The Starlite Lounge

Love the atmosphere, live music when they have it, good martinis and lots of choices, buzzard Billy’s food.
Overall great great great

Sat at the bar during happy hour on Wednesday. Was expecting a rush but it was dead. Good bartenders. Good selection of alcohol. Did not try Martinis as most of them consisted of vodka. Don’t know how I feel about the furniture but that’s because I like modern over anything. I would come here again to have a drink or eat after a long work day. I will also probably try to come @ night or when it is a busier day.

The place was really cute (therefore 2 stars), but the drinks were horrible! Too much lime and fake sugar syrup in every single drink — it should be called Starburst Lounge! We tried 4 different martinis!

Came here for a couple after dinner drinks just on a whim – were totally hooked from the get-​go! Server was great and helped us as first-​timers. Had the Cuban (great!), the Almond Joy (also great!), Snickers (pretty good), the apple crisp (super yummy!) and the hazelnut tiramisu (the BEST!!) martinis. Didn’t order apps, but saw them and they looked HUGE and yummy! Ambience is so unique and cool – will definitely come back when into town!

I have a love hate relationship with this place. The martinis are amazing, and are worth coming here for that reason alone. However, they are also very expensive. The StarLite Lounge has an authentic 50s/​60s retro ambience in both a good way and a bad way. Good, in that it’s fun, unique and interesting. Bad, in that the lounge furniture and everything else is actually from the 50s or 60s, and seems as if it hasn’t been cleaned since that era.

Good selection of Scotch as well as specialty drinks. Cool retro atmosphere!

I went to The Starlite for the first time a couple of weeks ago when I was in La Crosse for a visit. The atmosphere is super fun and their drink selection is really good. The bar tenders and waitresses are great and attentive. I was happy to find someplace where we would chill out, have a conversation and listen to jazz music. It was a refreshing alternative to the plentiful, loud and divey college bars downtown.

Have the key lime! Had a blast trying all the cocktails! Super cool atmosphere. Great apps!

Very cool, 1950’s atmosphere. Excellent service! The drinks were not very good in my opinion and were pretty pricey. A cool place though, and worth checking out.

I really enjoy going to Starlight because of the chilled vibe. That is one of the bars I go to every time I go downtown. Whenever I go there with my friends, we always dress up in a shirt and tie because we like to feel fancy :)
I would definitely I’ve this place 5 stars not only for the environment and music, but also because when they make drinks, they give you your money’s worth.

LaCrosse is full of average. This is one of the best places for drinks. Have not tried the food. But a great place for something totally different.

Agree they probably have the best happy hour in town and the appetizers are the best part. Unhealthy but awesome. The atmosphere is getting a bit worn (yes it’s retro but it’s getting a bit old-​looking.) Poor acoustics for live music and near impossible to have a conversation then. Service is hit and miss. Good value all around and fun atmosphere.

Their happy hour is the best in town ($ 3 off martinis and ½ price appetizers). The martinis are delicious… the Cuban and the Tiramisu being my favs. Their appetizers are also pretty solid. Make sure to get their early because if you come after 6pm you’ll have a hard time finding a place to sit!

I recently moved to Lax for rotations at Gundersen and this is the first place I tried! I came here with a couple of my colleagues who were also new to the city. It was happy hour so you can’t beat the price. Depends on the type of martini, it’s between $ 3 – 4 dollars. I got the snicker martini which was delicious! On top of the drinks, we also got «appetizers» which were also half off. The reason why i put quotation marks on the appetizer is because the portion is HUGEEEE! Is this a Midwest thing or what? we had chicken quesadilla, nacho chips, and wings. They were pretty good but not the best thing everrr. There was live jazz so if you are into music.
Overall, 5 stars for the price, 4 stars for the food, 5 stars for the martini, 5 stars for the ambiance. will be coming back again :)

Tip: Order your drinks from the bar yourself. The waitstaff is terrible about doing anything in a timely fashion (at least it has been the case the dozen times I’ve been there…)
That being said, this is still a great place to have a drink with friends — especially so now that you can’t smoke there (not against smokers, just the smoke itself). The atmosphere is quiet and relaxed, and the seating is pretty comfy. I like trying the different martinis but my favorite is still the Snickertini. Their appetizers are also pretty good.

Delicious Martinis and savory gator fingers

The food and drinks at Starlite never disappoint. They have a great happy hour that includes some of the best nachos I have ever consumed (they’re grande!!) and an extensive martini menu. The atmosphere has a great 60’s vibe and quaint little seating areas for groups big and small.
There are a couple of things that I’m not a fan of and the first one you can guess as soon as you walk in– there is a very steep and long set of steps to reach the lounge. Not so much of a problem going in but I have witnessed a couple of people struggle on their way out, if ya know what I mean! Second, the service is about 75% bad. Often times, you find yourself waiting way too long for refills/​to pay/​for food, etc. Despite those two things, I have found myself at Starlite, both literally and figuratively, more times than I can count. For drinks and appetizers, there is no place in La Crosse like Starlite. Just be careful, those martinis really sneak up on you!

Absolutely love the Starlite Lounge! They’ve got boozy drinks in an amazing atmosphere with some top-​notch employees. Bartenders have spunk and personality and can banter with the best of ‘em. The vibe in here is relaxing and entertaining with live music. Starlite would be on my must-​go list! That chocotini has me wrapped around its’ finger…

In La Crosse and want a cocktail? In a cool, retro, hipster atmosphere? And some great appetizers to go with it? And attentive bartenders that know their stuff? And not pay an arm and a leg? Then the Starlite is for you.
Upstairs from Buzzard Billy’s (and getting its appetizers from the same kitchen), the Starlite is a throwback to the Rat Pack era of the 50’s and 60’s. Very popular for its very reasonably priced martinis and cocktails during happy hour, its a fairly happening place later into the evening as well, especially in weekends and on Becca Tuesdays. The décor will remind you of Howard Johnson’s (if you’re old enough to remember HoJo) and is a blast from the past, especially the orange and turquoise chairs. Thursday happy hours are enlivened by the jazz combos that play.
As for the cocktails, they are excellent. The aforementioned Becca takes care to make the drinks on the menu but will go off menu as well if you prove yourself to be a worthy patron. Oh, and did I mention, she makes the best Old Fashioneds in Wisconsin or Minnesota (which means anywhere)? Well, she does.
As for the appetizers, I’ve tried a number of them, but always find myself returning to the seafood stuffed mushrooms — you can not go wrong with those. In fact, I find myself looking for reasons to be in La Crosse on Thursday nights — happy hour prices, stuffed mushrooms and live jazz, in a cool, retro environment? What’s not to like!

Having studied in La Crosse and frequently visited the Starlite during my college days, I couldn’t wait to return here! And of course, Starlite did not disappoint nor diverge from my warm, fuzzy, drunken memories of it.
Amazing martini list: everything from the original to Key Lime Pie. Be careful though, pace yourself when sampling these delicious libations! Also on the menu, wine and scotchs.
The Starlite is located above Buzzard Billy’s and has a great retro vibe about it. Plenty of comfy couches, chairs, and tables. Most nights you’ll be treated with smooth live jazz. I could, can, and did spend all evening here, chatting and sipping on martinis.
Wow, I wish the Starlite were closer! I have so much love for you!