Reporters try steak on a burger, grilled chicken and cheese curds at Grizzly's in Manitowoc — latest in the Savor Manitowoc series

MANITOWOC – Wisconsinites love a good, old-fashioned bar-and-restaurant pairing, and Grizzly's in Manitowoc is a great option.

Patti and I are on a mission to try every locally owned restaurant in Manitowoc County — we've been to more than 50 since 2018.

In our last adventure , we tried samosas and tikka masala at The Spices in Manitowoc.

Grizzly's Food and Spirits is owned by Daryl and Trisha Jeske, who also own Grizzly's Pub and Grill in Two Rivers.

They moved into their Manitowoc location on Washington Street more than two years after the previous restaurant, Casa di Amici, closed in July 2021.

“The building is in good repair, and it seems to have everything we need,” Daryl Jeske told the Herald Times Reporter in October, shortly after buying the building. “We didn’t need to do any remodeling, although we may change a few things around to make it work for us.”

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Alisa's angle

I always love a good basket of cheese curds ($8), so when we saw those on the appetizer menu, of course we had to try them. The breading was nice and firm, and the cheese was perfectly soft. They are definitely a great addition to Manitowoc's cheese curd offerings.

For my dinner, I went with the Kodiak steak burger, which was one of the specialties of the day. The burger came topped with shaved steak, fried onions and mushrooms, jalapenos, cheese and a maple bourbon barbecue sauce that was made in-house.

I don't usually enjoy jalapenos, so I surprised myself when I ordered this burger, but I was not disappointed. It was so satisfying, especially with the fried onions and mushrooms, and I loved the sweet barbecue sauce that came with it.

I also ordered a side of onion rings with my burger. Just like with the cheese curds, the breading was firm and slightly crunchy with a sweet onion slice inside. They were a great addition to the meal.

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Patti's perspective

Both the bartender and server were super friendly and accommodating. We were going to dine on the outdoor patio, but opted to move inside because of the day's warm temperatures.

We chose to start with one of Wisconsin’s favorite appetizers — cheese curds ($8). The basket held a generous mound of deep-fried goodness, which was delivered to our table piping hot.

For my entrée, I chose the grilled chicken melt ($11). A huge sandwich served on what I would call Texas toast, I ate about half and boxed the rest for home. Fillings included a chicken breast, melted cheese, mushrooms and onions. I’ve not had that blend of ingredients on a sandwich, and I would definitely recommend it. I paired it with a side of steak fries ($6). These are the nice, thick fries that have plenty of potato taste. They, too, came to the table piping hot.

Next time, I think I would order either a cheeseburger or one of their many pizza options.

Fast facts

Name: Grizzly's Food and Spirits - Manitowoc

Address: 2204 Washington St., Manitowoc

Hours: 4-9 p.m. Tuesdays-Saturdays; noon-8 p.m. Sundays

Menu price range: $6-$28

Parking lot or street parking: Parking lot and street parking

This article is part of the Herald Times Reporter's Savor Manitowoc, an award-winning series that features local restaurants. Reporters Alisa Schafer and Patti Zarling choose a restaurant to sample their offerings and share their experience with readers. Have a restaurant for us to try? Contact Alisa Schafer at aschafer@gannett.com or Patti Zarling at pzarling@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Reporters try steak on a burger, grilled chicken and cheese curds at Grizzly's in Manitowoc — latest in the Savor Manitowoc series