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Way up in Ashland County, pretty much at the tippy top of the state, there’s a bar. It’s tough to get to—requiring a ferry trip over the choppy waters of Lake Superior to reach it—and it honestly doesn’t seem like an establishment you’d ever encounter in Wisconsin. However, this business with a backstory that started in tragedy, is now a full-fledged summer drinking destination that’s kitschy, quirky, outspoken, and one of the most unique bars you’ll find in Wisconsin…or anywhere else, for that matter.
Photo: Facebook
Tom’s Burned Down Cafe is located on Madeline Island, in the approximately 400-person town of La Pointe, Wisconsin. Legend has it the place the world now knows as Tom’s (and locals apparently call “Tommy’s”) was originally a bar called Leona’s. When it was lost to a fire in May of 1992, owner Tom Nelson (no, not the same Tom Nelson the Spin Doctors endorsed for Senate in 2022) decided to make the most of a bad situation and started selling drinks out of his car on what was left of the property. The rest was history.
In the 30-plus years since that fire-inspired rebranding, the additions have been made and the structure has evolved to take on a kooky personality all its own.
We say “structure” because Tom’s Burned Down Cafe isn’t really a building so much as it’s a makeshift seasonal bar situated beneath a gigantic tent. We went late last summer (two days in a row!) to take it all in and snap a few pictures along the way.
Though the drink selection isn’t massive, there’s a solid mix of island-suited cocktails, cheap domestics, Mexican beer standbys, and craft options from Wisconsin breweries on hand.
Beyond seating at the bar itself, there are tables scattered throughout the space and a variety of mismatched chairs ranging from old lawn furniture, lounge chairs that most thrift stores would reject, and repurposed bucket seats from motor vehicles.
There’s live music most nights.
And all are welcome.
Tourists or campers visiting from Big Bay State Park on the other side of the island can pay a bartender a few bucks to use of one of Tom’s showers, which are located in its inclusive and interestingly decorated bathrooms.
Whether it’s for aesthetic reasons or, more likely, done to patch up holes or rotten segments of the deck, you’ll find old road signs and license plates screwed to the ground.
Speaking of signs, visitors could kill hours walking around the property and looking at all the signs. Sure, they’re not all winners, but there are some real gems in the bunch.
It’s also worth noting that Tom’s Burned Down Cafe minces no words when it comes to expressing its views on LGBTQ+ rights, environmental issues, and one’s right to choose. So if you’re the type of person who will be upset because a business is advocating for everyone’s basic human rights, maybe just stay home so the rest of us can enjoy this Madeline Island treasure without you.
If you’re looking for an island bar unlike any other or you’re wanting to have a few drinks in an incomparable place that’s a short ferry ride from Bayfield, make your way to Madeline Island and check out Tom’s Burned Down Cafe and tell ’em Milwaukee Record sent you.
