Review: Great River Roadhouse

The Great River Roadhouse on U.S. 35 in DeSoto, WI was a very pleasant surprise. When we first moved to Viroqua, we were disappointed that the only pizza place in town was Pizza Hut. Since we tend to be pizzaholics, this was a concern. Then we tried the Great River Roadhouse.

The first thing you notice when you enter the Great River Roadhouse is the atmosphere. The exterior resembles a northwoods lodge which is continued in to the interior. Stuffed animals and antique handsaws share space with neon beer signs and nautical hardware like boat pulleys and lanterns. Through the front windows you can watch tug boats pushing barges down the mighty Mississippi River which is right across the road. The view to the Mississippi is occasionally obscured by a passing freight train, which serves to add to, rather than detract from, the atmosphere.

Of course, the atmosphere is just window dressing. The real star is the pizza. The Great River Roadhouse pizza features a thin crust that serves as a strong foundation for a slightly sweet sauce and mounds of cheese and other toppings. I’ve never had a bad pizza at The Great River Roadhouse. My favorites include sausage and mushroom, taco, BLT (very good), and my all-time favorite buffalo pie, which has wing sauce, chicken, onions, and cheese. It’s fantastic.

We’ve had the opportunity to sample pizza from around Wisconsin and have never found a pie that can touch the Great River Roadhouse. On a scale of 1 to 10, I would rate the pizza at the Great River Roadhouse as a solid 7.5 (and I’m even leaning toward 8). It is the best pizza we have had outside of Chicago.