Bacchus - A Bartolotta Restaurant — Restaurant in Milwaukee

For starters… I called before our reservation to ask an extremely simple question regarding service for new years night... in which the woman who answered the phone immediately started talking over me, didn’t even answer my question, and got me off the phone as fast as she could; abruptly hanging up on me. I understand they were probably busy, but this is no way to treat a customer about to spend $300 on dinner. It made me hesitant to even make the drive to Bacchus, but unfortunately we did anyway since traditionally we are fans of this place.

Also, Not sure if we went on “new hire orientation day” or what, but our overall experience was horrible. We have been to this restaurant multiple times and have loved it, but our most recent experience on New Year’s Eve was just awful. $125 a person up charge for a 3 course meal, and our waiter would have lost his own rear end if it wasn’t attached. Came back 3 separate times asking questions about our 2 simple drinks we ordered.. then started dropping things on the floor.. never picked up our used silverware for the next dish.. etc. we had an empty bread basket in the center of our table for the entire meal. That wasn’t overly concerning, however, you expect more from this type of place. Why else would we spend that kind of money for an hour experience? I had to cut my steak with a butter knife. A $300 meal, cutting steak with a butter knife.. just unbelievable… In summary, It felt as if we had the wait staff of a red lobster.

Second, the food. Again, $125 per person for a 3 course meal, and I was extremely disappointed. I ordered oysters which came on a bed of salt, in which had overflown the shell and completely ruined the taste. They were disgusting. Next was my charred wagyu, which genuinely tasted like the most average cut of meat I have ever eaten, and I only received a few ounces of it. The only saving grace was the truffle dessert which was delicious.

Basically, we paid over $300 for a tasty dessert. Absolutely nothing else stood out and our wait staff was completely amateur and from the second we walked in ruined our experience. We will be taking our business elsewhere from now on the next time we’d like a nice meal. I strongly recommend seeking other options before you give this place your money.

Also, just one last little comment, they asked if we were celebrating anything, and it happened to be my birthday. So naturally, we entered that into our reservation.. only to have no sort of mention of it whatsoever during our dinner. Now Believe me, I am not 5 years old and I don’t need a birthday candle, but why even ask the customer if you completely ignore them anyway..? Just seemed extremely unprofessional. “It’s the thought that counts” goes so much further these days than people realize. We both felt like just another link in the chain during this experience being squeezed for every last cent Bacchus could get from us (the valet guy pressures you to tip him totaling $10 to park your car 10 feet anyway even if you want to park...

This review comes with thought, not written in haste, and after a two-day reflection on our experience.

For the select few who can appreciate and afford it, fine dining is an immersive and cherished experience. For others it is unattainable. For me, with friends in town from Europe, and as my wife and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary, it was a moment to appreciate (and yes, save up for). Without drowning this review in a personal narrative of disappointment, here is a bulleted list of why this experience was poor, and why, understandably, the restaurant was about half-full on a Saturday night.

Our servers were inexperienced - one even told us so. Throughout the night they 1) Could not explain certain components of our meal; 2) Twice served courses without our entire party seated, the second time after a reminder; 3) They were unable to accommodate any modifications to the menu; and 4) Despite asking, showed no further interest in the uniqueness of our table and what we were celebrating.

Bacchus has a tasting menu. For a restaurant group as high-quality as Bartolotta one would expect a wider selection of awesome items. Bacchus did not. I read somewhere that this was switched over during COVID and never returned. Unsure, but the tasting menu was not only limited but very unmemorable. In fact, there wasn't a single course that wowed anyone at the table.

Value. Though we had saved up for the night, our experience fell far short of the $300+ bill (even with low-end wine selections). I honestly felt guilty after paying.

Mr. B's is great. Ristorante Bartolotta, great. Etc. Bacchus? Disappointing at best.

FOLLOW-UP As a point of clarification, the restaurant posted a response asking me to email them with my contact information. I contacted them - twice - and never heard from them.

FINAL FOLLOW-UP The restaurant did eventually contact me; we had a wonderful conversation. There was a mix-up over the review follow-up communication. Their response was polite...

If you are looking to go somewhere to celebrate anything or have an event, I HIGHLY recommend Bacchus.

My group and I had the best time. I had a table of 7 that I made a reservation for. This was for a surprise birthday dinner. I wanted it to be a surprise to the very last second coming to the table, and our host for the evening helped play into it. I was very grateful they played along (not sure who was working Saturday Oct. 14th but thank you! I believe Carolyn/Caroline is the one who helped me set up the rsvp and made all the notes and answered questions leading up to my reservation so thank you!) The service was amazing. Everyone we made contact with was professional, friendly, and although an upscale environment, kept things light and fun. Also VERY helpful with dietary restrictions (I’m gluten free and I had 2 in my party who were vegetarian). So shoutout to our server (the check had 2 different people listed, Zoe and Isabella) and to her helping hand (I didn’t get her name unfortunately, maybe it was one of the two listed on the check). The food was incredible and came out very well timed. We all got the 3 course special and we all really enjoyed our dishes. Again, they were very accommodating to allergies and restrictions which is always a huge plus in my book. Even when bringing each dish they would specifically say mine was the gluten free dish which was so very reassuring. Wine and drinks were wonderful. There was a plum cocktail that especially stood out.

In all, an amazing experience. Thank you to the whole staff for making a special night even more special. The person we were celebrating said it was a night he will remember for the rest of his life.

Thank you Bacchus staff for such a...