We've been here several times since the last review. Last night may be our last visit as we're leaving Watertown after 28 years. But we'll try to go "one more time". The food is a good as it's ever been. The milkshakes are fantastic. Addressing service - well it depends. It's all about staffing. We've had our slow service visits as well. But last night there was an event at the Town Square across the street, and they were prepared. They kept things moving very well. Old time soda fountains are an endangered species. Watertown has a treasure. Never let go of it. We almost lost Mullen's not too long ago. It would be really sad if it happened again. read more

I've been here a few times throughout my time living in this area. The ice cream is always good (if you like Malts, their chocolate malts are delicious) and I absolutely love the environment of the shop. They have good outdoor seating as well during the summer time. The only downside is that there isn't a lot of space inside but it's a small town so it's to be expected. The service is always pretty decent, nothing to note on that! The food on the other hand hasn't ever been my favorite. The Mac and cheese is basically glorified under seasoned Kraft mac and cheese. I tried a burger recently and it had too much ketchup and mustard on it which made it was hard to eat. The cheese curds are okay but aren't very crispy. Overall, everything is pretty overpriced. It costed me over $16 for a chocolate Malt and a small burger with no side or anything in a small town. Overall, it's definitely a fun spot for a sweet treat with friends but if you're looking for a good bite to eat, I would suggest heading 12 minutes away to Johnson Creek and go to Pinecone or to the Diner downtown if it's open. read more

Mullen's Dairy Bar - Ambiance - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Watertown, Wisconsin

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I was looking forward to come here after I saw the good reviews. I wanted to get a burger, fries and a cone. I arrived and sat down at a booth. One of the workers saw me and went in the back. I sat there a while. There were two workers behind the counter. One was chatting with two customers they were eating. Then it seemed worker came in. I waited till she was finished doing what she was doing. Still, no one had said hello to me or acknowledge that I was there. So I'm taking my money elsewhere. read more

I stopped on a weekday evening, 5 minutes before closing. They closed the doors, but I was able to finish the ice cream. I went for a 3 scoop and a sundae. I think going for 3 scoop is a lot more worth. Blueberry cheesecake, pistachio and toasted coconut were my flavors. All were good. Butter caramel pecan was my sundae. That was good as well, a bit more expensive though. read more

Mullen's Dairy Bar - Butter caramel pecan - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Watertown, Wisconsin

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Great local place for lunch and of course ice cream! It's like taking a step back in time! We had really good soup and a burger followed by locally made ice cream. Service was great, staff was pleasant and the interior very vintage and fun! So glad we found this place driving through town. Worth a stop! read more

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This is one of the best ice cream I've ever had.the service here was fantastic really nice. It has a 50-60 type look real friendly. read more

Mullen's Dairy Bar - Delicious - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Watertown, Wisconsin

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We stopped here after a supper club trip for our dessert! We are from an hour away and this surely was a treat! The ambiance here is out of a time capsule! I am such a history buff that I was taking photos like mad. Gorgeous murals on the building with a seating side-yard, old set up with the dairy bar inside, historical photos and articles all around. They have food AND ice cream. You can sit at the counter or at the booths and someone will serve you or you can do a quick check out at the register. They have quick to-go options like pints, ice cream cookie sandwiches and ice cream cakes! We had some avalanches that we could mix our own toppings into, like a blizzard. They were $8 each, which I didn't think was bad considering it is a small business. However, they are HUGE. They are the size of a LARGE at Dairy Queen. If in the area, stop here, meet friends here, take your kiddos for a treat! read more

