Grater Tater: Restaurant in Burlington offers diners hundreds of potato possibilities

It was a trip to the Wisconsin State Fair that sparked two Burlington-born sisters into opening a potato bar restaurant in their home town. Micki Gebel couldn’t help but notice the long lines that fairgoers were willing to wait in just for the taste of a baked potato topped with all the goodies that our Dairy State has to offer.

Gebel mentioned the idea of opening a potato specialty restaurant to her sister, Mary Leonard, at the time, but they didn’t act on it right away.

“I think we talked about doing it for 10 years,” said Leonard, smiling.

Last August, the sisters finally put their idea to work. With help from friends and family, they completely renovated a storefront space in Downtown Burlington’s Chestnut Street Station mini mall and turned it into the Grater Tater, a restaurant where potatoes rule.

The eatery’s focal point is the buffet-style bar where diners can load their choice of baked, mashed or sweet potato with up to 25 different hot and cold toppings.