For many years the Sportsman’s Cafe has been a popular Rhinelander mainstay, but today there is a new face behind the counter, serving diners delicious homemade food and making sure each and every customer is treated like family.

In early January, Sue Wege took over the operations of this restaurant now known as The Sportsman Cafe Custom Catering. She is looking forward to meeting new friends as well as greeting those who have always considered this restaurant a favorite. And Sue has plenty of experience in the hospitality field. She has been a cook at various establishments for 32 years and is looking forward to putting all that expertise into making the Sportsman Cafe a go-to spot for good, wholesome, homemade food.

Of course, breakfasts have always been a favorite here and that continues to be the case. Eggs any style, biscuits and gravy, pancakes, French toast, sausage, ham and corned beef hash are just a few of the selections on the menu. Sue also has a new item called a Brunch Chimichanga. This hearty meal includes bacon, sausage, kielbasa, onions, peppers and scrambled eggs all rolled into a soft taco shell. It is then fried and served on a bed of crispy hash browns with a generous drizzle of melted cheese on top. For those who enjoy a good sweet roll, Sue makes delicious homemade cinnamon and caramel buns that are big enough to satisfy the heartiest of appetites.

The lunch menu has also been expanded. In addition to burgers served any style, she also offers spaghetti, liver and onions, Alfredo dishes, fish fries and meatloaf. Specials are offered daily in addition to a choice of homemade soup or chili. Many types of sandwiches are also on the menu, including Ruebens, gyros, BLTs and clubs which are all served with chips or homemade french fries.

Dinners will also be served at Sportsman Cafe Custom Catering. Ribs and steak are popular and soon Sue hopes to be serving prime rib. In fact, this Valentine’s Day she is planning a special dinner which will include a heart-shaped rib eye steak, accompanied by a lobster tail.

There is also a Sunday brunch that is quickly becoming a favorite and is served from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. It includes all breakfast foods in addition to chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, German potato salad, soups and homemade desserts, to name a few.

In addition to serving delicious food at the Sportsman, Sue is also planning on catering from the restaurant as well. She is well-known in the area for this expertise and will cater any event from a small intimate party of 10 to a wedding gala of 1,000. And there is no limit as to what can be included on the menu. In fact, her motto is “Make your special day your own special way.”

“I’ve taken old family recipes and recreated those for parties,” she said. “Basically, clients can choose anything they want to serve from prime rib to sandwiches. I’m very flexible when it comes to catering a party.”

Sue will travel to homes, businesses, churches and hotels to cater and has a wide radius from the Rhinelander area she will travel to accommodate a client.

Meal deliveries are also provided any time the restaurant is open. In addition, any meal is served any time of day, meaning customers can eat hamburgers for breakfast if they wish or have breakfast for dinner, if that is their fancy.

The Sportsman Cafe Custom Catering is open from Tuesday at 6 a.m. until Sunday at 2 p.m., 24 hours a day, but is closed on Monday. It is located at 230 Thayer St. in Rhinelander and the phone number is (715) 362-2100. The restaurant has a Facebook page.