I've eaten here a couple of times. If you have a belief system that a restaurant in a strip mall…read morecan't be good, discard the notion and head to Big Pot. I've had the combination pho on both visits. The broth is flavorful and the ingredients (brisket, tripe and meatballs) are plentiful. If you finish the bowl you'll have to be rolled in Violet fashion to the nearest juicer. On my last visit, I added an order of spring rolls. They were great. Service on both visits has been great. Prices are slightly higher than average but not out-of-line for the portion sizes. As for ambiance, it is industrial in finish, but I come for the food, not the decor. I'll definitely keep this in my rotation of Asian style restaurants in Appleton!

I had the beef pho. It was very good. I've had better and I've had worse. I was very happy with…read moremy choice. I think I will try one of the seafood boils next time. Other people there were really digging in. Gotta get me some of that.

My mom took me out for a belated birthday dinner, and it was both of our first times dining at the…read moreRed Ox. We arrived around 4:30 pm on a Wednesday and were seated immediately for the two of us, which was lovely. I started with a filthy martini (one part vodka, one part olive juice)... and they nailed it. Exactly what I asked for. My mom ordered a whiskey old fashioned press, which she enjoyed. For appetizers, we ordered the French onion soup, deep-fried mozzarella, and bacon-wrapped scallops. My mom also had the soup of the day, which was a turkey pot pie soup. Everything was very good overall. One small note on the scallops, and this is important for context: I personally have a strong aversion to seafood, and my mom is usually careful not to order seafood around me because even the smell can make me nauseous. However, scallops are usually an exception, as they don't tend to have a strong seafood odor. In this case, there was no unpleasant smell at all, which I appreciated. That said, the scallops themselves appeared under-seared and very pale, and the bacon was undercooked. Not raw, just soft and not crispy. My mom agreed it could have used a few more minutes. A minor miss, but worth mentioning. For my entrée, I ordered the French dip, which came with carrots... and honestly, the carrots deserve their own moment. They were tiny, perfectly cooked, beautifully seasoned, buttery, and balanced with just the right amount of sweet and salty. I love carrots, and these were exceptional. Highly recommend. My mom ordered a Wednesday special trio, which included barbecue ribs, pineapple glazed ham, and a turkey dinner with stuffing, mashed potatoes, and cranberry sauce. I'll note that the ham itself was delicious, but the pineapple glaze wasn't quite for me personally, as it leaned a bit too tangy for my taste. That said, the turkey was phenomenal. I had a bite, and it was moist, flavorful, and absolutely something I'll come back for. The mashed potatoes and gravy were excellent. I love stuffing, but this one wasn't my favorite; it tasted slightly sour or underdone to me, though that could simply be a preference thing. I'd still order the turkey dinner again without hesitation. Because it was my birthday, our server Jenny surprised me with a slice of chocolate cake, which was incredibly sweet and thoughtful. I was very full... but yes, I ate the cake, and it was delicious. We also split a Pink Squirrel for dessert, which was rich, nostalgic, and the perfect way to end the meal. Service was excellent throughout the evening. Jenny was warm, attentive, and paced everything perfectly. Food came out efficiently without overwhelming the table. The hostess was also welcoming and kind. The dining room was clean, comfortable, and nicely decorated. The lighting was just right, not too dark. We also arrived at a great time, because shortly after our entrées came out, the restaurant quickly filled up. One small suggestion: the website mentions half-price apps and drink discounts, but it isn't clear that those specials are bar-area only. Not a huge issue for us, but clearer wording online would help manage expectations, especially for guests who can't sit at high bar seating. Overall, this was a really special dinner, especially after years of hearing about the Red Ox and never going. More positives than negatives by far. Final rating: 8.5 / 10 We'll absolutely be back... especially for the turkey dinner and those carrots.

Service here is always five stars, and they are one of the few places in the FRV that takes a…read morereservation without any grief our pretense that I find so prevalent in the valley. The food today was just okay. I had the fish, and it was good. The birthday boy had a steak and he said he enjoyed it. Two others had sandwiches, and they appeared to be satisfied. Two at my table ordered Chicken Cacciatore and they both said it was too salty--really salty--as in, they didn't eat it. I did mention it to our server who was very gracious and said she'd pass it on to the chef. Again, generally good, but they just didn't hit it out of the ballpark today.

Had a wonderful dinner with my fiance last Saturday wonderful atmosphere wonderful waiter…read moreeverything was great and seeing the river right next to you what more could you ask for ?

Where do I begin, located right on the water which makes for a very pleasant view. Right upon…read moreentry there is a long bar for getting the evening started. Everyone who works there were very pleasant for the interactions. We got seated on the upper level and had a great view of the water. Overall inside ambiance was very pleasant. Sleek design. With some old style touches as tribute to the area. The food, I will just say one word....Deeeelish!!! Appetizers - captn krunch tenders - bam bam shrimp - Cheese curds For dinner I got the braised short rib It was so goo perfectly cooked fall apart beef over delicious polenta. Everything from start to finish was absolutely delicious Highly recommend!!!

