Interior View of Eric's Porter Haus

Eric's Porter Haus

Restaurant Cafe Seafood restaurant Steak house

Restaurant serving steak, seafood & a Friday fish fry in a 19th-century Greek Revival home. People often mention service, fish, time, steak, great, good, ordered, table, order, chicken,


Address

229 Wisconsin Ave, Waukesha, WI 53186

Website

www.ericsporterhaus.com

Contact

(262) 542-1300

Price rating

$$ $$

Rating on Google Maps

4.00
(511343 reviews)


Working Hours

  • Thursday: 5 to 9 PM
  • Friday: 4:30 to 9 PM
  • Saturday: 5 to 9 PM
  • Sunday: 4 to 8 PM
  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday: 5 to 9 PM
  • Wednesday: 5 to 9 PM

Visitor Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: service (11) fish (10) time (9) steak (9) great (8) good (8) ordered (8) table (7) order (7) chicken (7)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 1/5 Brad T. 1 year ago on Google
    Third or fourth time eating here…My mindset on this place previously was that it is dingy and service is consistently awful, but the food was absolutely fantastic which made the negative things seem tolerable. Well, their food is the last domino to fall on this place. Paid $52 for a bland, overcooked leather strap (12 oz filet); literally NO seasoning. Pretty sure it wasn’t 12 ounces either, but I didn’t realize bringing a scale to confirm meat weight was a necessity. The mushrooms were amazing, I just feel paying $52 for mushrooms is a little aggressive. Good thing my wife bats cleanup and likes leather straps; I was going to feed it to my dogs. Also, don’t ask for soda refills on their 6oz (rough estimate) glasses, as they charge $2.50 per refill. All that being said, at least the guys in the kitchen are having a great time as you can hear just about everything they say when they’re laughing and carrying on. I would add some context on how awful the service was, but that was expected before we walked through the door. This place tries so hard to be fine dining, but my advice to anyone thinking about giving this restaurant a try, save your money and go somewhere else. ✌🏻
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Scott H. 5 years ago on Google
    My wife and I have been going to Eric's for years. The service has airways been very good and the food is consistently excellent. The portions are large, so come hungry! There are nightly specials, a happy hour from 4 to 6 throughout the week, and an all you can eat fish fry on Friday. Great for either a special occasion or just a dinner out.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Alex Witte (The Witty R. 2 years ago on Google
    What a great experience! Tremendous food. Great atmosphere in a building with plenty of character and charm! Highly recommend. Fair priced... If you're thinking steak choose this over the chains.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Janet Z. 3 years ago on Google
    Absolutely amazing experience! Celebrating with family. 20 people ages 4 to 88, our waitress Elyssa handled it like we were a party of 2! Ribeye melt in your mouth! Not one person waited for anything! Very special night for me and my family! Exceptional all the way around!!! Thank you!!!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Ellery K. 2 years ago on Google
    Food was outstanding!!! Everything was awesome 👌 Thank you so much Old Fashion was great also
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Ryne C. 5 years ago on Google
    I've been to Eric's a few times now, and I can say that the food never disappoints. The porterhouse is juicy, tender, and extremely flavorful. The garlic mashed potatoes, veggies, and mushrooms compliment the steak very well. The background music sets the scene, and makes you feel like you're in a supperclub during the 1950's. My wife said it was the best steak she has ever had. The only suggestion I would have is in regards to the decor. Everything goes very well except the tables. The room we were in had 3 different types of tables that didnt really match. They may have had to pull an additional table from another room to accommodate our large group though. However the tables do not take away from the amazing food, and friendly service.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 Jacob K. 2 years ago on Google
    First and foremost, our table had an exceptional waitress. She was friendly, funny, and made the night more enjoyable. As for the food, I personally enjoyed my meal quite a bit. However, some of the other people I was with got a rather more expensive meal that night. And according to them the quality was fine but they expected a bit higher given the price point of their meals. Overall would recommend eating here, I personally had a great time.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Andy S. 4 years ago on Google
    Great food and service! A nice little sport with an amazing menu. The wait staff was friendly, and it wasn't too crowded. The food was hot and fresh and we weren't rushed at all. Not a spot to go every day but if you are feeling fancy it is perfect.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Eric L. 1 year ago on Google
    I was really looking forward towards experiencing this place for the first time. I've heard the steaks are awesome. We ordered our food and the Baked French Onion soup was brought out. (It was AMAZING). Then, as our wine glasses were empty, I looked at the time. A full hour had passed since we last saw ANY staff member. Empty soup bowls, wine, and water glasses cluttered the table. We had been seated 2 hours prior. We couldn't even find the wait staff to ask about our steaks. I had already paid for the wine, since i had to get up from the table and go to the bar while waiting for a waiter to take our order. We just left. It is ashame, we LOVED the French soup, (see 5 star rating here), I'm sure that the steaks were probably excellent as well.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Justin I. 2 years ago on Google
    Great steak, convenient location for us (1st time we dined in), and nice family style vibes. However the delivery option has also been really convenient when you want a bit more high end but the ease of delivery. Will continue to enjoy this establishment and recommend it.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Diana W. 2 years ago on Google
    Ordered a fish fry. Received 4 cold cod fish And German patato salad. And a Side of clam chowder. There was No tartar sauce no rye bread no lemon no crackers. And paid $37. Said they will send a gift cert for $23. Not sure they will or if I want to use it after this. Ordered from Door dash. Less then .5 mile delivery. Just tasted the soup and salad. Definitely will not be returning. What happened to this place? Use to be good. Not any more. Suggestions, if your going to sell German potato salad at least Google for a recipe.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Anne N. 1 year ago on Google
    Waited entirely too long for an over cooked baked cod. All u can eat?? It was hard to chew. Very dry. I couldn't eat anymore. Our dining guests were also very unhappy with the food. One of our party didn't eat he food. Some ordered more fish and we waited a half hour for that, on top of the hour we already waited for our first serving. Things came out in an odd order. Sides were served right away and just set on the table, and 45 min later when the fish came, all I had was about an ounce and a half of the dry room temp cod on my plate. It was horrible. It was literally our worst dining experience ever. We got up and poured our own water from the pitcher left at another table. The room was loud, hard to hear our own conversation. Our server was very polite and gracious. He could sense our displeasure, but failed to ask if they could fix anything...it just seemed he wasn't trained well. I don't like leaving bad reviews, and like to give the restaurant an opportunity to redeem themselves. But this scenario and food quality is better left to what it was, for me.

