I think this was the best meal I've had in the 5 years I've lived here. I took my girlfriend out for a belated birthday dinner and we both loved it. Reservations were at 6 and we were seated right away. Our waitress was promptly at our table and was excellent throughout. I wish I remembered her name. I ordered the Scallops Pernod which is an anise liqueur. It is made with coriander, star anise and mint so it does have an unusual taste but I've had it before but our waitress made sure I was aware of the flavor as she didn't want me to order something I wouldn't have liked. It was FANTASTIC! My mouth is watering think about it. There were plenty of good sized scallops with a Pernod and mushroom cream sauce over linguine. To die for! My friend had the walleye piccata and she said it was also fantastic. The restaurant itself is not terribly big so you could actually talk without yelling. It was decorated in the typical Northwoods style and was very comfortable. I would recommend Chef Rene's 100% although it is a little on the pricier side it is well worth it. Go there you won't be disappointed! read more

A must stop for dinner if in the area. The menu always has a large offering and care is taken for each dish served. Some of the best steaks I've had were right here versus others within a 60 mile radius. This trip I had the lamb chops which were excellent. Also a double baked and we had escargot. I wish the location was was not connected to a hotel and was stand alone but I find this establishment to be in the top 3 in the North Woods read more

Don't count on the prices you find on the internet. Everything was significantly higher than published. The food was disappointing. The chicken piccatta was not thin and I could hardly taste any lemon. It was served over linguine which hardly had any sauce. The broiled Canadian walleye tasted fishy. The couple were were with didn't complain, but they also didn't rave about their meals. The service was very good, but the ambiance was loud. The restaurant is separate from the bar and the cliental was mainly senior so the reason is probably the acoustics. We will not be going back. read more

Epic duck a'la orange-reminded me best of Los Angeles Others loved there entree's as well Friendly service- read more

My family and I visited Chef Rene's for the first time on October 26th. This just so happened to be the last day they were open before they take a little break after tourist season. This tidbit is impressive because the way this restaurant is run you would've had no idea they were winding down. We were able to make a reservation here which is a pretty rare occurrence for restaurants up here, but we're glad we did because this place was crowded! The ambiance is a typical north woods supper club but in an obscure spot. The interior is gorgeous, I know a lot of people wish it was in a more scenic location, but I wasn't bothered by where it was at. Our waitress was awesome, they take your orders on iPads and she was really attentive. We ordered old fashioneds and got them in less than 2 minutes. The bartenders they have back there are machines, we were so impressed. We ordered a lot of specials that night. The fried artichoke special was to die for. They were stuffed with goat cheese and were just heavenly. I had the most tender steak of my entire life- on the menu it says "very very tender" they are speaking the truth. The chef also knows how to actually cook your steak to your preferred doneness which was awesome. I would honestly compare this filet to the filet at Blink Bonnie's, but my hats' off to Chef Rene for actually giving me a rare steak! My parents had the other two specials of the night and they raved about their dishes as well. We all left extremely happy and said we couldn't wait to come back next season. read more

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Came on a Thursday night during early fall. Place was busy but we were able to make a reservation and get in around 7pm. Had a small salad to start. I ordered the scallops and shrimp Alfredo. It was super tasty, with a nice cheesy creamy sauce and two very large scallops and about four fairly large shrimp. Very satisfied with this dish. The lady had a steak and reported that it was good but not great. Attentive service. North woods type atmosphere. Pretty good Chef René. read more

Chef Rene's restaurant straddles the line between up north supper club and fine dining. Though the food and service were satisfactory and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit, as a supper club -- or fine dining establishment -- they miss the mark by a little bit in each direction. I started with a dry martini straight up. Delivery was a tad slow but the drink was fine. Next up was a rather mediocre green salad with a plastic container of a somewhat bland balsamic dressing. But it was edible. For my entrée I chose the cioppino. My companions ordered salmon preparations. Now considering that cioppino is an "Italian dish" that was created in the USA, I guess I can't complain about preparing it in "non-traditional " way. But Rene's cioppino was so non-traditional that I don't think cioppino was the correct name for the dish. Instead of the soup like broth I was expecting, the mélange of seafood and vegetables was quite thick and ladled over a bed of linguine. Definitely more of a pasta dish than a cioppino--in my opinion. A small lobster tail split in half, a couple of scallops and shrimp, and a nice portion of swordfish made up the seafood components. All were well cooked except the lobster which was seriously overcooked and dry. Red, yellow and orange bell peppers dominated the veggies but I could taste the requisite fennel. Garnishing with a chiffonade of basil was a misstep--fennel fronds would had amplified the taste of fennel and looked better too. All in all -- okay, but a stretch to sell it as cioppino to a discerning diner. I didn't taste my companions food but they found it satisfactory. Based on my observation, something I would have criticized had I ordered what they did was the gigantic hunk of cauliflower on their plates. Nicely trimmed and steamed florets are much more upscale and refined. And that's why I contend that they miss both "supper club" and "fine dining" bench marks. Many of the dishes on the menu (like cioppino) are too upscale for a supper club, but the execution falls short of fine dining. But this is a niche that sells in the north woods and the chef appears to understand his market. read more