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We made a trip out to Watertown on a rainy June Friday evening, just to check this place out. Walking in the door at about 6:15pm, the place was packed. All of the tables were occupied and there were folks standing in front waiting on carryout orders. After a short wait, we found some seats at the bar. My wife and I each ordered the "Big Mullen," a 1/4 lb burger with American cheese, pickles, onions, lettuce, and 1000 island dressing. We ordered fries and onion rings to share. One of my kids ordered mac & cheese and the other a grilled cheese sandwich. The food came out pretty quick! Upon the first bite, my wife commented on the super "salty" taste of the burger. Mine was also really salty. Aside from the extra salt, it was not a bad burger! We were sitting within view of the kitchen window, and at one point after my wife's "salty" comment, one of my kids caught the cook in the act of salting someone elses food. They pointed it out, and soon after, I witnessed it too! Using a pretty decent size salt container, he would upend the container and shower whatever he was salting for several seconds at a time. I ended up seeing this several times before we left. I suppose, if you love salt, this may be your thing. I don't mind it, but I really don't need a 1/4 lb of salt to match my burger. I really cannot believe that this is the Mullen's recipe! Our fries were good (and super salty also). The onion rings were very tasty, probably the star of the meal for us. Our kids enjoyed their mac & cheese and grilled cheese. The ice cream is really good here! They have a pretty big variety of scooped ice cream. I tried a cherry chip malt for dessert and was not disappointed. Everyone else in the family enjoyed their ice cream as well. A little modesty on the salt shaker and I think this would probably have been a 5-star spot for me. I love the small town burger and ice cream shop feel. Maybe we were victim to a rogue, salt-loving cook or maybe thats the way its meant to be here?! Either way, cool place to stop by! read more

Love this spot!! Ice cream is outrageously good!! Diner is precious and so authentic in style. Wait staff very friendly. BLT was amazing but the strawberry ice cream was the definite high point! Highly recommend read more

I love everything about this place: the food, the vibes, the super nice/friendly staff, the desserts The decor & staff is very inviting right from the start. I'm a sucker for a vintage diner feel so this is a new favorite for me - except I live in Chicago so not sure when I'll get to be back Food: The burger buns were toasted so perfectly, I don't think I've ever had a more perfect burger bun. The flavor was there. It was pure bliss 6/5 The fries were so crispy on the outside yet so soft on the inside. Perfect combination 5/5 Even if you don't want food - this is the perfect place to swing by for a dessert. There's plenty options from seasonal flavors to their classics. The outdoor patio is a nice option. Bathroom is very big & accessible which is a huge plus in my book! Parking on site behind the patio area as well as street parking. read more

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Stopped here after a basketball game at Maranatha. Classic dinner feel. We ordered theee big Mullen's, a 1/4# cheeseburger, large fry and cheese curds. Cheese curds were long and salty- delicious. Burgers were awesome. Buns were toasted. Fries were amazing. Crispy on the outside and potatoey in the middle. Would definitely recommend. Order an espresso Oreo waffle cone as we went out the door. Stop here. read more

Mullen's Dairy Bar - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Watertown, Wisconsin

Good ice cream great portions. A little noisy being by the freeway but the food over came that. read more

This place is a real throwback. RC Cola in the soda fountain. Old fashioned ice cream bar. Everything on the menu is good and greasy. This is the perfect restaurant for a town like Watertown, and it's worth a drive if you're even near there. The burgers won't knock your socks off, but they're good enough. The cheese curds are fantastic. The vanilla malt I had was delightful. And given how busy the place was, you know it's popular. The poor kids behind the counter were running their tails off the entire time I was in there. All in all-- a solid little reminder of how places like this used to be. It makes me wish I lived a little closer to Watertown, but I know if I'm in the vicinity at lunch or dinnertime, I will be back. read more

Mullen's Dairy Bar - Burgers, fries, and curds at Mullen's Dairy Bar in Watertown, Wis. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Watertown, Wisconsin

Great cheese curds & awesome ice cream; vanilla of course!! Interior could use an update but it's not the worst.

The employees are so kind, and the food is spectacular, but whenever you go there if you leave before trying some ice cream there is something seriously wrong with you!! The building decorations are so amazing and it makes you feel back in time. read more

Nice place! It brings you back in times, very friendly service. We had burgers and fries and they were good. You can also order birthday cakes custom made with many flavor options! read more

