The Hot House Tavern — Restaurant in Menomonee Falls

I love giving stellar reviews of my local places. I want everything in town to be the absolute best but; unfortunately, that can't always be the case. I really hope this was an isolated incident. It wasn't busy, there were only a few people at the bar and a couple tables being used. I went in for a Fish Fry to go on Friday around 3:30-4pm. I was early so I didn't mind waiting. Bartender asked if he could help & told him my reason for being there. He checks on order, comes back with check, I paid, & says it'll be a few they are working on it, and that was the end. Cool...no worries, I knew I was early. Several mins go by & I wasn't asked if I was good or wanted a drink, though a pool of bartenders were at the end of the bar talking. A few came to my end, made eye contact, smiled, and walked away. So I decided to make a couple phone calls while waiting...no one is trying to help me so might as well handle some business. I tended before, you survey the crowd, the bar, and the level of the drink to keep them flowing. Then finally, even while on the phone, a woman asked me if I needed something. I said I was fine, let her know after 10 mins she's the first to acknowledge me and thanked her for noticing. I could have easily knocked out a few drinks and left someone a nice tip while I waited. It was a Friday, I had a rough day at work, and those drinks could have been used. Well, the food came, I left, went home. The fish itself was good and fried perfectly but no seasoning very blah batter or if there was it may have been overtaken by the prominent grease taste I got...I know it's fried but I shouldn't TASTE grease, was it taken from fryer to my container, no grease drain? Then the cole slaw...so dry after a bite it went in the garbage. I did like they give cinnamon applesauce with the potato pancakes (not a fan of their particular potato pancake but that's a me thing, not a restaurant thing) and the marble rye bread was good too. I'm not one to give up so quickly though, so I will try again their menu looks crazy good and there's other things I need to try! I have high hopes for this place and again want to believe it was an isolated incident. The layout of this place is great, it's large, airy, and the decor is really nice. Great place to host a celebration/event because there's so many...

Updating my review. I have noted and discussed with staff the new (since their new system) surcharge (labeled as tax) for credit card transactions. Occasionally I see a 2% fee added on, and it is noted on the door or staff make you aware of it at some restaurants. Hot House, the fee is 5% and you are not told about it ahead of time. Couple things here, one, the Wisconsin Restaurant Association, Wisconsin Department of Revenue and the credit card companies have a number of rules and regulations regarding this. 3% is the cap per the credit card companies, it cannot be a tax/sale tax (liquor is taxed by the distributor) per the DOR, and it must be advertised ahead of serving, and a "cash discount" is not allowed. Additionally, Debit cards are NOT to be charged a fee ever per stated rules and regulations as they are not subject to credit card fees to the business, they are to be treated same as cash.

All of this Is clearly stated on the respective websites, which I kindly sent to the Hot House email address two months ago, to which no reply nor a change to things. In fact, after being out of town for several weeks, I figured I'd stop in for a beer and pay cash to avoid the tax/surcharge/fee, and guess what?!?!? I got charged it. When I asked why, as I paid cash, the bartender shrugged their shoulders and was clueless while stating they would have to talk to management.

Obviously the customer comes second to these fees, which surpass the fees imposed by the credit cards ( 3% to 4%) and is protected by rules and law...Their beer and alcohol prices are already 10% to 20% more than local competition. Nonetheless, I have reduced my patronage there, other local bars and restaurants that do not impose the fee or are reasonable and transparent with one they have (none actually have one) will be where I go more often than not. Perhaps I will stop back to see if this changes. I have saved a number of receipts paying via cash, credit card and debit cards to ensure no one can call my bluff.

If it wasn't for some of great staff they have and the overall vibe of the place, this would be a one star review. Kudos to many of the great...

The atmosphere of the place is great and really hammers in the idea of it being a sports bar. We didn't have to wait long to get seated, even on a really busy day, and the servers are really welcoming and friendly. The servers are attentive and quick to get to us when we need them, even quick to ask us if we need refills for our drinks. For our appetizers we had the pheasant Poppers, the fried pickles, and the onion Stack. The Pheasant Poppers are well portioned, making it a great example of American finger food. The fried onions are cooked well and pair greatly with the poppers themselves. Though the garlic sauce could've used more lemon in it. The Fried Pickles well fried, making it firm and not siff. The sauce is also good. As for the Onion Stack, the onion is well fried but the taste is mellow and barely there. The tomato salsa is good, though it seemed store bought.

For the main course, I had the Revere Burger and the Mac and Cheese. The Revere Burger had a good presentation. The portion of the burger and the sides is really good for the price. The chips are sad though as it's practically burnt. The chips are also practically tasteless. As for the burger itself, it is perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked. The tomato and onions are fresh and juicy. The lettuce is fresh and not soggy, the cheese is great. The patty itself is moist, juicy, and tender. The only complaint I have is that the bacon is too crispy, with the stiffness of the edge being able to chip your tooth. Overall the burger is spectacular, the only thing that dragged it down was the chips. As for the Macaroni and Cheese with Chicken, the Macaroni is cooked well. The cheese is mild and pairs really well with the chicken with the chicken being tender and moist. The consistency of the macaroni and cheese is perfect, not sloppy and not stiff.

Overall, the place is great, with good food and a great atmosphere if you're into...