Supper Club

The supper club appeared in the U.S. in the 1930s and 1940s as a public dining-out experience primarily open only for "supper," the meal eaten between the hours of 5:00 and 7:00 P.M.

Common Supper Club Features

• Serves fish on Friday night
• Serves prime rib on Saturday night
• Is never open for lunch
• Has cloth napkins
• Has waitresses (never waiters) who wear sensible shoes
• Has relish trays and cracker baskets as free appetizers
• Has a salad bar that must contain:
  • cheese spread
  • three-bean salad
  • pickled beets
  • crinkle-cut carrots
  • French dressing
• Categorizes Jell-O as a vegetable
• Is located on water (lake, river, etc.)
• Decor is cool, dark and soothing
• Does not serve tap beer

Notable Supper Clubs

• Club 26 (on Wisconsin Highway 26 between Fort Atkinson and Milton)
• Beverly Hills Supper Club

External Links

• Wisconsin History Explorer: Supper Clubs

References

• Supper Club Is One Of The Things That Make Wisconsin What It Is. (June 27, 1999). Wisconsin State Journal.