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You ever wish you could visit one of those old school spots where you could grab a shake or a sundae like you see in Scooby-Doo cartoons? As a life long fan of that show, I sure have but thanks to ever changing tastes and trends they're nearly impossible to find. But hey, if you're ever in the small city of Watertown, WI you can try and reenact those good times (can't guarantee the ghosts though). Located in downtown Watertown, Mullen's Dairy Bar has been serving up ice cream treats since 1932. It's old enough that Ray Kroc himself sold Mullen's Multimixer shake makers before helping turn McDonald's into a world wide phenomenon. When you walk in, everything screams old school. Black and white checkered floors. Red and white checkered wallpaper looking like a picnic tablecloth. Stools at the counter with some booths against the wall. I loved it. They have a wide range of ice cream treats to choose from and even some burgers and other fried goodies. I just went simple and got a Blue Moon flavored milkshake. The kiddo got an oreo flavored avalanche (same thing as a DQ blizzard). My milkshake was solid and the kiddo was wishing her avalanche was 3x bigger. Service was fast and friendly. Looked like high school kids on their summer jobs. Anyway, if you happen to be in Watertown, WI and need something to beat the heat Mullen's Dairy Bar has you covered. Maybe next time I'll grab a burger and some curds. Until next year! read more

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Very good fresh tasting ice cream. Large portions than expected for the price. Quick service. Nice to eat inside when the afternoon is chilly outside. read more

Mullen's Dairy Bar - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Watertown, Wisconsin

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We have been going to Mullin's since 1979 when we moved to Watertown. We have since moved away but stop in anytime we are in the area. They serve the best Chocolate Malts we have had anywhere. Today though we went in, seated ourselves, as is the protocol, and were ignored by the two young ladies working there. They were not overwhelmed as there were two other tables occupied. Neither acknowledged our presence there in any way. After five minutes we left without ordering. Now this is unusual there but the situation needs to addressed by management. We hope this was a one off and will return to check it out. read more

This place is so nostalgic! I loved the 50s decor, and all the vintage equipment (shake machine, for example). I appreciated that Mullen's Dairy had several servers, who all kept busy at all times. They were super attentive and helpful My husband and I shared one medium cookies & cream shake. It came complete with leftovers in the metal mixing cup. It was very, very good. We also shared one order of mini-corn dogs served with cheese sauce. They were fried a bit too long, but that didn't stop us from eating every last one. Another neat offering at Mullen's is freshly roasted nuts. We bought a 1/2# bag of cashews for only $5.00. That may be the best deal in the place. They were awesome. Good thing (for my waistline) I don't live nearer to Mullen's.....dangerous. Make Mullen's your destination! read more

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Amazing burgers and cheese curds! Ice cream is home made and pretty darn good too! I tried three flavors and loved two, but wasn't impressed with the cookie dough ice cream unfortunately. I love that they use local cheese curds and have so many flavor options! You can also buy ice cream pints, quarts and maybe gallons to go. read more

Mullen's Dairy Bar - Double cheeseburger and just a handful of the cheese curds we got. - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Watertown, Wisconsin

Worst service I've ever received. Everyone is as upset at the wait to get food or just purchase ice cream. Food wasn't that great and service was so slow we never even tried the ice cream. read more

Very disappointed. My first time there and I had been looking forward to it after all the recommendations. I work 2 blocks from there and called ahead to have a malt ready to pick up on my way to work. I ordered a large black raspberry malt. I picked it up and when I drank it at work it was black cherry, which I dislike because of a texture thing. I called and they then told me they don't have black raspberry. They could have told me that when I ordered. I would have been fine with raspberry but not black cherry. Had they offered to bring me a replacement 2 blocks away) maybe my rating would be better. UPDATE: changed my rating from 1 to 5 stars. This same evening the owner replied to my IM and offered to rectify the wrong order. I really appreciated his prompt response back. read more

Fantastic dairy bar, both looks and tastes the part! The chocolate malted is as good as you are going to find anywhere. read more

Mullen's Dairy Bar - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Watertown, Wisconsin

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Visiting from out of town on a Sunday evening based off the online menu. Arrived to find out that they recently cut the menu in half without changing the information online. We proceeded to order and the staff kept coming back saying they were out of multiple items. The staff was trying, but they seemed flustered as well. They did try to make up for some of the inconveniences though. The drinks were flat and the flavors were off. The food and ice cream were good. read more

The food was so good but we were there for about an hour until we officially got our food, overall we were in Mullen's for 2.5 hours. We had been sitting in a booth and neither of the girls working came to check on us at all, so we moved to the bar and we were still not helped until we had to call one of the girls over. They were not busy at all and the girl working was very rude to us because we had to call her over, they repeatedly forgot things, I ordered fries and I was not served those until I had to ask again. We order mullen's sticks and the kitchen forgot to make them. None of the girls working out front have any awareness to what is happening around them, they ignored us multiple times. Overall I love their food but the service was not it whatsoever. read more

