Great tranquil location, vibe, food and service. It's a 100% Northwoods kinda bar/restaurant. Loved it!!! read more

Gooch's A-1 Bar & Grill - Hot Italian sub and the Giant Taco. AND a Hamm's!! - Pizza Near Me - Boulder Junction, Wisconsin

Hostes, Maria, was extremely rude. It was a busy Friday night and we were already waiting 1 1/2 hours. We had asked Maria where we were in line and she slammed her waitlist paper with her hand and yelled "You will just have to wait!". We were just asking where we were in line. If we see her again we will leave the restaurant immediately. read more

Just a good down to earth place with really really good food. Some of the best Northwoods vibe.

Just went through this Friday for a fish fry and nothing short of disappointment. The poor man's lobster or broiled cod was old dry overcooked. But to begin with the clam chowder was absolutely disgusting! They might have well it's called it potato soup or horrible potato soup. And if anybody thinks that by buying coleslaw in a tub, putting in little containers is a good idea is insane. It takes very little time to make really good homemade coleslaw. Serve it in a bowl and give people the option of having a coleslaw or not whatever but the stuff they're serving is inedible. It's a metallic taste. read more

Been here a few times on snowmobile trips. Always very good. Can get very crowded with lots of sledders. Great service and very good food. They look to have a lot of beer choices on tap as well. read more

Really nice bar in northern Wisconsin. Plenty of room, large bar area and big screen TV's. It's pretty new because the last one burned down so they rebuilt. Had a great time with a group of guys on a stag party retreat to the Northwoods. Bartender was super friendly and handled a bunch of semi to fully drunk guys very well! However, there was something that did kind of put me off. We spent well over $500 on drinks and merch (nice stuff) in a pretty short period of time. The bartender came over and said the bar would like to buy the group drink (which was not expected but nice) but she said "but only for the people drink beer". WTF is that about?? There was 4 or 5 of us drinking mixed drinks that were just out of luck I guess! Kind of wanted to tell her to keep her beer.... Is this a bar rule? If it is, it's pretty stupid. Left a bad taste in my mouth and honestly, although we like this place a lot, the next day the group went to different bar. I believe the owner was sitting in the corner of the bar part of the time we were there. Never saw him interact with anyone but his staff. I don't know.... Maybe you walk over and ask who getting married or something.... Or anything? Especially if we were dumping a lot of cash in the place. read more

Gooch's A-1 Bar & Grill - Dining Area - Pizza Near Me - Boulder Junction, Wisconsin

Great fish fry's! Broasted chicken to die for. Kids love the meal offerings & the game room. Good family restuarant.

When we visited Boulder Junction we hired a fishing guide for a day. When asked for recommendations for dinner he immediately suggested Gooch's for fried chicken. He wasn't wrong at all! Gooch's is larger than it appears, but is very cozy and has the look of an old tavern. Just how I like it. The chicken was delicious, as described. Service was friendly and prompt and beers were ice cold. They have pool tables too, and seem to host live music, dancing and other bar events. read more

Decent bar food. Week day burger specials were super cheap (Something like $4 for a cheeseburger) and very good. Waitress made sure to tell us the burgers are fresh never frozen and we could tell based on the taste. Nice outside area with tables and corn hole. The remodel is very nice and overall it has been a vacation staple over the years. read more

Exceptions before ordering takeout were appropriately set to match the venue. Unfortunately, I did not pickup the order myself therefore it was not checked prior to leaving the restaurant with the takeout. Tips on how to obtain more stars: -Answer your business phone listed online and on your website. -Update your menu (second time you do not provide the BF pretzel but you do provide a massive bowl of random cheese which I assume is supposed to go with the pretzel) -Don't fry your chicken in old/fishy oil -Don't mess up all the sauces for 2 separate order after charging for them on your menu read more

Gooch's A-1 Bar & Grill - Chicken tenders and fries - Pizza Near Me - Boulder Junction, Wisconsin

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Solid food. Very friendly and helpful staff. Great place if staying in north woods. COD fish fry was worth it.

