My husband is on the road for work, happened upon Arena Cheese a few years ago and brought home a…read moredecent sized wheel of Colby Jack cheese he scored for $4. Turns out Arena Cheese is the home of the original Colby Jack! We ended up passing by there on a recent weekend and I got to experience the place for myself. It's not a large store, but there are good things to be found. They had some great value cheese, especially if you have room for larger portions. There was also a selection of meat sticks, string cheese, and some chilled beverages. If you're nearby and looking to stock up on some cheese, watch for the mouse!

We always stop here for curds and other cheeses. They are always knowledgeable and friendly…read more Definitely try the garlic curds if they are fresh. Those are our favs. So far!

Every time I am through Deforest, I have to stop here. Friendly, knowledgeable staff and great…read moreselection of cheeses. They also have candies, syrups, jams, etc. You gotta stop in if in the area. They ship also!

We are so happy we decided to stop inside when we found this chalet across the street from our…read morehotel. We ended up purchasing a cheese spread and throughly enjoyed it once we made garlic bread knots with it (they were amazing). I was tempted to buy a lot more then just cheese and meat since they also had a large selection of fun stationary items. If you are in the area stop in!

I just tried some of their signature Pleasant Ridge Reserve cheese, which currently runs $17 for an…read more8 oz package. I must say premium Wisconsin cheeses are like hazy IPA's to me. There are a ton of tastes (and textures) and they're all a little different, and I like them all! Maybe one day I'll develop enough of a palate to have a favorite, but for now, they're all good!!

Pleasant Ridge Reserve, the signature cheese of the Uplands Cheese Company, may be one of the…read moresingle most perfect hard cows milk cheese made in the US. A traditionally made cheese in the style of alpine cheeses from southwestern France, Pleasant Ridge Reserve is made only during the months when cows graze on grasses, sweet clover, and wild herbs, giving their milk a depth of flavor not usually found in most cheeses from year-round milkers grazing on silage and grain. This award winning cheese (just go to their website to see how many accolades they've earned...it is simply awesome) is a favorite both here in the Midwest and all over the country. For those of us lucky to live in Chicago, it is on the menu of many local restaurants, who use it both on cheese plates and in more complex dishes. During a recent visit to Hot Chocolate on Damen, for example, I had a Pleasant Ridge Reserve-filled brioche. I think this cheese is better to eat out of hand than to incorporate in a recipe - with heating, many of the subtleties of texture and flavor are lost. Seek it out. And if you do find it in a cheese shop, make sure the piece you get does not touch plastic. Because plastic is the enemy of all cheese. If it must touch plastic, make sure you get it out as soon as possible and put in proper cheese paper or wax paper and foil. And eat it right away - it isn't going to get any better in your fridge. Uplands isn't open to the public, but if you call ahead they may just accomodate you. The trip through the lush, rolling hills of southern Wisconsin is an agrarian's dream.

The Cook family has been making cheese for over 100 years.. We love the fresh squeaky cheese curds!…read moreThey have a wide selection of cheese. The staff is helpful.

Just a wonderful small shop downtown that has affordable cheese and all yummy. We usually stop by…read morefor some fried cheese curds when we are in town because they are actually the best from dozens of places I've tried over Wisconsin and MN, unless you like different batters. We really enjoy coming here.

My daughter and I stumbled across the spot while driving a back road in the industrial area of our…read morepart of town. We are glad we stopped. This is an adorable little shop with very unique gifts as well as cheeses, sausage, sundries, and so much more. It's got a little bit of everything in a small space. They told us they're planning on expanding, staff was very helpful and enthusiastic.

great customer service with delicious cheese - and they ship! woman at the front desk gave us ice…read morepacks for our cheese and meats because she knew we had a long drive back to chicago.

