Oconomowoc Night Out

My friend Kacey had his birthday last week and invited his friends out for a night of food, drinks and fun in Oconomowoc.We started at Lakerz because they have ample seating for a large group. Check out the birthday boy anxiously awaiting the arrival of his friends (or food, not quite sure which was more important at that moment – LOL).

Our server was absolutely amazing. She wrote down very little and remembered just about everything. At one point our group was up to 18 people and she kept on top of drinks and even separated all our checks at the end.

I was told their burgers are superb and they have a lot of them on the menu so I knew I was going to order one. I went outside the norm and order the Brie burger with chips. It had brie cheese, apricot chipotle spread, mushrooms and bacon. I made a wise choice as this was excellent. I like that the bacon is made into a circle and holds the sauce on the burger. The brie cheese melted from the heat of the patty and made it delicious. The burgers are cooked medium well, but mine was actually more medium. No complaints and I enjoy a my burgers a little more pink.

They also have cute presentations for some of the burgers. Everyone finished their meals with extremely satisfied bellies. But a discussion was started about which place in Oconomowoc has the best burger. The discussion was between Lakerz or Crafty Cow. It seemed to be a 50/50 split from those that have tried both. Unfortunately, I haven’t eaten at Crafty Cow yet to try theirs, but they stuff the fillings between two patties to make a unique burger. I’m hoping to try it out soon and weigh in.

Kacey even got a free birthday shot – he let our server pick and we believe it was a Slippery Nipple because it tasted like butterscotch. He liked it until he found out the name.

Kacey’s Birthday Gang at Lakerz.

Something interesting that Lakerz just added this past week is The Lobster Zone. I didn’t believe it was actually a game at first, but sure enough, you can pay $2 and try to pick up a lobster. If you get it, you get it cooked for you for free. “You catch it, we cook it” is the slogan on the machine. Not sure it’s my thing but it definitely drew people in to check it out.

Next up we made a stop at Crafty Cow for a some “fancy beers” as Kacey called them. Though the place looked really busy, the host quickly pulled tables together for our group and sat us near the back – yay for not having to wait! The only unfortunate thing about this spot is the slow closing back door. A wave of cold came over the table every time someone opened it. Apparently the door used to have a sign asking people to not use it unless necessary, but there was no sign and we shivered from time to time.

Crafty Cow has an industrial-art vibe on the inside – exposed heating and cooling vents and unique art on the wall. I didn’t get a good look at the bar area, but they do have plenty of beers on tap and it changes often.

I was able to find some new beers to try and liked them. I would definitely come back for a beer atan and I definitely need to come back for a burger. But until summer, I don’t want to sit near in the back of the bar.

Our last stop for the night was Splash.  I have been here before and really like the martinis. It also had a patio that overlooks a lake and is really beautiful on a summer night.

Kacey received a free drink on his birthday, but he has to show his ID. This began the discussion of all of us showing our IDs and how different we look since we got them.

I ordered the Wild Elderberry Martini that would be awesome to sip on a hot summer night. It was refreshing and lemony.

The favorite martini of the group is the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and this is Splash’s signature drink to. Our server told us the recipe is top secret and even the employees have to sign a waiver that they won’t give out the recipe.

There was a band playing live music and our friends Angie & Jeremy that recently got engaged, went up and danced a bit. It was really cute to see them so in love.

All in all it was a great night in Oconomowoc with merriment had by all. Downtown Oconomowoc is similar to downtown Waukesha with the selection of bars and shops. I have never shopped in downtown, only enjoyed the eats and drinks, but I think I will have to change that soon.