★ 5

Always enjoy this place. Good old fashioned:)

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★ 5

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★ 3

Well, the server we had was super attentive and very friendly. The baked potato and rye bread was hot and fluffy. Our drinks, an old fashioned and a gimlet were strong and tasty. And that's really where it stops. The place is a little run down, peeling paint and awfully bright in the dining room for a supper club in my experience. Speaking of supper club vibes, they ran out of the homemade cheese spread :( at 630pm? I ordered the steak John, med rare, it was barely warm and a very tough peice of meat, the asparagus was not cooked, it was still hard, but that means it was fresh at least. The sauteed mushrooms were good. The shrimp had zero taste. The French and the blue cheese dressing for the salad was great! Maybe they are made in house? My boyfriend ordered the NY strip which tasted ok but was below supper club quality as it was very grisly and hard to eat. Supper Club experience: Just Meh.

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★ 1

Food was fine. The service was terrible. Won't be going back.

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★ 2

Lunch with large group. Ordered the NY Strip sandwich, but it wasn't very high quality. Menu said salt and pepper
bun, came on buttered whitebread toast.
Sandwich a la carte which I like so you don't pay for fries you really don't want to eat. Tried 3 red wines to pair with my sandwich, really didn't care for any. Just don't think they have a well curated list. Long list of jobs they're trying to fill posted on front door.
This longtime mainstay may be struggling to hang on in a changing restaurant environment. So if yr a longtime fan, they prolly could use yr business right now.

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★ 5

I made a reservation for Friday night 7 PM for a party of 13. We arrived and were seated almost immediately. We all ordered the all you can eat deep fried perch, fish fry. It was excellent. Our waitress was great and kept the fish coming! I have been going there for 50 years for the Friday fish fry. Still the best!

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★ 3

I'm feeling very mixed on my experience here. Let me start with the pro's. Our server was absolutely great and really seemed passionate about his job. He was absolutely hilarious and even gave me free ice cream for my birthday. The food was great overall, my partner didn't particularly drool over her chicken, but me and the rest of my family seemed to enjoy our prime rib.

However, my family made a reservation for 3pm and we couldn't access the building as it was closed till 3pm. We were waiting until 3:10pm in extremely hot weather and there was no shade. We finally get inside after I sit on hold for several minutes calling to get someone to let us in. And I'm not going to lie, we were already discussing a different resteraunt option when they finally picked up.

We are finally let in and we were told our server will not be there for another 30 minutes. They also seemed pretty unaware that we had a reservation, so nothing was set up. I was pushing tables for my family so we could all sit together. Not exactly what I was expecting.

If none of that happened, this experience would've easily been 4 or 5 stars but there was clearly a lot of miscommunications going on. My family has been going here for years and even they admitted that the service and food wasn't what it used to be. It just was very underwhelming and not what I expected after hearing the legacy of this place.

The decor was beat up and very outdated as well.

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★ 5

All I can eat fish.
There is none better.
First went there with my parents when I was 5 years old. 53 years later, I've never enjoyed a fish fry more

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★ 1

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★ 3

My steak was tough and a tenderloin is rarely tough. I loved the chicken noodle soup! And the baked potato was delicious.

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★ 1

We wanted to go here for my father's birthday. We made a reservation for 5pm. We got there and were told 20 minutes due to being short staffed....no big deal. After 40 minutes we tried to check on our reservation we were met with significant attitude. They informed us that they stopped honoring reservations without telling us until 40 minutes in and then let us know they were seating wake- ins and reservations the same. We unfortunately had to leave without trying any food. I was very disappointed with the staff attitude.

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★ 2

They really need to get some good bartenders. Ordered an old fashioned, no muddled with fruit. I received a drink with a lemon and olive! Went back to the bar and asked for the orange and cherry.
Ordered baked cod and I asked for double melted butter. Glad I did the cod was so dry and I ordered it Cajun and they charged me for added a sprinkle of spice!

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★ 1

My wife’s cousin made a reservation because they were the only place that would take a reservation on a Friday night for 12 people. My wife and I were running less than 5 minutes late. When we arrived, we told the host we were with a party of 12. They acted like they had no idea there was a large party anywhere. We find our family, and say our oldest coming from Minneapolis is about 5 minutes away also. We place our order, and the host comes over to tell us the next time we are there, we need to have our entire party present before being seated, and that we have really upset the waitress. Now first, she threw her staff under the bus. I apologized to the waitress and told her we certainly did not mean to disrespect her on what should be a busy night. She said it was fine and that she understood. Her service was excellent. Secondly, they seated us before we were there. How was it our fault that they seated us before we were all there? I have no problem having an extra old fashioned while waiting. It’s one of the few pleasures I have nowadays. The fish was terrible. I had cod that was burned on the edges, barely warm in the middle. The coleslaw was good, and the potato was a potato. I did not pick the restaurant, nor would I if it had been left up to me, but I will never go back.

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★ 5

Wonderful Wisconsin Supper Club! The food has been excellent including their Sunday Southern Fried Chicken! Took guests fro out of town here, and everyone was very pleased with their meals. Cannot go wrong here!

