Leystra’s Venture Restaurant

Good, inexpensive breakfast joint. Serves all the breakfast classics in an acceptable fashion. Service is friendly. Very family oriented (therefore, kid friendly). Always big extended family meals going on whenever I go into the place. Atmosphere is a little dated, not in a cool retro way, but not so bad that it detracts significantly from the dining experience. Probably not worth driving out of your way to try, but a place to get a good meal if you are in the area.

I went through a roller coaster of feelings about this place, so for that I’ll land on a three and perhaps give them another go sometime down the road.
We stopped by on a Saturday morning and were promptly seated. The décor leaves a lot to be desired (molded plastic booths with «wood» finish, plain white walls with (admittedly cool) antique advertisements, daily specials on hanging white boards, plastic glasses, etc. They are definitely solidly stuck in the 70s/​80s.
The menu had a surprisingly small breakfast section, and said that many of the items were only available until 11. It was unclear if they rest of the menu was available at all times, or if the lunch and dinner items didn’t start until the breakfast entrees stopped.
Leystra’s makes bakery items in house, including fresh bread, but I noticed that they don’t default to it on their menu. If you want non-​Sysco-​like bread, there’s an up-​charge. You can have toast, or homemade toast. You can order a sandwich, but if you want it on their bread, you have to request it and pay extra. The up-​charge is minimal (I think it was 20 cents for the toast), so I don’t understand why they don’t just default to their own bread. The distinction between the two made me wary that the bulk of what the served was going to come out of a box or a bag, so I shied away from my original thoughts of having the turkey melt (I wasn’t super interested in deli meat) and instead pieced together an a la carte breakfast — cheesy hash browns, bacon, and homemade toast.
My breakfast turned out to be delicious — the hash browns were well-​cooked and there was enough cheese to coat the top (yes, it was a slice of American, but that’s actually the way I like them); the bacon was crispy as requested; the homemade bread was thick-​cut and fantastic and had just the right amount of butter melted into it.
My boyfriend got the country fried steak special and enjoyed it. The steak looked pre-​breaded, but the gravy on top looked fresh with bright green flecks of herbs dotted throughout. We think it may have been cilantro — the taste wasn’t a classic pepper gravy, and neither of us cared for it, but it was cool that they put their own spin on it. The mashed potatoes were bright white and completely smooth, and the accompanying beef gravy salty — both likely pre-​made. Tasty, but closer to cafeteria food than home cooking. I ate the buttered carrots that came with the meal — I had planned on just eating a medallion or two but they were actually some of the sweetest, best-​tasting carrots I’ve had in years so I took them all down (the boyfriend was not interested in them). His meal also came with a thick slice of buttered homemade wheat bread that looked delicious.
Part of the reason we picked Leystra’s was their boasts of pie, but in the end nothing really looked super appealing so I skipped it on this trip. I wouldn’t be opposed to stopping back in if we’re out that way, but I’m also not itching to go back like some other small-​town stops I’ve encountered.

Homemade breakfasts just like in the south!
I stopped here last Sunday for a hangover cure and wasn’t disappointed. The place was pretty busy at 10AM on a Sunday but there was no wait. The interior is minimal, and if I had any complaints, I’d say that the booths were all too smallish.
The service, however, was friendly and professional. The food was delicious! I had a garden omelet filled with mushrooms, onions, tomatoes, peppers and cheddar. Sausage links on the side, please. No complaints here.
The highlight of the meal was their homemade bread. I could have had pancakes, but my dining mate suggested we try the bread made on premises. The wheat toast is heavenly. Soft, perfectly chewy, and buttered, go back for that!
Coffee came to the table in a carafe, thank goodness. Away went my headache!

Go for the pie. Have a scoop of ice cream or dessert. This is not a supper club. This is not all organic free range froo froo. Go back to the utopia of Madison for that. Keep it simple and you won’t be disappointed. Shut up and have an omelet.

Gross! Gross! And gross! This place is nasty, I would rather starve that eat here. Trashy dirty waitresses and the food is nasty. If I could give it negative stars I would.

This is the kind of place you’d expect to find in a small town; courteous staff, consistent food, and a comfortable atmosphere. The food is your regular breakfast fair and the cinnamon rolls are big enough for 2 people. All in all, it’s just a nice, simple place to grab a bite when you don’t wanna cook. The weekend breakfast crowd is proof that it’s a well liked business here in town.

Great place for anytime food. We had a great breakfast that was hot, served by a great young lady, and great coffee to boot.
When we visit our family in Roxbury, this si now a must stop!

Absolutely my all-​time favorite place for breakfast and coffee.

