(Review by Katie's grandma)

Tangelo’s Grille is one of my favorite all-time restaurants.  I must be a rare bird, though, because the rest of my family doesn’t seem to care for it.  My husband will accompany me at times just to be polite.  I chose it when my office took me to a birthday lunch, and my boss said, “You chose a CASH BAR?” To sum it up in one word, Tangelo’s is funky.  With a Cuban theme, Tangelo’s is completely unassuming (brown paper napkins and silverware fill buckets) and terminal colorful.  Wild colors decorate the walls and furniture, and wild pictures and artifacts enliven the walls.  An Elvis clock gyrates its pendulum endlessly; commanding most of a wall is a neon-lit  adaptation of Hopper’s “Nighthawks” painting with Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Bogey, and, as bartender, Elvis.  The service is friendly, and the food is spot-on.  (Well, I think it is, anyhow.)  The Cuban sandwiches get the most accolades, but I always order black beans over rice (cooked with genuine ham that tastes like my granny’s smokehouse specials) and the steel drum salad, a divine concoction of big chunks of lettuce, tomato, onions, green pepper, shredded cheese, and a dressing that features Worcestershire, fresh ginger, and something sweet like pomegranate juice.  This is washed down by a tall cup of cinnamon ice tea (I’m not really a wild person). Bottles of killer hot sauce await the masochist. The bathroom (at least the ladies’ one) is tiny but colorful and graced with a Cuba-themed poster, like peppers and their heatness index. At lunch I never have to wait for seating, though finding a parking space within decent walking distance can be a challenge.

Herding three kids (I left one at home) through the cafeteria was a bit of a challenge, but they approved of the selections.  The free wifi that was heavily advertised did not work, even after I hunted down a confused security guard who gave me the network key.

Katie liked the kids' chopsticks, as you can see in this squashy cell phone picture.  I didn't like the setup of this place at all, as one has to belly up to several buffets and then stand around while the food is cooked.  Not good when there are several small kids, even though attendants are standing by to help.  I was also bummed about all my sauce being cooked away, especially when I discovered how dry the meat was.

We had to order our food while sitting in the bar.  Katie really got an eyeful.  We didn't have to wait long despite the crowd, but we felt just a tiny bit rushed as we ate dinner.  The food was all good.  We especially enjoyed the tempura shrimp appetizer with sesame ginger dressing, although I don't think the beer batter on the shrimp was very authentic.  Katie's daddy complained that his gin and tonic was too strong (!); however, Katie's daddy is a lightweight, and the typical Wisconsin diner would probably not mind. 

Not a good place to take the kiddies.  Note the Jägermeister poster in the back with the two ladies getting it on.  And the placemats:

The room in the back where we ate was much darker than it appears in the picture, and the lights were not turned on for us.  But we didn't really mind.  The help was very friendly and the food was great.  Katie couldn't get enough of the fried mushrooms and I was impressed with my Black Forest sandwich.

No kids' menu, not much of a selection and very high prices, but the food was OK.  Tons of atmosphere.

Not just for frozen custard.  This place has an extensive fast-food selection and it's all good.

  A must-see every year.  If for nothing else, the sauerbraten.  That cheese soup in Katie's bread bowl, not so much.  Beware of the rain inside the tent.