Wisconsin Supper Clubs Still Bring Out a Relish Tray Before Dinner. 7 Things to Know Before Your First Visit

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A Wisconsin supper club is a family-run dinner restaurant, often on the edge of town or out by a lake, where the evening starts with a cocktail at the bar and a relish tray of raw vegetables, crackers, and spreads. Many grew out of roadhouses, dance halls, and taverns from the Prohibition era, and became supper clubs in the decades after repeal in 1933. Supper club historian and author Ron Faiola counts more than 250 still operating in the state.

The routine hasn’t changed much in 70 years: brandy old fashioneds, Friday fish fry, Saturday prime rib, dark wood paneling, and a grasshopper for dessert. Late fall is supper club season, when cold nights, deer hunting weekends, and holiday parties fill the dining rooms. Here are seven things to know before your first visit.

7 Things to Know Before Your First Visit

Every supper club is a little different, but these habits hold at most of them.

1. The night starts at the bar

At a traditional supper club, you don’t go straight to your table. You put your name in, sit at the bar, order a drink, and wait. Sometimes a server takes your dinner order at the bar, and you’re called to the dining room when your food is nearly ready. This isn’t a sign that the restaurant is disorganized. The bar is part of the experience, and regulars expect to spend a half hour or more there.

Many supper clubs don’t take reservations, especially on Friday nights, or take them only for larger groups. Call ahead to ask.

2. Order a brandy old fashioned

In most of the country, an old fashioned is a whiskey drink. In Wisconsin, the default is brandy, usually Korbel. The bartender muddles sugar, bitters, an orange slice, and a maraschino cherry, adds brandy and ice, and tops it with soda. You’ll be asked how you want it:

• Sweet: topped with lemon-lime soda, such as 7Up or Sprite. This is the most common order.
• Sour: topped with sour mix or grapefruit soda, which makes it tarter.
• Press: half lemon-lime soda and half club soda, for something less sweet.

You’ll also be asked about the garnish. Cherries and orange are standard, but some people ask for pickled mushrooms, olives, or pickled Brussels sprouts. If you’d rather have whiskey, just say so.

3. Eat the relish tray

The relish tray is the supper club’s calling card. It’s usually brought to your table, or sometimes to the bar, before dinner. The contents vary, but common items include carrot and celery sticks, radishes, pickles, olives, crackers or breadsticks, and a cheese spread. Some clubs add pickled beets, coleslaw, or kidney bean salad. Some serve it free, others list it on the menu, and a few have replaced it with a basket of bread. Many regulars believe a supper club without a relish tray isn’t really a supper club.

4. Friday is fish fry, Saturday is prime rib

Supper club menus follow the days of the week. On Fridays, almost every club serves a fish fry. The tradition goes back to Catholic immigrants who didn’t eat meat on Fridays, and it’s now a Wisconsin custom regardless of religion. Common choices are cod, haddock, perch, bluegill, and walleye, usually served with coleslaw, rye bread, tartar sauce, and potato pancakes or fries.

On Saturdays, the specialty is slow-roasted prime rib, often in several sizes, served with au jus and horseradish. Other common entrees include steaks, broiled seafood, broasted chicken, and pork chops. Some clubs serve broasted chicken and ribs on Sundays.

Fridays and Saturdays are the busiest nights. If you want a calmer first visit, go on a weeknight, but check the hours first.

5. Dinner comes with a lot of food

Most entrees come with soup or salad, a choice of potato, and bread or rolls. Potato options often include baked, hash browns (sometimes with cheese and onions), au gratin, American fries, or French fries. Salads may come with a choice of dressings, and some clubs still have a salad bar. Portions are big, so many people take leftovers home.

6. Save room for an ice cream drink

After dinner, many diners order an ice cream drink, a blended cocktail made with ice cream and liqueur. The most popular are:

• Grasshopper: crème de menthe, crème de cacao, and ice cream. It’s bright green.
• Pink squirrel: crème de noyaux, crème de cacao, and ice cream.
• Brandy Alexander: brandy, crème de cacao, and ice cream.

They’re sweet, rich, and a supper club tradition. Some clubs serve them in large glasses with the extra in a small pitcher on the side.

7. Check hours and seasons before you go

Supper clubs are usually dinner-only, opening in the late afternoon, around 4 or 5 p.m. Many are closed one or two days a week, often Mondays or Tuesdays. Clubs in resort areas, such as the Northwoods or the Wisconsin Dells, may close or reduce hours in winter. Around Thanksgiving and Christmas, many clubs host holiday parties and private events, which can fill up the dining room, so call ahead.