All terrific food. Service impeccable. Old Fashions the best. You won't be sorry. The environment is comfortable and interesting with all the neat animal mounts. read more

We came here after a long day and wanted quick service and good food. We got it! Service was rushed but still thorough. It seemed like one guy was serving the entire restaurant. He had a great attitude despite how busy he was (incidentally, he also works at Headwaters and was equally as friendly over there too). We all got some form of the special-- broasted chicken, broasted pork chop, grilled shrimp, and broasted Walleye. All the broasted meals were done perfectly. Crispy but not greasy, tender on the inside. The twice baked potatoes were done differently than I'd ever seen before. Scrumptious although a little overly buttery. The coleslaw was the best of the several meals throughout the trip that gave coleslaw as a side. Gooch's blew the others away. The meat portion of all meals was really well done and tasty. I'm not sure how they can afford to give such large portions at these prices, but I'll take it. Knocked a star for ambiance because I didn't enjoy the excessive taxidermy. I'm sure loads of people love it but it's not my jam. read more

Gooch's A-1 Bar & Grill - Pizza Near Me - Boulder Junction, Wisconsin

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Delicious fish fry both beer battered cod and perch. Sides are varied and all great. Love the potato pancakes and sweet potato fries. Staff efficient and friendly. Love Gooches read more

Waited 11/2 hour at this place seat opened up at the bar. Asked for menus bartender says we will see gotta slow kitchen down. Wtf Owner swearing at me because i said i have been here two hours. Telling me im giving him shit... he went on to say he has been here since 11 like he's doing nothing. I said I never said that. This place is off my mist for sure... too bad... More to the story.... Owner very RUDE. When do you allow the owner to swear at you for no reason except that I sat at the bar after waiting close to 2 hours. read more

My husband and I stopped here for lunch a couple of Fridays ago at the recommendation from my daughter's friend who knows the owner. Unfortunately, we were pretty dissapointed with the wait time and meal portion. We arrived at 2pm, slightly after what we thought was the lunch rush. Sadly, we were behind 4 other parties waiting for a table, size of parties varied between 2 and 8. The bar and dining area were completely filled with snowmobilers who had finished eating, but were on their 2nd, 3rd or 4th round (maybe more) of alcoholic beverages. We were finally seated after an hour wait. We were excited to try their fish fry since that was recommended! But, when our food arrived, there were two pathetic small pieces of fish, about 10 french fries, a small portion of cole slaw and a half of a piece of rye bread ... couldn't even give each of us a whole piece! The server was attentive so I would say the service was good. The ambience was very nice, very north woods atmosphere. But the wait time and meal portions were extremely disappointing. We won't go back!! read more

Came here after walking out of Headwaters because of poor service This was big improvement. Attentive ( see Headwaters Review). Jenna great waitress Food was pretty good Chicken rice soup excellent Potato pancakes. Excellent Pork chops. Okay, but I've had better at a typical County fair. If better I would give 4 stars Ambiance: lots of dead animal heads on walls, good place to bring grandkids; noisy. NOT a supper club If someone brings you there on a date and you didn't arrive on a Harley, forget a second date In sum, what can I say, it's north woods , what the hell do you expect? read more

It was fun to go back to the old shrimps with my son. Of course, not much left of the old shrimps other than some great pictures and possibly a few of those fantastically stuffed rare animals. The food was tasty and the staff was very friendly. read more

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So glad we found this spot! Great sports bar with a large menu to please all, mostly pub food and pizzas. Love the wide open dining room with peaked ceilings and views of the TVs from every table. It's the perfect spot to grab a beer and a bite while watching the pack! Fries are thin and tasty, and service was fast. We will be back. read more

Gooch's A-1 Bar & Grill - Crispy chicken wrap! - Pizza Near Me - Boulder Junction, Wisconsin

I spent some time here just a few weeks before it burned down and was heartbroken to hear of the accident. This year my family was back in town for a week and my husband and I decided we needed to stop in on the motorcycle and it's the same old Gooch's, just a different building. The staff are great. The food is excellent. Highly recommend the almond crusted duck appetizer and French dip with pepper jack, grilled onions, and peppers with fries. Fries are cooked perfectly and not too crunchy or soggy. Beer is cold and that's about all you can ask for! Can't wait to come back. read more