Chef Rene's at the Inn - Cioppino? And there's linguine hiding under the seafood and veggies. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Eagle River, Wisconsin

RAW WALLEYE! Didn't offer to cook it more or even discount much less remove from bill. It was a walleye piccata w LEMON beur blanc - yes LEMON but too cheap to add a beur blanc. SKIP THIS PLACE read more

After all the hype, I was a very underwhelmed. I would really give 3 1/2 stars if I could. It was between OK and Good. It's a nice place but for the price, I expected a little more. The Great: The finger puppets! Love this nice little touch. The Good: The service was very good. The restaurant had a nice vibe and I didn't feel crowded (this was our first indoor dining experience in over 1 year). We had a drink in the bar since we were a little early for our reservation and there is a nice feel in there. They were setting up for some live music. The Okay: They were out of several items and we had a 7pm reservation, so this was a little strange. Their website says they are not taking reservations, but they are. We started with the bacon-wrapped dates. The menu says 6, and we had 6 in our party, but we only got 5. The dates were good, but the sauce was a little thin. We also got the cheese curds which were standard for the area. I had the Scallops Chipot, after they were out of the scallops special. The scallops were huge and plentiful and cooked very well. They are served over linguine with pesto. I like oregano, but this dish had a ridiculous amount of it and that was all I could taste. My husband had the rib eye steak and said it was good, but the piece I tried was a little tough and stringy. read more

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Food was ok nothing to brag about I thought it was pricey for the quality the escargot were mushy and pricey and food presentation was nothing special read more

I have lived here for 6 years and not sure why I haven't had dinner here yet. But the hype is real. This is a great place for dinner. The food was delicious. We started with the escargot appetizer. If you are a fan of pesto you will love this. To me the pesto overwhelms the other ingredients but the flakey crust and garlic butter did their best to complement the snails. I had the pepper steak special which was a couple filet medallions served over a cream sauce with pasta. Very tasty! Perfectly prepared to order. My wife had the blackened salmon. It looked very fresh, bright orange meat, and prepared perfectly. Service was good where it counted. Everything came to us in an unhurried fashion which we appreciated. We needed a relaxing night and the atmosphere here provided that. She had a positive energy and seemed to enjoy her work but could have provided a better description of ingredients used in the specials and some menu items. Overall you get what you pay for. $120 for the two of us with an app and couple of drinks. We will be back to eat here again. read more

Ok. This is my north woods go to. Chef knows what he is doing. Food has unique flare. Great flavors. Some How they maintain great service as well. Check it out. Hate to give it away because I hate waiting. read more

First timer here and the place is very nice. The service was quite slow and the hostess had to even start us off with drinks. They do not have individual menus due to covid and the menu is written on a black chalkboard at the front of the restaurant - I understand the circumstances but the chalkboard was very hard to read and those that were sitting far away had to get up and take a picture of the menu to even see it. The appetizers menu was also on chalkboard but smaller that was blocked by chairs and tables that I didn't even see it until the server pointed it out. The filet was cooked perfectly but as you can see from the picture they put way too much fried onion strings on top that you can't even see the steak underneath! The stuffed filet was good but had big chucks of garlic that was also not necessary. We started off with their chicken wild rice with black beans that was delicious and great flavor. Also ordered from the table that is not pictured was the beef stroganoff and escargot which she said was very very good. read more

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Wonderful north woods supper club! We were excited to finally try this place. It's connected to a hotel/lodge but feels like it's own dining establishment. It's your typical outdated north woods decor-perfect for a supper club and just what we were hoping for. The old fashioneds were perfection-not too sweet. The food was excellent, generous portions with a diverse menu. Everything from the warm bread to the spinach artichoke dip and the walleye/pasta were tasty and rich! The icing on the cake was the staff-our waitress was kind and patient with our child. Chef Renee's elderly dad walked around handing out fingers puppets to the kids which made our daughters night! read more

Chef Rene's at the Inn - Spinach artichoke dip - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Eagle River, Wisconsin

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Large menu, great service, quality, taste, and presentation was superb. Highly recommend for special occasions.

