When I would head on down to Platteville to visit my sister when she went to school there we found our way to Red n Deb's for a burger and a beer. Â I believe it was my sister's favorite place in Platteville at the time. Â She seemed to know just about everyone and her boyfriend's mother tended the bar. Â I found the place friendly enough, especially because I was the brother of a semi-regular. Â The bar seemed to be more of a local watering hole as opposed to a college bar, because I never saw many college-aged kids there aside from my sister and her boyfriend. Â I never was there very late at night, just lunch and dinner so it may change over after the sun goes down. Â
There was a modest menu with pub food standards, mostly burgers and sandwiches. Â My favorite was the Wun-Doe burger, made with the locally-made Wun-Doe-Mus spice seasoning. Â The Wun-Doe-Mus is a mix of spices, like a cajun seasoning blend, that was spicy but not overpowering. Â I recall you could also get a chicken breast done up Wun-Doe style. Â I have no idea of where they got the name but it did the trick. Â I remember trying the cheese curds and fries and nachos during one afternoon and while not the best everything was perfectly acceptable bar grub. Â You could probably get the fries with some Wun-Doe-Mus on 'em too - that stuff is versatile! Â
The beer selection was adequate. Â Coming from Madison I've grown quite spoiled, but Red n Deb's had about five or six taps - Spotted Cow and the rest domestics. Â Fine by me - Spotted goes well with spicy. Â I never went for anything other than pints of Spotted, but my sister and mother used to hit up the Bloody Mary bar for weekend lunches. Â The attitude of the regular crowd was always pretty friendly and warm. Â I remember seeing a local guitarist set up on a small stage in the corner and play a few songs one night. Â It looked like he had a weekly gig there, and his music was a nice change of pace from the standard juke box classic rock & country fare, which was universally terrible. Â The place was always pretty comfortable, nothing flashy or worth making a special effort for, but great for a leisurely lunch and a few drinks. Â Once my sister graduated and left Platteville I haven't had much reason to visit. Â I've driven by on 151 more than a few times but have never had cause to stop. Â One of these days I'll probably find a reason and I'll try to stop by, just to see if the Wun-Doe is still as good as I remember.