My first job out of college was in La Crosse, a few decades ago, and our after work spot was way up on top of the bluffs that ring La Crosse, and I guess it’s always been called the Alpine Inn, since it opened in the 20s, but we called it «Uncle Miltie’s» after the affable proprietor. Milt had a way of getting you completely loaded when you weren’t looking. In winter, the poison was a «Snowshoe Grog,» equal parts of Peppermint Schnapps and Brandy. Yeah, I know. Made all the more perilous while trying to navigate your way back down the winding road to town. So that was about forty years ago.. I was rolling through La Crosse last week and decided to stop at Milt’s. Milt’s long gone, but the Alpine Inn rocks on, and has a full food menu, as opposed to back in my day when eats consisted of pickled eggs and cheese popcorn. I went with a 1⁄3 pound beef burger, topped with slivered ham and swiss, and accompanied by beer battered rings. It was a good burger. The rings were OK, not spectacular. $ 9.25. There is some video poker and pull tabs these days. The Alpine Inn operates on a cash only basis. There’s a massive outdoor deck for pleasant weather embibers. and a field for volleyball or whatever. A lot of people apparently bike up the bluff, or come up by some means of transport and hike down. Bully for them. Alpine Inn’s menu includes appetizers, soups, salad, burgers, sandwiches and pizza. I hear the grilled cheese is a winner. Must be cheese from those happy cows in Wisconsin. I guess most people would call the Alpine a «dive.» I call it «homey.»
Jeff L.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Middleton, WI
Back to the Alpine Inn for my annual visit. I was in there four times and enjoyed a Bluff Burger, a double Bluff Burger, the Cajun Burger and the Cajun Chicken. Every day I had a spicy Bloody Mary with a Summit Oktobrfest chaser with lunch.(They pour their Bloody Marys stiff so good discretion is advised) I have finally decided that the beer batter fries are my favorite. I also tried the«Blue Balls» appetizer, which is a deep fried cordon bleu combination. Those were okay, but kind of spendy. The sandwiches were all solidly good. The double Bluff Burger did not maintain structural integrity and almost totally came apart while I was eating it, but I narrowly avoided disaster. I meant to order a Cordon Bleu burger sometime this trip as well but I forgot. I prefer Kayser rolls to regular hamburger buns. I know that Kayser Rolls are slightly more expensive, but bread is the foundation of any good sandwich. The Alpine uses regular hamburger buns so there is room for improvement there I think. The sassy bartender girl on Saturday was very severe and wouldn’t give me any extra cubes of pepper jack cheese for my Blood Mary(s) but she did divulge that the secret to the Bloody Marys at the Alpine Inn is(1.) Organic vodka from the jug with the peppers floating in it;(2.) Pickle juice;(3.) Liberal dashes of «Pleasoning» seasoning, which is made in La Crosse.(4.). Moderate applications of tabasco sauce and worcestershire sauce. When I come up to the Oktoberfest Races I stay in Sparta. My favorite route to Granddad Bluff is to take Hwy 162 south from Bangor, and then either stay on 162 or take County Hwy JB south to Hwy 33 and then head west on Hwy 33 through St. Joseph to County Hwy F and then north to the Alpine. Very pleasant to drive around the back roads in that area on a sunny October day when the trees are beginning to turn color. The City of La Crosse has a nice network of hiking and cross country ski trails south of the city. There is a trail head for the southern end of these trails right across from the Alpine Inn. That might’ve always been there, but now there is a sign and a big map posted that wasn’t there before. Beware — the trail at this point goes straight down the bluff and it’s rough going in spots so be aware.
Yes the Alpine Inn is a dump and my wife and I love it. It’s a typical small town Wisconsin bar. You place your order at the bar and they bring it to you table. Good burgers, cold beer with a good view! The staff was friendly and helpful making hit a great place to stop for a quick burger and beer. Just remember it is a cash bar so leave your debit card at home!
