How cool is this spot?! Fortunately, we were able to reserve a table at the last minute. First, ambience. Real candles, classic blues and jazz music, plus lots of antique flair oozing historic vibes. A retro phone booth for the server station: nice! Next, service: Brooke is the server who now sets the standard in my mind for her excellent tableside manner! She was on the ball and then some, with a fun personality and friendly demeanor, making sure we enjoyed our night out. I loved the menus, both food and drinks. I tried a Citrine martini and it was ice cold with fresh lemon -- yum. My dining companion had a seasonal tap brew and the perch fish fry; he ate every bite! I had to try the shrimp and grits. It's not something you see on the menu every day in Wisconsin, but I have a love for it from trips down South... And they nailed it. Fragrant with garlic and generously portioned, it had a brothy, exquisite base. It makes my mouth water to recall! We will return for some of the other delicious items on the menu. Thanks for a great evening! read more

Stopped here for Easter brunch. Saw the menu advertised in the local paper, and that was enough to draw me in. $47 per person is a little bit steep, but the economy the way it is, it's understandable. Started out with the jumbo shrimp cocktail. Very fresh, and the cocktail sauce was tangy with a citrus undertone. The lamb chops were cooked to perfection, and the glaze only added to them. Plenty of beautiful side dishes, omelet station, and other tasty dishes, complimented them! Bottomless mimosas on the house! If you had room, which I didn't, the pastry assortment was outstanding. The staff were very cordial and accommodating. read more

BJ Wentker's - New American Near Me - Burlington, Wisconsin

I love this historic bar. Went for the first time tonight. Amazing food. Had the filet, & the garlic butter shrimp on the side. The crème brûlée was outstanding. Prices are fair. Very nice server. Will definitely return again. read more

We finally made it to BJ Wentker's. We sat at the bar and the young lady bartender was very sweet and attentive. She made an awesome dirty martini and an amazing old fashion. We had the tuna appetizer and it was wonderful. We cannot wait to come back when we have another date night in Burlington. read more

We went to BJ Wentker's for lunch today and were totally blown away. Not only is it one of the most beautifully kept historic buildings in the area, but the food knocked my socks off and way exceeded our expectations. I had the Power Bowl with quinoa, kale, avocado, crispy brussels sprouts, cucumber, and added a salmon fillet. So delicious & flavorful, I didn't even need the dressing ( the dressing was delicious)! My husband had the tenderloin sandwich served on garlic bread, with the most amazing Bourbon sauteed mushrooms on the side. We shared a berry cobbler with vanilla ice cream for dessert; it was perfectly sweet and not overly sugary like some I've had in the past. It's very apparent that the owner and the chef are very passionate about what they do. I'd actually expect to pay twice this much for such excellent food and atmosphere. We can't wait to go back for dinner! read more

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Service is good, food is good, people are great, atmosphere is cozy. Great place to go and enjoy a meal and your night.

Stopped in last night after a wagon ride around Burlington. A great tasting Bloody Mary was just what I needed to warm up! The bar itself has sooo much history and is very welcoming! Shannon is a great bartender who is happy to share cool stories about the bar and the surrounding area! I didn't grab food this time but I have had several of their apps and a few of their main courses and all of them so far have been full of flavor! read more

BJ Wentker's - Bloody Mary - New American Near Me - Burlington, Wisconsin

As an old fan of Wentker's, I have to say I'm concerned and disappointed. It would be great if you had a website. We can't seem to figure out when the restaurant is open. This app, Yelp isn't helping you. Since you don't have a website, people will tend to look at these photos. Your restaurant looks dirty, dingy, dim and outdated. I'm not sure that was their intent; I think they are just really bad photographers. Same for the food photos. I think they were taking photos of food they enjoyed but the effect was far from pleasing. Please do the restaurant a favor and post a website! read more

