Easily the worst meal I've ever had in Madison (and possibly the most expensive). I've eaten at the Steenbock's On Orchard bar fairly often, and always enjoyed it. This time we ate in the restaurant, and it was pretentious, absurd, and nasty. Where to start? -The waiter was rude and excruciatingly slow. When my mother asked for a little salt, he lectured her. He took 20 minutes to bring a wine list, and service went downhill from there. He took another 20 minutes to bring my mother another glass of wine, after she asked. -timing: ridiculously, rudely slow. We were the third party to arrive at the restaurant, and the last party to leave, and believe me, we weren't trying to linger. By the time each course finally arrived, it was cold. My steak was chilled in the middle. Only 5 of us were dining that night, and they still could not manage to coordinate the service. My husband's appetizer, entree, and dessert were all later than everyone else's. Even the dessert, for heaven's sake! They brought my uncle's chocolate cake, and only 10 minutes later did they manage to stir themselves to bring out my husband's. Even the coffee was lukewarm. -the food. Some things tasted fine, but they were ruined by being left to cool down. Other things were simply off. My smoked char was not smoked, but baked, and the fish had a fishy taste. I love char; I know what it is supposed to taste like. That's not it. Few of the dishes had any discernable flavor contrast. A little acid, guys? Have you heard of vinegar, lemon juice, or any of the other ways you balance the oils and brighten up a dish? -the portions were so tiny they were silly. I am a small woman with a small appetite, and I remained hungry throughout the meal. Very hungry. Mostly, it was the most boring meal I have ever had. Excruciatingly dull. This place is a parody of itself. The upholstery, however, is quite nice. read more

We visited Steenbock's on Saturday night for my birthday because we had heard good things and our favorite server from Delmonico's had moved to this new Food Fight location. My husband and I have frequented all the top rated restaurants in the Madison area and were excited for a new experience. Steenbock's did not disappoint. The decor is very modern and at first we did not know what to expect as we came through the bar entrance. Once we found our way to the restaurant door we were greeted by our wonderful server Markus and sat immediately. They do not serve hard liquor (which I do hope will change as we all like a cocktail now and then) but the wine selection was very good and we got a nice bottle of Pinto Gris and my husband was very pleased with the beer selection. From start to finish, the meal was amazing. There was nothing that either of us ordered in our three courses that was a disappointment. My husband does't even like bread but the selection from Tribeca Bakery in Chicago was excellent (served by the slice with a choice of three) and he happily indulged. The seasonal soup was a pea delight that was so wonderful we could have both licked our bowls. The pappardelle pasta with short rib should be a required second course for at least one person at the table as the sauce is just amazing. The Tenderloin (prepared sous vide) was a fantastic entree that I will have difficulty passing up in the future. For those from the area, in our minds this restaurant is the new and improved L'Etoile. Service is outstanding and fun. Rest assured you will not leave hungry. read more

This review is for lunch (dinner is a completely different experience). The lunch menu has okay variety (not much for vegetarians) and is reasonably priced. The burgers and veggie sandwich are pretty good, the meat on the sandwiches can sometimes be pretty unappetizing (the house cured pancetta is so chewy and fatty I had to just take it off and not eat it), and the salads leave a bit to be desired. The worst part about lunch is the service-- the 6 times I have gone there for lunch, the service was HORRIBLE 5 of those times. The servers seemed so nervous (even after seeing them working there for months) they could barely tell us what the specials were, they poured cold coffee, they stood around chatting with the other staff rather than noticing us trying to catch their eye to come take our order (after leaving us with our menus for over 10 minutes). They have been unable to answer any questions we have had about the menu, including basic things like ingredients in their standard menu items, and if items are made in house or purchased pre-made. On occasions where people have made special requests (like no cheese) the server has taken the order, but then brought out the item exactly as listed on the menu. When my dining partner sent it back to be fixed, it took over 20 minutes to get the new one, and even then it was not correct. The servers never offer anything for their mistakes. This would be a good place to go for a lunch meeting if the service was a lot better-- sometime a simple lunch (beverage and entree) has taken over 90 minutes from the time we sat down to the time we paid the bill. I recommend Steenbocks for a good, very slow paced, expensive dinner-- but all of my experiences with their lunch service over the past year or so have been embarrassingly poor. read more

