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The Burgers of Wisconsin

The Burgers of Wisconsin
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  • Post #211 - September 5th, 2013, 3:34 pm
    Post #211 - September 5th, 2013, 3:34 pm Post #211 - September 5th, 2013, 3:34 pm
    Jefe wrote:I am a big fan of this thread, but only vicariously, since I maybe make it up to WI once a year and usually en route to da UP. So pardon my laziness to not google map each of these small town joints to figure out which might be on the way for us on our next trip up north. Tomorrow we head up to Marquette via the typical route of 94 to Milwaukee, then 43 to Green Bay, and 41 to Marinette/ Iron Mtn. Can I get some recommendations on a great burger along the way that won't put us more than 10 miles off track? Last year I hit Mickey Lu's in Marinette and thought it was okay, charming, but not my favorite burger. I love Kewpie (and the griddled style in general) so a late breakfast in Racine could be in the cards. I'd love to try something new though, even in Milwaukee, where I've sadly not explored as much as I should. Though an old school roadside haunt would be ideal. Thanks!


    Well Kewpee does open early so that option should be there. I'd say Kroll's East in Green Bay featured upthread is a good option. I'd heard Al's Hamburger in Green Bay is back at it after a fire so they're there too. But you'll want to call first. Al's burgers are the same smashed style as Kewpee and they make a mean hash. The brat burgers in Sheboygan wouldn't be a bad choice either. It's all good. But if you didnt love Mickey Lu that's the way most places along the lake make them so keep that in mind. One day I will sort all these out on google maps for all to be able to use. Enjoy the trip.
  • Post #212 - September 6th, 2013, 8:14 am
    Post #212 - September 6th, 2013, 8:14 am Post #212 - September 6th, 2013, 8:14 am
    When going thru Sheboygan, Gosse's is only less than 10 minutes off I-43 to the east. It is an old NW railroad building near the tracks. Excellent butter burger with suberb roll from City Bakery. Can't miss with this one.

    If you wanted to stray a bit (maybe 20 minutes east of I-43 from Green Bay to Sturgeon Bay on 57, you can go to a town called Duvall and go to a very famous burger joint called Joe Rouer's. Guarantee this one also.
  • Post #213 - September 15th, 2013, 12:41 pm
    Post #213 - September 15th, 2013, 12:41 pm Post #213 - September 15th, 2013, 12:41 pm
    Jefe wrote:I am a big fan of this thread, but only vicariously, since I maybe make it up to WI once a year and usually en route to da UP. So pardon my laziness to not google map each of these small town joints to figure out which might be on the way for us on our next trip up north. Tomorrow we head up to Marquette via the typical route of 94 to Milwaukee, then 43 to Green Bay, and 41 to Marinette/ Iron Mtn. Can I get some recommendations on a great burger along the way that won't put us more than 10 miles off track? Last year I hit Mickey Lu's in Marinette and thought it was okay, charming, but not my favorite burger. I love Kewpie (and the griddled style in general) so a late breakfast in Racine could be in the cards. I'd love to try something new though, even in Milwaukee, where I've sadly not explored as much as I should. Though an old school roadside haunt would be ideal. Thanks!


    Well, I ended up doing my homework on the thread and was very glad I did. Munising seemed like a good halfway stop and Bud Wilman's was an easy on/off from 43.

    Image
    This place is the real deal, a cute-as-a-button lunch counter filled with locals (no stares, all smiles). We bellied up to the counter for a good view of the grill man in action.

    Image
    A great little burger. Yes, of the butter burger on a kaiser variety like Mickey-Lu's, where I was not completely wowed on my last trek north. Like Da Beef discusses upthread, these burgers begin as balls of ground that are smashed onto the griddle with onions. Being of the griddled/ slider disposition, this style really did the trick for me. The bun was well managed on the grill as well, which allowed for the cheese and butter schmear to coalesce into gooey/greasy perfection.

    Image
    My better half ordered the cheese curds, which seemed to be a mass-produced product. We appreciated the restrained portion sizes though. Every thing seems sized and priced to scale up or down the size of the meal. I think we ordered pretty light, a "large" burger each (maybe 3 oz.?) and a side each. The bill was $11 and some change.

