Dining Up North - Eagle River

Northern Wisconsin has incredible food - the quality and variety will surprise you!

Chicken salad at the American Craftsman in Eagle River

The Northwoods of Wisconsin - a magical, beautiful wild wonderland of woods and lakes - is also home to some of the best dining you'll find anywhere. I live in the heart of Oneida County, and have traveled all across the Northwoods to test the best cuisine of the area.

I will say this: the best food is typically found in the areas that see the most traffic from tourists. It's where the higher-end places can thrive, as they depend on the increased revenue from visitors. So the more of a tourist destination a place is, the better the food.

But here's the best part: as locals, we get access to these amazing eateries pretty much 365. Most of them take a break in the spring to prepare for the busy summer season; and of course the summer pop-ups are closed 3 seasons a year. But we have tons of amazing supper clubs all to ourselves during the off-seasons.

I'd love to share a few of my favorite spots and their signature dishes - at least, the ones I've personally sampled. Eagle River has lots of upscale choices, tons of tourism, and not just in the summer. Eagle River is the Snowmobile Capital of the World®, known for its hundreds of miles of trails - which means it sees plenty of winter tourism. Ice fishing is another big draw for the area, though it may be more prevalent in Rhinelander, which is about 30 miles southwest of Eagle River.

Chicken bacon ranch sandwich at House of Dogs

House of Dogs - It may not be fancy, but the food CANNOT be beat. I'm crazy about this place. It reminds of me of my year of college in Chicago - and the dogs are perfect. They only use Vienna, the BEST hot dogs. They also have an incredible Chicago-style Italian beef sandwich, and the chicken bacon ranch sandwich is a family favorite at my house.

Chicken bacon ranch sandwich and cheese dog at House of Dogs

The American Craftsman has long been a favorite for my family and friends. We love their big, juicy burgers with a wide variety of different toppings. I just wish they had French fries - the burgers used to come with chips and salsa, and now come with pub chips. You can upgrade to tater tots, but I'm a fry girl. Still, we love their cheese curds, and the buttery lobster roll is divine. They can get super busy, so expect to wait quite a while when it's packed.

The Riverstone Brewing Company just recently re-opened - and it's another fantastic burger spot. They have a limited menu, but that's expected to change come summer. What's on that menu is flawless, though. Their fries are some of the best we've ever had; the burgers are enormous and juicy, served on pretzel rolls; and the cheese curds are also some of the best we've ever tasted. The staff is incredibly friendly and the service is awesome. Below are pics of their signature burger and fries and cheese curds.

Eddie B's White Spruce Inn is one of my favorite places in the Northwoods. I rave about the duck bacon wontons and the French onion soup. For entrees, we usually get the special, no matter what it is, because it's always awesome. You can always count on their steak and salmon being divine.

Kickback Grill - I've never had a bad meal here. Everything is excellent, which is why it's so popular - and can be hard to get into. But the food is divine. The Spicy Maple & Smoked Salmon Flatbread is not to be believed, and I loved the Parmesan Crusted Sirloin Steak, although I was not a fan of the oddly colored fingerling potatoes. I also recommend the Irish Mac & Cheese.

Bortolotti's Cin-Cin - If you're craving Italian, this place is an excellent choice. We've always gotten in without a wait, although it's a bit busier in the summer, of course. The summer menu rotates so you might not know exactly what will be available - but it's all good. I LOVE their veggie lasagna but I think the menu is totally different now and I don't think they still have it. :(

Eddie B's White Spruce Restaurant & Tavern - DUCK BACON WONTONS! Don't miss these. They're divine. I also loved their crab cakes and while I'm not a fan of Ahi tuna, my friend said it was fantastic. The maple glazed pork is also excellent.

I wanted to mention the Blue Heron - it's been replaced by Sage and I know nothing about the new place, like if it has the same menu or anything, but I plan to go soon and check it out, so I'll report back. In the meantime, a moment of memory for the Blue Heron that was. I don't remember what these dishes were - just that they were fantastic. I think the entrée was stuffed flounder.

© 2024 T.H. Figg