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Good luck trying to find dining in the North woods on a Monday! Two places were closed and one had just burned down. Which brought us to Gooch's. ( they're closed Tuesday and Wednesday ‍) We were looking for outdoor dining, which they look like they are set up for , but don't use‍ The food is delicious, very large portions, but they have a 3$ up charge to share a plate‍ Service was a little slow, but we're on vacation- one waitress that doubled as the busboy ‍ Which is why I'm taking off a star. Cute decor, a bit dark inside, but over all great place for lunch/dinner read more

What a great place! I've been coming up here as a kid and I can't understand why we never eat here! The bar area is a typical north woods pine with some high tables and a bunch of black leather bar stools. Tons of deer heads and other wild game mounts We stopped on a Saturday night so we had to do the prime rib. Lots of potato offering but I think the potato pancakes were the best. We all had the small 12oz prime rib and it was more than enough for $22! You have to try their old fashions! $5.00 for a giant old fashion. We had both brandy and whiskey and they were all great! Couldnt say enough about the place, and we will be back! Even this picky north woods supper club guy! read more

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Thanks Laurel, enjoyed our visit. Same great food, same great service, outstanding new facility - love it. She tried the fried chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries (perfect crispiness) and smoked peach old fashioned (awesome). I had a daily special - double cheese burger with fries, a bloody mary with a porter chaser - delicious bar food. Love the fireplace and atmosphere, stop by and visit Gooch and Laurel and the beautiful new venue, you and they will be happy you did - we sure enjoyed our visit. read more

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Stopped in for lunch after we rode the Heart of Vilas trail. Hamburger special was just the ticket, had Swiss, tomato, lettuce and pickle on mine along with fries. Tater tots are tasty as well. Not many places you can have lunch for under ten bucks and a super nice server. read more

We had a fantastic Friday Fish Fry experience! Get the Perch/Walleye combination with Potato Pancakes! I washed this dinner down with a few perfect Whiskey Old Fashioneds! My husband had the Fried Cod and also enjoyed his meal! read more

Tasty pizza and cold beer. Fun venue but staff not always friendly to outsiders or crowds. Gooch is cool though and the new replacement G2 building is beautiful read more

Weekends are very busy but the staff makes it work. The food is good with big portions. Love it. I'll be back soon.

So when me an Anton went to da fishing we wents to dis Goochs for some cold beers. And man dis place is really good. had a pizza an da broasted chicken all so good, an plenty of da ise colds Blue Ribbons. See dis place burned down from some drunken punk kid, dats too bad cause dis place da best we had in da Upnorth areas by there. Must be the real special kind of idiots to do dat stuff. Hope dey make the comeback of years in 2020. We Love da Gooches place dats there in da Boulders Junction. Go fishin and cold beers for alls. read more

I had heard the joint burned down but didn't expect to see what I saw rolling down HWY M on a brisk spring afternoon, we pulled over right away!! Beautiful entrance with river rock, timbers from Canada, huge wood doors & antique lanterns. Walking in, the first thing you'll notice is the amazing bar.. just check out that woodwork! Couple 65" flat screens & custom shelving for all the bottles of booze. Mounts all over that were donated after everything was lost in the fire, they said. The music sounds amazing & I think they use a Sonos system/ Play the juke!! Pull Tabs & Game Room in the back round out the dining room.. it's HUGE with really high ceilings & a gorgeous river rock fireplace. The food is good and they have everything from Homemade Pizza to Sandwiches to Prime Rib on Saturday nights!! We really liked the burgers & the pizza. "Taxi Driver" is def a great cook. Crowd ranges from locals to tourists depending on the day of the week. Everyone is super cool and if you're lucky Gooch himself will be your bartender! Must see joint. read more

Great food, great service, great place for all ages. Best fish fry in the north woods

I love this place and usually would say a 4-5 star, but we went tonight on a Thursday to avoid the Friday and Saturday push. It was terrible. Not enough staff to serve and they were not friendly as they usually are and hard to get their attention if you needed anything. We definitely won't be coming back as the summer rush starts as it appears they already can't handle it Very disappointing! read more

