Price County Bar Crawl Checklist: Every Stop, Every Mile, Ev

Price County Bar Crawl Checklist: Every Stop, Every Mile, Every Drink

Last updated: July 2026

By Ripsaw Saloon Staff | Prentice, Wisconsin

By the Ripsaw Saloon Bar Team | Updated July 27, 2026 | Prentice, Wisconsin

We’ve run enough bar crawls through Price County to know the difference between a good one and a disaster. A good crawl hits four bars in six hours, covers 25 miles, and everybody gets home safe. A disaster tries to hit seven bars in four hours, skips the water, and ends with somebody sleeping in a truck behind Fusaks Tavern. The checklist below is the one we hand to friends visiting from out of town. It works because it’s built around actual driving distances, actual bar hours, and the reality that Price County doesn’t have Uber.

Quick Answer: A Price County bar crawl covers six bars across Phillips, Prentice, and Fifield within a 25-mile radius. The route runs west to east: start at Long John’s Resort on Elk Lake (lunch, lakefront deck), hit downtown Phillips bars (Fusaks, Badgers Den, Rock Garden Tavern), then drive east on Highway 8 to Ripsaw Saloon in Prentice for dinner and a nightcap. Total driving time is about 40 minutes end to end. Designate a driver or book a cabin.

What Bars Should You Hit on a Price County Bar Crawl?

Six bars, three towns, one highway. That’s the geometry of a Price County crawl. Phillips has four bars worth stopping at. Prentice has us. Fifield has the Northwoods Supper Club if you want to stretch the route. We’re going to lay this out as a timeline, not a list, because the order matters more than the bars.

Most bar crawl guides give you a list and send you off. We’re giving you a schedule. Show up at the wrong time and the bar’s closed, the kitchen’s cold, or the patio’s in shade. Here’s the hour-by-hour.

Stop 1: Long John’s Resort, Phillips at 12:00 PM

What to Order at Long John’s

Start on the lake. Long John’s Resort and RV Park sits on Elk Lake in Phillips, and the deck is the best place in town to drink a beer with a view. Tap beer runs $3.50 to $5. The Friday fish fry is $10 to $13. If you’re crawling on a Friday, this is your lunch stop.

Why Long John’s First

It opens at noon. Most Phillips bars don’t open until 2 or 3. Long John’s has food, a lakefront deck, and a relaxed pace that sets the tone. You’re not racing. You’re warming up.

Checklist Item 1: Eat Real Food Before Drink Two

Order a basket of something fried. Share it. This is not optional on a crawl that covers six bars. The beer you drink at Long John’s is the one you’ll remember least. The food is what keeps you standing at Ripsaw eight hours later.

Stop 2: Fusaks Tavern, Phillips at 1:30 PM

What to Order at Fusaks

Fusaks is the old-school Phillips bar. No sports, no trails, no gimmicks. Domestic taps are $2.50 to $3.50, and they still run $2 bottle specials on weeknights. Order one beer. Sit at the bar. Listen. For the full breakdown of every bar in Phillips, see our Phillips drinking guide.

Why Fusaks Second

It’s a five-minute walk from Long John’s down Lake Avenue. You don’t start your car. You walk. That matters on a crawl because the first driving leg should be short. Fusaks is a two-drink maximum stop. It’s quiet, the crowd is local, and the bartender will know your name by the time you leave.

Checklist Item 2: Know When to Leave a Quiet Bar

The mistake people make at Fusaks is staying too long. It’s comfortable. The beer is cheap. But there are four more bars to hit, and the whole point of a crawl is movement. One beer, one conversation, and you’re out.

Stop 3: Badgers Den Sports Bar and Grill, Phillips at 2:30 PM

What to Order at Badgers Den

Badgers Den is on Lake Avenue in downtown Phillips, walking distance from Fusaks. Multiple TVs, game-day energy, and a crowd that actually cares about the score. Tap beer is $3.50 to $5. During Packers games, domestic bottles drop to $2.50. If there’s a game on, order a beer and a basket of wings. If there’s no game, order a beer and move on.

Why Badgers Den Third

It’s between Fusaks and the Rock Garden on Highway 13. You’re heading south. The energy shift from Fusaks to Badgers Den is the jolt a crawl needs at the midpoint. Quiet bar, sports bar, then the weird bar.

Checklist Item 3: Check the Game Schedule Before You Crawl

If the Badgers, Packers, or Brewers are playing, Badgers Den is packed. That’s either a reason to stay longer or a reason to skip it entirely. Check the schedule before you plan the crawl. A Saturday with no game is a different crawl than a Packers Sunday.

Stop 4: Rock Garden Tavern, Phillips at 3:30 PM

What to Order at Rock Garden Tavern

Tap beer is $3.50 to $5. The Friday fish fry is $11.50 a plate. Spotted Cow and Leinenkugel on tap. The bar is inside the Wisconsin Concrete Park, where retired lumberjack Fred Smith built over 200 life-size concrete sculptures starting in 1948. You can walk through the sculpture garden with your beer and stand next to a 20-foot concrete deer. No other bar in Wisconsin has this.

