Cool dive-ish style bar on the water. Ordered a couple beers and a burger with hand cut fries. A few locals suggested a Bloody Mary and it was definitely a great choice. I loved the fries and the burger was decent too. But the ambience and decor was really my favorite part. Jesus at the front door, outdoor cats and an inside dog just make this place so much cooler. Definitely recommend a stop if you're near. Enjoyed it. 4.5 stars for sure read more

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Great place, my uncles favorite! Excellent bloodys. Cool decor and right on the water. 10/10 read more

Rusty's Backwater Saloon - Bloodys - Beer Bar Near Me - Stevens Point, Wisconsin

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Great dive bar, and not the hipster type. This place is unassuming and little cluttered, but it serves great food and drinks. We sat at the bar and had exceptional service by both the owner and bartender. We arrived at lunchtime to find one other patron at the bar. Their famous Bloody Mary was made proficiently with all the garnishes. One of the best I've had, you can even buy a gallon of the mix to go. A solid pour of bourbon was for my husband. My husband had the special for the day, the gyro. It was a huge portion and delicious. Lots of sauce and fresh red onion. I had the loaded pulled pork with a side of coleslaw. The pork was smothered in lots of barbecue sauce, on a perfectly toasted fresh bun, with cheese and onion rings. We split a small order of their hand cut fries. The fries honestly stole the show. Fresh cut, perfectly cooked. For a small order it was a huge amount. Unexpected and worth ordering again for sure. Everything was delicious! During our visit a liquor rep was visiting and presenting some new products. The owner happily included us in the tasting and evaluation. This place is not for the pretentious, rather for those looking for a great local spot that will make you feel at home. Lastly, don't be startled by the bar cat. The friendly creature seemed like a fixture and fit well with the dive bar motif. (5 stars for the food, drinks, and service, small deduction for the clutter) read more

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Back again and there is more "stuff" to look at! Lots of Rusty Drinks to choose from. Of course lots of beers and lots to choose from their bottle selection. A relaxed and fun place to make new friends. Fun local and friendly local watering hole. Be aware of the sharp right turn depending how you enter the parking lot. read more

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This is a classic Stevens Point dive bar. They have the best bloody Mary's in the world topped off with a GIANT beef stick. I have always loved their gyro, fish fry, and burgers. It is the perfect towny stop off. Just make sure to have cash as they don't accept cards. read more

Food and service are both good. Outstanding! Bloody Marys! Fun casual atmosphere! Friendly staff.

We drove the boat here today. We found it by accident on a river map. It's a little tricky to get there by boat but it was worth it. Rusty himself calls it a dive bar but I thought it was much nicer then that. My husband had the burger he said it was delicious. I had the Wally it was flaky and delicious. It came with Rusty Fry's which are hand cut Fry's very good, it also came with Cole slaw, good. But the bread was something else not wheat bread not white very hardy. The wait staff was excellent and Rusty was very friendly. We will definitely go again. read more

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So much character in this place! Got the history of the place from Rusty himself. We'll be back! read more

Rusty's Backwater Saloon - a man and woman holding up a sign - Beer Bar Near Me - Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Food especially the cheese burgers are legendary. Add a Bloody Mary and you have the makings of a fun and fine afternoon or evening.

Fish fry is no longer good. Ketsup tastes like fermented food. Unclean sticky tables and menu. Dog roaming the grounds. Clutter. Sad to see this place going downhill so fast. read more

We are from out of town and look forward to a visit to Rusty's, cheese curds we're on point and the Rusty burger was amazing! Beer was cold and the service was amazing, looking forward to our trip back next year! read more

Our first time, but not our last! The burger was seasoned so perfectly, the chicken pulled pork sandwich was so flavorful and onion rings to die for!! Loved the dive bar feel. A top 10 for us!! read more

If you're looking for a dive bar this is your place. The owner is usually around, but if you get offended easily this isn't your spot. Great food and bloody Mary's, plus a regular size fry weighs as much as a small child. read more

This place sucks. My food was burnt. Flies flying around. Young waitress was incredibly rude. The girl who brought out our food was rude. The manager was rude. Never coming back here. read more

On our way to our motel after the car show in Iola we were looking for something to eat. We are so GLAD that we found Rusty's. The food was delicious! And Rusty chatted with us for a little while... such a nice guy! We definitely will be back when we are in the area. read more

Haven't been at Rusty's for many years stopped on our way home because we were hungry. I don't remember it being so trashy clutter all over Waited a while for someone to bring menus ordered drinks which took long.. waited even longer for to take food order. It was not very busy, but it took 1 hour and fifteen minutes to receive food and appetizer was delivered after the main food.. Was asked if another drink wanted and she said yes Again waited along time until finally getting up to the bar to get drink. There was three people working. At this time there was only 6 adult patrons, four of which had food served immediately after ours.. I was very annoyed.. read more

BEST BLOODY of all time. Full of garlic and just perfect. I've never found one equal to Rusty's. The bloody alone wins the stars for me. The problem I've had with Rusty's is service, I once had to pay a bill twice because of a crappy server. They only take cash and there's animals everywhere but I like the place. 15/10 bloody. Seriously. read more

great bloody mary's! service very good, friendly staff and the wings were awesome! . I would definitely recommend , They rent canoes too I think , right on the river! read more

Excellent Bloody! Probably the best we've ever had. Owner was super friendly and came over to chat with us for awhile. Stop by, you won't regret it. read more

Looking for the best Bloody of your life? Don't forget: Wisco Bloodies come with beer backs! Want a totally unique experience? Cheap drinks? Local bevvys? Rusty's is a not-to-be-missed unique bar experience; a hoarder-ish acreage surrounding a divey but big and very welcoming bar. While they've got great deals on domestic and local beers ($2-3 for some!), their Bloody Mary involves cheese, a pickle, a giant meat stick, and peppers along with a great house blend of stuff. :) read more

