London Depot — Restaurant in Town of Lake Mills

We like to support local businesses and after checking Google for dinner hours, we brought family to eat dinner at London Depot after our daughter's softball game in Cambridge. When we arrived we were told it would take 10 minutes for the grill to heat up, which we were fine with. Then we mentioned one of our guests needed to have a burger cooked at the corner of the grill, away from the buns, which we were told was no problem. So, we all "tried" to order. One of our guests tried to order but multiple menu items were not available (why are these items still on the menu?), after naming off a few items and being told it wasn't available, the cook (who was sitting, drinking on customer side of the bar when we arrived) told us "we should have gone to Expletive Applebees". Our daughter was standing right there. Nevertheless we all found something on the menu to order; we had a beverage and waited for our food to arrive. Everyone received their food except for our gluten sensitive guest. She was then told "he didn't feel comfortable making her food and being responsible for her feeling sick". If this is the business decision for this establishment, then we should have been told BEFORE we all ordered. Our guest had to sit and watch us eat. We had no opportunity to go eat elsewhere. On top of it, this cook who had his dog in the bar, had to take his dog out because it almost bit one of our guests. The experience was one of the worst I've had and the food wasn't even good. When you're driving through London, WI, keep driving past London Depot. Never again.

In response to owners comments: this is indeed the establishment we visited. A female bartender was working and enlisted the help of the man who owns the old, small dog that was definitely in the bar, to assist in cooking. He was sitting opposite the bar and the bartender mentioned he does work there. She seemed new as she was asking him what food was in stock when we were trying to order. The man took the dog out of the bar and picked up the cup of water for the dog that was on the floor near the grill. We were there on Monday, July 25. I can assure you I wouldn’t post anything negative for a place I never visited. In fact my Google reviews are typically positive for great experiences. Unfortunately, this...

TLDR; Podunk bar not ready to make a meal.

After stopping for dinner, the bartender informed us she didn't know how to make any of the food on the menu other than frozen pizzas. She enlisted the drunk daytime bartender, who was now spending his evening on the customer side of the counter, to turn on the grill and make some burgers.

For a gluten-sensitive member of our party, we requested a burger with no bun, preferably off to the side of the grill away from the rest of our order. Considering we were 80% of the current patrons and the only customers ordering food, it didn't seem like an outrageous request, and the bartender obliged with a smile. We received our order promptly, less the bun-free burger, and were told it would be right up.

After a substantial wait that gave the rest of us time enough to finish our meals, the inebriated line cook refused to serve our gluten-sensitive friend out of a proclaimed fear for their safety. I'd have accepted his excuse as legitimate if I didn't have eyes; he had clearly already turned off the grill and simply forgotten to make the additional burger. After some pseudo victim blaming, he retreated to his barstool and our friend was left with an empty belly.

While I don't expect a rural bar to have a gluten-free menu or the ability to accommodate a gluten sensitive patron, and I can nearly overlook an inebriated like cook spouting F-bombs in front of my 9 year old child (Surely she's heard the language before, and I'll make no waves over coarse language from other patrons, it's a bar after all. However, once you cross to the business side of the counter, you're working, and you'd better put your game face on and use some manners.) our experience with the staff was decidedly unprofessional.

Update Per Owner Comments: Unless there's an alternate establishment at W9696 Main St, London, WI 53523 we were most definitely at London Depot.

The bartender working last night, whom mentioned she only works a night shift every couple of months, enlisted a gentleman from the customer side of the bar to make burgers and said he was another bartender for the establishment. He had a small, elderly dog with him.

Line cook = someone working a grill/station, aka the drunken gentleman...

Enjoyed it! A great local bar, with local clientele. Need I say more? Perhaps where we are and the characters with which we surround ourselves is the same place we find ourselves.

If that makes any sense?

I think what I was trying to say is that is that this is one on those places where you go to get away, only to find you are with other people who are in many ways just like you?

Anyway, I enjoyed my time, the bartender, and the people I met at this bar were all friendly, and welcoming.

Next time, I'm going to...