Why Rock Garden Fourth

It’s five minutes south of downtown Phillips on Highway 13. The sculpture garden is better in afternoon light than evening light. This is the stop where you slow down, walk around outside, and let the alcohol metabolize before the drive to Prentice.

Checklist Item 4: Walk the Sculpture Garden

The concrete sculptures at the Wisconsin Concrete Park are the reason this bar is on the crawl. Skip the garden and you’ve missed the point. Spend 20 minutes outside. Take a photo. Then finish your beer and get in the car.

Stop 5: Ripsaw Saloon, Prentice at 5:00 PM

What to Order at Ripsaw

We’re 20 minutes east of Phillips on Highway 8. At 1117 Railroad Ave, right on the highway. We fry everything in beef tallow because it tastes better. Our Friday fish fry is $12 with hand-battered cod. Twelve beers on tap, $3.50 to $5. The Old Fashioned is muddled the Wisconsin way: brandy, sweet, and unapologetic. The Bloody Mary uses pepper-infused vodka. Our appetizers run $3 to $7, wings are $8 a basket or $1 each with nine sauces, and sandwiches are $9 to $12. All prices include tax.

Why Ripsaw Fifth

This is the dinner stop. You’ve been drinking for five hours. You need food that sticks. Beef tallow fries, a fish fry, a full sandwich. Ripsaw is the anchor of the crawl because it’s the bar with a kitchen you can trust at the end of a long day. We’re also open until close, which means there’s no rush. If you want to stretch the night into a proper Wisconsin dinner ritual, our supper club guide covers the stops between Ripsaw and Fifield.

Checklist Item 5: Eat a Full Meal Here

If you eat one real meal on this crawl, eat it at Ripsaw. The beef tallow fryer runs all night. Cheese curds, wings, fish, fries. This is the food that absorbs the first four bars and prepares you for the last one.

Checklist Item 6: Try the Old Fashioned

If you haven’t had a Wisconsin Old Fashioned yet today, this is where you order one. Brandy sweet. Muddled fresh, not from a mix. If you’ve never had one, start here, not at a supper club where they charge you $14 for a pre-mix version.

Stop 6: Northwoods Supper Club, Fifield at 7:30 PM (Optional)

What to Order at Northwoods Supper Club

Fifield is 15 minutes west of Prentice on State Road 70. Northwoods Supper Club is a proper Wisconsin supper club: relish tray, French onion soup, prime rib or walleye, and an Old Fashioned at the bar while you wait for your table. Call ahead at (715) 762-4447. Supper clubs operate on their own schedule.

Why Northwoods Last

If the crawl has energy left, this is the nightcap. A supper club is the traditional end to a Wisconsin drinking day. You sit at the bar, you order one drink, you let the day settle. The drive back to wherever you’re staying is short from Fifield if you’re headed toward Park Falls.

Checklist Item 7: Call Ahead or Skip It

Supper clubs don’t do walk-ins well on Friday and Saturday nights. If you didn’t call by noon, skip this stop and end the crawl at Ripsaw. Showing up at a supper club at 8 PM without a reservation is how you end up drinking at the bar for 90 minutes waiting for a table, which is fine if you planned for it, but not if you thought you’d be eating.

How Many Miles Is a Price County Bar Crawl?

The full route from Long John’s in Phillips to Northwoods Supper Club in Fifield, passing through Prentice, covers roughly 45 miles end to end. Phillips to Prentice is 20 minutes on Highway 8. Prentice to Fifield is 15 minutes on State Road 70. The Phillips portion of the crawl (Long John’s, Fusaks, Badgers Den, Rock Garden) is within a 5-mile radius.

Total driving time is about 40 minutes across the entire route. That’s the advantage of crawling in a rural county. The bars are close enough to hit in one day but far enough apart that you need a car between clusters. No rideshares, no public transit. Designate a driver.

Can You Ride ATVs Between These Bars?

Yes, for most of them. Price County opened its roads to ATV traffic years ago. The Tuscobia State Trail runs 74 miles from Park Falls west to Rice Lake and cuts right through Prentice. The spur that drops you into Prentice puts you three minutes from our front door at Ripsaw. You can ride from Phillips to Prentice on county roads and connect to the Tuscobia from there. Rock Garden Tavern and Trailside Bar and Grill both sit on the trail system. For a full breakdown of trail routes that end at bars, see our Price County ATV trails guide.

If you’re doing the crawl on ATVs instead of in a truck, swap Badgers Den for Trailside Bar and Grill. Trailside is right on the snowmobile and ATV trail, and you can ride your machine up to the front door. Tap beer is $3 to $4, and they serve burgers and baskets. The Friday fish fry runs $9 to $12. For more things to do between stops, check out the Price County activities guide on our sister site.

What Should You Bring on a Price County Bar Crawl?

The Essential Checklist

Paperwork and Cash

Cash for Every Bar

Every bar on this crawl takes cash. Most take cards. Cash is faster, and the bartender will appreciate it on a busy night. Bring enough for food and drinks at six bars. Budget $30 to $40 per person per stop if you’re eating. $15 to $20 if you’re just drinking.

