Disappointing Experience After Years of Loyalty My husband and I have been regular customers for years and have visited this restaurant several times a month. We have always enjoyed the steaks, seafood, and especially the salad bar. Unfortunately, our last visit was enough for us to decide we won't be returning. For quite some time, the quality of the lettuce on the salad bar has been declining. I'm not talking about a few rusty edges--I'm talking about brown, transparent, wilted lettuce that should never be served to paying customers. Over the last 10 visits, I'd estimate 8 of them had lettuce in unacceptable condition. I've always picked around it and kept quiet. This time, after paying premium prices once again, I politely mentioned that the lettuce was not fresh. I was told multiple times that they were "working on it." Thirty-five minutes later, my husband had finished his entire meal while I was still waiting for fresh lettuce. The salad was my meal. When the lettuce was finally replaced, there was very little fresh lettuce put out. To make matters worse, while I was serving myself, old brown lettuce was dumped onto the area where I was getting my salad, including on my tongs. Whether intentional or not, it felt dismissive and unprofessional. What disappointed me most wasn't just the lettuce--it was the lack of urgency and concern. The waitress could clearly see that I had no meal while I waited, yet the situation dragged on for over half an hour. When you're charging roughly $25 for a salad bar and over $70 for dinner for two, customers should not have to beg for fresh lettuce or wait 35 minutes for a basic ingredient to be replaced. We genuinely loved this restaurant and gave it chance after chance because we wanted to support a local business. Sadly, this experience was the final straw. We won't be back. Fresh food and attentive service shouldn't be too much to expect at these prices. read more

Promising Place That Needs Some Polish" I've been wanting to try this place for a while. The entrance is nice, but the outside definitely needs a bit of work. When we walked in, there was a stale smell and it felt like they were understaffed. Our server was friendly but seemed overworked and a bit distracted. Cleanliness: Men's bathroom was clean, but my girlfriend mentioned the women's bathroom needed attention and had some odd pictures of men on the walls. The dining area was okay, but the place could use a vacuum and some fresh air--maybe open a window or two. Atmosphere: The seating was comfortable, and there's a small bar in the back. However, the bar staff didn't seem trained in cocktails. A Manhattan came served in a double shot glass--not ideal. Food: The ribeye special I ordered (medium) was slightly tough but still flavorful. The garlic mushrooms were too salty and there were too many of them. That said, the salad bar was impressive--lots of fresh toppings and custom options. Definitely the highlight of the meal. My girlfriend had the bourbon grilled chicken and wasn't impressed. It was tough and bland. The rice it came with was cooked well but needed more onions and peppers like the menu described. The appetizer bread and butter were solid--about a 7/10. Dessert: Didn't try any desserts. Nothing on the menu really stood out. Final Thoughts: With some interior and exterior improvements, a cleaner environment, and a revamped drink menu, this place could easily be a 4-star spot. For now, it's a decent option if you're craving steak or want to build your own salad. Worth trying--but expect a few rough edges. read more

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Two stars are for salad bar and good waitress. That's the only good thing I can say about it. Many many years ago this was a fabulous restaurant.. the last time I ate at Cork and Cleaver was seven years ago and the prime rib was so tough I couldn't cut it.. I thought it was just a fluke and I returned last nigh, sadly I had a ribeye that was so full of gristle that every bike had to be spit out because it could not be chewed. It was also about half an inch thick. I don't really know how you can mess up a baked potato, but they managed it had a strange taste to it like bacon. Perhaps they sliced it with a soiled knife. And the butter didn't taste like butter perhaps they are using some butter substitute or it's expired. The place needs to be remodeled and returned to its former glory. Otherwise just close the doors, excessively expensive for mediocre food. read more

We had dinner at Cork 'n Cleaver last night, celebrating a birthday. Restaurant is very intimate for those special occasions. Has a bar for gatherings as well. After ordering drinks, we enjoyed a very nice salad bar. Our food consisted of a Filet, New York Strip and Scallops. They have a very tasty l twice bake potato. Our server (Andrew P. ) was outstanding, meeting all ours needs. Will return! Thanks Andrew! read more

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Dinner tonight with friends was perfect! 10 of us, table near the fireplace, excellent service, and delicious food! We highly recommend this local favorite! Our waiter was attentive, kind, and very personable. The owner made us feel welcomed and treated us like family! Thank you, Cork 'n Cleaver for a great evening! read more

