I had an absolutely wonderful experience here. The food was amazing, but what really made my visit stand out was Jonathan at the bar. His hospitality and personality were exceptional. I was in Appleton for 4 days and 3 nights at a conference and staying at the Hilton across the street. I had seen Rye and talked myself out of going there on my first night. On night 2 I was fully committed to "treating myself" as I was traveling alone for work and just wanted a nice meal. My husband is a manager at a fine dining steakhouse in Scottsdale and I truly missed the "family" feeling that I get from sitting at his bar waiting for him to close up. The feeling of "I'm home". As soon as I started talking with Jonathan, he instantly recreated the feeling that I was missing from home and made me feel like a regular. After finishing my drink, I told him how much I appreciated his hospitality. Before saying my goodbyes, I briefly discussed going to another restaurant closer to the water on my last night in town so I could see the views before leaving. When the next day came and my conference ended, I walked out of my hotel and found myself walking in the opposite direction of the water and right into Rye. I ended up eating dinner, having a few drinks and even getting to know other regulars as Jonathan has such a welcoming aura everyone quickly becomes family. Having this kind of hospitality is a talent. It is not only special but almost impossible to accomplish in just one encounter. Traveling in an unfamiliar state can sometimes leave you feeling very much like a tourist, but Jonathan had an incredible ability to make me feel like a regular from the moment I sat down. He was welcoming, personable, attentive, and genuinely seemed to enjoy making sure that every individual at the fully seated bar had a great experience. Great food can bring you into a restaurant, but people like Jonathan are what make you remember it--and want to come back. Highly recommend! read more

Rye - Cheese curds - Comfort Food Near Me - Appleton, Wisconsin

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Stepping into Rye in Appleton, WI, felt like entering a warm, glowing hideaway. The quiet hallway of the Copperleaf Boutique Hotel by Best Western opened into a dining room alive with texture: reclaimed wood walls, polished copper accents catching the light, and a tall, handsome bar gleaming at the entrance. The air held a faint aroma of roasted meats and spices, a subtle promise that dinner would be satisfying. We were led to our table, the soft hum of conversation and the clink of glassware creating a calm buzz around us. Michael, our server, appeared with a polite nod and offered Saratoga sparkling water. The first sip was airy and fine, the delicate bubbles dancing across the tongue--an understated luxury compared to the harsher fizz of more common sparkling waters. The bacon and cheddar risotto balls arrived still steaming, their golden crusts giving off a toasty aroma. As my fork broke through the crisp exterior, the interior oozed rich, creamy cheese, and the first bite delivered a satisfying contrast: crunchy shell, molten center, and a playful heat from the sriracha-laced cream sauce beneath. Next came the poached pear salad, a vibrant mix of greens topped with glistening fruit, ruby slices of pickled onion, and dark swirls of balsamic glaze. The first bite, however, was sharp and assertive--the onions and heavy drizzle of glaze overtook the gentle, floral sweetness of the pear, leaving the dish leaning hard into acidity. The pumpkin harvest tenderloin plate was a feast for the eyes: tender slices of pork laid over creamy risotto, punctuated with bright pumpkin purée and caramelized Brussels sprouts. The aroma was subtle, almost shy. Each bite revealed perfectly roasted, moist pork, but the flavor was muted, missing the seasoning or smokiness to match its visual promise. Dessert arrived like a small work of art: the date and fig carrot cake, topped with a scoop of cheesecake gelato and a sprinkle of honey graham crumbs. The gelato was cool and creamy, the crumbs giving a faint crunch, while the cake itself leaned more toward a fruit-spice profile than a true carrot cake. Its scent was lightly sweet, but the comforting warmth of cinnamon or nutmeg was barely there, leaving a sense of something missing. Overall Rye delivered a solid experience with wins for atmosphere and presentation and misses for flavor execution. read more

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After moving to the area from Las Vegas we've been searching for a good restaurant that reminded us of the places we would frequent back home. This place checked all the boxes. Great food, modern comfortable ambiance, and top notch service. I had the weekly salmon special which was the best meal I've had since moving here. My husband had the short ribs which he really liked. Ended the meal with the carrot cake which was the best I've had and I don't usually like carrot cake. Highly recommend if you want a higher end restaurant. read more

Rye - Comfort Food Near Me - Appleton, Wisconsin

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Superb flavors and elegant display. Everything we had was delicious. From the drinks to the appetizers to the entrees. Service was fast, professional, and friendly. Great atmosphere with a stylish ambience. read more