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 1

Rough night overall

We’ve been coming to here for years and tonight will be our last. Our first red flag was pulling into a supper club on a Saturday at 6pm and there was only 5-10 cars. Once going inside, there was less than 10 people - usually we would’ve left, but have had great experience in the past. I ordered a medium rare king cut prime rib and my husband ordered a, medium rare New York strip. My “French” salad dressing was a mixed combination of BBQ and cocktail sauce. Followed by, “beef noodle soup” which tasted like pork fat juices. We understand homemade soups can be a hit or miss, but were looking forward to our main dishes - Unfortunately that was not the case. My husband’s steak came out completely raw and had to send it back. (He has never done this in the last 19 years I’ve known him) However, it came back like a hamburger and was inedible. The prime rib tasted liked it was frozen and frozen juice poured on it.

The table next to us leaned over and asked us if our food was inedible too. They said, their steak tasted frozen and the shrimp were so hard they tasted like they were chewing on shells.

Nicely to say, we will not be back.

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★ 1

Came in to get a soup and a beer at the bar. They would not serve me food until after 8. Bar was empty except for water drinkers and restaurant did not seem overly busy. Tap beer was flat. I would have stayed for another bottled beer but they wouldn't serve me food at the bar. I understand not wanting to overload the kitchen with orders but soup for one person? I have always loved the Esquire but im afraid they don't care about their loyal customers.

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★ 1

Medium rare steak came out super tough overcooked well done and unseasoned; equivalent to a steak from Denny's.
French fries were unseasoned and equivalent to freezer fries from the grocery store.
Nice dark atmosphere, it was a dead zone (few other customers), so it was a peaceful quiet environment. Dark lighting and numerous steps up on entry would make this place not ADA accessible and probably challenging to read a menu for low vision guests. We waited to be seated for a long time because they didn't notice us standing right there. Waiter was nice and accommodating, seemed a bit flustered and couldn't remember a few requests, despite not many guests there.
Prices are wayyyyyy too expensive for the sub-par quality; very disappointed with the food and won't be returning.
Should've gone to Texas Roadhouse for cheaper costs and better quality.

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★ 5

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★ 1

I've tried stopping here twice and both times it wasn't even open. So we called and they said we open at ... so we went back at that time and then they didn't start serving food for another hour. To be honest, it didn't even look like they were ready to serve drinks yet either. It's a shame because this place was awesome before the partner messed it up and the OGs had to buy it back.

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★ 5

Es un excelente lugar, el personal es muy atento y la comida muy buena

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★ 5

Great meal! Nice people to visit with also. Been coming here since I was about five. John is great & gives so much back to the neighborhood!

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★ 5

John and his staff are amazing! We have been coming to the Esquire Club for years and they are always consistent with delicious food and great service and a fabulous atmosphere!
Keep up the good work!!

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★ 5

Honestly, this supper club is a Madison treasure. The steak is fantastic (we usually get the filet mignon), you get a ton of food for the price, and everything is cooked to perfection. Servers are always friendly and attentive, and we make this a regular part of our date night rotation.

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★ 5

Wow great food and people. Owner was there and had a great conversation about the history. His parents were the original owners

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★ 1

The food here is very good. Came for prime rib while in Madison a month or so ago. We drove almost an hour to try the fish fry today. The place was only somewhat busy when we arrived at 530. We got our name in and sat down at the bar only to be completely ignored for over 15 minutes. Finally I had to ask one of the two bartenders for drinks. Would have liked to had more but our table was ready. Ordered food and another drink. Got our fish but no coleslaw bread or tartar sauce. Had to ask. Got everything except the tartar sauce. Sat there patiently waiting until the fish got cold. Had to go to the hostess to ask for some. Finished eating and waited for twenty minutes before having to again ask the hostess for the check. Took my card only to disappear again and not return. Finally had enough and went once again to the front and told them we had to leave now and we were out of patience. So, everything you hear is right. Food is good, service is beyond horrible. I’m not a hard person to please and I’m very understanding of how hard it is for staff when they are busy, but that was not the case here. We won’t ever be back.

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★ 4

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★ 2

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★ 1

We ordered chicken wings and catfish fingers for appetizers. My friends ordered Steak with hash brown, ribs with a baked potato. I ordered deep fried ocean Perch with clam chowder, deep fried shrimp with hash brown. Everything was Awful I am never going back.

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★ 3

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★ 5

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★ 5

Had the perch and it was delicious

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★ 2

I so wanted to enjoy my experience last night given the troubles that had plagued this business. Sadly, it was an awful experience. From the rubbery calamari to the meatless beef and potato soup, to the undercooked hash browns to the 4” thick ribeye that was more like a badly prepared roast the meal was disappointing. The only enjoyable part was our waiter who was trying his best to provide good service in a poorly staffed restaurant.

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★ 4

We had a great server on Mother's Day. Food was okay

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★ 5

Old school supper club with great food and service 😋

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★ 5

We were unsure what to expect, but we were pleasantly surprised! The drinks were amazing, and the food was fantastic, and plenty of it. They were busy but managed the tables efficiently, and the service was excellent.

