08/30/09

Best Steaks!

by Mad Dog

When you walk in, it feels and looks like Frank Sinatra or Dean Martin would of loved this place. The bartenders greet you...you sit at the bar, order your food and then you are seated at your table. The staff is wonderful. I had the ladies cut filet and my husband had the bone in ribeye w/ peppercorn on the top. I truly enjoyed my steak ,but both of us agree that the ribeye was the best we've ever had. We cannot wait to come back!

• Pros: Best Steaks!
• Cons: NONE

01/22/09

Always a consistent experience!

by PBellakma

After reading the posting dated 1/18/2009, I felt as if I needed to write a review in order to defend a good friend. Coerpers, now just 5 O'Clock Club, is an old friend. She is right, the atmosphere feels like the 1950's; she is right, it is smokey; she is right, you order at the bar .... but, what she has missed is that we LIKE it that way! It is like stepping back in time to a supper club your grandparents would have taken you to for HS graduation. You order at the bar because... I dunno, it is just how it is done! The menu has just what is needed on it-no frills here! They will gladly refill the relish tray as often as you like; the salad is bottomless; and ste steaks that melt in your mouth are reasonably priced compared to any other steak joint in this city-and they don't nickle and dime you for everything like some places around town (read "Moes"-which is way more expensive and practically charges you for the water and the napkin). Enjoy the experience- don't nitpick! These are likely the best steaks you will ever have!

01/18/09

Not worth the trip

by ClassicShe

After hearing a friend talk about how great this place we for years, we thought we would give it a try. I was expecting something similar to the Jackson Grill, so I as terribly disappointed with this dining experience. Although the steak I had tasted good, it wasn't worth the money I had paid for it. I found the menu extremely limited, the prices were too high and the portions skimpy for the price paid. The restaurant was smoky, the decor reminded me of a rundown 1950's basement bar. The restaurant had a huge sign on the door stating reservations only, I don't understand why as the place was half-empty on a Saturday evening. We had to order our meals at the bar, I did not see the reason as there was no crowd requiring a quick turnover of tables. Also, for the price we were paying, it made the meal feel rushed, which I did not enjoy at all. The waitress played the one trick I detest in restaurants - "Do you want a potato or rice with that?" - not indicating that these were included with the meal. Soup was not available, the only fish entrees were shellfish. The relish tray (for six people) consisted of two stalks of celery, two carrot sticks, two hot peppers and two olives, everyone was to polite to partake. We were served an insufficient amount of salad family style, and the waitress rolled her eyes when we asked for more. My steak was good, but was not "smothered with mushrooms", rather three tiny button mushrooms dotted my plate. Well, I came, I saw, I ate. Never again. There are too many other good steak places in Milwaukee to waste my money here.

• Pros: Steak was good
• Cons: Everything but the steak - go elsewhere

09/06/08

Wonderful Steak

by bluebath

The Steak is wonderful each and every time I have been there. I have been going there for years. The wait staff has always been great. It's nice to see somethings have not changed during the change of ownership.

There are somethings that make our dining experience different than all the years we have been going there. We use to come for the atmosphere, and having a cozy dinner with my wife. Now we go only for the food. Now we have a few drinks before we leave the house. That's the only thing that will take our minds off hitting the elbows to the people sitting next to us. Now we have to squeeze threw to get to your table for the money we pay for dinner is unreasonable. We use to go every week. Now it is once every 2 months. it will turn into once a year, if that***** if the table stay this way

• Pros: Food is great, Waitstaff wonderful
• Cons: Dining room very cramped

08/25/08

Let me some this up - FIRST CLASS and NOT SNOBBY

by carlito14

This is a real mans steakhouse - a place where blue collar, white collar don't matter. You are there to socialize and enjoy the best steaks ever. Whoever wrote the last review MUST have been a disgrunteld employee. Who the hell else would know so much about the operation and the name of the Chef and wife's name of the old owners etc. WHATEVER - I am a regular patron and I can tell you that objectively speaking this is one of the best steakhouses in the COUNTRY. I travel all over for business and trust me, I read Zagat and AAA and wine spectator as I entertain a lot. This place is SOOOO not snobby, it's totally like a family place with just awesome service and food and huge drinks and a throw back decor that fees kind og like Goodfellas movie. I saw Christmas lights inside the place in JUNE! I don't think it was laziness either, I think it's hysterical and has a lot of character to it. The employees are mostly the same over the years too. This place rocks and you should know the truth from a BIG eater and someone who spends over 60K a year on Meal and Entertainment for my personal client list. I like the cozy environment, easy parking, attentive service, the ladies there all treat you like your their family member. The bartenders have this old world tux look with a old world sense of SERVICE. I would make reservations or you wait a while but the style of ordering at the bar is BRILLIANT. How is this NOT the norm. So efficient and relaxed. I can focus on my guests at dinner without a million inturruptions from the server. Thank GOD. I am sick of rude service from overpriced restaurants with a new manager every 6 months. Its obviously family run, it shows. I applaud the new owners of this legendary steakhouse. They have done a GREAT job with maintaining all that's good in the place. And if they kicked some people out, MAYBE THEY DESERVED IT? Trust me change is good my friends. At least in this case. Cheers! -----oh, and great wine selections. Kind of surprising!

• Pros: Huge Value - Great Service - Ease of Parking - CHARMING
• Cons: a little out of the way but worth it

04/20/08

BEST STEAKHOUSE?

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

12/08/07

HIGHLY OVER-RATED!

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.

08/23/07

Come with an empty belly!

by bathbabe81

Having travelled far and wide this place is definately worth the visit. Very different from the typical dining experience. I mean that in a good way. I feel people tend to confuse a good dining experience when they go to hip new places (not mentioning any names). The food and service stink but since it was trendy they highly recommend it. Five O'Clock is old style, like your grandpa, so get ready for it.

You may have to wait a bit for a table but again worth the wait. I am not one for red meat but I have got to say if I am going to eat steak it better be from here! The ribs are awesome. The taste is so different from anything you ever had. The salads, potatoes and portions in general are very generous. The chef at Five O'Clock is an all-American pro. Give him a pat on the back if your ever in there some night. The bartenders are entertaining too. P.S- The neighborhood is kind of shifty but the guy watching your car is stealthier than you think!

• Pros: THE FOOD! The drinks are a little stiff so be prepared to party. Don't forget your reservations
• Cons: When its busy its very hard to move around. A bit too smoky.

08/21/07

Make Reservations!

by jamelea7

Very busy place. The atmosphere is different for a place that serves classy food. The drinks were great, service was excellent and the presentation of food was amazing. Ordered the Porterhouse and Lobster. It was GREAT. I've never had something taste so good. The lobster was bursting with flavor, and even though I'm not much of a steak person, I enjoyed the Porterhouse, it was juicy and filling. You get a lot of food, and it all tastes great, just hard to finish everything!

• Pros: Great customer service, presentation of food
• Cons: hard to come in as a walk-in, make reservations

07/22/07

Best Steak Ever !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by ntrgg

I dont smoke, and I did not have a problem with anyone smoking at the club. Hands Down the best steak ever !! I live in MG Brasil, and we have some of the best steak in the world here. I have also eaten at some of the finest steak houses and resteraunts around the world. I travel alot!!!! Corpers Club is the Best !!!! Cant beat it !!! Forgett about the decor,and people, the steak is to die for !!!! Any one who thinks different is ignorant !!!