This was the best bar in La Crosse! Rachel gave the best service and was the best bartender I think I have ever had. Will be recommending to friends!!! read more

I firmly believe this is one of the best spots to grab a drink and some appetizers in the area. Their happy hour is FANTASTIC. They have a wide variety of martinis, whether you like more of a fruity vibe, a dessert vibe, a chocolate vibe, they have it all! My go to is their namesake, the Starlite, though their seasonal drinks are not to be slept on!! My only gripe is that while I love live music, it is a smaller space so when there is live music, it is LOUD. Don't anticipate being able to hold a conversation during a band's set. The lounge is also on the second floor of a historic building... so be prepared for a rather steep set of stairs to take you there. read more

Found this quite by accident after eating a Buzzard Billy's. Fantastic ambiance, super fun vibe in general. It's retro right down to the music being played. Good, cheap drinks (fancy, too!). It was a little annoying listening to six staff members complain and the drinks were kind of lackadaisically served. You can eat here as well. Same menu as Buzzard Billy's. read more

The highlight of our weekend trip to La Crosse, for sure! We were all dressed up after a wedding and looking for a classy lounge/speakeasy vibe. Thankfully, Yelp led us to Starlite! DECOR: Incredible 70s vibes without being over the top or kitschy. So tasteful and feels like a time capsule! MUSIC: Live music on Wednesdays and Saturdays - such a great addition! Awesome stage and the jazz band made for the perfect entertainment. SERVICE: The team is incredible. Attentive and suggested favorites from the drink list, and accommodated when we wanted to move closer to the music. DRINKS: They've got it all but specialize in martinis! Some are a bit sweet but there's plenty to pick from - fun flavors and colors or the classics. PRICES: Usually when I see drink prices not listed in the menu, I assume they're gonna be steep. We got two martinis and they were a whopping $7.50 each...unreal! I wish we could have these kind of prices in the Twin Cities! We were so shocked we stayed for another round. This should be at the top of your list for a weekend getaway in La Crosse! read more

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I adore this little jazz lounge so much. Definitely one of my favorite places in La Crosse. Their drink menu is so big and everything on it is amazing. The service here is always great, it's such a lovely atmosphere. Highly recommend their gator fingers too! read more

Great atmosphere, like stepping back to a simpler time. Service was prompt and nice. We stopped in for an after dinner nightcap and couldn't be happier with my experience. My wife and I ordered creamy cocktails and they were incredible. read more

We were in town for a wedding and stumbled on this place. Very cool, retro vib and decor. Great cocktails and jazz music. Our waitress was wonderful. read more

What is there not to love about this bar? Chill vibe, dimmed lights, people just having a great time w/ their drinks on hand. I tried their famous key lime pie cocktail and it was ok. Perhaps a little too sweet for my taste buds. I'll definitely come back again! A great place to link up w/ your friends after a long day at work for a little night cap! read more

The Starlite Lounge - Key lime pie cocktail - Lounges Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

Love the happy hour and cocktails and great ambience xx a fun place to go for a drink

Mediocre cocktails when busy- but definitely a good happy hour tho cuz of prices!! I had a key lime mojito and my man had a margarita mojito. Loved the atmosphere! Dimly lit & a great after-work vibe. I'll be back for the live jazz nights and then will update my review! It's always packed! read more

After coming here at least 4 times now, I have yet to find a complaint, and we love it enough to keep coming back. The atmosphere and decor are super unique and really fun. The service is always fantastic, though it can be a bit slow when they get busy (but it's not really the type of place you go to if you're in a hurry anyways). We've enjoyed every drink we've had there, and their cocktails are all a reasonable $7. Some of our favorite drinks: Key Lime Pie, Sidecar with Brown Sugar Bourbon, Chocolate Monkey, and Coffee Break. You can also order food from downstairs that also rocks! We ordered the nachos, and for $12, they were HUGE, and some of my favorite nachos! We couldn't even finish them between the two of us. They also have great deals for happy hour! Definitely check this place out, an absolute gem! read more

The Starlite Lounge - Entrance to the lounge, right in the middle of the Buzzard Billy's building. - Lounges Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

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Starlite is a great place! My husband and I went there to meet up with some friends. The atmosphere is amazing! Sits right on top of Buzzard Billy's restaurant, which is another great place btw, and will be another review for another time! Starlite is known to have jazz music from time to time, and the band plays several sets which calculates to about about 4 hours worth of music! For my adult beverages, I had a Cosmopolitan and another drink called The Coffee Break, which actually had real coffee beans that floated on top! Both very good drinks, and the Cosmo was pretty tart!! Enough to give you a lifetime of lock jaw! I'm not even kidding about that, lol! For an appetizer, we got the Jerk Pork Nachos! This plate was good enough for 6! I am telling you, huge portions, and it was really good! If you're looking for a cool place to chill and you're in the La Crosse area, head to Starlite lounge! It's a swank and pretty awesome place to be! read more

The Starlite Lounge - Fuzzy, but this is the Jerk Pork Nachos!!! - Lounges Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

