Driftless Café

“Good energy equals good food. Surrounded by over two hundred certified organic farms in Vernon County alone, The Driftless Café utilizes the vast bounty and passion of the local farming community. We purchased the café in 2013 with the idea that we could create a restaurant that was about more than just food – we wanted to showcase the amazing farmers and food artisans that call this place home.”

Dan Badtke oyster mushrooms and local chicken of the woods mushrooms with Brovo Amaro and house-made pané rustica, Birdsong Ridge mustard greens, and organic Meyer lemon oil; River Root farm greens with Lake Michigan smoked lake trout, Scenic Valley strawberries, Montrachet goat cheese, red onion, and rhubarb balsamic vinaigrette.

Tucked in the tiny town of Viroqua, Driftless Café is a Midwestern gem. Chef Luke Zahm, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Ruthie, works closely with nearby farms; the restaurant is amid the highest concentration of organic farms in the country. As such, dinner menus are finalized just hours before the meal is served. Experience farm-to-table eating at this outstanding eatery.

“A reverent homage to the land through inventive farm-to-table menus and masterful flavors ... The café is a magnet for locals and visitors alike who appreciate rustic cuisine and sustainable ingredients grown nearby. Chef Zahm’s menu is all heart, strained through a nouvelle cuisine-farmboy aesthetic.” –Bill Addison, Eater