I feel bad about leaving a negative review because I love the Penobscot Building, but what a dumpy place! It’s «old-time charm» is anything but; everything is dusty and dirty and sad looking. The kitchen looked pretty nasty from peeking at it through the bar, so I ended up not ordering any food as a result. The liquor selection was limited. I ordered a gin martini, which ended up being a full glass of gin with an olive in it(I watched the bartender make it and I am not exaggerating). I had to pour water into it to make it drinkable, but at least I got my money’s worth? Anyway, super depressing atmosphere, dingy décor, nasty kitchen, and unenthusiastic waitstaff ensure that I won’t be back. Bummer. On the upside, though, if you’re in the mood for some skeezy atmosphere with all the old-time charm and hospitality, D’mongo’s is right up the street.
Kim D.
Évaluation du lieu : 1 Canton, MI
They say new American well maybe if it was a 1950’s dinner party. Food was over salted, and boring. The atmosphere was fine, piano player was pretty good but the service was so slow!!! Party of 6 and it took almost 3 hours for dinner and not by choice! I would not return, many better options close by for a similar price.
Jordan S.
Évaluation du lieu : 1 Chicago, IL
One word: terrible… went here for restaurant week after hearing(false) great things about. Maybe my hopes were too high considering restaurant week is usually filled with delicious foods for a great price, buuut considering I would have rather eaten McDonald’s, I think this place was just bad in general.(To be fair, the waiter was very friendly) To start, I skipped on ordering an app as none seemed, well, appetizing. I then ordered the James Beard steak burger which was a MAY-JAH mistake. What came out was a bun-less hamburger with enough pepper to season any and every dish you make for the rest! of!your!life! Good lawd! On the side is what appeared to be a twice-baked potato that looked pretty good… until I tasted it. It turned out to be a cold, sour cream, butter and cheese filled disaster – didn’t take one more bite. For the last course I chose a desert with what was described as a peanut butter and chocolate hardening sauce atop ice cream. I guess I got that… although I actually believe it was Hershey’s turtle shell on top of some Blue Bell. It was good since I like both of those things, but to be honest I would rather not pay $ 30 for that(probably more expense not during restaurant week) when I could eat it on my couch at home. Overall, if you don’t want to feel sick for the remainder of your night after eating here(I was… i assume because of the pepper o-v-e-r-l-o-a-d) I would highly recommend passing on this ‘old school, clubby’(aka: outdated… and not in a cool speakeasy kinda way) joint. on to the next one…
Gail B.
Évaluation du lieu : 2 Seattle, WA
Ohh restaurant week and fellow reviewers how you steered me wrong. The waiters were fine. It was the atmosphere and the food. The Caucus Club is decidedly not deco, not delicious, and not worth it. If by «clubby» people mean dark, dingy, and begging for a modification than yes — it is clubby. The food was below average. The James Beard hamburger(without the bun) was covered, not lightly encrusted, with peppercorns that would make a grown man cry. The«special» potato was cold on the inside. Their dessert was forgettable. They also served matzot in the bread basket and this place is screaming treif so I’m not sure I get it. Downtown Detroit has a number of fine-dining restaurants, unfortunately this was not one of them.
Lynn H.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Northville, MI
Hubby and I visited the Caucus Club last night, the first night of Detroit Restaurant Week, 2011. I’ve been wanting to eat here for years, and Restaurant Week’s $ 28.00/person deal for a 3 course meal was the perfect excuse to go.
Caucus Club’s interior is, as the name implies, clubby. Dark wood paneling and tiffany-style light fixtures abound, and the piano player tickling the ivories in the corner completes the picture. Our waitress, Becky, gave us excellent service, and the food was impeccable. We each ordered from the $ 28.00 prix fixe menu, both of us choosing clam chowder as our starter. It was delicious, with big chunks of potato, plenty of clams, and a slightly peppery kick.
