Had an incredible breakfast, loved it!! Just wish they served food after 9 pm
We were in racing in the Wisconsin slinger nationals and didn't know the area at all, and other than McDonald's and subway that was the only place to get food, and I'm grateful to have found it. It was by I breakfast get one free, and the servings were huge and delicious. I wish there was a mineshaft in florida where I'm from. It's my new favorate breakfast place
Do NOT go here. The food is awful, the waitress's are not competant and the wait is horrible even on a Thursday. Needless to say our Server did not know what she was doing and we ordered a chicken quesdilla and it had no chicken. Had 2 get up from the table 3 times and go ask for things that we ordered but not brought to the table.
I will NOT go here again. This is the 2nd time we have had a bad experience.
Fish fry review only. The wait was 25 minutes on a Friday eve so we moved to the bar instead. Â A great decision because our fish fry's were served there in under 5 minutes. Friendly staff and always ready to help without being pushy. Â Somebody asked for good Whiskey and the bar tend said they didn't carry a particular one. Â Whiskey keeps pretty well, so if I was King of a bar, I'd keep most everything on hand. Looking around they did not have the usual display of high end bottles. Â All you can eat for $5.99 of nearly the best Fish Fry I've ever had. Â You should eat here if you can get to Hartford.
Review Source:I have been to the Mineshaft half a dozen times. Â There are some good things, and some not so great things. Â All in all, this place is pretty average.
Prices are pretty good, (especially the specials/deals) and quantity of food is good.  The quality of the food is pretty average.  Pizza is decent, but nothing great (better than an average bar pizza).  I have had the apps, and  burgers, and prime rib and steaks.  All, pretty much average, nothing to write home about.
Huge selection of food, so there is something for everyone.
The game room tokens/pizza deal is a good deal. Â $30 for a LARGE pizza with 3 toppings, pitcher of soda or beer and 100 game tokens. Â Nice family of 4 deal.
Lots of tables and room. Â Staff is pretty quick and attentive. Â Huge bar selection as well, however, most mixed drinks I have had were not very well made. Â Staff may be attentive, however I get the impression that for the most part, they want to be elsewhere. Â The hostesses can be down right rude.
AVOID this place on Friday and Saturday evenings!!!! Â Even with a reservation, the place is a zoo, and getting your table is difficult. Â Often an hour wait or more. Â Much better other nights.
The game room is better than going to Chuckies or Dave and busters, but a bit smaller than those places. Â Tokens and tickets for prizes plus other games. Â Nicer atmosphere than those other places.
Parking can be an issue on busy nights. Â There is a public parking lot behind the restaurant, there is not enough spaces, and street parking gets scarce on busy nights.
Two tips - Â IF you are taking a large group (and they are pretty good at dealing with large groups) 1. Make a reservation, and MAKE SURE everyone shows up by the reservation time. Â They WILL NOT seat you until everyone (and I mean everyone) is there. Â If they are not there, they will give the tables away, and you go on the list like everyone else within 15 min of your reservation. 2. They DO NOT split checks. Â One check per party, you have to do the splitting (we had 30 people, and the staff will say it's a policy).
Again, pretty average place, but we have also had a lot of fun there.
A great place to go with kids. Â The food is just okay. Â I've tried several items, and have to say most have been mediocre..but very inexpensive. Â Their pizza is good. Â I have tried the fish fry a few times, but have always been dissappointed. Â The fish is mushy (but very cheap). Â Also, I suggest sticking to the American items on the menu...Luke burgers, wraps, and sandwiches.
Their game room is awesome for the kids. Â We have done birthday parties here and found it very affordable. Â As ling as you are okay with a little chaos, I would suggest this as a great easy place to host a birthday party.
My family discovered the Mineshaft Restaurant & Bar in June 2007. I had just graduated high school and someone recommend this place as a neat place for dinner. We drove from Portage at the time to Hartford, it was worth the drive.
The food was great, steaks were cooked to order. Burgers were juicy, appetizers were fulfilling. I can't remember what else our party had. The drinks are pretty good too. Since 2007 we have been there twice, once in 2009 and 2010. I'd like to get back soon. The game-room is huge and puts Chuck E. Cheese to shame. The food is good and service has been consistently great.
This place has some good pizza! I mean it. The crust was hand-tossed, crisp on the bottom but a little doughy on top. Prices are very reasonable and the menu is full of many choices.
