Grasshopper Cafe

Update: Grasshopper Cafe is closed.

In a word: We liked it - we only wish it were  a hop, skip and a jump away.

The specs: #0256
Address, hours & details via Isthmus .

JM and Nichole ate the BLT pizza. JM got a fountain drink.
John S. ate the chicken pesto wrap.
John R. and Rose ate the cod dinner. Rose had a caramel latte.
The table split a cinnamon roll.
The bill was $38, or $9.50/person, plus tip.
JM, John R. and Rose gave Grasshopper Cafe an A-; Nichole gave Grasshopper Cafe a B+; John S. gave Grasshopper Cafe a B- (see our grading rubric).

Latest Grasshopper Cafe news and reviews

From outside and in, Grasshopper Cafe on Main Street in DeForest looks like it used to be something else. John swore it was a Jiffy Lube. We're not so sure. (And locals assure us that it's new.)

Inside the place was spacious and light, full of quiet groups of older patrons. The all-teen staff was welcoming and friendly even though we dropped in under a half hour to close (not something we like to do to restaurants, but the summer daylight and extra travel time had us disoriented).

We started with a cinnamon roll appetizer. Warmed to order by the friendly staff, it was way better than, say, Cinnabon. The glaze was solid enough that the roll wasn't a mesy disaster for 5 people to pick apart.

The fish fry is touted on the cafe's web site as AWESOME and Rose and John would agree. Not only was one dinner enough for both of them, but the fish came out hot and not too greasy, as far as fish fries go. The onion ring option turned out to be wonderful. The slaw was also very tasty.

The BLT pizza was new to us. A thin, tender crust held up under a load of chopped bacon and diced tomatoes.  JM was wowed by the pizza's mayonnaise-y goodness. (Quick story: In his senior year of high school, JM ate a slice of cafeteria cheese pizza with mayo every day for lunch - this explains much.) The lettuce was as good as could be expected, having been baked with the pizza instead of sprinkled on top later. The textures (again, other than the steamed/baked lettuce) played together well and made for a summery pie.

The chicken pesto wrap was serviceable, but not spectacular. John observed that it would be nice to have a place like Grasshopper near his office, but that he couldn't see making a special trip all the way to DeForest for it.

The biggest disadvantage our Coke-centric table could find is that Grasshopper Cafe serves Pepsi. Amazingly, we also made it through the visit without trying much of the coffee menu; Rose said of her latte that it was average.

Comments

[Crystal]

Oh my god, I am so hungry and reading your post has made me even hungrier. Now I really want some fish fry!

I think it's really gross when lettuce is cooked onto taco and BLT pizzas.

[nichole]

Yeah, it would have been so much better had the lettuce gone on top later. :/

[Ellie]

Unfortunatly the Grasshopper closed the Sat before Christmas. Not exactly sure why, some say it was for lack of business.