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    Back When Cafe

    3.6 (104 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    Back When Cafe New American Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    BACK WHEN CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Back When Cafe

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    Allison C.

    The Back When Café is truly a gem and one of the best restaurants Wausau has to offer. Whether you're looking for a romantic date night, a celebration dinner, or just an incredible meal, this place delivers every time. The beautiful patio is perfect in the warmer months, and the interior is fun and welcoming, blending charm with an upscale touch. The service is always excellent--attentive, friendly, and knowledgeable. My go-to dish is the spaghetti and meatball--it's absolute comfort food perfection. And seriously, every single dessert is amazing--you really can't go wrong. They also have a great party room for events like rehearsal dinners, retirement parties, or special celebrations. It's a wonderful setting with equally wonderful food and service.

    Truffle pasta with chicken
    Jessica B.

    Good food always, love the pasta. Nice ambiance, cozy. Friendly staff. One of our favorites.

    Pasta with "homemade" meatballs.

    One star for the nice server and one for the wine (at least having it on their list). No flavor whatsoever to the meatballs or sauce. Pasta courtesy of Bertolli? Over cooked pasta even if it was a generic store bought brand. I wanted to look outside to see if their food is from Sysco. Since they are open only a few days per week, it would be nice to see some owner/chef supervision in the kitchen. Next time I'll get my wine to go.

    Lobster and pasta
    John F.

    I have eaten here 3 times now and each time seems to get better! Tonight I had a simple chicken breast with capers, artichoke and lemon butter. It was amazing! The breast was perfectly cooked with only one side breaded. It made for a light meal packed with tremendous flavor. Richard at the bar is a great mixologist and entertainer. Had so much fun with him that we ate at the bar. I think he said he has been working at Back When for 17 years. What a great find for any owner! If possible, save room for desert. The Carrot Cake is top notch. Very shareable!

    Crab Cakes
    Josh M.

    While it doesn't live up to the hype others post, Back When Cafe is a great venue when looking for a romantic/fine dining experience and exceptional service. Despite other reviews, my visit to Back When was on a weeknight when few patrons were dining. The waiter was very attentive and was always there to help refill a glass or provide additional services per course. My order of the crab cakes and duck both came with the same sautéed vegetables (carrot sticks, cauliflower, & broccoli, all wrapped in a red pepper round; *see photos). All the food was good, but the diversity or uniqueness of each dish was lacking. WOULD I COME BACK: Yes. The ambiance, wait staff, and eclectic food for the area is good enough to warrant a return. There are other places in the area (e.g., Basil's) that provide flavor explosions for equivalent prices, but it's the venue that really makes B.W.C. a solid choice.

    Roasted half chicken - available Wednesday through Saturday only. Perfect dish.
    Lisa A.

    Back When Cafe was preparing farm to table cuisine before it was trendy, and they still do it best. The Food: I came here for dinner, and I tried the roasted half chicken as well as the bruschetta appetizer. The bruschetta is touted as their famous dish. I am accustomed to bruschetta served cold - with raw, marinated tomatoes and basil. Back When's bruschetta is more like cheesy garlic bread with tomato. It was decent, but I would skip it next time as it isn't really as flavorful as it could be. That said, the roasted half chicken may have been the best chicken I've ever had. It was cooked perfectly - succulent and juicy, and the pan sauce is tasted throughout the whole dish. It is the right balance of salt and savory. The meal is $19 (as of Feb 2017), and it is filling since it's served with a soup or salad and also comes with seasonal vegetables. I tried the Caesar salad which is served with a little, vinegar based Caesar dressing and very nice, garlic flavored croutons. We didn't try desserts, but the cakes in the case looked divine. The Service and Atmosphere Our server was friendly and helpful, and the decor of Back When Cafe is both vintage yet classic. Some of the furniture was reminiscent of pieces that have been in my family for years. It is casual, yet elegant. This is an ideal spot for a celebratory meal.

    Outside

    Excellent food in Wasau. Nice restaurant with good warm decor. Great waiter. Very quaint "back when". Oyster rockefella was really good. The chicken was very tender and flavorful. The carrot cake was ginormous.

    Mushroom appetizer hits the spot.
    Bogdan K.

    Aloha from Wausau, Having recently relocated to Wausau, our challenge of course is to try to find our favorite restaurant. We called and were able to get a reservation without much struggle. The staff, very friendly and polite. Our server extremely knowledgeable of the menu and where the food was sourced. The restaurant has the air of a library in New England, the exposed brick and old wood smells good and feels better. We ate at our pace, never rushed and although the tables were close, there was plenty of privacy for a great conversation. The food was great, having returned to the mainland from the land of fresh fish we both went with land based proteins. The ravioli and the steak was amazing with a good hint of truffle, not overpowering however. The lamb was perfect as well, came apart almost without the knife. The sides were great and the mash potatoes were almost better than when I cook. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone, local or visitor won't be disappointed here. Enjoy ;)

    Baked gnocchi with meatball

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    7 months ago

    Back When is a spectacular restaurant. They always have wonderful service and a great atmosphere.

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    4 years ago

    Great service. Amazing atmosphere and food is absolutely phenomenal. Carrot cake is a must have for a dessert. It's to die for. :-)

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