I've heard nothing but fun things about the Starlite Lounge, and was stoked to visit when we came to La Crosse for a wedding. If you walk too fast, you might just miss the entrance as it's located on the second floor of a building. Upon entering, I was delighted to see cute, retro decor and bask in the perfect (dim but not too dark) mood lighting. They were playing The Doors which is so suiting for a lounge bar. Our server was friendly, attentive and conversational. I ordered my go-to classic cocktail, the gin gimlet and it was delicious (and strong!). My husband ordered a pineapple martini of some kind and really enjoyed it as well. It would be cool if the lounge installed a shuffle board or a juke box, but I understand if they are limited on space. While it's easy enough to walk up the stairs to the Starlite Lounge, beware coming down the narrow steps if you've had a couple! Tehehe. read more

I don't know why it took me so long to visit this place. It's super retro, sexy cool, colorful cocktails, and food from buzzard Billy's below. Their happy hour is the Shiizzzz! I don't know what that word means other than freakin cheap! They have all the usual martinis and then a side set of variations on them. I had a raspberry cosmo. Yum yum. And it cost $3.50. Like wha?! Many appetizers are half price during happy hour and I went for the blackened chicken nachos. It's gooey, it's messy, it's in my belly good. My whole bill was just under $10. Can't be beat! Staff is incredibly friendly and welcoming. Physical distance is on point. I'd be happy to be a regular! read more

The Starlite Lounge - Raspberry cosmo and menu - Lounges Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

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Terrible! We walked in, hoping to have a nice martini. Think again. A man at the front refused to seat us. We had a party of 8, and were willing to wait. The man seemed upset that we would even dare come into the business with such a large party, eager to spend money. He had a very poor attitude. We walked out very frustrated. The service was unacceptable. read more

Retro bar. Nice ambiance and great cocktails. Friendly bartenders. Quick service. Wasn't very crowded when we were there. A local bar. Enjoy! read more

The Starlite Lounge was everything I didn't know I was missing. It made all of our Mad Men fantasies come true. The outside of the building does not do this place justice. Do not turn away like we almost did. I repeat... do not turn away. Continue on and find yourself in a charming 60s lounge. read more

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The ambience is unique. Retro decor. The martinis are yummy, especially the key lime martini and the coffee martini. We used to order apps from Buzzard Billys ( restaurant below) which is a huge bonus. The pepperjack bites are delish. read more

This place has really gone downhill since I first moved to lacrosse 10 years ago. Small changes to the quality of their food products like using regular chips instead of fried pita bread for the spinach dip and hiking up the cost of the martinis have been noticeable, but the most egregious change has been that of the recipe for the key lime pie martini. It tastes NOTHING like it used to. There is not hint of key lime anymore. It's way too thick and boozy. Super disappointing. When combined with everything else, that was the last thing keeping me coming back but now I'll go elsewhere. read more

Love, love, LOVE the Starlite Lounge! Such a great place to meet up with friends for post-work drinks and apps. The location is a little tricky to find since it is tucked upstairs above Buzzard Billy's--but it is one of La Crosse's best hidden secrets. You are seriously transported to a whole new decade once you climb the steep stairs. Love the vibes here. Pros: Such a good happy hour deal! Seriously. We had three martinis, a beer, and an app and spent around $20 bucks. Also, on Thursday nights you can listen to the jazz band. Cons: LITERALLY NONE. Great drinks, great food, (okay) service. Go-to item: My personal favorite martini is the Chocolate Monkey paired with the spinach artichoke dip. read more

The drinks here are amazing. I'd recommend the key lime pie martini or Bloody Mary martini. They are so good and do not taste like alcohol! The service can be a bit slow at times but usually it's pretty good. They've got a great happy hour deal. Food portions are good. read more

Great martinis and cocktails! The appetizers from downstairs are also amazing. Totally worth a visit.

Great drinks, groovy vibe, good eats, Mad Men style decor. Our waitress Bethany was awesome. Can't wait to catch some live music on Thursday or Saturday evening. read more

Loved this place! Ate downstairs at Billy's and then went for cocktails afterwards. Great old school decor and friendly staff and service. read more

Their happy hour is the best in town ($3 off martinis and 1/2 price appetizers). The martinis are delicious...the Cuban and the Tiramisu being my favs. Their appetizers are also pretty solid. Make sure to get their early because if you come after 6pm you'll have a hard time finding a place to sit! read more

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I recently moved to Lax for rotations at Gundersen and this is the first place I tried! I came here with a couple of my colleagues who were also new to the city. It was happy hour so you can't beat the price. Depends on the type of martini, it's between $3-4 dollars. I got the snicker martini which was delicious! On top of the drinks, we also got "appetizers" which were also half off. The reason why i put quotation marks on the appetizer is because the portion is HUGEEEE! Is this a Midwest thing or what? we had chicken quesadilla, nacho chips, and wings. They were pretty good but not the best thing everrr. There was live jazz so if you are into music. Overall, 5 stars for the price, 4 stars for the food, 5 stars for the martini, 5 stars for the ambiance. will be coming back again :) read more

The Starlite Lounge - Key lime pie! Soo good - Lounges Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

