Once you walk into your first Wisconsin Supper Club, you’ll understand the hype among Wisconsites. From the dark carpet and wallpapered walls to the large wooden bar and family-style dining room tables, supper clubs provide an ode to past dinners with the grandparents on Sundays.
While Wisconsin is home to over 250 supper clubs, one in particular stands out among residents and guests alike – Ishnala Supper Club in Lake Delton, Wisconsin.
But why are supper clubs such a staple in Wisconsin, and what makes Ishnala Supper Club so special? Keep reading to find out.
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History of Supper Clubs
Supper clubs have a long-standing history in Wisconsin, but I was surprised to learn that they are not unique to the state. In fact, supper clubs originated in London, England in the late 19th century and gained popularity in the United State during prohibition.
I’ve always wondered why supper clubs remained so popular in Wisconsin while they faded away elsewhere. It turns out that people really enjoyed heading to their local supper club after church. With a large Catholic population, supper clubs were the post-church brunch spot on Sundays in Wisconsin.
Since waits were often long with everyone gathering at the same time, people became accustomed to grabbing drinks, playing cards, and socializing with family and friends while waiting for their table.
History of Ishnala Supper Club
Ishnala Supper Club has a long history in Wisconsin dating back to at least the 1800s and the Winnebago tribe. The first known settlers purchased the land in 1826 and sold the property to the Coleman family in 1909.
The Coleman parents raised their family and built their dream home on the land before selling it to the Hoffman Brothers in 1953.
The Hoffman Brothers turned the property into what we today know as Ishnala Supper Club, incorporating the natural landscape and including several of the original features, including the original stone fireplace, log walls, and staircase.
Seating within the supper club was designed so that every table has a view of Mirror Lake, even if you aren’t seated right next to a window.
In 1973, Robert Prosser started working at Ishnala Supper Club as a busboy, and today he is the proud owner of Wisconsin’s premiere supper club.
Where is Ishnala Supper Club?
Ishnala Supper Club is located just outside of the Wisconsin Dells in Lake Delton, Wisconsin. Ishnala is nestled within Mirror Lake State Park and overlooks Mirror Lake itself, providing a gorgeous backdrop for your drinks and dinner experience.
The address of the supper club is S2011 Ishnala Rd, Lake Delton, WI 53940.
The Ishnala Experience
There’s no other supper club in Wisconsin that’s located on a lake in the middle of a state park that offers fine dining. Ishnala Supper Club is entering its 72nd season in 2025 and the unique Ishnala experience is the reason.
Hours
Ishnala Supper Club is open seasonally, usually around mid-April through the end of October. Monday through Friday the bars open at 3:30pm and dinner service begins at 4pm. On Saturday and Sundays the bar opens at 2:30pm and you can begin your dinner at 3:10pm.
Ishnala Supper Club is open for the 2025 season from April 10th through late October.
Reservations
Ishnala Supper Club does not take reservations and you should expect to wait several hours for your table, especially on a weekend. Plan to arrive well before the doors open for the evening if you want the best chance at being seated right away.
The Wait
While an hours-long wait would be atrocious at most restaurants, it’s part of the experience at Ishnala Supper Club. Since you’re virtually guaranteed a wait, Ishnala is ready. You can grab a drink and appetizers from one of the restaurant’s four bars, or head outside.
Listen to the live music offered on the beach daily from 4pm until 7pm or explore the trails in Mirror Lake State Park.
The Drinks
The Ishnala Old Fashioned is by far the go-to drink when dining at Ishnala, served in a signature Ishnala glass. It’s made with their own home-made mix and Ishnala brandy. If there’s one drink in Wisconsin that people talk about, it’s the Ishnala Old Fashioned.
I’m personally not an old fashioned fan, but I loved that Ishnala has a great variety of cocktails and mocktails, along with wines. I tried the Pink Moccasin Martini which was along the lines of a cosmo, and then switched to my go-to, pinot grigio.
The Food
All of the food at Ishnala is top-notch! The wait staff is incredibly knowledgable and knows all of the dishes inside and out. Our waitress was able to help Sam order a fully gluten-free meal and was so accommodating to my picky tastebuds.
If you’re visiting Wisconsin, I highly recommend ordering the cheese curds as an appetizer – it’s a Wisconsin staple!
For dinner, Ishnala offers quite the variety of entrees from fish, meat, and combo platters. Each entree comes with a salad, bread, and a potato option. You will leave so stuffed!
The Gift Shop
The Arrowhead Gift Shop has everything you might want want to commemorate your Ishnala Experience, including the famed Ishnala old fashioned glasses (also the #1 item stolen from the supper club).
Other popular items available for purchase are the steak knives, t-shirts and hoodies, shot glasses, and alcohol to take home.
Cost
Appetizers start at $10.99 and entrees range from $29.99 to $79.99. Spoiler alert: Sam ordered the most expensive entree on the menu which was an absolute shocker for my ultra-frugal husband.
My Personal Experience at Ishnala
Sam and I enjoyed our first Ishnala experience on Labor Day 2024. Our original plan was to grab a drink at Ishnala after enjoying a hike in Mirror Lake State Park since we assumed the supper club would be packed on a holiday.
However, we checked at the host desk when we arrived just to make sure and were shocked when the wait was only 45 minutes. We considered it a jackpot win!
We put our name down with the hostess and got a pager before heading out for a little hike along the lake trail. The pagers have about a one-mile range allowing you to explore a good chunk of the park around Ishnala.
After hiking for 20 minutes or so, we grabbed drinks at the beach bar and listened to the live music. I started with a Pink Moccasin Martini and it was the perfect drink to enjoy by the water with happy music in the background.
We still had a little bit of time left to wait after our first drink so decided to check out one of Ishnala’s other bars. Each bar has a different vibe, although menus are the same.
After just a few more minutes, our buzzer went off and we made our way to the main restaurant where we were seated at a table in the center of the dining room. I was pleasantly surprised to see that we could indeed see Mirror Lake from our table even though we were not next to a window.
Our waitress was incredibly knowledgeable with each menu item and the wine listing. She was also very accommodating to Sam’s gluten-free needs and my pickiness. Because Sam and I chat with everyone, we learned that she was from Istanbul, Turkey and was loving her time in the United States.
We opted not to order an appetizer because each table receives bread and each meal comes with salad and a potato – plenty of food for dinner! Sam ordered the giant 24oz steak for his entree and I special-ordered a plain chicken breast.
Both meals were delicious and yes, Sam was able to eat his entire steak. Although, he definitely had a slight stomach ache the rest of the night.
Overall, we both loved our Ishnala Experience and left kicking ourselves that we had waited so long to try this top-rated supper club!
Conclusion
If you haven’t been to a supper club before, Ishnala Supper Club is an amazing first experience. The food is incredible, the views are amazing, and the experience is one-of-a-kind.
