There are a lot of options for pizza in Prairie du Chien, especially when you consider all the bars that offer pizza as a limited menu item. For the sake of this discussion, I'm ruling out bar pizza - not that it's not good (or sometimes great!), but we're going to keep our focus on MY two favorite TRUE pizza joints: The Porch & Muddy Waters Pizza (in no particular order). Both of these restaurants compete for top spot in my book, and depending what I'm in the mood for on any particular day, either one can be number one! I hope you check out both places, but if you're trying to decide on which place to get your next pizza from, consider the following.
The Porch
Location:
Located right off of Hwy 35 at 228 Marquette Road, the Porch is easily accessible from anywhere in PdC. You can't miss it - look for the giant ice cream cone!
Ambiance:
As the name suggests, The Porch has a giant wrap around porch with lots of outdoor seating, as well as several dining areas inside. The look and feel is what I would call modern rustic. Lots of wood, galvanized steel, Edison lighting, and major friendly feel. The Porch is a great option
for groups and families to dine in and slam a lot of pizza!
Service:
Place your order at the counter, grab your own plates, napkins and drinks, and the friendly staff will bring your pizza out to you when it's done. While it's mostly a self-serve setup, the staff is more than happy to help you with anything you need, and they genuinely appreciate feedback on the pizza! We had a super helpful server, Erin, who we caught on her first day!
The Pizza:
On our visit, we went for the PORCH PARADISE (Canadian bacon, bacon crumble, grape tomato, pineapple & sauerkraut on a creamy bed of Monterey Jack Cheese Sauce!) I know it sounds crazy, but it was so fantastic! We opted for the cauliflower crust, and it was SO GOOD - a little more crispy than a standard crust. I would totally get it again. They have a very creative list of pizza options (Mac & cheese, Tater Tot Bacon Cheddar?!?!, BIG MAC!!, the list goes on), and of course you can build your own. They also offer take and bake pizzas, which can be a huge convenience for busy weekends!
Check out their menu here for yourself!
The Extras:
In addition to a big ice cream counter that features a steady rotation of hard scoop flavors, they have a novelty candy section for kids, lots of fun shirts, tons of other menu items like sandwiches, appetizers & wings (+ jumbo party sizes wings!). I of course had to get this t-shirt and it's become my favorite, super soft - and because it's just funny LOL.
In addition to standard fountain soda options, The Porch offers an impressive selection of domestic, import, IPAs and specialty beers, seasonal seltzers and wine! The wine is sold by the glass and they carry brands such as Cavit, Kendall Jackson, Confetti, Meiomi and Kim Crawford - I was impressed (although I did not get wine this day for lunch, I had stuff to do!).
Muddy Waters Pizza
Location:
You can't beat Muddy Water's location when it comes to walking distance from the Corner Cottage! Just one block away, right in the heart of the downtown River District area at 207 W Blackhawk Avenue.
Ambiance:
The interior of Muddy's delivers a cool, artisan vibe. Its long, narrow layout means limited table seating, but at the same time lends to a more intimate feel. Every time I go into the building, I feel like I've stumbled onto something special. The look and feel highlights the original restored brick, a large, beautiful wood bar and vintage gems tucked throughout. They always have bluesy music playing in the background - a nice touch! And be sure to take a gander through the large viewing window towards the back where you can see the dough and pizzas being crafted.
The Service:
Muddy Waters is a full service restaurant with waited seating at the bar or tables. It's a family run business, and that definitely comes off in the way they treat their customers - with kindness! Everyone is greeted as they come in the door and they truly care about creating incredible pizza and making their customers happy.
The Pizza:
I'm so hungry just looking at the photos!!! As you can tell from the organic shape of the pizzas (not perfectly round every time), they are made from scratch! The dough is out of this world and in my opinion is what seals the deal on an all around artisan experience. They have a PdC River themed menu packed with original combinations of pizzas, like Trappers Delight (LOL), The St. Feriole and the Prairie Dog. My current favorite is the Oktoberfest (1000 island base, corned beef, sauerkraut and 5-cheese blend). They have little pizzas in the "Creek Chub" size all the way up to 17". They have a big list of fresh toppings if you want to build your own pizza. View the menu on their Facebook Page here.
The Extras:
Since our place is so close, I've never exercised the "real" delivery option, but I HAVE had a pizza delivered next door to the Tavern (haha!). You'll see the Muddy Staff running pizzas across or down the street to various hungry bar patrons, a nice service! The drink menu at Muddy's features soda and lemonade, domestic beer, a decent selection of craft beers, hard lemonade, seltzers and seasonal beverages.
The Recap
You really can't go wrong with either selection, and it really just comes down to what you're in the mood for. Both places have an excellent selection, an original setting and feel nothing like a chain restaurant or anywhere else you've been. Put them both on your bucket list and leave a comment here after you go!
Book the Corner Cottage Vacation Rental, conveniently located just one block from Prairie's downtown River District. This mid-century modern, four bedroom home comfortably sleeps eight guests and features a private patio with plenty of off-street parking for your vehicles and boat.
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