First off, the restaurant was very hot and dark to the point I couldn't read the menu (I understand having cleavers as menus seems like a nice touch but I could hardly read mine and they are very heavy and unwieldy), I was crammed into my seat and kept getting jabbed in my still healing ribs, I had heard about the salad bar and I wasn't impressed. After a point I had to get up and leave due to the suffocating atmosphere. I told my wife to cancel my order but she didn't and the steak was bland and had no taste at all. It was an awful experience and I would like a refund but there's no way to contact anyone. Needless to say I won't be patronizing this establishment is the near future. read more

One of the best steaks I've had in a long time. The twice baked potato and salad bar was really good too. If you're near Evansville this place is a must go! read more

Cork 'n Cleaver - Ribeye with Twice Baked Stuffed Potato - Steakhouses Near Me - Evansville, Indiana

The steak was great . Loved that they still have a salad bar. The inside had an old style charm to it. The service was good as well. Met some really nice and interesting locals which made the experience even more enjoyable. I would definitely recommend going to the Cork n Clever. Very neat way to display menu on the clever . read more

I had dinner here because a friend wanted to celebrate his birthday with a steak. So, we made reservations and planned accordingly. We arrived on time but still had to wait around for 25 minutes before we were able to be seated; I was really surprised it was that long because a few tables were clear. But, I also understand that there could be staffing issues, etc. After we sat down, we waited another 10 minutes before we were greeted by our server and able to get water. The server was not very helpful when asked about the specials on the menu; he did not go into detail about what the specials actually were. It's like he only knew the names of what they were that night. So, I took a chance on a big pork chop. What. A. Mistake. My wallet and palate immediately regretted it. It was so dry; I honestly believe I could have done a better job at home on a George Foreman grill. It's almost like they knew it was dry and tried to supplement the dryness with sauce. I did, however, like the flavor of the sauce. I would have sent the porkchop back, but I had to wait 45 minutes to get it. At that point, I was so hungry that I didn't really want to wait another 45 minutes. I also ordered two margaritas, but they aren't worth going into detail over. They were inconsistent and lacked flavor. I generally don't leave non-positive reviews, but I felt this one was relevant. I've been to two birthday celebration dinners within the last couple of months at Cork 'n Cleaver, and neither were worth the money. It was very disappointing for the price charged. I don't anticipate a return visit anytime soon. read more

Cork 'n Cleaver - Pork Chop - Steakhouses Near Me - Evansville, Indiana

Have eaten at this restaurant for upteen years. I have never been talk to as I was today(10/30/2025@ 11:00 a.m. I arrived with 4 other people .I walked with a sack from Donut Bank of 5 cookies for Halloween. I was told to "you can not bring that in here" No explanation for what was wrong. He raised his voice and I said "we will not eat them". He then raised his voice and said" Get them out here". I returned them to the car and my friends said that was nasty. HE HUMILATED ME IN FRONT OF OTHER PEOPLE AND MY FRIENDS If there was a rule or health reason he could be nicer. read more

We have eaten at the Evansville Cork 'n Cleaver twice recently and the food was delicious, hot, and the steaks were cooked to perfection. The table bread with the whipped butter was outstanding, along with the twice bake potatoes. The salad bar was also included with the meal. Highly recommend this restaurant for a true steak conassieuer. The desserts are rich and well-made for a great taste, as well. Great job!!! read more

The service was terrible. We were there to celebrate my mom. The waiter couldn't take a joke even if it smacked him in the face. The place looks like it did in the 1900s, and it smells like an old bowling alley where everyone was able to smoke. Food was nothing to talk about, only mediocre. read more

Genuinely disgusting. After being recommended this place way too often we tried it. Evansville, you don't have to settle for this trash. The service was embarrassingly bad. The food was... barely legally food. The bar is a joke. Dive bars have better programs. Please let this place go out of business so that someone who is willing to try can open a restaurant there. read more

Cork and cleaver is a good old school steakhouse. A little expensive for the area but not outrageous. I had the prime rib which is cooked overnight and the mushroom and cheese appetizer. Both were quite good classics. The salad bar is pretty standard callback to ruby Tuesday's etc but with a few fun options like herring. Service was attentive and fairly quick. The place gave an old school supper club vibe, classy in a mid century way. read more