    Image
    My side, gravy fries, though likely produced from industrial products, hit the spot and with crisp fries and piping hot gravy were more than a sum of their parts. Good stuff.

    On the ride home from up dere, my wife insisted we stop at Culver's for my first Butterburger®.

    Image

    I love a crispy, lacy griddled burger and this is a pretty good one, almost up there with my favorite, Schoop's. Though as evidenced by the unmelted cheese, the toppings were not managed quite up to my gold standard. Curds were noticeably better than our first attempt as well. Dangerous that this chain is on most of my well traveled routes around the midwest!

    (edited to correct the denotation of Butterburger®)
    Last edited by Jefe on September 16th, 2013, 9:43 am, edited 1 time in total.
  • Post #214 - September 16th, 2013, 8:33 am
    Post #214 - September 16th, 2013, 8:33 am Post #214 - September 16th, 2013, 8:33 am
    I don't know why they call them Butterburgers at Culver's when all they do is butter the bun with clarified butter to toast it which many/most places do everyday. If you want a true Wisconsin butterburger go to Solly's. Even Steak N Shake has one called the Wisconsin Buttery - Culver's actually does not serve butterburgers at all.
  • Post #215 - September 16th, 2013, 8:48 am
    Post #215 - September 16th, 2013, 8:48 am Post #215 - September 16th, 2013, 8:48 am
    Ram4 wrote:I don't know why they call them Butterburgers at Culver's when all they do is butter the bun with clarified butter to toast it which many/most places do everyday. If you want a true Wisconsin butterburger go to Solly's. Even Steak N Shake has one called the Wisconsin Buttery - Culver's actually does not serve butterburgers at all.


    That is what they call them, right there on the menu.
  • Post #216 - September 16th, 2013, 9:35 am
    Post #216 - September 16th, 2013, 9:35 am Post #216 - September 16th, 2013, 9:35 am
    Jefe wrote:
    Ram4 wrote:I don't know why they call them Butterburgers at Culver's when all they do is butter the bun with clarified butter to toast it which many/most places do everyday. If you want a true Wisconsin butterburger go to Solly's. Even Steak N Shake has one called the Wisconsin Buttery - Culver's actually does not serve butterburgers at all.


    That is what they call them, right there on the menu.

    Jefe, considering I've been eating Culver's "butter burgers" for a good 15 years and I am on a foodie site, you'd think I might be aware of this. :lol: After all, the restaurant's name says they have Frozen Custard and Butter Burgers.

    Even Craig Culver says they butter the crown of every bun on their commericals. What they don't do is put butter on the burger.
  • Post #217 - September 16th, 2013, 12:50 pm
    Post #217 - September 16th, 2013, 12:50 pm Post #217 - September 16th, 2013, 12:50 pm
    Ram4 wrote:What they don't do is put butter on the burger.

    Which other places do.

    =R=
    Same planet, different world
  • Post #218 - September 16th, 2013, 2:28 pm
    Post #218 - September 16th, 2013, 2:28 pm Post #218 - September 16th, 2013, 2:28 pm
    Solly's is the most famous and puts the most butter on. If Culver's did it this way, and you went thru the drive-thru, you would ruin your clothes and interior quickly. Gosse's in Sheboygan does, but at a lighter pace than Solly's.
  • Post #219 - September 17th, 2013, 12:16 pm
    Post #219 - September 17th, 2013, 12:16 pm Post #219 - September 17th, 2013, 12:16 pm
    Puckjam wrote:Solly's is the most famous and puts the most butter on. If Culver's did it this way, and you went thru the drive-thru, you would ruin your clothes and interior quickly. Gosse's in Sheboygan does, but at a lighter pace than Solly's.
    Again, as I said, Steak N Shake does do this, on a burger called the Wisconsin Buttery. Definitely not as much as Solly's, though I am sure you can ask for extra butter anytime. And I have gone through the drive-thru when I ordered my Wisconsin Buttery. I was careful when I ate it! :)
  • Post #220 - September 19th, 2013, 2:16 pm
    Post #220 - September 19th, 2013, 2:16 pm Post #220 - September 19th, 2013, 2:16 pm
    Ethel's Pub & Grill impressed me with a really great burger - can't believe I didn't order a cheeseburger, but it must have been because the morning was spent sampling at a number of local cheese factories. The sweet potato fries hit the spot, too:
    DSCN0739.JPG


