Review of the Grumpy Troll Brewpub in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin

Eat, Drink, and be Grumpy! That's the motto of a small town brewpub in southern Wisconsin. Just a short drive from Madison, the Grumpy Troll is housed in the historic Mount Horeb Creamery building. On a recent Saturday afternoon, I was fortunate enough to finally visit a place I had often heard my family talk about gathering.

When we walked in, the first thing I noticed was how clean it was. For someone who spent many years working in the restaurant business, this was a good sign. Right or wrong, I tend to judge a restaurant not only on their food, but on their turnaround. If a table is vacated, how long before someone clears it? I'm happy to report that the average time was well under a minute. Closer to "here, let me help you with your jacket" fast service. Every table was either occupied or being cleaned and prepared for the next party. The staff understand that they are only making money when someone is sitting at the table. They will not rush you out the door, but once you are on your way, they are eager to see who their next group will be.

Which brings me to the next observation. Most restaurants have at least one or two servers who may not be cut out for their job. Despite the motto, there was not one grumpy server, bartender, hostess, or busperson in the building. If there was, they must have been chained to the dishwasher until their attitude improved.

Our server quickly greeted us and was prompt with our drink order. He never once wrote down a single note, yet my drink arrived just as ordered, no ice and two lemons, our order was precisely as we requested, and he remembered that I wanted dressing for my fries.

The food was delicious. We both ordered the Skogstroll, a mushroom and swiss burger that we honestly could have split and both had more than enough to eat. The beer battered fries were perfectly cooked and obviously fresh from the fryer. This is another plus in my book. For a burger and fries, we paid $7.95, and it was worth every penny.