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We were staying in Appleton at the Hilton and decided to try Rye. What a great decision we made. The ambiance was very warm and inviting. The menu had a nice selection of fresh food made with love. The Pork schnitzel was amazing! My coworker got the Salmon and enjoyed it. Our server was very pleasant and attentive and we enjoyed our meal and finished with a fabulous Old Fashioned that was great. Prices were reasonable we felt overall. You should check them out if you're in town as you won't be disappointed! read more

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There's one tough guy who has to just wear a T-shirt and a backwards baseball cap. First of all, his father should've told him that's unacceptable in a nice restaurant. He probably should've left his stupid hat in his Ford F150 and worn some sort of a decent outfit like the other three men he is with. read more

Great menu of delicious choices. This might be considered a "boutique" restaurant? Interesting creative cocktails from the bar, healthy and varied food choices. Definitely seems like a restaurant from a bigger city. But also priced that way... but worth it! Great date night place. read more

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Our server was phenomenal - very attentive and knowledgeable. They were quick when we needed anything but didn't stop by too often. The atmosphere was cozy and warm. The food was all good, but I chose this restaurant specifically for the short ribs and they fell short. The sauce overpowered everything else on the plate and honestly just tasted like barbecue sauce, but my real issue is that the short ribs were SO charred. The outsides were completely black which left the meat so dry. After sous vide cooking them for 48 hours you would think they would be fall-apart tender but I still needed a knife to cut through it. The rest of the food was good, but I was just very disappointed in the meat. read more

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Date night. Jonathan the bar-tender made it a wonderful evening. At least 2x's somebody from the restaurant came by to thank him and say goodbye. One couple commented "he's the best bartender in Appleton". Food was fantastic too. We'll be back. read more

Rye - Sitting at the bar on the old-side of the restaurant. - Comfort Food Near Me - Appleton, Wisconsin

The place looks nice on the inside, and the service was excellent--no complaints there. As for the food, I was expecting more flavors. I will try again more to come. read more

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This location is in the copperleaf hotel. Super cute right in the heart of downtown Appleton. read more

Rye - Drinks outside on a nice day. - Comfort Food Near Me - Appleton, Wisconsin

Oh Appleton, my home away from home. I often come here for post work functions - and definitely when I stay at a copper leaf. The service is always good, they have a good menu, and the food is always well done. But, the absolute shining star at Rye, who is mine and my co-workers favorite, is the bartender at the main bar. He is a super personable gentleman, he makes excellent drinks, and is probably part of the reason we do continually go back, or if we do want drinks either before or after dinner, Rye is top of list for us. I will also say that the both parts of the restaurant are great. The mood lighting, the vibe, and again, the service is great no matter whether you're there for food drinks, and whether it is early or late. Big group, small group, doesn't really matter- I've always been pleased at Rye, and frankly, the continuity and quality is impressive when I think about things over the last couple of years. read more

We don't get to Appleton that often. Staying across the street at the Paper Valley Hotel. Glad that we decided to have dinner at Rye (right across the street). Had reservations, got there a little early so we sat at bar and had a couple of their special Old Fashioned. Got great service and terrific drinks (Thanks Clause). Got seated at a nice spot, towards the rear. Spacious and not too noisy. We ordered several of the Sharable plates, Beet Salad, Crab Cakes, and Seared Ahi Tuna Salad. Each one was an amazing combination of flavors and textures. Hard to pick a favorite. We had room for dessert, so we tried the special Peppermint Dome. Again, an amazing choice. In total and excellent meal. We would definitely stop again. read more

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Service was very good. Drinks were extremely good, the highlight of the experience. I highly recommend the whiskey sour with egg white. Ambience is okay but not great. We got stuck at the one table that is in the transition area between the bar and the dining room, so that didn't help. The food was all very good overall. The salmon was cooked very well, and the sweet potato ravioli was an interesting dish that was also well prepared. Nothing we had stuck out as outstanding, but overall it was a good experience and we would definitely return. read more

Rye - Whiskey sour - Comfort Food Near Me - Appleton, Wisconsin

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Top notch food, service, drinks, and atmosphere. Elegant dim lighting so keep that in mind for those with vision issues. Lovely though! Definitely try the flourless chocolate torte if you love chocolate. You will be too full but order to go! read more

