Pullman’s

They got my large party in at last-​minute notice, and service was great. The food was excellent — I’m craving the bisque soup now!

Every time I went to Pullman’s, I loved it. it is a great location down by the locks, with a fantastic patio on the water. Sit outside if you can, but make sure to bring your sunglasses! The staff was always friendly and quick to refill your drink. I had tired many items on the menu, but my favorite was always the Pecan Crusted Chicken. The crusting was always crispy and the chicken always tender. In my opinion, the loaded mashed potatoes are the best side option to get with any meal.

Just had drinks at the bar… decent selection, the middle aged male bartender was excellent/​funny/​personable. A great bartender can make an otherwise average place great!

You can only get the happy hour in the bar area. So my ass has to get up and get my own drinks to get the deal. Good call Pullmans, won’t be back.

The greeter never smiled. The waitress was friendly but let our drinks go empty. Food was good. Service avg food good.

The location is great, plenty of parking. The food menu is decent, a large variety. Wait outside and you can hop on the trolley to head down to college ave, which is an added perk. The outdoor seating arrangement is pretty nice. There are a select number of seats with fire pits next to them.
Drinks are an OK value considering the view of the fox and the overall atmosphere. The place does have a large chain feeling to it… even though I think this is the only restaurant with the Pullmans name around. The place is quite large, maybe that has to do with why it feels like a large chain restaurant.
Food is good. There really is not anything on the menu that screams at you to try, rather a large assortment of sandwiches and fish. I think the location, atmosphere, and level of service are what keeps me coming back.

My sister’s hyped this place up, saying they heard great things about it. The location is very nice. Our server was helpful and attentive. The food was only okay. I ordered fried fish and there was nothing special to it. Nothing special to the sauce I dipped it in too. I also ordered a chicken quesadilla as an appetizer, it tasted better than my fish. The only thing I didn’t like was that one slice had nothing in it. Okay, so it wasn’t entirely nothing. It did contain at least one chunk of chicken and a little cheese. I also tried the potstickers, nothing special there. I’ve had better at Chinese buffets. The mixed drink I got was not very tasty either. Overall the food and drinks here didn’t match all the great things people were saying. I might have had a different opinion if I didn’t hear how great it was before going.

Our first time here. Although our service started out a little on the bumpy side given the waitress said it was her first time serving by herself, it was a wonderful experience. The food was excellent, atmosphere was pleasant. Still was waiting to see some lobster in the lobster bisque soup which the waitress served with the meal instead of before, but I was polite with her being her first time. Portions were more than expected. I had the perch platter and it had 5 pieces on it along with the very large baked potato. My wife had the chicken cordon blu and it was very delicious and like with the perch was more than enough. Would definitely recommend it and will return. Map on Unilocal has location northwest of actual location.

Decent Food. Server seemed like she had been working there too long, not friendly and seemed pre-​occupied. I don’t think she smiled once. She asked what sides I wanted with dinner, and when my dad got the bill, we were up charged for them. She made it sound like it came with the meal. It’s not the extra money, it’s the principle. I study wine, and have worked in restaurants all my life — the bill was still well over a $ 100 for 4 people. I was home visiting my family for the first time this year, and it while my dad was understanding; it left a sour taste in my mouth of the place. Poor practices for someone who looked like a seasoned veteran.

The building and location is an absolute gold mine; unfortunately the food does not live up whatsoever. It seems prepackaged and just microwaved. I question if anything on this menu is made from scratch.
The pecan salad was an absolute joke having 5 short little strips of dry, plain, unseasoned chicken with some ground up pecans dropped loosely on top. This salad was $ 11.99! I expected MUCH more. The BLT was just okay. The tomato basil soup and french onion soups were actually good. I would say that next time we go there I’ll just order the soup… but after many previous poor food quality experiences at this restaurant and its sister restaurants in Appleton (Good Company, Beefeaters) there will NOT be a next time. I could make any prepackaged meal from the grocery frozen food section and it would taste much better and cost far less.
We only went this last time to use up a gift certificate that we had received. Done!