  • 1/5 Stacey S. 2 years ago on Google
    Made reservation for 745 got seated at about 805. Another 15 mins go as we’re seated no server or drinks so my partner went to the bar to get them. About 830 hit finally got our order taken. Bar was great makes a good old fashioned and grass hopper. Food was eh wouldn’t go back considering the service we got.

  • 5/5 Shane H. 2 years ago on Google
    Very pleased with our first visit. Stopped by Saturday around 7:30, dinner crowd seem to be over. We were seated right away, had some fantastic service and drinks almost immediately. Food came out incredibly fast and everything was delicious. We will definitely be back again! Only downfall is the parking. Lot is very small but plenty of street parking available.

  • 4/5 AG L. 2 years ago on Google
    I knew it was going to put a dent in my wallet but it was for a special event. It was so special I even took a shower. I was not aware of the history of this establishment and the food was prepared perfectly. U really don't mind waiting for the meal is spot on. A very special day and a serious memory.

  • 2/5 Deb K. 2 years ago on Google
    Take our order was bad. Dry baked fish. No butter. No extra tartar. Greasy fries. Yucky German potato salad with peppers in it!!!?? Changed recipe for tartar and its worse. No rye bread. Changed recipe on coleslaw and its worse. Used to be our favorite fish fry... very disappointing.

  • 4/5 JesseOutLaw J. 1 year ago on Google
    The food was excellent. The service was decent, and there seemed to be a lot of new waitresses and Waiters that were not very familiar with food options or menu options. They seem to be a little overburdened when it came to any bar drink. That's the only reason I gave it four out of five stars.

  • 1/5 Patrina s. 2 years ago on Google
    Giving one star because of the good service and the bread served with dinner. The dishes were dirty , we didn't get the fish we ordered and the fish we did order was super dry and gross . My french fries were cold , my husband had potato pancakes that he said were okay but not great . I wish we had a better experience but will definitely not be returning . Worst fish fry ever !!

