The Horse & Plow — Restaurant in Kohler

First of all, the food is fantastic. My brother and I had the Chicken Sandwich and the Shrimp Po-boy. The chicken was juicy, the shrimp crispy, and the sauces chosen to pair were a perfect complement. You go down south for the same and it has that homey hole-in-the-wall kind of easy comfort, but what sets it apart is the choice of bun. I don't know if H&P makes their own from scratch, premade, or prepackaged, and I don't know what it is about Wisconsin, but we know how to pair all this goodness with the perfect carb.

As to service, the workers I've dealt with are professional, friendly, and often knowledgeable about the other parts of Kohler waiting to be explored. I also like that I'm not constantly badgered. I was here to catch up with my brother and our conversation was rarely interrupted, but I also did not feel neglected. It's plain to see the pride Kohler puts into hiring and training charismatic hardworkers. The staff is definitely worth above and beyond the 20% tip.

Lastly, atmosphere and ambiance. I like the cozy pub look, but it definitely is far from a normal pub ambiance. It's warm and buzzing. I don't think I've ever been here on a slow night. I like the food, I like the service, and I like bringing friends and family here for a casual night of reliably good food and drinks, except--and this is NOT H&P's fault--the one thing that is occasionally uncomfortable are the other customers. Every once in a while you'll get a weird vibe paired with a lingering gaze if you don't obviously match the normal Kohler standards, which is a strange double standard considering the number of non-Kohler people are employed in the kitchens, spa, and hospitality. I can't comment on the exact reason for the weird vibes I get off the other customers. I've met plenty of kind, down-to-earth people in Kohler, and I like to do my own thing because my business is mine and their business is theirs but it's been palpable enough on a number of occasions to comment on. There's really not much you can do about it except shrug it off.

All in all, H&P is a great community staple. Don't let the occasional weird vibes deter you from treating yourself to good food...

Earlier today (2p.m.) my wife, daughter and I called to reserve a table at this establishment. The wait was 30 minutes - not bad. When we arrived we went to the "check-in" booth and got checked in. The waitress mentioned that there were 2 tables available and that she had to clear one off for us. We waited by the "check-in" booth while she did that. Her coworker (older man with a beard) was behing the booth. We waited there by the booth - along with the bearded man. When she cleared off the table and walked away with the plates, a couple walked in and sat at the freshly cleared off table. When the waitress returned from dropping off the plates, she saw them and asked them to "check-in" so that they can be seated. She then walked away from my sight momentarily. The couple then approached the "check-in" booth where we were standing with the bearded employee. He quickly walked them over to the freshly cleaned off table - that we were waiting for. There's no doubt in my mind that he was fully aware that we were waiting on the waitress to be seated. The place wasn't too busy and we were the only ones standing there by him. Perhaps he's just too stupid to not realize why we were standing there or perhaps it had something to do with the fact that we were the only persons of color in the restaurant at that time. Not wanting to cause a scene, we took our business elsewhere. I also, don't think that it's a good idea to complain to a restaurant before you actually receive your food, but I wasn't going to give them the business. I sure hope that management has a conversation with this gentleman about this...

A party of four went to the Horse and plow for a late lunch. Wanted to try something different and it was for a birthday. We got drinks at the bar and the bartender was nice and drinks were good. We went to hostess desk to be seated and waited for the hostess. She came to the desk and one of us said party of four. She just stood there staring at me. After about 10 very odd seconds I said hello and she said something quietly. I am hard of hearing and she had a face mask on. She just looked at me again and after a few seconds I said hello again and she said something again, I asked my wife what she said and it was how many. I said four please. There were two tables of two in the dining area an four at a bar table. She said it was going to be a half hour wait until we could be seated. We said fine and sat at a bench at the bar. While we were sitting at the table in the bar she was putting chairs at all the tables except the one we were all crammed at on one bench. She never said another word, we all felt like we weren't good enough to eat there so we left. Pretty disappointing experience. I know it is hard times, but you would think the staff at a "higher end" establishment would treat any guest like they were wanted. It wasn't the wait that bothered us, it was the hostess making us feel unworthy. The only reason I gave a 2 star rating is the bar...