My biggest gripe about the place is that it is so loud. We were there on a Saturday evening, which I'm sure is their busiest time, and it was very loud. This place also got very crowded by 5:30, so I'd recommend coming early. We were with a group, so we weren't seated until our entire party was there. I realize that's their policy, but that was my other small gripe: the hostess was so adamant about how our entire group had to be there, no exceptions. We were there to surprise a friend (who was en route), and we finally convinced her that we needed to be seated NOW, even if we were missing two people, otherwise we'd be yelling surprise while standing, huddled with everyone else waiting to be seated.
What a blast! Â I kept hearing about the Mineshaft and finally went recently. Â Everything about it is huge and over-the-top, which is a good thing in a place like this. Â I started with a drink called Jungle Juice, which I didn't care for, but was quite happy with our decision to go for the gigantic fishbowl-like passionfruit margarita later. Â Four of us were sharing it and we liked it so much we got another. Â Plus you get to keep the glass! Â It's absolutely giant. Â I had the "little shaft" burger, which made me giggle at first, but I couldn't complain once I got it. Â I get cheeseburgers almost everywhere I go, in search of the perfect burger, and it was pretty dang good. Â My fiance went with a T-bone steak, and our friends got the enchiladas and the barnyard burger. Â Everyone seemed to like what they got. Â Next time I think I'll try the pizza.
After dinner we went upstairs to the arcade. Â Thankfully there weren't very many people up there (I can imagine it gets pretty wild with kids at times). Â We had so much fun trying to win tickets and exploring the cool games they had there. Â By the time we left, we were adorned with giant sunglasses, armed with foam disc shooters, and I was happily blasting my new kazoo. Â It was perfect for a grown-up date night, especially if you just want to act like a kid for a while. Â (And yeah, it's probably also awesome if you actually have kids!)
"Hey Farva, what's the name of that bar you like with all the crazy crap on the walls? Shenanigans?"
That's kind of what the Mineshaft reminds me of. Lots of kitsch, lots of crap all over, random vending machines of pull tabs etc. It's like a Greek restaurant, a casino and a saloon had an unholy threesome.
EXPECT:
*A large menu of American favorites, like burgers, nachos, pastas
*Friendly staff & patrons and big crowds on weekends
*Lots of screaming unattended kids attracted by the arcade
DON'T EXPECT:
*Any concessions to vegetarians or vegans - none of that tofu stuff here, folks
*The food to be much more than edible, I mean when you are paying $10 for a steak you can't expect more than that. Stick to burgers or sandwiches, they do a fine job on them.
If you're in the area, you could do worse. Two small bonuses: CHEAP domestic pitchers ($8) and really good ranch dressing (I know, but it really was good) go a long way toward improving fairly medic ore food. At least you won't  get the "shaft" on the bill - our total for 4 people with drinks was $56.
My family's been going to the Mineshaft since I was a young kid. Their Friday Fish Fry is a family tradition for us! $4.99 all you can eat fish fry, a Spotted Cow, and friendly staff - it doesn't get better than that! Come early to find parking on Friday though, the place fills up by 4!
Review Source:We have been to the mineshaft to many times to count. 90 percent of the time the food and service is good. Â Tonight was no exception accept when the power went out. Which happened as we were sitting waiting for our check. Â We were celebrating my grandsons birthday so there 20 of us. Each ordering what we wanted...everyone is packing up to leave when the power went out. Â Here come the cell phones for light. Â Our waitress came over and said she was in the process of printing our bill out when the power went out. Â 1/2 hour later we're still sitting in the dark wondering what our next step should be...couple of minutes longer and I approached our waitress to ask what was going on. The response I got was hysterical...I get...well the power went out. Â No kidding. I asked her what they needed us to do. Â We had 7 kids with us the oldest was 8 and we wanted out. I was told she would check with the manager and get back to me. Long story short ending, most people seemed to walk out without paying. Â Probably put some money on the table and left which is what I wanted to do. Â We had to sit and wait while at our request the added up our bill by hand, which took another 1/2 hour. Â Moral of the story not sure who was worse management or employees. No one seemed to know what they were supposed to do, no one was walking around making announcements And no offer to reduce our bill because of the long wait. Â Sorry mineshaft your employees need a lot better emergency training, and your cooks could use a lesson on cooking French fries
Review Source:I was told by a few different locals that this was the place to go while in Hartford, they all said how it was the most popular place in town. I feel sorry for them living in such a sad culinary existance if that is indeed the truth. Â Huge menu is pretty fairly priced and has all the bar food standards. Service was okay at best. Out of all the beers they had available there wasn't a single stout, which was disappointing but oh well I can let that go. Food, however, was pretty far below average. I love bar food but this was very poorly executed. Pizza was amazingly bland. Corned beef on the Ruben was ungodly tough and grissly. Â The worst part was the horrible excuse for French Fries. You'd think it would be tough to mess up something as simple as that, but oh no way. They were cold, rubbery, and absolutely horrible, easily some of the worst fries I've ever had in my entire life of fry-eating. Pretty skimpy portion too. They tasted like Wendys fries that had been pulled out of the garbage dumpster after a few days and then briefly microwaved. The people in charge of the kitchen have some learning to do. I was excited to check out the arcade upstairs, until I saw that it was the most over-priced arcade I've ever come across. Â I read some other reviews saying that this place has good pizza, and if you really beleive that, you should either get the hell out of Hartford and try the real thing, or just go to the nearest psych ward and have your head examined.
