Alex C.

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.

Paul F H.

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.

Karen S.

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.

Maxine T.

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.

Jamie C.

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!

Andy G.

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.

Alan D.

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.