When you’re with a group, it can be hard to pick a pizza that everyone likes, because there’s always someone that wants plain cheese or wants to add pineapple or wants 13 toppings. Well, problem solved at Dells Pizza Lab in Wisconsin Dells.
This build-your-own pizza and salad restaurant opened in April. You follow a Subway-style assembly line in which you can customize your toppings. (more…)
Otto’s Supper Club in Wisconsin Dells opened in 2013 in the space formerly occupied by the long-closed Newport Steakhouse. Compared to the more visible and better-located Del-Bar and Ishnala supper clubs–Otto’s is located east of the Wisconsin River near the Big Sky Drive-In theater–Otto’s provides decent fare without the tourists.
To get there from Lake Delton or Wisconsin Dells, you’ll have to go through downtown on Hwy 13 and turn right onto Hwy 16. Along the 2.7-mile stretch, you’ll see the river and the occasional train, along with the aforementioned drive-in, on your right.
I tried all the staples of a supper club, including an Old Fashioned (good strength), coleslaw (super creamy), clam chowder (wonderfully hearty), potato pancakes (a bit bland), cheesy hash browns (yum!) and the all-you-can-eat deep fried cod ($15). This fish was light and flaky with a batter that provided a delicate fried crunch–definitely worth ordering again.
Grilled items weren’t a hit, unfortunately. The ribeye ($19 for 12 oz., $25 for 16 oz., $33 for 24 oz.), while tender and super juicy, had a weird char taste, almost as if really old coal was rubbed on parts of the steak. In fact, the hamburger ($8) was the same way.
Other items on the two-page menu include pickle chips ($5), pizza, jager schnitzel ($14/$16) and chicken marsala ($18). From the “Wisconsin-ville” section, I tried the frog legs ($15). Out of the three times I’ve had frog legs, these were the toughest, but at least the batter–which bore a slight resemblance to KFC’s original recipe–was good.
Otto’s Supper Club is open Thursdays-Mondays beginning at 4 p.m. Like most supper clubs, there’s a big bar here in case of a wait, though note that the biggest TV is behind where the patrons sit, for some reason.
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See more photos in our Otto’s Supper Club Flickr album.
On the far end of downtown Wisconsin Dells, right across the street from Famous Dave’s, is Alabama’s Dixieland BBQ and Suds, which opened in March. The old interior of previous tenant Gilly’s Island has been replaced with a southern/country theme, complete with live music each week.
I really enjoyed the food here, if not the prices, and I’m sure I’ll be back to have seconds of some of the restaurant’s platters, which come with corn bread and two sides. Let’s start with the half rack of ribs ($14.99), which weren’t quite fall-off-the-bone tender, but were meaty and full of flavor. You certainly didn’t need to add any of the homemade sauces, though I did drown my fries in them, they were that good (especially the hot sauce).
Onto the fried catfish nuggets ($11.99), which were light and flaky on the inside and not overly battered on the outside. I’d like to put them in a small popcorn cup and have them as a snack sometime.
I would describe the brisket ($17.99) and pulled pork sandwich ($10.99) the same way: juicy and well prepared, but a bit pricey. I don’t think brisket should be more expensive than ribs; this dish would be better priced at $13.99 (that’s also what Famous Dave’s charges), while the sandwich should have been less than $10. Other dishes’ prices were just as puzzling, such as the hot wings ($15.99), smoked turkey leg ($18.99) and 16 oz. T-Bone steak ($29.99).
I had nearly every side item on the menu. Hits were the Hillbilly baked beans, corn bread, corn fritters and pig tail fries (somewhat-curly versions of the steak fries). I was indifferent to the green beans and fried okra, and I couldn’t stand the potato salad, which was too pungent.
Remember, the word “suds” is in the restaurant’s name, and there is a full bar here with a two-page cocktail menu. I enjoyed a glass of the bacon-infused bourbon, which was surprisingly smoky and not at all salty.
Alabama’s Dixieland BBQ and Suds serves lunch, dinner and carryout. You’ll find street parking nearby.
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See more photos in our Alabama’s Dixieland BBQ and Suds Flickr set.
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