If you find yourself in this part of Wisconsin, Baumgartner's is a must stop. Beer, cheese, and good vibes! We got the tuna melt and the second best chili, both of which were lovely on a cold winter day. Service was awesome, plenty of fun things to look at on the walls, the entire restaurant was in good spirits. read more

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Baumgartner's has great cheese, sandwiches and local craft beer. My husband and I visited to enjoy the famous Big Stinky sandwich. We both enjoy limburger cheese on rye with a nice slice of red onion and at Baumgartner's it is a staple. Of course we washed it down with some New Glarus beer. What more could you ask for....it was the most Wisconsin lunch ever. ;-) The atmosphere at Baumgartner's is casual. The staff are friendly and helpful. Need some local cheese, well, as the name indicates Baumgartner's has plenty of local cheese varieties to choose from. I'd definitely comeback the next time I'm in the state. Thank you for a great experience! read more

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As always. Perfect. Service good. Food great. Atmosphere great. Prices good. You really can't go wrong. No fluff and stuff, just simple.

Since I last reviewed this place over four years ago I thought I would do an update. I have come to the conclusion that this is one of my favorite places - it oozes everything good about Wisconsin and cheese. I love the atmosphere of this combo cheese store, bar, restaurant and Swiss outpost. The decorations and murals are great. I love the old Swiss map and the facts about the cantons. The backroom bar and dining room is fun and lively. Even the sturdy chairs and tables are old school Europe. The food is solid - my wife got the reuben and once again I got the hot pastrami sandwich. Both were winners especially with my favorite a side of brick cheese! The prices are still reasonable which is unusual these days. On the way out we bought some cheese but passed on the landjaeger this time - though it is very good. Hats off to the brothers that own this place - it is a real treasure! read more

Casual, friendly restaurant in downtown Monroe. The burger, chili, and cheese curds were all delicious. Our server was nice and very attentive. This place is definitely worth a visit. read more

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The food was excellent, my favorite all time burger is a Patty melt, I have pretty high standards, this one is absolutely delicious!! Service was fast and friendly! Ambience -It has a friendly, hometown feel when you walk in the door! read more

Came here from out of town to get cheese skirts and of course they were so busy that by the time we got there it was around 11:30am they were already sold out. Other than that location looks good. Seems like they were pretty busy for sure but their front door service was really nice and friendly and even recommended other places around town that we can get cheese curds. read more

It's a fun place to go to. Everyone that works there is extremely nice. They have great specials and if you have someone that's out of town coming in it is a great place to take them to. My only issue with them, as well as other restaurants is when they say that their soups are "housemaid ". People will assume that means homemade and it is not. It's a little play on words, which would make most people assume that the soups are made there. Maybe some of them are, but definitely not all. read more

Great atmosphere. Amazing prices. Wonderful service - thanks Christian C. Love the money on the ceiling from customers that goes to charity annually. We had old fashions, chili, salami & cheddar on dark rye, and a piece of chocolate pie for dessert. Big slabs of salami & cheese and the freshest bread. Place was packed. No wonder. It's a fantastic place. Highly recommended. read more

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I had an afternoon cocktail here and an evening meal and cocktails (all in the same day) while visiting Monroe a few weeks ago. I didn't really look in the deli case up front, but I ordered a sandwich and from the rye to the spicy mustard it was really good. My sandwich also came with a side of cheese, which cracked me up as well as made me so happy...I do love cheese. While in Wisconsin, right??? The bartenders were great. One even checked on me after a guy sat down and tapped my ear off for half an hour. I was fine, but being alone I really appreciated that he noticed. Cute tavern in a cute town. I would definitely go back! read more

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Charming place. Good food and service. Sit outside during the nice weather to enjoy the music from the historic building across the street on the square and the Swiss style architecture of Baumgartner's building. Everyone gets a dive of fresh cheese with your meal! read more

Baumgartner's Cheese Store & Tavern - BBQ pulled pork and a toasty, buttery bun. Yumm - Cheese Shops Near Me - Monroe, Wisconsin

Lots of history and so happy this place was suggested to us. Great food we had soup and burgers.

