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. 

Tochi rocks ramen in West Bend, Wis.

Top-quality ramen at Tochi in West Bend, Wis.

The unassuming community of West Bend, Wis., was probably one of the last places I ever expected to find a gourmet level ramen restaurant.  But ramen is in and trendy everywhere.  And thanks to a little scouting before I started my work assignment in West Bend, it took me very little time before I tried Tochi. 

A commoner dines (and drinks) at the Brazen Head Pub, West Bend, Wis.

Whenever I begin an extended work assignment out of town, one of the first things I do to help acquaint myself with the area is to find a place I can call my “regular” hangout during weeknights.  Not every night.  But a chill, low-key and above all, comfortable place I can frequent once or twice a week and feel welcome.    

On my first night in West Bend, Wis., I was fortunate enough to find such a place when I walked into the Brazen Head Pub in the city’s historic downtown district.

In full disclosure, I knew very little about West Bend before I had to work there.  It’s certainly not on most short lists of “must see” destinations in Wisconsin.  With a population barely over 30,000, West Bend rests in the south-central part of the state about 30 minutes northwest of Milwaukee.  The surrounding area is typical rural Wisconsin scenery shaped by glaciers eons ago.  Perhaps what’s really noteworthy about West Bend is that there’s nothing noteworthy about it.  The town does seem like a perfectly fine place to live and raise a family though.  

Pappy’s Smokehouse in St. Louis lives up to the hype

I’ve been reluctant to this point to write new blog posts about restaurants and dive bars I visited prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this spring.  I figured why write about a place nobody could visit right away once they read my post?  I also figured I’d be doing the place I wrote about a disservice by not waiting until they were reopened. 

One such place that has been on my “to do” list since I visited last year is the acclaimed barbecue joint Pappy’s Smokehouse in St. Louis.  In a little more than a decade of existence, Pappy’s has rapidly become recognized among the best barbecue joints in the country due in large part to the media attention it has received on Food Network and other travel-related outlets.  With a famous barbecue destination in my own backyard, it was only a matter of time before I checked it out for myself.

       

Pappy’s Smokehouse is located just minutes outside of downtown St. Louis – a straight shot down Olive Street as you head west.  Look on the left side of the road, and you’ll know you’re there when you see the large smokers and probably a sizable pile of wood in front of the restaurant. 

The sight and smell of these smokers are sure signs that Pappy’s takes its craft to heart.  Some of their prized smokers are even given a name.