We recently hosted my daughter's wedding reception at the Wisconsin Institute for Discovery, for which Steenbock's is the caterer. Very simply, it was perfect! The food was really, really delicious! Our family is rife with foodies, and we loved the dinner. We were not served "banquet food" but rather "restaurant food." The components of each dish were very interesting and well executed. Our guests had their choice of salmon, beef short ribs, or stuffed chicken. Everyone I spoke with was very satisfied with their choice, and several were trying to deconstruct their meals so they could try to re-create them at home. Why not just go to Steenbock's and have them make it for you? :) The appetizers were also much better than we anticipated, having had lots of mediocre food at other weddings. The crab cakes, prosciutto-wrapped asparagus were very tasty, and the cheese variety and charcuterie were beautiful to look at as well as delicious. read more

Excellent food in a futuristic setting. I really enjoyed my meal at Steenbock's. The main dining room was reserved for a private event, so we were seated in the bar area. The atmosphere was great: panoramic windows and a color-changing bar. I had the mushroom pizza, it was topped with arugula and drizzled truffle oil. It was deelish! My husband was also very happy with his blue cheese burger. The desserts were imaginative and yummy: cheesecake in glass and s'mores. We also had a lot of fun exploring the building after dinner. We will definitely return! read more

Delicious, fresh food, great service and comfortable environment. I was a little bit worried about where we would park but it turned out that parking couldn't have been easier. I want to go to Steenbock's again on my next trip to Madison. read more

Let me preface this by saying that if I pay $12 for a sandwich anywhere outside of New York or an airport, I had better hear angel choirs singing. Upon its appearance at my table, the Reuben sandwich LOOKED amazing: a towering behemoth of corned beef, cheese, and pumpernickel that promised incipient deliciousness. However, the first bite uncovered the sad truth: the meat was extremely dry and bland. And although no amount of 1000 island dressing would have fixed that problem, hardly any was to be found. I have to admit that I made no effort to recover the liberal chunks of corned beef that pooped out of my sandwich onto the plate. At least that made it easier to eat, and the pumpernickel was good. But in the final assessment, this sad sandwich had me thinking Arby's. read more

I have eaten here several times and the food used to be consistently good, as was the service. It is quiet enough that you can have a conversation. That said, last time I ate there everything was oversalted and just tasted odd for some reason. Even the grilled cheese seemed off. Wine options were still pretty good but I can't figure out what changed. read more

I find it hard to describe or categorize this restaurant - I feel the restaurant itself is in an extremely casual setting and yet the food and menu is trying to be moderately upscale... which then also contrasts with the not terribly good service I've sometimes had. I've had some good meals here but the service and food is unreliable enough that it wouldn't be my first recommendation. read more

I ordered daily risotto (with Salmon). Very nice bright and quiet environment where you can have a formal conversation with a colleague. The food is OK and not very expensive. A great place to eat with someone if you are not very close. read more

Where are the healthy options? New chef means new menu. There are limited vegetarian options let alone an option that isn't loaded with cream, butter, or fried. I so wish there was a good salad option or a vegetarian flatbread. Not everyone wants to eat rabbit, beef, or fried shrimp. I ordered a shrimp salad that was described as coming on a bed of cabbage and would include scallions, cilantro, and cashews. It was more like a tower of cabbage with barely anything else. I think I counted 4 slices of scallion, 3 cilantro leaves, and 5 cashews. I had to ask to have the shrimp grilled instead of deep fried. I appreciated that they were wiling to make this change but the salad was lacking. I felt like I'd just been delivered cabbage straight out of a Cuisinart. My dinner partner had the burger - the meat, cheese, toppings have all changed - he said for the worse. I really want Steenbock's to succeed. But I think the new chef needs to consider that people with different tastes will dine at the restaurant. And often a diner will want a healthy option. Right now healthy is not an option. read more

Ate here a couple years ago,had the tasting menu with wine pairing. It was easily the most adventurous and elegant meal I have ever had... It wasn't just dinner but an experience! Thought it easily out matched l'etoile for a fancy dinner; l'etoile did have a more elegant ambience though. Haven't been back since they changed the menu so not sure how it is now... read more

