All Shook Up Tavern in De Pere gets a facelift

Rich Palzewic

Staff

September 8, 2025

DE PERE – After three years as the owner, Katie Lillge said she is “all shook up” about her De Pere business finally feeling like it’s her own.

Lillge, the owner of All Shook Up Tavern (N5384 County Highway E) – which specializes in farm-to-table pizzas, tacos, salads and craft cocktails – said the establishment recently underwent an extensive, mostly exterior, remodeling project to better serve its customers.

“The building definitely needed some work, and there were some hidden problems,” Lillge said. “There were certain issues I had to address… I wanted to redo what needed to be done and be done with it. Finally, after three years [of owning All Shook Up and with the renovations], it feels like it’s mine.”

Lillge said remodeling work consisted of installing new windows and doors, metal siding and a metal roof, as well as insulating the attic.

She said the remodel was guided by the same attention to detail that defines All Shook Up’s menu.

And that focus, Lillge said, wasn’t just on design – it included major behind-the-scenes improvements, too

“There was also a ton of concrete work done,” she said. “They dug down about six feet in the backyard to put gravel in. I had a huge water problem, because the parking lot was sloped toward the building, so massive amounts of water came into the building every time it rained. The concrete and landscaping work has now diverted the water away from the building.”

Lillge said AC work was also done because it was “unbearably hot in the kitchen.”

Though all the remodeling work was needed, Lillge said, one upgrade has locals singing her praise.

“I installed a larger window in the dining room, so it’s much brighter in there,” she said. “So much so that the locals have said to me, ‘Oh, you got a new bar top?’  I tell them, ‘No, it’s just brighter in here now, so you can see it.’ Two of the new doors installed on the south side of the building also have windows in them, so that is letting in more light as well.”

Lillge said some interior remodeling work was also done, but that wasn’t the main focus of the project.

“The one inside thing we did was demo a wall between my two back kitchen spaces, which opened up the kitchen to flow and function better,” she said.

Lillge said someday, she’d also like to move the bar out about a foot.

“That way, we could get two bartenders back there easier,” she said. “When we move the bar, we’ll have to redo the plumbing and some other things. For now, it’s just a minor facelift inside with some paint until we can tackle the bigger inside remodeling projects. One thing at a time.”

Now that the remodeling project is complete – besides a few odds and ends – Lillge said patrons “love it.”

“I’ve gotten nothing but positive comments,” she said. “I think All Shook Up Tavern is in a really good place right now.”

A nod to ‘The King of Rock’

Lillge said after she took ownership of the bar – then known as Brenda’s Country Bar – she changed the name to All Shook Up Tavern.

“It was Brenda’s Country Bar for 27 years before I took ownership,” she said.

Though the first year was accompanied by many hurdles, Lillge said “that let me trust my own ability to create something the community values.”

“I feel like all I went through was meant to happen, and the support has been amazing,” she said.

Lillge said in two-plus decades before she took over, the bar was “definitely more for locals and had a very late-night crowd.”

“I have been shifting things to be more of a mix of locals and patrons from outside the immediate area,” she said. “I feel like it’s really a great clash of the original crowd who have come here for years and the newer crowd.”

Lillge acknowledged there was some initial hesitation from local patrons about the bar’s new direction.

“I know with any new ownership and with changes, there will be people who don’t necessarily care for that,” she said. “Maybe some of the changes I wanted to incorporate were a bit foreign to them – I’m not sure. I think there were some initial thoughts that I may fail.”

Some of those changes, Lillge said, dealt with offering healthier food options.

“I’ve worked in the service industry my whole life but had never been an owner before this,” she said. “There have been a few funny stories along the way, but I’d say All Shook Up Tavern is now clean-food driven.”

In addition to freshly made pizzas and salads, Lillge said about two months ago, she started offering tacos on Thursday.

“Thursdays were one of our slower nights, so I tried the taco thing,” she said. “Now, I think Thursdays are one of our busier nights.”

Sticking with that healthier menu, Lillge said all the meats she uses are nitrate-free or uncured.

“That means they don’t have any artificial ingredients or preservatives,” she said. “I’ve created some unique pizzas with Elvis-themed names, or you can simply build your own. I also make all of our dressings from scratch, and I make the mayonnaise that goes in the dressings from scratch. We try to be as healthy as possible.”

The use of Bitcoin

Another thing that sets All Shook Up apart, Lillge said, is its use of Bitcoin – a digital currency that doesn’t rely on banks or government regulation, enabling peer-to-peer transactions on a digital network that records and secures all transactions.

“Accepting Bitcoin is a simple way to give people another payment option and to stay a little more independent,” she said. “There really isn’t much of a demand for Bitcoin in our area, so I think it’s a cool option to add.” 

For more on All Shook Up Tavern, visit its Facebook page.