This Lake Mills restaurant is great! I would call the food elevated comfort food. The flavor combinations on everything are better than you will find in most places, the portions are large, and everything we have had has been excellent. The staff is incredibly friendly and attentive, and the restaurant is located in a really cool old building. I definitely recommend checking this restaurant out! read more

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I met friends halfway; I'm from Milwaukee and they live in Madison--it was the perfect meet-in-the-middle spot. Right on the main drag and lots of street parking. The space is clean and spacious--the dining room is separated from the bar and I liked this. We didn't get apps but our drinks came quickly. They were pretty and my pals liked theirs--I thought mine was weak or not a lot of flavor but I don't really use yelp stars to rate taste as our taste buds are all different... Anyway, I got a chicken sandwich and they got burgers--we all loved them! Fries as a side were great. Our server was kind and funny, the bathrooms were clean, I'd for sure go back. read more

The Grist Bar & Table - American Near Me - Lake Mills, Wisconsin

My husband and I have been going here for almost 7 years and love it! Wanted to share an updated copy of their menu since Google doesn't have correct menu items listed and they don't have a website anymore read more

The Grist Bar & Table - Updated menu as of fall 2025 - American Near Me - Lake Mills, Wisconsin

Amazing food! Wonderful service. So glad we stopped. Doesn't look like anything special from the outside, but it is!

Stopped in on a Friday night hoping to try their fish fry. Understaffed. a few tables around us departed without having any waitress interaction. we tried to stick it out, hoping to order drinks & appetizers knowing that the kitchen appeared slow with food prep. Alas, no waitress ever came to our table & after 45 minutes we decided to leave too. read more

We stopped by on a Friday evening and as expected, the The Grist was busy but we decided to wait 20 minutes at the bar, as directed. When our table was available the host screamed our name out at least 3 times while we waved at them. Seated at a corner table, we were pretty much ignored but to be kind I admit the place was packed and I only saw 2 servers and 1 bartender taking care of the whole place. The kitchen must have been even more poorly staffed as we waited an hour and 15 minutes for our food. The server only came back once to "check on us" with no updates or apologies. I ordered the seafood special which turned out to me one tiny piece of walleye -- 4 bites perhaps -- with vegetables and a side salad. My companion's smash burger was dry and the fries far too salty. The food was overpriced, service and/or kitchen terribly slow and the food not worth the price. We will not return. read more

Meeting up with some family from the Madison area halfway doesn't leave a ton of options so I was excited to find The Grist in Lake Mills; about 35 minutes for the Madison folks and 55 minutes for the Milwaukee folks. We were seated quickly and brought waters and menus. The menu was pared down a fair amount from the version online, which was disappointing and required some last-minute changes. Thankfully everyone liked what they had--definitely get the home made chips, they are fantastic! My fish and chips was a smaller entree, but priced appropriately so I have no complaints there. Service could have been a bit better, as I wanted more water, but overall a very good meal. I would try them again someday should I find myself in Lake Mills. read more

11/10 !! We ordered a shrimp scampi and the creamy pesto pasta! It's been a very long time since I've had pesto pasta that's actually creamy. Ordered a smoked manhattan and that as well was delicious. Truly everything is delicious! read more

Great food and drink. Very friendly service. Nice location and decor. Highly recommended- especially the pork chops!!

Very tasty sauce on the fish tacos. But, hard metal stool with hole in middle was not a relaxing chair for dinner. read more

The Grist Bar & Table - Dinner chairs - American Near Me - Lake Mills, Wisconsin

Pretty good I would say. Also the skibidi toilet in the back was disgusting. Food was alright tho

Stopped here on a Tuesday night with the beautiful wife. We didn't want to cook and wanted to explore our new area. I ordered a craft drink that was really good. We got the jalapeño shrimp which would have the be the best sauce I've had such great flavor. If that would be on wings it would be my absolute favorite wing sauce. We devoured them that is for sure! I ordered the half rack of ribs in their dry rub I got the bbq on the side which was great to dip in. The wife order the grist beefier which she said was extremely good. The price was just right for the area that we enjoyed having it and will be back to a hopefully expanded menu read more

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I get being short staffed but waiting more than 10 minutes for service is poor. They walked by our table several times. I thought perhaps our entire table of 4 died. Be better for the next group that doesn't see this. We have taken our meal and entertainment $$$ to the Fharmacy. read more

My wife and I got burnt hamburgers, complained about it and the waiter/bartender refused to get us new ones. Terrible customer service.