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★ 1

HORRIBLE SERVICE TRYING TO ORDER TAKE OUT SHE HUNG UP HALF WAY THROUGH MY ORDER I CALLED BACK 4 TIMES NO ANSWER THEN IT WAS OFF THE HOOK

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★ 1

Won a $50 gift card from this restaurant at a benefit. We came on a Friday night for fish fry.
We did a get a seat rather quickly as it was not busy at all. Ordered our drinks and food. Our drinks, salads and food came to us within 10 minutes. It felt really rushed! The fish was cold and not crispy at all and they forgot our wine.
After that the check arrived without asking us if we needed anything else. We looked over the check and they over charged us for our meals.
Once that was fixed we gave them the gift card and we were told they are not accepting them since they reopened..
We will not be returning and we will be sharing our experiences with others. You would have thought they could have paid for our drinks or part of our meal.

This is not the Friday Fish Fry Supper Club experience you expect in Wisconsin!

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

It was awesome! My Rueben was fantastic! Steak fries perfect! Our waitress was friendly and attentive!

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★ 5

Food was very good. Highly recommend the steaks, though I suggest giving the whisky peppercorn sauce a pass.

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★ 5

Now that someone isn't running it into the ground, it's found it's greatness again!

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★ 5

I love ❤️ ordering 😍 my food there

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★ 2

Good to know that the restaurant will stay open. I'd like to see the menu go back to how it was before Craig Spaulding changed it. I'd like to see a return of the catfish, all the steak options and steak combo options, lobster tails, and all the potato options that were there under John's ownership, make a comeback. I noticed a decline in the quality of food, increase in prices, increase in drink prices with fewer drink choice options. I also was a bit bother by the both soup and salad that would come with the entrees instead of just one or the other. Either way, I'm glad I've heard it will open back up, I just hope the food and drink menu goes back to how it was before ownership changed.

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★ 5

Great place.Great atmosphere, great food.Just a great time.

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★ 4

What a great place I really enjoyed myself.

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★ 4

Always loved their fish fry until this past Friday. Seems that they have changed things. The new French fries are not good. The ocean perch was good, but the batter seemed different. The clowslaw was the same but not served family style. Our waitress was awesome 🙂

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 4

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★ 3

It was just ok.

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★ 5

Amazing food, great service!

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★ 3

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★ 3

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★ 5

The Esquire is a good blue collar supper club. Good food. Lots of it and a good value

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★ 5

Great drinks and food

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★ 3

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★ 3

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★ 1

Haven't been here in years and remember it being great so we went today for lunch. Sat at the bar, asked for menus and got them, waited 10-15 minutes for staff to come back and they never did, just walked by. The bar was not busy, and the dining room was empty, so we were surprised at the lack of service. We just left and will not be back or recommend.

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★ 3

After a slow start, the server redeemed herself and was just fine. However, the steaks and how they were served and just the food in general (think about an overly sweet kind of gunky coleslaw, and steaks on "sizzle plates" that aren't sizzling, and old fashioned cocktails in a WI super club, and not muddled, and shrimp cocktail that must have been 18-20 CT small, not crispy chilled, on semi-wilted bed if greens --- etc ....)

Not a great - not horrible - experience. No reason to go back that I can see.

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★ 5

Miranda was the best most positive server!

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★ 5

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★ 5

I’m not a regular but the few times I’ve been here, the food is yum and service is great! I love the new wedge salad, the stuffed crab chicken breast and the French onion soup. The bartenders are very fun and I love the community here at this restaurant. Staff are very attentive to each other and customers. Drinks are good but they’re always out of the wines I like. it looks that there’s a real lack of management & too much family/work drama. I’ve heard too often about problems about staff personal life, drama, and regulars here talk way too much. This place can really use better speakers so that all of the restaurant can enjoy the music, and changing some of the ceilings could really change the place. Anyways, nice food and great staff. I recommend.

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★ 3

Came for breakfast brunch bingo. $20 for the quality of the buffet was a bit of a stretch. I had really high hopes for the quality of food. Really was hoping to be able to order from the regular menu but was quickly shut down. Also expect to spend 2-3 hours here for bingo for 10 simple games. The caller is enthusiastic but alittle redundant. What should have taken an hour at most, took way too long.

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 2

Basic sysco shop...

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★ 5

The Esquire Supper Club was beyond accommodating while hosting my parents' 50th wedding anniversary dinner.

The service far exceeded our expectations. Staff was perfectly attentive. Available yet provided us with space and privacy at just the right moments. The food was wonderful, and the kitchen manager came out at one point to ensure everything was going smoothly.

There was a very large holiday party also taking place, but we were never forgotten, nor did we feel rushed. My parents have commented several times about how wonderful everything was. It was a very special occasion for our family, and we definitely chose the right place.

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★ 5

I had a party in the newly remodeled room in the lower level. Everything was perfect! The service, the food, the attention to detail! All employees were friendly and made the night run smoothly. Definitely would recommend for all your party needs!

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★ 5

New management, much better service now.

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★ 5

Spent new years eve here and the atmosphere was great! For dinner we had steaks and the meat was excellent! Cooked to perfection. The sides were not my favorite. Tried the coleslaw and the taste seemed a bit off. The loaded baked potato was alright, well cooked and soft although I didn't like the cheese it came with. The fried calamari was pretty good and crispy. Cheese curds were excellent. Service was a bit slow but I am guessing it is the event so will have to come back to see it on a normal day. Cocktails were also pretty good.

