My wife and I ventured out to Mount Horeb for dinner at Driftless Social on a Saturday night recently. We had a reservation, which I would recommend, and were seated immediately. The restaurant is fairly small, but cozy. The ambiance is very relaxed and social. It was a bit noisy but a good noisy, not obnoxious noisy; people having good conversations and lots of laughing. Our server greeted us in a timely manner and took our drink order. I ordered an old fashioned, my wife a Hugo spritz. Both were fantastic but just a heads up, the drinks were relatively strong. The menu is relatively small but still enough to choose from and not be disappointed. My wife and I both ordered the 5 oz filet with shrimp. We split a side of green beans. When our food reached our table, we thought that it might not be enough to fill us but we were more than full afterwards and agreed that anything bigger might be too much. The food was excellent, one of the better steaks I've had in a while. The service was good and our server, Sammy, did a real nice job of taking care of us without being overly intrusive. Prices were appropriate for the quality, maybe a little higher than you would expect but still worth it. If you're looking for a high quality, local small town steak experience that isn't a chain, I highly recommend Driftless Social. read more

It was my husband's birthday over the weekend, so I wanted to take him out to celebrate. It was a little last minute - we have 3 kids, one of which is a baby, so I called on Friday afternoon for a Saturday evening reservation. The automated recording said to send a Facebook message for reservations, so I went to their page. It was very simple, and was able to get a reservation for 7:30 pm. I asked if it made a difference that it was for a birthday celebration, and they said it definitely mattered, and that they offered a boozy dessert if that was something he would be interested in. When we arrived Saturday evening, we were immediately ushered over to our table. It was the perfect spot for a duo, and the atmosphere was very cozy. Everyone was so kind and we immediately ordered beverages - I chose the Aviation martini, and my husband a glass of Caymus. Martinis are obviously all alcohol, but DAMN was it strong. I don't drink much anymore, so it may have been a poor choice for myself. My husband had been wanting to try Caymus for a long time, and he enjoyed his glass. For our entrees, I opted for the 5 oz. filet mignon with coconut shrimp and a side of Smoky's onion rings. For the accompaniment, I chose the garlic & fine herb cheese crust, which was phenomenal! My mouth is watering as I type this, recalling how delicious it was. I ordered my steak medium, but it was definitely more on the medium rare side. I would have sent it back, but by the time I discovered it (it was so dark in the restaurant) it was mostly just the middle left. I decided to box the remainder up to cook further and enjoy at home. The coconut shrimp was sweet and crunchy (perfect) and the onion rings were very tasty, especially with the side of peppercorn ranch. For his entree, my husband ordered the 16 oz. ribeye with local melted bleu crust and Smoky's hashbrowns. You know he loves his steak when he takes a bite, closes his eyes, and chews it slowly. Driftless Social knocked it out of the park with this one! He absolutely devoured it. His only complaint was that the bleu cheese was more of a sauce, and less of a crust. Now on to the hashbrowns - we LOVED Smoky's when it was still around, and when we found out that Driftless Social was incorporating favorites from Smoky's, we were stoked. My father-in-law worked as a bus boy there in the 1950s, and we considered it a staple in our families for many celebrations over the years. We were gutted when it closed. These hashbrowns, however, were not what we remembered. They were almost reminiscent of a potato bake, which was a little too starchy for us. We really enjoyed the crispy top though! When it was time to order dessert, I mentioned to the waitress that it was his birthday. She listed off 3 desserts, so we assumed that all were complimentary for birthdays, and not just the boozy dessert that I was informed of ahead of time. Partly our fault, but it was also presented in a strange way. My husband ordered the apple crisp (absolutely HEAVENLY), but we were charged for it. We asked the waitress to see if it was a mistake, and she said it wasn't. I did reach out via Facebook messenger to the restaurant regarding this, and they were so kind! They sincerely apologized, and are sending a gift card in the mail. We are very excited to return - I need more of that garlic & fine herb cheese crust in my life! read more

Driftless Social - Ribeye and hashbrowns - Bars Near Me - Mount Horeb, Wisconsin

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I am angry, very angry. This place used to be my favorite vacation restaurant, Gobels (sp?). They had a big bakery counter near the door where my parents bought a big flaky pastry that my family decided to call cow pies. They had great manhole lid sized cookies, and many other baked goods. The counter service area had a really neat art-deco line of lights and fixtures. There was a soda jerk who performed all sorts of amazing stunts with glasses and ice cubes. The bathroom was upstairs and the men's room had a giant urinal that was built into the wall with a tongue that stuck out at the bottom. I remember feeling very intimidated by this thing when I was 3 or 4, which is about when we started going there. The last time I visited before the conversion to whatever the f it is now was in 2017. I was hiding tears the whole time I was there. I was so happy to be there again. Naturally, I raced upstairs to check on the child-eating urinal. Sadly, it was boarded over. I bought the closest thing they had to a cowpie and headed out. I was pretty upset when I saw that my beautiful little restaurant had passed away. I will never forget how happy it made me feel. read more

Bobby was great. Very nice place and good, social ambiance. Can get a little louder, but overall a nice gathering place for friends. Good food. read more

