What's Up With That Restaurant?

Ever drive by a restaurant and think, there's got to be a story behind that place. Wisconsin Dells has its share of those kitschy kind of spots and, since walls don't talk, we turned to local archives to find out the true story.

Let's start with the original Monk's Bar & Grill located downtown, named after Monk Heineke. What makes Monk's memorable, aside from the best burgers in town, is the University of Wisconsin Badgers' memorabilia. It's a shrine to the red-and-white because Monk's sons played football for UW-Madison back in the late 1950s.

Just down the street is the Showboat Saloon, with its Tug's Kitchen restaurant. Located in a 100-year old building with a distinctive wedge shape, Showboat's always housed a bar, except during Prohibition, although some say drinks were still available through a speakeasy in the basement.

The landlocked Mr. Pancake restaurant looks like a paddlewheel boat. Why? Because the owners wanted to give patrons the feel of "dining on the water."

If you're into "muffler men" -- those big fiberglass statues that dot the American landscape -- then pull up to Paul Bunyan's Northwoods Cook Shanty, where good ol' Paul towers over this establishment.

We finish with a look at the oldest building in Lake Delton (the little community adjacent to the Dells) now operating as the Brat House Grill. Originally constructed as a one-room school in 1854, it was reincarnated as a church a few years later. The original stained glass windows and creaky wood floors remain. Today, friendly employees serve up that Wisconsin classic - the brat -- along with local artisan brews to wash it down.

So, now you know!

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