We come here because it’s close. The Eagle Inn has disappointed. And. Well. They’re slightly better than the last breakfast place in town/​s.
I’m not one to overtly express my dislikes when at restaurants. I try to be polite. Concise. Understanding. After all, I manage a restaurant in MKE.
Today however, where can I start?
We were here for FFF. The cod was excellent. The service was good.
Had the crumble Peach Pie. Took two bites & something was off. Had a third, & I just ate the edge crust after that. Something felt like it was fermenting on my tongue. Fast forward to 3 am. I am dying. Actual pain woke me up. Sigh.
Sunday I meet a friend for lunch. What can I say? The devil you know…
There was scarce sitting. So we ended up on a booth we had never sat before. I asked the waitress that came over if we could have a specific server. She said no. That if that was the case I could sit somewhere else. Not in HER section. Ok. Uhm. First time I have ever been told no, unless they were not working, other restaurants are accommodating.
Coffee was weak AND burnt.
I pushed it towards the edge & when she came by again I asked for a coke. Pepsi is all they had, but ok. She walked by at least 4 times. At this point the coffee had been set aside for a while. With the remnants of those sugar packets in it. Still no soda.
Soda is dropped off. Coffee cup with garbage still there. It wasn’t until our breakfast had arrived that she finally asked about the coffee.
I take my first poke at the eggs. Egg whites on the runny side. Last I checked, & I could be wrong, over medium was fully cooked whites, runny yolk. As I know. Once again. Waitress isn’t around. When she is, we’re enthralled in conversation. Way to read a table. I’ll not pretend, I was upset. From starring at a coffee mug to not being accommodating with the staff to my eggs being undercooked, & being charged for coffee I took three sips off.
We pay the bill. As were doing so, our regular waitress walks by & says a quick hello. I say how much we missed her today. From the back of the kitchen comes a «rude much?» a few seconds later.
I under-​tipped.
I’ve been in the industry for 15 years. I have always prided myself on tipping well, & not being difficult. Today I was not both of those things.
The server would have made 15% of out tab had she just graciously let our regular know.
I was terrible, I rounded my bill & that was all. For that I am ashamed. But more so for keeping being a patron after the minor food poisoning on Friday, & sighing about how I’ll probably come again. Given the limited options.

It is good simple diner food. The clientele is usually a bit older but the food is spot on. From the exceptional fresh baked pies to the delightfully toasted marble rye on a patty melt this place does everything simple and to order. Do not get fancy with this place. Stick to the diner style classics and you won’t go wrong. If you order something a bit more contemporary you will probably be disappointed. That said it is by far my favorite breakfast spot in town.

We will likely eat here again. We were returning from a trip to the Dells and a stop at Delaneys and decided to be adventurous. We chose Leystra’s Venture. The décor was a shock. The chairs and tables were straight out of 1977. The place had a worn dirty feel to it, like an old truck stop but it was clear that it was a neighborhood joint. and for good reason — the food was tasty. My husband is a self professed Rueben snob and he was surprised to have enjoyed theirs so much. I had a turkey melt and my 2 tot had a grilled cheese. All good. all cleaned plates. We got pie (because, «when in Rome») and they were good. my Butterscotch was tasty, but I would likely not order it again — I generally do not choose crème pies (they had me at «butterscotch») but my husband’s dutch apple was a delight.
Had we not been so fast fooded out, we would have probably chosen the Culver’s down the street because, I mean… come on. It’s Culvers. But we weren’t disappointed with the food at Leystras. I am a bit snotty thought and would have liked a cleaner more updated décor though.

We’ve been here a couple times for breakfast and always had great service. The staff even cut up our oldest child’s pancakes as she saw we had our hands full with a new baby. I still have memories of stopping here with my parents to get ice cream on our trips to the Merrimac Ferry. The food is pretty average for breakfast. I have not had their pies. but I hear they are fabulous!

We got a lot of stares from the old folks with our blended family. Staff was decent but missed adding a plate to the bill. For a couple of minutes, we debated about whether or not to point it out, but we did. Their cups for water are kid-​sized and refills never came. $ 30 for two kids’ meals and three plates of food. Good tasting, but I’ll keep on driving through and eat in Baraboo.

Lunch was good but the coconut cream pie was truly amazing. Friendly service too.

The best breakfast around!!! The Ham & Cheese skillet is delicious and the fresh baked cinnamon rolls can’t be beat. This family owned restaurant has small town charm complete with a large number of regular customers, friendly waitresses with just the right amount of «spunk,» and reasonable prices. Daily specials feature comfort foods like a Hot Beef Sandwich, Roast Pork Dinner, and Chicken Noodle Casserole. Scratch made soups are the perfect compliment to sandwiches like the popular Reuben or Grilled Cheese, Bacon & Tomato. Don’t drive by this historical building without stopping in for a slice of homemade pie, baked fresh every single day. Yummy!!!

I was visiting family in Madison and they had promised me some good old-​fashioned Wisconsin culture. As a Texan, I’m easily amused by dairy farms, pretty Holstein cows, small towns with Scandinavian descent, and general merriment. This restaurant provided two out of four.
If you happen to be driving from Madison to North Freedom to see Dr. Evermor’s scrap metal extravaganza (long story, see future Unilocal review of that) and feel the need to stop at a restaurant where everyone is over 60 and likes pie… pull over!
Classic, well-​done, hearty farm food is served in a plain-​jane kind of place with real history on the walls. (You know, pictures of famous Wisconsin people and such… August Derleth, what what!)
I had the chicken dumpling soup which tasted fresh from grandma’s kitchen, and my mom’s turkey melt with coleslaw hit a home run as well. DO NOT skip on dessert, as everything is homemade and sexily displayed in an old glass case up front. You can’t go wrong with a blueberry crumble or Dutch Apple. Yowza!
But my favorite part had to be the number of old ladies in their pastel track suits shuffling in, grabbing a table in the back room, and proceeding to play a mean game of cards for the next… oh, 2 – 3 hours? I believe they were playing Euchre, so it truly doesn’t get any cuter. I was dying to ditch my family, pull up a chair, and ask Laverne if I could borrow her bubblegum pink cardigan. But I’ll save that for another day.

First my fried chicken was frozen in the middle, then it came back raw in the middle, then it came back Cajun style (blackened), haven’t been back since.