The Cellar

I'm SO confused. All the reviews gush about how fresh and amazing the food is. The "salad" is VERY dripping wet mess of bagged iceberg lettuce on a plastic plate with a plastic condiment tub of dressing that you serve yourself from a plastic bowl dish with tongs. Ritz crackers in a basket? Charbroiled shrimp that tastes like 1/2 water 1/2 sweet baby Ray's got slathered on it and then microwaved? A steak that has no seasoning whatsoever, and even though it was ordered medium rare, it arrived very medium well. The table next to us sent their steak back because it wasn't done enough, and asked for well done. One would expect that for the price, somebody knew how to grill a steak, but you'd be wrong. The bathroom looks worse than a dirty gas station bathroom on the side of an old highway where they give you the key attached to an old hubcap. The "faux" brick wallpaper?? The dark as hell atmosphere, so you can't see the cracking paint? I kept looking around wondering if maybe these people (who literally packed the vestibule and bar waiting for tables) had all suffered some tragic head injury that made them lose their taste buds. Why were they paying crazy prices for terrible food?!? Had they EVER left Geneseo, so they had never been to an actual restaurant that served actual SALAD and actual bread sticks that weren't 80's style Ritz crackers? Had these people ever even heard of a tomato for Pete's sake? Or lettuce that's actually green and has nutrients? This place makes me want to dedicate the rest of my life to inventing a time machine so I can go back in time and make whatever choices in life will ensure I don't ever go to The Cellar. They smashed our group of 5 at a table for 4, even though a nice big round table for 6 sat empty right next to us the entire time we were there. I spent my meal halfway in the aisle between 2 tables, desperately wishing I was anywhere else. Shout out to the water boy, though. He was killing it and doing a bang up job cleaning tables too. Seriously. 10/10 for that kid.

Absolutely Killer-Great charcoal orange roughy!! It was like a plate-full of flaked lobster, incredible! With drawn butter & lemon, perfectly prepared, served Hot, Really incredible! You know their steaks are fabulous--have one of you order orange roughy & share the excellent "surf & turf!" Baked potato was perfect, chicken livers are always the perfect treat, we would go for those alone. Thank you thank you Cellar, for staying true & excellent!

A lovely place with a vibrant atmosphere and friendly staff. The food arrived quickly and was seasoned perfectly. The cocktails were refreshing and beautifully presented. Prices were fair for the quality. A great spot for both casual and special meals.

We enjoyed the bar and the lovely Bartender pre meal, she was wonderful and funny! Our waitress was fantastic and the meal……. OUTSTANDING! Steak special was so tender and delicious. Another person at our table had shrimp and ribs and also stated it was excellent. Their salads were great and the home made dressings were off the chart. Then they brought out these delightful Carmel cinnamon rolls…………needless to say, I will happily drive an hour to visit this restaurant! What a treat. We went on a Wednesday evening with a party of 6 and was able to have a wonderful un rushed visit there. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Very good food. Great service. They do need to turn the lights up a bit so reading the menue would be easier. I had to use the flashlight on my phone to read the menue.

10/10 the best steak around. Beautiful atmosphere, excellent staff, and perfect food. Do make reservations especially on a weekend.

Absolutely the best steak anywhere. Great service and fantastic food. Love their cold crisp salads and cheese and crackers. Any food you order off the menu is fantastic. This place is always busy. Yet, always has great service

If you want the best Steak in Illinois and most likely Iowa, look no further. Their fillet is so freaking tender it cuts like butter. The flavor is beyond words. Hands down one of the best steaks I've ever had. I've eaten at some Prime Steak Houses that don't compare to The Celler. Don't expect a super fancy place inside. It's a bit outdated, but don't let that stop you. The prices is reasonable for the quality you get. You can dress up if you like or go in your jeans. You won't look out of place. The service is also top notch here. Fast Friendly and very attentive. If you aren't in the mood for a steak, their chicken breast is great. My wife also loves their salmon. You will not leave hungry!

Food is always good here and service has always been great! Nice ambiance and a go to when friends or relatives come to town.

