Ding-A-Ling the

LACK-LUSTER is the operative word here.

The only redeeming quality of this place is the food - which is what a restaurant should be know for, yeah - HOWEVER, to call this a SUPPER CLUB is false.  THIS IS NOT A TRUE SUPPER CLUB.  It just isn't.  Yea - it has a Fish Fry; sure, it has prime rib.  Okay, they can make an Old-Fashioned ( I witnessed NO muddling, however).  BUT - the real disappointment of the DingALing is the atmosphere.  It sucks.  It.  Just.  Sucks.  Acoustic drop-tile ceiling, crappy diner chairs and oil cloth table covers, awful modern county music playing, and a trash-talking bartender... Blech.  

Okay - let's talk food.  My sister and I went there this past Friday eve in search of a fish fry.  We had been driving and touring Southern Wisconsin and remembered the DingALing from the MPT special "Wisconsin Supper Clubs" which featured The DingALing.  Even though we were in search of a late-night (9:30) fish fry, we opted for the 10 oz prime rib special; because why the hell not? and because I never eat prime rib.   I ordered mine medium rare, with a baked potato, and a salad.  The raspberry vinaigrette that I got with my salad was gloppy and weirdly textured.  The actual salad?  A bowl of greens with a cucumber slice and about 6 croutons - woo-hoo.  Okay - let's get to this prime rib; perfectly medium rare, yummy, salty-meaty jus.  Awesome.  Baked potato?  Haven't had one in a while, and it was awesome.  A perfect accompaniment to the prime rib.  Warm rye rolls - okay!  

Here's where this place is NOT a place I will go again...  ATMOSPHERE, ATMOSPHERE, ATMOSPHERE...!!  It's not just the tiles, chairs, etc. etc.   The awful, awful, AWFUL music.  AND -  Okay.  I'll go... The bartender - who made a decent Old Fashioned, not the best.  At the end of our meal, we overheard the bartender loudly trash-talking someone that was texting a boyfriend, or looked at her funny, or blah blah blah blah blah... It was very trashy and very high-school, unprofessional, and a real turn-off.  I don't want to hear my bartender's trash talk.  It was loud.  

I will say, however, that our waitress was awesome.  Very attentive and friendly.  

Sad to say, this is not a true supper-club, despite the cool name and promise of a "classy" experience.

I just don't get this place.

Friends wanted to meet us for dinner here because of so many people said how great it was. I'm wondering why they say this.

Walked in the door: No hostess. The place was packed. No one to 'check-in' with for our reservation. Went to the bar: No one would make eye contact with us to ask a question, or order a drink. Stood there for 15 minutes waiting. Finally got a drink, and our friends got there to tell the right person that we were there for our reservations. 15 minutes after our reservations a worker pointed to an empty table and said "You can use that table". Classy.

No server came to the table for 30 minutes, so we asked if we were going to get served that evening. They apologized for the confusion...kind of. They got the orders wrong. My steak went to another person at the table, and when they realized it was wrong, and after he was already cutting into the meat, they just took the platter away and gave it to me...classy.

Maybe the 'locals' love this place, but it is a disorganized dump. I'd rather pay 3 times as much and get half as much food to have real service. Cheap drinks and large portions isn't why I patronize an establishment.

I really hope that someone that runs this place reads this.

Yeah...um...this place was absolutely packed when I went.  For the life of me, I could not venture a guess other than there's not much else close by, why?  Again, went here on a recommendation (seriously gotta stop paying heed to others' opinions).  You walk into a bar area and will immediately gain respect for clichéd sardines.  Good for their business, bad your your personal space and hygeine.  The bartender seemed to only flock to what I guess were regulars as it took around 15min to even take our drink order.

Thankfully the dining area we were seated in was a little less crowded, but that didn't stop one particular waitress from knocking into the back of my wife's seat every time she passed, which was often.  I had the blue gill...or was it perch...?  Either way, I think you get the point.  Pretty lack luster.  The wife said her cod was good, then again she's a lot nicer than I am.