W. John R.
Yelp
I first came here for the Auto Show Charity Preview in 2019 and had a great (crowded, fun, loud) experience. I have wanted to come back since then for a "normal dining experience" and now that COVID has eased up a bit and we're vaccinated, it was time to check it out for an anniversary dinner.
My first advice - please dress up. People who wandered in off the street in shorts or jeans really looked out-of-place. The sign on the door says business casual or better, and it helps the ambiance if everyone respects that, even if they don't technically kick you out or refuse service.
We showed up half an hour early (6pm) because we wanted to sit at the bar and try a cocktail. The bartender was an absolute delight - I can't remember the name of the bourbon drink I tried, but it was excellently prepared and presented, and strong enough that I didn't need wine with dinner. I hardly set down my empty water glass (parched from a Riverfront walk in the 84 degree weather) before the bartender refilled it. First-class service.
We moved to the dining room close to our reservation time and were promptly seated. I was surprised it wasn't packed at 6:30pm on a Saturday night! (Although it was almost packed by the time we left at 7:30pm)
We were famished, having skipped lunch because we had a list of things we wanted to try. We split the lobster bisque and an order of calamari. Both were amazing. The bisque had pieces of lobster, was decadent and creamy, and salty without being overpowering. I would order it again in a second. The calamari was a generous portion for the price, soft and flash-fried, with a delicious caper-based sauce.
My entree was lake perch. I know this is primarily a dry-aged steak restaurant, but I'm trying to limit my red meat intake and lake perch is my favorite seafood of all time, so I had to go with it. The presentation was phenomenal (my photo doesn't even do it justice), and the flavors were fantastic. If I were to list qualms, neither of which is worthy of deducting a star, it's that the caper-lemon-butter sauce was almost identical to what was on the calamari, so I got a repeat of some of the same flavors, and the haricots verts (fancy speak for green beans) needed seasoning/salt.
My partner ordered crème brûlée and it was fantastic.
The server, John, was friendly, charismatic, full of information about the menu, and checked on us with just the right frequency. One mark of a well-oiled machine is that all courses show up just when you start to wonder about them, and this was true with Caucus Club.
The live music was great! Piano player and a singer who could scat sing. Nice gentle background for our delicious dinner.
It's a pricey dinner. But if you didn't know that, why are you on their page? We spent about $120 for dinner (with 2 appetizers & dessert), and $180 total including drinks and tips. I think the experience-to-cost ratio was about right, so no complaints there.
The next time I am fortunate enough to find myself downtown with the right attire, I plan to revisit Caucus Club and try one of their steaks.