ($26-38 entrées)

• Family-friendly: Yes

The Barn Restaurant in Prairie du Chien occupies a massive rustic barn that "seems to go on and on"—wandering customers discover new sections decorated with deer heads, antiques, ornate lighting, and rustic wood on almost every visit. The restaurant overlooks the Mississippi River and Barnyard 9 Golf Course.

• Address: 32800 County Road K, Prairie du Chien, WI 53821

• Phone: (608) 326-4941

• Hours: Tue-Sat 4pm-9pm; closed Sun-Mon

• Price: $$

• Family-friendly: Yes

Jones Black Angus Supper Club features what reviewers call the star attraction: an enormous soup, salad, and cheese bar with a separate large cheeseboard where you cut your own Wisconsin cheeses. The dark wood-paneled interior epitomizes classic Mississippi River country supper clubs.

• Address: 37640 US Highway 18, Prairie du Chien, WI 53821

• Phone: (608) 326-2222

• Hours: Dinner only, approximately 4:30pm-9pm (reservations recommended)

• Price: $$-$$$ ($40-80+ per person)

• Family-friendly: Yes

Planning your quirky dining adventure

Best for families with young children: Buffalo Phil's (train delivery), SafeHouse (spy scavenger hunts), Al Johnson's (rooftop goats), Sneaky Pete's Wild West Show (live animals), Paul Bunyan's Cook Shanty (giant statues), White Gull Inn Fish Boil (fire spectacle)

Best for teens and nostalgia buffs: Don's TV & Repair (80s/90s speakeasy), Grateful Shed Truckyard (suspended buses), Little Bohemia (gangster history)

Adult-oriented notable spots: Foundation Tiki Bar (top-rated tiki), Moccasin Bar (bizarre taxidermy), Five O'Clock Steakhouse (upscale supper club)

Critical seasonal notes: Door County establishments reduce hours November-April. Al Johnson's goats appear late May through mid-October only. Ishnala and Paul Bunyan's close for winter. Pete's Hamburger Stand operates spring through fall on weekends only. Always call ahead to confirm hours, especially in shoulder seasons.

Wisconsin's quirky restaurant scene proves that memorable dining transcends the food itself. Whether you're seeking spy missions, gangster history, fire-breathing fish boils, or simply goats overhead, the state delivers experiences found nowhere else in America.