The four stars I've given Rusty's isn't for the decor -- It's all about the Bloody Mary here. Spicy goodness. Garnishes optional. The drink stands on its own. That being said, I haven't found a place in Stevens Point that serves a better burger & fries combo. The fries here are magically delicious -- so order a size larger than you plan for. They are ultra-thinly sliced, skin-on homecut fries. Perfect with a Rusty's Burger. The burger is a classic tavern burger with any fixin's you want. Not overcooked. They have a great sandwich and fried food selection. The order of cajun-seasons smelt we ordered was a disappointment, but I think it had more to do with my choice of smelt than Rusty's preparation. They tasted 'fishier' than I remembered Smelt to be in my youth. I'm definitely coming back to try the fish fry -- it doesn't even need to be on a friday.... Fried perch and cod are always on the menu. Rusty's is hard to find -- It's easier to find from the south (off highway 66) than from HH because it's on the right side of the first sweeping curve of W. River Dr. W. Own a canoe or kayak? Rusty's is a great starting/ending point. read more

Best bloody of my life. It's hands down the leading factor I don't mind making a 3 hour trip to visit the man's parents. Great base mix & vodka, standard pickle, crushed garlic, banana pepper rings, whole pepperoncini, and big ol' beef stick. Our leading benchmark for best bloody...(dare I say) EVER! read more

I have such wonderful memories of this place as a kid and went back for dinner tonight with my family. We arrived at 6:10 placed our drink and appetizer orders after waiting for 15 minutes, they were kind of busy, no big deal. We placed our dinner orders at 7, basic pub food, didn't get our food until well after 8pm after rude comments from one of their employees. We never got an apology, discount or even a thank you. The food was fine but nothing to go back for. It's sad to see how far downhill this place has gone. We won't be going back. read more

Just came here for the first time today, and I will definitely be back next time I'm driving through town. Best Bloody of my life!! I also had the Surf and Turf burger which was perfection. BRAVO. Seriously. read more

Rusty's Backwater Saloon - Beer Bar Near Me - Stevens Point, Wisconsin

Bloody Marys are what I am here to review. If your favorite type of bloody mary is pickle-y and full of delicious treats inside, you have come to the right place. The bloody marys are made right in front of you with all kinds of garnishes. Just writing about it right now is causing me to drool. I love the atmosphere in Rusty's. It's like a winter retreat into a cabin. It's the perfect place to be having a bloody with your close friends. read more

Hands down, the BEST Bloody Mary that I have ever had! We live in Houston, TX and always look forward to the next time we get to have one of their bloodies. I have tried to re-create it home, but it is just never the same. This place has it all (tasty food, delicious drinks and a laid back atmosphere). This place needs to be on everyone's list of places to come before you die. read more

Rusty's Backwater Saloon - Beer Bar Near Me - Stevens Point, Wisconsin

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Up for the weekend celebrating son's bday. This is one of his fav's and he asked us to try out the place, with the promise of a great bloody Mary. Not disappointed at all -- got the beef stick addition. Great flavor, just right mix of spices. But can't live by drink alone, so some had the fish fry, one had a burger, I had the Phily Steak with blue cheese (nice twist on a ol' fav). Fish was tender, and 2 pieces didn't sound like enough, but filled up the guys. Burger was tasty, and there was an appetizer that disappeared quickly. Enjoyed the interior -- sort of Northern Exposure-ish, especially when we walked outside to see the beautiful stars and moon outside. You just don't get that here in the big city. Here's to the back woods. A great place that I would frequent if we lived closer. read more

One of my all-time favorite bloody mary's (you can get it with a beef stick in it for a little extra!) and the burgers aren't bad either. This place is casual w/ a capital C and always on our agenda when we are in Stevens Point. read more

If you enjoy a fantastic burger or an A+ Bloody Mary this is the place to get it at. Call it an appetizer in itself with banana peppers, pepperoncini, and a pickle. Add a huge beef stick for just a little extra. The place is in a nice quiet area outside of town with access to the Wisconsin River for boat access. The best part is that they are open every day of the year! read more

Driving from Mercer we decided to locate the best Bloody Mary in Stevens Point. We were not disappointed in Rusty's. Friendly service and EXCELLENT Bloody Mary's. I can't wait to try their burgers. read more

Out of our entire group of friends, my husband and I are the only ones who remained in Point after college. Every time anyone comes back to their old stomping grounds for a visit and we ask where they want to eat - "Rusty's!" is always the answer. Great fish-frys (my husband says one of the best ever). As a non-seafood lover, I always get the mushroom and swiss burger, and they are always perfect. You have your choice of a few varieties of fries (waffle, beer-battered or sweet potato) and regardless of the choice, they are all great options. But let's get down to business. The number one best thing about Rusty's - the World's Best Bloody Marys. As another reviewer said, these will be the bloody marys upon which you judge all others. Thick and spicy, full of banana peppers and a giant beefstick (for an extra dollar) to finish it off. Get yours with a Spotted Cow chaser - the perfect compliment to an exceptional drink. Despite its isolated location, this place is usually packed by 5pm on Thu-Sat, so be warned...but there is a reason! read more

Good food. Awesome bloody marys. I dont care for the staff there, they arent very pleasant and it took a long time to get their attention. The food makes it worth coming back too. read more

Known for their bloody mary's, be sure to guide them if you like less spice/peppers. What I will continue to drive for (besides the real wood fireplace and quaint cabin feel) is the towns BEST fish fry and (not being from S.P.), the best burger and homemade fries in Wisconsin. When you allow yourself fried food - this is a must-stop! read more