The lighting in this place was great. Lots of Windows and lots of natural light. I thought the menu was limited however. Not much to choose from. The service was great our waitress was very attentive. She got my order wrong however. Can't forget the fries! It wouldn't be the first place I recommend. read more

Two people: one beer+ one wine+ one appetizer+ two salads+ 2 entrees+ tip= $140. This restaurant is in the same price range as some of Madison's really nice places (Tempest, Harvest, Merchant, Tornado) where the ambiance is pleasant and service is typically excellent. We would have had a better meal at the Old Fashioned! How I wish we had gone to any of those places instead. Steenbock's on Orchard is too brightly lit, the bad 50s pop rock too loud, there are 3 large TV screens constantly showing photos of their food or sporting events. The wait staff was apathetic and unprofessional. Only beer and wine is served- no cocktails. The kale and fig salad was comprised of such tough kale, it could not be cut with a regular knife; despite being hungry we both stopped eating the salad because we were too tired (of chewing) to finish. The food all seemed to have a slightly burned or smoky flavor, as if everything is charred on the grill. The sauteed calamari was good. I had avoided this place for so long, because of it's bizarre location and cavernous cold appearance. I wanted to go somewhere new, so I gave in to my curiosity. First and last visit to Steenbock's on Orchard. . read more

it's not the food, location or atmosphere- but the service. The manager is demeaning to his employees and treated our group abhorrently. He made a number of sarcastic remarks when we had an issue with our $$$ wine, and scoffed/rolled eyes... on and on. I will never support this business again, and I recommend that you do not give your support to a place that is managed by a person with this character. read more

Steenboks on Orchard is the perfect balance between sophisticated and laid back. This restaurant is clearly of the higher end of restaurants but not stuffy, which in turn makes customers feel welcome. The food is outstanding, a personal favorite being their wide selection of lunch salads that provide a healthy, yet still filling and delicious lunch. The day time hostess, I think her name was Willa, was friendly and accommodating. One of the best spots on campus for a decent priced, great tasting meal! read more

the food is really good, especially during lunch time. but the service is kind of slow. read more

Steenbock's On Orchard - New American Near Me - Madison, Wisconsin

This review was from restaurant week. We ate at Steenbock on Friday night and were very disappointed in the quality of the food. I had the soup which was by far the best part of the whole meal. The other 3 people in our group had the risotto which lacked flavor. They ran out of the Halibut by 6:45 which was extremely disappointing since that was the main reason I wanted to go there. Of the four of us 2 had the steak and the other 2 had lamb, both of which were very disappointing. I would never buy either cut of meat if I was cooking it at home. The lamb wasn't a chop, it looked like a shank and was tough and hard to eat, almost no meat. It was served over beans that seemed to need more cooking. The steak was extremely gristly and fatty, I could not eat it, but it was served with goat cheese potatoes and capellini onions that were both really good. The banana foster creme brulee was gritty, molten chocolate cake was over done there was no lava in the middle and the pretzel ice cream was just a marble size dollop of soggy pretzels, no ice cream to speak of. What a joke! To top it of they only served wine and beer which I did not want and we were seated in bar area which is cold and has no ambience. Overall it was a major disappointment and way over priced. read more

Extremely disappointing. The place was DEAD for a Saturday night. It was so quiet (in a bad way) you could hear conversations between the staff and it was impossible to feel comfortable or relaxed. The meat/cheese board lacked any inspiration. The tuna was downright awful. The main course of scallops was just OK. The bad food, strange atmosphere and the awkward, inexperienced staff made for a very negative experience. I hope it was just an off night, but we won't be back to find out. read more