    From the close up, you can see its another Wisconsin butter burger:
    DSCN0740.JPG buttery toasted bun


    The ham sandwich was a specialty of one of the early owners and was good, too:
    DSCN0738.JPG



    The building dates from the 1870's and long ago served as the local firehouse and used to be the home of Rowland's ("Roll-Inn") Calumet Brewery. Cool bar area with the hostess featured in a wall mural:
    DSCN0741.JPG

    DSCN0742.JPG


    DSCN0737.JPG Ethel's Pub & Grill
    100 W. Main Street
    Chilton, WI
  • Post #221 - September 30th, 2013, 9:01 am
    Post #221 - September 30th, 2013, 9:01 am Post #221 - September 30th, 2013, 9:01 am
    I was in Green Lake a couple weeks ago and took a detour through Fox Lake on the way home for the sole purpose of stopping by Mullin's Drive In. When I was a kid we would stop almost every weekend on the way up to our camper, but now its rare that I am in that area so when I am, I have to stop and get a double cheeseburger with fried onions and a Black Cow. The burger was really good, maybe a touch overcooked but the gooey cheese and pile of onions made up for it. One of my favorite simple burgers in Wisconsin, mprobably more for nostalgia's sake then actual awesomness, but still a very solid option when in Central Wi.
    Visit my new website at http://www.splatteredpages.com or my old one at www.eatwisconsin.com
  • Post #222 - May 18th, 2014, 12:53 pm
    Post #222 - May 18th, 2014, 12:53 pm Post #222 - May 18th, 2014, 12:53 pm
    Finally went to AJ Bombers for lunch yesterday. The layout and size reminded me of Lockdown, and there was a wait at 2:30 - but not for the bar. I ordered a double burger with Nueske bacon. Burger patties were cooked medium well (they said they cook everything medium, so I just let them do what they do) and were a little dry, but tasty. The star of the sandwich without question was the bacon. It was that wonderful thick and chewy smoky Nueske bacon. I wanted to try the custard, but decided to take it easy. Had decent fresh cut fries (they weren't hot out of the fryer which was a letdown). My friend had tater tots which were great. I'd go back, and order extra bacon! Overall a solid burger place. If you have a peanut allergy stay away, peanuts everywhere on the floors.
  • Post #223 - June 25th, 2014, 10:05 am
    Post #223 - June 25th, 2014, 10:05 am Post #223 - June 25th, 2014, 10:05 am
    Image Image
    Elkhart Lake, WI

    Back at it. I was out in Sheboygan County on a consulting trip a little while back and seeked out a couple good burger stops on my route. Elkhart Lake is a small village located on the beautiful Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive. It's probably best known for being the home of the Road America Racetrack, which is said to slang a good charcoal kissed burgers on raceday. There's always been a history with racing in these parts as residents used to illegally race along the county roads back in the 50's before the track was built. There's also a history of grilling over real charcoal in these parts (see previous posts) and that's what I read the boys over at Three Guy's & a Grill were doing so I made it a point to stop by.

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    Flaming Charcoal Grill

    Upon entry you're greeted by the grill sending sweet whiffs into the outside air. This was an integrated Sconnie bar in that there were what seemed to be a couple regulars, a few families and couple guys enjoying a drink after some hunting with a middle 40's aged female bartender who seemed to know all of them. Cheeseburger with fried onions wasn't bad. It was a bit overcooked however the kiss of charcoal is always a pleasant taste and the toasted Sheboygan style hard rolls commonly used around here are top notch. Located in the 13,000 acre Marsh Park Wildlife area, the view while eating the burger might of been the best part. More to come.

