Anchor Bar and Amnicon SP, Superior, Wisconsin

9/10/12   We searched for a campground near the city of Superior and after some driving around decided on the Amnicon State Park. No facilities but a very pretty park. We paid $10 for a one night non-resident park pass plus a $14 camping fee.  Twenty four dollars for no facilities is pretty expensive. The Wisconsin people we met the previous day thought we should eat at the Anchor Bar in Superior.  Apparently this place was featured on "Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives", a show from the Food Network, as having great hamburgers.  After setting up camp, we drove the 15 miles into Superior and found the Anchor Bar in a run down part of town near the docks.  It was a dive. Dingy, dirty, and full of dusty maritime memorabilia. The bartender had worked there nine years. Why? The bar was occupied by guys watching Monday night pro-football and using a string of four letter words.  I guess they were short on glasses, because one of the guys was drinking his beer from a 1/2 gallon water pitcher.  Jeanne took lots of pictures and we had some of the best hamburgers ever.  Needless to say we ate and left right away.  Ticked that box! We returned to the campground and took pictures of a couple of very scenic waterfalls and a covered bridge in the park. 

We took this from one of the websites.  I can't remember now which one, but it gives a great description of the Anchor Bar. 

"The smell of smoke still seeps out of the walls of the cluttered, dimly lit, sticky countered Anchor Bar and Grill in Superior, WI, home of one of the cheapest and tastiest burgers on the South Shore. Since 1977 the Anchor Bar hasn’t cared if their atmosphere is right or if the waitresses treat the customers well. It is a place where you can get a fantastic hamburger for cheap while you stare at the cluttered walls and ceiling.

The menu is split into three categories; ⅓-pound burgers, bigger burgers, and other grub. There is no appetizer, salad, or dessert menu. Instead there is a warning on the menu stating that “Foods made from animals that are not adequately cooked may contain microorganisms that can cause food borne illness.” That is why they don’t ask you how you want your burger cooked. You get it the way they want to cook it — all you get to decide is if your onions will be cooked or raw.

Bigger burgers like the Gallybuster weigh in at one pound and are topped with three slices of cheese for $5.50. The cashew burger ($3.75) is the cornerstone of the ⅓-pound burgers. It is topped with cheese, onions, and raw cashews, and the menu states, “remember you saw it here first.” The crunch of the cashews and the dripping juice of the meat make for an epic burger experience that can’t be found anywhere else. The cashew burger is an Anchor Bar creation.

The Anchor Bar doesn’t claim to have the finest meat or the nicest cheese. It doesn’t even make a claim. Their burgers are big and cheap; if you don’t like them, the waitress will likely tell you to leave. That is, of course, if the person behind you waiting to get a burger doesn’t tell you first. "

 It doesn't look like much and it isn't.  Except it has some great burgers and fries, the only thing on the menu!

 Ed turned 71 on September 1st and is STILL celebrating!

 I don't know if people actually play these games, but they could if they wanted to because the pieces are all there.

 Just in case you are lost and don't know your way home, there are many maps and globes to show you the way.

 We commented that if one had to buy all this maritime "stuff" in order to decorate a restaurant today, it would cost you a fortune.  All this "stuff" is antiques by now.

 We were sitting at a table right inside the door.  We had to walk up a few steps but then we were surrounded by all the "stuff" in the four pictures above.  It is amazing that one can cram so much into such a small space.  This reminds me of the game "I Spy"!

 Yes, that is a barber's chair on the right.  And below, you will see the female version in the ever popular harvest gold color.

 The Galleybuster is a heart attack waiting to happen, weighing in at one pound, but looks like much more.  We did not have this one!!

 Jeanne had an Olive Burger.  A smaller hamburger with creamed cheese and olives.  The fries are hand cut and delicious.

The bartender also doubled as our crabby waiter.  All the reviews state the staff delights in being rude and we were not disappointed.

 Amnicon State Park about 15 miles outside Superior has a beautiful covered bridge and two waterfalls.  Very peaceful and serene.

These little purple darlings grow wild and were everywhere along the river. 

Once back at the campsite, we sat outside for a bit talking with grandkids back home and enjoying the cool breezes.  We are now in the Central Time Zone so we managed to stay up until 10:30 CT.  Even got a little TV off the bat wings.