Review Source:They wouldnt allow seperate checks as a policy. Its not like its that hard to figure out. We tried booking a reservation fro 35 poeple and they rather turn down the business then to do seperate checks!! Really ?!?!?!? Im sure the owners would appreciate that..
July/2011
Not good management skills
I drive 45 minutes to eat here, I really enjoy it. Â This place is HUGE and has a gigantic menu from burgers, chicken, steaks, mexican, etc. Â The appetizers are really good and the combo is HUGE and can feed many people. Â Reasonably priced and the portions are on the larger side so I think it's a good value. Â Game room on 3rd floor so you can stay and play afterwards. Â Been there for the DJ on a weekend and there is a dance floor, that is a plus for me. Â Hard to find a place to dance anymore. Â Drinks are very reasonable too! Â I will continue to make the drive and enjoy the Mineshaft Restaurant. Â Great place!
Review Source:Fish Fry Review:
$4.99 all you can eat Lake Cod with a beer batter with fries and rye bread. Worth the $4.99 but not worth the drive from Milwaukee to Hartford. Food was hot and fresh but the service was not great. They gave you a decent size portions at the beginning and the seconds were just as good. Dinner for 2 including drinks was $15.
We have been to the Mineshaft numerous times over the years and have found the food to be excellent in quality and quantity for the price. Â Usually we stop in on Friday nights for the fish fry. Â
The last time we stopped in, (1-month ago) our Friday wait time was 1 1/2 hours. Â That was the longest wait time we have ever experienced. Â Usually it is a 1/2 hour or so. Â This last time it was so crowded you could not move around downstairs, which I thought was a safety hazard. Â This night, it appeared that the normal wait staff was either short handed or they were breaking in new people as tables were empty when we were seated after complaining 3 times about the wait and it did not appear as if they were in a hurry to seat the 100 people still waiting in the bar area. Â
They use an electronic notification device that they give to you when you register. Â Since nobody could hear a name being called, this works fairly well....most of the time.
Our all you can eat fish fry was great along with the all you can eat shrimp fry.
Tables are a bit close together and conversation can be a bit rough if you have hearing issues and it is crowded in the dining area.
If you don't like crowds, best that you go very early or pick an off night.
We'll be back, but if it's that crowded again, we will leave.
I'm a little surprised to see this was rated "just" 3 stars. At least as far as Hartford goes, I think it is hands down the best restaurant for miles.
Good thing this is the largest restaurant in Wisconsin. It is always packed. However, I want to note that despite the large crowd, seating is always comfortable (because there are at least five different seating rooms!) and I've never had to wait excessively long for my food to come. It's actually surprising when you first come on the door because you don't realize there are about five more different rooms to your left as well as upstairs and downstairs areas. By the way, the door is in the back of the building - counter-intuitive. When you first come in, you enter the huge bar area. To the right is plenty of games. However, there are even more games upstairs. I've never seen it though - it is always closed during lunch hours when I'm there. I believe it only opens on weekend nights.
On Sunday's, there is an incredible all you can et brunch buffet. I don't remember the exact price but it was very reasonable. I wouldn't say the food blew me away - it tasted as you expect. I was more impressed with the variety then the taste. Though, it wasn't bad by any means either.
The usual menu is enormous. The burgers were okay - char-broiled. I'm not a char-broiled burger fan but for those who are, you'd probably like them.
I enjoyed the mozzarella sticks - made with wonton wrappers instead of just breading. Very crispy, greasy and tasty!
The thin crust pizza is very cheesy and crispy. I think there are Monday pizza specials with a pitcher of beer.
The nachos are HUGE - packed with toppings.
I tried the chicken parm sandwich ones - the chicken was a little too "bulky" - hard to eat.
I also remember good drink specials - some very creative, fruity drinks that I wouldn't normally expect at "the corner bar."
