Rusted Roost Restaurant & Bar

My mom, grandma, cousin and I stopped here during a girls weekend up north. We were seated right away at 12:30 on a Saturday. It's in downtown Menasha (close to Appleton) and we tried to hit a few shops nearby afterward but most of them seemed to be closed. Our server was beyond friendly and checked in on us very frequently. I ordered the elk burger which comes with apple butter, Gruyère cheese and caramelized onions as well as thick-yet-crispy steak fries and a smoked tomato aioli. My cousin ordered the same, but with maple aioli--and wow! I'm definitely going to have to try to make maple aioli at home. I appreciated the creativity yet approachability of the dishes. Rusted Root is the perfect type of spot to go when you want a good burger or sandwich that's more inventive than the average casual spot. Since I went in the wintertime, I wasn't able to check out the rooftop. I spotted on the cocktail menu that they make a vodka cran with lavender I've never seen that combo!

Menasha, Wi. Interesting setting, spacious with a high ceiling and what appears to be professionally appointed decor. Very nice, especially the bar with the rolling library ladder. We came in around 2:30 for late lunch/early dinner. We just went with water to drink because there were no mocktails offered, just soda's. My chicken pot pie was delicious, it had some very nice flavors from spices, or perhaps cheese. It was about 4 inches in diameter and cost $18. I got a side of salad that was a good size and tasted fresh. The horseradish dressing is excellent, be sure to try it. The shrimp and frites were not a winner for us. The style of cooking was more reminiscent of boiled shrimp rather than roasted as described. The large prawn like shrimp ended up with that somewhat tasteless meat that was just ok but certainly nothing I would ever order again. The saving grace of the shrimp was their large size and how meaty they were. Flavor was to be found using the dipping sauce, but the mushy texture was not to be disguised.The potato spears are very good and nicely cooked and come with an aioli. They are blue potatoes with good flavor. The crème brûlée was a failure. The.custard was overcooked and pasty with a texture I would equate with gritty applesauce. It was sadly shrunken. I did like the hint of orange though, it had potential before any recognizable feature of a custard ceased to exist. The coffee was a disappointment. I drank it because I needed a bit of caffeine. Unfortunately it was a flavored coffee that I quite simply detest.

Atmosphere: The inside is really clean and open. The tables don't have a great spot to put a purse since the back of the chairs are rounded and so your purse strap will just fall off. You're going to have to put your purse on the floor or in your lap ladies. The bathrooms were super tiny but fairly clean. Service: Our waiter was patient and friendly. There wasn't a lot of people here so the staff was all just kind of hanging around the bar and they seemed like they got along. Drinks: I ordered a dirty martini with hendricks. Now, a gin martini is my go to drink for the last 6 years. I do not know WHAT they did, but this martini tasted like rubbing alcohol. I almost spat it out after my first sip. If this is what martinis tasted like, I would never drink one again. I had to do a huge gulp of water after every sip in order to choke it down. Do not recommend.Food: We ordered the truffle fries as an app. The fries had no truffle seasoning, were undersalted and bland. The sauce that we ordered with it also had no flavor. My friend ordered the pork verde. The dish consisted of 4 pieces of corn, 3 pieces of bell pepper, and the fattiest pork I've ever seen. I couldn't even tell what the cut of meat they used because it was so weird. I ordered the flat bread. The crust was so overcooked and hard I couldn't bite through it and the ingredients on top had no flavor. It was so dry. They comped the flat bread because I ate less than one piece. They offered to make me something else but based on everything else we ate I opted out of that. Left hungry, beyond disappointed with my drink, and a bill of $80 before tip (after the comp). I've wanted to come here for ages but I will never come back. The reviews deceived me.

Rusted Roost is a welcome addition for restaurants in Menasha. The place has a casual and relaxing ambiance. On a weeknight, our party of 4 was seated immediately. Service was attentive. A choice of soup or salad was part of the meal. I had the potato soup which was very good. For the main dish, I chose Pollo en crema, which was delicious. My wife had the Hunter's chicken. A 4 star rating was given as both portion sizes were less than desired.

Nice people, good food, and amazing dessert. The atmosphere is really nice with all the wood and Edison bulbs and the open garage door. Will be interesting to try more things on the menu, they have a large vegan menu as well as lots of unique items (not vegan) that you won't find elsewhere in the Fox Cities.

The food was excellent, we just had appetizers but the whole menu looked amazing. Ate dinner downstairs and then went upstairs to the rooftop bar for a drink. Loved the theme of the whole place and it was carried out everywhere from the pictures, to the salt and pepper shakers.

They serve the best roasted beet salad I've ever tasted! It's a wonderful place to dine!

My husband and I go to Rusted Roost very often and we love it! Food is excellent, craft cocktails are interesting and delicious. We can't wait for the weather to get warm enough to frequent the rooftop lounge!

Food is fine overall. I do not recommend the roast beef Sammy as it's incredibly generic and underwhelming.Shakshuka was ok, but nothing to write home about. Service was great!

We finally got over here for dinner and I'm upset we didn't go sooner. The interior is super cool and the food was really great. I had the hay and straw pasta, a cream covered cavatappi with ham and peas, and it was seriously delicious. My husband went for the potato latkes as a meal and really liked them. We finished up with coffee and the Oreo mint loaf. I'd prefer stronger coffee and please serve more ice cream with the Oreo mint loaf! Other than those minor critiques, we really enjoyed our dinner there and look forward to visiting again.