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★ 5

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★ 4

Went here for a Chritmas Party. Not my type of place.

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★ 5

Saturday night, seated immediately, delicious food. Prime rib 8.5/10

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★ 4

Decent place. Steak was fine. Lots of gristle for a ribeye. Not fancy. Average everything.

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★ 5

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★ 5

Excellent fish fry and great staff.

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★ 4

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★ 4

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★ 4

The Thanksgiving buffet was great. The butternut squash was out of this world as well as the mashed potatoes, corn, and green bean casserole. The was stuffing but I didn't try it but Toni said it was good. The turkey was moist and succulent and ham-juncy and not dry. The roast beef was cooked to perfection with horseradish sauce on the side. The marshmallow salad was tasty as well as the cole slaw. There were apple, pumpkin and pecan pie options along with three types of brownies (plain, covered in dark chocolate fudge or covered in a light maple flavored spread with sprinkles). The only bad mark was the overly salty gravy. They offered a variety of festive holiday drinks such as hot chocolate with peppermint and vodka and a cranberry vodka drink I tried. Cozy atmosphere and typical Wisconsin Supper Club type venue. I would go again especially to try the Friday night fish fry.

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★ 5

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★ 3

Food is good as always, however the bartender named Mark needs a lesson in customer service! Slow un unattentive and mean!!

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★ 1

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★ 5

Excellent server for our 12 person group on November 9. She was efficient, kind and gave explanations patiently.
We had breakfast at 9.30am and all of the food was excellent: breakfast sandwich, hash browns, eggs/omeletttes, bacon, sausage, etc.

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 3

Mediocre food, dining area was not at all special. Probably won't ever go back.

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★ 5

I have been coming here for 60 some years. My mother was the head waitress at Esquires when I was a young child, so I ate here a lot. The new owners are doing a great job, the food and service has been excellent. I will continue to come here.

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★ 5

One of my favorite places to go for Friday Fish. Baked Cod is really good too.

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★ 5

The fish was phenomenal. The staff was also phenomenal!

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★ 5

You won't find a better Wisconsin supper club!

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★ 5

Comfortable and classy steak and seafood joint with a lively bar. Serving up hearty multi course meals with comfy seats and cloth tablecloths.

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★ 5

This place has the best fish fry on Friday. A great staff very friendly. And they do a great job if you want to have a party.

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★ 4

Under new ownership after decades of ownership by the same family, the interior seems cleaner, newly-painted?, and some new chairs in the front/"airport-control-tower"dining room. All very nice EXCEPT: the new chairs sit even lower than the old ones - and THAT was low enough!! Seriously!! Did you even think about consulting with a disability specialist before buying such low-sitting chairs??? I experienced extreme difficulty getting up from the new chair. It was quite embarrassing!! If adult booster seats aren't provided, I will not be able to dine-in ever again. The food was excellent!! My dining companion & I had the deep-fried perch, deep-fried cod - each with choice of potato, cole slaw & fresh, warm bread. ALWAYS EXCELLENT!! We also had the deep-fried cheese curds & clam chowder. YUM!! The curds were lightly breaded & nice & "melty" inside - just as they should be!! Neither of us knew they even had these on their menu, and both of us have been dining here for decades!! You MUST try them!! The clam chowder was nice & thick - just the way I like it & the way it should be!! Needless to say, we both brought lots home with us. Lol. And, oh yes l, I brought a turtle cheesecake dessert home with me. If you're a cheesecake lover like me, you'll love this too!! And last, but certainly not least, our server Miranda was friendly, helpful & properly attentive. Great job Miranda!! Thank you!!

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★ 5

Great history and current Ownership does not disappoint: Top Notch service, Great food and drinks. A must go kinda place!!!

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★ 5

Wow, I was impressed. The food was amazing. Had the Fried Cod, potatoes, coleslaw & bread. Cup of clam chowder & AMAZING CHEESE Curds. Everything was hot and super tasty. Our server. His name was Maranda. Was super nice, super attentive, super informitive, KIND & HAPPY. The place looked basically the same with little updates, new paint and cleaner. Very fresh looking. Glad to see they didn't change what already was awesome and improved it more.

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★ 1

Celebrated our son and daughter-in-laws birthdays. We were served 1 small cup of cheese for 4 people however we id get an entire loaf of doughy rye bread and several pieces of white bread and a basket of soda crackers. Asked for hollandaise on the side. It came shriveled and dried(as if it had been sitting) on what seemed to be a "boiled" tenderloin steak that was somewhat gray beneath the dried up hollandaise with shrimp that tasted like metal. The hashbrowns were mushy and lardy tasting. My sons steak had no flavor. My husband thinks he got my steak because of the "doneness" (I agree) but when he tasted mine he was glad he didn't get mine! We have been to the Esquire Club many times. Over the last few years It has become hit or mis . We thought it had changed recently as we were pleasantly surprized the last couple of times only to find hit or mis this time again! And slow? OMG!!! We may return but not for a long time, AGAIN!

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★ 3

We decided to try having a reservation and it didn’t matter, we waited 45 minutes past our time. We waited for our server to take our order, deliver drinks, deliver food for what seemed like forever . He never checked on us, never apologized for being slow or thanked us for coming in. On the other hand, the food was delicious! The improvements to the decor were noticed too.

