We were told my party of 7 could not be seated together. We were separated at different tables. We were still charged a party surcharge even though each table had a different server. The place was not busy and they could easily put a couple tables together.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Onion Rings
Megan
My family and I went here for lunch and enjoyed it! I ordered the Island Cheeseburger with chips and fries on the side, which were all delicious and had great flavor. I would come here again and try more of their menu.
Wheelchair accessibility: Front door is wheelchair accessible, as there are no stairs to get into restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cheeseburger
John Darnell
Great time watching the Packers!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cheese Curds
chuck sweet
Been bitter club members for over 40 years it's a must stop on the island just love it
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bitter Club Shot, Shot of Bitters, Bitters Shots, Sandwich
Curt Lowe
Party of 9 half empty if not more. They would not accommodate table to handle 9 people. Worried about sliding a small 2 person table to the other table to accommodate us. On top of that would NOT break up the check of the parties of 2 instead of the hassle of 1 check. So we all walked out. I’m sure the would like to have the revenue been that is was slow for them. So CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS NOT THERE
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Elaina Russell
Nelson’s Hall - Home of the Bitters Club: Not Bittersweet, Just Bitter
If you're not from the area and aren't dining solo, I’d suggest finding somewhere else. Here's why.
The Positives: Let’s give credit where it’s due—the concept behind Nelson’s Hall, home to the Bitters Club, is unique and intriguing. The space has character, and the previous reviews give good incentive to visit.
The Rest: We were greeted (if you can call it that) by a man at the door, who asked if we were looking to eat. We confirmed and mentioned we were a party of nine. He told us, “No problem, move things where you need to.” Great, right?
Well, not so much. The table in the corner sat six, so we started to move an adjacent table to accommodate the group. Just as we began, a young blonde woman (whose name we never caught, because she never introduced herself) stopped us with a loud, “Woah, woah, woah!” She approached and told us, “You can’t move the tables, it’s policy,” in an unnecessarily rude and snarky tone. We explained that we were told we could move the tables, and after a brief back-and-forth between her and a coworker (who confirmed it was actually fine), she begrudgingly moved the table for us—this being the third time the table was moved in the process.
Finally, we all sat down and were ready to start ordering. The same waitress plopped the menus down and asked for drink orders. Everything seemed to be on track until we mentioned we’d need to split the check four ways. This is where things went downhill fast.
They don’t split checks for groups. Their solution? We could sit at separate tables to split the check, but not at the same table. Make that make sense. After the confusion with the tables and now the refusal to accommodate split checks (a pretty standard request these days), it was clear that this wasn’t going to work out.
So, we left.
I doubt the waitress will think much of it, but the owner might want to consider some staff training. The restaurant must be doing well enough to turn away what would’ve easily been a $300 tab. If that’s the case, well, good for them, but we certainly won’t be back.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Peggy Russell
Party of 9.
First they didn’t want to move over a table to have a place for all of us to sit. The waitress was blonde and told us we couldn’t move the table because it would scratch the floors-restaurant policy. Then someone else came over and told her it was fine.
Then she didn’t want to let us split our checks. We left and no one cared! She CLEARLY didn’t care to serve our group, and no one else did anything, either.
Not sure how any business these days, on an Island especially, wouldn’t want to accommodate nine adults wanting drinks and food on the last Sunday of September!
Guess our money isn’t any good here. Absolutely terrible.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Debra Larue
Staff was great, brandy old fashions delish. And yes, I'm a member of the bitters club. No, I did not see the ghost in the woman's room 😄
We had a good experience at Nelsen’s and I would certainly recommend stopping in! The shot of bitters I think is best experienced at the bar so that you get the story and history behind the shot of bitters. The bar tender did a good job of making the story interesting and was very knowledgeable on follow up questions so I was impressed there.
The lunch was good overall for the tenderloin sandwich and the service was great here as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bitter Club Shot, Shot of Bitters, Bitters Shots, Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, Nelson's Bitters Shot
Daniel Cullen
Whitefish sandwich and a beer is the way to go. Fun place with tons of history and unique island culture. Love it.
You gotta stop here and learn the story of the Bitters !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shot of Bitters, Bitters Shots
Mel Millz
This place is like a second home to me. Nothings perfect in the world but when I fill up on Nelsens grub, in that moment life truly is great! Sour tummy, a headache or just for fun, shoot some bitters and boom all gone. Oh just wait there’s more to come….
Cocktails and dreams, all right here, for any one AND every one!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak and Potatoes, Bitter Club Shot, Shot of Bitters, Crispy Chicken Wrap, Cheese Curds, Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, Sandwich, Cheeseburger
Scott Vanrooy
A shot of Bitters were in the club 😆 with thousands of people since prohibition🥃lol . You need to go to Washington Island Wisconsin and have a shot of Bitters 👍. Ask the server about Bitter club shot an he will tell the story of it all. good story ,great server . Oh and sign the book to be in the club get your card ,had a fun time .
