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Fratellos Riverfront Restaurant
Categories: Nightlife Bars Restaurants American (New) Bars, American (New) [Edit]
501 W Water StAppleton, WI 54911
(920) 993-9087
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- Background
- Happy Hour:
- No
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- Yes
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
17 reviews for Fratellos Riverfront Restaurant
17 reviews in English
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Review from Randy B.
11/1/2011
Favorite place in Appleton! Beautiful and colorful, lots of glass windows and right on the Fox River...inside brick and exposed steel and concrete. It has a very open feel.
Wine is served in an usual decanter, that one of my co-workers ended up purchasing for his place in LA. Made from glass that looks like a funnel that they bring to your table, and when the wine is poured through it, it's forced through a filter-thingy and you can then, with a lever, pour it into your glass. It was cool, and a definite conversation-starter.
The food was delish, service a bit slow at times, but it was super busy so forgiven. An array of fish, steaks, and italian dishes to chose from...and nice app's. It's a great place for a date, a small group (business/party)...I look forward to going back one day when visiting back in Appleton. -
Review from Lynn G.
Appleton, WI
11/16/2011
It is located on the water. It has great views. And atmosphere.
Went right before the dinner rush. The place was empty. But the waitstaff must have felt the place was packed, as service was slower than the elderly getting it on.
After waiting an eternity to get service. finally got our drinks. Ordered their slop that they call artichoke dip. It seems this place has something in common with other places that serve it. Resembles cream of whatever soup in a can. With baguettes that resemble hockey pucks. Plan on losing a tooth on one of those. Or save for later for your dog to chew on for awhile. I think they are a little more than day old.
Ravioli. Chef Boyardee makes better ravioli than this.
I just cannot keep on with everything else other than to say I will never set foot in this place again. Kudos to those suckers out there who like to burn their hard earned money on this, whatever it is. You are an insult to J's, who was here prior. Unsure if it is new management, or what is going on, but the only reason you stay in business is that people must be unaware of the existence of the Hinterland in Green Bay. But don't you worry. I'll help change that. -
Review from Rachel G.
11/23/2009
This kind of place is a great way to revitalize the area. Currently in an old lumber factory along the river.
Menu has a lot of options, which makes me wary - because how can one place be great at ALL of these dishes. Then again, everything I've tried has been spot on. Not the BEST I've ever had, but the yum appeal is high.
Very novel way to decant their wines - which is cool. They bring a large funnel to your table and pour it over a glass globe - which then gets forced through a filter. -
Review from Seth L.
Little Chute, WI
10/24/2011
fine food. love the ambiance. inside and outside. had one noteably bad experience there for my birthday. i won't mention the details, but it was a big mess up with my food. so i had to wait for it to be re-made, and was hoping they'd do something to make up for the sandwich that would justify a 1-star review, but there was no effort to make the situation better. i've heard several similar stories from others i've talked to. then i got a free birthday cupcake, but it was stale. at least i didn't have to pay for that. but, seeing as how they have a wonderful atmosphere and great outdoor seating by the river in the summer months, i'll continue to go back.
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Review from Denise Q.
San Francisco, CA
7/3/2007
Right on the river, overlooking the lake, how could you really go wrong with such a location? On a nice summer day, I could see how this would be a favorite of mine if I lived in Appleton. Young, fun crowd, and young fun staff.
We sat outside of course, and had Captain Crunch Chicken Tenders with honey mustard sauce, Fish and Chips, garlic bread, Polynesian Platter, and the Spinach and Artichoke Dip. All of it was DEEE-LICIOUS! My favorite standout was the Captain Crunch Chicken Tenders because those were great: unique yummy flavor, and the honey mustard sauce was the perfect complement. Everything else though nothing original, was well made and tasty! -
Review from Joshua T.
San Rafael, CA
5/18/2009
Great food, good service, and a hell of a venue. Adds up to a good meal in Appleton.
On a recommendation, we headed here for dinner, while in town for business. A bit out of the way, but right near downtown, the venue floored us. Built in the shell of a 19th century power plant, right on the Fox River, you have a majestic view of the rapids from the locks, mixed with the good contract of the exposed industrial architecture and clever artistic touches.
A note on wine: I'm a Northern California wine snob. There, I said it. When I pick up a wine list in a smaller Midwest city I am traveling to, I expect to cringe with overpriced bottles of Mondavi Coastal or Kendall Jackson. Much to my surprise, there is a very diverse list here, with many wines by the glass, and a wide section of regions, countries, and flavors available. Being slightly warmer, I enjoyed a Spanish Rioja at a very inexpensive price. My companion ordered one of the beers (honey wheat, maybe? I just remember shuddering at the mention of a Blueberry Ale), and agreed it was super.
