C-G’s Pub & Grub

Remember the theme to t.v. the show ‘Cheers’…where everybody knows your name? Well, in the friendly burg of Merrimac there is just such a place! I’ve been to C-G’s Pub & Grub twice now and I’m already on a first name basis with the staff… Mary, Les, and Larry… and several of the locals. (shout-​out to Barb and Scott!)
Needing a place to grab a beer and a bite after skiing on a Sunday, and finding several of the other local establishments closed or closing at the preposterously late hour of 6 p.m., we stumbled onto C-G’s and were immediately pulled back into the heyday of local taverns of yesteryear! Back to a time when there were 12 stool taverns in 100’s of towns, villages, and settlements with more than 4 houses, across Wisconsin.
You’re not going to bring your prom date to C-G’s but after a day of skiing, a tour on the motorcycle, or a ride across the nearby Merrimac Ferry, a stop into this place for a bite to eat, a brewski, or a highball, is well worth your time. Right in the heart of downtown Merrimac, as you crest the hill coming from the ferry, is where you’ll find this little gem.
A surprisingly diverse menu of mainly ‘bar food stalwarts’ greets you but there are a few surprises! Mainly Gyros! They are amazingly good! On one of my visits, I had the steak sandwich, which I was more than pleasantly surprised with! Not a thinly sliced piece of sirloin thrown on the griddle and flash fried, this was almost one-​half inch thick throughout the 6 – 7 inch long piece. This is a steak and it was done medium-​rare to perfection! It was not tough or stringy, as some sandwich steaks have a tendency to be, and the bun held up to the bulk of the meat. The only issue I had was that I did not want the grilled onions and green peppers that are part of the ingredient list (which makes it more of a Philly steak) but that part of the order didn’t make it to our chef. It wasn’t an issue though, as another in our party took my veggie scrapings and added them to their pile of grilled veggies on their Polish sausage, which all members of our party who had it, raved about its flavor.
Taking a munch off one of my party’s Polish sandwiches, I can state with authority (as I’ve had many Polish sausages in my day!) that it is right at the top of the heap, very tasty with a nice little spicy kick to it. This is not your run of the mill Polish either! Our first chef Les, told our party that he personally goes to a specialty meat market on the south side of Chicago and brings them back. He told us the name of the purveyor but I apologize, I don’t remember. I’ll ask him the next time I’m in ‘dining in’ and try to post it. On both occasions, everything that our party’s have ordered has been very well received.
The bar situation is pretty basic and you need to know it is cash only. (they do have an ATM though) There aren’t any tap beers but all the bottle choices are nicely displayed on a rack above the bar. =) The liquor choices are fairly basic too (you won’t find any Malört or Compari) but you won’t be coming to C-G’s to have a Negroni anyway. This is a great ‘shot and a beer joint’ with a pool table, an up-​to-​date juke box, a couple tables to play euchre, and video slot machines (the off-​reservation, legal kind). You won’t mind though because an order of three beers, two mixed drinks, and a club soda with lime, will still get you change back from a $ 20!
I honestly would have rated C-G’s Pub & Grill three and a half stars due to the cash only, no tap beer, and no sauerkraut for the Polish but Unilocal’s rating system doesn’t allow that. The food quality and friendly ambiance made it easy to ’round up’ instead of down.
So the next time you’ve made the trek across Lake Wisconsin riding the ferry, or after riding your boards on the ski hill, make the quick drive to C-G’s Pub & Grub. Be sure you say hi to Les!