Where to Find a Wisconsin Supper Club

Supper clubs are found all over the state, from Milwaukee suburbs to small towns in the Northwoods. A few well-known examples:

• The HobNob, in Racine, opened in 1954 on the shore of Lake Michigan. It’s known for its decor, views of the lake, ice cream drinks, and Friday fish fry.
• The Del-Bar, in Lake Delton near the Wisconsin Dells, has been run by the Wimmer family since 1943. Its building has Prairie-style details by architect James Dresser, a protégé of Frank Lloyd Wright.
• Toby’s Supper Club, on Madison’s far southeast side, is a classic with low ceilings, wood paneling, and relish trays.
• Sullivan’s Supper Club, near Perrot State Park in Trempealeau, has been open since 1968 and overlooks the Mississippi River.

Many supper clubs have no website or a very basic one. Local tourism offices and Faiola’s books and website about Wisconsin supper clubs are good places to find more.

Supper Club Etiquette

• Dress code: Most supper clubs today are casual. Jeans are fine at almost all of them, although some guests dress up for holidays and special occasions.
• Pacing: Dinner at a supper club isn’t meant to be quick. Plan on two hours or more.
• Payment: Many clubs take cards, but a few smaller ones prefer cash. Ask when you call.
• Tipping: Tip your bartender for drinks, and tip your server on the full bill.
• Groups: Large groups should call ahead. Many clubs have private rooms for parties.

Why Late Fall Is the Best Time for a Wisconsin Supper Club

Supper clubs are made for cold weather. The dark, warm dining rooms, rich food, and strong drinks feel especially right in November and December. Many families make a supper club dinner part of their holiday traditions, especially on the Friday after Thanksgiving or on a night out with visiting relatives.

Deer hunting season, which opens in Wisconsin the Saturday before Thanksgiving, is another busy time, when hunters gather at clubs near their camps. If you’re visiting rural Wisconsin during that week, expect crowded bars and lots of blaze orange.

How to Read a Wisconsin Supper Club Menu

Supper club menus look simple, but a few terms trip up first-timers. Knowing them makes ordering faster, especially on a busy Friday night when the bar is three deep.

• Broasted chicken: Chicken that’s pressure-fried, which makes it crisp outside and moist inside. It’s a different method from regular deep-frying, and many clubs serve it on Sundays or as a nightly option.
• Lazy Susan: Some clubs serve the relish tray or appetizers on a rotating tray in the center of the table, a holdover from the mid-20th century.
• Hash browns with: At many clubs, you can order hash browns “with,” meaning with cheese, onions, or both. Ask your server what “with” means at that particular club.
• Cup or bowl: Soups like French onion, clam chowder, or a daily special often come in two sizes.
• Relish tray vs. salad bar: Some clubs serve both. The relish tray comes first, and the salad bar is part of dinner.
• Walleye: A mild freshwater fish found in many Wisconsin lakes, often pan-fried or broiled.
• Shrimp de Jonghe: A baked shrimp dish with garlic butter and breadcrumbs that shows up on some older menus.

If you’re unsure, ask. Servers at supper clubs are often long-time employees who have answered the same questions for years, and many are happy to explain how the kitchen makes each dish.

What a First Visit Might Cost

Prices vary a lot by region and by club, but a dinner at a Wisconsin supper club is usually a sit-down meal with several courses included, so the price of an entree covers more than it would at many restaurants. Prime rib and steaks are typically the most expensive items, and fish fry is usually less. Cocktails are often reasonably priced compared with big-city bars. Many clubs don’t post menus or prices online, so call ahead if budget matters.

Bringing a Group for the Holidays

Supper clubs are a popular choice for family dinners when relatives visit for Thanksgiving or Christmas, office parties, and reunions. If you’re bringing a group:

• Call well ahead. Holiday weekends in December fill early, and many clubs book private rooms months in advance.
• Ask about set menus. Some clubs offer a limited menu for large groups, which speeds up service.
• Plan for the bar wait. Even with a reservation, a group may be asked to wait at the bar until a table is ready.
• Split checks early. Tell your server at the start if you need separate checks.
• Think about driving. Old fashioneds are strong, and many supper clubs are on rural roads. Pick a designated driver or arrange a ride before the first round.

The Bottom Line on Your First Wisconsin Supper Club

Go early, sit at the bar, and order a brandy old fashioned sweet. Eat the relish tray, pick fish on Friday or prime rib on Saturday, and finish with a grasshopper. Above all, take your time. A Wisconsin supper club isn’t about a quick meal. It’s about an evening.