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    Cheeseburger outside

    Three Guys & a Grill
    W7039 County Road S R
    Elkhart Lake, WI 53020
    (920) 876-2535
  • Post #224 - June 27th, 2014, 1:32 pm
    Post #224 - June 27th, 2014, 1:32 pm Post #224 - June 27th, 2014, 1:32 pm
    You gotta try the Big O at Oscar's in Milwaukee. Great Burger, maybe the best in the metro area. They are on 19th and Pierce. Behind the Poti Casino basically. Oscar runs a nice business and is there. That makes a big difference. Anyway, I want to hand with Da Beef sometime. He has similar tastes, but seems to make more joints than I.
  • Post #225 - July 15th, 2014, 12:30 pm
    Post #225 - July 15th, 2014, 12:30 pm Post #225 - July 15th, 2014, 12:30 pm
    Just when I thought the list of spots within reach was dwindling down, out of nowhere comes a contender. I found myself back in the Kettle Moraine Scenic Drive area of Southeast Wisconsin and rode by a cute little seasonal operation sitting alongside a riverstream right on the route.

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    Campbellsport, WI

    How do I not stop? With the handful of other great walk-up burger shacks seen upthread I was excited to see how this place stacked up against the rest. We're not far from Sheboygan County so it was no surprise to see their style of burger on offer. I dont think the grill was a real charcoal apparatus but the patties were freshly supplied from a butcher as mentioned on the front of the hut. I went with a double cheeseburger everything. That means Wisconsin cheddar, sliced raw onion, pickles and in Hamburger Haus' case a horseradish mustard that worked wonderfully. Add in the toasted Sheboygan hard roll with a smear of melted butter and we got the best burger I've had so far this summer. If you're out camping or biking around this beautiful area then this spot is your fuel stop.

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    Double Cheddar Burger

    Hamburger Haus
    N3059 Wisconsin 67
    Campbellsport, WI 53010
    (920) 533-5046
  • Post #226 - July 18th, 2014, 3:00 am
    Post #226 - July 18th, 2014, 3:00 am Post #226 - July 18th, 2014, 3:00 am
    "There's always been a history with racing in these parts as residents used to illegally race along the county roads back in the 50's before the track was built."

    I first attended road races at Road America in 1960, so I just missed the races through the Village of Elkhart Lake but I can assure you that the races in the 1950's sanctioned by the SCCA were not illegaly run.
    For a history of road racing around and in Elkahrt Lake go here:
    http://www.historicracecircuits.com/race_history.html
    I had the good fortune to be invited to Jim Kimberley's estate in Neenah Wisconsin in 1960 where I attended High School. Parked in a barn was a 4 cyl racing Ferrari, red of course, my introduction to sports cars.
    I have attended many races at Road America over the years and events in the Village of Elkhart Lake.
    Now I am an SCCA member and we are at Road America about 4 times a year driving at Track Events. The Village of Elkhart Lake is still beautiful and has some very nice accomodations and I might add that the Osthoff delivers a very nice room service burger.-Dick
  • Post #227 - July 18th, 2014, 5:30 am
    Post #227 - July 18th, 2014, 5:30 am Post #227 - July 18th, 2014, 5:30 am
    Hi, I also a huge fan of burgers and my favorite burgers are burgers made from beef burgers which are provided by American Farmers Network. They are really tasty and also best for health then other non vegetarian and vegetarian burgers. Do anyone here tried burger made from beef?
  • Post #228 - July 18th, 2014, 7:29 am
    Post #228 - July 18th, 2014, 7:29 am Post #228 - July 18th, 2014, 7:29 am
    budrichard wrote:"There's always been a history with racing in these parts as residents used to illegally race along the county roads back in the 50's before the track was built."

    I first attended road races at Road America in 1960, so I just missed the races through the Village of Elkhart Lake but I can assure you that the races in the 1950's sanctioned by the SCCA were not illegaly run.


