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Nelsen's Hall Bitters Pub
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
3 reviews for Nelsen's Hall Bitters Pub
This place is great. Not only because of the history that is deeply rooted in this establishment, but just the fun you can have hanging out with the locals and chatting with the bartenders/servers.
The food here is always good. It is not an elaborate menu, but pretty standard. Again, it's still good food. Hang out, have a good meal, a cheap drink - and then face the inevitable.
Most people, if you come to the island enough, know that you have to get your Bitters Card. You need to take, "The Cure". It has become tradition that this place has been serving Bitters to customers since the days of prohibition, now, you can be a part of that history.
Step up to the bar, and tell the bartender you need to take your shot and get your card. They set you up, and you take your shot! You then get to sign the book and say how much you loved it! Ha! Then, you get to sign your Bitters Card, and carry it with you proudly! It is valid for one year, so that means you need to go back every year to keep yourself in the Bitters Club.
Great place, and I never miss it when I am on the island.
If you are ever so lucky as to set foot on Washington Island, then you already know all about Nelsen's Hall. Besides it being THE official social hub on the Island, it's a place of great history, integrity and raucous 'Sconi-styled partying.
I had the unique opportunity to work a summer at Nelsen's as a bartender and can say that working and hanging out there generated some of my fondest summer memories ever! It's the sort of place that you always feel at home. A place where you can get a beer, find out all the news and island gossip and eat a delicious burger. Back in the days of prohibition, Tom Nelsen, the original proprietor, was able to obtain a license to sell Angostura Bitters for medicinal purposes, regardless of the fact that it is 45% Alcohol. And so it came to be that Nelsen's still serves this brown liquor and is the largest purveyor in the world, in fact. Take a shot and you get a membership card into the "Bitter's Club." Come weekends on Washington Island, Nelsen's is the place to be on the rock, often having live music or DJ Chuckie from Northwest Indiana!! If you buy Chuckie a Jaeger Bomb, he'll play your favorite songs and might try to steal your girlfriend. If you want a delicious meal, step over to the dining room. They serve everything from a great burger to a killer Prime Rib. Practically everything is homemade and beyond delicious. Really, a review could never do this place justice. You simply have to experience Nelsen's Hall for yourself, should you ever encounter the opportunity.
People thought this was:
- Cool (1)
Good bar food, but that's besides the point. It's a great place to hang out on the island, plus a great experience taking your bitter shot, signing the guest book and getting your card. Then have a beer, play the dice game and look for Elvis.