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| - Stuck in Lodi for the day, I couldn't find a place for lunch, and I dared not to try "The Pizza Pit" in town. I thought I'd head east and come here for lunch since I didn't find anything better. Years ago, this used to be a place called Stockade and I loved it. Now it's a Badgers/Packers bar and grill.
Visible from I-90, just west of Madison, there's a cheese place (Mouse Haus I believe) and warehouses for Pepsi and Walgreen's nearby. The Rodeside Grill resembles a log cabin style fort from the outside. Years ago, this place used to be called Stockade.
Once inside, it's quite spacious with high ceilings and an all wood interior, except for the tile on the floor. The whole place looks very clean, not grungy and aged like so many bars in Wisconsin. I sat down to eat at the bar. All along the bar counter, there were blurbs and excerpts of Packers and Badgers accomplishments underneath the laminated countertop. The place even had green-colored ductwork, so I knew I was deep in Packers territory.
A big screen TV aired game highlights from the Packers-Saints NFL season opener from the day before. Large men with mustaches came in for lunch, typical Wisconsin body types. I kept a low profile and my Chicago origin and calmly requested the Friday fish fry special. Having traveled up north on many occasions, this wasn't the first time I was surrounded by Packer fans. It's not hard to deal with them if you don't disclose where you're from and stick to the menu items or make a positive comment about Jordy Nelson being an awesome rising star on the team.
The fish arrived in a few minutes and it came with a side of fries that were seasoned and coated - quite tasty in fact. Coleslaw is also a can't-miss item north of Illinois and this place has it right too. I found the meal quite enjoyable. The bartender got me another iced tea and then spent a few more minutes of admiring the place. The Packers highlights gave way to NASCAR on the TV, but I was on my way, 150 miles from Chicago once again.
While I went for the fish, Rodeside also has some good burgers, from what I saw around me at lunch that day. Worth a stop on your way to the Dells or Lodi for that matter. Just leave the Bears stuff in the car.
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