Enjoy a good meal and a trip down memory lane at Wisconsin’s oldest restaurants.
In a world where restaurants open and close in rapid succession, it’s fun to seek out long-time favorites, ones that debuted more than a century ago. These are vessels of history that also appeal to fans of nostalgia, with original architectural features and a story as enticing as the menu items.
Here are nine of Wisconsin’s oldest restaurants, from a Chinese eatery in Janesville to a German institution in Milwaukee.
1. Cozy Inn, Janesville
Open since 1922, this eatery owned by Amanda and Tom Fong has the distinction of being America’s oldest continuously operating Chinese restaurant. You can find it tucked into the second floor of an historic building beneath a neon sign reading “Chop Suey,” and through a red door.
The owner’s father survived the Titanic disaster in 1912. (The film’s producer, James Cameron, even produced a documentary called “The Six” about Fang Lang in 2021, and a book titled “The Six: The Untold Story of the Titanic Chinese Survivors” was published by Stephen Schwankert.)
As for the menu, expect staples like egg rolls, a half-dozen Chef’s Specialties (from Kung Pao with chicken or beef—including Szechuan style—to Mongolian Beef), but also unique cocktails and ice-cream drinks like a Grasshopper or Pink Squirrel, as a nod to Wisconsin’s supper-club culture and to the fact that the latter was invented in Milwaukee.
2. Hotel Seymour Supperclub, Seymour
Since opening its doors in 1898 inside the building once known as Hotel Falck, Hotel Seymour Supperclub has always been a gathering place, including when it entertained railroad workers and passengers (fresh off the Green Bay & Western Railroad) who congregated in its lobby. Today, just two hotel rooms and four apartments remain.
There’s something for every palate on the dinner menu, whether it’s a hearty pasta dish, meat selection (bourbon-glazed pork loin is among the options), or seafood (such as Norwegian salmoon or breaded lake perch). Every dinner includes access to the restaurant’s soup and salad bar, as well as a side. End on a sweet note with a classic alcoholic ice-cream drink (Grasshopper or Brandy Alexander) or a nostalgic-themed dessert like slices of cake or scoops of ice cream.
3. Red Circle Inn, Nashotah
Wisconsin has a fierce supper-club culture with an option in nearly every community, but this one, just a 30-minute drive west of Milwaukee in Waukesha County, takes the cake, as it dates back to 1848.
The Social Hour menu (bar snacks and discounted drinks, lighter than steak cuts and the signature stroganoff) is served weekdays between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. and offers a chance to experience the restaurant and take in the ambiance outside dinner service.
The surrounding region is much less rural than when Francis Schraudenbach opened the restaurant as The Nashotah Inn. After Captain Frederick Pabst purchased it in 1889, it took on its current name, and Norm and Martha Eckstaedt have owned it since 1993. The tiny town (just over 1,000 people) makes for a nice day trip from Milwaukee.
4. Mader’s, Milwaukee
Celebrating Milwaukee’s German heritage, including the many Germans who emigrated here (largely during the mid-1800s), Mader’s opened in 1902 and still stands on Old World 3rd Street, a veritable trip back in time with cobblestone intersections and historic lampposts throughout.
The restaurant features a $3 million art collection, medieval armor suits, and ceramic beer steins. About 10 German beers are always on tap, or you can start your meal with an Old Fashioned at Knights Bar, which is based on a 120-year-old cocktail recipe.
The restaurant serves lunch and dinner, with a focus on Old World German cuisine, including wiener schnitzel, a Bavarian platter (bratwurst, knackwurst and weisswurst), Hungarian-style beef goulash, and butter chicken schnitzel.
5. Wilmot Stage Stop, Wilmot
Considered both a steakhouse and a supper club, this restaurant in Kenosha County opened in 1848, the same year Wisconsin became a state. It was initially called Wilmot Hotel, and its first guests were settlers traveling coast to coast.
Just like at a supper club, each charcoal-broiled entrée (from porterhouse to chicken breasts) comes with a salad and baked potato. You can also enjoy broiled lobster tail, or tack on a lobster tail or shrimp skewer to any dinner order. Another nod to supper-club traditions is the ice-cream drinks: choose between a Grasshopper and Brandy Alexander.
6. Landmark 1850 Inn, Milwaukee
Milwaukee has so many taverns that pinning down a hard number is nearly impossible, so let’s just say it’s a lot. The fact that one of them is still sliding drinks across the bar among all of the competition is incredible.
That’s the case at Landmark 1850 Inn, which has been open since 1862 in the same South Howell Avenue spot near Mitchell International Airport. It’s also Milwaukee’s oldest continuously operating tavern. Pair a build-your-own or specialty pizza with whiskies and craft beers, all in an environment adorned with original woodwork.
7. Hillside Fish House, Fountain City
As the name suggests, this restaurant is a destination for seafood, sourced from fresh waters as well as salty oceans and seas, with dishes such as Canadian walleye, North Atlantic cod, and Alaskan King crab on the dinner menu.
Open since 1855, this spot was initially called The Marshland House and catered to railroad passengers and crew. It’s been a long-time favorite in this small town (population of about 800 people) just east of the Mississippi River. Over the years, the restaurant has continually been tied to local food purveyors, whether it was local fishermen in the 1980s or wild game from indigenous elders before that. Tony Grenier has been the owner since the 1990s.
In addition to seafood, the menu features starters (from Vegas-style shrimp cocktails to cheese curds) and a robust selection of steaks. All entrees include soup, salad, cottage cheese or coleslaw, and a choice of potato.
8. The Union House, Genesee Depot
The historic, tiny town of Genesee Depot—a 30-minute drive west of Milwaukee, in Waukesha County—was founded in the late 1800s. Open since 1861, its restaurant, The Union House, offers fine dining that starts with appetizers like lobster bisque or Wagyu beef carpaccio, then moves into a mix of surf-and-turf options, including Linz Heritage steaks and sea scallops.
This restaurant is also known for its extensive, curated wine list, from eight Champagnes from France to highly rated Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons. Wine lovers will want to book one of the restaurant’s wine dinners, where each dish is paired with a bottle from the same winery.
9. Ye Olde Hotel Bar & Restaurant, Lyons
This Walworth County restaurant has been open since 1860, when founder Peter Strassen erected the building as one of Lyon’s first structures.
It serves a Friday fish fry and steaks for dinner, plus daily specials. The menu also includes casual items, such as sandwiches (charbroiled burgers and Joe’s Sloppy Joe, for example) and starters (from cheese curds to home fries) perfect for sharing. Like at supper clubs, you can tack a lobster tail onto any entrée. Every dinner comes with a choice of sides, which varies depending on whether you ordered fish or a meat entrée.
The current owners are Joseph Schaefer, Sr.’s son, who took over the restaurant in 1969, and his wife, Heather. Lovers of history and nostalgia will want to take time to look over the many artifacts and photos preserved and on display.
