Alpine Inn - La Crosse, WI

One of my favorite places to have a beer in La Crosse, WI is the Alpine Inn high atop Grandad Bluff, the highest bluff in the area, towering 590 feet above the city.  First opened in the early 60's, the Alpine Inn specializes in cold beer, good sandwiches and a fun time.   

When I was in La Crosse recently, I went up the bluff to take some pictures of a beautiful early fall day.   Here's a shot of the University of Wisconsin - La Crosse campus.  The Mississippi River is barely visible in the distance and beyond that, the apple tree bluffs of Minnesota. 

This is a picture of downtown La Crosse.  The bridge over the Mississippi is easily identifiable in the distance.  The leaves were just getting ready to change when I was there.  I was just a little too early. 

I thought while I was up there, I'd stop in and have a cold beer at the Alpine Inn (see map).  Cindy and I have been up there before - we had a burger up there one time and it was pretty good.  There was one other guy in the place when I was in there and he was playing some video game.  I got a beer and talked with the bartender. 

He said the original building was built in the 1940's, but he wasn't certain what was originally there.  He said, "I'm 37 and it's been a bar all my life." 

He told me that sometime in the 60's, the original owners of the Alpine Inn added a section on to the west side of the building, practically quadrupling the space.  They also added an outdoor deck that allowed for a nice view into the valley. 

The people who own the Alpine Inn now added tiers to the back deck a few years ago, allowing for a top deck, middle deck and a ground deck area, along with a sand volleyball pit.  Here's a picture of the back deck area from the upper deck outside the building.

The bartender was telling me about the city's Oktoberfest celebration and how they just had thousands of people at the Alpine Inn the weekend before.  I said, "Thousands?!  Where do you put everybody?  And better yet - where in the hell does everyone park?"

He said they have a shuttle service from the Oktoberfest grounds in downtown La Crosse, and the back area and along the east side hold all the people.  He said, "It's wall to wall.  You can't move, people are stumbling drunk, it's a madhouse, but it's the most fun you can have.  It is easily our biggest day of the year."   

I just can't fathom thousands of people at the Alpine Inn, even outdoors.  But if you want to experience a quaint Wisconsin tavern, and get a nice view up the road a bit, it's tough to beat the Alpine Inn.

Comments

[Anne Trennedy]

My dad told me that the Alpine Inn used to be a snack shack before it became a bar. It's one of my favorite places to go when I get back to La Crosse!

[Anne Trennedy]

My dad told me that the Alpine Inn used to be a snack shack before it became a bar. It's one of my favorite places to go when I get back to La Crosse!