Many of Appleton's bars sit on or near College Avenue, and the bars in Appleton sort neatly by what you are after: a band, a pool table, a game on the big screens, or a quiet old fashioned in a supper club lounge. This rundown goes by kind of night, with hours from the listings where we have them and straight-line distances from downtown.
Several of the places below stay open until 2 a.m. on weeknights and 2:30 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. If you want the shows, the museum and the dinner spots too, start with the full list of things to do in Appleton.
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Live music: the Gibson and the bar stages
For live music, start at the Gibson, then walk to the bars that book bands a few blocks away.
North of the avenue at 317 N Appleton St, Missfits Tavern is a spacious bar for a mixed crowd, with events through the week that include live shows, plus cold beer and well-made drinks.
Deja Vu Martini Lounge at 519 W College Ave specializes in martinis and bills itself as a downtown live music venue for area musicians and nationally touring acts. Appleton Downtown's 2024 directory entry describes it as a 1930s-inspired art deco lounge with a full bar and house-made pizzas, and it has a show booked for November 7, 2026. Its Travel Wisconsin listing also mentions a strong beer list, wine by the glass or bottle and a selection of scotches.
Each summer, in late July or early August, Mile of Music spreads across 35 downtown venues for four days, with around 200 artists playing about 650 free sets.
Pool, jukebox and open jam: Cold Shot
On nights without a band, the pool tables and the jukebox are still there. Across the street at 634 W Wisconsin Ave, Love Lee Pop sells carefully picked vintage clothing for men and women on weekday mornings and early afternoons. Out in Oshkosh, about 15.7 miles southwest, Winkler's Westward Ho is a log-cabin bar and grill with pool, darts, a jukebox and live music.
Game day: sports bars and pubs
Downtown, the Wooden Nickel Sports Bar and Grill at 217 E College Ave has been pouring since 1989, has outdoor seating, and its listing advertises karaoke on Thursdays (call to confirm). Its back patio was one of the Mile of Music venues in 2026. Bazil's Pub at 109 W College Ave, open since 1993, lists a happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. on its own site, and its Travel Wisconsin listing gives more than 150 craft beers and food until 1 a.m.; call ahead to confirm.
In Oshkosh, about 19.5 miles south-southwest, Dublin's Irish Pub pours craft draft beer with Irish pub classics and has a patio.
Patios and outdoor bars
On a warm night, take your drink outside. Downtown, Fox River House has a patio a block or two off the avenue, and the Wooden Nickel has outdoor seating on College Avenue. On the south side, The Red Ox has a lounge and a patio.
On the east side, GameDay has an outdoor bar and a volleyball court. Farther out, Rocky and Taras Nut Haus opens its garage-style bar to the air, Dublin's Irish Pub in Oshkosh has a patio, and Bare Bones Brewery lets dogs join you on its patio. By the Oshkosh riverfront, Dockside Tavern adds a patio and a dock.
Which bar for which night
- Monday: Cold Shot from 6 p.m., GameDay from 11 a.m., or check the Gibson calendar for the odd Monday show; Fox River House and Kountry Bar are closed.
- Tuesday and Wednesday: Fox River House from 3 p.m. or Kountry Bar from 11 a.m., since Cold Shot is closed.
- Wednesday nights in particular: the Gibson's recurring 7 p.m. series.
- Friday and Saturday: weekend bands at Fox River House, headliners at the Gibson and late closing at 2:30 a.m. around town.
- Sunday: Fox River House from 2 p.m. and Cold Shot from 6 p.m., with Kountry Bar closed.
Old fashioneds and supper club lounges
For a quieter drink, the supper club lounges are the Wisconsin move, and the order is a brandy old fashioned. Dick and Joan's on North Lynndale Drive is a lounge bar with Golden Cadillac ice cream drinks on the list. George's on South Memorial Drive has a sing-along piano bar, which is a different kind of live music.
The Red Ox on South Oneida Street keeps a lounge and a patio, and downtown, Rye and Marvol both pour craft cocktails. The rest of the area's supper clubs, from George's to the Kaukauna clubs and Black Otter in Hortonville, are in this rundown of Appleton supper clubs.
Out of the center: Kountry Bar
North of the city at N3095 County Rd A, about 6.6 miles north-northwest of downtown, the Kountry Bar is a bar and grill that often books bands with no cover charge. It serves a fish fry, old fashioneds and a list of starters. It opens at 11 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday, runs until 2 a.m. or 2:30 a.m., is closed Sundays and Mondays, and its listing shows a 4.7 rating from 160 reviews.
Worth the drive east: Kaukauna
About 6.8 miles east in Kaukauna, the Vaudette runs live music, plays and gaming nights in a restored theater building whose original version showed silent films, shorts and newsreels from 1912 to 1937. The bar pours non-alcoholic options alongside the usual, and its listing shows evening hours from 5 p.m. to midnight and a 4.8 rating from 51 reviews. The calendar mixes concerts with plays and gaming events, so check what kind of night is on before you make the drive.
Out past Kaukauna on Dundas Road, about 10.4 miles east, the bar at Rocky & Taras Nut Haus pairs an indoor room with a garage-style outdoor bar behind roll-up doors, with heaters for cooler days, guitar decor and a Johnny Cash portrait. Oshkosh's Bare Bones, about 15.5 miles southwest, is the brewery stop, with American-style beers, pizza and cheese curds, and dogs welcome on the patio.
Breweries in town
Stone Arch Brewpub, at 1004 S Olde Oneida St, traces its historic brewery to 1858 and Anton Fischer, who set up Outagamie County's first brewery. It still brews on a seven-barrel system and pairs the beer with a new American menu. The family-friendly brewpub is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sundays, and is closed Mondays. Its calendar mixes taproom trivia with Stone Arch Sessions shows and jazz jam sessions, so check it before you go.
Hop Yard Ale Works in Appleton brews small-batch beer and fires scratch-made, wood-fired pizzas. Its Appleton location opens at 11 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday, closes at 10 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 4 p.m. on Sundays, and is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
Late-night food
Food is thin at some bars here, so plan around it. Bazil's Pub on West College Avenue lists a full food menu until 1 a.m. every night (check before you go), and its own listing claims the most comfortable bar stools in town. GameDay does casual food from its 11 a.m. opening, Kountry Bar has a list of starters, and Deja Vu's 2024 directory entry lists house-made pizzas (call to confirm).
Planning a night out
Start downtown, where Fox River House and Missfits are each within about a quarter mile of the Gibson. The College Avenue strip runs from Deja Vu at 519 W College Ave to the Wooden Nickel at 217 E College Ave, with Bazil's and the Gibson in between. Eat beforehand, since some bars, Fox River House among them, serve little food, and Rye on College Avenue is open until 9 or 10 p.m. The restaurant options before a night out are sorted in Appleton restaurants.
Check the day: Fox River House is closed Mondays, Cold Shot is closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and Kountry Bar is closed Sundays and Mondays. Many Gibson shows are 21 and over. For the country bars and supper clubs, pick a driver or book a ride before you go.
Frequently asked questions
Published October 5, 2026