Well....previous experience and management.....should be left in the past. There is not another place for date night dinner in Burlington and surrounding that I've had a better meal. Fish fry from my 100% Wisconsin wife (including Wisconsin Old Fashioned sweet?) as good as any place in Burlington....Archives is our other vote for best in town. I had the Pork Shank with mash/greens. Everything seemed fresh and made from scratch even the slaw and potato pancakes with the Fiah Fry. Staff was great and drinks were good with large selection of spirits not found in every bar. Empress Gin and Tonic was especially good. We will be coming back to try the Mussels, Lemon Chicken and Scallops w/ mushroom ravioli very soon. read more

Amazing food and great service. It's been a few years since we have been here, but the new owners are doing a great job. The steak was done perfectly and cocktails were so yummy! Will be back again! read more

Went there for our anniversary for the first time and it was wonderful. I had the prime rib and my wife had the scallops. Both were perfectly cooked. Wait staff was friendly and attentive and the building is absolutely gorgeous! read more

This has been some of the BEST food I have had in Burlington in a while! We came here after visiting our wedding venue and will be coming back for sure! cute atmosphere and phenomenal food! The service was great and we loved getting to know the history behind the building. read more

An unusual and memorable dining experience. Apparently the building is haunted. The hearts of the staff are in the right place!

I'm giving it one star for simply being the most unusual dining experience I've had... possibly ever. Restaurant opened at 4p.. came in at 4:20 and stood at host desk for 10 min waiting to see a living soul. A cook? who wandered out said to sit anywhere. Ordered a cocktail which was made completely wrong. Bartender seemed surprised at what was supposed to be in the drink... even though it's in their own description. Salads were a handful of shredded iceberg with 2 chunks of tomato and 2 slices of cucumber.. salad dressings were wrong. Radio station finally turned on was blasting commercials! Come on guys.. this is supposed to be a good place.. the building is so cool, but terrible everything else. Can also hear kitchen's music competing with the dining room music/ commercials. Shrimp scampi over pasta... watery tasteless yuck. I'm so disappointed. read more

We forgot to take a picture but The bacon wrapped water chestnuts appetizer was sooo good!! We will be back for sure!! read more

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2019 A new version of B.J. Wentker's is alive and kicking. So much better than before. Still a few kinks but worth giving another try. I had grilled salmon with pesto and risotto. The risotto was terrific. The salmon was very good. The pesto made it interesting. Only drawback was there was a ton of oil with the pesto. Which was not necessary. Drinks were great and so was the service. I'll go back! read more

We went on a night where they were short staffed. They told us immediately that it will take a very long time, and we understood. They were very accomadating. The food itself was lovely! Appetizers were OK, but the main dish was perfect. They even accommodated some of our requests. All in all, lovely restaurant with lovely people, good food and drinks. read more

We used to love this place! That being said every app we tried to order was gone we did settle on a French onion soup which was completely tasteless. Nice people but doesn't make up for the length of the wait for food we never got. When we left I joked the I could have made the food at home and drove it 25 miles to serve us. We won't be back sorry you lost our business. Btw, I asked for our check and the charged us for a Caesar salad for a side salad that literally had 8 pieces of lettuce and ranch dressing that tasted like mayo. I'm done paying for crap. Wow from good to crap in less then a year great work! read more

Since my preliminary review, I've eaten here. I don't recommend their food. That's putting it mildly. But do go for the atmosphere and drinks. It's such a fantastic structure. read more

On a bit of a travel and dining adventure, we stopped in at this fine restaurant/bar. It was a sleepy Tuesday evening until a large group came in unannounced. Not a problem. In the old-world Prohibition setting, the bar and tables are set for easy service. Our server was very accommodating when a request was put in for taking into account some gluten issues. We ordered the duck and ravioli. Both were tasty and fit in well with their statement of historic fine dining. The duck was cooked well done, and we'd have preferred medium rare (but we failed to say). The wine suggestion accompanying the ravioli was spot-on. At the end of the meal, our server explained she had deducted 15% due to the long wait for our meal. We weren't at all unhappy while waiting, enjoying ourselves throughout. And it was not that long. However, that said, it was a very conscientious gesture which adds more polish to their historic fine dining venue. read more

