Pat's Tavern Grill - RHINELANDER

This restaurant serves some of the best burgers in the area. Their steak sandwich is also exceptional, cooked to order just like the burgers. Don’t miss their fries—they’re a real delight! Due to challenges in hiring staff, the restaurant has recently had to limit its hours of operation to Wednesday through Friday. Even with this schedule, it’s well worth planning your visit around their open days. This is not just any bar; it’s a fifth-generation, family-owned, family-friendly bar and grill. The selection of draft beers is excellent and sure to satisfy any beer enthusiast. Be sure to stop by and say hello to Pat and Dennis—they’re always there with a warm smile and a friendly greeting.

The service started off well, but took a turn towards the end when two members of our group asked a man who claimed to be the owner about the available shots. He responded in a rude manner, insisting that he owned the bar and knew what shots were offered, yet he was too upset to provide any information. Due to his attitude, they decided they were no longer interested in ordering. Overall, the service seemed particularly lacking when it came to him. I wouldn't recommend dining here unless you want to deal with a disgruntled bar owner who is willing to turn down your business.

When we ordered a green tea shot, our server asked how it was typically made, which is a common question. However, the owner/bartender seemed to take offense when we asked him about the best shot he knew how to make. He reacted by mentioning how long he had been in the business and then refused to serve us any further. This left us feeling unwelcome, and we felt compelled to leave, despite being a party of four who all work in the service industry and understand how important it is to treat customers with respect. After paying, our gracious server tried to salvage the situation that her boss had ruined, which seemed to be a recurring theme given how often such incidents probably occur. As a group that supports local businesses and understands the challenges they faced during the pandemic, we were disappointed by the disrespectful treatment we received. To be told that we could not continue our tab and would not be served further was a clear example of poor customer service. The food was good, but it’s a shame that asking the owner for a drink could lead to such a negative experience.

Was on a road trip and stopped in town for lunch- everything was good until some rude man who was working behind the bar, I believe the owner, literally shouted at my friends and I because he was busy we were being pleasant customers trying to buy another round of drinks. We are all servers at a restaurant and understand how it is when it gets busy and to be screamed at after having a nice lunch was absolutely ridiculous. I feel bad who my server who was very sweet but has to work in such a hostile environment with a man who seems miserable.

Delicious with a capital D . This was our first visit to Pat 's Tavern in Rhinelander and it will definitely not be our last. It was like walking into the local Cheers with our Hodag homie, coming in from the back to spacious and accommodating beer garden, to our friendly greeting by co owner Pam we knew we were in for something special. Special indeed, it 's Taco Wednesday WOW, their tacos are awesome. We tried the trifecta traditional ground beef, shredded beef and chicken...I won 't disclose the house secret, if you haven 't visited them before you 'll have to try them yourself. Dennis, co owner, joined us later to insure we had all the right accoutrements, complete with a handy scissors to open the packets of taco sauce and sour cream. We loved the food, the visit and the genuine home town hospitality thanks Pam and Dennis for making our first visit special.