Rye - Korean salmon - Comfort Food Near Me - Appleton, Wisconsin

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Rye is located in the heart of Appleton on Collage Avenue. Great location! It is connected to or copper leaf hotel. We were catching a show at the PAC so I called the day before to see if I could get a reservation. Unfortunately unfortunately all the reservations for the dining area were full at the needed times, but they did have an opening in their auxiliary seating area, which is located in the lobby of the hotel (in the bar area). Maybe not as nice as sitting in the dining room room with the fireplace, but this worked out well. Just not as fancy. To be honest, I'm always a lot tougher on higher end dining because I expect more. That is why I went with three star on this review. Things that were great. My wife ordered the crab encrusted walleye, which she said was very good. The death by chocolate cake was also pretty awesome! I also thought that the service was pretty good, even though our waiter was spread, pretty thin, taking care of tables and in some cases working as the bartender. He hustled and did a pretty good job. Things that were average. I ordered the pork schnitzel. I thought it was a little thin, I did like the arugula and tasty sauce that came with it however. I also thought the Rosetto balls appetizer were just OK, but I thought the sauce they came in was really good. Wish there was more! I did have a problem with the oysters. I know this isn't a seafood place and oysters are not part of their normal menu, but the oysters they served were tiny, probably the smallest oysters I've ever eaten. I've gotten much bigger and better tasting oysters at other restaurants (for the same price) I would recommend skipping the oysters! Another issue, and this one kind of surprised me. I ordered a dirty martini, and when we got her bill I noticed that they charge for the martini, and then added $2.50 for the olive juice and charge a buck for the olives!. I have to say I've never seen something like this before! A dirty martini is a pretty common drink so I can't believe that they don't have it as one price. I do get the up charge for the olives because I asked them to be stuffed blue cheese, but for the olive juice? That's just weird. that would be like ordering an old-fashioned and having to pay for the bitters.!! My wife's meal came with potatoes and she thought they were pretty heavily garlic spiced. Enough that she said she could taste garlic most of the night!. Overall, our meal was good. Like all good food lovers, I was scanning the room, taking a look at other entrées. I have to say the salmon, steak, and the pork chop at the table next to us looked spectacular! I've had the steak here before, and it was really good, so I will be back... just not for the oysters! read more

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Very nice place overall I loved the inside other than the bar is really small. My waitress was super friendly & smiley I love that about her plus very attentive as well. The food was delicious other than the kale salad it tasted like grass lmao. How do I know? Might of tried it as a child (j/k)!!! I would definitely recommend this place & be back. read more

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Went on a Friday evening around 6:15. 1.5 hour wait for table, recommend reservations. They had available seating outside on the sidewalk, nice evening so definitely took advantage of this no wait option. There is street parking, and red ramp garage nearby. Seated outside promptly. Water immediately provided. Good options on the menu. Plenty of drinks. Had the short rib mushroom rage and a wedge salad and a Diet Coke. The salad was great. I would get it again. Lettuce was fresh. Ranch dressing I selected was good. Pickled onions were a nice touch. I enjoyed the maple pepper bacon. The entree was also delish. Extremely flavorful and tasty. Noodles were great texture, short ribs tender. Great variety of fresh mushrooms. Service was fast and attentive. Nice evening to sit outside. There is street noise so enjoyed the music of the passing cars. A great meal. Recommend. Note the dress is business casual or higher. Fortunately with jeans I sat outside! read more

Rye - Comfort Food Near Me - Appleton, Wisconsin

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The food was good. A little expensive for the portions. Service was ok. Nice atmosphere

As much as I love to try different restaurants, I had not been keen to try Rye. It struck me as snobbish and too fancy for my liking. On a recent lunch excursion, I found it was neither too fancy or snobbish. I ended up enjoying very good service, a casual atmosphere and pretty good food; albeit a little pricey. The menu was limited for lunch but still offered a reasonable number of entree choices and a fair number of appetizer offerings. My dining parter and I started with an order of bacon and cheddar risotto balls and the New England style crab cakes. I thought both were good, not great. We each had a drink from the bar and found them to be well prepared. I was torn on what to have for my meal. The waitress seemed to be knowledgeable and I left my decision to her recommendation. Without hesitation, she said the schnitzel. I went with it. It was good, but not nearly as good as some other local restaurants have prepared it. It lacked flavor and needed something additional to round out the plate. My dining partner went with the chicken Marsala and proclaimed it a great choice. Overall, it was a good experience. I think it is a great date place, especially if you are trying to impress someone. As I don't need to impress anyone, I'd consider going back to give it a second try in the future. read more