    No you can't assure that. Because I never said the sanctioned races were run illegally, those were sanctioned, duh. But unless you were living there in the 1950's you cant say illegal drag racing wasn't going on. It was going on in most places. I highly doubt that when street racing became illegal in 1952 that everybody just stopped then and there. Did they stop gambling on cards when that became outlawed in 1945? No. But thanks for the burger tip. More to come.
  • Post #229 - July 18th, 2014, 7:30 pm
    Post #229 - July 18th, 2014, 7:30 pm Post #229 - July 18th, 2014, 7:30 pm
    I also have wonderful memories of Elkhart Lake including the opening day for the track, and every major race through the early 60's. About 14 years ago, David Hobbs autographed the program from that weekend.

    Seibkens is the place to enjoy the car shows and bar scene. Friday night was the time to show off your new car and yes, we had the prime parking place during our last weekend. Saturday's race car show was incredible and a few of those prototypes did exceed the speed limits and leave some parallel tracks of rubber. What wonderful memories.

    Tim
  • Post #230 - July 19th, 2014, 6:39 am
    Post #230 - July 19th, 2014, 6:39 am Post #230 - July 19th, 2014, 6:39 am
    What a week..... Wendl's in Franklin...Fred's in Burlinton ...then Big-Star in Kenosha . All delicious
  • Post #231 - July 30th, 2014, 3:08 pm
    Post #231 - July 30th, 2014, 3:08 pm Post #231 - July 30th, 2014, 3:08 pm
    Drive-In Burger Special

    Wisconsin has almost as big of a Drive-In culture as they do burgers and beer. Whether we're talking theaters or food the state has a high concentration of them. Oh and don't forget about the booze thru's too. There's a thread dedicated to the Drive-Ins of Kenosha HERE and all of those places burgers have been seen over here. Today I have five more to add to the statewide round-up. We'll start south and move north as we check out the scene.
    ___________________________________________________________________

    Nite Owl Drive-In

    Image
    Milwaukee, WI

    This place near the airport has been on my radar since the start of this thread but I've never been able to squeeze them in until this past Spring. A locals favorite approaching their 70th year in business past patrons range from Elvis Presley to Bud Selig and more. Because of the name I decided to include them in this report but they also fit the bill of an upcoming one which will document the spots around Milwaukee famous for both their custard and jumbo burgers.

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    Ordering Window

    This is a seasonal operation and most folks ordering from the window (they no longer offer car hop service) will eat their burgers right there in the car. I must say that for $4 this is quite the bang for your buck burger. I don't know who eats doubles of these things ($7) but I've seen some of the folks walking around town in their Packers gear and have little doubt that they couldnt finish a triple if they tried. Seriously a single here is bigger than some spots doubles. You're asked if you want grilled or raw onions and I recommend going grilled as they give a little bit of juiciness to the overall consumption. The larger than normal bun was just average at best which is a rarity in these parts and I think there were three pieces of cheese on the thing. In all honesty I couldn't even finish it as I was coming from a fish fry elsewhere. Not a bad burger by any means but I wouldn't list it in the Top 10 in-state. I'd guess it'd finish middle of the road if they all got ranked.

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    Jumbo Cheeseburger
    ___________________________________________________________________

    Wayne's Drive-In

    Image
    Cedarburg, WI

    About 30 minutes north of Nite Owl this place is currently open for their 16th summer of business. Made to be a 50's style drive-in they don't have hop service here but they do get quite a large amount of antique car rocking folks and also bikers that stop by for a burger at the counter. Size-wise these are a little bit bigger than most though not quite a jumbo as the ones at Nite Owl are known. Wayne's uses locally made Sheboygan hard rolls as their buns and that's a good thing because the large burger patty can become pretty juicy with the big smear of butter that goes on top mixed in. I very much enjoyed this offering.

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    Cheeseburger

    Image
    For Butter Lovers
    ___________________________________________________________________

    Chester's Drive-In

    Image
    Plymouth, WI

    Continuing North we head about 45 miles up the highway into Plymouth where Chester's Drive-In has been locally owned for more than 40 years. This is the first deal deal Drive-In of the day as they have carhop service and make an excellent batch of old fashioned draft root beer that comes served in a chilled glass mug. The way it's supposed to be done. Burger wise we're only about 20 minutes inland from Sheboygan so it should be no surprise thats the style being slung. Classic toasted hard roll with a heaping amount of butter? Check. Freshly supplied patty from nearby butcher cooked over real charcoal? Check. Wisconsin Cheddar, Sliced Raw Onion, Slices of Pickles and Stone Ground Mustard? Check, Check, Check and Check. Great tasting burger? Check. Still one of the best I've had all summer. Well worth the stop.