All eleven thousand Monroe residents must have been on the square today, parking spots were rare. We were fortunate to find one at the front door of Baumgartner's Cheese Store & Tavern. On entering, the tables were as full as the parking. We were escorted to the last table open; at the back of the shop and we were promptly greeted by our server, Alex. He was friendly an quick, read the specials and took our drink order. He returned with our drinks and asked what we favored for our lunches. Helen asked for a cup of tomato basil soup and a swiss cheese sandwich, I ordered the sausage and pepper soup and their Limburger and braunschweiger combo. We enjoyed every bite. prices were moderate. Decor is rustic and decorated with a great deal of humor. This turned out to be an enjoyable adventure worthy of many memories to follow. read more

Spicy Bloody Mary was to die for! Sat outside on the patio under an umbrella and it was perfect. Turkey club was fresh and delicious. Our waitress was so friendly and kind as well. Would go back if I'm ever in Monroe again! read more

Love this place! Have been quite a few times over the years. I'm vegan now so there isn't as much for me to choose from but they were kind and helpful with finding something for me on my last visit, which is their amazing tomato soup! Very delicious, and paired with a New Glarus Two Women, and I could not have been happier. I love taking friends to discover this place. They also were especially kind and helpful when I was there with my 90-year-old mom who has walking and vision difficulties. Give it a try you will love this place! read more

Review # 800 This restaurant was the highlight of our Wisconsin road trip. I loved the place. It has such nostalgia to it. Every wall, every piece of art/decoration inside the restaurant has historical significance. Service by lively employees was phenomenal. They explained the menu and options patiently. We ordered, interacted with friendly patrons, and within no time our food was ready. We took the food outside, sat at the town square and enjoyed the peace and calm of a chill place! We ordered the following: Ian had a hot dog. Mrs. had a roast beef. I had a Pastrami sandwich. 2 amazing desserts to share. Total was $31.65. Food was freshly prepared. You could tell because, it melted in our mouths! Desserts were amazing. Cheese as a topping was unique. I loved it. If you are within 50 miles of Monroe, you should definitely head out here to this amazing restaurant. You will not be disappointed! read more

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Came in my 6,000 mile food tour to I try the infamous limburger and braunschweiger sandwich which was served on rye with onion and sides of mustard. By the second half it was a bit rough, but not their fault lol. It's one of the stinkiest cheeses made allegedly. Neat little spot kind of dive bar meets diner vibes in the back room where I sat. Glad I tried it! read more

Baumgartner's Cheese Store & Tavern - Cheese Shops Near Me - Monroe, Wisconsin

Good sandwiches. Good soup. Good beer. Good selection. Of cheese and Landjaeger. Very nice host and wait staff. read more

Both my wife and i had our arms full at chechout. Fastastic selection. We didnt even see the tavern because we were so focused on the selection. read more

Though it was a rough visit the guys who own it care and made things good. They care about the customers and their business and that means a lot. I will be back for sure. read more

What a treasure in Monroe! Great food that wasn't obviously delivered from a Sysco truck! Great burgers and homemade soups. The special is always fun and new and different. Usually not something you'd find in any bar in this town. The staff is always friendly and they donate thousands of dollars every year to the local schools! read more

We were passing through on our way to a vacation rental, and had to stop in Monroe for some cheese to start the trip off right. I had a cup of the zesty vegetable soup which was quite good, but the star of course, was the grilled cheese sandwich! I had cheddar and it was soooo good. Be sure to order it grilled if you want it that way as the default is a cold cheese sandwich. The cheese was melted to perfection, and the bread was buttery and crisp. The flavor of the cheddar was amazing. Service was fast and friendly, and we loved the covered patio seating overlooking the main town square. We had no trouble finding parking nearby on a Monday at lunchtime. We'll definitely be back on our next trip through town. read more