Cork 'n Cleaver - Prime rib - Steakhouses Near Me - Evansville, Indiana

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Lunch: ordered pecan crusted chicken and strip steak. Both were fine, but nothing spectacular. The standard side is rice, which was just okay. We could have upgraded to a baked potato and upgraded to add a single salad bar trip (is there a secret group of salad bar thieves in town?). Nothing special so far, but the Oreo mud pie with coffee ice cream sounded like a winner. It was not. Just "fine" again. I was expecting lots of Oreos and some super premium coffee ice cream. The Oreo crust was thin and the ice cream tasted like low fat generic brand barely coffee flavored iced milk. Nothing bad about the experience, but I was wanted a special lunch at a steak house. This was not it. read more

Ordered a drink , waited 30 minutes to order. appetizer took 15 to show up. ordered a second drink and had to request to order my meal. she was busy (Sam) barely touched my second drink ,waited another 30 minutes. Prime rib showed up and no lobster tail as requested was told another 15 minutes. when I said it was not as to menu . a second lady showed up and they pulled my plate.?? asked to speak to manager and was told I was expecting too much. Paid 41$ for 2 drinks and mushrooms. Only had one drink and mushrooms. Will Not go back. Called to complain to manager and got same girl who was second lady. Not Manager . She hung up on me. Did not waste my time on a second call. Terrible service Inside and Out. read more

Always a great experience! My family and I have been come here since the 1980's and we love it! Always great service, great cuts of meat, and an amazing salad bar. When I bring new friends to town and they see the salad bar, they always chuckle. It appears to be very small. I always say "just fill your plate and taste the freshness." The reaction is always the same. "That was a great salad bar!" read more

Place needs a total cleaning, odd, old smell. Food was sub par at best. Only reservation available was 4:45 which was a bit early for dinner, we accepted and were treated to the early bird special,...... a new York strip so thin you could see through it,a twice baked potato that was cold inside. The salad bar was pretty good. Now for the real shocker, went to car to retrieve a small birthday cake, and was nearly tackled at door by overly aggressive server who informed me this is not allowed I acknowledged I understood and went to tell my party I needed to go put the cake back and was confronted again. Birthday cake is not a controlled substance as far as I'm aware, but you wouldn't know that by there attitude. Places like this remind me of old time gathering spots for mobsters.Definitely not a family friendly establishment. I love to tell stories and couldn't wait to share my experience from 11/7/25, so far I've been able to share my southern hospitality experience with 3 other families,and a yelp review! read more

Stopped in for lunch. The food was good, if simple for the price. There is nothing wrong with simple, it was delicious. The salad bar was fresh and delicious. My steak was well cooked and tender. My only complaint is that our waitress really pushed us off the table for a reason I couldn't fathom. There were plenty of open tables and plenty in her section. Would definitely eat here again. read more

Melt in your mouth steaks. Salad bars from the old days. Perfect martinis. Excellent service.

Had the prime rib and baked potato. Both were delicious. Also really enjoyed the salad bar.

Always top notch service and great food. Went recently to celebrate an anniversary. Easy to make reservations and got in on time. Salad bar is best in Evansville and offers a variety of options. Steaks are always delicious and cooked to order read more

Came here for the first time recently. The salad bar was okay--the pasta salad, beets, and mushrooms on the salad bar were incredibly bland. I ordered a twice baked potato. It was okay. Service was great and my waiter was super attentive. I'm not sure I'd return. read more

Service was great but this place is past its prime. Definitely in need of a remodeling. Salad bar was good with great croutons. Seems to be a local favorite. read more

Visiting family gor Christmas. We're from Evansville and Cork and Cleaver is a favorite. We wanted a nice quiet dinner where we could visir with local family. Service during our meal was great. As we were finishing up, staff was being very obnoxious and making all kind of noises (banging things, being intentionally very loud). It became apparent they were trying to get us to leave...which we did. Ruined what was intended to be a wonderful family dinner. We were essentially chased out at 8:30 on a Sunday, although we started to hear the commotion as early as 8:00. We are used to restaurants accommodating guests and not imposing on their dining experience and ruining. Sadly, overall, very disappointed. read more

I live in another state, but was here about 1.5 years ago and had a great experience. Good food and service. But my recent experience was the polar opposite. I took my aunt and sister with me. First - the salad bar was sub par. The iceberg lettuce was white with brown all around the edges. It was beyond its expiration date. The romaine lettuce looked like someone threw in a package of uncut/untorn pieces into the container - huge pieces of lettuce - 1 was an entire piece of lettuce from top to bottom that you'd pull off a romaine head of lettuce. The cucumbers were sliced ridiculously thick (3/4-1" thick). It were as if someone very lazy at their job did the bare minimum to get something in the salad bar. Then our steaks came and they were tough and overcooked. The baked potato was overcooked too. The only saving grace was our server who was a young girl who was a rockstar at serving us and checking in on us. It's disappointing when you pay good money for good food and the restaurant fails you. read more

I love the salad bar here. The salmon is also excellent! The service is impeccable. I highly recommend this place!