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★ 5

Fun, Wisconsin Supper Club!

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★ 2

The new owners have a lot to work on. The food was sub par , they only had 11 menus so we couldn't sit until the big party ordered and unfortunately our server who was great was dealing with the "big" party in another part of the restaurant so he was unavailable. I am hopeful that the new owners can figure out their issues.

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★ 5

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★ 3

This place is okay. The food is decent, the prices are a little high, the service was good, but the kitchen took an hour to get our food out to us. The restaurant comped us with free dessert and a coupon book! I won't be using any of the coupons.

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★ 3

Wasn’t what I expected. Maybe I don’t know what a “supper club” is. I was worried I’d be “underdressed” with a polo shirt. I felt over dressed. That’s just the vibe. Place is ok, trying to be nice. Had to wait 40 minutes. Fine, it was busy. There was a table with two chairs we saw open the entire wait. But it was next to a closet/work room of sorts where things are kept for staff. So we thought, nah, they probably don’t use that table because of what I mentioned.

Food… mine was very good. Cheese curds, “nice”. I liked the rye bread. We both got hash browns. Good stuff. I got lake perch. Very good. Slaw was good, different than anyone else’s. Maybe thinner cuts and less sugar needed (IMO), but still it was good. Wife’s steak, half nicely done, other half had no juice, very dry. Waitress was nice enough. Did her job.

But back to that empty table we waited for 40 minutes. We were seated there. A spider web in that corner, fan touching our chairs, crashing of things in that little room, a tray holder for me to rest my elbow on…. With the bar and food together, spent $100+

Probably not a repeat, or if I do it won’t be for some time.

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★ 5

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★ 3

They have excellent cheese curds and onion rings. Their fried cod is decent but doesn't reheat well and could use more seasoning.

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★ 5

Birthday 🎂
Great time!

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★ 5

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★ 4

The food was very good. I had the Ruben. It was rather large. The waitress was extremely good. I was with a party of 25 people, and she handed it well. The prices are fair. Great place to have a group of people.

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★ 5

We came for breakfast Sunday morning and had a fantastic breakfast and of course Bloody Mary's (which were also really good). My croissant came out warm and fluffy, the fruit side had strawberries, blackberries, blueberries and grapes, it also had a hint of honey and cinnamon which was a very nice touch. My boyfriend had a Build your own omelet and they did not skimp on the meats and vegs, it was packed! We will be back!

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★ 5

Kind of.

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★ 5

Great food, Great service. Ceiling needs some work. A classic supper cub atmosphere.

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★ 3

We were so pleased to see the number of people at Esquire. Our lovely bartender was so pleasant.We were happy to be seated in the front dining room. We were seated at 6:30 and didn't receive our meal until 7:55. A long wait. Food was hot,and pretty good. Perch over fried. Will give it a few months and try again

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★ 5

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★ 5

It had been a few years since we had been to Kavanaughs but wanted to give it another try when we heard there was new ownership. I am so glad we went. The space overall has been freshened up a bit, and we were happy to see not much had changed on the menu but we were even happier about the improved quality of the food and the SERVICE!

We had a perfectly prepared shrimp cocktail and the Friday specials, fried cod and the fantail shrimp. Both were excellent and the sides were delicious too.

The place was busy, the atmosphere lively and we are definitely coming back!

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★ 3

There are some dishes that are very good, my favorite is the clam chowder. Other selections are good but not worth the price $$. Atmosphere is coming along with a new carpet, but is still in need of some TLC.

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★ 5

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★ 3

Took forever to get a menu after seating, granted it was a Friday but people arrived after us and got taken care of before. Got the all you can eat perch and was average. Space is great, and they have the boozy ice cream drinks. You're going here for the atmosphere.

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★ 5

I started coming here when I was 15, with a couple of friends. I am now 60 and now live in Virginia. We make a trip to Wisconsin every 2 years and we always get Esquire fish. The food is always excellent, and the service is friendly. We'll see you next time

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★ 3

The Esquire Club is a good Wisconsin dinner club. The food is good but not stand out. The staff is friendly.

Hopefully the recent acquisition of the place by an experienced and well respected restauranteur will bring with it a much needed refresh.

The chairs in the dining room are old peeling and awful. The menus are a weird collection printer paper and given the breadth of what they offer probably needs to be trimmed down to a more manageable list.

While the drink prices are decent, the bar service is slow and inattentive. Staff tended to hang out at the other end of the bar chatting with what was either regulars or off duty staff.

The bar also needs to be thoroughly cleaned. The wells need to be emptied and all the surfaces scrubbed. The staff also needs a retrain on sanitation. While they are no longer using glassware to scoop ice, they just drop the scoop into the ice, handle and all.

They also have a very weird policy about for served at the bar: bar staff 'cannot' take any food orders at the bar. They will go fetch a waitstaff to come to you where they will stand outside the bar and take your order. You end up with 2 checks: one for drinks one for food. Table service doesn't have this issue, just bar service.

Which is doublely odd since they have an inventive way to make eating at the bar easier: custom trays the fit on the bar.

All in all, the place has a solid history and good bones, but the new owners have their work cut out for them to bring standards up.

