Tom’s Burned Down Café: Wisconsin's Wildest Dive Bar

Do you love visiting dive bars every time you go to Wisconsin? Make sure you plan a trip to Tom's Burned Down Café in La Pointe.

What Is a Dive Bar?

What do you consider a "dive bar"?

READ MORE: The Worst Dive Bar in Wisconsin

Is it a small bar that only serves can beer and has dollar bills or bras hanging from the ceiling?

Is it a bar that has a laid-back vibe and friendly staff and patrons?

Or is it a bar covered in odd décor, mismatched furniture, and tarp-covered walls?

Photo by Ashley Ross on Unsplash

I’ve been to plenty of dive bars in Wisconsin that check the canned beer, dollar bills on the ceiling and laid-back vibes boxes, but tarp walls? That’ll definitely be a first for me!

Tom's Burned Down Café

In the small town of La Pointe, Wisconsin lies an open-air bar called Tom's Burned Down Café that is unlike anything you've ever seen before.

It literally looks like a pile of interesting junk that someone turned into a bar, and I mean that in the nicest way possible:

If looking at that picture has you wondering how a bar like that became a thing, the truth is sad and resilient all at the same time.

Family Destinations Guide says:

The establishment’s name is a nod to its past — a fire in 1992 left nothing but a charred frame.
Rather than rebuild conventionally, Tom Nelson, the owner, embraced the chaos and crafted a bar that feels like a continuous, evolving art project.
What stands now is an open-air bar adorned with a patchwork of tarps, salvaged wood, and mismatched furniture.

What Tom's Burned Down Café lacks in ceilings and walls, they more than make up for in good times and atmosphere. I'm pretty sure I could spend hours at this bar just looking at the unique décor and enjoying live music.

Tom's Burned Down Café is located at 274 Middle Road in La Pointe, Wisconsin, but will be closing down soon for winter, so make sure to plan a trip there ASAP!