Great lunch menu -ordered the glazed salmon ! It was cooked perfectly! Great place for a birthday lunch! The salad bar was great as well!

The waiter was very polite and helpful. He service was very fast. The salad bar was very good and the food was great.

Our waiter was wonderful and very Attentive to our needs. Although the restaurant has a rather small menu list everything is cooked fresh and made to order served in a lovely atmosphere. The bottomLess salad bar is nicely stocked and everything is fresh. read more

Cork 'n Cleaver - Burbon glazed chicken & shrimp on the first plate and lemon pepper tilapia with twice baked potato. - Steakhouses Near Me - Evansville, Indiana

The salad bar was the best but everything was down hill from there. My steak was over cooked and priced. It is to bad I always loved the place. Will have to find a different place in the future. read more

Good food at reasonable prices. Service great, if not a bit less formal than you would expect from a surf and turf joint. I had sea bass, my friends had pork chops and steaks. Everybody happy. I would go again. read more

Wow, what a great experience! I love the quaint and intimate setting of the restaurant - my boyfriend and I were seated in a booth next to a fireplace. We did call ahead and get a reservation, and I'm glad we did even on a Sunday night. After reading other reviews, it seems everyone loves the salad bar and I can't disagree. Our server was GREAT, I wish we would have gotten his name so I could compliment him to a manager. Really excellent service. The menu is small and simple (and engraved into an actual cleaver) but perfect for a steakhouse. We both got the New York strips, which came with your choice of a potato or a steamed vegetable - asparagus or broccoli. The steak melted in your mouth and was a very generous size for a New York strip. We ordered medium and they couldn't have been cooked more spot on. You'd think we had spent $50 a plate for the quality of the meal but they were between $25-$30 depending on the cut you chose. Salad bar was included in every meal. They also had some specials advertised on the board on the way in. My baked potato was baked perfectly, why is this so hard for other restaurants to do? We will definitely be back next time we are in town and want steak, I don't think we could convince ourselves to go anywhere else after such a good experience! read more

Way overpriced. Food was mediocre at best. Service not acceptable, First, waiter asked for our appetizer order. He had not given us a menu. My mom, who is 88 and very happy to return to the place where she had memories with my dad, ordered Salad Bar and Soup. The waiter NEVER brought the soup. I eventually found him chatting with a friend near the kitchen, but she had finished the salad. The salad bar wasn't even as fresh and varied as one at a local community college. My tilapia was extremely over seasoned, to the point of nearly uneatable. The asparagus was rather sad. The bill for my mom, my brother in law was $100, including tip. We drank only water. My mom complained that the large table of people next to us was "so loud I never heard anything." The loaded baked potato was a shriveled sad affair that looked like something someone might find on the buffalo trail. Will not go back. read more

Been going there for years Great service staff. Stesks and prime rib are always yummy

Overpriced low quality Greeted at host stand by a manager or owner in a dirty tee shirt and filthy ball cap. 1977 called and asked for their dining room fixtures and decore back Still using the pandemic to pass out stingy portions at thier less than impressive salad bar Baked potatoes over cooked and dry with a thick leather skin. Staff competent but not 60 dollars per head worthy read more

Cork 'n Cleaver - Double pork chop dry overcooked and burnt for 32 bucks - Steakhouses Near Me - Evansville, Indiana

Our first time at this place. Went with some people from work because we desperately wanted to treat ourselves to a great meal, and we was blown away with the service, and staff. I ordered the Smoked Salmon appetizer and it was beautiful. The Menu was on an actual Cleaver. The open salad bar was beautiful and fresh. The Chef name was Tim and he made my Steak Well Done, and trust me when I say it was beautiful and crispy!! We will be back read more

Cork 'n Cleaver - Steakhouses Near Me - Evansville, Indiana

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Tough 12 oz rib eye cost 40$ for one,salad bar was awful . Won't be back I hope told my about the experience

Upon walking in for dinner on a Saturday was told by the host that they stopped seating people at 7:30 p.m. when the scheduled business hours are until 9 p.m. Reasoning was because most of the staff was at an Alice Cooper concert. Unacceptable business practice. read more

Love the old school local vibe. Fantastic service and great food. Excellent steaks and a nice salad bar.