Ishnala Supper Club - Lake Delton

*VOTED #1 SUPPER CLUB IN WISCONSIN - Travel Wisconsin
*FEATURED ON THE COVER "WISCONSIN SUPPER CLUBS" - Ron Faiola
*ONE OF THE TOP SUPPER CLUBS WITH A GORGEOUS LAKEVIEW - Travel Wisconsin
*FAN FAVORITE FOR WISCONSIN SEAFOOD RESTAURANTS - Travel Wisconsin
*ONE OF THE TOP WISCONSIN CLASSIC SUPPER CLUBS - Travel Wisconsin
*LISTED AS ONE OF THE BEST SUPPER CLUBS IN WISCONSIN - Thrillist
*BEST DESTINATION RESTAURANT 2016 AND 2017 - Madison Magazine

As you can tell, this place comes with a lot of hype! So I had a lot of expectations going into it. Not to mention, since this location is close to Madison, I've talked to many people who have been here several times. The biggest concerns - price and availability. They do not take reservations, and the wait can take hours. THE. MENU. IS. PRICEY. (but we'll dive into that a little bit later).

So, before going, I'm thinking to myself, "I am going to be blown away during every moment of this meal. And if I'm not, I am not going to be shy about posting it here".

Our group was small this month (summer schedules are hard to coordinate), but that wasn't going to stop us. It was a Girls Night with me, Skyler, and Serena. Which actually made it much easier, because there wasn't easy seating for a group larger than six.

Ishnala is located on the shore of Mirror Lake.  Entrance to the property includes a winding drive through acres of forest of Mirror Lake State Park.. There are little signs posted on trees - tidbits of information about Ishnala Supper Club.

We parked and started walking in. They have music playing on the grounds, outdoor walking paths, patio seating, and a small gift shop. Very typical tourist-type things you see all over the Wisconsin Dells. It was fun!

We arrived at 4pm on a Saturday and got seated immediately! You have no idea how happy this made me. I had heard horror stories about their wait time. When we finished and left, there were groups of people on the patio waiting to be seated.

The dining room is floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over Mirror Lake. And it's two levels. We sat on the second level with our chairs facing the windows.

 

The table was pre-set with waters, cheese spread, and crackers. We dug into the cheese spread immediately and Serena ordered an Old-Fashioned with Korbel Brandy. So then we started browsing through the menu. Typical upscale casual dining fare was offered: steaks, seafood, and chicken. The special was a Rib eye Meal for Two.

As we browsed through the menu and stared at the scenery, we decided to order Fried Cheese Curds and French Onion Soup as an appetizer. Shortly after that we were brought dinner rolls and cinnamon pecan swirls (so delicious!)

Conversation within our party continued on after we ordered our entrees, but I mainly stared out the window - watching the pontoon boaters and kayakers. I was also people-watching the dining level below us and the huge wait staff that moved at a pace of 100mph. I don't know exactly how many waiters there were, but it seemed like each staffer had one (maybe two) tables assigned to them at a time. We happened to sit right next to the registers, where the waitresses were constantly coming and going at a fast pace.

We got garden salads first. I ordered mine with their house-made vinaigrette. The other salad option was a wedge salad.

Then there were the entrees. 

I had Prime Rib with a Baked Potato

Serena had Two Lobster Tails with Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes

Skyler had the New York Strip with Cheesy Au Gratin Potatoes

The food was good. It was completely what I expected. But......I've had better......for less money. The Prime Rib was rather plain. Nothing fancy or special about it. I was impressed at the cut though, it had very little fat on it. Same with Skyler's steak - normal, nothing special. The cheesy potatoes were really cheesy and delicious. Skyler even enjoyed them 3 days later reheated. The most exciting food course was the desserts.

They presented all the choices to us on a platter (which makes you want to try all of them).....

Salted Caramel Cake

Chocolate Mousse

We couldn't finish all the desserts after three courses. But they were worth it. Luckily, we were able to walk around the grounds and go down to the Beach to work off all the calories. We walked down to the little beach and back up again.

Now let's talk about the prices. This place was too expensive for my tastes, which is why I won't return very often again. The Prime Rib was $36.99. The average amount I've paid at other Supper Clubs is around $25. The New York Strip was also $36.99. Like I said, just too expensive. The food was too plain to pay this much.

The best part of our visit to Ishnala (other than the gorgeous view) was the service. I have never experienced food service like this before. Like I mentioned earlier, there were a lot of waitresses serving only one or two tables at a time. And our waitress (unfortunately, I don't remember her name) was so attentive to us the entire time. I opened a package of bread sticks to have with cheese, she immediately came and picked up the wrapper. She filled our water glasses often, and we didn't even ask for it. Plates were cleared away quickly after finishing them. She even cleared the lobster tails as Serena ate them, so there would be more room on her plate. The bread basket was refilled when our entrees came. It was pretty unbelievable. The manager even stopped by to ask how everything was.

We watched them clear tables in the level below us. Within minutes from the guests leaving, two or three bus boys would be there clearing the plates, cleaning the table, and resetting it for the next customers. It took them all of 3-5 minutes to turn over a table. I've never seen that much hustle. It was truly impressive.

I can see why Ishnala gets such great reviews. Not that my grade sheet will match, might as well see how it stacks up against others I've graded.

1. Prime Rib specials are served every Saturday night.
It is served every day, as supplies last.

2. A relish tray is served.
No. There was crackers and cheese spread.

3. Manhattans and Old-Fashioned cocktails are served with Brandy.
Yes.

4. Jell-O is served as a salad option.
Nope. This place is too fancy for Jell-O.

5. Walleye is a regular menu item.
No it is not.

6. All-you-can-eat fried fish on Friday nights.
No, again, way too fancy for fish frys.

7. Grasshopper and Pink Cadillac cocktails are large enough to share.
We didn't order one, so I can't grade them on it.

8. Christmas lights are strung along structures year-round.
No.

9. The Waitresses call you "Hon"
No, she was very polite and professional.

10. The club has a scenic view of our beautiful state.

Uh, yeah it does. It doesn't get much better than this.

That's a 4 out of 10 score. Even though Ishnala didn't have some good supper club staples, that doesn't mean it was a bad experience. Out of all the places we've visited so far, their atmosphere and service was top-of-the-list. I won't visit again soon because of the prices. But this would be a great place to come for anniversaries, birthdays, special events, or vacations.