The Edgewater, Jefferson, Wisconsin

Rating: 5 out of 5 Old Fashioneds *we might be a little biased because the Edgewater is the first supper club that we truly loved, and a big part of our personal supper club history.*

Relish Tray: yes, sadly with no dipping sauce
Side Salad: dinners include a choice of soup or salad
Ambiance: dark, riverside, perfectly and wonderfully quirky

It’s safe to say that Jean and I owe a lot to the Edgewater supper club in Jefferson, WI. A few years ago, we stopped at the Edgewater and had such a wonderful experience it sparked our interest to visit more supper clubs throughout the state. Without the Edgewater, we would probably not have this blog, or spent so many afternoons traveling all over this state (read more about that here). Given that the Edgewater played such an important role in inspiring our little hobby, it seemed like an issue that we hadn’t actually reviewed it yet. So we hopped in the car and visited the Edgewater for a second time. 

From the outside, the Edgewater supper club looks like many of the roadside taverns one finds in rural Wisconsin, resembling a mid-size, single story home but with a square, illuminated Pabst Blue Ribbon sign out front. Venture inside however, and you’ll be transported somewhere – or sometime – else. The front door leads you to the bar area, which is cozy and dark, with low ceilings. I was hit with an icy blast of air-conditioning as I pulled up to a bar stool and ordered two brandy old-fashioned sours with pickled mushrooms for Jean and me. Most of the time when we order our old fashioneds with pickled mushrooms, they are still muddled with a cherry. At the Edgewater, our bartender actually muddled it with a pickled mushroom and orange slice too, a touch we appreciated. After we ordered our drinks the bartender asked if we were looking to get a table, which we were, of course. He brought us a menu to look over and was kind enough to put in our names with the host so we could enjoy our drinks until our table was ready.

We sat and talked, and ordered another round of old fashioneds. While at the bar we overheard several people raving about the vegetable of the day: carrots roasted in duck fat. This peaked my interest. Within a half hour or so the host came by the bar to let us know our table was ready. We were led to the main dining area which is filled with knick knacks of every sort.

If you ever dine at the Edgewater, when you first sit down at your table, you may feel a little out of sorts, like the room is starting to turn sideways. No, it’s not the old-fashioneds, the dining room floor is actually slanted. We learned during our first visit there that the dining room had been converted from a porch, which had a floor that was pitched like a roof to allow rainwater to run off the edge. The dining room also offers a view of the Rock River.

We began our meal with a modest relish tray and a bread basket with fresh baked bread. The relish tray featured carrot and celery sticks, along with thick cut pickle slices and halved radishes. The bread is baked with red pepper flakes, which lent it a surprising kick.

Our salads came next. We both had them with french dressing, mine with an addition of blue cheese on the side. The salad was topped with grated carrot and cabbage, shredded cheese, chives, and toasted pepitas (very posh)

I ordered a Saturday evening supper club classic: prime rib. It came with a generous pool of au jus and a side of the duck fat carrots. Surprisingly, the angle of our dining table proved quite useful in the enjoyment of my steak. In any other restaurant, the au jus would have spread out in a thin, even layer on the bottom of my platter, making the task of dipping bites of of prime rib into it as I cut up my steak quite cumbersome. The angle of the table meant all the au jus pooled to one side of the plate. The prime rib was outstanding; cooked to a perfect medium rare, with a peppery crust and well-rendered bits of fat. I also ordered a side of blue cheese and creamy horseradish. The horse radish was excellent, according to the menu it was locally grown. The blue cheese was served in its own gravy boat in what appeared to be a small lake’s worth of melted butter.

Jean ordered the fried shrimp with a “loaded” baked potato. The shrimp had a crispy breading and came with a generous side of cocktail sauce. The baked potato was truly “loaded” with bacon, grilled onions, and sauteed mushrooms.

Our second visit to the Edgewater was every bit as good as our first. The food is truly excellent, with locally sourced ingredients. The atmosphere is perfect for us: riverside, retro and just a bit quirkier-than-most, from the tilted floor to the woodland knick-knacks and even the beehives out back. It may be awhile before we make it back for our third visit, but only because we’ve got a long list of supper clubs to visit. We highly recommend you stop-in next time you’re in Jefferson county, or anywhere near.