I've eaten here a few times over the years. My takeaway is the place is consistently good. I stop…read moreshort of great, because there is room for improvement; however, being consistently good fills tables. Overall, slightly nicer than a family restaurant but not pretentious in any regard. High ceilings, kind of noisy environment, but not so loud you can't chat with your table mates. A full bar and a menu where everyone should be able to find something to their liking. On my last visit, I had their ribs. Gotta say they were pretty good. Large portion served with a creamy coleslaw and bowl of Mac & Cheese. I prefer a moist Mac & Cheese and found this to be pretty dry. My dining partner had the bistro melt with a chicken breast. Also tasty and a large enough sandwich to bring some home. Price for a dinner is just slightly on the high side; however, the taste of the food, drinks and friendly service will probably bring you back. If you are into it, they also do Trivia on Thursdays!

Impeccable service and excellent food / overall menu, will definitely come again…read moreThe spring drink specials are delicious!

We had a fantastic breakfast at the Black Bear and I don't even like diner food. Or French Toast!…read moreBut my friend from Appleton swore they made the best French Toast ever, and she was right. It was perfectly eggy and crisp, not soggy or doughy or dry. It is not every day that you get superb French Toast but if you're in Appleton, you CAN get it every day!

The photos of this place don't do it justice. The night before, our Uber driver recommended we go…read moreto Black Bear Family Restaurant for breakfast. As an avid Yelper, I looked it up and wasn't too impressed with the photos, but I decided to trust a local's choice. We took the 10-minute walk from our Airbnb, and when we arrived, I was shocked to see how big the restaurant was. It was bustling on a Saturday morning, but we were seated quickly. Immediately, I noticed a warm and friendly family-focused atmosphere. Our waitress was kind and quick. She brought us the menus, got our drink order, and gave us time to look through everything. Since this was our first time in Wisconsin, we got an order of cheese curds and a breakfast skillet each. We easily could've shared one breakfast skillet, but they were both so delicious, and I'm glad we got our own. The cheese curds were phenomenal, even though we ordered them as an appetizer. They came out at the same time our meals did. I enjoyed our time at Black Bear and I'm even considering going back again as I write this review. A great spot for newbies in town and definitely worth checking out.

We had a great experience! The servers were friendly and knowledgeable about gluten free options…read more Almost everything can be made gluten free! They have a dedicated fryer and they make their own (gluten free) breading. I started with Mark's famous French Onion soup (you must have this!), them went on to the Bavarian platter that includes Veiner Schnitzel (oh damn, that was good), Bavarian sausage, smoked pork chop with apple sauce, and gluten free dumplings. My wife had the Reuben sandwich and onion rings. I wish they had a younger clientele. Younger folks would really enjoy their great selections! I didn't know how busy it gets, but they had plenty of tables open, although we came at about 5pm. The ambience was favorable to the dining. The lighting was intimate but not dark. The bathroom was clean and worth a good review by itself.

Mark's is always a great place to eat! I've been enjoying Mark's for years, both for lunch takeout…read moreand dinner on site. This time, we shared crab cakes and fried pickles as an appetizer and then enjoyed a delicious steak sandwich. We had great service and enjoyed every minute.

I took some customers in to Scuba's for some casual dinner and drinks. The place was jumping with…read morethe usual "after work" crowd of locals. There are bars like Scuba's all over Wisconsin, so IMO you really need to offer something that separates you from the rest besides an unusual name. We started out with cheese curds and some wings. Both were good. For dinner, I ordered the Blackened Ahi Tacos - which were recommended by our server. They were also good, but not great. They had good flavor and were priced correctly, but they just didn't stand out. I didn't get to snap any pictures since I was out with customers, but I don't know that I would've anyway. Again, there was nothing wrong with our meal. The food was good. The service was good. The value was good. If I lived in the neighborhood, I'd probably stop in for dinner every now and then.

Got takeout, haystack burger n fries, oh so good! Keep up the great chow! Business must be good,…read morethe placed was full!

Delicious! Amazing lobster claws, prime ribbon, and crab legs. Awesome service amd staff.read more

Have heard about this place for many years, but just recently gave it a try. As I had heard, the…read morebig attraction is the all-you-can-eat buffet offered on Friday and Saturday night. We tried the Friday night offerings. From the outside, you have a rather sterile, commercial building. The dining rooms don't offer much more in ambience. However, the huge bar area is an awesome throwback to the 1970's. We started at the bar. Quick service. Reasonably priced drinks. The old fashioned wasn't anything to write home about. We were seated and met our waitress. She was very nice and was attentive to us throughout our visit. She and the bartender truly helped the overall rating (3.5 if Yelp trusted reviewers) with half stars. Everyone in our party tried the buffet. Everyone found something to their liking. Overall, it offered a nice-sized and well kept salad bar. There was clam chowder for soup. It was just okay. On the main buffet, the walleye, butterflied shrimp and sliced steak were good. Staff did a great job keeping the food filled. The chicken cordon blue was a strange casserole and according to a dining partner, the ribs were okay. Two sheet cakes served as dessert. Overall, not a bad place but not great. Other than the bar area, it lacks your traditional supper club vibe. Would I try it again? Sometime; just not soon. There are too many supper clubs available to settle for "good".