The Anchorage

I don’t come here often enough because when I do I have outstanding service and delicious food. Had the filet mignon today with the Anchorage salad, baked potato, asparagus, and mushrooms. So good.

We decided to try this place for the first time for my friends 40^th bday. The 8.00 old fashions were not even close to worth it. We then wanted to switch to chocolate martinis, well they could not make them as they did not have a key ingredient. My friends decided to stick with another old fashion and I went with the Grey Goose martini with Blue cheese stuffed olives. The olives were the tiniest i have ever seen and it tasted as though my vodka had been watered down. Now onto the food. My friend and I ordered the filet, my husband ordered the new york strip and my other friend ordered the ribeye. My steak came out so salty and overdone (i wanted medium rare came out med) i couldn’t eat it. My friend who ordered the ribeye got the exact same steak as my husband. When I pointed out that it was not a ribeye (which is more expensive) the server took it back to the kitchen and she came out to tell me that it was indeed a ribeye. IT WAS NOT! My friend and I know our steak. For 200.00 I would not go back to eat here. I would perhaps in the summer get a glass of wine and sit out on the lovely patio. I will say that my 2^nd dinner they brought out was great but by that time all of my party had been done eating.

My wife and I decided to try their fish fry after checking in at the attached Holiday Inn. It was advertised at the hotel check-​in counter as $ 12 for cod, potato pancakes and soup, which seemed reasonable.
When we arrived at the restaurant, we were seated promptly. The server made no mention of specials, no mention of the fish fry, and simply gave us a menu and took our drink order. The fish fry wasn’t in the menu, there were only a small variety of $ 20-​$ 30 entrees. We asked about the fish, and only then were we told about it. It honestly struck me like the restaurant didn’t want people to know about it or order it.
Nobody in the restaurant, including our server, smiled. For the typical menu price and the atmosphere, we found the service extremely poor. All of the employees appeared to NOT want to be there.
When we received our food, we looked incredulously at the 2 tiny pieces of cod. My wife actually asked, «Is this all the fish?», to which the reply was simply «Yes it is.»
Now, the one thing I will say is that the food did have a good flavor. In Milwaukee, however, you can do better for fish — especially in terms of portion size and service.
Whether or not we wanted desert, it wasn’t offered.
Based on the experience there, I would NEVER come back for something off their expensive regular menu. And since it appears they don’t want people to order it, I’m guessing they won’t offer the fish fry for long.

The service was terrible, the food was mediocre, my bill was screwed up (I was charged for the wrong item), the staff didn’t know how to fix it, and there was no manager available. Stay away from this place!

Mother’s Day Brunch was less than acceptable and completely over priced! The food actually had potential to taste good however it was cold (nasty). The waffle/​pancake station had no pancakes. On the THIRD attempt I waited almost 10 minutes for a pancake, even the employee tending to the station said this is ridiculous. When we asked to have the 18% gratuity justified we were told first this is one of the busiest days of the year (so it justifies ripping off your customers?) and second the banquet hall requires a 21% gratuity. What does that have to do with anything? Get it together general manager! Nothing was done to rectify our dissatisfaction. Will not be returning.

Went for brunch after a change of plans to stay closer to home. Should have had a clue when we walked in and there was only one occupied table. We ordered two buffet, two French toast, one eggs Benedict. Right away when ordered escalloped Apple French toast was told they were out of apples. Ten minutes later. the order for banana french toast was told, yep, no bananas. Buffet was bland, bacon was way undercooked. Service was lacking.

A fine establishment with an extensive food and drink menu. Friendly staff which provides excellent customer service. Located right on the Milwaukee River, yielding a beautiful wildlife view for several tables. I enjoyed a delightful variation of the classic Arnold Palmer beverage, accompanying my delicious Sole Provost dish. I will certainly return!

$ 7.75 for a Brandy Old Fashioned Sweet — made with rail brandy (E&J’s) — old fashioned bar mix, a splash of sprite, and a cherry & orange slice…
It was watered down beyond belief. I am not even sure what part of it was all watered down like that. It was horrible, and I am angry with myself for getting it. It took me below $ 14… which is how much the breakfast buffet is the next day.
Yeah… side note– No continental breakfast at what used to be a Hilton… unbelievable… Just a way for The Anchorage to make more money.

