Heckel’s Family Restaurants

My husband and I stopped for a late breakfast/​lunch. The food was good and the service was top notch. We will definately go back.

This place is mediocre at best. The hostess is a mumbler and you could tell our waitress has been there for too many years. The continental breakfast at your hotel may be better. «Homemade» and «signature» food, one would expect to be of better — this was not the case.

We stopped in for a late breakfast. Great steak and eggs. Hit the spot. I would go back next time I’m in town.

We wanted a place that served clean steamed veggies for the kids. Nothing fancy there. I figured this would be your typical greasy diner. It turned out to be a great family atmosphere with several unique twists on diner food. I got the Hangover Burger which was slightly better than just «good», not overly greasy. My friend got the Chicken Salad and thought it and the dressing tasted great. Kiddos all had a plenty and didn’t fuss over the veggies. Worth stopping by again to try some of the other items of interest, like desserts!

My husband and I went to heckles for a late dinner tonight, and we’re pleasantly surprised. I ordered the fish dinner (deep fried) with a baked potato and side salad. The fish was great, nice and crispy on the outside and full of flavor. My side salad was as basic as it gets, but I expected that. Oh, and next time I’ll be asking for a little less chives on my baked potato. But otherwise it was great.
My husband got the basic heckles burger, with two patties. He says it was too greasy and would’ve rather tried something else. However he did say the bun was good and fresh. He had the same side salad and felt that the diced tomatoes had been chopped earlier in the day.
We also ordered cheese curds and enjoyed them, but they don’t come close to Milwaukee Burgers cheese curds.
Our server, Krystal, was very attentive and nice. She came when it was appropriate and helped us figure out what to order.
I do however think that this home town food is Slightly overpriced. We paid $ 30 for two people and felt like it was worth a little less. (Maybe the $ 22 dollar range)
We will go back next time were in need of a late dinner.

The two have become one. What was two Big Steer restaurants from my childhood, later renamed «Heckel’s Big Steer» have now been consolidated into one location in the past few years. In fact, they have two huge fiberglass steer *statues at this one location, one with a cheesehead, and one without.
I would guess that this was due to the Hwy 53 bypass, but that’s speculative on my part.
Still, having been a resident of the Eau Claire area for 27 years in my past, it was nice to sit back down in one for lunch yesterday.
We were there with my folks and both of them had their reubens, which looked wonderful on a spiral rye bread. They said that they were not the best they had, but they were still good.
My wife had a gardenburger and didn’t complain, and I had a northwoods taco salad. I call it northwoods because it is a gringo’s interpretation of that which is a Mexican-​inspired menu item. I mean, a taco salad isn’t likely something you’d see someone of hispanic culture eating in their homeland, so it’s always interprative, but Up North it’s one further step removed…
Anwhoo, I knew what I was ordering and wasn’t any more disappointed than I expected to be. The taco shell was a bit thick and leathery, but palatable, and it was filled with chopped chicken, lettuce, black olives, tomatoes, salsa and sour cream. The chicken was flavorless, but with good texture, and the romaine was fresh. The salsa and sour cream were tasty but the black olives looked a tiny bit shrinky.
That said, it was fine. I knew what I was asking for. I’ve had innumerable better taco salads. But I chose it to opt for something other than a burger or breakfast fare.
What was above the fray was the service. There were two servers who helped us, and the team service was great. They met our requests for extra honey and lemon for our hot tea, and my mother’s request for no thousand on her sammich.
They also kept our water glasses filled with silent service, and were neither intrusive nor absent. They were perfect.
Heckel’s is a place where you can get a really nice breakfast, a tasty reuben or burger, and an acceptable northwoods taco salad. The service is prompt and friendly, and dining there is a bit like coming home.
* In full disclosure, my uncle Jerome’s company in Sparta (F.A.S.T. Corp) made these sculptures back in the seventies or eighties for them. So I feel an extra affinity for them.

Very nice restaurant. One of the few places in the area that is open very late in the area. Great service and the food is very good.