I love the Grist. I have been coming here for over a year. They were my go to place during the pandemic. The food is delicious, drinks are yummy and the staff are friendly. read more

It has amazing food and great service. They also have delicious crème brûlée that is usually coffee flavored. read more

Very quiet on a Friday night, because of hunting season. Excellent and quick service. We both had the cod fish fry and it was two thumbs up. Definitely would return and try some other menu items! read more

The Grist Bar & Table - Cod fish fry with chips and cod fish fry with fries. - American Near Me - Lake Mills, Wisconsin

Had a great. Night out after Knickerbocker weekend with the family. Limited menu due to the weekend events, but staff was friendly, drinks were good, and food was well-seasoned and very reasonably priced. Had a smash burger and fries and was very impressed. Teen kids had chicken tenders and said they were "some of the best they ever had". Again, neat ambiance in a neat town. Great night and will definitely go back! read more

Really like the brisket sliders although the promised onions were missing. The ribs had a sauce that was way too spicy for my husband's tastes. Your menu should have a warning! read more

1st time visit, food was very good, reasonable priced, service was excellent considering there was a bachelorette party with almost 20 young ladies. That group made it a bit noisy but we will be back read more

This is by far my favorite place to grab a cocktail. The bartenders are all knowledgeable and super friendly! The food and drink are always excellent. I've loved everything on the menu, but I highly recommend the Bacon Brussels sprouts. The best I've ever had! read more

The Grist Bar & Table - An example of a cocktail special that can be ordered! - American Near Me - Lake Mills, Wisconsin

Generally great food if you can get a seat and they have staff available.

This place is a gem in the heart of an otherwise unlikely location! Decor is modern industrial with Edison lightbulbs all around. Menu was small, but more often than not that means everything on it is delish. To start we got the salmon rangoon and they were yummy, but the sauce that came with it was kind of weird, almost bbq flavored (which I wasn't expecting). I was pleasantly surprised how great my fish tacos were. My husband ordered the salmon BLT and that was tasty too! Staff was super friendly. Bathrooms clean. Atmosphere wasn't as diverse as I'd like to see, but people of all ages were represented. Parking is street parking. read more

The Grist Bar & Table - Fish Tacos - American Near Me - Lake Mills, Wisconsin

This place has gotten so bad. The food and service has gone way down hill. The main bartender/server lady was extremely rude to customers and other employees. Over all it's sad to see such a good opportunity go to waste. read more

Run far, far away. I have been a customer of this establishment since it was Carp's Landing and before. It is now the home of overpriced $12 burgers and fried chicken cutlets that are placed in a warmer for over 6 hours waiting for someone to order a chicken sandwich. Wilted, soggy, oversalted fries that will tear a hole in the roof of your mouth. Has gone significantly downhill in dinner service both in food quality and wait times as well as positive owner presence in the past year. Really awesome, loyal servers who deserve so much better. I do not know if I can include this, so please remove it if not and keep the review about just the food vs the establishment and management, but the head chef regularly leaves the kitchen prior to dinner service being over and drinks himself silly at the bar. I've seen it dozens of times. There are widespread allegations of kitchen employee abuse and wrongful terminations. Do not support a business that brings your plate back to cook your steak correctly as you sit next to the open air kitchen and you can hear the owner and the head chef talk about you (someone who visited and dropped thousands) as if you are a piece of garbage who doesn't know comfort food. It's like watching an episode of Kitchen Nightmares unfold. State health inspector, get here ASAP!!! read more

Consistently great food and service. Their grilled pork chop, bacon brussel sprouts and cheese curds are the best.

This place is incredible. I had the jalapeño cream cheese burger and it was to die for. We also had a side of the biscuits which were also delicious. The ambiance is very cute and everyone was very polite. I would highly recommend The Grist. So cute and yummy! read more

Overall good experience. Social distanced from other tables, prompt quick service and good food. I started off with the Mcfly cocktail and it didn't disappoint. The tempura shrimp were so good, I wished there were more. My husband loved the cheese curds. The spicy ranch was the perfect dipping sauce. He ordered the ribs. His only complaint was they didn't remove the membrane from the bottom of the rack. My fish was light and fried just right and the chips were the perfect crunch. We will definitely be back. read more

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Over the past year I've been to The Grist several times. It never disappoints. It is one of the best restaurants in the area. The restaurant and bar has a fun modern feel. They have a nice selection of beer on tap. I had the steak and fries the first time I was there. The steak was nicely prepared. Most recently I had the beef stew. The braised short ribs in the stew were great. It was a great comfort food dish. I can't wait to go back. read more