Wow! Just Wow! I don't know where to begin! What I like most is the creative selection of gourmet items available on the menu. They do their best to keep items in stock, but shortages can happen. Due to the fact that the menu is so extensive, no one I've been with has had a problem finding something. Some of my favorite culinary delights include the pepper steak, Peppered NY steak, beef stroganoff, lamb chops, wild mushroom medley, and wild rice side. The lamb chops are a nice portion weighing in at 12oz. I highly recommend something with a sauce because the sauces are divine! However, if you are afraid a sauce might be rich steaks and entrees are available without. Alan D was spot on in describing the décor as "Nouveau Northwoods." If your time in the Northwoods is limited or you won't be able to make it to many places please please make sure this is on your list. read more

Chef Rene's at the Inn - Pepper Steak one of the best meals I've had IN MY LIFE! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Eagle River, Wisconsin

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Elvis Presley impersonators crooned, "I can't help falling in love with you" in the room next door, but that's exactly how I felt about Chef René's new restaurant at the Eagle River Inn and Resort. The food is pricey for Eagle River, but you get a lot for your money here. The décor is "Nouveau Northwoods", the service is friendly, and wine list is small but high quality. The food was very good, and each dinner included soup or salad, entree and side dish. We ate: Cheese Curds. Because, ummm, Wisconsin !?!?!? Chicken Dumpling soup. Home made and delicious. Scallops Chipot. Lots of scallops (7 or 8) in a spicy Sicilian style ragout on top of linguine. Best thing we ate. Canadian Walleye. Funny, it didn't taste Canadian, Eh? But big, fresh grilled white fish. A bit dry but tasty. Brownie with Ice Cream. This is always a good idea. While we were eating, bars of Elvis' Hound Dog and Love Me Sweet wafted in from the Elvis Talent Show next door. That's what I call Northwoods Atmosphere. read more

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The food was excellent. It was served at a comfortable pace allowing old friends to catch up with each other after many years devoted to our professional lives. A perfect setting. read more

My family went to Chef Rene's last night and had the most wonderful time. Chef Rene's has a wonderful north woods ambiance, charm, and kindness. The elderly gentleman greeted my family with the signature Chef Rene's knit birdies. He was so sweet and wanted to ensure we were all having a lovely time. We ordered the walleye, poached salmon, and smoked salmon. They were all delightful. The kitchen puts lots of love and care into each dish and each element was well placed and delicious. I would recommend Chef Rene's to anyone visiting the area and looking for a nice dinner out. read more

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The food T Chef Rene's was excellent; very expensive. I had the smoked scallops (5 smoked & 5 seared) served on top of mashed potatoes with a great sauce & crisp spinach around the edge ~ tasty & beautifully presented. My husband ordered the T-bone w/baked potato ~ excellent "once a year" splurge. The wait staff is excellent with offer of extra warm bread & used dishes cleared. The salad was included ~ take your time & enjoy! read more

The food was very good. I have no doubt this is a fine place to go just for dinner, however, I had a terrible experience for my wedding rehearsal dinner. My mom called them to reserve the banquet room about 6 weeks ahead of time. About a week before the event, they called my mom to change the reservation time because "they were getting a lot of reservations." We obliged and got there as quickly as we could after the wedding rehearsal. We only had one waitress for a party of 24. Instead of taking our drink orders, we were told to go to the bar if we wanted anything other than water. There was no music playing overhead which made it a bit awkward. We were asked to narrow our dinner choices down to 3 choices ahead of time, which we did, but instead of individually asking each person what they wanted, the waitress had us raise our hands for steak, lamb, or fish. One of the families was running late, and the waitress got in their face the second they sat down demanding they decide what they wanted to eat immediately because apparently the chef was pressuring her for our orders. She was very visibly frazzled and sighed very loudly whenever we asked for something mildly inconvenient. Lastly, our orders were not all correct. There were too many orders of fish and not enough of steak that came out. Overall, I am extremely embarrassed that this was the opener to my wedding weekend. This was the most unprofessional experience I've ever had at a restaurant. read more

