Forget Your Usual Fish Dinner Because This Wisconsin Supper Club Has Other Plans

Friday fish fry here comes three ways: broasted, baked, or deep-fried cod. That alone would earn a spot on any Wisconsin dinner list. But the same kitchen also slow-roasts prime rib three nights a week.

The building has been feeding people since the mid-1950s. It has worn several names over the decades. In October 2022, a kitchen fire shut it down for months. Then it came back. The rebuild kept the wood paneling, the cozy booths, and those classic accordion dividers.

I appreciate that nobody tried to turn it into something shiny and forgettable.

Every dinner starts with warm bread, homemade soup, and a trip to the salad bar. I can picture a table full of hungry relatives debating their favorite dinner specials. Something tells me the only thing everyone would agree on is coming back again.

A Comeback Story You Can Actually Taste

Plenty of restaurants close for good after a big kitchen fire. Maple Tree Supper Club took a different route after its October 2022 blaze. The damage was serious, and the doors stayed shut for months. Then, on June 27, 2023, the dining room opened again to hungry Wisconsin diners.

That return mattered for more than one reason. The supper club had changed hands not long before, so the new owners faced a huge test early on.

Justin Couey and Cliff White took over the supper club after Gary Seiler retired in 2020. Both were longtime employees, so they knew the place from the inside out. They bought it from Gary Seiler, who had run the business since the 1980s.

So the people running things today aren’t strangers trying to copy a classic. They learned it shift by shift before taking the keys.

That kind of handoff feels rare these days. It also explains why the place still feels like itself after a fire, a rebuild, and new names on the paperwork. Good luck finding a better reason to cheer for a dinner spot.

Three Ways To Get Your Friday Cod

Choices are the whole point on Friday. The fish fry at this supper club features cod served lightly breaded, battered, or baked. That small detail changes the usual routine. Most fish fries hand you one style and call it a night.

Here, you can match the cod to your mood. Want something crispy and classic? Deep-fried makes sense. Feeling a little lighter? Baked is right there waiting.

Battered cod is another tempting option for anyone craving a crispy Friday dinner. The kitchen also serves broasted chicken. The seafood list doesn’t stop with cod either. Walleye and jumbo shrimp also show up on the menu, so the fish fans at your table get options.

Friday hours run a bit later than midweek, with the kitchen open until 9:30 p.m. Doors open at 4 p.m., so an early arrival is smart. Weekend reservations aren’t part of the deal, so planning ahead means showing up ahead. Think of it as a small price for a big Friday tradition.

Honestly, picking between three styles might be the hardest decision of your whole week.

The Prime Rib Gets Its Own Weekend Spotlight

Thursday, Friday, and Saturday belong to the prime rib. That’s when the famous special lands on tables, slow-roasted and ready to steal the show. It’s easy to see why the fish fry has competition. A Friday visit means you could pick cod or prime rib, and both are worth the trip.

The supper club describes its prime rib as juicy and tender. That’s a bold promise, and the cut has built a strong reputation around it. Timing still matters on these nights. Specials like this can run out, so arriving closer to 4 p.m. gives you the best shot.

Steak lovers have backup plans too. The menu includes Ribeye and Tenderloin, so nobody at the table gets stuck without a hearty option. Saturday adds baby back ribs as a featured dinner. That means the weekend lineup could feed a whole family of meat fans with zero arguments.

Okay, maybe a few arguments. Somebody always wants to try everything. My advice? Bring a friend who orders differently than you do. Sharing a bite is the easiest way to sample the best of the menu.

Every Night Has Its Own Personality

Tuesday is meatloaf night. Wednesday brings a buffet, and Thursday leans on Swiss steak for comfort-food fans. That weekly rhythm gives Maple Tree Supper Club a homey feel. It’s a bit like having a grandma who cooks a different favorite each day.

These dinners join daily chef specials and weekly homemade dinners. So even regular visitors have reasons to come back on different nights.

The Wednesday buffet stands out because few supper clubs still do one midweek. It’s a nice choice for anyone who likes to sample a little of everything.

Broasted chicken also deserves a mention here. It’s one of the menu items the supper club highlights as a crowd favorite, and it fits any night.

Keep in mind that Sunday and Monday are closed days. The dining room runs Tuesday through Saturday, starting at 4 p.m. each night. Midweek hours end at 8:30 p.m., so plan dinner on the earlier side. Late snackers will want to save their visit for Friday or Saturday.