BJ Wentker's - An early start to an old world bar. - New American Near Me - Burlington, Wisconsin

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We had an excellent experience! Great food, great service, and a very good first experience! Cozy old school Wisconsin restaurant. We live close by and had wanted to stop by but never have since 98. Found a coupon for 10% off and glad we did! The bread with fresh garlic and warm butter was excellent, salad with cucumber dill dressing was fabulous! We had a huge drunken ribeye, fish fry and king size lobster tail. I will be back for sure fabulous! read more

BJ Wentker's - Da bar - New American Near Me - Burlington, Wisconsin

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Wonderful atmosphere, fabulous staff and Jimmy Wade the chef who fixes meals that are out of this world! I stopped with a friend and had a fabulous Mardi Gras shrimp gumbo!! Just perfect. read more

We really enjoyed our evening and meal. Jimmy the chef Exceeded our expectations. Shannon at the bar was friendly and welcoming. It's got the charm of a small town but big town, big city panache. You can't help but like this place and want to visit again. read more

Wow I don't know where to begin. First of all no one here one couple arrived shortly after I did. Asked about the beers on tap one I'd not heard of : Response from the bar tender I don't know I don't drink beer. Ordered house salad and Tuna app. Nothing like the photos. Awful either bartender didn't care or not very bright. When a customer sets down napkin and fork after one bite and 20 min later still no how is everything? Good name Historic Dining there best days are well behind them. read more

BJ Wentker's - Thought I was getting from photos on Yelp - New American Near Me - Burlington, Wisconsin

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A group of 9 of us had reservations at 5:30pm on a recent Friday evening. What happened next was beyond belief. The short version is they were out of ginger ale, vegetables, mussels, a wine list, and a few other things I can't remember. Despite there being only one or two other people in the place, 6 of us didn't get out food for 2.5 hours. The other 3, who ordered perch, didn't get their food for another 30 minutes later. And they got walleye, which they tried to tell us was perch. Even harder to comprehend than the 3 hour wait for food was the fact that 8 or 9 of us didn't receive what we ordered- mashed instead of baked potato, mashed potato instead of wild rice, walleye instead of perch, scallops on pasta instead of rice, butter instead of cheese dipping sauce for a pretzel (which arrived burned black), a steak well done instead of medium, and on and on. Perhaps some of this could have been explained had they been extremely busy but there were only a few people in the place the entire time! Absolutely the worst dining experience of my life. It got so bad we thought we were on Candid Camera. This place has no business being in business. A 5 alarm dumpster fire. 0 stars. read more

We came for Friday fish. Fried and baked were very good. Service was excellent too.

Worst Steak I have ever eaten !!! over cooked , tough as a shoes soul , Flat soda . 2 steak dinners 1 soda and one mix drink $115.00 wouldn't let me give ZERO stars read more

The ribeye and the salmon were done perfectly. Drinks were good. Service was great. The room has the best vibe in western Racine County with the original 100 year old bar and all. (But lose the tacky lighted liquor signs) read more

Went here for the first time in several years and was extremely disappointed. The prime rib we ordered was gray and was well done even though it was asked to be medium rare. Food was flavorless and came out cold and even the salad was extremely disappointing. I understand the restaurant is under new management, however, for the pricing of the food & lack of variety, I was extremely disappointed. If you do end up here, make sure to get the large soft pretzel. read more

We live right around the corner from this place and it's been years since we were here. We were pleasantly surprised! Great food ,great drinks and awesome atmosphere! I would recommend you come check it out and try them out. read more

We dined at BJ's this evening. Friday fish fry was wonderful The staff was great, good beer selection wonderful atmosphere highly recommend. Might have to wait a bit for food but well worth any wait. Looking forward to sampling more of their menu. read more