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★ 2

Went for their fish fry last night. Our server was outstanding. However; the fried cod was severely overcooked and barely edible. It was so disappointing. We were hoping that growing pains would have been complete, but sadly not

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★ 5

Great Supper Club

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★ 5

Very accommodating, good food traditional supper club atmosphere.

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★ 5

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★ 3

Food was good but the restaurant reservation system is terrible….booked a reservation at 6 and didn't get seated till 7 and didn't get food till 8. What was the point of reservation if we had to wait for that long? I get it it's graduation but the point of reservation is to have a spot ready for us in that time spot? When we checked again at 6:45 they said two tables are a head of you…..really?

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★ 5

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★ 2

Arrived on Friday night for fish fry. Me and my two year old son. We went to the front desk to ask about a table. We waited for 10 minutes politely trying to talk to anyone while there were 6 workers standing/sitting around ignoring us. We finally got one to reply back to us and told us a 10 minute wait. After 30 minutes, two seaters asked us our name so they could check on us, since they noticed we had been waiting for a long time and felt bad. After 40 minutes total, they grabbed another seaters attention and asked why they hadn't seated us even though we were on her list. We then got seated.

Server took about 10 minutes to get to us (went to every table by us though), and she took another 10 minutes after she took our drink order before coming to take our food order. Food came out very quick and was good. We asked for a box after a while and it took another 15 minutes to come. I then noticed that my meal was incomplete as I was missing my bread and coleslaw (eating with a toddler is hard to keep track of everything). When the server dropped the box, I told her. She offered to bring me bread and coleslaw to go. She didn't come back for at least 10 minutes. My toddler and I had to go (toddlers can sometimes have their own agenda).

Pro - Great fish. Fast food.

Con - Front of house is a mess. They have three people standing at the front desk. 1 takes to-go orders over the phone, 1 calls people's name over the loud speaker, and 1 is supposed to manage the wait list. Then three seaters have names on their list and you're at their whim??? Servers may be over worked. That could explain the slowness and forgetfulness. They seemed to be semi-self aware, as I head, 'I'm sorry' from 7 different people throughout the night.

At the end - I was charged money for food I never got.

After being a long time patron and advocate to my friends and family, I can not recommend anymore. It's a shame, the new owner is definitely doing press releases and articles about himself and the restaurant, so he's trying to get business. When I see a newspaper article written that they've re-worked their front of house and business processes, I'll give them a try. Until then, I would expect unclear responsibilities and no quality control. I recommend two people at the front. 1 handling the phone and handling payment for to-go orders while 1 person manages the 1 list and works with the seaters to seat people. Take the number of seaters down to 1 or 2 and have an additional server.

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★ 5

Food was excellent as always, and the service was even better!

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★ 5

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★ 5

A little dated on the inside yet still really nice. Bartender was nice and friendly and the food was good. We will return in a week or so….

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★ 5

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★ 5

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★ 5

Kavanaugh's Esquire Club has a loyal following and is considered a beloved dining destination in the Madison area. Fish fry and daily specials are comforting and delicious. It is a great place to experience the timeless charm and hospitality of a classic Wisconsin supper club. Thank you!

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★ 4

Porterhouse was cooked perfect medium rare. Whiskey and peppercorn can in a cup on side. Filet was more medium than medium rare but was very good. Steak John was good but needed more seasoning. They didn't have vegetarian lasagna but had cheese ravioli n red sauce which was good. Soups were cabbage n corn beef which I loved. The other beef barley had good flavor. Hot bread n crackers served with butter n cheese. Our server Matti K was excellent!!! Definitely ask for her. Old fashions were great. Stuffed mushroom caps were great n had real crab hunks in them. Cheese curds were excellent.

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★ 5

Friday fish fry was excellent!

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★ 4

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★ 3

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★ 5

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★ 5

Old fashions and great fish fry

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★ 2

Ribeye Steak was over cooked and tough. Hashbrowns were really soggy with either oil or butter and ff were cold. Breaded shrimp was amazing. Ranch dressing was probably the best I have ever had.

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★ 5

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★ 5

The absolute of a supper club. Great drinks, great food and local watering hole where the problems of the world get solved or you celebrate small or large.

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★ 4

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★ 5

Great service, good food.

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★ 5

Kavanaugh's is a great spot for dinner! Their catering is also delicious! They catered my wedding recently and everyone raved about the food!

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★ 5

This is the old school supper club of the past! It's been here since 1943 and still under the same family ownership.

Get there early to enjoy an ice cream drink at the bar!

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★ 5

Had a lovely time. Corned beef was so tender . Drinks were good. Place is clean
And wheelchair accessible.

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★ 4

I would give the food a 4.5 instead of a 4 if I could. My husband had the deep fried lake perch and I had deep fried cod, we both enjoyed our meal. The breading was not too thick and it was not greasy. The fish was flaky and no “fishy” taste. Excellent creamy coleslaw and homemade tartar sauce. The rye bread was thick and hearty. We will definitely return for the fish fry. Our son had a cheeseburger and said it was good. The cheese curds were very good and my husband liked the clam chowder.

The service was excellent!

We were seated in, what we believe was an addition. It was a drabby carpeted room with a hole in the wall (looked intentional for maybe something being installed?) right by our table. The other main room, with hardwood floors was much nicer. The bar area has the typical supper club feel. The women’s rest room is in pretty bad shape.

