Foodie Famous

Mars Cheese Castle. Brat Stop. Franks’ Diner. You’ll often hear about these three Kenosha landmarks on television. Many sportscasts will mention Brat Stop and Mars Cheese Castle, given both places are located off Interstate 94/41. You’ll hear about broadcasters and players visiting the famous stops during the “interstate” series of the Brewers-Cubs in baseball and the Bucks-Bulls in basketball.

Kenosha is the unofficial “50-yard line” of the Packers and Bears rivalry given there are so many fans of each team here. In 2012, fans were filmed discussing the football rivalry at Kenosha venues for a piece that aired before a Bears-Packers game on the NFL Network. Similarly, Brat Stop was featured before the two teams faced each other on a Sunday Night Football game on NBC in 2022.

Cheesy Sandwich

Do you know who else likes Mars? The Food Network Sandwich King, Jeff Mauro, declared Mars Cheese Castle's grilled cheese as one of his top-eight sandwiches in the country. He found the perfect provolone and aged cheddar for his sandwich at Mars.

That Guy

Meanwhile, if you’ve been wondering what the renowned Garbage Plate served at Franks’ Diner is all about, just ask Guy Fieri. Yes, that Guy Fieri of Food Network! He’s visited Franks’ Diner twice for his Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives show. The diner was featured in the “Breakfast” episode in season one and later, in the “Small Town Sensations” episode. These episodes re-air from time to time. In 2022, Franks' Diner was also featured on the Small Town Big Deal television show, which is shown on over 150 broadcast stations across the United States.

And that’s not all!

Erica Buskirk, Executive Chef at Twisted Cuisine, was invited to participate in a 2021 episode of Supermarket Stakeout on the Food Network channel. She took part in the filming, though the show never aired. No stranger to working under pressure, in 2016, Erica competed in the Chicago edition of Culinary Fight Club, where her team took first place. In 2017 she was invited to be the Sous Chef for Chef Mark Gaylord as he competed at the World Food Championships.

James Beard Award-winning and Michelin-starred Chef Tony Mantuano is from Kenosha. For nearly 30 years his family owned and operated Mangia Trattoria (later called Mangia Wine Bar) in Kenosha. While it closed in January 2018, as the family moved on to other ventures, the restaurant is fondly remembered for the many special occasions and business meetings held there.

Daniel Bonanno is the Chef/Partner of A Pig in a Fur Coat in Madison, Wisconsin. He’s been recognized with nominations by the James Beard Foundation. Originally from Kenosha, he’s often a guest chef at fundraising events in our community.

Our delicious culinary scene is celebrated each winter during Kenosha Restaurant Week. Numerous locally-owned restaurants, supper clubs, cafés, diners, upscale bistros, pubs, and specialty food shops can be experienced in the Kenosha Area. There is a mix of multi-generational businesses as well as newer ones.

We invite you to come dine in Kenosha … there’s a place at the table for you.