Steenbock's catered food is of restaurant quality, which meaningfully elevated our guests' dining experiences at our wedding. Steenbock's is tasteful and professional, offering high-quality ingredients in an elegant presentation. They customized our wedding menu to meet our needs and willingly accommodated gluten allergies in multiple types of dishes the night of the event. In our original tasting, we were disappointed by the quality of the beef filet, so they offered us a refined beef short rib dish instead that was tender and flavorful. For our fish selection, we enjoyed salmon in a mustard aioli sauce that was absolutely stunning. For our third dish, we selected the roasted vegetable lasagna, which was probably my favorite dish of the entire menu, even for us meat-eaters! We especially loved Bob on-site, who was incredibly gracious and thoughtful, quite literally catering to our every need. He was a delight. Thank you for a wonderful experience and a deliciously memorable dinner! read more

The food here was good, but the service was impressively bad. First, they were out of several things on the menu: the first wine I ordered, one type of beer, and two main courses (roast chicken and beef tenderloin). Unfortunate, and made even worse by the fact that the waitress did not inform of of this until we had already made our choices, leading to disappointment and scrambling to make a second choice. The kitchen was slow, and one member of the party's dinner arrived a full 5 minutes after everyone else had been served. Staff was very slow to clear the table, in fact dirty dishes were still on the table when dessert was served. Surprisingly amateurish service for a restaurant that has several $30 and up entrees. read more

There really wasn't anything terribly wrong about this restaurant but nothing very good either. The food was meh - the cheese plate was beautiful but not the best cheeses I've had, my burger was the thinnest slice of tomato I could barely taste it and it was drowned in mayo. There was never more than 2 other tables full in the restaurant. I really disliked the three large TVs showing pictures of the food. read more

This is a new high end restaurant in Madison specializing in local, seasonal foods. Restaurant is a little out of the way, across the street from the UW student union. The restaurant was empty except for three tables on a Saturday night; this combined with the modern, sterile dining room, in a university building gave it the feel of a fancy college dinning room. Food and service was fine, but not top notch. l'etoile or Harvest do the local/seasonal thing better. read more

We are so grateful we found this restaurant! Let me start by saying that the menu was simple but had a wide range of options. We started with the cheese platter and some craft beer (a decent selection available). I am allergic to strawberries and they accommodated so nicely with dried figs in their place. For dinner, I had the strip steak with chive mashed potatoes and my husband had the stuffed chicken. Both meals were prepared very well, had appropriate portion sizes (not tiny but not overwhelming either) and both tasted delicious! For dessert we could not choose between the molten chocolate cake and the bread pudding made with fresh croissants so we had both. Overall, excellent dinner (and the tall guy was nice!) read more

This review is for the exceptional customer service and accommodations provided by the staff at Steenbock's. I recently attended a work-related lunch with a large group of people, and was a bit anxious as I have recently been following a low-iodine diet for medical reasons. This essentially means no soy, dairy, seafood, or iodized salt. I didn't want to skip the lunch or sit at the table without eating, so I called ahead to ask if anything could be done and to inquire about which salt they use. I was assured that they only use kosher salt, and would be happy to accommodate my needs. I ended up eating a delicious, customized salad with a simple, bright dressing, and couldn't have been happier or more satisfied. Highly recommended! read more

I absolutely loved the pretzel bun burger I had for lunch here. I was truly sad when I finished it because I wasn't ready for it to be gone!!! I made the mistake of ordering the side of greens instead of fries. The greens didn't have much flavor at all, but luckily a nice friend let me taste a few of her fries. They were great, too! I thought the atmosphere was a little cold and sterile, but I guess it's just my personal preference that I like cozier places rather than really modern/trendy atmospheres. Everyone at the table was happy with their food. I would go back. read more

Horrible service and extremely slow. It was overpriced, plus the food wasn't anything special. They charged everyone at the table double and took them over a month to correct it, plus we never received the "compensation" the manager had promised....its been 1 year! I would never go back and I would never recommend it to anybody! read more

I felt compelled to write this review because I simply could not believe that I was eating this meal and experiencing this restaurant in a University building. Although there isn't cocktail service, the wine and beer selection are more than ample and very well priced...our server, Hannah, was friendly, funny, and knowledgeable. My wife and I had the Wisconsin rabbit pot pie and the fresh catch...I haven't had better scallops ANYWHERE...the citrus Mizuna salad and fresh sweet corn risotto that accompanied the dish were first-rate. We had no idea such an experience was awaiting us and we will be back!!! read more