Adam W.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 La Crosse, WI
Great burgers. Cold ass drinks and a view to boot. Stop here for volleyball sun thru thurs. Jim is a great guy to know and appreciates his customers.
Matt H.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Fresno, CA
I haven’t ever had any of the food here so I can’t speak to that but as a bar it is really a neat place. The drive to it is very scenic and the concerts here rock. The main detractor is parking. There is very little so during events people end up parking all over the place and the cops end up showing up and issuing tickets. The Alpine started a bus shuttle a while ago so if you are going up for a concert try and find out where they are picking up at.
Adam W.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Saint Paul, MN
The Alpine Inn is a totally run down bar just shy of Grandad’s Bluff. Nothing fancy here, but if the weather is nice, there’s something just right about sipping a Spotted Cow while sitting out on the decaying deck, listening to silly jukebox music and enjoying the views of the decrepit volleyball courts below. On the menu: Mark 1, Mod 0 bar food(burgers, cheese curds, onion rings, etc. and all decent). There’s no wait staff, so put your order in at the bar. The kitchen is a wee flat top and 2 tiny fryolator baskets, so it will be a while – maybe a long while – before your order is ready. No worries: grab a bag of peanuts and enjoy your beer, they’ll call your name when your order is ready. I can’t explain it, but The Alpine Inn is more than the sum of its parts. Worth a visit, I say.
Rebecah M.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 La Crosse, WI
Beautiful setting, kind of a dump. If this place had a little bit of work put into it, it would be beautiful. The staff was very nice and attentive. The burger was good and not too expensive. I didn’t get to sit on the patio because it was a little too cold, but I am sure it would be amazing. I will definitely be back, but I won’t drink too much because the drive would be super dangerous :)
Rene S.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Marshfield, MA
The beauty of the Alpine Inn is that it is NOT all shined up.. .it is down home people and fun.. .it’s Wisconsin people.. .cheese comes with everything.. .including the occasional bloody mary.. .the sand volleyball pits are an amazing addition.. .I have not been there in a very long time but I thoroughly MISS the Alpine — LaCrosse living at some of its best!
Kathleen S.
Évaluation du lieu : 1 Lakeville, MN
Awful, I will never eat here again! The bar staff were incredibly rude and I had to wait for over an hour for them to cook a burger. It was a very greasy over-salted patty at that! Save yourself the heart burn and skip it.
Molly c.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Brooklyn, NY
so to quote my brother, who also loves the alpine inn: «What are people expecting a surf and turf with white table cloths? A bunch of uppity fools. It is La Crosse for crying out loud.»
Eric V.
Évaluation du lieu : 1 Hayward, CA
It could be such a cool place. The location is beautiful as is it front of the building. Once inside it all changes. I had the feeling that I was in the mess hall of some crappy summer camp. The view out of the back windows is overshadowed by the 2 sand volleyball courts below and also by visible the storage area that is a complete mess. I did not see anything on the menu that I could, or would dare to eat, so I had to go hungry for a bit longer. The Bloody Mary’s were quite good, so they get points for that. Because this place is a bit of a drive for almost everyone, it seems that they should shine it up so that people would want to throw down their cash– but instead they let it sit there like a stagnant pond. Maybe nobody has told them that they can strive above mediocrity.
Shelly V.
Évaluation du lieu : 1 La Crosse, WI
Distance to Bar — A long drive up a winding road up a bluff After living in «The Twilight Zone» of friendliness and Midwestern hospitality, the Alpine Inn was a big rock in the shoe. I really have no idea why this place always has a packed parking lot. Drinks are not the cheapest. It’s not a convenient location. The décor is, well, non existent, the food was fried and just like any other bar I have been to in the area. The bloody mary’s came with beef jerky, cheese, a green olive and a pickle. Yes, you read right, beef jerky and cheese. The wait staff was rude and unlikable. There are a couple of sand volleyball courts with a bar in between. I’m not sure when they use it. They get one star for serving booze. There is a beautiful view, but they do not deserve a star for that, Mother Nature does. I won’t be back.