Super expensive for an average hotel restaurant.
Average food and average service.
They do not open for breakfast till 6:30 am (expect a line of people waiting to start their day)
REALLY LOUD ANNOYONG MUSIC.

I’ve been to The Anchorage many times for a mediocre breakfast and lunch, but my attempts at dinner here were disappointing.
I’ll preface this by saying that I’m a vegetarian and am not their target audience, but:
a) they’re in a major hotel chain, and
b) I dined with seafood eaters who were equally unimpressed.
The brunch buffet is pretty good. Their best menu item is the sweet potato fries, which are thick cut but cooked through and nicely seasoned. The salads are unimpressive, usually accompanied by few inches of peeled carrot skin and a pile of black olives from the can.
Last visit, I ordered a pasta primavera for dinner. The sauce was decent but the vegetables seemed to be from the scrap pile of other meals. For example, for every floret of broccoli, there were about three stem bases with all of the branches cut off. Perhaps the worst item is the Flat Bread with Mozzarella and Asiago. It supposedly comes with vine ripe tomatoes, but I’m pretty sure it was canned sauce. I’ve also never seen yellow mozzarella cheese before, so I think it was shredded cheddar. I was hoping for something more like bruschetta and would have settled for margherita pizza, but this was barely edible. My dinner companions have ordered fish, scallops, and crab cakes here and were unimpressed with the preparation. At prices approaching the high-​end seafood restaurants, there should be no problem doing this right.
The best aspect is the view of the Milwaukee River, and I’d recommend it for a romantic evening for that reason alone. Choose your season wisely, however. It is pretty during winter with the lights and ice, and pretty during full bloom, but other times it’s just bare trees along muddy banks with the freeway on the horizon.

I went to the Anchorage today for lunch with my wife and another couple. It was a fantastic experience.
We got a table by the window so the view was special. Our waiter was prompt, friendly and helpful.
I had the perch and my wife had the crab cakes. Both were excellent The other couple had tilapia and they loved it. The fingerling potatoes were top notch.
The food is a bit pricey, but we had a coupon, so the overall cost was reasonable for the high quality of food.

Tough crowd here in Milwaukee. Nothing wrong with this joint. Great food and outstanding service. Plus a Unilocal check in Seafood discount! If your staying at the hotel, make sure you are Honors as you get a free breakfast and 2 for 1 drinks. I had the eggs Benedict with salmon bacon. It was perfect! I did not get the bar, but it looked like your typical Hilton breakfast bar.

I am surprised by the reviews I have been reading after I just had one of the most delicious meals and experiences here, last weekend. I don’t think it’s fair to blame a seafood allergy on a restaurant, nor is it fair to give a bad review because it doesn’t serve some of your old favorites.
All I can say is that I had my first experience her last weekend. It was amazing. Our waitress, Kelly, was top notch! She had us laughing and was on top of drinks and plates all night. We were a rowdy group and she joined right in! The food was phenomenal! From the cocktails to the main course, I loved every bite. I got the Princess Salmon, with fingerling potatoes and the tomato artichoke soup… mmmmmmmmmmmmmm! I loved it, and not one person in our party had a bad thing to say. In fact, We all will be back for more!
The prices were what you would expect at a fine seafood establishment, so I can’t say that it was expensive. You most certainly get what you pay for here. Perfect portions, presentation and service. A must try in the Milwaukee/​Bayshore area!

I’m sorry to see some of the reviews below for the Anchorage’s lunch and dinner service as I’d been there in the past and thought it to be fine. I stayed this past weekend as a hotel guest with friends and had the Sunday Breakfast buffet included with my Hilton free stay.
The breakfast was fine. Had a cooked-​to-​order omelet to go with various breakast meats, smoked whole salmon, desserts, tea, etc. After 10am, they started bringing out lunch entrees on the buffet Considering what a number of places in the area would charge for a comparable buffet, $ 16 isn’t too bad. I suppose you have to watch out for some upfront gratuity on any restaturant check — the IRS is starting to nab restaurants on this practice.
The Anchorage might not be around much longer. The Hilton is losing its franchise as a Hilton come April 2014 and may close the hotel and restaurant.

