La Crosse Family Restaurant — Restaurant in La Crosse

First note: it has been a couple of years or so since I have set foot in the place; prior to COVID-19 in fact. So in the unlikely situation that the owner has become a responsible restauranteur with a place worthy of respect, then maybe what I say in this review is no longer as applicable. But I doubt that's the case.

I used to like La Crosse Family Restaurant quite a bit. I started going there shortly after it first opened it's doors and hardly more than a week would pass by without me visiting at least once. The food was decent with some things being superior (pancakes). The service was also decent and the prices were highly competitive. What's not to like?

Well, I eventually learned what there was not to like. I'll spare any more suspense: the big problem was sanitation, cleanliness, food handling safety et. al. Go look up the county health inspection reports for the place. Infractions ranged from minor to major over the time I used to bother checking. Besides issues which could lead to food poisoning, more concerning to me were issues like fly infestation in kitchen, a non or improperly functioning dishwasher etc. Things like that can expose people to diseases far more serious than food poisoning. Often times, many of the same infractions would recur in later inspections. Since ignorance can't be to blame, this convinced me that the owner just doesn't take such practices and responsibilities seriously enough.

Additionally, there had been several times where I personally witnessed improper handling of food and other things. For example, a waitress transferring salad to a customer bowl with her bare hand. Or the time there was a mouse running around in the dining room. Not to worry though, an employee promptly stomped on it right there and then; blood, bones, fur and all. I could go on but I won't. I guess if seeing the men's room isn't clue enough for you guys, you might want to look up the health inspection results The La Crosse Tribune used to keep a searchable database; not sure if they still do.

Anyway, it's too bad really. LFR could have been a well deserved favorite of mine. I'm far from being any sort of germaphobe, but I do value my health at least...

My fiancee and I were in the area for a wedding and our Uber driver recommended this restaurant to us. We walked in to a very pleasant atmosphere. Service was quick and friendly despite how busy they were. The look of the restaurant was a little dated but I liked the whole vibe of it, except for some water stains on ceiling tiles and window sills that probably haven't been cleaned in a few days.

Out waitress had waters ready for us right off the bat. We ordered drinks and mozzarella sticks while we were thinking about what to order. Almost exactly when we made up our minds our dinks and appetizer came, along with a small basket of bread and butter, and we put in our order. Both of our soups came out right away.

The mozzarella sticks were amazing and made me realize just how much I missed Wisconsin cheese. The clam chowder was pleasantly warm, not hot, but was also delicious. We had high hopes for the main course, which made it all the more disappointing. I had the chicken philly. It was alright but not great and I only ate about half of it before giving up on it. My fiancee also had a chicken dish but was completely unsatisfied. The chicken looked seasoned but was bland and flavorless and probably from frozen. The rice just tasted like water, and the only part she took more than a bite of was the corn.

Our waitress checked up on us during our meal to see if we needed anything but we just said we're good. Later, when she saw we were finished eating she asked if we needed to-go boxes but we told her no. We could tell she felt bad about it as we told her our honest opinions. She ended up taking both the meals off our bill which we appreciated greatly.

We heard another lady complain about similar problems while we were there and I can't help but think it's a common occurrence there as of late. I'm not sure if it's just the chicken dishes that are bland or the whole main course menu. I noticed most of the customers were older and probably couldn't taste as well as they used to, and the service is friendly enough to keep them coming back, otherwise I'm not sure how the restaurant...

My first expierence there was for biscuits & gravy and they were great. I then took my family there and we have come back 2 other times as well.. we discovered they have no clue how to make steak, my wrap had half the ingredients the menu claims it came with, and then our last time there - tonight - was less than satisfactory as well. Our pancakes were absolutely flavorless. The bacon was burnt and dried up, and broke apart. The sausage was black (literally black) and crispy on the outside. I ordered a biscuit & gravy skillet and my biscuits tasted either microwaved or days old. Waitress checked on us once for refills and didn’t care that my children’s drinks were completely empty - she only asked us adults if we wanted refills.

We were done eating and waited around for a bill and decided to pack up and start walking up to the pay area and then she finally rushed over to us with a bill that only had the total amount on it, not a breakdown of the cost of items. Granted, there was 2 other tables in the entire restaurant.

We did not get a bread basket. Were never offered one. Bathrooms were disgusting and waste basket was so full people had started just throwing paper towels on the ground. Outside was very rundown, everything was dried up and dead (it’s middle of summer. You’d think they’d put an effort into appearance)

We have not gone to a doctor to get a professional opinion but I have a family member who has been having TERRIBLE stomach pains and had been in the bathroom the majority of the time since having left there.. it’s been 2 1/2 hours and is still having issues. Possible food poisoning? We’ve decided after 3 times of going there now and every time they mess something up.. we will not...