On the Road Review: Champion's Bar and Grill

Nice clean bar next to my hotel and easy walking distance from Lambeau. The restaurant became a local sensation when it was featured on Man v. Food on The Travel Channel.

Their claim to fame is a 6lb burger named "the Gravedigger" after fan favorite Gilbert Brown, a member of the '96 Superbowl winning team.

I was not eating for 6-8 people tonight, so I went with the other fan favorite here, the Brat Burger.

A 1/3 pound angus patty topped with a patty formed from a brat, onions and cheese, the brat burger is a staple of local bars, and while ok, this one does not measure up to the one I had at Skip's Diner earlier in the week. It was well cooked and seasoned, but nothing special.

Service was slow in a nearly empty bar, and the food could be found in nearly any bar in America. A decent bar to pass the time of an evening. But the food won't be dragging you back. Come on down if The Grave Digger challenge intrigues though, it must be something to see.

On the Road Review: Green Bay Distillery

The Green Bay distillery is located just blocks from Lambeau Field, and is one of the larger bars in town. The bar ASPIRES to distilling, but thus far has only managed a few vodka infusions, none of which inspire as creative. Every college kid has tried infusing vodka with jolly ranchers for crying out loud.

The Curds and rings were hand dipped, and perfectly fried, if a bit over salted. The best I've had in town at this point.

Burger was obviously a frozen patty with nothing to distinguish it from 100 others in this town. It arrived over cooked but well seasoned.

A nice bar with decent appetizers, but not a first choice for a meal.

On the Road Review: Kroll's West - Green Bay

The Butter Burger....freaking amazing!

A Ruben Pizza?!?

When you step into Kroll's West, it feels like stepping back in time. It looks like it must have when the stadium was built. This place has been featured twice on The Travel Channel's Man v. Food, and it is easy to see why.

Kroll's Butter burger was a thing of beauty. Creaminess of the fresh butter on the beef was amazing. Brought out tightly wrapped in wax paper just like it was 40 years ago, you can tell that tradition is vital to this place as much as it is to this town.

Ruben pizza unique, but flavor just not quite there. I think I was missing the spicy bite of rye, and the dressing didn't quite have the zip of a good Russian dressing.

It is easy to see why Kroll's is still a fixture in this town. In a town known for its food, this place is truly a slice of fatboy heaven.

On The Road Review: Curly's Pub (at Lambeau)

As part of the renovations of Lambeau field that began in 1997, an atrium was added to make the stadium more of a destination spot. Included among the plans for a retail store and the Packer's Hall of Fame was a restaurant named Curly's, after Curly Lambeau, the founder of the Packers.

Probably the most eaten at restaurant in town, Curly's is your typical pub, with several items that stand out from other sports bars that surround this temple of football.

One of these standouts is the Beer cheese and bacon burger on pretzel bun. The bun is chewy but soft with the great flavor and texture of a well made soft pretzel. The creamy sharp flavor of the beer cheese combines with the bacon and beef to create an amazing burger.

Waffle fries were seasoned well, without being sponges for grease.

All together Curly's is a unique experience. At any given time you may encounter players and front office personnel dining here with friends and family, or a raucous crowd cheering on the Brewers or Packers.

Curly's and the entire atrium are a must see slice of Fat Boy Heaven.

On The Road Review: Skip's Diner

Skip's Diner

When I asked locals where to find the best burger in Green Bay I received two answers consistently, Kroll's West and Skip's Diner. I was then told that if I wanted to try Skip's to go early and bring cash.

When I arrived at Skip's Diner I was greeted by a sign informing me that debit and credit cards were not welcome. While it may seem old fashioned and out of touch, this told me that I was in the right kind of place. Skip's has great prices and a classic lunch counter menu.

Skip's Burger - 1/3lb angus patty, cheese, brat patty, and fried onions. With fries $5.85

Cheese curds - the Wisconsin national food, $2

This burger was amazing. I had never before had a brat patty, but I came to find the brat burger is found on many menus in Green Bay. The burger was perfectly cooked, and one of the five best I've ever eaten. Juicy and full of flavor, without all of the over seasoning so commonly found in small restaurants.

The cheese curds were perfectly fried and not greasy, a difficult accomplishment when breaking and frying cheddar cheese.

If you find yourself in Green Bay, Skip's Diner deserves a place on your dining schedule. This IS Fat Boy Heaven folks.

On the road review: Brett Favre's Steak House

Brett Favre's shadow looms large over Green Bay, and nowhere more so than his own restaurant. A great taste of southern favorites not usually found here have made it a popular choice, and in this part of the country a steak is never out of place.

Service started out very good. My first drink was in my hand in about 5 minutes, and my order was in. Twenty minutes later I have a fresh drink, but still no sign of my appetizer.

Fifteen minutes later my crab cakes finally arrive with an explanation from a new waitress that the kitchen lost my ticket.
Crab cakes are definitely southern style. Nice chunks of celery, bell pepper and onion contrast with the almost creamy texture of the crab very well. Nice touch of Cajun seasoning gives you a little heat without beating you over the head with the spice.

After finishing the crab cakes my dinner arrived within five minutes, definitely showing that the service issues were with the kitchen, not the wait staff. My New York Strip was perfectly cooked to medium as ordered. A nice light hand with the seasoning brought out the flavor of the meat perfectly. The sweet potato was served with a wonderful compound butter of brown sugar, nutmeg, and butter that brought a wonderful sweetness to the meal, and complimented the steak wonderfully.

For dessert I went with the waitress' recommendation of Red Velvet Cake. Brett's Red velvet cake has dense buttercream in place of cream-cheese frosting that is more commonly found in the north. Buttercream is more traditional down south, and I had not had it on Red Velvet since I moved from Florida.

It is the small things that make the difference, and they definitely made this place a slice of Fat Boy Heaven instead of just another steakhouse.