Cork ‘n Cleaver

One of my very favorite places to eat. Salad bar is AMAZING! Don’t miss it. Food is awesome for lunch or dinner. Warm fresh bread served that melts in your mouth. Whether it is steak or seafood, you’re in for a treat. My favorite would be the sea scallops. Have never had a bad meal here, and being a local have eaten here for years. If it’s a special occasion, this is where I want to go. Wait staff is super friendly and very attentive.

Steaks and Seafood.
I am still up in the air on the overall rating — I want to say 2.8 if we were able to really dice the stars into meaningful numbers.
I had dinner at the bar, as I tend to do just about everywhere I go. Bartender was very nice and helpful with suggestions. She got my order in and I kicked back and had a look around.
The interior is on the dark side which is what you want in a steakhouse. The clientele seemed to be on the older side and regulars as well. There were two older gents at the bar who were pretty lit up and loud which was a tad irritating.
I ordered a filet, some veggies and a baked potato and it all arrived pretty quickly — which I was a bit surprised to see. I did order it med /​rare and this thing was pushing med /​well. Again, I was a bit surprised since this was a steakhouse — they tend to be right on the money with meat done-​ness. I was hungry so just went with it, finished up and headed out.
Overall a disappointing experience and I will have to give it another shot.
Parking lot available.

This little restaurant has very unique ambiance. However, their food is lackluster. I went there for lunch and ordered the filet mignon. It was dry and tasteless. Additionally, I’m fairly certain that it probably was frozen at some point. For a $ 30 plate, I expected more. Save your money and go to Texas Roadhouse because their filet is better.
I would like to say that the staff was extraordinarily polite and attentive. The salad bar was solid as well but lacks variety; they only have one mix of greens for your salad base, but plenty of extras to dress it up.

We had a 7:00 p.m. reservation a couple weeks ago. We arrived and our table was not ready so we headed to the bar to have a drink while we waited. The bar was area was intimate and the bartender was very friendly. Our table was ready by 7:05 p.m. and we had an amazing server. She was friendly and knew the menu well. We both enjoyed our meals and the wine. I hope to return soon!

I belong to Tri-​State restaurant reviews, a group of over 4,600 members having serious interest in trying and evaluating local to regional eating establishments not part of a franchise chain.
Join our group and get the scoop from locals about places we like or not. You will find the Cork ranks high with most of the local food connoisseurs. They do have the best salad bar in Evansville, regardless of some amateur opinions… clean, high quality items seldom found on the typical bar and normally well presented and seldom in disarray. The quality of the menu items are very good and are some of the best prepared and presented locally. Also, their Mud Pie is huge.6−8 inches tall and adequate for 2 – 4 people. Worth the trip for the dessert alone, but the whole meal seldom disappoints unless you are a fast food expert.

I had heard about this place several times so when I was in Evansville recently I decided to stop in for dinner with my wife.
The service was excellent and atmosphere was nice. My wife had the baked scallops and I opted for the NY strip steak. Her’s was excellent — nicely cooked and tasty. For me, my steak was ok but not as enjoyable as I would have liked. I did have to send it back the first time as it came out on the very rare side. The flavor profile itself was really just meat — I’m not sure they used any seasoning to bring out the Strip’s natural flavors. My guess is that they use more of a standard or select grade of meat instead of a choice or prime cut.
Overall it was a very nice experience but I would say for a place that positions itself as a steak house, they could improve their approach a little and make turn this into a 5 star restaurant easily.

This is the wife and I’s favorite spot in Evansville. Can’t go wrong with the steak but make sure you have the caps n cheese as a starter. Cheryl is an amazing bartender and makes the stop at the bar worth while and entertaining!
**BTW…best salad bar in town!**

Food was good, setting was good, server was great, host needs some help, not a people person, he was curt and unfriendly.

I really want to like this place. I’ve been over the years about 8 – 10 times, this last time was average. Steak just didn’t taste that great. Everything else I had from appetizers, salad bar, and sides were great. I grill a better steak when I buy it at Schnucks and throw it on my gas grill with no seasoning. For what should be the highlight of the meal, it never seems to be very good here.