Pick your night based on your cravings. Meatloaf, buffet, Swiss steak, fish, or ribs, the calendar basically writes your dinner plans for you.

Save Room For Bread, Soup, And That Salad Bar

Warm bread shows up before the main event even begins. Dinners here come with freshly baked bread, homemade soup, and a trip to the salad bar. That’s a lot of food before your entree arrives. Pace yourself, or you’ll be packing leftovers before the steak hits the table.

The salad bar has a few details worth knowing. It features homemade croutons and a cheese spread, which feel like true supper club touches.

Homemade croutons may sound like a small thing. Still, they show a kitchen that cares about details most places buy in a bag. The soups rotate, so you never quite know what’s coming. That surprise is part of the fun on every visit.

Plenty of supper clubs have trimmed back their salad bars over the years. Seeing one still going strong feels like a nice nod to tradition.

Kids usually love building their own plates too. Letting them choose toppings can keep everyone happy while the grown-ups wait for dinner. Just a friendly warning: the bread is hard to stop eating. Leave a little room, because the entree is still on its way.

Wood Paneling That Survived The Rebuild

Rebuilding after a fire gave the owners a blank slate. Instead of going sleek and modern, they kept the classic supper club look.

The renovated dining room features wood wainscoting and paneling. Wood accordion dividers still separate the seating sections, just like an old-school Wisconsin dinner spot should.

Those dividers are a fun detail. They let the room open up for bigger crowds or close off for smaller, cozier gatherings. Ample booths line the space too. Booths always make dinner feel more relaxed, especially for families or longer conversations.

A spacious bar area rounds out the setup. It’s a natural place to wait for a table on busy nights.

The overall mood leans nostalgic without feeling dusty. It’s comfortable and friendly, the kind of room that suits birthdays and ordinary Tuesdays alike.

I appreciate a rebuild that respects history. Too many places lose their charm when they modernize, and this one clearly didn’t. Take a moment to look around once you’re seated. The wood tones and booths tell you exactly what kind of night you’re in for.

Seventy Years Of Dinners Under Different Names

Long before the maple leaf branding, this spot answered to other names. Rozzie’s, Herbie’s, and Conrad’s all came before it. The site has worked as a restaurant since the mid-1950s. That’s roughly seven decades of suppers served on the same stretch of highway.

Gary Seiler introduced the Maple Tree name in 1984 and later sold the business to two longtime employees in 2020. Think about how much has changed since the 1950s. Cars, phones, and music all transformed, yet people kept showing up here for dinner.

That kind of staying power says something. A restaurant doesn’t last this long in Wisconsin without earning loyalty one plate at a time.

History buffs will enjoy knowing this before they visit. It makes a simple dinner feel connected to generations of families who sat nearby. Fun fact for your table: ask who can guess the earlier names. Rosi’s usually stumps everyone, and it makes great small talk while the bread arrives.

Your Next Big Celebration Might Belong Here

Birthdays, anniversaries, and retirements all need a good home. Maple Tree Supper Club offers banquet facilities built for exactly those moments. The list of events is wide. Wedding receptions, business meetings, and company holiday parties all make the cut.

Menus are flexible too. Groups can choose family-style dining or work out a customized menu for the occasion. Family-style service fits the supper club spirit nicely. Passing platters around a big table feels warm, casual, and a little bit festive.

Custom menus help when your crowd has strong opinions. Maybe Aunt Linda insists on broasted chicken, and that’s a fair request.

Planning ahead is wise for banquets. Holiday season parties especially tend to fill calendars fast, so reach out early. The setting does a lot of the heavy lifting. Wood paneling and a cozy atmosphere mean you won’t need tons of decorations.

So if you’re stuck on where to host the next family milestone, put this place on the shortlist. A celebration with prime rib nearby is hard to beat.

Just A Quick Drive From Madison

Getting here is refreshingly simple. The supper club sits at 6010 US Highway 51, McFarland, WI 53558. That puts it close to Madison, Wisconsin. It’s about two miles south of Highways 12 and 18, the road locals call the Beltline.

For Madison folks, that’s barely a road trip. You can leave work, hop on the highway, and be eating bread before you know it. Visitors exploring the capital area can work it into their plans too. It makes a great dinner stop after a day around town.

Remember the schedule before you head out. Doors open at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, with Sunday and Monday closed. Maple Tree Supper Club proves a short drive can lead to a big dinner. Bring your crew, pick your night, and let the cod and prime rib decide the rest.