Forget Conveyor-Belt Sushi: This Small-Town Wisconsin Restaurant Delivers Your Pizza Via Train

Wisconsin Dells, WI, might proudly promote itself as the water park capital of the world (that's a registered trademark, by the way), but there is a popular restaurant in this city that's a small town attraction in more sense than one. Instead of a sushi conveyor belt that steadily transports small dishes of rice and fish, Buffalo Phil's Pizza & Grille is a high-stimulation destination that delivers fizzy drinks, appetizers, burgers, and even pizza to your table on a miniature train set. What's more, this train travels around a colorful miniature world, designed by international LEGO artist Paul Hetherington. Bright lights, Star Wars displays, novelty drinks, and an arcade attract families from far and wide, but the train-delivered food, including personal pizzas, is certainly a unique draw.

Not all the food on the menu is delivered by train, and as for the pizzas, those larger than personal size travel the old-fashioned way, via servers. There are a handful of specialty pizza options, including spicy BBQ brisket, chicken Alfredo, and "Phil's cheesesteak." Unfortunately for those who're there for the fairly standard beer and wine offering or fun novelty margaritas, alcoholic drinks don't travel by rail; alcoholic beverages are also delivered by servers. This is probably wise, with excitable children standing around to watch the train go by. Typical sushi conveyor belt etiquette doesn't apply, as your food is made to order. Most appetizers and all the sandwiches, burgers, and "Lil' Buckaroo" kids meals are all delivered by train to certain railside tables. Novelty kids drinks with light-up ice cubes in souvenir fish bowls also make the journey.

At the time of writing, Buffalo Phil's holds a 4.2-star rating on Google, 4.0 stars on TripAdvisor, and 3.2 stars on Yelp. The positive reviews praise the fun ambiance and the enjoyment of their experience, especially for children, while some negative reviews express personal disappointment with the food, service, or not being seated by the train. The service has mixed reviews, with some complaining about slow or inattentive service, and others thrilled with how they were looked after by staff. The prices seem to be reasonable if a bit highfor what you get, but consistent with the novelty factor and other venues in Wisconsin Dells.

Commonly, reviewers explain that the food and drinks are secondary to the family-friendly experience. One Yelp review sums up a common opinion: "The big draw here is the atmosphere — it's built for kids, and ours had a blast ... Bottom line: go for the experience and the kids' entertainment, not for the food. If you've got little ones, they'll have a great time."

Buffalo Phil's is attached to Knuckleheads trampoline park, rides, and bowling, so there's very little chance of getting bored. Nearby are other popular spots that have made appearances on Tasting Table lists before, including Del Bar, which featured in our list of elegant supper clubs, as well as Hot Dog Avenue, a favorite Wisconsin hot dog spot.