Four magic words: Broasted chicken, homemade soup. The chicken is crispy outside, moist inside, and not at all the greasy mess that deep-fried chicken can be. On a whim I chose the soup of the day over a side salad, and the seasoning and preparation of the wild rice was perfection. The burgers are mostly fine, and the selection of beers is terrific. The room can get noisy when fully occupied, no surprise since the TVs are top of the line. Some folks have commented on the clientele arriving on Harley-Davidsons - indeed, it IS the perfect opportunity to talk with enthusiastic owners of those gorgeous and lovingly maintained vehicles. read more

Place was cool, food was decent- recommend the fish sandwich- skip the burgers, service was crap. Hardcore attitude when asked to split the bill (we were two families dining together). Splitting a bill is not a foreign concept so they might want to get on board- I don't want to pay for my brother's family's lunch. They push the 3% credit card fee back to the customer too- how about raising menu prices $.50 and call it even huh? Won't be back, plenty of other good places close by read more

Fish Fry Friday Stopped for fish fry. Very crowded local bar with a huge amount of taxidermy for decor. Fish fry was mediocre. 2 pieces with real beer batter taste. $13.99. Most places have 3 pieces for that price. Cod. Bread was stale and hard. Potato salad and cole slaw were store bought. read more

The best Chicago food blogger, Smokin' Chokin' and Chowin' with the King, got Etta and I interested in taking a trip to the Northwoods, Wisconsin. He is the guru for Midwestern food paths. We branched out from his trip in terms of where we stayed and ate, but also had to take some of his recommendations. Gooch's A-One was one of them, and I'm glad we stopped. We got a bucket of broasted chicken, fried perfectly, juicy. It was energy food on the drive up to the Porkies and Lake Superior. The potato salad was good, too. Check out Smokin' Chokin's full Northwoods blog below: http://chibbqking.blogspot.com/2012/06/northwoods.html read more

Gooch's A-1 Bar & Grill - broasted chicken - Pizza Near Me - Boulder Junction, Wisconsin

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Best double cheeseburgers ever!! Laurel was awesome waiting on the 12 of us. Beautiful place!

I had broasted chicken dinner and my husband had the ribs. The food was excellent it seemed like they were a little short staffed, like everyone post Covid in the Northwoods. read more

My family comes up north every year, and we ALWAYS have stopped into Gooch's. This year, when as soon as we walked in, like normal people would into a restaurant, a long-haired guy with AirPods in blurted out that we can't sit at the bar because only customers can sit there...? We went to the dining room, and most of the tables were empty, and it was quite early in the evening. One of the servers told us they didn't want us to have access to absolutely any of the tables because they needed to "clean", though they were all standing around. We had to go back to the bar, where the man with long hair was evidently upset to see us back for some reason. He didn't want to take our drink orders at first and told us to stick to water from a plastic Gatorade jug in the back corner of the room. We became uncomfortable and came to the conclusion we weren't wanted there for some reason; as we paid and started to walk away the man and woman both working in the bar started laughing and yelling for us to hear how "weird" we were IN FRONT of us. I am still stunned because there was absolutely nothing out of the ordinary we did. No meanness, no nothing, the bar tenders were just terrible people for absolutely no reason. read more

A group of five of us were in there for a fish fry in early May on a Friday night. Service was pretty good given how busy they were.4 people had fish, one person in the group had the chicken. Everybody that had the fish complained about the excessive breading....did I mention how thick the beer battered coating was? I had the Northern Pike, and it was OK, not great, not bad, just OK. Truth be told it tasted like it was frozen and thawed, but I guess in this day and age, that's acceptable. My significant other had the walleye, and she said Headwaters fish was better (she had Grouper that night). With everything I'd heard about this place, I expected better. I'll try the all you can eat Cod next time, and give it one more try. I didn't handle the bill, but I think it was something like $123 before tip, for 5 people, so this place isn't cheap. read more

Definitely more of a local establishment. We sat in the bar area and there was a very rowdy group nearby (no fault on the restaurant). We did the $7 all you can eat salad bar (great deal and selection!), cheese curds (so good!!), and fried walleye appetizer. The walleye was amazing and we should have ordered a basket for each of us! read more

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