The Red Oak Restaurant

Good food albeit very slow. We went here and I liked the menu. They even had a gluten free menu. But I will get to the point - here are my thoughts:Food - greatService - very very slowPeople - awesomeGluten free? - kind of. But kind of not. The French fries are on the GF menu but they had other things in that fryer that had gluten. My GF burger had fried toppings?!?!! I ended up not getting an entree at all and just watched my wife eat?!?!?!!! So if you order GF here, just be careful. Someone's heart is in the right place but the execution is spotty. It is odd that they give you a speech about the nonnegotiable 20% tip that will be included right when you sit down. It is just an odd start to the experience. You don't even have a water yet and they are explaining the extra fees associated with your meal. So strange. We were all looking at each other as it was explained like "whaaaat?" Whatever. Would I come back? Maybe. The food was good but it came so late we had to woof it down to make the event we were headed to. I ordered a beer and they just forgot about it. They did say the chef had the night off. Maybe that was a variable here. Who knows. The manager gave me some soup to go so I would not leave unfed so to speak - that was nice. This one was a head scratcher for me.

Well, sad to say we were disappointed in our experience last night. The Red Oak had been on of our favorite spots, we even had our wedding reception here. But unfortunately The last couple times we've went we were a bit disappointed, so we held off and haven't been back in almost a year in hopes that maybe they turned things back around. Unfortunately, once again we were not happy and spent over $100 on our meal! The last time we went, both ordered a filet ($50 each mind you, so not cheap!). Both came out well done instead of medium-medium rare as asked. We sent it back and then they came out properly cooked. When you're paying that much, that shouldn't happen! This time around, first off it took a while for anyone to come to the table at all and in between visits, it was a long wait. So the service itself was pretty slow. We ordered a charcuterie board as an appetizer, and were disappointed in this, was missing items that were listed on the menu, and it just seemed like there was not much on there for what it cost! Then for entrees... I had salmon and my husband had a burger. I believe the bun for the burger was from some local bakery shop which was literally crumbling as he ate it, that in itself was a frustrating experience. While we appreciate the fresh bun, it should be able to hold up with the burger! The burger itself was also VERY salty! My salmon was alright, but it too was crazy salty, and the risotto did not have any "Parmesan" flavor whatsoever. I don't know if Chef Josh is still there, but the last couple experiences have not been good. I love the fresh farm to table menu, however, I almost think they're trying to be too fancy, and even so, overly salted proteins, missing items, and crumbling bread, those are basics that shouldn't happen! I'm Sad to say we probably won't be back again, at least not for a while, which is so disappointing since this once was our favorite restaurant!

This little restaurant is hard to spot as a business if you are looking for your "restaurant" looking type building. It's looks like a red house, but you walk in and it's anything but. As soon as you enter, you walk in a bar area where you're immediately greeted. I chose the takeout option, but the service was fantastic and the food was delish. The position was standard Midwestern sized but the tastes were anything but. My chicken tarragon risotto was flavor packed, meat juicy and cooked, and packaged in a container that didn't allow for leaks. I also ordered the chocolate tarts (I ate them before I could get a photo) but these 3 tartlets were rich on a tart crust and sitting on a bed of mint. I now crave them! It's moderately priced, even with takeout, you get the vibrant experience through their flavors. I will definitely come back for more Spring flavors.

