Aqualand Ale House

We traveled to the Northwoods this past weekend to see some fall color.  It was rainy and chilly all weekend, but we were glad we stopped in to try Boulder Junction's newest & greatest restaurant.

First off, the building is truly amazing.  It is grand and majestic, while still remaining quaint and cozy at the same time.

They have 20 craft brews on tap that are constantly rotating from what we could tell (they had just printed new beer menus with newer choices when we arrived for lunch).  

The food is definitely high-quality.  We started with the spinach-artichoke dip and it was deliciously prepared, piping hot and had wonderful whole-grain flatbread-style points and lots of fresh veggies to dip with.  A nice large portion that could easily feed 4 people.  We split both the Cubano Panini and the Chicken Jalapeno Popper & Bacon Panini.  Holy cow...excellent!  There was not a crumb left of either.

They were nearly packed to capacity when we had lunch here, but service was spot-on and our food arrived quickly.

While prices are a bit higher than other more traditional restaurants in the area, this place truly lives up to its name as a Gastro Pub, so we were not offended to pay a bit more for higher-end, well prepared food in such a beautiful atmosphere.  Definitely give it a try when traveling to this area of the Northwoods!

A nice addition to the restaurants in the area that offers something unique other than the usual burgers, pizza, etc. It was a solid meal and the beer selection on draft is great. I hope this restaurant does well.

4.5 stars if I could. What a refreshing change of pace from typical Northwoods fare!

We had the shrimp appetizer, the Cuban Pannini and, a grilled flat Iron steak. Wow!!

The grilled Shrimp were perfectly cooked, served hot, with a small loaf with 3 dipping flavors tucked inside. Just enough of a bright taste to complement the fresh shrimp. The Cuban Pannini was crisp and flavorful. The steak was seared to an exact medium-rare, served with piping hot roasted reds, and a ramekin of (very) tasty homemade baked beans.
Tired of the deep-fried, Sysco-sourced, microwaved meals that are common in the Northwoods? Go here for a real meal. The chef is a genius. Service a bit distracted but they're still new at it, so I'm givin 'em a break.