The Union House

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Living Piece of Wisconsin History

The Union House has been welcoming guests since 1861, when Irish immigrant Patrick Lynch first opened the doors of The Union House Hotel in Genesee Depot. What began as a gathering spot for locals and travelers passing through southeastern Wisconsin soon expanded into a dining destination — and it has remained one ever since. Few restaurants anywhere can claim more than 160 years of continuous hospitality in the same historic building.

The story took its most recent turn in early 2020, when local entrepreneur and philanthropist Jim Lindenberg and his wife Heidi took ownership, carrying forward a tradition that previous proprietors Curt and Patty Robinson had carefully stewarded for over 30 years. The Robinsons had made The Union House a fixture on best-of lists across southeastern Wisconsin for more than a decade, and the Lindenbergs have embraced that legacy with the same commitment to excellence.

Wild Game Meets Classic Fine Dining

The kitchen's identity is clear and distinctive: seasonal American cuisine built around ingredients, with wild game fused into the framework of classic fine dining. The menu is deliberately fluid, evolving throughout the year as ingredients dictate — a genuine expression of seasonal cooking rather than a marketing posture. Alongside the food, The Union House maintains an extensive wine and scotch list drawing from selections around the world, a program serious enough to have earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2023. The house also takes pride in its award-winning Old Fashioned cocktail, a nod to Wisconsin's deep tradition with that particular drink.

The Space and the Experience

The interior and exterior have been thoughtfully updated with guest comfort in mind, while preserving the character of the historic structure. A VIP room upstairs seats up to 50 people, making it well suited for private parties and special occasions. The broader event capabilities — including catering and dedicated event space — reflect the restaurant's long-standing role as a community gathering place, a role it has played since Patrick Lynch first lit the lamps in 1861.

For those who want to bring a piece of The Union House home, the restaurant also offers its own wines — a Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay — available for direct purchase. It is the kind of detail that speaks to how fully this place has grown into something beyond a restaurant: a destination with genuine roots in its community and a clear sense of what it stands for.