Based on Yelps I read, we started with the Chicken Crunch strips. While they were good, the included waffle fries were equally good, when covered with that honey mustard dressing. The Caesar salad was a surprise, with good flavor, and an ample addition of sliced egg on the side, though the cheese was a bit hard. Main courses were Fish N' Chips, which our waitress exclaimed, "Oh, that is SO Wisconsin!" (after learning we were from San Francisco), which were good, and a Shrimp Pad Thai, which, while heavy on the peanut sauce (which I like) also proved to double as a paint splatterer (note: don't order this if you are wearing any light clothing). Overall, very good.
My only quibble with the place was the price of the entrees. Yes, you got a good selection of the food, and the food was good, but the prices for most were on the upper range. Given the venue and the inexpensive (but good!) wine and beer, it balances out, but if they offered 3-4 main courses at the $12-13 range as a specials list, instead of another $22 meat dish, I can see this place being THE summer hotspot.
It's definitely a great place, and I'd definitely go there again...and will. -
Review from Mandy H.
San Francisco, CA
6/24/2008
I had the strawberry spinach salad with gorgonzola and raspberry vinaigrette. Yum! Others at my table had various other dishes and all thought they were great. Beware the "flourless" cake on the dessert menu, as I was told it wasn't actually flourless. The canoli were described by my fellow diners as like chocolate cheese in crispy tacos, so they weren't really winners. But, the butternut raviolis & cinnamon pork tenderloin met with lots of praise and my husband enjoyed the jambalaya.
Our server seemed to have great intentions but still be working on his serving skills. He occasionally brought us the wrong thing, but then got it sorted out and was very polite about it.
We sat at a table overlooking the Fox River right by the locks, which was rather exciting since the river was so high that it was much more like rapids than I've ever seen it.
Outside, there are some nice historic markers along the river that explain some of its history. Check them out! This restaurant is also served by the Downtown Cool Trolley, which is free and fun. -
Review from Joey T.
Green Bay, WI
6/4/2010
A little smaller then the one in Green Bay, but I really liked the view at this location. The only down side was that I had the hardest time trying to find the place. Ended up having to call the place to find my way there, thankfully successfully.
The food is slightly pricey, but the food and service were very good. -
Review from Liz T.
Bloomingdale, IL
5/16/2011
Very poor management.
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Review from Jess L.
Appleton, WI
6/7/2008
We only had appetizers, which were good but not excellent - but the atmosphere and drinks were great. The servers were nice - ours seemed a little pissed that we sat in her section w/o being seated... but she got over it quickly and was really friendly after that.
We sat outside, but when we went inside after we thought it looked really cool inside, too. -
Review from Gary s.
Appleton, WI
Good location and they serve outside when the weather is warm. Staff is friendly but the food was ok for the price you paid.
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Review from Alec H.
Chicago, IL
11/3/2010
This nice homey Italian place with a modern bar and micro brews is probably my favorite restaurant in Appleton so far.
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Review from Michael P.
Madison, WI
11/8/2010
The restaurant atmosphere and wait staff were phenomenal. The food was great, too, but I'd give it about a 4.5. However, it is affordable for being an upscale restaurant (my bill was $80 for 3 people, two had wine and we all had desert). I had the chicken and broccoli alfredo, which was very good, just a little saucy. Another person in my group had the crunch chicken tenders (it's listed as an appetizer, but it looked like a lot of people were ordering it as a meal -- seemed pretty popular), which was amazing. Best place in Appleton I've been to.
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Review from Derek B.
Appleton, WI
8/20/2010
Great food! And good selection. But the service is SLOW!
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Review from Sara H.
Evanston, IL
9/28/2009
The food here is great, and it's the prettiest view you'll get in a town like Appleton. My servers have always been friendly without hovering around too much. The waffle fries are probably the best you'll get anywhere (YOU MUST TRY THEM), and the white chicken chili is pretty delicious too.
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Review from T. H.
Milwaukee, WI
1/17/2010 9 photos
First off... if your looking for a pretty spectacular setting, this is it. Very chic building right on the river... the huge windows overlooking the river (near the dam spillway) are just a few feet from the water. The menu is large and the food is delicious. Moderate prices for everything from italian specialties to seafood entrees. As far as dessert, while cupcake mania has largely been absent from Wisconsin, Fratellos has jumped on the bandwagon with a handful of different choices for dessert. They are pretty great. Two thumbs up!!!!
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Review from Paul H.
Middleton, WI
1/31/2010
Ate their last night....passing through for business in Green Bay. Wonderful decor. Place was very busy. The place to be in The Waterfront area. Great wine list and very reasonable wine prices. Very broad menu. Lots of pastas, seafood, salads...I had a medium-rare ahi tuna steak, slightly overcooked but very tasty. I came served over wasabi mashed potatoes they were quite nice. My co-worker got a sauteed walleye dish with sauteed veggies and fingerling potatoes that was excellent.... Our server was on the new side. Very nice, but muddling though..back to table "what did you order?" She also offered us the check before mentioning dessert. But hey, gotta start somewhere. I hope she's not depending on it to pay the rent. Would definitely go back...Dessert specialty is cupcakes...but they did have a very nice gluten-free chocolate torte. Their menu is very helpful for allergies-afflicted gourmands. Things are labeled! Amazing.
