The Public House of Williams Bay

Lets start by saying that this restaurant has three locations. I went to the one in Williams Bay, WI. There is another one in Woodstock, IL and also Crystal Lake, IL.

I am giving them my highest rating of 21 out of 25 possible points.

Gluten-free food menu: The link above is to their gluten-free menu. Their selection is outstanding. Their three gluten-free appetizers were selections I’ve not seen in other places. Buffalo wings? Quesadillas? Yesss! We chose the shrimp and mushrooms. This was served with corn chips. Before the plate was even set down, the aroma had me salivating. It was SO good I could have eaten it with a spoon. Garlicky, but not too much. Every bite was an explosion of flavor!

Decor: Lots of dark rich wood. Nicely lit, not so bright your eyes squinted, but no so dark you needed to pull out a flashlight. The tables were organized in a way that you did not feel you were eating with the next table. Everything was clean. Nice music that blended into the background. Staff all dressed neatly in black.

Service: Our server Elliot Taylor was awesome. He was very friendly and had a great sense of humor. He was very knowledgeable about the gluten-free options. For a couple of unusual questions I had about gluten-free items, he did not hesitate to check with the chef. I felt very comfortable, not worrying that I would end up being glutened by the end of the night! The bartender, Steve, who I believe to be one of the owners, was awesome. He made the perfect dirty martini. Twice.

Cost: Under $40 per person. Being the Lake Geneva area we expected it to be a little more expensive so we were not too surprised at the prices. At the bar we had three drinks and one appetizer, it was $35. I believe the quality of the food was better also – warranting a higher price.

Taste: Wowsa. For dinner I had the fish special of Mahi Mahi served with wild rice and steamed vegetables (Mahi Mahi flown in from Hawaii). It came with a big ole salad of mixed spring greens and romaine with fabulous house dressing (roasted garlic vinaigrette). The wild rice was cooked just right………it was not crunchy like often happens when I order this out. The fish was excellently flavored, not overpowering in the least so I could taste the fish and the red pepper cream sauce with each bite. Other items enjoyed at the table – fish fry, “prime” rib eye and a pulled pork sandwich. Only issue……the “prime” was very fatty, but the flavor was great. The desserts were excellent. Sadly they did not have their gluten-free dessert, death by chocolate, so I skipped dessert, but the rest of the table enjoyed deep-fried cheese cake, black tie chocolate cake and turtle ice cream cake. Every bit gone.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed this restaurant. I will come back again AND I would bring guests. If you find yourself in Williams Bay, WI, Woodstock, IL or Crystal Lake, IL – make it a point to stop here and enjoy a meal. You will NOT be disappointed.

Live and LOVE gluten-free!

Nicole