Decades Of Fried Chicken Tradition Keep This Old-School Wisconsin Supper Club On The Map

Fried chicken gizzards sit on the salad bar here, right next to pickled beets and hot bacon dressing. That alone tells you this dining room happily plays by its own delicious, old-school rules.

The building looks like it floated straight over from a tiny Bavarian village. Half-timbered walls, flower boxes, and ornate shutters greet you outside, while castle paintings and King Ludwig II wait inside.

I like how one family has kept its fried chicken tradition going on this same rural corner for more than 65 years. The founders’ children still run things today, which feels rare even in supper club-loving Wisconsin.

Then comes a menu where wiener schnitzel and sauerbraten share space with prime rib, barbecue ribs, and a Friday fish fry. So which plate gets your attention first?

It Started With Sawdust Long Before Anyone Served Supper

Woodworking came first at the Dorf Haus Supper Club, which surprises almost everyone who hears the story. In 1959, Vern and Betty Maier bought a tavern and dance hall from a man named Brownie Breunig.

Vern used the old dance hall for his woodworking business while the tavern kept running. Within a few years, the space turned into a supper club, and the sawdust gave way to dinner plates.

Over the years, the Maiers expanded the restaurant into a dining destination with room for roughly 450 guests. That’s a big leap for a couple who started with a tavern and a workshop.

The name came with help from their high school English teacher, who had also worked as a German translator. Dorf Haus means small village inn, which fits the place perfectly.

Today, their children, Monte Maier and Rebecca Maier-Frey, run the business. That’s 65 years of one family keeping the lights on and the fryers busy.

Rebecca also serves as the marketing and banquet manager, so the family touch reaches nearly every corner. Not bad for a place that once smelled more like sawdust than gravy.

Save Room For The Chicken That Made The Family Name Famous

Every supper club needs a calling card, and here it’s the Maier family fried chicken. It goes back to the early days, when all-you-can-eat fish and chicken dinners helped fill the dining room.

That famous family-style chicken became part of the club’s identity long before social media existed. The Maier family’s famous fried chicken remains a signature part of the supper club’s tradition.

A half chicken is a serious commitment, so plan your appetite accordingly. Skipping lunch is not required, but nobody would blame you.

I like that the dish hasn’t been dressed up with trendy twists or fancy names. It’s fried chicken, made the way this family has made it for decades.

The rest of the menu leans German, which makes this chicken a fun outlier. Order it next to a table full of schnitzel and you get the best of both worlds.

Wisconsin takes its supper club chicken seriously, so earning a reputation here means something. Lasting this long with the same family name on the door means even more.

Fried chicken traditions come and go at plenty of restaurants. At the Dorf Haus, this one simply refuses to leave.

Learn A Little German One Hearty Plate At A Time

Wiener schnitzel, rahmschnitzel, kasseler rippchen, and sauerbraten all show up on this menu. Say them out loud and you’ve basically finished your first German lesson.

Here’s a quick cheat sheet so you can order like a pro. Wiener schnitzel is a tender veal cutlet, while rahmschnitzel features a lightly breaded pork cutlet.

Kasseler rippchen is a smoked pork chop, and sauerbraten is marinated beef. Rouladen, knackwurst, weisswurst, and pork shank round out the lineup for fans of hearty food.

Traditional sides keep things authentic. German potato salad and red cabbage often ride along, and spaetzle, those small German dumplings, shows up too.

The menu also mixes in American supper club staples. Prime rib, barbecue ribs, duck, and steaks give cautious eaters plenty of familiar options.

Friday brings its own spotlight with a fish fry featuring haddock, and cod is available too. It’s a very Wisconsin way to end the work week, German accent or not.

I believe that balance is part of the magic. A group can split between schnitzel lovers and steak loyalists without anyone feeling left out. Feeling bold? Pick the dish you can’t pronounce and call it cultural research.

The Salad Bar Plays By Wonderfully Wisconsin Rules

Most salad bars stop at lettuce and croutons. This one includes fried chicken gizzards, which is about as Wisconsin as a salad bar can get.

Pickled beets bring a bright splash of color to the lineup. Hot bacon dressing for spinach delivers the kind of old-school touch modern salad shops rarely attempt.

A relish tray also fits the classic supper club playbook. It’s the kind of tradition that makes the start of dinner feel like a small celebration.

From-scratch cooking is a big part of the kitchen’s reputation. Creamy liver paté is one example, proving the old recipes still have a home here. Then come the fritters. They are another from-scratch favorite, and they make a strong case for pacing yourself before the main course arrives.

The salad bar shows how the Dorf Haus Supper Club treats even the side stuff with care. Nothing here feels like an afterthought tossed on a plate. I can’t imagine a better warm-up act for a big German dinner. It’s like the opening band that nearly steals the show.

Go easy on round one, though. That Batter Fried Half Chicken is still waiting in the wings.

