The Black Forest Bar & Grille

The earliest accounts of this location tells us it began as a tiny telephone office but became another Three Lakes iconic Cy Williams building design when it was transformed into The Black Forest. It has been a beloved landmark ever since and today includes the restored Skip Wagner mural on the east side of the building,

The Black Forest remains a fine food destination for both locals and visitors. The exterior of the building compliments the interior which remains true to its origins in the 1930's and invokes as many feelings as the food served inside. The Black Forest is irreplaceable as a snapshot of history.

It remains a public place and deserves a stop.

Over the years the Black Forest Pub & Grille has served as a gathering place for Three Lakes visitors and locals alike to share a drink or enjoy a warm meal, but this Three Lakes landmark wasn’t always a place for meeting and eating; prior to becoming a tavern, this building served as both the Western Union and a dentist office. This all changed in 1934 when Orville Basch entered the scene. 

Orville was the original proprietor of the Black Forest and sought the help of a local architect and former Major League Baseball player Frederick “Cy” Williams to help him transform the building into a tavern. Orville commissioned Cy to model the tavern after the beer gardens of Germany’s Black Forest and the attractive Old Heidelberg Inn featured at Chicago’s 1933 World’s Fair. 

Many of the features of the Black Forest today retain their classic look from the early days of the tavern such as the beamed cathedral ceilings in the dining room, the original bar from 1934, and structure which help keep alive the original vision and character of the building envisioned by Orville at its inception. Over the years elements of the tavern have changed, such as the addition of a bowling alley which remained until the 1990s when a roof cave-in caused the transition of this space into a game room.

The tavern has hosted famous Three Lakes legends like entertainer Skip Wagner. The Black Forest has continued to serve the community as a popular destination for locals and visitors.

Three Lakes Historical Society. The Pine, the Plow, and the Pioneer . Volume 1. Eagle River, WI. Hahn Printing, 1983.

Three Lakes Historical Society. The Pine, the Plow, and the Pioneer . Volume 2. Eagle River, WI. Hahn Printing, 1984.