The food is excellent. Celebrated my dad's 80th birthday with a large group and we were well taken care of

We made reservations for our 50th wedding anniversary, got seated immediately, and placed our order with our waitress who was fantastic, wish I could remember her name. Our meal came and it was outstanding! The service was amazing! I highly recommend Chef Renee's for an enjoyable experience! read more

Awesome Halibut this evening, served with a Saffron, Sweet Pepper cream sauce. Scallops Pernod to die for and our annual favorite - Fiddlehead Ferns. Cassie was excellent and after all these years, we were invited to the kitchen to meet Chef Rene...it was a real treat and honor to extend our sincerest gratitude for his amazing culinary skills. The Northwoods is truly blessed to have him and his exceptional team providing the highest quality epicurean experience in the Northwoods. Delicious, thank you for making our visit exceptional read more

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Walked in around 5 and took two seats at the bar and ordered a couple drinks with what one can only assume is a man named Grumpy. Grumpy was not very welcoming so we couldn't wait to get into the dining room. We walked over and were seated in a nice booth. Melissa was an amazing waitress and very attentive. Started out with great warm bread with whipped butter and we both decided on the broccoli cheese soup with shredded cheddar. This may have looked like pea soup but man it was delicious! Hubby ordered the perch plate which was very good and I ordered the 6 oz sirloin with baked blue cheese and onion strings on top. This is the only meal I have ever had where I don't have to add any salt or pepper. Truly wonderful flavors. Definitely would go back. read more

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We haven't been to Chef Renee's since his move to Eagle River. The food was excellent and so was our server. My buddy and I had the pepper steak and the wives had the garlic stuffed tenderloin. Everyone was happy with their meals. We will definitely be going back! read more

Food and drink was very good; staff friendly and helpful. My daughter had her wedding dinner here and was great!

Fabulous food Great service nice ambience I will definitely go back again had a great time read more

Chef Rene is an incredible chef. I had the salmon with crispy spinach and my husband had steak with fried onion rings. We loved everything! Cozy atmosphere and I would recommend you make a reservation as they always seem packed. I don't love the older gentleman with the finger puppets but other people seemed to find it cute. read more

Wow. This place did not disappoint! Food was really outstanding and cooked to perfection. We started out with the escargot, they were excellent. Salads were nothing special although I enjoyed the parmesan peppercorn dressing. For main course, we ordered walleye piccata and one of the specials, veal piccata with a few grilled scallops on the side. Both the veal and walleye were lightly breaded and the lemon wine caper sauce was to die for. The portions were big. The piece of fish was beautiful and so tasty. Both dishes were phenomenal. We wish we had more time to come back and try more things on the menu. The Korean BBQ ribs looked really good. For dessert we got key lime pie which was a bit on the cheesecakey side which I liked. Server Melissa was super friendly and helpful. I really wanted to try the scallop Pernod dish but was warned it has a black licorice flavor so I passed. Overall, the best meal we've ever had in Eagle River and hope to be back soon. read more

Chef Rene's at the Inn - the outside of the restaurant - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Eagle River, Wisconsin

Unfortunately, just like the last restaurant at this location... service here is sub par. And by sub par I mean on all 3 occasions that we have gone in here to "give them another shot", they have failed. On one of the 3 trips we just left. We got seated at a booth and proceeded to sit there for 20 minutes without water or anyone coming by...even after we flagged down other waitresses and the hostess. It's the northwoods and I know that good, reliable, help is damn near impossible to come by.....but somehow the other restaurants make it work. (The times we came to Chef Rene's it was not a holiday weekend... it was just a regular day. 2x was on a Friday for the fish fry and the last time it was just for a Saturday dinner) Now, onto the food... with all of the hype surrounding Chef Rene returning to Eagle River (I kid you not it's the only thing we heard for a month before he opened the restaurant...everywhere we went...it got old fast), we were really expecting something NEW and tasty and not just.... a fish fry that you can get anywhere... His fish fry was nothing special - certainly did not compare to the Honeybear!!! - and was not something I would go for again. Especially considering that it took nearly 2 hours for my boyfriend and I to order and eat. We've also tried other entrees and appetizers(Cheese Curds, New York Strip, and the Chicken Alfredo) and while the price is right for like a nice supper club in the north woods.... the food just doesn't justify the price. In short, if you want to go somewhere and have terrible to mediocre service with average at best food and you feel like shelling out some money... hit up Chef Rene's at the Eagle River Inn. read more

