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The Red Pines Bar and Grill has the bait that reels in hungry diners, with walleye cheeks as appetizers and catfish, walleye and sunfish platters and sandwiches, or half-pound burgers, chicken, pizza or fish sandwiches and entrees.

Since opening June 21, owner Mark Koblitz said the non-smoking place is hopping. The new restaurant is located at W7305 Hwy. Z on Brice Prairie overlooking Lake Onalaska.

“Friday night we had a full house and we hadn’t even opened officially,” Koblitz said. “This whole first week, from 5 to 8 p.m., we’ve been packed. We already have our regulars.”

So far, there are 15 employees at the 3,100-square-foot building that seats 88 on the inside and 25 outdoors.

Koblitz said he wanted to take it slow so as not to give people the wrong first impression, but he couldn’t turn away the hungry diners from arriving.

“We gave ourselves time to get the staff comfortable with the menus and duties. Thursday night we allowed each staff member to bring in two guests as guinea pigs for service and food. Friday night, people just poured in. Saturday was our official opening.”

The northwoods theme of the restaurant — with its menu, a full service bar, high arched red pine ceiling beams and wood accents — gives it an outdoor atmosphere. “We wanted a menu and atmosphere that let people feel they’ve gone up north, without having to go up north,” Koblitz said.

If the restaurant business doesn’t pan out, he can always go to work as a furniture maker. Koblitz made all the tabletops and the bar counter out of white pine.

Through the many spacious windows or at one of the outdoor patio tables, diners can enjoy native fish pan fried or deep-fried while lazily watching boaters and anglers floating along the lake.

“We have all fish native to the area, sunfish, walleye,” Koblitz said. “Or whatever my parents might have caught. They sometimes come home from fishing with way more than they can use and bring it to us for the restaurant.”

Along with the native fish, the burgers seem to be the most popular menu item so far. They are half-pound burgers made with USDA Choice Grade A prime beef, fresh, not frozen. And the buns for all the sandwiches are a special treat.

Koblitz has planned this project for two years. He bought the property two years ago and, ever the entrepreneur, debated whether to put up apartments to manage or do something else. Because he’s been managing apartments for quite a while, he decided to change course. “There’s always rental properties to be had,” Koblitz said. “But not commercially zoned waterfront land. Here, it’s three acres of land on the water that was not astronomically priced.”

The land had been vacant since the Red Sails bar and grill burned down in 1999. There’s a small group of apartments and some space for campers. Koblitz plans to open up some of the property for restaurant outdoor activity such as live music or perhaps a sand volleyball court or have outdoor barbeques or something like that.

But that’s down the road a bit. Right now, he’s concentrating on making the restaurant a success for its patrons.

Koblitz, 39, grew up on French Island, went to Logan High School and to Western Technical College where he learned HVAC skills. After college, he worked in HVAC for five years before deciding, at age 25, to work for himself. He’s been self-employed since.