A commoner drinks (and dines) at Bibinger’s Bar & Restaurant, Cedar Creek, Wis.

Every time work takes me to Wisconsin for an extended period of time, sooner or later I find the local spot that makes the best version of Wisconsin’s signature cocktail – the Old Fashioned.  In Madison it was, appropriately, the Old Fashioned restaurant downtown.  In Sheboygan it was the cozy Frankie’s Pub & Grill.  In West Bend, though, I had to look a little harder … actually, about 15 minutes south of the city in the unincorporated rural community of Cedar Creek.  There, in a building dating back to 1846, is Bibinger’s Bar & Restaurant.     

Signs you’ve stumbled into a really good Wisconsin dive bar

I may just be a commoner, but I’ve traveled enough of the country and set foot in enough watering holes to know not all dive bars are created equal.  Further, what makes a good dive bar in one part of the country doesn’t necessarily work everywhere.  That’s especially true in Wisconsin which seems to me to have a bar culture uniquely its own. 

After looking back over several stops from numerous trips to Madison, Sheboygan and places in between, here are a few signs I’ve spotted to know I’ve stumbled into a really good Wisconsin dive bar.

The Brazen Head Pub in West Bend proudly serves Pabst Blue Ribbon on draft. 

Feeling right at home at Frankie’s Pub & Grill, Sheboygan, Wis.

We begin 2019 with a return to the Sheboygan Series of blog posts and the place I connected with most during my time working in Sheboygan, Wis.  Between the low-key neighborhood atmosphere, the friendly regulars who remembered me on subsequent visits, the well-made and affordable drinks, the vast beer selection, the welcoming and knowledgeable bartenders, and a good variety of delicious pub grub, Frankie’s Pub & Grill provided everything to make me feel like I had a home away from home. 

A commoner dines (and drinks) at the Old Fashioned, Madison, Wis.

One of the first places my new job sent me was Madison, Wis., and one of the first places I discovered after working hours was the Old Fashioned.  Given Wisconsin’s rich traditions of supper clubs and taverns that celebrate beer, cheese, sausage and fish frys, I couldn’t have chosen a better starting point.  

With its location in the heart of downtown, in an older building on the square that surrounds the state capitol, you’d think -- like me -- that the Old Fashioned has been a food and drink destination for all walks of life in Madison for generations.  But the reality is the Old Fashioned was established in 2005.  I think I have socks older than this place.  Nonetheless, it seems to do old-school Wisconsin very well, and it seems to always draw a diverse crowd, from suits to students, singles to families, blue collar to politicos.   

So, the Old Fashioned’s atmosphere and reputation was enough to draw me and my co-workers there to check it out.  And the quest to find the best cheese curds in town.  And the quest for good local beer.