Buckhorn Cafe

Very good place to eat and Jerry is a great guy, but MAKE SURE you are going to ask how much your food will cost EXACTLY before you order !!!
We did ordered a few times food for our parties before and everything was perfect but looks like lately the prices went up and the size of the food (cabbage rolls) get smaller.
We ordered 80 cabbage rolls and 40 cheese crepes. When we ordered the food, Jerry said it will be around $ 200 + $ 40 delivery which was totally fine !!! At the time when the guy delivered the food the bill was $ 380 (plus of course tip for the driver).
Food taste great but I guess that was our last time ordering anything for the party from Buckhorn café

I loved Perogie night! They are not your frozen in the store type of perigees, that’s for sure! I had the one with cheddar in it and I was in heaven! The mini dumplings were delicious, as well as the honey liqueur they have! Beers were great… wines, not so much. The owner was extremely friendly however, the servers were forgetful. The food does take forever so, come in BEFORE you’re at the starving point because then you won’t be able to enjoy the food.

Ok, been back a couple times since my last review and I’ve downgraded it to 1 star.
I didn’t realize, but they have signs on all of their tables telling you it will take 45 minutes to 1 hour for your food. I’m not sure who the heck is in charge of the kitchen, but that is basically unacceptable and non-​standard in the restaurant business. They aren’t doing some ultra special things, it’s essentially bar food. I think they may be lacking in equipment or something, I’m not sure what the deal is.
Visited on Friday 8÷21÷15 with my friends and we were there 2 ½ hours. And we were seated immediately and it was maybe ½ full at most.
Polish meatloaf, «Fried Chicken Sandwich» (I’ll come back to that), a 1lb Burger, and Polish meatballs. For an appetizer, we ordered fried cheese curds (they were frozen and sucked) and fried mushrooms (also frozen and they were OK). We received those about 30 minutes after we ordered. Dropping those into the fryer and cooking is about a 5 – 10 minute effort. Guess not here.
Everyone was wondering were the hell their food was, all of the servers could be heard telling customers that they are extremely backed up and it would be a while.
They had a fish buffet and the people behind us, the ladies ordered the buffet, and the men ordered steaks. They got their steaks literally one hour later, and when they got them, one that had been ordered rare was well done. They asked if he wanted a new steak!!! Are you kidding me? One hour for a steak, he’d be able to drive to Madison and back and get a real steak. He appropriately told the server «No I told want that, I’ll get a hot dog from somewhere else». So their experience was the ladies eating immediately and the men waiting an hour and one of them not eating at all.
And the clincher was that the owner was sitting at the bar, slurping on his soup, surfing the web, while his restaurant was essentially a disaster and falling apart, with zero interest or care about anything that was going on. He didn’t check on people didn’t help, didn’t do anything but sit his rear end down and eat and surf at the bar the entire time were there (I know for a fact he is the owner from going here many years).
Our server came by after about an hour and a half of being there and said it would be «3 minutes». I said, yeah right, and started my timer app on my Android. Our food was there 15 minutes later.
So when I read «Fried Chicken Sandwich» I had the image in my mind of a hand dipped chicken breast, deep fried, and golden.
Nope. This is what I got. A bun, two frozen chicken nuggets, lettuce tomato, and mayo. It was literally frozen chicken nuggets. Picture attached.
The Polish meatloaf was dry. The Polish meatballs (which arrived 10 minutes before everyone else;s food) was ok, and the 1lb burger was ok.
The service is probably as bad as it could possibly be at a restaurant. I mean it literally sucks. 2−2÷12 hours minimum unless you order the buffet. Owner doesn’t care about what’s going on. Kitchen is amateur and probably not equipped properly for a commercial restaurant.
RUN AWAY FROM THIS PLACE, NO MATTER WHAT.
Visit Woodbine, or go to Mauston and get some Mexican, this place just sucks.

Excellent pig roast. Staff is AWESOME! Very casual friendly atmosphere. On corner of 19^th and G. Don’t let Google maps get you lost!

I have come here twice in the last year and both times had a pretty bad customer service experience. The first time I went with my parents and they were doing some sort of fried fish special. I asked the waitress if I could have my fish baked instead of fried and she replied with a firm «No, we can’t do that.» She later came back with an ultimatum for me that they could but it would be an extra $ 6 or $ 7. I asked why the extra charge and she immediately got defensive and rude. The second time we went (not my choice) we had the same exact waitress! I ordered the grilled chicken salad and asked for olive oil or vinegar for my choice of dressing. She quickly replied in a snippy manner «we don’t have that!». When she brought out my salad I honestly thought it was a joke. Not only did we have to wait 35 minutes for our food but the others in my group were served cold food. My salad consisted of very little lettuce (which some of it was also brown) less than half a chicken breast, tore up squared cheese you use for sandwiches displaced randomly, two smaller way overly buttered pieces of bread on top. I was excited to try the polish dishes in the future but most likely will not be going back. Very poor customer service.

