Stopped in for lunch. Heard the burgers were good and they were. Quaint place with a lot of character. Grill right behind the bar. Friendly greeting by one of the owners. Wifey had a hamburger with a slice of raw onion. I went with the cheeseburger, pepper jack and a slice of raw onion. Split an order of seasoned fries. Burgers were large, guessing 1/3 to 1/2 a pound, coarse ground beef cooked perfectly for us. Fries were piping hot and nicely seasoned. Everything was excellent. Food came hot to the table. Service was fast and friendly. Highly recommend without any reservations. Will head back on a Friday for the fish fry. read more

Before you walk in, take a moment to study the rough-hewn, hand-carved columns outside. Cool. I wonder who made them but didn't bother to ask anyone about their history. Inside, it's all lodge-like knotty cedar on it's high ceiling and walls, and while that may not be novel for this part of the state, it is especially good quality, well-maintained, and nicely designed compared to the interiors of many of the other well-worn taverns in the area. However; that does not carry over to the bar seats that are well worn-out and held together with electric tape. So who cares, no one can see it once their butt is firmly in place. Highly recommended: Prime Rib breakfast every Saturday and Sunday from 8a.m. til 12 p.m. Tender, juicy, lightly browned, served with tasty au jus, eggs your way, and hash browns made "special" with the addition of onion and melted cheese, on request. Noteworthy touches: an adorable, elderly poodle mascot behind the bar, a lazy calico cat with her name embroidered on her own stool, and customers are welcome to bring in their well-behaved pups, as well; I would be remiss not to mention a small but adequate selection of slots in a side room near the screened back door. The requisite beer and alcohol are available but served in plastic "glasses", so do like the natives and drink beer from the bottle. Full, decent quality pub grub menu. Ask the bartender for directions to Trader's tiki bar and food on the adjacent camp grounds on the Wisconsin river. It's called an island and it has the vibe. If the upscale, aggressive bar scene in Chicago is beginning to seem more chore than it's worth, the quasi-dive/restaurants and supper clubs strung like wooden beads on a coir chain along the by-ways of this close-in Driftless Region (Google it) of Wisconsin are well worth the scenic, pastoral drive and time--especially if you're not looking to hook up, fall in love, get married, and have kids. It's simply a great way to unwind, relax, and just be yourself by yourself, with your best buds, or SO--and return home with change for your ten-spot jingling in your pocket. read more

This is definitely THE Friday night nightlife spot around this area. They also have Pool, darts and foosball, pull tabs, and video poker. A digital touchstone jukebox, and TVs with sports on. read more

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Food was very good, they had 4 dogs going in and out of kitchen. One of the dogs passed on my sweater,that I hung over back of chair. Already called health dept. Will be filing a complaint on Monday. There food is very good but will never step foot in that lace again. read more

The food is literally soooo good I could eat the food every day of the week and would not get board of it the food is unbelievably good

Stopped in on my way back from sandbar camping. Food was delicious and cooked to order behind the bar. Friendly bartenders and nice group of local regulars. I even liked the little dogs. Will definitely pay traders a visit on my next trip. read more

We headed up from Chicago to do a little camping and canoeing and had a great time. Traders came recommended by a friend and I can see why. When we arrived on Friday there were thunderstorms so we were advised not to head out to the river and start our trip. Instead, we were escorted down to a campground a few miles from the restaurant, down by the river. (Bonus points awarded for Traders taking our best interests to heart and not allowing us to head out into the storms, as they would have made more $$ if we had paid for a night of canoe rental vs. just campground rental). The campground was fine ($15/night), had very clean porta-potties and firewood available at the bar ($5/bundle). The next day we headed out on our canoe trip. The staff was helpful in deciding how far of a trip we should take (20 miles), picked us up from the campground (where we left our car) and dropped us off upstream. Canoe rental was $45/per canoe /per night (we made our reservation ahead of time). Once you start your canoeing you can stay overnight essentially anywhere. There are lots of sandbars and islands along the way, you just need to pick your spot! This clearly is a popular adventure for lots of people, don't come out here if you're expecting solitude and isolation. I'm not saying it was over-run, but there were definitely always people within eyesight. If you pick a big sandbar you'll probably end up with neighbors, just fyi. Everyone we encountered was friendly and fun, so we didn't mind... it just wasn't the back-country I was expecting! A lot of people also bring their dogs along, so feel free to do that if you have a dog-friendly canine companion. Staying on an island or sandbar means finding wood / kindling is difficult. I would recommend bringing your own or buying it from the bar. Dry bags (waterproof bags) are definitely a good idea. We didn't tip, but it wouldn't have been hard to. The river really varies in depth - one minute it's uber shallow, the next there's a sudden drop-off. Rumor has it the current is deceptive and pretty strong, so have those life jackets on or really close by. How far you should choose to go is dependant on the weather. We did 15 miles against the wind and it took us about 6 hours... but most people said it was windier than they'd ever seen before; usually I think you can do a lot more floating and the current carries you. Day #2 we did 5 miles in a little over an hour... I think that's a better indication of how fast it can go by (that was with paddling most of the way, not floating). BOTTOM LINE: I would definitely go back and definitely use Traders again! Fingers crossed for better weather next time. read more