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For Monroe area, this was 4/5 but if this was compared to other places 3/5. I got their Reuben sandwiches and ginger beef soup. The soup was super delicious. The sandwiches, I would say the Reuben was so salty and the breads were so buttery. I feel like the butter flavor took away the tastiness of the Rueben. the brick cheese was ok. My boyfriend got their ribs. That was very interesting and good. He also got landjaeger and he loved it. It was very meaty and savory. Overall, cute and interesting place to go to if you are in Monroe. read more

Great location, food and service! We've tried different menu options and we' ve never been disappointed. They have outdoor seating where you can bring your four legged pet with you. read more

Always like stopping here. The tomato soup is hardy and delicious. The beers are great. The pastrami sandwich was big enough to split. They have a wonderful selection of cheeses. Sit outside while you can. The downtown is quaint. Huber beer isn't too far away.. Nonetheless the bartender is super helpful and the inside is nostalgic. I'll be back soon! read more

We saw a list of iconic, must-visit Wisconsin restaurants online and this tavern and cheese store was one of the places featured. With no college football we embarked on a large looping road trip from Madison and timed it to visit Monroe around mid day. With social distancing there was about a 30-minute wait for a curb-side table on a gorgeous late summer day. This is a great spot for lunch-but you gotta like cheese. Sandwiches come with a half-inch slab of cheese. The waitress recommended the hard salami with cheddar so that's what I went with. Cold sandwiches like mine come on dark rye with your choice of mustards and a side (chips or maybe some beer cheese soup). Service is friendly but a bit leisurely but hey-what else do you have to do during the pandemic? I was pleased just to be able to eat at a restaurant (with appropriately spaced tables of course). Inside is cool too with big murals about cheese making above the bar. Prices are quite reasonable. In this world of chains, this restaurant feels authentic and is one-of-a-kind. read more

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We took a day trip to Monroe, Wi. We wanted to stop at Baumgartner's . It's been around since 1931. Same menu. Cheese sandwiches, made with local cheese. They have added a few grilled. I also ordered a cup of tomato basil soup. It was delicious. Very thick. I had the daily special, grilled block cheese sandwich. It was done perfectly. My wife had Braunschweiger with local Swiss cheese .I ate half her sandwich. It was great. Served room temp on dark rye. She also order a side of their potato salad. It is made with red potatoes. Also fantastic. I love good potato salad. read more

Baumgartner's Cheese Store & Tavern - Inside the bar 1931 - Cheese Shops Near Me - Monroe, Wisconsin

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My wife and I were on a cross-country trip from Michigan to California, with many stops along the way. One of those stops was in Monroe, Wisconsin. The major purpose for the stop was to have a tour of the New Glarus brewery. One night we went into town to have dinner. Based on reviews here on Yelp, and other word-of-mouth recommendations, we decided to have dinner at Baumgartner's. It was delicious , the service was great, and we love the fact that every meal came with a side of cheese. Highly recommended! read more

Baumgartner's Cheese Store & Tavern - New Glarus beer - Cheese Shops Near Me - Monroe, Wisconsin

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An amazing cheese selection and reasonable prices. Nice stop while wandering the city.

So we've been eating hamburgers in a lot of the local establishments since moving to Monroe three years ago. We had our first Baumgartner's hamburger tonight, and it went straight to the top of the list. Delicious! It was all about the meat, which is locally sourced. The burgers come in several different configurations and they all looked equally delicious. Also had a beer and a cup of their tomato basil soup, which is always available and is excellent. read more

Great food. Had the braunsweiger sandwich. It was good. I had it grilled but I think it would have been better plain on the dark rye. I haven't had this sandwich in years and brought back a lot of memories. I took a pic outside for some people and the fellow who I assumed was Swiss said the pics going straight to Switzerland The Bloody Mary was perfect!!! Ambience wunderbar!!! Waitress, energetic, proud of her work and attentive! read more

Stipped by after the brewers tour and it was 4 minutes walking distance. Both the limburger and liver sausage were good. The Italian beef was a bit too dry amd chili dog was ok. Nice staffs and many cheese selections. There's money sticking to the ceiling and was told those were patrons' donations. read more