I have a mixed review on this one. My first experience was at the «free food happy hour» the evening I checked in to the Hilton Hotel. The wings were not bad, but they were not great either. What they were is super salty! There was a nice assortment of cheeses (after all, this is Wisconsin) and a cute veggie «shot» which consisted of Ranch dressing in a shooter with carrot and celery sticks and a pick with assorted olives.
The Bloody Mary was nothing short of amazing and I’ll post a picture. It was HUGE, and aside from the usual tomato/​vodka mix it also contained Jumbo shrimp, celery, carrot, olives, pearl onions, whole red pepper, beef stick, pickle spear, and really good cheese strings. $ 10 but almost a meal in a glass and I can recommend you have Jill make you one.
Jill is hardworking, overworked, pleasant, and frazzled. I had colleagues join me later in the evening and she put their drinks on my tab. When they asked for individual tabs, she still charged me for 5 beers and the Bloody Mary. (I had 1 beer). We did eventually get it sorted out but I chalked it up to her being so hurried and harried.
The next experience I had was again in the bar. The following night my colleagues and I stopped in for a late dinner and some drinks. The bar was ²⁄₃ full and it took a long time for Jill to get to our table. 20 min later we still didn’t have our drink orders and she had not returned to take our meal orders. I ended up leaving and ordered room service.
The Red Snapper soup must be hit or miss. Another Unilocaler said they could hardly find fish in theirs… Mine was a lovely thick stew-​like soup which was more fish and vegetables than broth. I would order it again as it had a good tomato basil flavor.
The Angry Chicken Pasta I was less impressed with. It stated it was «Cajun Chicken Strips with sautéed onion, mushrooms, red & green peppers, tossed with linguini in creamy Cajun sauce». What it ended up being was some chicken breast on a pile of angel hair, one mushroom slice, one slice of red pepper, one slice of green pepper, and a red (not creamy) spicy and VERY SALTY broth in the bottom of the bowl.
The key reason I’m only giving 2 stars, is that the food, drinks and service are hit or miss but the prices are OUTRAGEOUS for such mediocre fare.
Eat here if you must for convenience, but I am sure you can so better elsewhere not far from the hotel.

Review based on 15 — 20 visits over a six month period as a guest of the hotel.
Bar — Jill is wonderful! Hope she never leaves. They have a decent free happy hour munchie bar (chicken wings are the best) and a good drink menu. If you can tell Jill how to make it, she will! The food itself is generally not bad. I have tried a half dozen things on the menu and not been disappointed. Their Bloody Mary is an experience that has to be seen to be believed! See below for cons.
Restaurant — breakfast. Overall pretty good. Buffet is decent. Eggs Benedict are really good. I have only had them made to order so not sure if the quality is the same on the buffet. Really good oatmeal as well and excellent coffee. Service is spotty and the servers make a point of stating the bill has a «suggested gratuity» listed. As I usually tip 20 or more percent, pre-​discount, I feel it a bit classless for a server to point out what her tip should be. I have had several colleagues start to skip breakfast at the Anchorage due to this practice.
Restaurant — dinner. Decent. The calamari strips are really good. Caesar Salad has real anchovies on it and they have, well, interesting soup options. The Red Snapper soup is a great choice. The meals I have had have overall been three to four star.
Cons across the board are price. As many others noted, it is pricey. As a hotel guest I get drink coupons which help, but even for the bar food it is higher priced than other local places (i.e. $ 11 for a burger; $ 14 for a chicken quesadilla: $ 12 for a chicken sandwich). Drive down to Bayshore and a similar menu is under $ 5 at Bravo. The restaurant has much higher prices. Again, decent food, but Devon at Bayshore has a comparable menu for slightly less.
The fact is is part of a sub-​par Hilton is the biggest con. Had I not been a frequent guest at the hotel I would not have gone to the restaurant. I have since moved to a better hotel and despite the fact The Anchorage is by my office and on my way to my new hotel I will not go out of my way to go back.

