Fort 88 Smokehouse — Restaurant in Fort Atkinson

Had the worst server I think I've ever had at a restaurant for multiple reasons. First off we had a group of 16 we were at the bar and asked for a table they said they would set one up right away...they were not very busy and had a lot of open space and it still took like 20 minutes for them to "set up" a couple menus and silverware...not even enough for all of us. We have children that can't just stand around for 20 minutes like that. Two of us ordered Sierra mist one was brought in a soda glass and one in a pint glass...way different sizes still charged us the same. Clearly the bar is very under educated about serving and making mixed drinks. Two people ordered old fashions...nothing the same. Then when we got to the table we asked for a highchair the guy brought us one and it was absolutely filthy!! Numerous times of dried food and all sorts of dirt and dust like it hadn't been cleaned ever. I asked for a new one or wipe this one off and the guy just stormed off. Another girl brought a second one...same thing. The third girl brought another one...again same thing! I finally asked for a rag to wipe it out myself and the girl responded with, "I just scrubbed it completely down myself and walked away"...I literally took a wet wipe from our diaper bag and wiped one of the handles and got probably BBQ sauce and something else sticky off with one wipe...yeah really "scrubbed down". She lied right to our faces! Then she brought out cold food and couldn't even refill our drinks that had ice filled to the brim. Then she brings the checks and automatically adds 18% gratuity to all of our bills...yet it is not posted anywhere on the wall nor on the menu that "parties bigger than _ will be automatically charged gratuity". When we asked her about it she just said I'll get the manager like she had no idea. The manager then stated, "for large parties it's just a pretty common thing" no! No it's not. You should not force people to tip the amount you want...the waitress should earn her wages not just be able to treat us poorly and still get a percent. We should not have to be forced to pay her money for being a terrible server and on top of it pay for cold food. The manager brought the "tips" back in cash in envelopes because he couldn't not run them with the credit cards. What?! If you don't know how to take care of things don't be a manager. Plus again if your business doesn't post it you shouldn't force people to tip a certain amount. Not everyone deserves it and some deserve more. On top of it the manager asked us, "what did she just not deserve that much or what's the problem for next time?" After telling him all this he still did nothing besides give us envelopes with cash in them. The server wasn't even nice and you could tell she just looked uncomfortable to even be at work. Clean your restaurant especially where kids sit! It should be done after every use because kids in highchairs make messes. The public deserves at least a clean environment and warm food...so disappointed!...

My wife and I visited Fort 88 on July 24 on the recommendation of our son. We were generally pleased with our experience and will likely return. We were promptly received at the door and shown to a table. We opted to dine al fresco on the deck. Service was prompt and attentive. Drinks were served in a reasonable time. Still looking for the perfect vodka martini. But mine was very good anyway. First up was the salad. It was excellent mixture of a variety of veggies including arugula and romaine lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, onions, etc. NO boring iceberg lettuce! Presentation was very good and enhanced our appetites. My chunky bleu cheese dressing was very tasty with actual cheese chunks, which almost never happens at other restaurants. My wife ordered the surf and turf special. She will review her meal in a separate place but I understand stand her shrimp was very good while the filet was good but not great. She felt the steak could do with more seasoning. I ordered the chicken al fredo special. It arrived at the same time as my wife's dinner which is much appreciated by us. It was very hot. It had zucchini, broccoli, squash, and asparagus, all of which I could do without. I picked these out but ate the bell pepper and shallots. The meal was less tastey than I had hoped but was satisfying nonetheless. What stood out was the smoked chicken. It was excellent. Portions were very generous. My criticism of the meal was that it appeared that the entree was heated with the sauce mixed in. This causes the sauce to separate into butter and cheese and negatively affects the taste. The sauce should be gently warmed and then served over the pasta. Imho. Fort 88 is a frontier themed restaurant and of course is located in Fort Atkinson. I don't know if they are a chain. They have a very intriguing menu that appears to emphasize spicy enterees with jalapenos and habeneros. We hope to return in the near future to try some of these. Moderate price for a good experience. Bottom line: Recommended. Worth the drive to Fort Atkinson.

UPDATE: wife, kids and I tried the burgers today. Mine was a bit overdone, but very tasty anyway. The on-tap Stella tasted a bit off. Lines need cleaning? Tasted more like a light beer. Love their waffle cut fries. Huge half-pound burgers make a second meal for me. Very generous portions. Moderate price as before. We will repeat if the turn the music volume down a bit. DEAR MANAGEMENT: the music was way too loud. It was difficult to carry on a conversation with my family at our table. Music shouldn't interfere with placing an order or quiet...

When I think about cities that offer up top notch BBQ restaurants Fort Atkinson does not come to mind until now. Fort 88 Smokehouse is one of the better BBQ joints in all of Wisconsin. Our family ordered the Burnt Ends and Calamari for an appetizer. The burnt ends were smokey goodness with a slight bite of spiciness. The calamari was properly deep fried and had a flavorful coating. I ordered the three meat combo - 1/3lb pulled pork, 1/4 lb brisket and upgraded the third meat to three meaty baby back ribs. This entree also came with coleslaw, cornbread muffin and I added a side of the cowboy beans which are baked beans with bacon. The table had three choices of BBQ sauce - Habanero Hot, Carolina & 88 Smokehouse's Original BBQ sauce. All three sauces were good, but I thought both the Habanero Hot and the Smokehouse original were unique and downright delicious.

EVERYTHING WAS DELICIOUS. The three meats were perfectly prepared. The baked beans were exceptional and the cold slaw, even though it was clearly not made from scratch, was also yummy. The cornbread muffin was above average and for those who can only eat BBQ so often my wife had the Atlantic Salmon and she loved it and she knows her seafood. Gabby was our server and did an excellent job. The restaurant itself is quite large and looked more like a sports bar with many TV's. A very pleasant place to have a scrumptious dinner. We will visit be visiting Fort 88...