This is a tough rating because I have a bunch of positives, but several negatives. Service is absolutely phenomenal. Top-notch. Five star. Probably the best service overall I've had at a local restaurant. This is the part that will bring me back to give it another go. Scallops - delicious & decently cooked. Cod cakes- so yummy, but next time, I'll ask for a small side of the marmalade they drizzle on the bed of greens. That was also delish. The dessert - some sort of apple walnut cake I think- anyway- it was superb, and I would describe it like a carrot cake- but apple. Awesome wine and liquor selection, the ambience and historical value is top-tier. LOVE the background music too. However- here is the constructive criticism: The French onion soup was the worst I've had in my life. That is my go to soup. And I've had it at probably 100 different restaurants. It was so watered down- like I was just eating onions in water stuffed with a bunch of croutons and cheese. Please for the love of all of your customers, get a new recipe. This one is not it. Garlic mashed potatoes should have garlic in them. They were really good mashed potatoes, but I wouldn't call them "garlic" at all. The steak was overcooked and very bland. This seems to be a theme at area restaurants. So not just picking on these guys. The veggies w the entree consisted of 3 tiny asparagus, way too blackened. Some of the food was Luke warm as you will read in other reviews. We will definitely be back. While I think there is some room for improvement. There are some really great things about this restaurant. read more

Good food and service. Live piano player on last visit. Can be noisy. Daughter loved it.

Went here with my girlfriend and her family and was extremely disappointed by almost everything. Prices were ridiculous, along with poor quality and quantity of food, not just below average, some things were borderline inedible. I got the stuffed chicken breast with mashed potatoes, and artichokes. I got a single chicken breast, 3 spoonfuls of mashed potatoes, and a couple bites of artichokes for over $20, many other dishes were poorly made and I felt I could be a better meal in my dorm room. We had younger children with us and they ordered grilled cheese, they burnt it on there first try and the send attempt it was undone, the cheese was not even melted or warm. I would not recommend this place to anyone. read more

We have tried over the years to give this place another chance. They are always out of something in the menu including the easiest food items to run down to grab at a store if need be like mushrooms and onions. The food always comes out an hour or so later and usually not even close to hot. The beer lines were bad and the manager was blamed. Definitely not worth the price on the menu. You can go down the road for better food, better service, and better prices read more

Great place to hang out and the food is amazing. Such a cool building!!! The history is amazing. Amazing Old Fashion Sours, the new chef rocks! Excited about the new things to come. read more

Omg we had a great time. Food was superb. We've been here twice now. First time was for the fish fry Great! Second time was on Saturday night for the prime rib Oh my God it just melted in your mouth it looked absolutely beautiful nice and pink and the drinks were awesome we'd loved all the fruit that came in our old fashioned The place was immaculate. We had the best server ever she was very attentive funny we just wanted to take her home with us! I think she said her name was Tammy and our bartender's name was Kim Good job ladies we will be back. read more

For a special night out and great food, I highly recommend. Parking is a little crazy but worth it

No one in the place. Floors wet dirty. Our table was not clean. Pile of napkins on the bar. Had to ask for pint glass for beer. Coconut Shrimp were over cooked, very dark and tough. My pastrami Ruben was not good. They fried the meat till it was like shoe leather. Kraut was cooked on grill and very little in sandwich. They toasted bread in toaster for sandwich. Shows there is no chef on staff. My partner'burger lettuce and tomato not fresh and a hunk of onion not sliced properly. Such a shame. We have enjoyed prior meals from previous owners and it was a nice supper club feel. Not anymore. Kids running this place have no clue what they are doing. Such a nice building but food, service and attention to detail in preparing and presenting the food is BAD!! Won't return. read more

Dined with the Group of Eight. Service was very good. I had the salmon, perfectly cooked. It came with risotto and a vegetable. The meal was extremely tasty. My wife had scallops that she said were excellent. Others in our dining party said their meals were also excellent. All in all a great dining experience. The only issue I have is since we were a party of 8 they put the tip on the bill. It is been my experience that the waiter or waitress will get a larger tip if I am allowed to calculate it. read more