cleo's cocktail lounge

Cleo's is a must see just for the decor alone. Warning: because of all of the Christmas lights it can get very warm so dress in layers. That's right, Christmas lights, decorations, statues, are piled up layer after layer. it may not be your scene for the whole evening, but for a drink or two, it's good. I hate coffee but found the "official" Cleo's drink, the dirty snowball to be tasty even with the small amount of coffee taste. Give it a try, if you don't like it, move on to the next place. There's plenty to choose from on the Ave.

Cleo's is an experience. Always decorated for every holiday, it would take several visits to take in all the decorations. When you think it's decorated for Halloween, look up and there's a Valentine Cupid hanging over your head. The wait staff is always friendly. They have great specialty drinks, and all other drinks are well made.

I was named for St. Nicholas. As a result, it should surprise no one that I love this Christmas-themed tavern. Upon entering Cleo's the first thing you see is the thousands of colorful lights that have been strung throughout the establishment. I find those colorful lights to immediately improve my disposition. There is nothing more relaxing for me than a dark lounge with colorful lights. Cleo's is such a place. During my most recent visit, I noticed two changes since my last visit. First, there are now decorations from other holidays scattered in amongst the Christmas decorations. Since it was October when I visited there was an abundance of Halloween items. However, I also found items from St. Patrick's Day and Easter. Finally, the quality of the items seems to have improved. In the past, some of the items appeared quite dusty or to be low quality/tacky items. This time, everything seemed clean, new, and/or of greater quality. Less clutter and higher quality decorations improved my overall enjoyment of the place. Don't be put off by the unusual theme of the bar. All the normal bar-related activities are still present. On the Thursday night I visited, an NFL game was playing on the tv sets and classic rock was pumping out of the jukebox.

All of the locals you may encounter in the area will tell you that you just have to go to Cleo's. And I have, several times, but I've yet to find it's charm. The interior assaults your senses with a Christmas explosion that doesn't work in favor of the dated red vinyl and other fixtures straight out of the 70's. The bar is typically crowded with locals even on weeknights, and everyone seems to know each other - which can mean that bar service is sometimes slow as the staff chats.The best part is that drinks are cheap and you can check it off your list before walking to your next stop. It's definitely a dive bar, but whether that's a good or bad thing will depend on you.

Based on the recommendation of the hotel clerk at the Copper Leaf Boutique Hotel, we stopped at Cleo's for a cocktail. Oh my gosh, just walking through the door took my breath away. The bar is decorated for the holidays....all holidays!!!! Be sure to ask the bartender for the history of how Cleo's came to be.....wonderful story!!!!! This old fashioned "cocktail lounge" is NOT to be missed when visiting Appleton, WI!!!!