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★ 1

I thought the new ownership would compare to the old. Not the best fish I’ve had from ther ever. Poop

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★ 5

Great vintage supper club feel. Jackie was an awesome server. Will be back!

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★ 5

Super fish fry and excellent broiled cod!

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★ 4

My husband and I go here when we're in the mood for a decent fish fry that doesn't have a wait time. The food is ok, but not amazing, for example, the coleslaw is bland, but the fish is good. You can't really mess up fried fish, am I right?
The waitress we had this last time was so over worked and was being yelled at by the manager leaving her flustered that she tried twice to give our food to the table behind us, then forgot that tables drinks completely. Yikes! We also didn't get water until we were about to leave. We were asked if we wanted white or rye bread, and we wanted both so she brought out both, so there were some redeeming qualities. We tipped her like normal because we're not monsters. Please treat your employees better.
I would also like to mention that the chairs have been the same for years, maybe a decade, so they are sunken and not very comfortable.

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★ 5

An outstanding meal

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★ 1

Just walked out. Piss poor service. Ordered drinks for 3 of us and only got 2. One was wrong and was over 10 minutes, and it was not fixed, and the missing one was never served. It looked like a slow night. 3 servers on the floor for maybe 10 tables. I hate saying bad things about places. But it has been 3 years since our visit and this will be our last!

Source: Google

★ 3

Atmosphere was pleasant. We Sat in a room with large windows. Temperature was comfortable. Tables were a little too close, we felt like we were sitting with the table next to us. Felt a little awkward. Chairs are comfortable but have the material flaking off and are in need of replacement.

Bread was warm, cheese dip and crackers were delicious. Garden salad was just eh with ice berg lettuce, mushrooms and tomatos.
Soup, beef vegetable was wonderful and the perfect temperature.
I ordered a full rack of ribs with hash browns with cheese and onions. Ribs fell off the bone and are covered in a tangy BBQ sauce. A little too much sauce for my liking. Personal choice. Hash browns were nasty. They were mushy on the inside, and had a single slice of cheese barely melted and 3 mini pieces of onion on top. What a disappointment. I was so excited for those hash browns.

My husband had a steak which he ordered medium received rare and didn't have flavor. He also ordered mushrooms and baked potato, both which were good. He also enjoyed the beef vegetable soup.

We were there at 5. There was no wait and we were seated immediately. It took some time for waitress to come and then lagging time in between courses. We waited over 10 minutes after we completed our meals for our waitress to return. I feel she might have had tables elsewhere and got caught up with them. She was pleasant although very quiet.

Sadly overall my husband and I were disappointed. Maybe it was just an off night?!

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★ 3

Me and my wife stopped in tonight. The steak I ordered was bland I was really irritated about the wifes hash browns with cheese and onions. When that comes, it's burnt. Hash browns with a piece of square american cheese on it and about three little pieces of onion throwing on top of that, Now ordinarily I wouldn't be complaining about something like that. But the prices do not reflect the quality of the food. Because hashbrown's I can get them down at the cafe for a couple bucks. That steak should have came out perfect. Maybe it was a bad night for them But I wish it wouldn't have been on my first night. Very disappointed

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★ 4

Excellent pork medallions with very tasty crusted seasoning, wrapped with bacon, served with garlic mashed potatoes. I love the old fashioned atmosphere. North side very popular place

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★ 4

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★ 3

Very dark inside. Dark walls. Boring walls and carpet. Needs an upgrade badly! The food is not worth the prices charged. Both of our chairs wobbled. Thought I would fall over. December 22nd and no Christmas decor in the banquet room.. I never want to eat here again!

Source: Google

★ 5

Our neighborhood group goes to the Esquire quite often. The Friday night fish fry is always fun! The fried ocean perch is delicious, does not taste fishy! The fried jumbo shrimp are outstanding, so huge! They always give us generous amounts of coleslaw and bread, plus you get a baked potato or french fries. Lots of food to eat! Our server, Michelle, was very friendly and very efficient. And with 18 of us there, the service was outstanding!

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★ 5

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★ 5

One great Supper Club.

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★ 5

Delicious Friday night fish fry. Friendly service.

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★ 5

Fabulous food and service. Individually plated meals for about 35 people and each meal was hot and fresh. Great job!! A little humor with our elf.

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★ 5

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★ 5

Dinner was excellent. I had the Esquire Steak Special and it was wonderful! Perfectly cooked and a great flavor.

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★ 5

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★ 3

Place is in serious need of an update. Fish was good, steaks were tough. Good soup and salad.

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★ 2

Usually I don’t leave bad reviews about the length of time it took to get the food because I get it but god damn I got there at like 445 and we were one of only like two other tables of people and it took until 630 to get the food I ordered waitress was kind of rude when asked questions (even though the questions we asked were valid because there was no drink menu or way to find out what we wanted to know other than asking) and the food was disappointing and wildly overpriced

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★ 3

Meh!

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★ 4

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★ 4

Please update the smelly carpet, furniture and bathroom 🚻😫

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★ 5

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★ 3

Super divey place. Food was meh. Staff and waitresses were super friendly. Rather pricey for lunch specials.