The Red Oak Restaurant is a delicious little gem off the beaten path that's worth the drive! In fact, my bestie and I have deemed it our "go-to" meet up spot for cocktails and brunch, even though it's not quite our halfway point between her IL location and my WI location but halfway points are hit or miss in terms of dining/drink options and this one fares well for both. We first came here right as the pandemic was happening in other parts of the globe but barely making an imprint here in the US (beginning of March, 2020). We came again just last weekend (beginning of November, 2020). I'll give you a run down of both experiences.Let's start with November 2020:-Masks required for entry -Shirts and shoes (and something covering your ass) are still required for entry-Staff are wearing masks and gloves-Social-distance seating (spaced-out seating) both indoors and outdoors-Outdoor patio open also for dining (they also have heat lamps)-Waiting area, bathrooms, and dining experience altered to meet the changing situation amidst a global pandemic-Wash your damn hands! Better than before! Yes, even when you pee!-Staff are always wearing masks. Fellow patrons, the decent thing for us all to do would be to put our masks back on when your hostess or server is approaching the table. I'm sure they don't want our germs either and, while we're dining and drinking out, they are working trying to earn some $ amidst a freaking pandemic. Thank you for coming to my TED Talk.Moving on, let's talk about food and drink!They seated us down and brought out a plate of complimentary sliced baked sweet breads, one lemon poppy seed and the other pumpkin praline. Both were absolutely delicious! We were also asked if we wanted water and which kind--one of the options was water infused with rosemary and orange...um, yes, thank you! BTWs, their infused water rotates flavor combos. Here's what I ordered:-The house-made Bloody Mary (I chose a medium-level of spicy) which came with yummy lil fixings to nibble (mushroom, green bean, baby corn, pickle, etc.)-A Bloody Mary Kit to-go ($40) which came with vodka, house-made bloody mary mix and a container of garnishes-The Lamb Burger, which featured Pinn Oak Farm lamb topped with WI goat cheese, candied bacon, red onion and arugula served on a Wild Flour brioche bun. Let me just say, this was more so a 'panic order' because I was taking forever to make a decision (my brain: here comes the server, again...what to get, what to get....ugh, just pick something, your friend's so hungry she's about to eat the menu...OK, order placed...wait, what? When the heck do I eat lamb? Maybe an occasional gyro but, a burger? I hope this is good.). 15 mins later....holy crap, did I hit the jackpot! Seriously, the juiciness of the burger and combo of flavors along with the goat cheese was THE FRICKIN BOMB!-My bestie loves ordering breakfast burritos so she had their Breakfast Burrito with 3 scrambled eggs, sautéed swiss chard, cremini mushroom with hooks white cheddar and garlic aioli wrapped in a spinach tortilla served with roasted potatoes and seasonal veggies. My bestie could seriously NOT STOP GUSHING about how good this breakfast burrito was...weird food noises and all, LOL.March 2020:-Covid wasn't surging in WI and the US quite like it is 8 months later and these were the days when we could sit at the bar learning a million little tidbits of information from a friendly and very knowledgeable bartender...which is exactly what we did! The bar had ample seating, a great chill vibe, and a cute lil atmosphere. Here's what I ordered:-Pre-meal, I ordered hot coffee with Five Farms single-batch Irish-cream liquor which, hands-down blows any of that Bailey's crap right out of the water (PS check your local liquor store - Ray's in Tosa has it, fyi). This was a delish way to start off brunch and accompanied the complimentary sweet breads they give you to nosh on.-Bagel & Lox: toasted bagel, cream cheese, lettuce, Scottish style lox & capers, served w roasted potatoes & seasoned veggies. This dish was so colorful, flavorful, and hit the spot so much so that I almost ordered it again. If you're a fan of lox, give it a try!-Barrel Aged Sazerac with house barrel aged still & oak rye whiskey, Amerique Absinthe Verte, bitters and simple syrup was a great after-meal cocktail. It was liquor-forward (just how I like my cocktails) with great flavor and excellent finish.All in all, if you're looking for something a bit off the beaten path and want quality food that uses locally-sourced ingredients then this is the place for you! Cheers!

Very Good for Breakfast. Had the Blueberry and Almond French Toast with Bacon . Awesome

This was our first and last visit to Red Oaks resident. The food was less then ok, my wife ordered pork tenderloin and received beef tenderloin. When we inquired the waitress inquired, and came back and offered her a drink or dessert. This was a major dissatisfaction as we had expected a great meal. I ordered chicken rissoto and it was tough dry and tasteless. As indicated this was our first and last meal at this establishment

Don't let the appearance fool you, this place is a gem! Amazing people, fantastic locally sourced foods and a serious plan to be green. We popped in because the place we wanted to go to was closed, and boy was it a treat. It also happened to be our anniversary and they took care of us with something special. Made a reservation just to be safe. We will be back!

Our 3rd time in the last couple years and as wonderful as previous visits. The shrimp was some of the best I've ever had. Not pictured - Keto pumpkin chocolate chip cheesecake- delish! Highly recommend

This was my first time trying Red Oak!! Bartender super friendly and made a great drink! I was a little caught off guard by a manager reprimanding the semi new hostess right in front of me. She couldn't help that the party of 8 wanted a drink at the bar before being sat for dinner. Food was great, farm to table by local farms supporting the community!! Service was a little slow but not bad by any means. Overall pleased with my experience at Red Oak!

If you can get past the weird announcement they make at your table about their 20% service charge on your bill, you will enjoy the ambiance. The apple salad I had last night was a balsamic vinegar soaked mess with two pieces of dried out bread, nothing on it, I'm not sure if it was supposed to be garlic or butter or what and not to mention a few pieces of dried out chicken on the top, all in all pretty disappointing. I felt like perhaps there were teenagers in the back cooking and if that's the case, then that is awesome but the business needs to know if they want to stay in business they need more training. They did make a good pumpkin brûlée dessert.