After two negative experiences, I don’t think I’ll be back unless my family insists.
The first time I dined at the Buckhorn last summer, my steak was darn near paper thin and cooked to heck, even though I ordered it Medium.
The second time I visited (this summer), our waitress couldn’t remember who had what, brought out the wrong food and just seemed totally clueless. To top it off, the food was not very good. I had the shrimp fry with one piece of fish and it was just blah bar food. A mediocre experience at best.

This place has always been a local place. We have a cabin about 5 minutes from here in County G and its open late for a late night drink and a bite to eat outdoors. We have been here so many times and it has always been amazing. I love the polish food, which is always cooked to perfection. Although they didn’t have a drink menu, it was nice that they offered most drinks if you know what you want. Their outdoor patio was great on a Summer evening as you can smoke a nice cigar and have some food (as we arrived around 9:00 one evening). They do advertise that the food can take long to make and prepare, so be prepared to wait anywhere from 20 — 30 minutes for food, but trust me, it is always delicious. You know the staff takes their time and always gives you a quality meal! The staff is friendly and outgoing. I asked for the WiFi password to which they quickly obliged without hesitation. It is a great corner restaurant about 3 minutes from CastleRock lake and it is excellent to be able to have some great food, relaxation and then go enjoy the lake and the views of the sunset in Necedah. Great place!

Buckhorn Café has a great, friendly atmosphere. The staff are very social and inclusive. Food is amazing, I highly recommend the pirogues. An order of 12 is enough to fill you and then some. An absolute gem near the water.

Nothing bad about this restaurant, bar, café, and family setting!
And by nothing bad I mean it is the BEST café I have ever been to in Wisconsin, possibly in the country. Polish food, with all you can eat specials on a daily basis. I believe all you can eat Ribeyes on monday, Tuesday is Jäger Schnitzel, Wednesday is Pierogies, Thursday is BBQ Ribs. Absolutely amazing food and prices. Strictly from a food standpoint? This is a 10 out of 10.
Service? Jerry the owner and his staff is UNBELIEVABLY friendly and knowledgeable. Wether it’s a question about one of the 6 craft beer on taps or the outstanding Krupnik polish liquor that flows from the bottles. They are extremely willing to not just guide you in the right direction, with food, service, or drink!!!
The only bad part about this restaurant is that we only got here on Saturday and didn’t find out about this place until Tuesday. Needless to say we’ve only had the ability to come 4 nights in a row. The place is sort of in the sticks so it is a little bit of a drive (25 minutes for me) but worth EVERY MINUTE.
Come here. Eat food. Drink great beer. Drink great liquor and be with family!

Just one of those good ol’ local places. Polish and American cuisine. Everything I’ve had here is good! Try the pierogis. During warm weather, esp. all summer when the lake is hopping, the grill is going. Enjoy the patio. Clean too. Owner has been here every time I’ve visited. Big Polish guy. :)

Had 2 VERY good meals at the Buckhorn., Friday fish fry, my husband had walleye, I had cod. Second best fish fry I have had, (nothing has ever beat my favorite place in northern Minn). next day husband had big buck burger, very delicious, done just the way he wanted. I had schnitzel, just as good as my German host-​mother made. LARGE variety of good beer!
Service was quick and friendly.
Ps. Some things were a little more expensive than expected, but other things were pretty reasonable, so I guess it balances out .
I would definitely eat there again

Always Great Food and Service! All you can eat Ribeye. Steak was great with a great flavor. We had Vanilla Bean Cheesecake for desert. All was good and I WILL be back again. Thanks Jerry

Great food and great service. Truely impressive when the owner cares enough to checking in on the customers personally and provide anything needed. I will definitely be back for more great meals.

I was there over the weekend with my new inlaws and I was just amazed on how
someone can operate a business in a way the operators due, just a piece of crap.
They need Gorden Ramsey from Hells Kitchen. We ordered our food after waiting for a table for over an hour and 2 ½ hours later we got our nasty order, just crap.
I can’t tell you enough DON’T GO THERE EAT AT KWIK TRIP AND SAVE YOURSELF

Very delicious! I had some polish version of what I’d describe as shepherds pie and loved every bite. Others at the table had the fish fry, salmon, and mahi mahi. They all enjoyed it! Plus the cocktails were cheap and delicious!

This is ALWAYS our go to place for fun and great food! Been coming here since the weekend it opened and yes the service can be slow due to the volume of patrons and the special care they give each individual entrée served. That’s what makes the Buckhorn so special. And when you’re there among friends as we consider all the staff there, the time flies. Always can get a smile and definitely laughs and add the awesome food, drinks, and unbelievable array of beer selections, there’s no place like it. Wish I could open one up closer to my home in Illinois. Thanks Jerry and crew for all the great food and great times past, present, and to come!

