Name: Loading Zone The
Address: 2704 E Hamilton St, Wausau, WI, 54403, US
Telephone: (715) 845-9585
Rating: 4.07

The Loading Zone Eatery has been a family-owned business since 1968. We have evolved from a tavern with live music to a restaurant for the entire family! We are most proud that most of our menu items are made from scratch here in our kitchen. Our staff is friendly, laid back and most of all want to make sure you have a great time and fun at our restaurant.

Stop by today for fresh food, homemade cheesecakes, soups, and try our dressings made in-house. We are located in Wausau, Wisconsin, and are open for dinner. Feel free to call 715-845-9585 to place a to-go order, reservations, or any questions on our menu. Treat yourself to the best food and dining at The Loading Zone, where we have been serving great food for over 50 years.

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Reviews (28)

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Brent Zimmerman

Dec 29, 2021

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There food and beer is consistently good. Bull Falls beer on tap and seafood is always good. Love seafood platter and scallops and shrimp there. Not for fancy folks but great food.

Amber Oelke Ambs

Dec 28, 2021

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I've never had a bad meal at the Loading Zone & I've eaten there quite a few times. 😉 Some of my favorites entrees include steak, lobster, shrimp, scallops, clam strips & Olivinos. For sides, I love the twice baked, cheesy hashbrowns, coleslaw, & salad (lots of homemade dressings are available). The cheesecakes are wonderful. The soups are also top notch! As far as food goes, I don't think that you could make a wrong choice here. The service is also spectacular. All around great experience every single time!!! 😃

Judith Spear

Nov 13, 2021

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Went with parents to Loading Zone. I myself do not think that this is the best fish fry around. There isn't much flavor to the coating and sometimes it's greasy. So, I tried the baked fish and it was a nice portion, but again no flavor. The special seasoning that they said is on there I did not taste. They don't give you a choice either of different seasonings. Very bland. I'll go there again but not for FISH!

Josh Williams

Oct 03, 2021

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3 piece baked fish Cajun seasoned. Sure did not seem like 3 piece to me but how would you know it all came out in lil pieces. And there was like 14 fries and a salad that was a real joke. Save your time and money go any place else:(

See Vang

Sep 15, 2021

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Place was busy but it was expected as they have great food, great staff, family friendly... had dinner Saturday night with my family of three kids and two other adult... recommend you call ahead for reservations... our go to for prime rib... definitely always return here... thanks

Brook Jorgensen

Sep 12, 2021

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Long waits and cafeteria style service. not worth the hype. Service was poor and the Friday fish fry was under whelming. We have heard good things so maybe we will try again on a different day.

John M.

Sep 05, 2021

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We decided on this place for a non fast food burger, and it didn't disappoint!!! I had the bacon cheeseburger and my wife had the Chicago burger, both were absolutely delicious! Hot, fresh tasting, cheese was melty, bacon was crisp and veggies were fresh. I also tried the Ludington Pepper jack cheese soup, which was also delicious! This would have gotten a 5 star review had it not been for the service, our waitress was pleasant at first, but seemed frazzled as the time went on...my wife's onion rings were cold, and she made little to no effort to make things right, other than I can bring

Mark Beau

Sep 03, 2021

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They seem to have a good process to get people in and out on Fridays. I recommend ordering appetizers and have a drink while you wait. The appetizers come out quick. The fish, baked potato and root beer was excellent.

Connie T.

Aug 13, 2021

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Great food and even better service! We had the cheese curds, Ribeye steak. Shrimp ! Scallops and Irish cream cheese cake. Everything was delicious and reasonably priced! Highly recommend!!

Robert P.

Jun 27, 2021

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Good old fashioned Friday night fish fry. Many choices on the menu. You order when you first arrive and have a seat at the bar while your food is prepared. When done your number is called and you move to an assigned table in the dining room. I would repeat if in town.

Debbie Bauer

Jun 25, 2021

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First time here after recommendation from friends. Did not disappoint. Food and drinks were great. Had fish fry, shrimp and scallops. Staff welcoming and accommodating. Only suggestion, entrance door could be marked. We weren't sure which door to enter on. We will be back!

Chris Gabriel

Jun 10, 2021

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First time visit. Yes it's a bar that also has a good size food menu. A little off the beaten track maybe and with bare bones ambience but we thoroughly enjoyed our food including home made salad dressings and dessert cheesecakes. I particularly enjoyed the lightly battered sea scallops...other dining companions enjoyed the panfried cod and half a rack of the ribs. Good service. ..l will return.

Angie W.

Feb 18, 2021

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The server was very friendly and the food came out fast. That's important when you have 3 small children along. The baked cod was so good that even the kids loved it and wanted more. The server was wearing a mask so it felt like a safe place to eat.

Jeffrey S.

Jun 19, 2019

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Even though I have been back in the Wausau area for almost two years now, and my wife for about eight months, we haven't gotten around to having a fish fry at The Loading Zone. Last night we corrected that.