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Amazing atmosphere with kind professional employees, quickness of service varies I've had food come out in 15 but the most recent time I went was almost 45. This most recent time was a bit disappointing, food just didn't meet the mark it generally does especially with such high price points, but the oysters consistently never disappoint and always have me coming back! read more

Tried their wagu burger, very dry with lack of flavor burger, comes with sweet potato fries, which were very greasy. Clean and quant restaurant. Bar tender should learn to wear gloves when prepping fruit skewers for drinks. Very u hygienic to touch the fruit with your bare hands Service was ok. read more

Love Rye! I happen to be in town for a couple of weeks and went there three times. They were very kind and accommodating to a late night solo diner the first two times I came, and I thoroughly enjoyed my last dinner with my daughter. Welcoming people, really nice, consistent food, an upscale experience in downtown Appleton. read more

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I went to Rye restaurant located at 308 W College Ave in Appleton, Wisconsin. My family and I had a great time in Wisconsin this past week. One of the most famous dishes in Wisconsin is cheese curds! So starting off strong we got the Scrays cheddar cheese curds. These came with tarragon ranch dip and were a hit 9/10. We also got the New England crab cakes because we had to see what these were like being from New England and all. We were skeptical at first but these actually weren't bad. These 3 crab cakes had a warm sweet corn and pepper relish dressing and a truffle creme sauce 8/10. For entrees we got the Irish beef and stout stew 6/10. This was a traditional Irish stew with mashed potatoes and a puff pastry. I think the cinnamon in the dish was a bit overpowering but overall still tasted good. We got the roasted sweet corn and cheddar risotto This had red peppers, poblano peppers, chipotle basil marinade and onions. This was very rich and satisfied all risotto cravings 8/10. We got the pork schnitzel which had truffle aioli, citrus arugula, tomatoes and a fried egg on top! The egg was a nice touch to this dish and complimented the pork well 7/10. Finally, our star dish of the evening was the mushroom ravioli. This had rich and creamy alfredo sauce and used locally sourced mushrooms. I think the only thing that was missing was a tad more truffle flavor 9/10. Make sure you have a reservation for this spot because it can get pretty busy-and for good reason too! Put this on your list next time you are in Wisconsin. Food: 8/10 Affordability: 7/10 Ambiance: 7/10 read more

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Outstanding meal. Fresh oysters and wonderful salmon. We had a group of 6 and were given an amazing pocket space that was private, quiet, and very chic. It was my 3rd time there and they never miss the target. The drink special was an excellent variation on a Last Word, and the beet salad was perfection. Several of our group had the schnitzel which I had on my first visit and loved. One in our group has a severe food allergy and they took the greatest of care with her safety. The creme brûlée were huge and very shareable. Service was top notch and they had us out in plenty of time to make the show at the PAC. A+++ Highly recommend! read more

This place was quite the treat. Staying at the Hilton across the street for a power lifting competition for my son. Blown away by the drinks to start off. Exceptional service. Food and its presentation were perfect. A gem of a spot read more

Rye is a great restaurant in Appleton! Great drinks, appetizers, and entrees! Nice little full service bar to sit at as well! Will definitely be back! read more

Rye - Crab cakes - Comfort Food Near Me - Appleton, Wisconsin

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Atmosphere: There are two entrances; one off of the hotel and one from the street. Street parking or parking garage available. There are two bars and two different seating areas (bar seating area and dining room seating area). It does get quite loud in here because of the amount of tables and high ceilings, so if you need to have a quiet private conversation this is not the place. Everything was very clean, the decor lovely and the layout was nice. They do an excellent job of resetting tables, they took great care in this. There was a younger gentleman with dark blonde hair in charge of this and he needs a pay raise. Service: Our waitress basically took orders and brought the check but other staff members brought the food, drinks for the most part. I can't say much on service since we didn't really get to interact with our waitress much. Drinks: Their bartenders know EXACTLY what they are doing. Perfect pour on the beer, and thee best cocktails. I will be coming here just for drinks frequently. The offering for wine, beer and liquors is extensive. Something for everyone truly. Food: Be prepared to sit down and enjoy yourself (and maybe wear stretchy pants). The food was absolutely spot on. Hats off to the kitchen staff, they are extremely talented and know exactly what they are doing. The cheese curds were top notch, great size, great cheese, great batter, exceptional tarragon ranch. I ordered one of the specials (lobster tagliolini- PLEASE ADD THIS TO THE MENU FULL TIME - I can't stress enough how freakin delicious and well balanced this pasta dish was) and my partner ordered the wagyu burger. Neither of us a left a speck of food on our plates and were beyond content and fully satisfied with our meal. I can't wait to come back and grab drinks with friends and come dine here for our life achievements and milestones. P.S. Make a reservation, if it is the weekend you won't get in. read more

food took over an hour and a half to come out tastes good but way too long and people before us were getting served when we ordered first

