Union Hotel De Pere, WI

Lunch Restaurant Review of Union Hotel De Pere, WI

By Patricia Summerfield
December 17, 2009
I was feeling in a festive mood after receiving over a foot of snow from the blizzard of 2009, plus Christmas being only 9 days away. I decided to meet my girlfriends for lunch at the Union Hotel. I was told that by tradition every year they have this beautiful Christmas tree all lit up for the holidays. My source was correct; the Union Hotel is a historical hotel and restaurant located in historic downtown East De Pere. It is a quaint building and the décor is in keeping with its age, it is done in a Victorian antique style with many of the original pieces still in place. As you walk into the main sitting room of the restaurant there is a tall Christmas tree set back in a corner all brightly lit up with numerous tiny white twinkling lights with ornaments and is surrounded by many red poinsettia plants behind a short white picket fence. The atmosphere was definitely preserving traditional old world Christmas.

Because of the time of year the restaurant was busy with pre registered patrons and all the tables were spoken for. The hostess was very nice and helpful to make the suggestion if we did not mind we could split our party up into two groups and sit in the booths back to back. Well, why not, it was not ideal but it was the best thing, that or dine somewhere else which would not work with everyone’s schedule. The booths had nice table settings with linen tablecloths and fresh dinner rolls already set out with butter patties. So far, so good. Unfortunately, our server was not friendly. She did not smile once during the whole meal or make much eye contact, and when she was asked a few questions about the menu her answers were given in a short abrupt manner. She either hates her job or does not like it when it gets busy. I noticed another customer had actually got up to get the coffee pot to pour more coffee for herself and her friends, she commented that 15 minutes is a little too long to wait for a refill, I agree. For my lunch I ordered a cup of their homemade chicken dumpling soup for $4.00 and their pulled pork sandwich with french fries for $8.50. The soup was delicious and was made with real chicken stock not the kind you pour out of a can or carton. My sandwich tasted good, the pork was tender in a sweet sauce and was filled in a small soft dinner roll, the french fries were the shoestring variety which were pale in color with a soft texture. If it was not for my fun light hearted friends the lunch would have been a disappointment because of the poor quality of service.

Fine Dining Restaurant Review of Union Hotel De Pere, WI

By Patricia Summerfield
February 20, 2009
Union Hotel and Restaurant is in a historical building that dates back to 1883. It has kept its ambiance and charm throughout all these decades. My husband and I went to dine there for Valentine's Day. It was a double whammy for the restaurant, because it also happened to fall on a Saturday. The restaurant does not accept reservations so it is first one there first one served. As we walked into the building there were mini red hearts made of foil scattered on the sidewalk in front of the entrance that continued on to the carpeting in the lobby. We entered the bar/lounge area to register with the bartender, and in keeping with the motif of the night the bartenders were adorned in heart themed ties and hanging in front of a mirror on the bar was a dried flower arrangement made of red roses shaped into a heart. It was early but the bar and lounge both were already full. The bartender acknowledged us promptly and explained that he would register us right away, and then took our order. He was extremely professional and very warm and welcoming. I noticed while we waited, that the bartenders were diligently working hard but kept calm and were right on top of everyone's order. The server then came and gave us a menu to look over and after a short while she came back and took our order. Since it was Valentine's Day they offered certain specials that are not on their usual menu. I chose the Sea Bass for $26.75 which included salad and potatoes.

Our server then came to tell us that our table was ready; she explained where it was - in the side room, off the bar, second table to the right. The table was set with a white linen table cloth, a clear votive candle, and a pretty glass tray which was arranged with three different spreads, sandwich, cheese, and liver paste with celery, carrots sticks, and pickled peppers on the side. There was also a basket containing an assortment of fresh dinner rolls and crackers. Our salads were then brought out; they were made with mixed greens and were cold, fresh, and crisp.Next our fish was brought out with our twice baked potatoes. My Sea Bass was spot on perfect, it was seasoned well, delicate and extremely moist, and I was surprised by the large portion. The Sea Bass was presented with triangle slices of cantaloupe, red grapefruit, and lemon with a piece of Savoy for garnish. My twice baked potato was made from scratch with melted cheddar cheese on top; it was creamy, flavorful, and delicious. The server was polite and even though she was very busy she did not make us feel rushed. Everything was spotless and I appreciated all the decorative details that went into making the evening special.

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