Wisconsin ATV Trail Pass

If you’re riding instead of driving, Wisconsin requires ATVs to be registered and display a trail pass on designated trails. The Price County trail system is enforced. Buy the pass online through the DNR or at local vendors before you ride.

Weather and Season Gear

Layers for Evening Temperature Swings

Price County temperature drops 15 to 20 degrees between noon and 8 PM in summer. What’s comfortable on Long John’s deck at noon is cold at Ripsaw’s patio at 8. Bring a jacket or hoodie. Leave it in the car.

Bug Spray for the Patio Stops

Long John’s, Rock Garden, and Ripsaw all have outdoor seating. Mosquitoes in Price County from May through July are serious. June is the worst. By August they thin out. Bring spray or buy it at the gas station in Phillips.

Safety and Logistics

Designated Driver or Cabin Booking

This is non-negotiable. The route covers 45 miles of rural highway. There is no Uber. There is no Lyft. There is no taxi. Either bring a DD or book a cabin at Long John’s Resort in Phillips and crawl the Phillips bars on foot, then drive to Ripsaw the next day. If you’re staying in Prentice, crawl Phillips first and end at Ripsaw, where you can walk back to your lodging.

Phone Charger

Cell service in Price County is spotty outside Phillips and Prentice. Your phone will burn battery searching for signal. Bring a car charger. The last thing you want is a dead phone at stop 5 with no map to stop 6.

What Day Is Best for a Price County Bar Crawl?

Friday vs. Saturday

Friday Crawl

Friday is the fish fry crawl. Every bar on the route serves a Friday fish fry. That’s the advantage. The disadvantage is that every bar on the route is crowded. Badgers Den on a Packers Friday is standing-room-only. Rock Garden’s fish fry brings people from three counties. If you’re crawling on a Friday, start at 11:30, not noon, and expect longer waits at every kitchen.

Saturday Crawl

Saturday is the better crawl day. No fish fry crowds, but kitchens are still open. Badgers Den has college football on Saturdays. Rock Garden is quieter. Ripsaw is the same either night. If you want the fish fry experience without the wait, do the crawl on Saturday and hit Ripsaw or Rock Garden for their Saturday version.

Days to Avoid

Sunday: several bars close early or don’t open. Monday: most bars are closed in Phillips. Tuesday and Wednesday: everything is closed. Ripsaw is open Monday, Thursday through Sunday, 2 PM to close. The Phillips bars run different schedules. Call ahead or check Facebook before you plan a non-Friday crawl.

How Much Does a Price County Bar Crawl Cost?

Here’s the real math. Six bars, one drink and one food order per stop:

Long John’s: Beer $3.50 to $5, fish fry $10 to $13
Fusaks: Beer $2.50 to $3.50, $2 bottle specials
Badgers Den: Beer $3.50 to $5, wings $8 basket
Rock Garden: Beer $3.50 to $5, fish fry $11.50
Ripsaw: Beer $3.50 to $5, fish fry $12, wings $8, sandwiches $9 to $12
Northwoods Supper Club: Old Fashioned $7 to $10, dinner $18 to $30

Total per person with food and drinks at all six stops: $80 to $120. Skip the supper club and you’re at $60 to $80. That’s a full day of drinking and eating across six bars for less than a bad night out in downtown Milwaukee.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many bars are on the Price County bar crawl route?

Six. Long John’s Resort, Fusaks Tavern, Badgers Den Sports Bar and Grill, Rock Garden Tavern (all in Phillips), Ripsaw Saloon (Prentice), and Northwoods Supper Club (Fifield). The route covers roughly 45 miles end to end with about 40 minutes of total driving time.

Can you do a Price County bar crawl without a car?

Not easily. There is no rideshare service in Price County. You can walk between the four Phillips bars (Long John’s, Fusaks, Badgers Den, Rock Garden are within a 5-mile radius), but the drive to Ripsaw in Prentice and Northwoods Supper Club in Fifield requires a vehicle. Book a cabin at Long John’s Resort and crawl Phillips on foot, then drive to Prentice the next day.

What is the best day for a bar crawl in Price County?

Saturday. Friday is the traditional fish fry day and every bar is crowded. Sunday through Wednesday, most bars are closed. Saturday has open kitchens, football at Badgers Den, and manageable crowds. Start at noon and end at Ripsaw in Prentice by 8 PM.

Can you ride ATVs between bars in Price County?

Yes. Price County opened its roads to ATV traffic, and the Tuscobia State Trail connects Phillips to Prentice. Rock Garden Tavern and Trailside Bar and Grill both sit on the trail system. You need a Wisconsin ATV trail pass and registration. Swap Badgers Den for Trailside if you’re riding.

How much does a Price County bar crawl cost?

Plan for $80 to $120 per person for food and drinks at all six stops. Without the supper club, $60 to $80. Beer at most bars runs $2.50 to $5 per pour. Fish fry is $9 to $13. The supper club dinner is $18 to $30.

See also: why we fry in beef tallow

Price County Bar Crawl Checklist: Every Stop, Every Mile, Every Drink