Coerper's 5 O'Clock Club
Milwaukee, WI 53233-1036
Phone: (414) 342-3553
- Price:
- $$$$
- Cross Street:
- North 24th Street
- Best of Citysearch:
- Steak 2005, Steak 2004
- Hours:
- Tue-Thu 5pm-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 5pm-10:30pm
Editorial Review for Coerper's 5 O'Clock Club – by Willard Romantini
The Scene
For the past 50 years, this has been the place for steak in Milwaukee. Little has changed in this 1950s-style supper club; why mess with success? Like a radio contest, the phone starts ringing each Tuesday at 4pm, and those fortunate enough to get through will win a table sometime during the upcoming week at Milwaukee's oldest steak house. Once you enter with your prized reservation, take a seat at the bar, place your order, enjoy a cocktail and let the kitchen do its work.
The Food
At your table, you'll find a huge bowl of salad with homemade dressing, a loaf of sourdough bread still warm from the oven and a complimentary relish tray. Then dig in: Tenderloin, T-bone and porterhouse steak are specialties of the house. Try the New York strip, a char-grilled beauty of a steak.
Editorial content is independent of paid advertisers. Any expenses are paid for by Citysearch.
Insider Tips
Save TimeLike an old-school supper club, your dinner can be ordered from the bar, before you even sit down.
User Reviews for Coerper's 5 O'Clock Club
04/20/2008 Posted by CriticalCritic1
After reading, and enjoying, the variation in reviews I think I can sort things out. First, the restaurant is no longer caled "Coerper's 5 O'Clock Club, it is the "Five O'Clock Club House of Steaks". The reason is that the Coerper family sold the business to a gentleman from Schaumberg, Illinois in roughly 2005. Part of the deal was that the name "Coerper's" would no longer be associated with the new business owner or the restaurant. The staff and operations would supposidly remain the same. Not so! 95% of the staff either left or was let go. This was their poragative. The mature, and young friendly bartenders were eventually replaced with a new crew. The waitstaff changed also to some new people. In the kitchen the Executive Chef, one Rich Alvarado, remained along with his wife Julie as a waitress. Both very capeable, consistant and reliable. Actually the chef's total talents are only "surface scratched" by working at the restaurant. When the changeover occured everyone was informed that nothing would change. But, alas a lot did. Chicago pricing was introduced into a Milwaukee marketplace. Ala Carte baked potatoes ($4.00) and steep drink prices to match.For a while the overall product remained the same, you just needed your "First Born Child" to finance the dining experience. Naturally this chased away a lot of the "regulars", and they were the ones that for years supported and promoted the restaurant. As a side note the founder Bill Coerper, Ted's dad, never believed in paying for advertising. He was a depression born child. Back when people sold apples on the street corners for a nickel to feed their families. Now adays they call it being frugel. The basting of the steaks was done not with Kitchen Boquet, as one reviewer suggests. It wasmixed from scratch ingredients by Ted's wife Pat, may she rest in peace, for many years. Then filtered, bottled and aged. NOTE: See continuation on next CriticalCritic1 review on this same Website.
Pros: Long time family tradition of where to go
Cons: Quality has fallen a few notches due to ownership change
12/08/2007 Posted by mfperone
We just ate at Coerper's for the first time during the week of 12/2/07. After hearing for years about how great this place was..I perhaps expected too much. My steak was okay but by no means was it extraordinary, especially considering the price. My husband's large filet was so tough it was inedible. The steaks were served with the old-fashioned steak house "juice" but it was extremely salty and greasy. The steaks tasted as if they were "painted" with Kichen Bouquet sauce (which would also explain the flavor of the Juice that they are served in. The drinks were over-priced considering the shabby decor and the pl;ace was smokey, crowded and the service was below average. All in all, I would not repeat a visit. There are too many other restaurants in the Milwaukee area that are better.
Pros: None
Cons: pricey, smokey and not that good.
0 out of 1 people found this review helpful
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