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    Cheeseburger and Fresh Root Beer
    ___________________________________________________________________

    Ardy & Ed's Drive In

    Image
    Oshkosh, WI

    Here folks is one of a few full fledged drive-in's still up and running in the states. As you can see in the picture up above, the high school aged car hops are still on skates and as you'll see in the next pic down, the cooks are in the paper hats and the owner who's name appears on the sign is still spending summers there.

    Image
    a peak inside

    "A blast from the Past" is the motto here and it fits it perfectly. I pulled up and hopped out because I wanted to check the inside which as expected feels like a time warp. So the story goes it "began in 1948, shortly after World War II had ended. It was originally known as the Southside A & W Drive In, serving little more than A & W Root Beer, Hot Dogs and chips. In the late 40's it was one of only two or three Drive In Restaurants in Oshkosh. One of the early owners was Mr. Nate Rohr, who eventually owned a number of Root Beer Stands in the Fox Valley.

    In 1953 the business was purchased by Robert and Elizabeth "Ollie" Albrecht of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. The Albrechts operated the drive in for 7 1/2 years. On July 1, 1960 the business was sold to Mrs. Albrecht's son, Edward Timm, and his wife Ardythe.

    The Timms operated the business as the Southside A & W Drive In until 1972. At that time the decision was made to operate as an independent drive in, and the business was renamed "Ardy & Ed's Drive In". They continued serving the same "Famous" draft root beer and great food as they had in the past.

    After the death of Ed in 1979, Ardy continued to operate the business. Today, she runs the business with her partner and husband, Steve Davis, who began working at the restaurant in 1977. Steve was honored by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association as "Restaurateur of the Year" in 2008 for his service to the WRA and the foodservice industry. In 2010 the WRA Education Foundation honored Steve with their "Salute to Excellence" restaurateur award for his dedication to hospitality education in Wisconsin."

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    Ardy & Ed Burger

    The namesake burger is the Drive-In's signature offering and like the Charcoal Inn of Sheboygan (seen upthread) it features both a brat and a burger patty. The brat dominates but you can still get a taste of the burger every other bite inside your mouth. The soft locally baked bun gets toasted on both sides and the standard Sheboygan style toppings are included except they use diced raw onion instead of sliced and they add a piece of cheese on top of each meat. Excellent.

    Image
    The insides
    ___________________________________________________________________

    JD's Drive-In

    Image
    Appleton, WI

    Also in the Fox Cities region, JD's was a bit of a letdown upon arriving. It's independently owned but has much of the same characteristics as your local Burger King, unless you live in Mattoon, Illinois anyway. It's got a drive thru but no carhops and I believe they are the only spot amongst these five that are open year-round. There were alot of local high school kids hanging out here eating burgers and ice cream and I followed suit with a bacon cheeseburger and small cherry dipped cone. The burger tasted like the Burger King you'd rather it not resemble while the ice cream cone hit the spot. Having spent just over $3 on the total I had little complaints.

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    Bacon Cheeseburger and a Cherry Dipped Cone
    ___________________________________________________________________

    Nite Owl Drive-In
    830 E Layton Ave
    Milwaukee, WI 53207
    (414) 483-2524

    Wayne's Drive-In
    1331 Covered Bridge Rd
    Cedarburg, WI 53012
    (262) 375-9999

    Chester's Drive-In
    1504 Eastern Ave
    Plymouth, WI 53073
    (920) 892-7722

