Bootleggers

Is Bootleggers in Tomahawk worth it? Yes, if the plan calls for refined American fine dining with a Northwoods influence rather than a casual meal. The basics are direct: Chef/owner Joseph Cokinis, also referenced as Chef Joe, leads Bootleggers; the price is listed at $75 per person; and the restaurant has a smart-casual dress code.

For a first-timer, the main decision is whether this is the right kind of dinner for the occasion. Bootleggers is best understood as a polished Tomahawk choice built around refined American cooking with Northwoods character. That makes it a stronger fit for a planned dinner or special meal than for an improvised meal where price and timing are the only priorities.

Go for the Northwoods-influenced fine-dining style

The cooking sits in refined American fine-dining territory with a Northwoods influence, so the safest order strategy is to lean into the signatures: the 48oz Tomahawk Ribeye, Wagyu steaks, French onion soup, lobster bisque. Chef Joseph Cokinis leads the kitchen, those dishes are the clearest signals of what Bootleggers is known for.

That order strategy matters because the strongest information points toward a polished dinner built around the restaurant’s listed signatures rather than a rigid tasting-menu identity. First-timers should use the confirmed dishes as the anchor, then choose around them depending on appetite and group size.

Bootleggers also has confirmed Wine Spectator Award of Excellence recognition for 2026. That makes the wine recognition a meaningful trust signal, especially for diners considering the 48oz Tomahawk Ribeye, Wagyu steaks, or another full dinner at the $75 per person level.

Use timing to plan the meal

The posted hours make Bootleggers a planned afternoon-to-evening stop rather than a lunch choice. Hours are Monday 3–9 PM, Tuesday closed, Wednesday closed, Thursday 3–9 PM, Friday 3–10 PM, Saturday 3–10 PM, Sunday 3–9 PM.

Because the restaurant is closed Tuesday and Wednesday and opens at 3 PM on operating days, the practical move is to plan ahead before going. The dress code is smart casual, which fits the refined American fine-dining positioning without requiring a formal approach.

Value depends on what kind of meal the group wants. At $75 per person, Bootleggers makes the clearest sense as the refined dinner of a Tomahawk trip, especially for diners interested in the signature steaks, French onion soup, lobster bisque, the confirmed Wine Spectator recognition.

How to fit it into a Tomahawk trip

For planning, compare Bootleggers with other dining in Tomahawk based on occasion, price, hours. It is the more polished choice when refined American fine dining with Northwoods influence is the goal; for a simpler or lower-key meal, look at other Tomahawk options generically before deciding.