LAKESIDE EATS. The newly opened Wissota Café near Chippewa Falls specializes in American comfort food, including (from left to right) a bacon cheeseburger with onion rings, a turkey-spinach wrap with fries, and the popular hot beef sandwich. The café is attached to a BP gas station.

Whether you’re looking for a new spot to get breakfast with friends or you’re compiling a list of the best sammies in the area, there’s a café on the southern tip of Lake Wissota that you should check out: Wissota Café. 

Even on the coldest of days, Wissota Café is filled with warmth and cheeriness.  The walls are adorned with vintage photos of boaters on Lake Wissota as well as the Lake Wissota Dam, and the tables are clothed in delicate black-and-white tablecloths reminiscent of the lake.  Co-owner Tim Bliek explains, “It’s a huge benefit (being so close to the lake). It offers great visibility and good summer traffic.” 

Wissota Café is a hidden gem attached to the Wissota Express on the south end of Lake Wissota; Tim and Lynn Bliek own the café as well as the BP gas station.  As relatable as they are kind, Tim and Lynn strive to create an atmosphere that is warm and welcoming. “We want to provide a good product with friendly service and a pleasant atmosphere,” Lynn explains. “It’s very important – we want people to feel at home.” 

Wissota Café features a menu designed by Teresa Rosendahl, who is also the manager of the café. “Teresa has 25 years of experience in the restaurant industry,” Tim explains. Nodding in agreement, Lynn adds, “She’s done so much for the café.” 

When you look at the menu, the trio’s dedication to the café shows – the menu offers up a variety of classic American comfort foods such as Eggs Benedict, burgers, and sandwiches.  “The hot beef meal and our ‘2 Farm Fresh Eggs’ are the most popular items on the menu,” Tim says.  In addition, they have a special every day, and they recently began serving all-day breakfast on Saturdays and Sundays due to popular demand. 

Another highlight of the menu are the signature hash browns.  “Our hash browns have spinach, quinoa, and garlic cheese pearls in them,” Lynn explains.  “Most people like them, but we also offer American fries for customers who aren’t sure about it,” she adds with a laugh.

In addition to the café, the freshly cooked breakfast and lunch sandwiches are available in the gas station’s convenience store for those looking to grab and go.  Lynn attributes part of their success to the convenience store: “We have many regular customers, and a lot of them go to both the convenience store and the café,“ she says.  “One of our goals is cross-promotion – we’re open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch,” Tim explains.

As for the future, Tim and Lynn have big plans for the café. “We will be opening a drive-through window for the café in the next few weeks,” Tim said.

Some of the long-term goals the pair has are to offer outside dining in summer, to deliver food to the boat landing, and to open up after hours for small events. 

With that said, give Wissota Café a shot the next time you’re messaging your friends about where you should get breakfast. “We hope to provide good customer service with a smile, and a pleasant and homey atmosphere,” Tim said.

Wissota Café • 17255 County Highway X, Chippewa Falls • (715) 861-5615