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★ 4

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★ 5

My son took us there for my 60th birthday. The atmosphere was great and the waitstaff was very friendly and helpful. I'll be going again!

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★ 3

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★ 5

Food has always been good.

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★ 3

This place was recommended for a super club in the Madison area, and it was okay. I had a ribeye and an old fashion both were okay.

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★ 5

Classic old school good fish fry.

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★ 4

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★ 5

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★ 4

Great place for a fish fry.

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★ 3

Portions were large for fried perch and potatoes. Traditional, uninspired menu offerings. Meal was fine, but lacked creative spices or sauce. Would rather see more interesting vegetable offerings. Server was friendly and helpful.

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★ 4

Busy place
good food

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★ 1

First time visit, and now last, and was for Valentine's Day.

Limited poultry on the menu and the kitchen couldn't get it correct. Looked good but was RAW. Wasn't hot all the way through. Lost my appetite. They offered me another dish but nothing was poultry. Settled on shrimp that was good but I didn't finish.

Ended up not finishing my chicken, obviously and didn't finish my shrimp and was still charged over $20 for a dish that I couldn't finish and a dish I didn't want to begin with. This whole disappointment took over an hour and a half.

Really disappointed on a first visit. Takes months or years to get a customer in the door and seconds to lose them forever. I may never go here again.

** Never got a reply to my review. Rating now lower **

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★ 5

We were there at 430 on a Friday, and we were seated right away. The fried cod was great. My friends had the salmon and were happy

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★ 3

Ate at KEC on the advice of a friend following a recent Badger FB game. My friend said it was "classic Madison". First impressions were not good. The building was run down. The control mechanism on both men's urinals were broken. Couldn't flush them. The men's bathroom reeked of urine. The faux leather chairs at the table we were seated at were peeling, badly. I'm in my late 50s. My wife daughter and me were easily the youngest people in KEC until a younger couple arrived midway through our meal. The waitress who first attended to us quickly filled out water glasses, said something about KEC being shorthanded, then left, never to be seen again. The waiter that replaced her was attentive and polite, maybe overly so. Crackers and cheese spread arrived promptly. No bread or relish tray. We ordered the cheese curds and stuffed mushroom appetizers. Don't know if it was because we were so hungry, but both were pleasant surprises. We kept the rest of our order simple, as we were running late. My wife ordered a Reuben sandwich, my daughter a BLT sandwich. I ordered a single stuffed chicken breast with a side of sauteed mushrooms. The "entrees" put us at ease. My wife really liked her Reuben, though pricey for a Reuben and fries. Took half the sandwich home with us, as it was stacked with meat. My daughter enjoyed her BLT and fries. My stuffed chicken breast was tasty. The service was attentive, if not a little over the top with some of the comments. My wife commented that she had low expectations given the atmosphere and state of the building, but came away happy with her meal. I would agree. I know times have been tough for "sit down" restaurants like KEC, but the place is in serious need of some updating. Seems like it could go one of two ways: Either the owners invest in updating their establishment (if they have the means and desire), or it'll become irrelevant on the Madison restaurant scene when their mostly over age 65 clientele ages out. I would add that I have a special place in my heart for supper clubs and older restaurants in particular. This is one that appears worth saving.

Source: Google

★ 4

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★ 1

Terrible place to make reservations. This was my birthday night. We waited 2 hours past the time of our reservation to be seated and the server still managed to mess up the order. I was very disappointed. Food was cold and the server was in too much of a hurry to focus on costumer requests for drink, apps, etc.. This place used to be AWESOME, but unfortunately there is nothing good to be said about this place. Holes in the walls, and not clean whatsoever. I'm surprised your still in business.

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★ 5

BEST burger ive had in a LONG TIME. The decore definitely needs update however I was expecting a superclub burger and got a steak house burger. Perfectly cooked and seasoned the bacon was cooked perfect and the bun/roll soft but sturdy enough for a juicy burger. This was also about 9$. It didn't come with fries but its was big enough that I still couldn't finish it. This is a small business that deserves a second look if you have not stopped in a while like me. I will be returning SOON. Oh great Bloody Mary too.

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★ 5

Fried Perch lunch was delicious, waitress was attentive and prompt. Nice atmosphere.

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★ 1

To lead this off, our waitress was awesome and she tried her best to rescue our evening. I really enjoy supper clubs and family owned operations, but this was really disappointing. We were seated immediately upon arrival. It took 45 minutes to get our order taken. Drinks arrived at our table over 1 hour after we arrived. Once our food arrived, about another half hour later, it did not appear to be seasoned and our steaks were cooked very inconsistently.

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★ 4

First time here, picked lunch as I know it gets PACKED for Friday fish fry dinners. Service was super fast, food was delicious! A little dark on the interior for my taste and although it was 90+ degrees outside, I swear I felt the heat kicking in.
All in all, I'd definitely go back.
Waitresses were AMAZING!

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★ 4

I enjoyed the cod fish fry. Not greasy at all and scrumptious flavor. A bit pricey though.

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★ 5

Great place for a nice family dinner or a fun time at the huge wrap around bar.

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★ 5

Great place

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★ 5

I Love this Supperclub!
🎈Great Birthday Meal!

Source: Google