Graystone Ale House - De Pere, WI

A hazy sunset came down over Green Bay one Thursday evening while my husband and I went out for dinner with a friend on his way out of the area very soon. It was our last chance to spend some time with this guy that has been a great friend to my husband when we came to Northeast Wisconsin. We decided on Graystone Ale House over in East De Pere, not far from where my husband and I now live. We’ve driven past it several times and always wondered. We ended that curiosity.

Their outdoor dining, while next to the country highway out of Bellevue, is comfortably seated and perfect for a drink or two with friends. Two firepits burned through the evening. It was the last evening of restaurant week, so on a better day I would have indulged myself in the offering. It was a bad day for my stomach, so I ate simply. My husband and our guest were a little more adventurous.

The outdoor area was almost completely full when we arrived, so for the vast majority of our evening, service was a little slow. However, our waitress was always courteous and even warned us of a dish on the restaurant week menu that hadn’t been going over as well with guests that day. It helped our guest make his choice, and he left the meal satisfied as far as I could tell. The staff were working hard, as many wait staffs are right now in the current shortage of workers in the restaurant industry. It’s a time to be patient in the restaurant, and we were.

We sat with our drinks and talked, enjoying our time while our guest ate the bruschetta from the restaurant week menu. Our entrees arrived, and I ate very little of the chicken tenders and fries that I ordered at the time. I have some concerns that the tenders may have been frozen, preprepared items, but I don’t think that’s as much of a problem in the setting as it could be in other locations. Graystone Ale House is an Ale House, after all. The drinking situation is what brings the traffic, and the drinking situation is good.

The draft beer selection is one to celebrate. Fantasy Factory IPA is one of my favorites that I often can’t find on draft, but it’s here. This is a bar in Wisconsin, so of course the Spotted Cow was on tap as well. You can get a good look at their actual bar list on their website.

While my husband kept his drinking selection simple with the ol’ reliable, Spotted Cow, he enjoyed his ‘Rehab Burger’ immensely. I have included a picture even if I wasn’t able to eat any of it. The bacon wrapped sirloin from the restaurant week menu that our guest had is also included in the pictures so you might get an idea of the actual capability of the kitchen. The menu is wide and full of bar favorites, so don’t let the tenders basket I got fool you. We will definitely be returning another time for further experimentation with their menu.

If you’re looking for somewhere comfortable to meet and eat with friends next to a nice fire, Graystone Ale House is one of many places available on the East Side. You can go to their facebook page to see specials, and their website to see their regular menu. ​