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bitter Club Shot, Shot of Bitters, Nelson's Bitters Shot, Sandwich
Matt Schoenrock
Join the bitters club, it's delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bitter Club Shot, Shot of Bitters, Bitters Shots
Puppers Policetti
I have an extremely fond memory of this place from over a decade ago, when while sitting at the bar, I lit my face, hair, shirt, and hands on fire from incorrectly taking a flaming Dr. Pepper shot. Once I realized that I had set myself ablaze, I spat out the remainder of the shot, consequently producing an enormous fireball from my mouth, and for a moment, I looked like a dragon. It was an interesting tale to tell once I returned to work, as I had very obvious portions of the left side of my cheeks, chin, nose, nostrils, and fingers covered in large blisters and scabs for a couple weeks. Great times!
Also, their food is excellent, and the bartenders and servers are amicable. I will, once in a while, come in to order a whole custom pizza you can select from their menu options, which is usually pretty decent, and will typically have a few adult beverages while I wait for my food. If I recall correctly, prior to my complete inebriation and subsequent immolation due to poor decision-making, I had ordered and eaten some species of hamburger containing bacon, which I remember was extremely delicious and satisfying.
Thank you for the good booze, good food, good times, and awesome memories. So come one and come all and come check them out. Cheers and Skäl!
Vegetarian options: Most of the booze is probably vegan/vegetarian.
Dietary restrictions: Probably not Halal or Kosher. I'd also ask ahead of time in regards to their ingredients and food preparation if you express any concern due to any food-borne illness or allergies you may have. Not aware of any gluten-free options either, apart from their cauliflower-crust pizza.
Parking: Small parking lot out front. It can get busy sometimes, so the lot fills up, but you might be able to park across the street and hope that one of the two cops up there doesn't give you heck about it.
Kid-friendliness: I mean, it's a bar, so it's probably not the most ideal place to bring children unless you're just going for lunch or dinner or on days when they have a special meal event.
Wheelchair accessibility: There are no automatic doors, but the doors appear wide enough to accommodate an assisted mobility device. No stairs. The bathroom is also probably not up to code for some handicapable individuals.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salad Fresh, Steak and Potatoes, Bitter Club Shot, Shot of Bitters, Soup, Banana Cream Pie, Bottle of Bitters from the Little Store on the Island, Crispy Chicken Wrap, Wisconsin Cheese Curds, Bitters Shots, Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, Nelson's Bitters Shot, Sandwich, Onion Rings, Chicken Tenders, Cheeseburger, blt, Grilled Cheese, Cauliflower Crust Pizza Pretty, Chicken Tender Wrap
We were told my party of 7 could not be seated together. We were separated at different tables. We were still charged a party surcharge even though each table had a different server. The place was not busy and they could easily put a couple tables together.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Onion Rings
My family and I went here for lunch and enjoyed it! I ordered the Island Cheeseburger with chips and fries on the side, which were all delicious and had great flavor. I would come here again and try more of their menu.
Wheelchair accessibility: Front door is wheelchair accessible, as there are no stairs to get into restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cheeseburger
Great time watching the Packers!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Cheese Curds
Been bitter club members for over 40 years it's a must stop on the island just love it
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bitter Club Shot, Shot of Bitters, Bitters Shots, Sandwich
Party of 9 half empty if not more. They would not accommodate table to handle 9 people. Worried about sliding a small 2 person table to the other table to accommodate us. On top of that would NOT break up the check of the parties of 2 instead of the hassle of 1 check. So we all walked out. I’m sure the would like to have the revenue been that is was slow for them. So CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS NOT THERE
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Nelson’s Hall - Home of the Bitters Club: Not Bittersweet, Just Bitter
If you're not from the area and aren't dining solo, I’d suggest finding somewhere else. Here's why.
The Positives:
Let’s give credit where it’s due—the concept behind Nelson’s Hall, home to the Bitters Club, is unique and intriguing. The space has character, and the previous reviews give good incentive to visit.
The Rest:
We were greeted (if you can call it that) by a man at the door, who asked if we were looking to eat. We confirmed and mentioned we were a party of nine. He told us, “No problem, move things where you need to.” Great, right?
Well, not so much. The table in the corner sat six, so we started to move an adjacent table to accommodate the group. Just as we began, a young blonde woman (whose name we never caught, because she never introduced herself) stopped us with a loud, “Woah, woah, woah!” She approached and told us, “You can’t move the tables, it’s policy,” in an unnecessarily rude and snarky tone. We explained that we were told we could move the tables, and after a brief back-and-forth between her and a coworker (who confirmed it was actually fine), she begrudgingly moved the table for us—this being the third time the table was moved in the process.
Finally, we all sat down and were ready to start ordering. The same waitress plopped the menus down and asked for drink orders. Everything seemed to be on track until we mentioned we’d need to split the check four ways. This is where things went downhill fast.
They don’t split checks for groups. Their solution? We could sit at separate tables to split the check, but not at the same table. Make that make sense. After the confusion with the tables and now the refusal to accommodate split checks (a pretty standard request these days), it was clear that this wasn’t going to work out.