We ordered 3 entrees. Two were fabulous. One fish was in sauce. About 1/3 into realized the sauce was camouflaging bad fish. The waitress was told upon realization. We were charged for all meals. So disappointing. This restaurant is better than that. read more

The staff at this restaurant are clearly unhappy! We sat close to the kitchen. They gathered there to complain about everyone and everything, but mostly their coworkers. Our waitress, Sonia, was less than friendly and seemed to want us out as soon as possible. The food was really good and delivered to the table in a timely fashion. It is merely the atmosphere that needs to change. The hostess and bartender were rude and seemed put out. A happy atmosphere leads to happy customers. Chef Rene, 5 stars on the food. Staff and service, 2. read more

Way overpriced and mediocre. Our waitress was 16 and I'm paying $80 for two? Walleye and Perch were nothing above frozen Gorton's.

The food was great, service was good. It was a very pricey meal for just the 2 of us- 2 cocktails, one bottle of wine, one appetizer and 2 entrees was $200. My Hubby had the Ahi Tuna- it was cooked just the way he like it- medium to medium rare. I had the Scallops with pasta. The scallops filled me up, so I couldn't even eat the pasta. We had Spinach Artichoke dip but the loaf of bread they gave us to have with dinner was not nearly enough-we asked for a second loaf. This dish should be served with something to dip into it. Disappointed in that one. Tasted good though. Way more food than we could eat. Cassie was an excellent server. We would come back here if we were in the area. read more

Unreal dinner experience!!! 10/10.... Food was spot on....service impeccable.... Table had Fish and steak offerings....all amazing.... Great vibe in the room....didn't want to leave!!!! Bravo Chef Rene!!!!! read more

First time going and we will be back for sure! We had the escargot and a seafood crepe for appetizers and they were absolutely delish. I had the ribs which were outstanding, the sauces that they came with were fun and yummy. I enjoyed the garlic honey one the best! Husband had the prime rib and the flavor was so good and it melted in your mouth. Service was beyond amazing and the finger puppet was a cute touch too! Highly recommend! read more

Everything from the front door greeting, the bar,bartender, waitstaff were all so Nice,Compitaint, and so pleasant!! The food itself from our appetizers thru entries were outstanding!! Will love to go again!! Also have gotten food-to-go, was also very neatly prepared and packed for us!! It was a pleasure!!! read more

I give it a solid 5 stars for a few reasons. They offer some unique options for the Northwoods, plus the standard fare. The food is good and the prices are good. Aunt Roz's finger puppets are adorably sweet. The staff is always pleasant and happy. I have been here several times and it is always consistently good in all areas. Yes, they do run out of food, but get there early or get over it. This place will always be in the rotation. read more

We have eaten at Chef René over the years and enjoyed it enormously. The Mother's Day brunch was a disappointment. Priced at about 36.00 pp , plus tip the meal was definitely overpriced. We started around noon. Several dishes(Eggs Benedict, Roast beef and scrambled eggs were empty and the line grew longer as we waited for servers to replenish the offerings. The bacon was under done and served in a messy stack of stipes stuck together . My eggs were cold . The Canadian bacon on the Benedict was too tough to cut without destroying the dish. The roast beef was nearly inedible, tough and tasteless. The omelette station which at least served hot eggs, served processed cheese food singles...à surprise in the dairy state. The escalloped potatoes were delicious and a standout dish. The chicken was dry and tasteless. The complimentary mimosa was 3-4 ounces of mainly orange juice served in mini Dixie cups. The brunch had the look, taste and feel of a church fundraising breakfast. There were more people in attendance than the restaurant could possibly serve successfully. With the tip we paid 87 per couple. Dreadful experience. The dessert bar had a wide variety of desserts that most people enjoyed. Consensus seemed to be that the eclairs were the best of the buffet. Again very disappointing and it will be awhile before I will consider patronizing this restaurant again. read more