Traders Bar & Grill - Camping on the Sandbars - Bars Near Me - Arena, Wisconsin

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A group of 9 of us recently camped on their campground and canoed the river for the 4th of July weekend. The owner of the bar and the staff that took us up river with the canoes were extremely friendly and welcomed us. At the time there was a bunch of firewood, probably a half face cord already there and they didn't charge us for it. There wasn't a grill but the owner lent us a grate from the bar that we propped up on some logs to put over the fire. The costs involved was extremely cheap for the campground and canoe rental. We stopped into the bar a couple mornings for breakfast and Bloody Mary's all of which was excellent and very cheap compared to Chicago prices. Two breakfasts and a Bloody Mary totaled out to about $14! I'm used to paying more than twice as much for this. After our canoe trip the staff stopped by check on us to see if we needed anything and hung out for a while. Which in my experience with private campgrounds is pretty rare. It was definitely appreciated. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone and look forward to coming back here in the future. read more

This place was one I looked forward too. They had dogs in the kitchen and I though. Ok. The food was fair but the whole scene was scetch. Being a sconi I thought we'd give it a try. I was so wrong. Don't eat here or go for a drink. Bar tender was hammered or on something I tried to roll us. We paid and ran out. Just not cool. So not cool. I would recommend some where else. At the motel we stayed at I got some rolled eyes. I thought maybe they didn't appreciate down home people. I was wrong. They were right. I'm ashamed I gave them a chance. read more

Stopped in for a drink on a road trip. Bar was empty when we came in. Had 2 call drinks in a tall glass did not ask for doubles nor were they poured. Total 12.50! Next stop, lunch and two rounds a piece. Total cost 30 dollars$! Wow, will never stop in again! Even for canoe rental. What a rip off! read more

Just helping some people who almost drown when a storm came through the area. The EMS team said we should go to Traders campground to retrieve their belongings. The rest of the group was farther up the river with the belongings so it took some time to get them (couple of hours). The canoe company who had rented boats followed the ems instructions and went to this landing. As I drive in the campground, I had a black SUV following very close. Next thing I know he speeds around me going about 30 mph when posted speeds are 5mph. I go to the ambulance to give near drowning people their stuff and this man comes from the black SUV screaming,"get your f@@cking a$$ off my property right now. Get out this is private property get your F@@king a$$ outta here!" We sat in stunned amazement that this was happening and the EMS did not say a word to stop him even though they new some drunk ladies had called him. He then proceeded to call me a b!txh and swore a little more at me and got in my face. (I am a woman btw) My friends were afraid he was going to hit me. The canoe company guy just kept saying we are leaving right now sir. This man was drunk. You could smell the booze on him. If he is the owner and he displays this behavior he won't be in business long nor should he be! Avoid this at all cost. PS. It's run down and dumpy too! read more

Local dive bar..owner is nice and bartenders are accommodating. Come here on the weekend for their amazing Bloody Mary bar. Made with homemade, fresh tomato juice. Simply amazing! Worth the drive for their bloody Mary's alone. I never had food yet, but have seen their burgers and they look yummy! read more

Traders Bar & Grill - Bloody Mary Bar - Bars Near Me - Arena, Wisconsin

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DO NOT GO HERE!!!! Ridiculous Pricing! I would not recommend this location to anyone unless you are just straight up willing to give your money away! My wife and I are avid paddlers and friends of our invited us to join them for two nights of camping (Fri-Sun) and canoeing on Saturday. Campground was fun, definitely a party campground with no real "quiet time", which was nice for a change, we do enjoy sitting around a campfire to the wee hours of the morning. We brought our own canoe and were excited to get out on the river and the young man who came to our site to ask when we were heading out said that he wasn't quite sure but shuttling our canoe would not be an issue. Awesome! On Sunday morning we headed to the bar to pay our tab, in which they never let us pay for anything day of, as I'm guessing they would have people tell them to f$#^ off if they rang them up during their actual purchase. Our tab for two adults for two nights of camping was $80!!!! And on top of that they charged us $25 for our canoe shuttle ( (please note we have been shuttled many times and typically it is a $5-10 charge per boat) and the bundles of wood (which were soaking wet due to the fact they had them just sitting outside the bar) were $7/bundle (x5 bundles). Take the canoes and wood out of the equation, and we just paid $80 for camping two nights and that doesn't even include the other couple! Absolutely ridiculous! In what world do 4 people go to a campsite for two nights and be charged $160 ($80 per couple)! Just for clarity, here are 2 other campgrounds in the area that are significantly cheaper and honestly, much cleaner and better maintained. The campground and "real toilets" are junk! Any amenities they claim to have, are about as low grade as they can be, even with the ridiculous high pricing. Fireside Campground: https://www.firesidecampground.com/rates.html Wisconsin Riverside Resort: https://www.wiriverside.com/tent.php read more