Delicious find. Service was great. Made reservations and we got there early but they graciously still sat us. Street parking is all we saw. Server was quick and got our drinks and food in timely manner. Didn't hound us too much or hover. Food was good. Some more salty dishes but imagine they flavor to the average palate. Prices are spendy, but you are paying for good food, ambiance, and service. We will be back to try other dishes. Happy eating! read more

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Very pleasant and good food, great ambience at this restaurant Service is always great read more

Our $16 a glass wine was good my wife loves French onion soup in the crock but didn't care for this one it had an odd flavor. She ordered her fillet of beef medium well my ribeye ordered medium. Came served over cubed potatoes mixed with spinach and cream sauce. She cut and found her steak medium rare. They took it back to cook more. I thought mine was good as my cut on edge was medium rare but the next cut was rare I then cut in half and it was cold raw I just ate the potatoes until waitress returned and took it back they then cooked the three pieces of my $55 ribeye more and returned on top of new potatoes mix. My wife's steak was more well done when returned but that was better than the rare. Mine was now medium well. They did bring my wife a comp glass of wine as she had finished hers waiting. I just expected better for $190 for two steaks with potatoes and one soup and wine. We skipped dessert and stopped at Dairy Queen read more

I have only been to the bar but i love this place. It is SO pleasant. The bartender -Jonathan- is so knowledgeable about his craft- spirits, drinks, and how to make GREAT DRINKS. He is the best bartender ever! The place is so cozy and nice. read more

We had the best time trying another new restaurant for a date night out. The service here was exceptional and the food was mouth watering. We ordered the aged cheddar and bacon risotto balls to start which we enjoyed thoroughly. Then we tried the pork schnitzel and butternut squash ravioli for entrées. I added chicken to the ravioli and it was seriously delicious. The chicken was juicy and seasoned perfectly. For dessert, we finished with the chocolate chunk skillet cookie which was served right out of the oven! The cookie was slightly burnt to the skillet along the edges but the inside was gooey and delicious. The food was top notch and I know we will definitely be returning in the future! read more

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The Hanger steak was the best ever! Ate at the bar wonderful conversation and service from the bartender. I regret I never caught his name but his level of service was 11/10 and his bourbon knowledge was impressive. Looking forward to my next visit to Appleton read more

Came here once by myself. I had the butternut squash ravioli and I thought they were good. Servers were friendly. Ambiance is good.

So the first time I went here I was fairly underwhelmed with my entree, the braised beef mushroom ragu, because it tasted like slightly fancy Hamburger Helper. However, I returned and got the mushroom ravioli and it was incredible; it really blew me away. And the creme brulee was heavenly as always. read more

I can't believe i haven't checked out Rye! I've lived in Appleton since Rye came about in 2014. Phenomenal service, atmosphere and most importantly, food! My family and i had a couple of apps, a couple of drinks each and 4 entrees. We had a mix of seafood, aged steak and chicken and all dishes were spectacular! It's a bit of a weird thing we do....the 4 of us order different entree's and then share them. Between appetizers and entrees, we sampled about 15% of the menu and it was all excellent! We had; Fire baked oysters Aged cheese and bacon risotto balls Korean braised salmon Aged KC strip Pan fried chicken breast Go there! read more

Wife and I are visiting Appleton as we went to the packer game over the weekend. We stayed in the copper leaf hotel and Rye is highly rated in the area so we had to try. We made a reso, but opted to sit at the bar on a Monday night. The food and service were both great. The vibe was slow to start, but certainly picked up. All in all, would certainly recommend. Food: crab cake appetizer, scallop special & duroc pork chop. All were great. Both entrees were very rich, but rightfully so. Bartender recommended great wines by the glass for my wife and I stayed with old fashioned's that were both stellar. read more

We had a reservation for 8. Table was ready when we arrived. Served was great with the drinks. Ordered cheese curds as an appetizer and they were great. I got the halibut--so good with pea pods. Husband ordered the braised short rib. He said it was tender, juicy, and plentiful. Served with mashed potatoes and carrots. Entrees all came around the same time. All four guys finished all of their food. All of it was so good! read more