Hubby had one of the Club’s specialties — the James Beard hamburger steak. He liked it, although it’s peppercorn encrusted exterior was a bit too spicy for his taste, so he ended up scraping some of it away. It was served with«Caucus sauce», a secret-recipe tomato relish that complemented it perfectly. I chose the breaded, sauteed pickerel with clarified butter and capers, served with a broccoli and rice pilaf. The preparation was perfect — the exterior had a delicate crunch, the capers provided a slightly tangy counterpoint to the sweetness of the fish, and the clarified butter added a decadent richness. For dessert, we chose strawberry shortcake, which was to-die-for, and the Caucus Club’s specialty, the gold brick sundae, which ended up being a scoop of vanilla ice cream with a chocolate shell — good, but nothing special. Weirdly enough, although the experience didn’t feel rushed at the time, the whole dinner only took a little over an hour from start to finish. When I realized that, it took a little luster off of the whole shebang, although I’m not sure it should have.
Nancy S.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Rochester, MI
We were going to the Gem Theater and decided to try The Caucus Club. I have lived in Detroit my entire life(56) and had never been there. What a jewel! I had the whitefish and my husband had the pickerel. We both had the New England Clam chowder. It was one of the best meals we have ever had and we have been to The Lark, Opus One, Rugby Grille, Coach Insignia and many more expensive restaurants. There were not very many people there for a Friday night because everyone goes to the suburbs. We parked for free on the street and used the Entertainment Coupon for $ 17 off our meal. I would HIGHLY recommend this restaurant when you are downtown for an event or just to go downtown.
Marie L.
Évaluation du lieu : 5 Manhattan, NY
This place has a very old school, clubby vibe. I love the atmosphere. The service is always phenomenal with knowledgeable waitstaff. The owner is friendly and outgoing and always stops to talk to guests. The only downside to the Caucus is their hours. They close so early, which is almost understandable considering the central business district, with the exception of a few obnoxious nightclubs, pretty much rolls up its sidewalks at 6pm. During Detroit Restaurant Week they were open late and had live music until 11pm! This was fantastic to see, and I wish business could be that great every night for this historic Detroit establishment! The menu is very meat heavy(totally old school), but they, gladly, will make wonderful accomodations for vegetarians; they won’t just offer you a salad!
Kristin W.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Howell, MI
This is an old restaurant deep in history and good food. We went before a show at the Fox Theatre. The service was excellent and the waiter was very knowledgeable about the history and was proud of the restaurant. Now for the food… we had the perch and this is a must have meal! The perch is plentiful and wonderful. It is cooked in clarified butter. delish! We also had the calamari with diablo sauce and this was great! They also had great bread. This is a good place to go… try to sit in the back room where the bar is and enjoy!
Lori H.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Newport, MI
I ate here with my boss several times when I worked in downtown Detroit and LOVED it. The place was very relaxing and upscale, and the food was very tasty. Service was quick and friendly, but not rushed. Great place for business lunches.
Lizzy B.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Birmingham, MI
Old school, you guys. The Caucas Club is on the first floor of the Penobscot Building. The place is dark and if you were going to set a movie in a «faded old club», this is it. The lunch time clientele were all wearing suits; mostly men. Little bit old boys club. Are there even any other places like this in Detroit? I went there for lunch, with an older family friend — a «trial is war!» attorney who has loved this place all his life. The waiter was an older gentleman, and the service was slow, but strangely, it just seemed like that was the way it should be. I tried to order a salad, but Boss said no way, and ordered clam chowder and the Caucas burger for me. I think eating like this would kill me pretty quickly, but what a way to go. The clam chowder was extremely rich and creamy. I only had a few bites; it was amazing, but just too rich. The Caucas burger was *awesome*. It’s an open face burger — actually, let’s call it a ground steak burger — with their special sauce. I think it’s one of Detroit’s «zip sauces», which must be made with crack. I think that was the best burger I’ve ever had. We fought over it. I won, and took the leftovers too. I ate them without shame(okay, maybe a little) in my car on the way home.