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We've been here a few times, as hubby introduced me years ago. It is so good, that we live 2 hrs from here and still go at least once or twice a year. This time was a new experience as the inside was closed for dining and we had a short wait for a table outside. There were benches to sit on while waiting and the weather was perfect, not too hot. We ordered a cheese plate, and a braunschweger sandwich. The cheese plate was enough that I had quite a bit of leftovers to take home. Hubby took the leftover meat/cheese from his sandwich home. We also picked up some apple jack, hard salami and smoked swiss. We really loved the apple jack and salami the most. Hubby had a beer on tap, but don't remember which one. Their prices are considerably low and their menu is small, but what they do, they do extremely well. Worth a 2 hr trip. They also sell Spotted Cow! Try them out, you won't be sorry. read more

Baumgartner's Cheese Store & Tavern - Cheese/Meat Plate - Cheese Shops Near Me - Monroe, Wisconsin

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One of the true restaurant gems in the US. Baumgartner burger with homemade onion jam is spectacular. Lots of history here and never disappoints. read more

I had been looking forward to coming here since my first trip to Wisconsin four years ago. Being a fan of strong cheeses, I could not wait to try the limburger and red onion sandwich. It did not disappoint. The local beers I tried were excellent, and the outside seating on a warm summer evening was outstanding. What was not outstanding was the service. My server had a great personality and I'm sure is a very nice guy. My problem was he would take my order and and then get held up at two larger tables. Although he easily could have brought me the beer I ordered, he would disappear for long periods, only bringing me my drinks with a tray of drinks for the larger tables. Just in case I am seeming picky, I have been a server, and it is pretty easy to have a beer poured , then walk it out while the bartender is pouring out your 12 shots of tequila. And I had to flag him down for refills. Sorry, Jon (or John), I get working for for the tips at large tables is very important part of the business, but what a shame you couldn't give all your patrons a great experience. Which this could have been. read more

A great local lunch place! If you're looking for something truly unique and "Wisconsin" this is it! Sadly, closed when we came back in October for take out because people in Wisconsin don't understand science OR what a pandemic is.... Several cases at the restaurant according to the locals. A real shame. #Covidiots #wearadamnmask #sciencematters #wisconsintavernleague read more

Baumgartner's Cheese Store & Tavern - CLOSED "temporarily" because Wisconsin is a shit show. Multiple Covid cases here. #wearadamnmask - Cheese Shops Near Me - Monroe, Wisconsin

Came here at the suggestion of our tour guide at the National Historic Center for Cheese Making. After the tour our family (2 adults, 3 kids ages 17-11) were all hungry for some cheese. We ordered the large cheese plate, various sandwiches, and even dessert. Everything was delicious! Well...almost...our tour guide warned us about Limburger cheese...so I went for it...I should have asked for a sample! WOW that's some STRONG CHEESE! Anyway, it's a cozy spot. Our family is road-tripping back to Massachusetts, and between The Cheese Museum and Baumgartner's Monroe, WI was WELL WORTH the stop between Madison, WI and Toledo, OH. read more

This place is a Wisconsin classic in every way. A must-stop if you're in the Monroe area. When we get down to Monroe every other year for the Cheese Days festival, this place is on the list of things to do. My wife loves a good Limburger sammie. read more

Baumgarten's was great! The atmosphere was fun with seating outside and fun, quirky decor. The sandwiches were delicious, nice and hot, and good quality. Our waitress and the person who helped us at the cheese counter both had excellent service. Will go back for sure if we're in the area! read more

Awesome must stop place ! The decor and atmosphere alone give it 5 stars. The delicious drinks, cheap prices, and simple yet yummy food earn 5 stars as well!! We got some spotted cow beer (locally brewed) and a Moscow mule. They were exceptionally refreshing. For sandwiches, we of course ordered the braunschweiger (liver sausage) sandwich with onions and cheese. One bite of that took me back to memories of my grandpa eating it all the time and us kids having it on crackers. Great! The pastrami sandwich with melted brick cheese was out of bounds. Pastrami was amazing. Super cheap and reasonable prices ! Must stop in Monroe. read more

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