This establishment is located inside a gorgeous building in Appleton, WI. It’s obvious they spent a lot of money creating a comfortable, soothing atmosphere, right on the Fox River. It’s a damn shame they didn’t put the same effort into their food. We were disappointed, to say the least.
On Tuesday, August 12, 2014, around 6:00 pm, we met 2 friends there for dinner. Hadn’t seen them in a year because we live in SC (tho we’re from the Valley) and were in the area for our annual vacation. Drinks were ok, then it pretty much went downhill from there. Service from the kitchen was slow. Took too long to get my lobster bisque soup. Waiter apologized and said «some items take time». Huh? It’s soup, already made… just heat it up. The soup tasted just ok. My husband had the New York strip. Not a good cut of meat which tasted like they overly seasoned it to compensate. And boxed mashed potatoes, or at least that’s exactly what it tasted like. Awful. Really, Pullman’s, BOXED? Go to your room.
My entrée was shrimp alfredo. It was so bad I don’t know where to start. Very manufactured tasting. Pretty sure they must have gotten this from Chef-​Boy-​R-​Alfredo. It was just terrible. And where were the shrimp? Not even a shrimp scrap. I didn’t send it back because at this point, everyone’s food was lousy so I had no right to expect something tasty from that kitchen. I boxed what I didn’t eat then tossed it in the garbage.
One of our friends ordered lobster ravioli. Again, really bad. Main problem here was the doughy-​pasty ravioli shells. I don’t know if he finished it or not, but he sure had issues with it.
Forgot to mention that the shrimp in my shrimp cocktail was on the tough side. Overcooked. Oh, I got a $ 1 credit because it was pasta Tuesday. Yay! Now where’s the pasta?
A friend of mine recommended Pullman’s and when I gave her the report afterwards, she was embarrassed and apologetic. Felt terrible.
So in wrapping up, PULLMAN’S, step up your game. Get a (talented) chef and fine-​tune your wait staff. You have a gorgeous, stunning venue and people will come in because of it… one time. I’ll check back with friends later to see if you’ve made improvements. If not, you may consider us one of those one-​time customers.

Location is great and if you’re looking for a place that’s family-​friendly where you can sit on the patio and listen to the water, Pullman’s is a good choice. Highlights: giant kids’ menu, plenty of outdoor seating. Lowlights: kitchen is SLOW. Each time we have gone in it’s been weekend, lunch. Each time it has taken about an hour for our table to be served.

Where do I begin?
The last time I was here, (June 7, 2014) I ordered a deep fried walleye sandwich. I didn’t think It was possible to screw up a deep fried dish fillet. I was wrong. Overcooked trash. The server asked us how «everything was?», It was so bad, I didn’t even lie to him like I usually do with bad food. I told him I was very displeased. Didn’t even ask for new food as I was fairly confident it would be sub-​par. Lobster Bisque had absolutely no chunks of lobster or any seafood for that matter. It was also very salty. The only thing that was even close to edible was the appetizer. Crab Dip. Once again no meat. Nearly 100% cream cheese.
For some reason my mother likes this place. This is the only reason I was subjected to this culinary abomination. Will never come back. Beautiful place, great location, disgusting food. And I mean, truly disgusting. This was my third and last time here. The final straw. I Can’t believe a place with such tasteless, poorly cooked food is still open. If you are all about atmosphere and not good food, dine here.
Waste your money in a different fashion. Burn it. It will be much more satisfying.

My family ate at Pullman’s on Sunday, we went at 4:30 to avoid the rush and to sit on the patio. We were placed at a table with no umbrella and when we requested some shade we were told that table was not available because it was being held for parties of 8. It was a round and oblong table placed together under an umbrella. No one was ever seated at the table while we were there. I took us 20 minutes to get our first drink order and we also ordered our meal at the same time. It then took at at least another 30 minutes for the meal. Other diners came and went while we waited. When one of our party ordered a rum and coke we were told it would take a while because the bar was busy. After 10 minutes we requested just a coke because of the wait time. The waitress was able to bring the coke immediately interestingly the rum and coke was delivered as we were about to leave.
The food was good but portions are small for the price. They California Chicken sandwich is 9+ and it only had chicken breast on one side of the bread, the fries that were delivered were warm, not hot. I have eaten here on other occasions and have found the food to be good and the service ok. The food prices are a bit high, the drinks if you go to the bar cost less,(which they do not tell you) and you get service before table drinks are filled. The only saving grace was that it was a beautiful night and the weather was perfect.

