North Lake Bear Trap — Restaurant in Town of Merton

The Bear Trap consistently delivers a great customer experience. There's almost always a group of locals hanging out at the bar. Sit down, order a beer, and in a few minutes you'll feel right at home. The bartenders and waitstaff are always friendly and attentive. The beer selection for North Lake is decent - there's always a few craft brews on tap, including a few Lakefront beers. The food is very good, however I haven't gone deep into the menu. I will say that the fried cod on Fridays is very good - the batter isn't to thin or thick - the fish is very flakey and tastes great. Things are served SUPER hot, and often there's some unique homemade soup available. No, it's not a big place, and no, it's not super fast. What's your hurry, anyway? Go there because you want to enjoy a drink and quality, homemade food in a relaxed atmosphere. In a hurry? Go to the drive-through...

Fun place with a fun crowd. I stopped in for some live music on a Sunday afternoon and ended up hanging around longer than planned—which is usually a good sign.

Nice big square bar, which makes it easy to grab a seat and talk to just about anyone. Bartender was on top of things—quick with a drink and didn’t vanish like they do at some places.

Food is classic Wisconsin bar fare. Fried, predictable, but decent. You’re not coming here for a culinary awakening, and that’s fine.

Cool location near the lake with that laid-back, up-north feel without actually driving up north.

Top Tom Tip: Keep an eye on their live music schedule—great way to kill a lazy afternoon without feeling like...

We enjoyed a great fish fry at North Lake Bear Trap tonight! We tried the cod - 2 large pieces of fish with rye bread, coleslaw, tarter sauce, and chips (with upgrade choices of potato, onion rings, etc). The cod is nicely seasoned with a light beer batter. Both the sour cream and chive wedges and the crinkle fries were fried perfectly. The tarter sauce was great for dipping with bright green pickle pieces throughout. The meal was overall delicious and reasonably priced. We enjoyed our meal with a few beers and let the atmosphere transport us to a cozy "up north" state of mind. We will be back to try more...