Great food and excellent service at this cozy small-town supper club. Went on a Friday, but we both tried steaks instead of fish fry. My partner was very impressed with his cheese-crusted New York strip! Melt in your mouth goodness. I enjoyed the filet with grilled shrimp--delicious A+ The steaks were even tender as leftovers the following day! Definitely will return to Driftless Social. read more

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Checked out Driftless Social for brunch on Sunday. Had reservations- but there was plenty of room. We had martini's - mine was hazelnut flavor which was quite yummy and my friend had the caramel latte - it was good. But be forewarned very sweet. I had the tenderloin tips sizzler - which had plenty of tenderloin tips- I had it with scrambled eggs but best time I would do an over easy egg. I really enjoyed it. It also comes with onions and peppers, hash browns and fruit. A very filling meal. Service was good and would live to check out their dinner menu sometime. read more

Driftless Social - BRUCE DAHMEN SPARTINI - Bars Near Me - Mount Horeb, Wisconsin

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If I could give a solid 3.5, I would. I really wanted to like Driftless Social. The atmosphere is great, and it's nice and cozy. Unfortunately, our food left something to be desired. All of us had a fish fry, but different options. Both the fried and baked walleye had a significant number of bones. My fried cod was fine, but lacked flavor. I did enjoy the Kara-Tini martini I had before dinner. They have a large martini menu, and offered multiple different types of wines by the glass. Our server suggested they had a number of bourbons, but they didn't offer a bourbon menu. We ultimately weren't sure of the bourbon selection, and unfortunately our server didn't have specific knowledge either. While our server was very sweet and kind, he did make us feel a bit rushed. We were visiting with friends we don't often see, so weren't in a rush to order. This appeared to frustrate him despite there being no one waiting for a table. While our meal and experience was ok overall, if you are considering making the drive from Madison I wouldn't recommend it. read more

This was a stop while hanging out with friends in small town WI . It's in downtown with all the other places that serves food and has a bar area. It's a nice place and maybe the old school term as the yuppie spot in town that looks like the trendy people hang out at. The food I can't speak about but the manhattans and craft gin Ricky's were good with craft booze, not dive bar booze. The place was nice with exposed brick walls, an old space. The bartender was friendly and knowledgeable about the spirits and made awesome recommendations. read more

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Busy Friday but we were seated in a few minutes. Beverages were excellent and we all opted for the specials. All were large potions and the baked fish was excellent for our group. Service and food will get us back there. read more

Steaks are perfectly done, and service is perfect from the time I walked in the door. Great martini menu. Only complaint -- hash browns, which began at a reasonable price, but the added onions and sliced (sliced?) cheese cost $6-7 more without informing me. Also, they were overdone on the outside and underdone inside. read more

Stopped in here last weekend with my wife and we absolutely loved it! My wife loved the martini list (especially the key lime martini) and the food was delicious. I had the filet and shrimp and it was outstanding. My wife had the chicken thighs and said the same. We will definitely be back! read more

Great meeting place in downtown Mount Horeb, it was hopping on a Saturday evening. Bright lighted sign out front but not a lot of fanfare. This place has been open for drinks for some time. Pretty extensive martini menu for the suburbs. Wines, beer, and a fun atmosphere. They have a popcorn machine in the corner with seasoning to dress up your basket. They don't serve meals yet but sounds like food service is coming. read more

Driftless Social - Table decor - Bars Near Me - Mount Horeb, Wisconsin

Very good food and great folks to serve you. Grandsons of the famous Smokey's owner in Madison. Remodeled space is very nice.

Two of us in our group ordered the fried walleye and fries. The batter could not. Stay on the fish, way too greasy and the fries were on the verge of being burnt. Meal says it comes with a dinner roll but that never came. The waitress advised they don't have them anymore. read more

Great service. Got the ribeye with hash browns and it was perfection; the steak was perfect medium rare and the hash browns were crispy and delicious. read more

My uncle Matt owns this place, and it is the best place to go to when you are with friends or going out with family. I love the place because of the kiddie cocktails and the chicken thighs are pure deliciousness. Good place read more

Driftless Social is the descendant of Smoky's Club on the west side of Madison. The menu is appropriate and traditional, to a supper club...with a modern vibe. The martini and wine lists are impressive, and for the whisky lovers, Driftless Social is a partner of Driftless Glenn Distillery. 5-stars, hands down, all-day and twice on Sunday. Do not delay in coming here. read more

Thursday night, booked a 6:30 reservation for two at a low top table due to back problems. Showed up on time and the only table they had available was a high top. Host apologized and promised that she would get a low top cleaned in five or 10 minutes and we'd be all set. 30 minutes later, we are still standing at the bar. Never acknowledged by an employee the entire wait while the hostess spent time chitchatting at the table next to us. No idea if the food is any good as we finally left in frustration. read more

Ok, the hunt for a great martini is over. No more bad luck martinis made by punks who have never watched Cocktail with Tom Cruze! This one is amazing, and even has three olives! read more

Driftless Social - Omg, finally a great martini! How hard is it to give 1 or three olives. - Bars Near Me - Mount Horeb, Wisconsin

Phenomenal people and drinks. The owners have carried over all the best parts of the old school bar experience from Smokey's Club. Highly recommended. read more