So…
I had a $ 25 certificate from
to this place and decided to try it out because I saw the variation of seafood items on the menu. The reviews on
weren’t bad so since I was in town I thought I’d try it. I should have checked the Unilocal reviews…
1.The prices were ridiculous!
2. The service was subpar.
3. The food was below mediocre.
The waitress brought us out fresh baked rolls with cold butter and the menu. These rolls were the highlight of our meal. Upon looking at the menu I saw the ridiculous prices. However I knew I had the $ 25 dollar certificate and the descriptions sounded great.
We chose:
— Red Snapper $ 4.00 — $ 6.00
our signature soup started with a tomato and clam base and finished with the chef’s blend of spices and ingredients. served with a side of sherry.
There were literally 3 small pieces of fish in the soup. and I mean small. It honestly tasted like tomato soup with a bunch of onions and bell peppers.
— Char Grilled Salmon $ 21.00
atlantic salmon char grilled and topped with lemon dill butter.
The salmon was extremely bland; We got a baked sweet potato and asparagus with shaved carrots on top. Very mediocre and food was just warm… not hot.warm.
— Maryland Crab Cakes $ 24.00
the chef’s own mixture of maryland crab and secret spices served with a remoulade sauce.
— This was my dish and I was beyond dissapointed. When our waitress brought out the plate, I looked down and asked her if it was the Crab Cake appetizer or meal. She said it was the meal. $ 24 got me 2 small Crab Cakes that were overcooked and lacking flavor, extremely bland «herbed rice», Asparagus with Carrot shavings on top and the Remoulade sauce that was way too salty.
The best part of our meal included the fresh baked rolls minus the cold butter, the asparagus, and the baked sweet potato. As far as service goes, I had to share my water because our waitress never asked if we wanted a refill until she was about to bring us our check. She had a very subtle attitude, but I didn’t even trip on that really. It was honestly the food for me. Our total came to $ 52 before the $ 25 discount. Being that we’re from Chicago and have experienced amazing cuisine, I wouldn’t dare spend that much on subpar food. Which only leads me to say that I wouldn’t recommend this to anyone visiting the Milwaukee area.
Avoid.

The evening started off well — the atmosphere was nice and comfy, and the calamari steak fries were really tasty. That’s where the fun stopped.
After placing our dinner order — Fillet, the Grouper special, and a kids spaghetti, we waiting close to 30 minutes before getting our dinner. After 30 minutes, our 2 year old starting getting pretty fussy. Once our food came out, by first smell, we could tell something was fishy.
When I cut open my fillet, it was deep red, and cold in the center, so very rare. The veggies on the side were cold, and the carrots looked like shredded carrots meant for a salad. The fish appeared grey, and old, and over cooked. And the fish tasted horrible.
When the manager stopped by our table, I showed him my steak, and he took it back into the kitchen. However, he forgot to ask us how the rest of the meal was, which was uncool. Once he brought back my steak, instead of being very rare, it was somewhat rare. The offered to bring us new dishes, at which point, an hour or so later, with a fussy daughter, we decided to go hungry and not waste anymore time on this restaurant. The manager was nice enough not to charge us for our dinners, and was very eager to try and win our business back.
I will say, this was the WORST meal I’ve ever had in Milwaukee. I would not recommend this place on any occasion, other than to have a cocktail while staying at the Hilton. This is the first review I’ve ever written on Unilocal,and I sure hope this helps others with their dining decisions.

Ate here during my stay in Milwaukee, primarily because of the restaurants proximity to the Hilton. Overall, felt like another hotel restaurant. It serves it’s purpose — easy food close to the room.
I had the bone-​in ribeye, citrus rice and some asparagus. Ordered the steak medium-​rare, received well done. That’s always disappointing — especially when you are asking $ 32 for dinner — plus a mandatory 18% gratuity. The rice was ok — not citrusy, but whatever. Asparagus was cooked to al dente perfection. Nicely done. Unfortunately, I ended up paying over forty dollars for a poorly cooked ribeye, some watery rice and delicious asparagus.
Meh.

Went to the Anchorage because is was attached to the hotel and I hadn’t eaten all day. Nice view of a river outside the windows. My waiter was young and fumbled a bit with the list of sides that come with the entrée and was desperately trying to describe fingerling potatoes. I had to cut him off and assure him I knew what they were. He was speaking of them like they were new to earth.
I had the macadamia crusted mahi with a pineapple rum glaze, served with asparagus and carrots. The mahi had a nice crust but I couldn’t really pick out any notes of the macadamia. Tasted like cracker crust. The fish was a tad dry but still good. The glaze for the fish was nice and really stole the attention from the fish. It complimented, but also seemed out of place. The vegetables were flavorless. A little sea salt would have woken them up but they tasted like they came from a hospital cafeteria.
Not a bad meal, but nothing wowed me or had me wanting to come back to try more.
Service was good, attentive but unobtrusive and a nice ambience. I only wish the food would have completed the experience.