Merrillan Cafe

Merrillan Cafe Locally owned, sarcastically operated. We make food, you eat food—it’s a simple transaction. Unless you want to pay in compliments… then it gets weird.

But hey, we’ll take it. After many years of owning and running the cafe, Kathleen has "retired". Long-time employee Kelly purchased the cafe in January of 2025 along with her partner Jason. We will continue to serve the same great food that Kathleen has been putting out for many years. We managed to keep Kathleen cooking a couple days a week, so come in and get some of the best soups and daily spe

cials in the area. We also have Pie, Carmel Rolls, Daily Specials Mon-Fri, Homemade Soups and don't forget our Friday Fish served until 7 pm!

UPDATE - POSITION IS FILLEDWe need a dishwasher.Monday through Thursday.9am to 1:30pm.That’s it. No weird split shifts. ...
04/27/2026

UPDATE - POSITION IS FILLED

We need a dishwasher.

Monday through Thursday.
9am to 1:30pm.

That’s it. No weird split shifts. No midnight soul-searching over a sink. Just a solid chunk of the day where dishes show up and you make them disappear.

It’s not glamorous.
You will get a little wet.
You will develop opinions about silverware that you didn’t have before.

But it’s steady, the crew’s good, and there’s usually food and coffee within arm’s reach—which honestly carries more weight than it should.

You’ll wash dishes, keep things moving in the back, and jump in if things get a little chaotic… which they will… because this is a diner, not a yoga studio.

If you can show up, keep up, and don’t need a motivational speech every 20 minutes, you’ll fit in just fine.

Message us or stop in and ask for Kelly or Jason.

Come hungry. Leave smirking.





Cook’s choice today… which should probably tell you something.Open faced Turkey sandwich, mashed potatoes, gravy.Everyth...
04/23/2026

Cook’s choice today… which should probably tell you something.

Open faced Turkey sandwich, mashed potatoes, gravy.

Everything staying exactly where it belongs. Nobody getting creative. Nobody testing limits.
Feels like the right call.

If that’s not your speed, we’ve also got Polish sausage and sauerkraut—also known as the wiener option. A little louder. A little less concerned with consequences. Still standing though.

We’ve all learned a few things lately. Some more than others.

We’re just over here keeping it simple.

And yes—we are currently marked safe from outdoor deep fryers.

Come hungry. Leave smirking.




So… Easter Sunday.Ham. Maybe a nice breakfast. Something that makes sense.And then there’s us.We’re open until 1 like al...
04/04/2026

So… Easter Sunday.

Ham. Maybe a nice breakfast. Something that makes sense.

And then there’s us.

We’re open until 1 like always, and around 11:00 a plate of liver and onions is going to come out like that’s a completely normal Easter decision.

It’s not.

But give it a minute.

Somebody smells it.
Somebody asks what it is.
Somebody says they’d never order that.

And then somebody orders it.

And that’s usually how it goes.

We didn’t plan around Easter.
We just made liver and onions.

Sunday. 11–1. We’re open until 1.

Come hungry. Leave smirking.




Biscuits came out confident this morning. Golden, stacked, sitting there like they finally figured life out.Gravy follow...
03/28/2026

Biscuits came out confident this morning. Golden, stacked, sitting there like they finally figured life out.

Gravy followed right behind them. Hot, steady, exactly what they thought this whole thing was supposed to be. For a brief, peaceful moment… it looked like a real relationship.

Then somebody at the counter catches a whiff and goes, “Yeah, I’ll take gravy on my hashbrowns too.” And just like that… it wasn’t.

Next ticket—American fries, covered. No hesitation. A skillet jumps in right after like it’s been part of this situation the whole time. Cook didn’t even look up. Just kept the ladle moving like this is normal. Because it is.

Biscuits is still sitting there, trying to convince himself this is still between them. Meanwhile gravy is halfway across the grill, making decisions nobody discussed.

Booth 2 noticed. They always do.

Nobody told Biscuits. Nobody had the heart. Sausage gravy could be yours, but don't expect it to stay long.

Come hungry. Leave smirking.




Around here, St. Patrick’s Day runs a little differently than most places.Every year the corned beef and cabbage situati...
03/15/2026

Around here, St. Patrick’s Day runs a little differently than most places.

Every year the corned beef and cabbage situation gets handled by a Sullivan. Not just any Sullivan — the Sullivan who used to own the Cafe. She’s been making it for years, and at this point we’ve all learned it’s best to just let the process happen.

So Tuesday from 11am to 7pm the pot will be going, the cabbage will be behaving itself, and the smell will start drifting across the dining room causing people who walked in planning to order something else to quietly change their minds. That’s usually how the corned beef chain reaction begins.

You can sit down and enjoy it here, or grab it to go. Either way, if Sullivan says it’s ready… we’re not arguing.

Come hungry. Leave smirking.



01/16/2026

Friday doesn’t need an explanation.

Fish fry is on.

Same rules. Same plates. Same conversations you’ve been having for years.

We’ll be here.

It’s cold today.Not cute cold.Not grab-a-light-jacket cold.This is “your bones are making noise” cold.So naturally…it’s ...
01/15/2026

It’s cold today.
Not cute cold.
Not grab-a-light-jacket cold.
This is “your bones are making noise” cold.

So naturally…
it’s Cook’s Choice, which means logic has been escorted out the back door and told not to come back.

Today’s lineup: Liver & Onions
or
Chicken Alfredo

Two dishes that should never be in the same sentence.
Two vibes.
One kitchen.
Zero apologies.

It’s like your grandma and an Italian restaurant got into an argument and we said,
“Fine. You’re both right.”

Liver & Onions for the folks who believe cold builds character.
Chicken Alfredo for the ones who emotionally cannot handle today.

No theme.
No explanation.

Just comfort food chaos, served hot, while the weather does whatever disrespectful thing it’s doing outside.

This only happens at the Merrillan Cafe.
Because of course it does.

Come hungry.
Leave confused.
Still fed.

01/14/2026

It’s Wednesday.

The gravy didn’t ask how your week is going.
It just showed up and did its job.

Biscuits. Gravy. Country fried steak.

Some things still work exactly the way they should.

01/12/2026

Mondays don’t need creativity.
They need structure.

If you’re already tired and it’s not even noon, dinner is handled the same way it always is.

Same place. Same routine.
You don’t have to think about it.

01/09/2026

Winter reminder from the Merrillan Cafe.

We don’t reinvent ourselves every week — especially in January.

Breakfast still works the same way it always has.
Early mornings, hot coffee, the griddle doing its job.
If you’ve been coming here for years, nothing changed.

Senior meals run weekday lunches.
Same program. Same routine.

Dinner follows our new regular weekly rotation because it works:

Monday meatloaf.
Tuesday baked chicken.
Wednesday sausage gravy night.
Thursday comfort food.
Friday fish fry.

No surprises. No guessing.

Winter already does enough thinking for everyone.
If the roads are bad and you stay home, we get it.

If you don’t feel like cooking, we’re still here.
Same place. Same food. Same booth.

Still cooking. Still standing.

Address

400 N Washington Street
Merrillan, WI
54754

Opening Hours

Monday 6am - 7pm
Tuesday 6am - 7pm
Wednesday 6am - 7pm
Thursday 6am - 7pm
Friday 6am - 7pm
Saturday 6am - 1pm
Sunday 6am - 1pm

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