Hands down one of the best places in La Crosse. Go during happy hour on Thursday for $3 martinis (they have soo many to choose from) and free live jazz music! Also some apps are half priced... and so good I recommend the spinach artichoke dip & wings. read more

Going here was a total accident. The bartender at Brother's up the street recommended Buzzard Billy's or something so a good dinner but it was a 30 minutes wait. SO, we opened up the door to Starlite lounge and immediately heard some awesome music. After walking up a full set of carpeted stairs, we emerged into the most authentic jazz scene I had ever seen. There was a live band, 60s/70s décor, apps and drinks. We didn't get a server right away but one does come to your table. Our group shared nachos, fried pickles, cheese curds (pepperjack bites) and a quesadilla. The martinis "cool cocktails" were great. Worth the wait. If you're looking for something that isn't just a burger joint, go there, especially on a night with live music. Cheers~ read more

Really good drinks, friendly service. It's like taking a step back in time. A little dark to read the menu though.

Fun spot in downtown LaCrosse. Great menu with lots of options, great service, and fun atmosphere!

Love, love, love this hidden gem. Every time we are in La Crosse we stop in. The service is always top notch.

Loved the Starlite lounge. So many options for a $7 martini, you really cant go wrong. I am a martini lover and my extra dirty vodka martini was made perfectly. The atmosphere is dark, loungey and perfect for a small group or a date. There was cover at the door but only $2, assumably to pay the jazz band-well worth it. read more

The best happy hour in La Crosse! The drinks and food are all good. The blackened chicken nachos are our favorite. I love that happy hour isn't just for an hour too! read more

This place is like a trip back in time. Its decor is 1960s, early 70s. It is truly a unique experience. It is above Buzzard Billy's Restaurant. It is at the top of an impressive flight of stairs. A jazz band is typically playing in the corner. The martini menu is extensive and is the specialty. Appetizers are available and are prepared downstairs at Buzzard Billy's. We had the pork & chicken spring rolls. They were VERY tasty. The portion was typical, 4 rolls. However, the table next to us ordered the nachos. That serving was HUGE. The service is very good. This is a MUST stop kind of place to enjoy a cocktail in a unique setting. read more

The Starlite Lounge - The bar area - Lounges Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

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For sure one of the best happy hours in town (runs till 7pm). * $3 off select martinis * 1/2 price select appetizers * $1 off wines * $1 off tap beers read more

This place is a must for us when we visit La Crosse! Such a unique and cool place with retro decor. Extensive list of martinis--definitely have to try at least a couple! If you come during happy hour, they're pretty busy but it's worth it--martinis are really cheap and there's a lot of really good apps for half price (good nachos for sure)! read more

The Starlite Lounge - Tiramisu martini--my fave! - Lounges Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

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Distance to Bar : Long Walk/Cab/Bus Love this place. The decor and everything about it is a throw back to the day of the cocktail! I love my cocktails and this place serves them up, and at 1/2 price between 4 and 7 Monday - Friday I can try many of them on the menu. Since I was driving last night, I could only taste one of their concoctions, the Pomitini which was delicious, strong and yummy. I would like to return when someone else has the keys. read more

The food and drinks at Starlite never disappoint. They have a great happy hour that includes some of the best nachos I have ever consumed (they're grande!!) and an extensive martini menu. The atmosphere has a great 60's vibe and quaint little seating areas for groups big and small. There are a couple of things that I'm not a fan of and the first one you can guess as soon as you walk in- there is a very steep and long set of steps to reach the lounge. Not so much of a problem going in but I have witnessed a couple of people struggle on their way out, if ya know what I mean! Second, the service is about 75% bad. Often times, you find yourself waiting way too long for refills/ to pay/ for food, etc. Despite those two things, I have found myself at Starlite, both literally and figuratively, more times than I can count. For drinks and appetizers, there is no place in La Crosse like Starlite. Just be careful, those martinis really sneak up on you! read more

This place is SOOO cool! First visit here was for the sister's college graduation and then again last August on a road trip with same sister. Located above Buzzard Billy's, this little martini lounge is pretty much a throw back type place with small cocktail tables with high-backed comfy chairs and a few couches thrown in to lounge about in. On the return visit, there was a pretty cool jazz band complete with horns & a stand up bass for everyone's listening pleasure. You want a chocolate covered strawberry martini? key lime pie? Orange cream? how about a a good old classic martini shaken, not stirred? This would be the place for you. If you find yourself wandering the streets in downtown La Crosse, I highly recommend dragging yourself up the stairs to this unique bar. read more

Having studied in La Crosse and frequently visited the Starlite during my college days, I couldn't wait to return here! And of course, Starlite did not disappoint nor diverge from my warm, fuzzy, drunken memories of it. Amazing martini list: everything from the original to Key Lime Pie. Be careful though, pace yourself when sampling these delicious libations! Also on the menu, wine and scotchs. The Starlite is located above Buzzard Billy's and has a great retro vibe about it. Plenty of comfy couches, chairs, and tables. Most nights you'll be treated with smooth live jazz. I could, can, and did spend all evening here, chatting and sipping on martinis. Wow, I wish the Starlite were closer! I have so much love for you! read more