A 1931 cheese-store tavern, a self-pour wine bar, an 1845 brewery, a Swiss cellar and a late-night pool room, mostly within a short walk of the square.
The best bars in Monroe still look like what they were built to be: a cheese-store tavern with dollar bills stuck to the ceiling, a Swiss gymnasts' hall with a cellar bar, a brewery that traces its roots to 1845. Anyone searching for bars in Monroe, Wisconsin, will find that the older rooms gather around the courthouse square, while the newer or roomier ones sit up to a mile out. Monroe is the Green County seat, with 10,661 residents at the 2020 census, so the whole scene is small enough to cover in one evening.
This guide walks it in order, from the square outward, with what each room is like and where it falls short. If you are planning a longer stay, the Monroe sightseeing guide shows how a night out fits around the cheese, the museums and the festivals.
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On the square: a cheese-store tavern and a self-pour wine bar
Baumgartner's is the room most visitors have heard of, and it works as the opening stop because it sits on Monroe's town square, across from the Green County Courthouse.
The tap list grew from four beers in 1995 to 24 in 2021, including four from New Glarus Brewing. Google shows it open from 8 a.m. on weekdays and Saturday, until 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with Sunday hours of 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. The profile also lists outdoor seating, free street parking and a free lot, and marks the room as good for children, which is rare among the bars in this guide. If you would rather take a wedge home than drink a pint, you can browse the cheese shops around town instead.
The hours are the catch: Google shows the bar closed on Mondays, open 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Google does not mark it as good for children, and it lists free parking in a lot and on the street. It sits about 0.09 miles from Baumgartner's, so the two make an easy pair. Pour a small taste of something local to begin, then decide on a full glass.
Turner Hall: a cellar bar built by Swiss gymnasts
Turner Hall of Monroe is not a bar in the usual sense, but its history as a tavern is part of why locals talk about it.
A tavern also sat downstairs in the old days, where men gathered after events and wives and children were not allowed in bars, a local historian recalled. In 2002 two community members helped save the hall from being converted into a sports bar. The hall also holds an eight-lane bowling alley and event spaces. Google lists Friday and Saturday evenings from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., so treat it as a dinner stop with a drink rather than a late bar and confirm before you go. It is about 0.14 miles from Baumgartner's.
Minhas Craft Brewery: the 1845 brewery three blocks off the square
The distillery, established in 2012, now shares the space across the street, according to reviewers on Google. One visitor says the large beer-memorabilia museum is gone, while the July 2026 guide still describes it on the lower level, so ask when you book a tour. Google lists the taproom closed on Monday and Tuesday and open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, to 8 p.m. on Saturday and to 4 p.m. on Sunday. A reviewer who does not like the beers still enjoyed the rooms, and the brewery is about 0.12 miles from Baumgartner's. The full story, from Bissinger to Huber Bock, is in the guide to Minhas Craft Brewery in Monroe.
The Depot Bar: where Monroe drinks late
This is the bar to know for late nights, because Google shows it open until 2:30 a.m. on Friday and Saturday and closed Sundays. It is about 0.41 miles from Baumgartner's, an easy walk. Google marks it as good for groups and not good for children, with a free lot, free street parking and a wheelchair accessible entrance. Bring ID, because the legal drinking age in Wisconsin is 21.
A fairway view and a bowling-alley bar: beyond the square
Do not plan a late night here, because Google shows it closed on Monday and Sunday, open until 2 p.m. on Tuesday and until 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. The profile lists reservations and outdoor seating and marks it good for children. It is about 0.75 miles from Baumgartner's, so a drive is easier than a walk.
The other bar worth the drive is Spirits Bar & Grill, inside Leisure Lanes at 2308 6th Avenue, about 0.97 miles from the square. Leisure Lanes opened in 1974, and the bar has twelve TVs, local craft beers, burgers and pizzas, plus a stage for live bands. One reviewer called the bacon jam burger amazing, and another praised the live bands, though they said they kept missing the night. The bowling alley's hours run later on Friday and Saturday than the bar's own posted hours, so check which one applies before a late visit.
Cheese Days, wine walks and getting around
Cheese Days is held on the third weekend of September in even-numbered years, and the most recent festival ran September 18 to 20, 2026. The next is listed for September 15 to 17, 2028. Plan for crowds around the square at those times, and read up on the Green County Cheese Days festival before you book.
The Cheese Days weekend in Monroe guide covers the parade, the cheese curds and where to stand.
Between festivals, the Main Street Monroe Wine Walk is the way locals tour the square's shops with a glass, and it timed the opening of Spilled Grapes in April 2024. The courthouse also houses the Green County Tourism office, which can answer questions at 608-328-1838. Parking is free on the street and in lots at the places in this guide, according to their Google profiles, so park once on the square and walk. For a meal before the drinks, look at the Monroe restaurant guide.
Anyone staying overnight can compare the Monroe hotel guide before booking.
Start where the dollar bills hang from the ceiling at Baumgartner's, and the rest of Monroe's bars fall into place within a short walk or drive.
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Published October 26, 2026
