This place once hid bootleggers… and now it piles your plate with endless fish.
Tucked away in Wisconsin, this former Prohibition hideout still carries the thrill of secrecy — only now the real indulgence is fried perch, golden cod, and second helpings that never seem to stop.
Friday nights here feel almost ceremonial.
Families gather. Plates refill. Old Fashioneds clink.
Time slows down somewhere between the first bite and “just one more piece.”
History lingers in the walls. Comfort rules the tables.
At The Duck Inn Supper Club in Delavan, rebellion turned into ritual — and dinner is still worth sneaking out for.
A Prohibition-Era Speakeasy That Refused to Fade Away
Before neon signs and Instagram check-ins, there was a quiet knock and a whispered password. The Duck Inn began as a true Prohibition hideaway, tucked off the road where locals could duck in for contraband spirits and hush-hush camaraderie.
That illicit spark never died, it just learned to smile for the camera and pour Old Fashioneds without fear.
Walk inside today and the air still feels conspiratorial, like the walls remember every clink from 1931. Wood paneling gleams, lamps cast a soft glow, and the bar hums with the same mix of mischief and welcome that kept regulars returning.
You can almost hear a bootlegger’s laugh ride the rim of your glass.
What makes it special is continuity. The place honors its origins without turning them into a museum exhibit.
History is a living ingredient here, folded into recipes, rituals, and the way a bartender asks about your week.
Where You’ll Find It
You will not stumble into The Duck Inn by accident, and that is half the charm. It sits at N6214 WI-89 in the township of Richmond, just outside Delavan, where the countryside rolls and headlights stitch the dusk.
That slight remove from town feels intentional, a lingering echo of when secrecy kept doors swinging.
Being outside city limits also shaped its destiny. After Prohibition, the rules changed and food became the ticket to pour a legal drink.
Here, geography met grit, and a speakeasy learned to invite guests for dinner instead of whispers.
Pull off the highway and the building appears like a beacon, warm as a porch light on a cold night. Parking is easy, stars are generous, and the entry promises both comfort and a little ceremony.
Step in and let the road fall away behind you.
How a Speakeasy Became a Supper Club
When the 18th Amendment finally loosened its grip, the celebration came with conditions. Liquor licenses were now linked to kitchens, and the places that once served winks began serving full plates.
The Duck Inn adapted with style, trading backroom shots for white tablecloths and proper menus.
This evolution did not erase its rebellious past. Instead, it layered hospitality over history, making dinner feel like a sanctioned secret shared by the whole room.
Cocktails and courses moved in step, and the supper club tradition took root.
Think of it as a story you can taste. A crisp salad, a basket of warm bread, a bracing Old Fashioned, and you are participating in an era-spanning pivot.
The bar still sparkles with memory, but the dining room is the future that saved it.
The Legendary Friday Fish Fry Tradition
Friday arrives and the room hums like a hymn everyone knows by heart. Platters of beer-battered perch, cod, and smelt sail from the kitchen, golden and audibly crisp.
You break a piece, steam escapes, and the first bite tastes like lake breezes and neighborhood chatter.
Sides are not afterthoughts. Potato pancakes come lacy at the edges, fries land hot and salted, and applesauce cools everything with a gentle sweetness.
There is rye bread for swiping tartar sauce and a lemon wedge that brightens every crunch.
It is ritual more than meal, a Midwest handshake that says you belong. Servers move with practiced grace, refilling plates before you even think to ask.
By the second round, you are anchored in a tradition that feels both celebratory and soothing.
All-You-Can-Eat Comfort Meets Classic Wisconsin Dining
All-you-can-eat here does not shout. It smiles, nudges another plate toward you, and tells a story about last winter’s snow.
The focus is abundance with manners, the kind that encourages conversation to stretch as generously as the servings.
You settle in, trade bites, and compare favorite sides like old friends even if you just met. Refills glide in without ceremony, keeping the table lively and the pace unhurried.
It is hospitality measured not in speed but in staying power.
Wisconsin dining shines when community leads. Long tables make room for laughter, and the bar’s glow hangs like a blessing over every basket.
When you finally lean back, full and content, the only hurry is deciding which dessert you will share anyway.
A Menu Built Around Its Name
With a name like The Duck Inn, the headliner is obvious and delicious. Roasted half duck arrives lacquered and aromatic, skin shattering delicately to reveal succulent meat.
Sauces lean classic, letting the bird’s richness carry the melody.
But the ensemble cast matters too. Steaks sear with confident char, seafood feels fresh and unfussy, and sides nod to tradition without slipping into cliché.
House-made desserts close the curtain with a wink and a fork.
The menu reads like a promise kept to regulars who crave familiarity and to newcomers seeking a signature moment. You can chase nostalgia or try something bold, and both choices feel right.
Order duck, and you will understand why the name has lasted.
Dining Rooms With Vintage Character
The dining rooms wear their years like well-loved leather. Restored spaces from the late 1920s and 1930s show off sturdy woods, duck motifs, and softly aged textures that invite you to linger.
Booths cradle conversations, and every lamp seems tuned to flattery.
Look closely and you will spot stories in the details. Framed photos, small carvings, and time-polished trim act like guideposts through the decades.
The vibe is country cozy, but the execution is quietly elegant.
You feel sheltered from the rush outside. The layout offers intimate corners and lively stretches, meeting date nights and family gatherings with equal grace.
It is the kind of room that makes dinner taste better before the first bite lands.
A Cocktail Culture Rooted in Tradition
Order an Old Fashioned and watch the ritual unfold. Brandy, bitters, sugar, citrus, and the right amount of ice turn into something both familiar and a little theatrical.
The first sip settles the room around you like a favorite sweater.
Martinis arrive crisp and cold, and specialty cocktails play friendly with the classics. This is a bar that respects lineage, where technique matters and shortcuts are politely ignored.
Your glass is part of the experience, not just a prelude.
Pair sips with supper and the evening snaps into focus. The cadence of cocktails and courses defines the Wisconsin supper club rhythm.
Here, tradition does not feel dusty, it feels deliciously alive.
Restored and Revived for Modern Guests
In 1994, Jeff Karbash took the helm and chose restoration over reinvention. The mission was simple: protect the soul, polish the experience.
The result feels like casual fine dining wrapped in a country embrace, equal parts polish and warmth.
Original character was preserved, not posed. Materials were refreshed, lighting refined, and service sharpened to meet modern expectations without sanding away history.
You notice it in the way chairs feel sturdy and the way the room glows.
Guests benefit most. The supper club breathes easier, hosts bigger smiles, and still tells the same great story with clearer diction.
It is a thoughtful revival that invites new regulars while honoring the old guard.
Essential Visitor Info
Planning is easy and rewarding here. The address is N6214 WI-89, Delavan, Wisconsin, with a quick call to (608) 883-6988 if you want details or a reservation.
Expect traditional supper club fare anchored by that beloved Friday fish fry.
The atmosphere is historic, family-friendly, and relaxed, with the kind of casual fine-dining touch that makes a birthday feel extra but not fussy. Banquet spaces flex from small gatherings to larger celebrations, so your crew fits comfortably.
Parking is straightforward, and the country setting eases the arrival.
Come hungry, come curious, and plan time to linger. You are stepping into living history that still cooks with heart.
One visit often becomes a ritual, which is exactly how supper clubs are meant to work.