Yes, lately we found several places in the area that we love, but we wanted to go back to an old favorite. The Loading Zone is known for it's long waits and incredibly tasty food. The wait is not a bad thing, since it gives you time to have a few cocktails and catch up with old friends.

For those of you who haven't been to The Loading Zone in a long time - don't worry.

Klay K.

Apr 23, 2019

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Not sure which is better, the fish fry or the service. They are tops on my list. I have never had a bad fish fry there. The drinks are very well priced. The bartenders are always in such a great mood and so nice that it's hard to leave. Do yourself a favor and try this place out.

Ekim E.

Feb 02, 2019

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Had the Walleye pan seared. They use some garlic in the flour which I really liked. The twice baked potato was ok but only worth talking about here. The service was great. By the way, be prepared the sodas are by the can.

Kyle Parr

Dec 13, 2018

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Came here on a Saturday night, and it was not too terribly busy around 5:30. Our party of 5 was able to be seated right away, and the server quickly took our drink order.
The menu is pretty varied with burgers, seafood, steak, and other various items. We ordered walleye and ribeye steaks.
Took about 15 to 20 minutes to get the food, and everything was cooked perfectly. The walleye was delicious. Perfectly pan seared with a light breading and a nice hint of butter. The steak was really good as well. It was cooked medium rare exactly as ordered and had great flavor!
Overall, a great experience

Lucy H.

Aug 09, 2018

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Always our favorite fish fry, especially during the week when it isn't so crowded. My only complaint has ever been that they need to keep the water glasses filled just as they do the soda glasses. A carafe at the table would be nice.

Jeff B.

Mar 20, 2018

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Casual atmosphere, good food and excellent service! I haven't been disappointed by any of the food yet!

Julieta W.

Mar 11, 2017

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We just came back from a tasty dinner where we had an amazing baked fish and a combo plate. The fish was made to perfection, soft, buttery and garlicky, one of the best we ever had. We also enjoyed the fried fish, scallops, shrimp and clam strips from the combo plate. The wait was long even for a Friday, but well worth it, besides we were not in a hurry, it was our weekend gateway with a little skiing planned, so we didn't mind it. The bar area is large enough to hang out and have a drink or two. The staff is very friendly and the overall atmosphere in the restaurant is great. It has this

Ronald K.

Sep 10, 2016

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I don't know how they get voted best fish fry in Wausau. I had the perch plate, it was very greasy and fishy tasting. My daughters burger, the bun was soggy and had no flavor. I will not be going back any time soon!!!!

Laura K.

Jun 07, 2016

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Stopped here on a Friday for the fish. The walleye was awesome!!! Fries good. Tried my husbands perch but it was a little fishy to me. Tried the cheesecake and it was awesome as well. Def will come back when we get up there again.

Duane Z.

Jun 05, 2016

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First visit for us and the food was great. The pan fried Walleye gets particularly high marks. The scallops and shrimp are also top notch. We did have to wait a while but, that wasn't so bad as we enjoyed a round of inexpensive drinks. The loading zone is well worth a visit.

Thien N.

Apr 20, 2014

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The fish fry here is excellent!! And their fries are seriously some of the best fries I have ever had in my life! The bar is very spacious, however the restaurant portion isn't as big, but they are still able to accommodate average groups about 5 to 8 people fairly easily. The dessert options are amazing! Cheesecake is a must. Drink prices are reasonable

Tim S.

Aug 24, 2013

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Unimpressed. For the price we paid, I expected MUCH better. While the fish was good, the small portion was not filling. You need to ask for bread, which was hard. German potato salad was really good. The plates reminded me of the college lunch line. The tartar sauce must have been straight from the mayonaise jar; the worst I ever had! The way seating worked was awkward for someone who had never been there before. Overall, I know there are better fish frys in Wausau...

Pamela B.

Nov 06, 2012

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We went on a Friday for the fish fry and it was fantastic. The fish was hot, crispy and juicy. The German potato salad tasted just like Grandma used to make. The only down side it that it is so darn loud. I found myself wolfing down my food so I could get the hell out of there. On our next visit we took it TO GO!!!!

Wayne D.

Apr 18, 2012

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The best fish fry. Period. Friday night German potato salad! Yum! Great food. During the week they are not as crowded and the food is just as fabulous. They know how to grill a steak. Highly recommended.

My only gripe is that depending on the bartender, they don't make great mixed drinks. ordering an Old Fashioned here is a mistake. I stick with SOCO on the rocks. Can't screw that up!

Allison R.

Apr 01, 2011

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The wait here has been a little ridiculous both times I've been here (as other Yelpers have mentioned), but hey, it was Saturday night, and a fish sandwich with a side salad was, like, 5 bucks? Not to mention delicious and filling...

Definitely worth the wait, especially when the Brandy Old Fashioneds are flowing. Quite the Wisconsinite I am becoming! It seems like The Loading Zone is the place to be in Wausau on a Saturday night, even though I'm sure I'd never be able to find it if I wasn't with a Wausau native.

And the servers here are so sweet (is everyone is Wausau this