This was a great find if you prefer eating local vs. chain. The salad bar offered a wide variety of veggies, fruit, and other goodies. The bread was hot and delicious. Blackened cod was the special I chose and was able to substitute asparagus. I was never left wanting anything from the wait staff although I arrived at the start of the lunch hour. Would definitely recommend!

Horrible service. We had to wait at the greeting station for over 10 minutes before anyone even sat us. The salad bar is okay but, everything else is overpriced and ordinary.

There’s no such thing as a bad meal at this restaurant. The people are great and the food is fantastic. Even the small prime rib is big. Great salad bar too.

I have known about this place all my adult life and really for some reason have never ate there.
Over the past 6 months we have been there 3 times and really enjoyed everything about the long time established Evansville IN restaurant.
The ambiance is nice it does not have the industrial chain feel. The 1970’s décor is making a comeback. The bartender Cheryl is the best. Attentive to all details.
The food was great and overall service the best.
We always go early and order off of the early bird menu.
I highly recommend to those who are tired of the chain restaurants and to those that cook at home mainly and want something that is nice and good.
Nibby Priest
Downtown
Henderson KY (across river from Evansville IN)

Another blah experience at the Cork. Service was not attentive, salmon so overcooked that it practically crumbled when touched with my fork. My guest’s steak, which I tasted, was just okay… really, I’ve had better quality steaks from the grocery store.
Love the cool 70s vibe of the décor however… and the location will keep me coming back, oh and its locally owned, too.

Steakhouses are sorely lacking in this town. So, I was excited to learn about Cork n’ Cleaver, until I visited. The menu is limited, the service was uninterested and prices are too high IMHO. The only reason I rated this 2 stars is because of the salad bar… they actually offer something more than tomatoes and cheese! Unfortunately, my company decided to have their annual Christmas party there last year and it was a complete nightmare. Still waiting for a decent steakhouse to pop up.

My experience was just like Jessica D’s. Its sad when a steak place can’t cook a steak right. Disappointing from beginning to end.

Our waiter kept stepping on my husband’s feet and reeked of cigarette smoke. We asked for a table by the fire, but it wasn’t lit. The place was empty on a Saturday night, the food below par (to put it mildly; our medium-​rare fillets were very dry), the place dingy… and the menu was on both sides of a ridiculous cleaver. Not cute.

had dinner there yesterday for the first time. the place was a little dark giving the impression of a high-​end restaurant to take the significant other for a romantic meal. surprisingly, they have an early bird special between 4pm to 530pm. reading the menu on a cleaver was a first for me. i had the prime rib and it was ok, even though you cant get it with creamed spinach so i settled for the broccoli. they do have a really nice salad bar, and the service was great.

We love everything about Cork ‘n Cleaver. When my wife and I want to go somewhere «nice» Cork is often the first place that comes to mind. They easily have the best salad bar in Evansville and probably the best steaks too. The atmosphere is very quiet, private and relaxing. Management is visible and involved and this contributes to the efficiency of the staff. We’ve dined here many times and every experience has been great.

The Cork ‘n Cleaver was always our team’s spot for special dinners (that is, when one of the partners was in town), and for good reason… it’s pricey. Pricey, but well worth the money. The first thing you notice walking in is that it’s dark… not dimly ambient, but a bit too dark. The next thing you notice: the menus are printed on cleavers! In a wise move, they’re blunt, but they certainly leave an impression.
When they present you with the soup and salad choice, go with the salad… their salad bar goes far beyond what you’d find at your cafeteria salad bar. I loved seeing if anchovies would go well with artichokes and pepperoni. While I’m not a big steak guy, the goods here have never disappointed.
The service is always good, and when we roll in deep, the staff usually have fun with us, which is nice for a group of rowdy consultants (well, after a few bottles of wine have been passed around). Definitely someplace you want to stop by at least once during your time in the EVV.