Recipes U.S. Recipes U.S. Recipes by State Wisconsin Recipes 14 Recipes To Give You a Taste of the Legendary Wisconsin Supper Club Salad Bar What can be so special about a salad bar, you ask? That's a question only asked by those who've never been to a supper club salad bar in Wisconsin! By Diana Moutsopoulos Diana Moutsopoulos Diana Moutsopoulos is a food writer, recipe developer, Greek cuisine expert, and an Editorial Director at Allrecipes. Allrecipes' editorial guidelines Published on October 19, 2024 Close Photo: Dotdash Meredith Food Studios The Wisconsin supper club is a state institution. More than just a restaurant, it's a community gathering place where you'll find friends and family enjoying a cocktail (like a Brandy Old Fashioned) before dinner—with steak, seafood, and Friday fish fries all standard fare. But it's what comes in between that is one of the most beloved institutions within the institution, and that is the not-so-humble salad bar. In fact, legend has it that a Wisconsin supper club was home to the first salad bar in the country back in the 1950s. What can be so special about a salad bar, you ask? That's a question only asked by those who've never been to a supper club salad bar in Wisconsin! To give you a taste, we've rounded up our best supper club salad bar-inspired recipes so that you can see what a Wisconsin salad bar experience is all about. 01 of 15 Easy Chicken Liver Pate lutzflcat Liver pâté may not be a salad bar staple all over the country, but Wisconsin is a different story. Supper clubs all over the state serve liver pâté either at the salad bar or on their relish tray — a complimentary tray of fresh veggies, dips, and other accoutrements that is served with drinks before the meal. This easy liver pâté is one you might find at a Wisconsin supper club, or you might be offered one made with braunschweiger. View Recipe 02 of 15 Crostini D'Emily Naples34102 Emily probably didn't guess her crostini recipe would end up in a roundup of Wisconsin salad bar recipes, but these mini garlic toasts are just what you'd find on a supper club salad bar as a crunchy addition to your plate — perfect to go with the pâté, but also delicious on their own. View Recipe 03 of 15 Traditional Three Bean Salad Yolanda Humby This sweet and vinegary salad is a must on supper club salad bars across the Badger State. View Recipe 04 of 15 Pickled Herring and Cucumber Salad Mic Hendrickson Pickled herring is usually offered on its own on a Wisconsin salad bar, and here, it's mixed with cucumbers to kick things up a notch. You'd be more likely to find pickled herring in western Wisconsin where Scandinavians settled in large numbers, versus the eastern side of the state that was historically more German. View Recipe 05 of 15 Broccoli Salad Bobby Darapureddi This crunchy broccoli salad sounds like it shouldn't work, but it just does. Raw broccoli is mixed with a sweet and salty mix of bacon, raisins, and mayonnaise. It's not a salad bar "must" in Wisconsin, but you'll see it on offer at many supper clubs across the state. View Recipe 06 of 15 Restaurant-Style Coleslaw LaurenM Creamy coleslaw is always a welcome addition to any salad bar, and that's no exception in Wisconsin! View Recipe 07 of 15 Magnificent Macaroni Salad Dotdash Meredith Food Studios A creamy mayo-based macaroni salad is a Wisconsin supper club salad bar stalwart. Variations abound, but it would not be uncommon to find chunks of cheese in your Wisco macaroni salad — it is America's Dairyland, after all. View Recipe 08 of 15 Sauerkraut Salad Caroline C Sauerkraut salad might not be pervasive across all corners of the state, but it's popular among some supper club crowds, like at Roepke's Village Inn in Charlesburg, which pays homage to the town's German heritage by continuing to serve German favorites. View Recipe 09 of 15 Dad's Creamy Cucumber Salad cheesemite Another favorite is a creamy cucumber salad, and Dad's version has rave reviews for a reason! "When I saw this recipe I hoped it would be good, thought it sounded good. After making it, I can honestly say it was better than I had hoped," says reviewer Just Dave. View Recipe 10 of 15 Potato Salad naples34102 Potato salad is another salad bar staple that you'll find in supper clubs across the state in various incarnations. This all-time favorite American potato salad fits the bill, but you could also try Red Potato Salad or German Potato Salad. View Recipe 11 of 15 Salad Dressings lutzflcat Sure, bottled dressings are totally fine, but if you're thinking of recreating a Wisconsin supper club salad bar at home, you may want to create one of these classic dressings from scratch: Pictured: Homemade French Dressing Roquefort Dressing Homemade Buttermilk Ranch View Recipe 12 of 15 Wisconsin Native's Beer Cheese Soup Dianne Whitney You'll be hard pressed to find a salad bar at a Wisconsin supper club that doesn't offer homemade soup as well. It's one reason why you can often find the "soup and salad bar" available on the menu to order as A Meal In Itself! This Wisconsin beer and cheese soup is a perennial favorite. Our Best Beer Cheese Soup Recipes View Recipe 13 of 15 Pistachio Fluff Fruit Salad Simply known as "Fluff," this salad (of sorts) is an omnipresent sweet treat on salad bars across the state. While "Fluff" may come in a variety of flavors, this pistachio version is always a classic. View Recipe 14 of 15 Easy Chocolate Pudding lutzflcat Chocolate pudding and/or Jell-O are the other two sweet dishes you're likely to find on a Wisconsin supper club salad bar. Because who doesn't love a little something sweet before the main event? View Recipe 15 of 15 More Inspiration bd.weld From the supper club classic Surf and Turf to our entire collection of Wisconsin Recipes, we have lots more to inspire you! Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit