About Us
Manny’s Parkside is here to serve you good food, great tunes, and even better company.
And we’ve been doing it for almost 100 years.
OUR STORY STARTS ON A LAKE IN 1925.
Known for big muskies and a wooden dam, Rest Lake has drawn vacationers and sportsmen to the Northwoods since the early 1900s. So, it’s no wonder that, in 1925, Mr. and Mrs. Louis Schroeder built Schroeder’s Rest Haven, with rooms and cabins for rent, a gas pump, and meals “when you want them.” It doesn’t get more Wisco than that, folks.
HOSPITALITY IS IN OUR HISTORY…
Purchased in 1943, Rudy List and his wife Garnet added a southern flair to the menu, introduced a bar (because it’s Wisconsin, hello!), and brought nightlife to the Lake by adding several docks and boaters’ amenities. Oh, and they offered a free meal as the prize for the local muskie-catching contest... at least once.
AND GOOD FOOD HAS ALWAYS BEEN COOKIN’.
In the late 60s, Rudy sold the restaurant to Bill and Rita Ehrich who changed the name to the Bavarian Inn. Then, in 1991, Greg and Eileen Swanberg bought the establishment but still continued to pour imported brews and Bavarian specials.
BUT WE’VE ALWAYS STAYED TRUE TO ONE THING…
In 2007, the restaurant was sold and renamed the Parkside Tavern — complete with a new and expanded menu. Then, in 2022, David Simon teamed up with Food Fight Restaurant Group, a Madison-based group of nearly 20 restaurants, to help with the renovation, launch, and operations of Manny’s Parkside.
A tribute to Simon’s childhood on the water, Simon created a space for folks to eat, drink, play, relax, and meet.
Great food, an amazing atmosphere, and a welcoming mid-western attitude is our tradition. It’s the Wisconsin way.
Go ahead, grab a drink. We’ll meet ya there.