Oh rats! I was hoping this place'd be better…read more.. Driven past this on roadtrips many a time; decided to actually stop in and check it out on the most recent trip. I'd been drawn in by the silly rodent statue on top of the building, because I like touristy shops. Upon entry I immediately realized the place was kind of dingy and gross. We got there with about half an hour 'til closing and this fact certainly showed in the affect of all the employees. I was curious about sampling some of the cheeses, but all of the employees were apparently too busy getting ready to close to help us, so we didn't get to try any of the many varieties. It was a bit odd to me to have potential customers there in the store during business hours, and the employees are steadfastly ignoring our presence to turn off the lights and such. We took the hint, quickly used the restroom, made a small courtesy purchase, then left. Speaking of the restroom, the floors were really sticky. Eww. Noticed they had lots of signage up that they were hiring. Yeah, they should probably hire someone who gives AF, if I'm being really honest, cuz it seems to me this place probably was great at one point but has fallen into disrepair. I got a couple pieces of taffy and hubby got a bag of nuts. We could tell from the taste/texture that these items had been sitting for awhile. I'm not a proponent of wasting food, but if your store can't turn products around before they're expired, I recommend perhaps just not selling those things and stick to cheese... Anyway, reckon we'll try out another of the many cheese shops in Wisconsin next time we drive through. There's certainly plenty to choose from!

Best stop ever! The…read moreselection is incredible and the staff is so friendly and helpful. The cheese curds fried and regular are off the charts!

We have stopped in this store many times over the years especially after being at the Saturday…read moreFarmers market. The store feels a bit sparsely stocked but they do have a nice selection of cheeses from around the state. They do offer some small samples. The prices are not cheap but similar to other specialty cheese stores around the area. We've picked up many different cheeses here over the years. This store isn't as nice or as well stocked as their location in Milwaukee on 3rd Street. I hope this place continues to survive on State Street.

We haven't had time this visit to do a creamery or cheese factory visit, yet this cheese mart…read moredowntown Madison was a fabulous stop for us to learn more about the State of WI's cheese producers and sample (free) some of the most popular ones! The staff was helpful with our questions, grateful they offer drinks for purchase, and a public bathroom. Also - perfect stop for souvenirs/gifts! Super cute store!

Great place to stop in to get more edible items than I can list. There are many cheese, butter,…read moresnacks and chocolate items... and some they'll even have out for you to try. My hands down favorite is the cinnamon butter, but don't let that limit you. I'm about to devour this chocolate covered pretzel from there tonight... and enjoy some garlic butter in the morning. Stop by and check them out if you're in the area.

From the owner: Juusto Cheese, Muenster Cheese…read more Products: Baseball Caps, Goat Cheese, Handmade Home Decor, T-Shirts, Cheese Services: Special Orders, Mail Orders. Brands: Buffalo Studio Candle Company, Carr Valley Cheese, Meister Cheese, Salemville, Vern's Cheese, Von Ruden Meat Processing. Locations Facts: Handicap Accessibility

Tried the Fleischkase when it was sold here in Texas and was surprised to see it was made outside…read moreof Madison! Lucky for me, our daughter is a student at UW-Madison and I come up to visit often! My last trip we went to the store and I was amazed at the Germany products they had. Let me say this, I spent 22 years stationed/living in Germany and the items here are as authentic. As going to a "Metzger" in Germany. The Brötchen direct from Munich at truly authentic. We enjoy them when we have our German breakfast on the weekends. O would definitely recommend Bavarian Sausage to anyone who enjoys German items at reasonable prices.

Staff was great we went to see what they had. I have never been there before. They had a large…read moreselection of meat and cheese. And plenty of pantry items. I got jerky, seasoning , a sausage, and pretzel buns. Would have gotten more but was not prepared. I did not know they existed. lol. But next time I am around I will be more prepared

Really loved this place while we were on vacation. Tons and tons of cheese and at a very normal…read morereasonable price will be coming back for sure.

Local establishment offering items unique to Wisconsin. Large selection of drinks, cheese and…read moresweets. If you a looking for something special this is your place.