Becky's Food and Spirits in Wisconsin: An Above-Par Bar and Grill

It was Nov. 18, 2007, and I had a hunger for something special. It certainly was not just anything special. This was certainly a specific craving that my body had in mind. I was in a mood for what are lovingly referred to as "SUPER nachos". The family and I decided to head towards a local hot spot/favorite to enjoy a nice meal together. Becky's Food and Spirits is located at 294 industrial boulevard in lovely downtown Shell Lake, Wisconsin and this night would be my night to review it. For the time being, let's do this thing.........

We arrived and walked into the building at 5:57 pm and since business was extremely slow at that specific moment, we were told we could seat ourselves anywhere. The immediate seating was surely a comfort seeing as how I do have a 5 year old daughter and anyone who knows much about it knows that trying to teach a lesson about patiently waiting your turn to one that young can be a task in and of itself.

Looking around the place, a sense of welcoming and warmth seemed to creep it's way into my brain. There is a bar attached tot his restaurant, but the way that the two are split is very well done and the bar crowd is kept quite separate from the dining room. The atmosphere as I was saying just beckons you inside in an Isaac Hayes voice and begs you to let it wrap it's arms around you to keep you warm. It has a log cabin feel to it and the chairs and tables reflect the same. Comfortable seating and tables large enough to hold most any amount of food you might order all add to the natural charm of this north woods treasure.

After we chose our table and got settled in, the waitress approached us and took our drink orders. The time was 6pm, merely 3 minutes after we arrived. The waitress was pleasant enough I suppose. She was surely not over the top, which to me is always a good thing. Not much grinds my gears worse than a waiter/tress who has no clue when enough is enough and flat out refuses to acknowledge any none too subtle hints. Anyhow, while we waited for our drinks to arrive my daughter occupied herself by coloring on the brown paper table cloth that was provided for that specific reason. This idea is not necessarily a new one, but it certainly is a smart one. Even the adults can get into the mix if they choose.

Three minutes after taking our drink orders (6:03pm), the waitress returned with our requests in hand (i ordered my usual lemonade) and at that time took our order for food. As I mentioned earlier, my tummy was a rumbling for one specific thing, so my obvious appetizer choice was a half order of those famous super nachos. Just reading it's description on the menu made my taste buds tingle. Luckily I did not have to wait very long to experience this wondrous food in all it's cheesy beefy glory, because due to the lack of heavy customer flow at this time, our appetizer arrived at 6:08pm. So far we have been inside this restaurant for approximately 11 or 12 minutes and already our food order has been taken and our drinks and appetizers are on the table. I will admit that, so far, I was impressed.

The super nachos at Becky's Food And Spirits consist of the traditional corn tortilla chips. Topping these yellow beauties are layers of cheese and ground beef. The beef definitely has some kind of a refreshing kick to it. Sprinkled about around the plate is a mixture of assorted veggies including chopped tomatoes, black olives, and red onions. Cups of salsa and sour cream are also provided. The overall nacho experience was surely a great one. The flavor had a bit of a spicy kick, but it was not too harsh. The way it was put together worked well in that I was not covered in it by the time that I finished. If nachos are a treat you enjoy, I would surely recommend Becky's version. You can even get it to go for those quiet nights in front of a good film.

Our entrees arrived 6:16pm, just as we were nearly finishing our appetizer. Again, with the delivery of our food, the waitress was very pleasant and always smiling, even if she seemed a bit quiet. My order consisted of what is known as a Cajun chicken sandwich and a side of beer battered fries. The sandwich included lettuce, tomato, a boneless skinless chicken breast topped with an assortment of Cajun spices resting between two fluffy, toasted buns. On the side of my plate was a cup of chipotle mayonnaise, which really added an amazing boost to an already great sandwich. The french fries are beer battered and they certainly are a wonder to behold. The outer crust is crispy and crunchy to the bite, but the potato inside is very smooth and delicious. The amount of food was spot on for an appetite the size of mine. I finished satisfied, but not stuffed. That is exactly how I like to feel at the finish of a good, hearty meal.

With one check to see how things were going at 6:20pm, the waitress surely was not overbearing as some waitresses are. Checking back 47 times during the course of one meal is surely uncalled for. I believe she did her job well and was quite pleasant about everything we asked for. She offered to read to us the specials and she made sure to bring crayons and kids menus when she realized we had children. Surprisingly, this is not always the case, so that was nice.

We received our final bill of sale at 6:30 and the payment process was very simple. Upon making our exit, one stop to the restroom was made before we headed for home. The facilities were clean and well kept up and the garbages were kept neat and tidy. The overall cleanliness was decent and aside from a spot here or there, nothing was messed up enough to be called dirty or dingy. Towels and toilet paper were well stocked as well.

My experience at this restaurant was in my opinion above par. It was not perfect by any means, but as far as experiences with the restaurant industry go, this one certainly left me smiling. The atmosphere welcomed me, the wait staff was pleasant, the food was spot on for my personal taste. I would surely recommend Becky's Food And Spirits to anyone who happens to be passing by or simply visiting in or near Shell Lake, Wisconsin. With that said, lets crunch the numbers. My rating will be based on a five straw system and the break down is as follows:

5 straws: Excellent
4 straws: Good
3 straws: Average
2 straws: Needs improvement
1 straw: Abandon all hope ye who enter here

Now on to the actual ratings:

Atmosphere: 4 straws

Overall Cleanliness: 4 straws

Customer Service: 3.5 straws

Quality Of Food: 4.5 straws

Bathroom: 3.5 straws

Now I will figure an average using the numbers above. This process is quite simple, even for me! To average, I will simply add the individual ratings (19.5) and divide them by the number of aspects rated (5).

Becky's Food and Spirits receives an overall score of 3.9 straws