A big group of my friends and I have come up this way every summer for about the last 12 years for canoeing and drinking 'til we pass out. The bar owner also owns a big spot of land for camping on the nearby Wisconsin River, and they also rent canoes for short trips or overnighters. This weekend, it rained on our canoeing parade all day Saturday, so we decided not to go canoeing after all. Camping on their land was $10 a person for the whole weekend, and the canoes would have been $35 a couple for the entire day Saturday, including pick up and drop off at our leisure. However, they did not charge us anything, no deposit or cancellation fee for those canoes! We set up a large tarp shelter, and the camp ground has relatively clean port-a-potties. There's quite a few people who seem to live in their trailers for the season, but everybody is pretty friendly. One star off for the big group of frat boys who played loud, bad MTV rap pretty late, but maybe that's more of a comment on how old my group is getting... Also, the bar itself is your basic country-boys' tavern, but the food is decent, and they have awesome fried cheese curds and super cheap prices. They really work with you to plan a nice weekend getaway, from a two hour canoe trip to an all-weekend affair. I also hear that they'll cater dinner to their campground when you get back from canoeing, though we like to cook, so we haven't done that one yet. read more

This is a great place to plan a weekend camping trip for any size group. I came up with a group of 13 friends for a weekend of camping and tubing and we all had a great time. The bar isn't fancy but they have great food, an awesome Bloody Mary bar in the mornings and a pretty decent selection of beer. We had breakfast here twice and dinner once over the course of the weekend and every meal was good. We didn't have food delivered to the campsite at all but were told that they do offer that as an option. They do a great job of helping plan your trip and coordinating tube or canoe rentals and pick up/drop off as well. We'll be looking to make this an annual trip! read more

Love this place! We went camping and tubing in July and had a great time. The whole staff was super friendly and very helpful. We'll definitely be going back next year! read more

Stopped here for a drink after a hike. Friendly bartender. Six taps but some local stuff. Made food to order and quickly. Very inexpensive. Had the brewer ball game on so gold star. read more

Just spend the weekend here on a canoe trip and the Traders folks were awesome. The camp site, canoes and food was top notch. I would highly recommend this and I plan on going again. read more

If you are looking for a great camp site this is the place. Owner and staff are beyond amazing and so friendly. Prices for camping and floating were cheap. Camp site was clean and nicely taken care of and had water and electricity And the new tiki bar was a blast. We all had a great time n Can't wait for next year. Thank you to all of the trader's staff for making our weekend camping trip that much better. See you next year my sisters. read more

Terrible service, disrespectful people and unsafe shuttles!!! This place does not deserve your business!! We rented canoe equipment from them, purchased an additional shuttle for another canoe and purchased wood, ice and breakfast there. So we spent a decent amount of money with them. Their shuttle was horribly unsafe. It started uncontrollably smoking shuttling us to the river. We thought it was going to burst into flames. What was worse, the door handle was broken and we were trapped in the back of the vehicle until the driver got out and went around to open the door for us. Our safety was seriously compromised. Then they left us on the side of Hwy 19 for an hour and a half, when the facility was only 15 minutes away. The owner, Terry, had a terrible attitude and treated us like garbage when he finally picked us up. They used our drinking water for the trip to pour into the smoking vehicle and he did not purchase water to replace what was used. He said he would reimburse for the water and give us a discount on our trip. Half of our group had to argue with him to get the reimbursement and discount following the trip. When I called to get the discount he promised, he went off on me and called me an ignorant bitch. I could not believe he had the nerve to talk to me like that after putting me in harms way. Do not do business with this place. Do not ride their unsafe shuttles!! read more

My son and I were lucky enough to spend this past Memorial Day weekend with the good folks at Traders Bar & Grill at Arena, Wisconsin. We were looking for an outfitter that would be able to shuttle our kayaks for a trip on the Lower Wisconsin River. After reviewing multiple sites for outfitters, I went with Traders because they offered a complete package with the bar/grill, campsites, and the river outfitting. This truely turned out to be one of my luckiest finds. We were provided with a terrific campsite by the river, large and well maintained. The bar and grill is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner (with boxed lunches available). The food was consistently very good, and like everything else there, the prices are very reasonable. Our kayaks were shuttled upriver (on our schedule) and we were able to paddle back directly to our campsite. The other option would have been to leave from the campsite and get picked up downriver. If you are not expecting frilly resort amenities and just want a good simple outdoor experience, you can't go wrong here. All the staff are friendly, fun,down to earth people that bend over backwards to see that your visit is a good one. They've really got it right. We will be back. read more