Nice and friendly staff, I do like the wings a lot here. I prefer to eat at the bar; very attentive bartender who knows what he is doing. The steak is my favorite! I like to go here on The Trivia nights. read more

I adore this restaurant. The food and drinks here are absolutely spectacular and the environment is very welcoming. I do like the fact that the bar is detached from the actual dining area (where most of the table seating is located), this allows for families with children to sit and eat peacefully while others engage in their loud conversations. The staff here is very polite and always willing to ensure you and those around you are taken care of. This is definitely going to be a place I see myself going to often. If you are traveling to Milwaukee from the Madison area or vice versa - I would encourage you to take a detour and grab a bite to eat at this fine establishment, you won't regret it. read more

I checked this place out with my husband and brother for a birthday, and I'm already planning another trip back! I loved the atmosphere of the place and the food and drinks were just incredible. I tried their 'cukes not nukes' and 'oldies 2.0' cocktails - both of them were incredibly refreshing. For food, we started with the brisket poutine...oh. my. goodness. It was pretty great. Their fries are top notch. I did their shrimp cake sliders and paired it with a side of bacon brussels - both were so good, and they did a really good job of not overcooking the Brussel sprouts! They were perfect. My husband tried the grilled pork chop, and my brother tried the stuffed chicken breast....everyone was super happy with their food and we all traded bites. We all agreed that you would have paid double for the same meal in Madison. I saw a few of their burgers coming out and I HAVE to go back for one soon, they were absolutely huge!! read more

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Two of us visiting the area liked the reviews. Walked in on a busy Friday night and we were seated right away in the bar area. Our server was right there to take drink orders. The atmosphere was lively, and staff and customers were smiling and enjoying themselves. We ordered the fried fish dinner, substituting red potatoes for the fries, and the chicken Parmesan with a side salad. The fish was delicious, hot,crunchy, and the potatoes were really good. The chicken Parm was also very good and plentiful. The side salad was, at $4, beautiful! Dishes were cleared immediately. Nothing but good things to say. read more

We stopped on our way home from a Brewer game and are glad we did. My husband and I both had the grilled pork chops with apple chutney and roasted Brussels sprouts and they were excellent. They were also following best Covid prevention practices and we felt very safe. read more

I feel like the most important thing to note is our waiter and bartender was NOT wearing a mask. I get it can get uncomfortable but food services need to especially be cautious. My food was pretty disappointing on top of that - soggy fries that tasted a little off. My wife liked her food, but it was hard to get past the lack of mask wearing. read more

Was there yesterday and I have to say the service was incredibly friendly, food was fantastic, perfect portions that all 3 of my friends finished their plates. Looks very modern inside and just a wonderful atmosphere. I recommend this place to anyone who is in this area. read more

We were excited to try The Grist and they didn't disappoint! Now this is one of our favorite places to take visitors from out of town or to have a date night! My favorites are the chicken Parmesan and the spinach salad with a warm bacon vinaigrette! read more

This is a place you want to like- it just feels local, refined, airy and inviting space and an ambitious menu. The pork chop was average and Brussel sprouts spot on. read more

After looking at the reviews on we decided check out the Grist. Liked what was on tap. Thought the beer selection was good. However, that was all that I thought was good about the offerings. We order the shrimp cakes. Very strong lemon flavor that did nothing to improve the dish. I had the bake fish as recommend by the lovely waitress. Uneatable. Overpowering fishy flavor. Thank God it came with fries or I would have had nothing to eat. The waitress came around once after the food arrived for a refill on drinks but never asked about food. Son had chicken parm. Chicken was done well but he thought the sauce was a canned sauce. I tasted the sauce and thought it was Ok, but nothing to write home about. Noodles were a bit over cooked. Will we go back? No, not to eat. Maybe for a drink, if asked by friend. My dog seemed to like the fish I brought home. Heck, what else would you do with that fish? read more

I forgot I was in tiny little Lake Mills while dining here. What an excellent addition to the area. Husband and I got away for a rare date night and agreed on checking out The Grist. There were some minor timing issues and our appetizer was forgotten, but it was brought out quickly when asked for and the situation totally remedied with kindness and sincerity. Mistakes happen, no one is perfect - it's now the staff deals with them that matters. Food was great. I went with a jalapeño cream cheese burger and it was fabulous and my husband had fish which was great. We don't get out alone often but they're still at the top of our list for revisiting on a date night. read more