Instead, taverns were viewed as places to imbibe liquor, consort with unsavory characters, and generally get yourself in trouble. In the 1980s I spent a summer working in Germany and discovered the neighborhood Stuben. They had soup and sandwiches, beer on tap, a juke box, some electronic games, and a crowd that could walk there. The Wisconsin taverns that I grew up around were close cousins of these neighborhood Stuben. Wisconsin taverns are generally housed in long, narrow buildings and are furnished with a counter, bar stools, a few tables, and maybe a pool table and some pinball machines.
Most bars have at least a small grill and fryer, and some have full-size kitchens in back.
Tavern owners more often than not work several shifts behind the bar themselves, serving drinks, making burgers, and generally keeping order. Regular customers enter the bar by the side door, from the side street. Bartenders and customers greet each other by name and inquire about each other's lives. During the day people come and go, drinking coffee, reading the paper, watching the news or sports on the televisions, and chatting with the bartenders, many of whom have worked there for years. There is a constant stream of delivery people bringing beer, liquor, and food.