I want to Like this place, and I have given it about five tries to win me over. But it has failed.
They are usually busy, so you have to accept that waiting for your food is going to happen. However, the staff never ever comes to keep you updated. You can literally sit for thirty minutes without seeing your server.
It’s common to have an empty drink for more than twenty minutes.
They are out of the «special» most of the time even if you show up early for dinner. Breakfast is almost always worse. The bacon is a greasy glob of undercooked pork. The pancakes vary from massive to dollar size without warning.
I got the all you can eat steak one night and the server tried to tell me they wouldn’t make me a second steak?! I ordered both medium. The first was pale and raw. The second was well done!
Many people love the food and I wanted to but I have yet to have one really good experience here.
To top it off the place is covered in flies.

Maybe they were just having an off day, but it was horrible. We go out of our way to eat at local places and avoid the chains at all costs, but this place had me hoping for a Chili’s. We arrived at 11:10 to a quiet restaurant, not to busy. We sat on the patio and got menus twenty minutes later, after the two parties who sat down after we did. We were given breakfast menus, not a problem. Our waitress took our order at 11:50. Three of us got the all you can eat roasted pork, being cooked right in front of us. One of our party ordered an item on the menu, pierogies, a specialty here. For breakfast the pork comes with eggs and toast. When only two of the plates showed up twenty minutes later for a meal we primarily go up and serve yourself for, it was with the lunch sides. No mention that it was now lunch time, no chance to look at the menu again, no so sorry it took so long that we switched from breakfast to lunch in the hour and twenty minutes you have been sitting here. In addition, they ignored two of the people in our party. The third plate for the pork showed up ten minutes later. The order of pierogies showed up another fifteen minutes later. They say everything is made to order, so it takes longer, but I make pierogies at home and do it faster, and this is supposedly their specialty. The roasted pig was good, but nothing to come back for. This is something they do every week and had a grill custom made, but they are using spice rub from Famous Dave’s. You would think you could come up with something on your own, or at least pretend to.
While sitting waiting (with two toddlers, who are expert diners) the waitress brought the wrong orders to our table twice. When she did take the order, she forgot her pad and swore in front of the two girls, who are picking up everything they here now. I could excuse her if she were a new server, but the name tag said she was the manager. Staff on hand was not the issue either. The were two waitress on the patio and another one or two inside. During the course of the meal I saw four other employees out on the patio smoking.
Finally we left at 2:15. I REALLY wanted to leave no tip, but couldn’t do it Next time, I hear the gas station a block away has some GREAT pizza. And the service was outstanding as well.

There’s not a single thing I didn’t love about Buckhorn Café! This is what small town Wisconsin is all about. My husband & I visited while on vacation at Little Pond Lodge at the recommendation of the lodge-​owner. We had such an excellent time!
The food was delicious. I asked the Polish owner (who was working as bartender that day) for a pirogi recommendation. There were plenty of both meat and non-​meat options, and I ordered the spinach at his recommendation. A few minutes into our visit, he remembered the pirogis would be served with a meat sauce and checked with me to make sure I didn’t want that. I was so thankful he checked with me! I didn’t read the menu closely enough and didn’t notice that. My husband ordered the all-​you-​can-​eat fish fry (he can eat a lot) and loved it. He’s a fish fry connoisseur, and he thought the walleye was outstanding, and even the mashed potatoes were delicious. We also had some sweet corn on the wood-​fire grill, recommended by a waitress, as an appetizer and it was unbelievable.
Our drinks were also really great. There weren’t a ton of taps, but there were lots of microbrews in bottles, and both me & my husband got beers we loved. We laughed and chatted with the staff throughout our entire visit, and as we signed our credit card receipt, the owner poured shots for my husband and me — totally unexpected and so sweet!
The only people I wouldn’t recommend visit Buckhorn Café are people looking to party, get wasted and act like jerks… a group of those sort stopped by the bar for a drink, «on their way to Milwaukee» (why would you be getting drunk before driving 2.5 hours?) and when one of them swore, the owner walked over and politely said, «Hey, watch your language.» The guys got the message right away, and I was glad the owner spoke up.
We had an excellent time and will definitely be back next time we find ourselves in the area.

I actually visited Buckhorn Café in the late-​summer/​early-​fall of 2011. Now, before I begin, I gotta warn you (aka, my typical disclaimer when trying new things) — — I’m BRAND NEW to Polish food.
I was actually short on time, but didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to eat at Buckhorn, so I dropped in. Having heard A LOT about pierogies (thank you Food Network), I figured I’d have the server tell ME what I should try first. Well, she recommended the assorted plate and was she ever spot on! Pierogies are DELICIOUS!!!
Everything everybody wrote about Buckhorn Café is EXACTLY what I found — GREAT staff, laid-​back atmosphere, and EXCELLENT food!
When it comes to the complete dining experience, I’m a bit of a boomerang — — I’ll ALWAYS come back! And trust me, I will be back to Buckhorn Café the next time I’m in the area!
As a post-​script for the non-​outdoor types, I spotted a number of wild animals as I made my way to and from Buckhorn Café and a small flock of wild turkey directly across the street from Buckhorn. Also, there are a number of gorgeous and uncrowded lakes nearby… great shows that cost me NOTHING! (LOL)