I'm always seeking out vintage old diner types, so when I came across this on Yelp, I couldn't wait to find time to visit. It's definitely a drive out, so we also went out antiquing in Oconomowoc to make it worth the trip. The interior (and exterior) was so charming. I'm not sure what it looked before ownership changed, whats original, that sort of thing. But it definitely all felt like an authentic throwback to its prime. And the service was great. They were very friendly and humored my excitement lol. We had burgers, which were the real-deal classic diner type. Cheese curds and mac and cheese were perfect. I was a little skeptical of ordering mac and cheese, but the noodles were perfect al dente and the cheese was creamy. Our chocolate shake and blue moon ice cream were the cherry on top. Looking forward to finding time to visit again in the summer. read more

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Great flavor offerings. Price is a little steep, especially for the small town of Watertown.

I ordered a single butterscotch pecan sundae and I'd have to say it was the best sundae I've ever eaten! The homemade vanilla ice cream was so creamy yet thick, and they stacked the dish with several layers of pecans to make sure I was never a bite without a crunch. So good!! read more

Mullen's Dairy Bar - Butterscotch pecan sundae - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Watertown, Wisconsin

If you want great food, delicious ice cream and exceptional service, stop into Mullen's in Watertown. The owner and workers are wonderful. The decor is original. The down home service and location on the Main Street makes it worth a visit. We drive from Madison (40 miles) just to here just to have a meal and spend time in the delightful town of Watertown. read more

Always great to step back on time to good old-fashioned creamy ice cream. Hand dipped and ohhhhh spoon good !

The place is old and that's a big part of its charm. It's a fun step back in time. I like their black cows (root beer with vanilla ice cream in a frosted mug) and the cheeseburgers are pretty good. The onion rings are tasty, especially with ranch dressing on the side. Support this little slice of Americana - the chain restaurants will always be there for another day. read more

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Slow food done the right way. The building is historic and clean. They have forgone the the kitsy decorating and just stuck with putting out a few period pieces. You go there for the homade ice cream and the food. My wife and I had lunch together. We split a cup of creamy blue cheese and mushroom soup. I had a big mullen burger, which is their take on a Big Mac. It delivered. They used the standard ingrediants, but only one patty. What set if off belive it or not, was the onion. They used a rough chop on a sweet onion and just sweated it a short while on what must be a well seasoned grill. The result was a combination of savory and sweet. This unexpected flavor balanced the fat from the meat and american cheese, which made this the best Big Mac type burger I have ever had. My wif and I split a huge (2 soda fountain glass full) strawberry malt for desert. I will be back read more

Delicious burgers and the malts are great. I usually get the garlic aioli burger which tastes amazing when fresh and hot!