Every experience here has been a good one. Almost all the food I have tried has met my expectations. All around good restaurant. They don't really have one food item that makes me come back every time so instead I pick and choose from the huge variety.
This is close to a 4 star for me but my wife gives it a 2.5. Â It is a mixed bag with some real positives.
First the positives.
We were greeted and seated fairly promptly. Â
The all you can eat fish fry is the best I have had in years. Â 5.99 for all you can eat cod. Â I got the seafood platter where everything was excellent. Â The shrimp, perch and cod were all perfectly cooked and the breading was perfectly crisp and not greasy. Â Wonderful! Â I can't wait to go back again for their fish.
Our waitress was very good, attentive, and gave us the right balance between engagement and distance.
The prices were cheap. Â Great deal for the value.
Now the negatives.
Tables are crowded together too close.  The layout of the place with a bar here and there and a game here and there and a game room upstairs was not  an atmosphere that I desire.  I could see how it would be a fun place for a family with some young children perhaps.  Which was weird because "mineshaft" doesn't make me think of a fun place for kids.  The atmosphere was just so-so.
Our fries were cold and we had to reorder. Â They were also rather plain in flavor and cut. Â I would expect something a little more fancy in cut and flavor or perhaps even a selection of type of fry.
The menu is way too big for my taste but to their credit it is organized well to help you sort through all the selections. Â Some people may really like this many selections and options but we prefer a more simple menu. Â We did find what we wanted fairly quickly using their main headings on the menu. Â
For this part of Wisconsin it is a blessing. Â Not much in this area so I encourage people to go here. Â I just wish they could improve some of the negatives I listed above. Â It would be nice to see this restaurant/bar move into the 5 star category.
Oh. . . And the parking is crummy. Â the lot is too small and off to the back and then there is some street parking. Â We parked in the back and had to take a bunch of stairs. Â The entrance was really weird and we had a little trouble even finding our way inside. Â Needs some major feng shui.
The two times I've been here, I've have left disappointed. Â Touting itself as the largest bar and restaurant in WI, you would think that bigger is better? Â You would be wrong.
The menu has a ton of options. Â One time I got the mushroom swiss burger. Â Very bland and greasy.
Second time I was there, I had the Saturday night special. $9.99 14oz. ribeye. Â No way this piece of meat was 14oz. Â It tasted good, but nothing special.
I've heard the pizza is good, but I don't plan on going back anytime soon to try it.
While driving around Wisconsin looking at the fall colors we stumbled across this place. At first, we were not sure what to make of it. We were there on a beautiful Saturday afternoon and there were a lot of bikers there but we proceeded anyway and we are glad we did. The place was packed!
The food was good. I tried the philly; it was okay. My husband had the shroom burger; it was very good. My son had the steak sandwich; it was average. The french fries were good. Service was friendly but it was slow - but for as crowded as it was that was okay.
The game room upstairs was very impressive.
The food was cheap and we couldn't believe the low prices on some of the evening specials.
Have eaten here a number of times and each time my kids use the enormous game room upstairs and generally do well.
Food is generally consistently good and sometimes excellent - tends to be better on the simpler items like burgers. Pizza has always been consistently excellent. Prices tend to be lower than the fast casual chain restaurants by about $1 - $2 per menu item. There are coupons available on their website (I don't go anywhere without a coupon).
Service is ok, but can at times be a bit slow but wait staff has always been pleasant.
But......as the other reviewers have noted, it is very smoky and requires a change of clothes and a shower.
Definitely a Milwaukee area staple. The fish frys are soooo cheap. I believe it is $5 for all you can eat fish and french fries. This place is very country bumpkin, but it's fun once and a while. They have country music playing (you'll see at least 1 mullet) and it is always packed! The only major issue with the Mineshaft is the smokiness. It can be unappealing, but it's mostly bad in the bar area where you wait to be seated. It's worth the trip if you have never been.
Review Source:I am torn because I love the Monday night pizza special. Â This is a great venue for a night out with the fam' for dinner. Â However, be prepared for a significant change after dark when the clubbing starts. Â I was really turned off by the quality of the people. Â And the smoke was a little too much.
Review Source:Interesting. Â Good cheap food. Â My boyfriend loves the 5.00 dollar, all you can eat fish fry. Â Try it out. Â
It's like Dave & Buster but less commercial. Â
Big bar areas, delicious mixed drinks, lots of variety. Â Great for families, great for couples. Â Parking SUCKS! Â The lots are pretty far from the restaurant.
The wait keeps it from being a 5. Â However, it is place to get loud, have fun and be laid back with a group of friends. Â There is no pretention to the place. Â Just good, affordable food.
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