Good food. Really unique and pretty. Trolley car in lobby gives a nice touch. Must be beautiful in the summer being right on the water. Waitress was attentive. Just a really nice place to enjoy a nice meals. Menu has large selection and good choices. The steak was perfect and tasty.

I was really kind of disappointed in our visit to Pullman’s.
The establishment is nice, and there’s a gorgeous patio/​garden area. Looks like it would be a nice place for a banquet/​wedding/​event with the private rooms they’ve got.
As for the food — it was just … meh.
I ordered the «new reuben», and read the description a couple times to verify there was NO mention of cheese (I’m kind of odd and ALWAYS order my reubens with NO SWISS CHEESE — sorry, I just don’t like cheese that smells like feet covered in paint). When I didn’t see a mention of cheese, I assumed it wasn’t on the sandwich. Afterall, it was a «new» reuben. Meaning, they pretty much changed the sandwich in it’s entirety (ie: different meat (turkey and ham instead of corned beef), different garnish (cole slaw instead of kraut). So I figured NO CHEESE was just another difference. Boy was I mistaken! Thankfully I was able to pick off BOTH pieces that were located on the TOP and BOTTOM of the sandwich.
And really, the sandwich was just okay.
My daughter ordered the kids cheeseburgers, which she said tasted weird and she didn’t like.
My son got the kids chicken tenders, which he seemed to enjoy okay.
My husband ordered the bbq bacon cheeseburger which he said was good, but he was not given an option of how he wanted it cooked, so he said it was too well done for his liking, and a bit too dry.
Overall, just an okay experience.

Aka Trolley Square. Walk into the building to go back outside for patio seating overlooking the Fox river. The service is hit or miss. I only had myself a Woodchuck Amber Cider. Friends had the Bond cocktail and a Long Island. Super sweet beverages. There is only two fire pit tables. The other areas are currently for wedding occasions.

I’ve enjoyed Pullman’s every time I’ve been there. I had the perch dinner with the loaded mashed potatoes. So very good. My martini (something blue) was particularly delicious. Our waitress was very friendly.

It was okay, but on the pricey side. Serving sizes were small. It wasn’t very busy, which should have told me something since since it was Airventure weekend.
Go someplace else and get better food for less money.

Went here with my girlfriend recently, and was impressed with the food, but less so with some other small things.
Service from the wonderful Abbey was impeccable, with a smiley, cheery demeanour and the skill of checking up to see that drinks were topped up and food tasted right at exactly the right moments, without being annoying — Something a lot of wait-​staff really need to learn! The addition of a ‘Thank You!’ with her name on the receipt was a nice touch to show your gratuity was appreciated. I like when wait-​staff personalise the service like this, instead of being ‘fake nice’ in order to secure a good tip.
The food was great, and decently priced.
The bad:
We were seated outside, and while I understand the change of seasons to summer may bring about some bugs, dead bugs (and dead bug stains) littering the concrete outside is not pleasant. A quick hose-​down each morning (including the tables and chairs) would work wonders.
The cutlery I was supplied was not cleaned properly, and had dried leaf (lettuce) stuck to it. Most likely from being washed in an industrial washer without being properly rinsed first.
The table was wobbly, as the plastic foot for one of the legs was broken off. It was nearby and I re-​affixed it, but really, things like this should be checked when the tables are set up each morning. The table looked pretty worse for wear, and the shearing point showed it had been broken like this for some time.
I witnessed another staff member watering hanging plants next to a table that had people sitting at it, with the water splashing all around the ground next to to the table. It didn’t hit the people dining, but really? Is it not possible to do this when people aren’t sitting a just two feet away?
While I may be harsh, when people go out to nice places to eat, they don’t go for a meal — that can be had at home. People go out to nice places to eat for an experience. With a couple of refinement improvements, this place will be a much more pleasant one.