I never write a negative review without trying a place at least twice..I figure anybody can have a bad day and we all make mistakes..Well I tried this place twice and it was worse the second time so we will never go back. I could be wrong but it appears they hire mostly high school kids or very young people.. This is ok but we all know kids like to fool around and have fun.. They usually need a supervisor to motivate them and make sure the work gets done. Mullens doesn't seem to understand that at all. Both times I went there the employees were either standing around doing nothing or they were playing on their cell phones. Both times I went there it was late afternoon. Not terribly busy but not empty either..I would say their were 10 customers spread out between the counter and the tables. They had at least 4 younger girls working.Two were standing around laughing..One was waiting on a table and the forth was playing with her cell phone. We sat and waited for at least 20 minutes before anybody even acknowledged we were there. When the girl finally did come to our table she knew absolutely nothing about the menu. She didnt even know the prices for ice creams to go.I had to ask her 3 times how much a pint of Cherry/Chocolate chip ice cream was to go.. I also asked for the price of a quart and a pint. First she said $14.00 for a pint. Then she said $8.00 for a quart..I said " a pint cost more then a quart?" That cant be right? Then we ordered our food and she made a few mistakes with that too. All we had was a cheeseburger with cheese curds. My wife just ordered ice cream so its not like we had a huge order. While we were waiting I noticed 2 other couples come and go without service. The first couple just left..I heard the 2nd couple say they waited too long with no service and will never come back as they walked out the door. The kids working seemed to think it was quite funny. One made jokes calling the couple old farts..They were hardly old.. Maybe 35ish? A middle aged short guy came out from the back. I thought maybe he would get these kids to actually wait on people.. Was I wrong. He came out and started making jokes with the employees. Then he went back to wherever he came from.. A few minutes later he came back out to the dining area and asked one of the kids working to go outside for a break.I never saw either one of them come back. Seems like he was more interested in having fun with the kids then he was getting anybody to do any work. So the food finally comes . It was average. Not bad but certainly not good. The portions were average..I assumed the food would be average because the place is know for the ice cream..I was looking forward to getting home and eating my pint of Cherry/Chocolate chip ice cream.. Was I wrong. She goofed that up too. She gave be regular chocolate but I didnt recognize it until I got home .. I dont care for chocolate so I gave it away. Seems like this place hires kids for the majority of its employees. There is nothing wrong with that but kids need a supervisor that gets them to work..This guy did nothing but laugh and take breaks with the kids. I waisted about 40 minutes of my day..I got a very average cheeseburger with curds.My wife got a very basic dish of ice cream. Even my wife said the service was terrible. This is very our of character for her. She spent years working in the food service area so she is usually very sympathetic for the workers. She told me not to leave a tip which never happens with her. We will never go back! read more

Mullen's Dairy Bar is a great place! The slection of ice cream is overwhelming, then you add in the all the sundaes, malts, shakes, cakes, cookies and you can't go wrong with a stop in here. They have a nice menu of dine-in and carryout foods, which adds to that feeling of long gone hangouts of your high school years (maybe showing my age here a little bit). On top of all that the staff is always very helpful and friendly, while working had to keep you satisfied. I really do love this place and my waistline shows it. read more

Update: so after our one terrible experience at Mullens I had to BEG my husband to come back to see it under the new ownership. What a difference! No more drug deal worthy bathrooms! Everything was clean and the place has been completely re-done. I dinged a star because the service was not great - I ran out of water repeatedly and our server would disappear for long stretches. Also, the music was loud, and people were struggling to talk over it. Lastly, the mac and cheese left something to be desired, next time I'll do cheese curds or fries. But the burgers and milkshakes were delicious and the new owner was making rounds talking about all the renovations - so definitely some pride of ownership there. We'll be back! read more

I've really been looking forward to checking out the new owners/renovations. My mother took the kids right after it reopened and had some minor complaints that can be expected with a new restaurant & staff. I decided to wait a bit and they definitely worked out the kinks. Service was a bit slow to start but food came quickly after ordering and the waitress was very attentive. We have the kids chicken tenders a thumbs down (hence 4 instead of 5); they were soft and dry, we like them crispy & juicy. Everyone else was happy with their food: BLT, Double burger, kids corn dogs, kids burger, fries & cheese curds were all delicious as were the generous double scoops of ice cream. We will absolutely be back! read more

Mullen's Dairy Bar - Cheese curds & kids corn dog basket. Yum! - Ice Cream & Frozen Yogurt Near Me - Watertown, Wisconsin

There are currently no Covid safety precautions such as masks or social distancing; however, service has significantly dropped. Wait, 15+ mins when slow to get served. Waiting 30+ mins to get served when busy. No organization or prioritizing bussing tables, seating customers, and taking orders. They could really use wait staff during busy times. Food is average but ice cream is good. That is if they actually make it without being rushed. Their shakes and malts are often not fully mixed along with not being consistent with the few options they have. read more

Favorite No More This family owned establishment was once an out of the way favorite. However, my last two visits have been bleak disappointments due, in large part, to poor food and passive aggressive service by a member of the wait staff. He began his main course of rude conduct by throwing straws at our party when we asked for them followed by the tossing of baskets onto the table. Here's a picture of the "chicken" caesar salad wrap which more closely represented a crouton wrap. It didn't pay to bring it to the attention of"His Rudeness" as neitherme, nor themembers of my party will return. For themoney, quality andservice, you're much better off patronizing Wedl's inJefferson read more