Institute Saloon

"The Institute Saloon - April 18, 2026 I’ve driven past it for years and finally got to visit during a Shake & Crawl bus tour and I’m glad it made the list. This place has that true rural Wisco dive bar vibe. Something tourists won't understand, but the locals do. We rolled in on our bus full of people, but the bartenders didn't miss a beat. Service was great. The shake of the day is fun and I even almost won a free drink. Beyond the bar itself, this place clearly matters to the community. You can tell it’s a local hub with events, fundraisers, stories (including the ghost kind), and a lot of history packed into one building. If you’re driving through, it’s absolutely worth stopping for one… or a few."

"The Institute Saloon — Where Good Times Are Mandatory and Memory Is Optional If you find yourself near The Institute Saloon and wonder whether you should step inside — do it. But don’t say I didn’t warn you. This place doesn’t invite you in so much as it dares you to keep up. First off, the barkeep — absolutely glorious. Bold, commanding, the kind of woman who could pour your beer, win an arm-wrestling match, and settle an old family feud, all before last call. She ran the bar like a ship’s captain steering straight into the storm — and we were happy to be along for the ride. We drank beer. We threw darts. We laughed harder than we should’ve at things we probably shouldn’t have. Somewhere in the blur, a handmade pizza materialized — a work of culinary patience that took a while, but oh was it worth it. It didn’t last long that night, but what was left made for a cold breakfast of champions (and a midnight snack of legends). There’s also a pool table. Scratch that — the pool table. Enormous, like they built the whole damn bar around it and dared the town to sink the 8-ball. Did we play? Who knows. Did we win? Probably not. Did it matter? Absolutely not. Go there if you dare. Great food, great beer, and a guaranteed great time. Just don’t expect to remember all of it — and that’s half the charm."

"Great little dive bar, we stopped and got drinks and appetizers, drinks where Great and very good prices, the appetizer were very good as well, no off taste from the grease. Service was typical Wisconsin, very good and very friendly. Felt like home."