Wisconsinites have a close connection to the past and enjoy preserving the integrity and history of our cultural heritage. That's why we still have so many diners, drive-ins and dairy bars that keep us tied to the bygone days while enjoying the food of today.
Hubbard Street Diner (Middleton)
While there are a slew of diners across the state, few are as retro and appealing as The Hubbard Street Diner. This Middleton hot spot offers delicious comfort food, spectacular pie and retro decor - think chrome-lined counters and stools, neon lighting and colorful booths. You'll find breakfast staples on the menu like eggs Benedict, omelets and pancakes, but there's also comfort fare such as chicken pot pie, meatloaf of the gods, oven-roasted turkey dinner, and scalloped potato and ham casserole. And lest we forget, pie. Known for its pies, Hubbard Street Diner has well over 100 in the recipe repertoire. And no diner is complete without floats, cones, sundaes, shakes and malts served in real glass complete with a wafer cookie.
The Drive-In Restaurant (Grantsburg)
Up north in Burnett County, The Drive-In Restaurant is retro times two. Offering a drive-up menu as well as dine-in seating, this throwback to the 50s and 60s era features checkerboard tile, leaded glass tiles, vintage signs and 45 records that line the walls. Take a step back in time as you nosh on classics like burgers, fries and root beer floats.
Wayne's Drive-In (Cedarburg)
If vintage cars and carhops are more your thing, then Wayne's Drive-In in Cedarburg is where you want to land. Wayne's hosts cruise nights every Thursday during the summer where carhops on roller skates deliver cheeseburgers and ice cream to customers who aren't busy participating in the hula-hoop contest.
The Albatross Drive-In (Washington Island)
Another worthy destination is The Albatross Drive-In on Washington Island. It may take a ferry ride to get there, but it's well worth it. Using premium ingredients to make their mouth-watering shakes and malts and real Wisconsin cheese on their "yet-to-be-famous" Alby Burger, this place is a total gem. Their motto states: "We are not fast. We are good. We are cheerful. We are courteous - but we are not fast. For fast go to Chicago. North of the tension line you are. So relax. Take time to smell the flowers. And give us time to prepare your order with TLC." Amen to that, Albatross.
The Pearl Ice Cream Parlor (La Crosse)
No summer is complete without a trip to the ice cream parlor. Here in Wisconsin we have our fair share, but the Pearl in La Crosse boasts quite a stamp on its history. Terry Peterslie opened the parlor in 1993 the same year his father, Oscar, retired. Intent on making sure the sign that said they make homemade ice cream was true, Oscar applied for his ice cream maker's license at the ripe old age of 71 and started making the shop's very own ice cream and confections. Recognized as "one of the nation's authentic, old-time soda jerks" and named Wisconsin's Outstanding Older Worker, the legacy of the late Oscar Peterslie lives on today: His grandchildren now continue to make ice cream and confections that taste like good old-fashioned nostalgia.
Ferch's Malt Shoppe (Greendale)
Ferch's Malt Shoppe in Greendale offers the same kind of historic appeal by hand mixing custard with multiple flavors and toppings on a cold marble slab and serving it in authentic glass dishes. They also cook food and provide an ambiance that's reminiscent of the 50s and 60s - burgers, fries, a jukebox and the like. Kids will love the full soda fountain with enough flavored syrups to make any variety of soda or shake you can imagine. That's why they've dubbed themselves the "home of over one million flavors."
Take some time this summer to revel in the past at some of Wisconsin's numerous diners, drive-ins and dairy bars.
- Amy Wallace is the producer of the nation's longest-running tourism TV show, "Discover Wisconsin." The column is published Tuesday on the Life page in the Times.
Hubbard Street Diner (Middleton)
While there are a slew of diners across the state, few are as retro and appealing as The Hubbard Street Diner. This Middleton hot spot offers delicious comfort food, spectacular pie and retro decor - think chrome-lined counters and stools, neon lighting and colorful booths. You'll find breakfast staples on the menu like eggs Benedict, omelets and pancakes, but there's also comfort fare such as chicken pot pie, meatloaf of the gods, oven-roasted turkey dinner, and scalloped potato and ham casserole. And lest we forget, pie. Known for its pies, Hubbard Street Diner has well over 100 in the recipe repertoire. And no diner is complete without floats, cones, sundaes, shakes and malts served in real glass complete with a wafer cookie.
The Drive-In Restaurant (Grantsburg)
Up north in Burnett County, The Drive-In Restaurant is retro times two. Offering a drive-up menu as well as dine-in seating, this throwback to the 50s and 60s era features checkerboard tile, leaded glass tiles, vintage signs and 45 records that line the walls. Take a step back in time as you nosh on classics like burgers, fries and root beer floats.
Wayne's Drive-In (Cedarburg)
If vintage cars and carhops are more your thing, then Wayne's Drive-In in Cedarburg is where you want to land. Wayne's hosts cruise nights every Thursday during the summer where carhops on roller skates deliver cheeseburgers and ice cream to customers who aren't busy participating in the hula-hoop contest.
The Albatross Drive-In (Washington Island)
Another worthy destination is The Albatross Drive-In on Washington Island. It may take a ferry ride to get there, but it's well worth it. Using premium ingredients to make their mouth-watering shakes and malts and real Wisconsin cheese on their "yet-to-be-famous" Alby Burger, this place is a total gem. Their motto states: "We are not fast. We are good. We are cheerful. We are courteous - but we are not fast. For fast go to Chicago. North of the tension line you are. So relax. Take time to smell the flowers. And give us time to prepare your order with TLC." Amen to that, Albatross.
The Pearl Ice Cream Parlor (La Crosse)
No summer is complete without a trip to the ice cream parlor. Here in Wisconsin we have our fair share, but the Pearl in La Crosse boasts quite a stamp on its history. Terry Peterslie opened the parlor in 1993 the same year his father, Oscar, retired. Intent on making sure the sign that said they make homemade ice cream was true, Oscar applied for his ice cream maker's license at the ripe old age of 71 and started making the shop's very own ice cream and confections. Recognized as "one of the nation's authentic, old-time soda jerks" and named Wisconsin's Outstanding Older Worker, the legacy of the late Oscar Peterslie lives on today: His grandchildren now continue to make ice cream and confections that taste like good old-fashioned nostalgia.
Ferch's Malt Shoppe (Greendale)
Ferch's Malt Shoppe in Greendale offers the same kind of historic appeal by hand mixing custard with multiple flavors and toppings on a cold marble slab and serving it in authentic glass dishes. They also cook food and provide an ambiance that's reminiscent of the 50s and 60s - burgers, fries, a jukebox and the like. Kids will love the full soda fountain with enough flavored syrups to make any variety of soda or shake you can imagine. That's why they've dubbed themselves the "home of over one million flavors."
Take some time this summer to revel in the past at some of Wisconsin's numerous diners, drive-ins and dairy bars.
- Amy Wallace is the producer of the nation's longest-running tourism TV show, "Discover Wisconsin." The column is published Tuesday on the Life page in the Times.