A Tropical Paradise in Southern Wisconsin: Sand Bar & Island Grill

Updated: Nov 1

Enter into a tropical paradise in the Midwest!

Looking for a tropical get away but don't have time to make the trip? Here's a place that gives you that Florida vacation feel without leaving the Midwest! The Sand Bar & Island Grill in Twins Lakes, Wisconsin will have you ready to pop open the mini umbrella in your Mai Tai, put on some shades, and watch the waves roll in on Elizabeth Lake.

The menu is a long list of popular items that you may see in Florida such as the Bang Bang Shrimp, Crab Cakes, and Sesame Seared Tuna. Those items are at the start of the menu in the appetizers. The rest of the menu continues on with wraps, salads, and more seafood! If seafood is just not your thing, don't worry. There are plenty of other choices to choose from without missing out on that Florida feel. They not only have burgers but burgers with a tropical twist. You can order a Maui burger or even a Paradise burger. The food is very hearty and you won't leave still feeling hungry.

Come for the drinks! Hang out at the Tiki Bar with your meal or after. The drink menu is, of course, full of fun tropical drinks including Pina Colada and Island Paloma. You can order a traditional drink with a tropical twist like the Tiki Old Fashion. There is also a wide variety of wine and beer choices to choose from too!

A bonus feature that Sand Bar & Island Grill has is a boat launch! Bring your boat and cruise Elizabeth Lake. When you are done riding the waves and having fun in the sun, stop in at Sand Bar & Island Grill for drinks and a meal. With a lake view restaurant you can continue enjoying the view of Elizabeth Lake and watch other boats cruise by. The restaurant is smaller in size but they also have outdoor seating available with shade. Reservations are recommended during busier hours.

A big tip before you go to Sand Bar & Island Grill, check their Facebook page for updated open hours. They are closed during the winter and hours can very during the rest of the year.

My Experience

Looking from the outside I started to feel the Florida vibe heading into a beach shack. With the restaurant being located at a boat launch, I wasn't too surprised that the bathrooms were located outside. What I was surprised by was the secondary outdoor seating area. It is a large outdoor hut with plenty of space and we were even tempted to request to be seated outside. When we first walked in we were immersed into a world of tropical paradise. We didn't miss Florida because we really felt like we were in Florida! We got lucky with our seating right next to the window. Perfect view of the lake and while still being surrounded by the decorative atmosphere. With bright colors from the ceiling, to the chairs, and floor, it was truly eye catching seeing everything so themed. The atmosphere was very welcoming and made you want to stay and hang out like you're on vacation. The service was top notch and made you feel like you were visiting at a Florida resort.

The food was amazing! I was very pleasantly surprised. Sometimes with seafood, it can be on the bland side or very basic. Every food item that we tried was bursting with flavor. Each dish had a variety of different fruits or vegetables making the meal very hearty. The food was just as bright and colorful as the room. I ordered the lobster roll as my main dish. There was a lot of bread but there was plenty of lobster to match. Every bite that I took was so flavorful. It was filling me up even though I wanted more. The crab cakes were a thumbs up for me! They were larger in size than your average crab cake. Even though we ordered the crab cakes as an appetizer, I could have easily had those as my main dish. With the large menu, I definitely want to go back to try more. This is a place that I will be coming back to again and again!

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Location

3101 E Lake Shore Dr.

Twin Lakes, WI. 53181