    Ardy & Ed's Drive In
    2413 S Main St
    Oshkosh, WI 54902
    (920) 231-5455

    JD's Drive-In
    1939 E John St
    Appleton, WI 54915
    (920) 739-6935
  • Post #232 - July 31st, 2014, 6:48 am
    Post #232 - July 31st, 2014, 6:48 am Post #232 - July 31st, 2014, 6:48 am
    I will be at Road America 8/15, Chester's it is, on the way home!-Dick
  • Post #233 - July 31st, 2014, 2:44 pm
    Post #233 - July 31st, 2014, 2:44 pm Post #233 - July 31st, 2014, 2:44 pm
    Love the burger posts Da Beef. But never, ever order your dessert with the meal! At least I never will. :wink:

    I love great custard and when I was in Steamboat Springs, CO this month, one of the burger joints said they had frozen custard. So I went over there for some, and when I got there I knew I was in trouble when I saw a soft serve machine. The conversation was something like this:

    Me: I thought you had frozen custard?
    Lady: Yes we do.
    Me: Is that it? <pointing to the soft serve machine>
    Lady: Yes.
    Me: Do you make concretes?
    Lady: What's that?
    Me: :roll: You don't have frozen custard.

    Maybe it's possible their soft serve was of the same ingredients as custard, but it couldn't have been at the same temperature, and as we know real frozen custard is much more involved to make and serve. I decided not to have any, though maybe I at least should have tried it. Next time...
  • Post #234 - July 31st, 2014, 7:31 pm
    Post #234 - July 31st, 2014, 7:31 pm Post #234 - July 31st, 2014, 7:31 pm
    budrichard wrote:I will be at Road America 8/15, Chester's it is, on the way home!-Dick


    Bud, on your ride back to Racine, there are some excellent stops. Dino's Pizza in Plymouth, off 67 and Dr. Dawg in Glendale, off 43. Dino's is an old school thin crust pizza similar to Mike and Angelo's or Wells Bros. Let it cool down or you'll burn the roof of your mouth and won't enjoy the experience. Ask Dino if he'll show you his old cars in the back garage. Dr. Dawg serves a fabulous Niman Ranch burger with Nueske Bacon and Merkt's cheddar. I prefer mine medium rare. He also offers a killer Italian beef made with Scala's beef. Try the combo with a Scala Italian sausage. When was the last time you had Scala's? It's specially made by the Scala family for Dr Dawg.
    http://www.drdawg.net
    Mark A Reitman, PhD
    Professor of Hot Dogs
    Hot Dog University/Vienna Beef
  • Post #235 - August 4th, 2014, 10:08 am
    Post #235 - August 4th, 2014, 10:08 am Post #235 - August 4th, 2014, 10:08 am
    chicagostyledog wrote:
    budrichard wrote:I will be at Road America 8/15, Chester's it is, on the way home!-Dick


    Bud, on your ride back to Racine, there are some excellent stops. Dino's Pizza in Plymouth, off 67 and Dr. Dawg in Glendale, off 43. Dino's is an old school thin crust pizza similar to Mike and Angelo's or Wells Bros. Let it cool down or you'll burn the roof of your mouth and won't enjoy the experience. Ask Dino if he'll show you his old cars in the back garage. Dr. Dawg serves a fabulous Niman Ranch burger with Nueske Bacon and Merkt's cheddar. I prefer mine medium rare. He also offers a killer Italian beef made with Scala's beef. Try the combo with a Scala Italian sausage. When was the last time you had Scala's? It's specially made by the Scala family for Dr Dawg.
    http://www.drdawg.net

    Dino's Pizza is similar Wells Bros or Mike and Angelos? Check. Dr. Dawg uses Niman Ranch beef and Nueske's bacon? AND a killer beef? Check.

    Thanks
  • Post #236 - August 12th, 2014, 1:08 pm
    Post #236 - August 12th, 2014, 1:08 pm Post #236 - August 12th, 2014, 1:08 pm
    I was up in Madtown a few weeks ago and managed to squeeze in a burger that had been on my radar the last couple trips thru. After some shopping at the Farmer's Market we wandered over to Tipsy Cow located downtown just off the Capitol. As I was approaching the entryway I noticed a sign encouraging passerby's to try what 'Business Insider' said is the best burger in the state. If there's anyone who's eligible to judge what truly is the best burger in Wisconsin, I'll go ahead and raise my hand.

