North Country’s Hardwood Cafe: The Story of a Southern Sawyer County Hidden Gem

Loretta WI - Loretta is an unincorporated community in the town of Draper, Wisconsin. Loretta is located on Wisconsin Highway 70, just 9 miles northeast of Winter. It was named by Edward Hines, a lumberman, in 1892 for his wife Loretta.  Draper is a town in Southern Sawyer County with a population of 242, according to the official 2020 Census result. The unincorporated communities of Draper, Loretta, and Oxbo are located in the town of Draper. 

Loretta and Draper are pressed up against one another, and sometimes referred to as the Twin Cities.  The Twin Cities (Loretta-Draper) are home to four restaurants, bars and resorts, one of them, North Country’s Hardwood Cafe.  

About North Country’s Hardwood Cafe

North Country’s Hardwood Cafe is located at 3694W WI-70, Loretta, WI which is right across Hwy 70 from the Tuscobia State Trail.  This is a great stopping place for ATV/UTV riders, and snowmobilers alike.  It is common to see patrons and travelers coming from Chicagoland, the Twin Cities Metro (Minnesota Twin Cities), as well as Iowa.  Inside you’ll find a full bar with 12-15 bar stools, a dining area with booths and tables, a pool table, dart boards, and gambling machines - pretty typical of what you would find in a northern Wisconsin bar. ​

Whatcha Got Cookin’

North Country’s Hardwood Cafe is best known for their homemade pizzas.  Specifically, The Works, a pizza which includes toppings like sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, olives, green peppers and onions.  The menu comes fully loaded with an array of juicy burgers smothered in Wisconsin cheeses and delectable toppings, you’ll also find a BBQ and Prime Rib sandwich along with your favorite appetizers and starters.  

If you’re in the market for a Bloody Mary, Ian makes a great one and could be their hallmark cocktail.  Ian is also known for making some of your more popular party shots and shooters with fruity concoctions and cocktail mixers.

Opening at 11AM, Tuesday through Sunday, you’ll be able to order any one of these amazing items off of the menu, but only until 9PM when the kitchen closes for cleaning and prep.  

History of North Country’s Hardwood Cafe

This family-owned and operated establishment is open 6-days a week, and you’ll find Reed outside mowing the lawn or doing some routine maintenance, inside you’ll find Suzie in the kitchen or behind the bar serving up some refreshing cocktails, or a frosty bottle of suds.  Ian, son of Reed and Suzie, has been more involved as of late and is gearing up to take over the management of operations.  You’ll find Ian and his wife Whitney doing a little bit of everything from serving tables, setting the table for your mean, mixing up cocktails, and having the standard run of the mill conversations.  

In 1999, Reed moved to Loretta Wisconsin from Darien, Wisconsin.  Suzie shortly followed to be closer to her family and On November 21, 1999, Reed and Suzie opened the doors to North Country’s Hardwood Cafe.  At that time, there was a bar, and an area to welcome travelers and locals to a nice cold refreshment, some frozen pizza or a burger, and new option for a local watering hole.  In 2007, some upgrades were made to the property to include a commercial kitchen, and have the ability to serve more than frozen pizzas.  Today, you’ll find a full-service restaurant with a full-service bar, seating for 28-30, depending on the size of your group.  

North Country’s Hardwood Cafe was built in the 1940s by John and Catherine Geschel.  This was right at the end of the logging boom.  The structure was built using two 14’ x 52’ box cars that were pulled off of the Omaha Line.  The previous location was called the Willow Springs Tap, and was replaced with the two box cars which were part of the Omaha Line, today better known as the Tuscobia State Trail.  Rumor has it, the box cars were used to build various homes and buildings in the area.  

A Place For Fun and Friends

Have you heard about the movie Beer Fest?  While it was a great movie, I don’t think we’ll be seeing something to that effect in Northern Wisconsin - but - what you will see is North Country’s Hardwood Cafe holding their 4th annual Beer Olympics.  

While it isn’t meant to be a chug fest, it is a series of skillful games you would find at a college party, provided you’re 21 years of age or older.  Held on the third Saturday of every July, North Country’s Hardwood Cafe holds their annual Beer Olympics and welcomes anyone and everyone to come and test your skills in the Beer Olympics.  

On occasion, North Country’s Hardwood Cafe will have Karaoke, you’ll have to stay tuned and follow their Facebook page to learn more about upcoming events for friends, family and fun.  

North Country’s Hardwood Cafe is also a distributor of CBD Delta 8 products, and are the only bar in the area that does provide these products to their customers.  

We invite you to stop out and visit the gang at North Country’s Hardwood Cafe, grab a pizza or Bloody Mary, maybe you can grab both.  

North Country’s Hardwood Cafe
3694 W Hwy 70
Loretta, Wisconsin 54896
Phone: (715) 266-6306
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