So, we left.
I doubt the waitress will think much of it, but the owner might want to consider some staff training. The restaurant must be doing well enough to turn away what would’ve easily been a $300 tab. If that’s the case, well, good for them, but we certainly won’t be back.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Party of 9.
First they didn’t want to move over a table to have a place for all of us to sit. The waitress was blonde and told us we couldn’t move the table because it would scratch the floors-restaurant policy. Then someone else came over and told her it was fine.
Then she didn’t want to let us split our checks. We left and no one cared! She CLEARLY didn’t care to serve our group, and no one else did anything, either.
Not sure how any business these days, on an Island especially, wouldn’t want to accommodate nine adults wanting drinks and food on the last Sunday of September!
Guess our money isn’t any good here. Absolutely terrible.
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Staff was great, brandy old fashions delish. And yes, I'm a member of the bitters club. No, I did not see the ghost in the woman's room 😄
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Shot of Bitters, Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, Sandwich, Chicken Tenders, Chicken Tender Wrap
We had a good experience at Nelsen’s and I would certainly recommend stopping in! The shot of bitters I think is best experienced at the bar so that you get the story and history behind the shot of bitters. The bar tender did a good job of making the story interesting and was very knowledgeable on follow up questions so I was impressed there.
The lunch was good overall for the tenderloin sandwich and the service was great here as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bitter Club Shot, Shot of Bitters, Bitters Shots, Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, Nelson's Bitters Shot
Whitefish sandwich and a beer is the way to go. Fun place with tons of history and unique island culture. Love it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
You gotta stop here and learn the story of the Bitters !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Shot of Bitters, Bitters Shots
This place is like a second home to me. Nothings perfect in the world but when I fill up on Nelsens grub, in that moment life truly is great! Sour tummy, a headache or just for fun, shoot some bitters and boom all gone. Oh just wait there’s more to come….
Cocktails and dreams, all right here, for any one AND every one!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Steak and Potatoes, Bitter Club Shot, Shot of Bitters, Crispy Chicken Wrap, Cheese Curds, Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, Sandwich, Cheeseburger
A shot of Bitters were in the club 😆 with thousands of people since prohibition🥃lol . You need to go to Washington Island Wisconsin and have a shot of Bitters 👍. Ask the server about Bitter club shot an he will tell the story of it all. good story ,great server . Oh and sign the book to be in the club get your card ,had a fun time .
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bitter Club Shot, Shot of Bitters, Nelson's Bitters Shot, Sandwich
Join the bitters club, it's delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bitter Club Shot, Shot of Bitters, Bitters Shots
I have an extremely fond memory of this place from over a decade ago, when while sitting at the bar, I lit my face, hair, shirt, and hands on fire from incorrectly taking a flaming Dr. Pepper shot. Once I realized that I had set myself ablaze, I spat out the remainder of the shot, consequently producing an enormous fireball from my mouth, and for a moment, I looked like a dragon. It was an interesting tale to tell once I returned to work, as I had very obvious portions of the left side of my cheeks, chin, nose, nostrils, and fingers covered in large blisters and scabs for a couple weeks. Great times!
Also, their food is excellent, and the bartenders and servers are amicable. I will, once in a while, come in to order a whole custom pizza you can select from their menu options, which is usually pretty decent, and will typically have a few adult beverages while I wait for my food. If I recall correctly, prior to my complete inebriation and subsequent immolation due to poor decision-making, I had ordered and eaten some species of hamburger containing bacon, which I remember was extremely delicious and satisfying.
Thank you for the good booze, good food, good times, and awesome memories. So come one and come all and come check them out. Cheers and Skäl!
Vegetarian options: Most of the booze is probably vegan/vegetarian.
Dietary restrictions: Probably not Halal or Kosher. I'd also ask ahead of time in regards to their ingredients and food preparation if you express any concern due to any food-borne illness or allergies you may have. Not aware of any gluten-free options either, apart from their cauliflower-crust pizza.
Parking: Small parking lot out front. It can get busy sometimes, so the lot fills up, but you might be able to park across the street and hope that one of the two cops up there doesn't give you heck about it.
Kid-friendliness: I mean, it's a bar, so it's probably not the most ideal place to bring children unless you're just going for lunch or dinner or on days when they have a special meal event.
Wheelchair accessibility: There are no automatic doors, but the doors appear wide enough to accommodate an assisted mobility device. No stairs. The bathroom is also probably not up to code for some handicapable individuals.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salad Fresh, Steak and Potatoes, Bitter Club Shot, Shot of Bitters, Soup, Banana Cream Pie, Bottle of Bitters from the Little Store on the Island, Crispy Chicken Wrap, Wisconsin Cheese Curds, Bitters Shots, Pork Tenderloin Sandwich, Nelson's Bitters Shot, Sandwich, Onion Rings, Chicken Tenders, Cheeseburger, blt, Grilled Cheese, Cauliflower Crust Pizza Pretty, Chicken Tender Wrap
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