    Image
    Madison, WI

    We got a table outside as it was a gorgeous day. It didn't take long to place the order. You know why we were here. The signature Tipsy Cow burger is two smashed locally butchered patties, 3 year cheddar, onion, Widmer's brick cheese, Nueske's bacon, tipsy sauce and housemade pickles.

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    Tipsy Burger

    This was a fight, but it was a knockout. Fantastic. I cant say it's the best burger in the state because there's so many different kinds but it's easily one of the best in Madison which also happens to be one of the best burger eating towns in the country. Don't believe me? Check the previous posts.

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    Good Stuff

    Tipsy Cow
    102 King St
    Madison, WI 53703
    (608) 287-1455
  • Post #237 - August 17th, 2014, 10:47 am
    Post #237 - August 17th, 2014, 10:47 am Post #237 - August 17th, 2014, 10:47 am
    We stopped at Chester's in Plymouth on the way back from Road America Friday.
    It's pretty much as Da Beef described it.
    A good burger and local resource.
    We ordered two Chester's Special /cheese.
    2 Cheeseburgers, 2 small root beers and fries that four indivduals could have eaten.
    Fries were hot and tasty! We ate half. Cheeseburger was charcoal grilled with a faint wisp of charcoal flavor. Diet root beer was cold.
    We did not use the car hops as we did not have a suitable vehicle.
    But the place was busy but service quick.
    Certainly better than the ubiquitous McD's and Burger King's!
    Chester's does not take credit cards.-Dick
  • Post #238 - August 20th, 2014, 12:36 pm
    Post #238 - August 20th, 2014, 12:36 pm Post #238 - August 20th, 2014, 12:36 pm
    What an epic thread.

    Next week we will be spending time just west of New Glarus. Our route will take us through Beloit and Monroe. I know all about Baumgartners in Monroe and of some places to eat in New Glarus (Glarner Stube).

    But, what I'm not sure about is whether there is a notable Wisconsin burger place out that way. I have read/skimmed this thread and used the search feature, but decided to add an extra layer of laziness by posting this. Thanks.
  • Post #239 - August 20th, 2014, 1:22 pm
    Post #239 - August 20th, 2014, 1:22 pm Post #239 - August 20th, 2014, 1:22 pm
    Hanson's Tavern in Beloit is one of my long-time favorites. Mentioned in the Beloit thread and somewhere above.

    Hanson’s Tavern
    615 East Cranston Road
    608-362-8559
    -Mary
  • Post #240 - September 6th, 2014, 9:22 am
    Post #240 - September 6th, 2014, 9:22 am Post #240 - September 6th, 2014, 9:22 am
    We bookended our annual Labor Day trip up to the UP with my first two drive- in experiences– first at The Spot in Kenosha, then on the tail end at Ardy & Ed's in Oshkosh.

    Being a fiend for old fashioned, hand formed burgers, I stuck with a classic formula at both establishments: double cheeseburger with ketchup, mustard, pickles, and onions (which was "everything" at The Spot).

    First up The Spot:

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    Oh man, this was a beautiful specimen: loosely packed and just crisp around the edges. Just a little more crunch and this would be the platonic ideal. Fries were food service grade, I wished I'd done more homework and ordered the onion rings. I love Kewpee, but Kenosha's just a hair closer on a hungry zip up the lake.

    Ardy & Ed's was all bells and whistles compared to the laid back charm of The Spot, complete with teens on roller-skates.

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    Another solid old school burger. This one spent a little less time crisping up on the griddle as the specimen above, but I did appreciate the perfectly salted seasoning on this guy. Not in the style of a Big Mac, but I did dig the sesame seed bun. I was interested in trying out their combo burger with the brat patty that Beef mentions upthread, but I could not locate it in the hodgepodge that is their menu signage. No matter, a very good burger on its own.

    Love the Burgers of Wisconsin! I've got two new favorites.

    The Spot
    2117 75th St, Kenosha, WI 53143
    (262) 654-9294

    Ardy & Ed's Drive In
    2413 S Main St, Oshkosh, WI 54902
    (920) 231-5455

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