  • 3/5 Barn B. 1 year ago on Google
    Went to dinner here after Carroll graduation No complaints about the staff Food came out quick. That’s where the happiness ended. I ordered the chicken Marsala. The chicken breast tasted good but when I mixed in the Marsala (which quickly coagulated when it got cold) and the pasta, it all tasted like shrimp, like a shrimp scampi. I asked the rest of the table and EVERYONE’S pasta tasted like shrimp scampi. It also had hard crusty dark colored noodles mixed in, like it wasn’t properly stored and the edges dried up in the fridge. Just GROSS! I totally lost my appetite. Chicken Marsala and shrimp don’t mix. Nobody ate their pasta sides. Thankfully my husband ordered a huge porterhouse so I did get to eat a little of that. It was ok but very charred. We were a party of 8 and ordered appetizers expecting enough to go around We received exactly two crab cakes and 3 Scallops. nobody liked those either and we didn’t finish them. The bread was warm but dry like day old bread. We spent a lot of $$ expecting a fine dining experience but unfortunately didn’t get that (except on the bill). I should have realized this may not be a good idea when they were able to take our big group reservation a week before Carroll graduation and Mother’s Day weekend. We actually tried some other places first but nobody had openings. Three stars because outside of the above, the French onion soup, salads, burgers, chicken sandwich, fillet and sirloin were good, or at least I was told.

  • 3/5 John S. 2 years ago on Google
    I am going to reserve some of my judgment and give this place the benefit of the doubt because I visited on a work trip, had a spending limit that was less than their steaks, and ordered pasta. Prices here are on the high side. First thing!! If you go, you need to enter the parking lot from the back. The drive from the front going past the house is apparently a one lane one direction exit only which did not appear to be marked. I had to back out and go around when I met another vehicle trying to leave. The place is basically an old colonial style house with big white pillars in the front converted to a restaurant. The outside could use some touch ups and a little TLC but the inside appeared to be renovated and kept up well enough. There was a fire place going in the room I was seated which was very cozy and nice since the weather has been cold, windy, and rainy for the two weeks I’ve been here. I want to say that this place appeared to be very popular, filling up very fast! Had the place been empty and not seemed so popular amongst the locals, I probably would have gone with 1-2 stars. Since that was not the case, I will assume some of the blame for ordering pasta at a steakhouse. Since I was limited on what I could order, I decided to go with the chicken Marsala. Unfortunately, I was not a fan. The spaghetti (not linguine?) noodles were way beyond over cooked and mushy. The chicken flavor was ok and the sauce had mushrooms but not what I expected for a Marsala I guess. The texture of the chicken was a bit off too, kind of mushy also. I can’t quite put my finger on it… maybe cooked too long in the sauce, kind of a boiled chicken texture? Being as busy as it was the waitress was very busy but not frantic, understandably food and service was a little on the slow side, but not bad. I think I will visit here again next time I’m out this way and actually order the porterhouse. I am definitely intrigued by the popularity of this place. I don’t think it’s a bad place, I think I may have just ordered the wrong thing. I think It’s definitely worth giving them another chance.

  • 3/5 Brandon L. 2 years ago on Google
    I'd give it a 3.5 if I could, but it trends closer to 3 stars. My wife and I both left saying it was "OK". Our service was average, some drinks took a very long time and the place was not busy at all. The bacon wrapped water chestnut app was dry, they may have missed the honey. The water tasted horrible and when I asked for bottled water they didn't have any. What saved this review is that our main dishes were prepared perfectly and the food tasted great. They did mess up when plating and switched sides but it was an easy fix. It's a solid upper-mid tier steak house, but it won't be at the top of my list for returning.

  • 5/5 stephanie h. 1 year ago on Google
    First time dining. Food was good, steak was perfectly cooked. Husband and I wanted to try a new steak house that doesn’t completely break the bank. Pleasantly surprised. We will definitely go back.

  • 5/5 Jennifer L. 1 year ago on Google
    I saw all the bad reviews and almost canceled. So glad we didn't! Sierra was extremely attentive and the food was great! We are steak snobs and our steaks were done perfectly. No fat or gristle on my strip steak. They include 2 sides, unheard of at most supper clubs. Very glad we came!


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