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.

Cleanliness: 10/10…read more Staff: We had Marty as our waiter and the dude was awesome. Great attention and great table side manor. 100% Marty made out dinner / visit better. Food: Not bad, fries were sub par, and the plating was not good as everything was just kinda tossed on the plate. Overall we will 100% return if only because Marty was awesome.

Flickering lights and dirty waitress-had horrible experience. Our young working daughter wanted to…read moretake us out for her dad's birthday. she worked hard to be able to pay for it too. she went in earlier asking if they did birthday celebrations - like with dessert and sing or anything. they said we got you- she was happy to create a surprise him. the waitress comes loudly into the room saying that this man brought himself here and got the london broil to celebrate his birthday. Never asked if we wanted a dessert - never got refills on my drink. plus tried to brag how she gets carded when at the bar . . . when clearly she's in her mid 30's and had a few kids. gheez who cares wtf ? what a way to ruin a family meal and a celebration !

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.

We came for dinner on a rainy Friday night. It was nice and cozy inside. It was the Friday Fish…read moreMenu. The Fisherman's Stew was so good- Also the pan fried walleye and the crab cakes!! The drinks were great as well. Our service was friendly and fast. Would definitely come back.

The food is great there and so is the service!! I have been there several times!!! There brunch on…read moreSundays is also fantastic!!!

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.

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!

Excellent food and fantastic service. So many good things on the menu it was difficult to choose…read more The fried catfish is the best I've had since moving to WI from Tx. We'll be back soon!

The fact that you can get Hmong Sausage and Pho in the same place you can get a stellar bag of…read moregarlicky goodness of crab is just amazing. The service was so great and didn't even need to ask for boxes, they were just on the ball with service. 1000/10 highly recommend for a fun and messy dinner date!

Take out only so far but amazing tacos ! They were fresh and…read moreyummy and the price was not bad either

Food was amazing. Traveled from out of state for a quick bite. Service was great, no waiting…read more Great design of the building making it feel open and inviting. 10/10 will come again.