Half-Timbered Walls Make A Seriously Bold First Impression

Pull into the lot and the first thing you notice is the architecture. The building sports Bavarian-style design with distinctive half-timbered framing that looks lifted from a storybook.

Flower boxes add bursts of color along the front. Ornate shutters finish the look, turning a rural Wisconsin roadside into something that resembles a German village inn.

The style makes total sense once you learn the name. Dorf Haus translates to small village inn, and the outside works hard to live up to it.

I like how committed the whole look feels. Plenty of themed restaurants stop at a sign and a flag, but this place went all in. The setting helps too. The club sits in the small community of Roxbury, which suits the village-inn theme nicely.

Roxbury sits roughly 20 to 25 miles northwest of Madison, so the drive is easy. Still, the view from the parking lot feels like a much longer trip.

Photographers, take note. Those timbered walls and flower boxes make a great backdrop before dinner, especially if your phone needs proof of a charming road trip. Just remember to put the camera down eventually. The food inside deserves your attention too.

Castles And Kings Keep An Eye On Your Dinner

Neuschwanstein Castle hangs on the wall here, at least in painting form. Portraits of King Ludwig II, the Bavarian king tied to that famous castle, add even more royal flair.

The decor leans heavily on authentic antiques and rustic woodwork. Stained glass catches the eye, while wrought iron chandeliers and warm wood tones give the rooms a cozy glow.

Real tablecloths cover the tables, which feels wonderfully old-fashioned. It’s a small detail, but it tells you dinner here is meant to be an occasion.

Servers sometimes wear dirndl skirts, which pushes the Bavarian mood even further. Between the outfits and the artwork, the theme never takes a night off.

The Germans have a word for this kind of atmosphere: Gemütlichkeit. It roughly means a warm, friendly coziness that makes people want to linger.

I believe that word explains the whole place better than any brochure could. The Dorf Haus Supper Club builds its old-world atmosphere on purpose, one antique at a time. Take a slow lap before or after your meal if you can. Nearly every wall seems to have its own little story.

Polka Fans, That Wooden Dance Floor Is Calling Your Name

Some dinners come with background music, and some come with a full oompah soundtrack. Smorgasbord nights here are known for those bouncy tunes, which turn a meal into a small festival.

Live music and dancing are regular features, and a wooden dance floor gives everyone room to move. Bands like The Buttons and Banjo band have taken the stage over the years.

Fall brings the biggest party of the year. Oktoberfest celebrations are a recurring attraction, with the Dorf Kappelle show band performing for the occasion. Prefer piano to polka? Dueling Pianos events have also landed on the calendar, giving the evening a different kind of energy.

Event listings already stretch into 2026 and 2027, so planning ahead is smart. It’s a good sign that this party has no plans to wrap up anytime soon.

I like that dinner here can easily turn into a whole night out. Few restaurants hand you a schnitzel and a dance floor in the same building. Not a dancer? No problem. Tapping your foot under the table still counts, especially once the band gets rolling.

Say I Do Under A Gazebo, Then Dance Into Married Life

The Bavarian Room can hold up to 225 people for a sit-down dinner or 450 for a buffet. That’s enough space for the whole family tree, including the cousins you only see at weddings.

A large wooden dance floor anchors the room. A two-tiered deck leads outside to a flower garden and gazebo, adding a scenic touch to any celebration.

Couples can hold outdoor ceremonies right in that garden or under the gazebo. Then everyone simply heads inside for dinner, which saves a lot of shuttle-bus headaches.

Not every event needs a crowd of hundreds. Smaller rooms are available for more intimate gatherings, so a modest birthday or reunion fits too. Overnight plans get easier too. A rental home across the street gives guests a place to stay for the night or a full weekend of festivities.

I can’t imagine a more convenient setup for a destination party in Wisconsin. You eat, dance, and sleep within a short stroll, and nobody has to navigate country roads late at night.

Rebecca Maier-Frey oversees banquets, so the family connection carries through the planning. That personal touch fits a business built on hospitality since 1959.

Plan Your Route Before Heading Out For Dinner

Mailing labels say Sauk City, but the Dorf Haus Supper Club actually sits in the small German village of Roxbury. You’ll find it at 8931 County Hwy Y, Sauk City, WI 53583.

Timing matters here. Dinner hours can vary by day, so check the restaurant’s latest schedule before making the drive. Mondays and Tuesdays are closed, so skip the early-week surprise visit. Nothing stings quite like pulling into an empty lot with fried chicken on your mind.

Make a day of it before dinner. Sauk City holds the title of Wisconsin’s first incorporated village, and it sits right along the Wisconsin River.

The Great Sauk Trail offers hiking and cycling for anyone wanting to earn their dinner. The Prairie du Sac Dam is known for birdwatching, and Sauk City Riverfront Park adds more river time.

I like how naturally a lazy afternoon outdoors leads into a big supper club meal. Burn a few calories, then replace them with schnitzel. That’s balance. With 65 years of family history behind it, this place shows no sign of slowing down. Your only job is picking which day to go.