Service was slow. Ordered shrimp cocktail appetizer which was good. Shrimp were large. Sauce Was great Salad was nicely chilled and crispy but took a long time to get it to table. Service was slow. Main course was not very hot leading me to believe it was ready before waitress. MY daughter ordered the Filet mignon med rare. If was chewy and not as good as times past. Her chargrilled screwed shrimp were very good. My deep fried catfish was very good. However, the French fried shrimp, although good, had the coating coming off. Saving grace was the very good cocktail sauce. Wikdcrice said was good and plentiful. Although we had 5 pm reservations and were seated promptly at a desirable window table, it was nearly 7 pm b4 we finished our dinner. Food and service were not reminiscent of years past. Disappointing. Dinners were pricey and over rated. Not sure we will return. A plus was good parking. .

Welcome to the Cellar! Not sure how to feel about the Cellar honestly, decor is decent a little dated, reservation is needed, staff seemed very nice and attentive and the cellar was very clean place. After making a reservation and arriving the staff was quite nice and found us a decent table. The table was clean, cloth napkins and arranged quite well. Server Our server was pleasant and brought out a cheese dip in a dish which looked like a ice cream scoop worth and packaged crackers and bowl of croutons and pats of packaged butter. After seeing the odd packaged food, I wasn't quite sure what to expect. Our server came and presented the menus and reviewed the nightly special. He was dressed nice and had no stained clothing. You would be surprised how may times we have seen the staff dressed in stained shirts or pants or even dirty, not the case here. I opted for a fresh brewed ice tea, which was actually quite delicious. We opted for the steak special which was the New York strip 140z with baked potato and it came with a salad. I asked for a loaded baked potato and the only option was sour cream? Salad I was surprised with an iceberg lettuce bowl, no tomatoes, no cucumbers and a few strips of purple cabbage. It looked like something that was dumped out of a bag and just washed for $2. Not sure what I expected honestly, I ordered garlic Parmesan and green goddess for the wife. They came in a plastic container from a Costco bulk buy, the upside was, it did appear homemade. The cheap container threw off the supposed feel the restaurant was going for. Main Course The steak arrived rather quickly and we both opted for medium rare on the steak. It was large and looked great with very nice grill marks and did not have a large fat cap. Cutting the steak was easy and it was cooked to perfection, soft, tender and moist. There was a hint of Worcestershire sauce and salt with a light dusting of pepper. The steak was the best part of the whole meal so far. The poor baked potato was covered in sour cream, no butter, no cheese option and had to use the butter pats, and dusting of dried parsley. It was a massive let down, flavorless and pathetic. I would have like the option for real bacon bits and a soft butter on the side or even included in the warm spud, so it would've started melting already. Price After the meal dessert was offered but we both passed as we were not really that happy with the meal in general. The steaks were $34 Dollars each and the drinks were separate prices. The salad was complementary and of course the crackers were as well. In total the meal was $81, tip was $10 because the service was great not to intrusive but was attentive at the right level. Overall We both loved the steak, the rest of the meal was forgettable and boring and bland. I was not in love with the baked potato with the sour cream only option and cheap iceberg lettuce. The price was a little high considering the potato, salad and other issues. Is this a reservation type of restaurant? No I would say if this was a $60 dollar meal well worth it for sure. Priced at $81 without the tip, there are better options without the drive to a small town to get gouged because it's called the "Cellar"

This is a amazing place pls come check it out they have a lot of kids menus and desert and but it is for a fancy place

The food wasn't as good as it has been in the past. The charcoal shrimp was rubbery. The crackers and cheese is still as good as ever. Service was good though it seemed they were short of help. The ambiance is still great. The started going to the Cellar in the seventies.

The Cellar in Geneseo, IL is a great environment and eatery to take people to. The menu is fairly expansive with every thing from steaks, chicken, shrimp, fish that are all well done. We took my wife's father,sister and us with significant others there last Friday evening. We were seated at our reservation time with a minimal wait as they were very busy. Waitress was very attentive and efficient. Cocktails and drinks with salad and various dressings were fresh and well more than all could eat. Meals were varied from their signature steaks grilled perfectly, grilled chicken breasts, fish, and bbq and fried shrimp. All were excellent..sides, especially the hash brown potatoes with the vegetable sides were perfection. Prices are very reasonable for what they deliver. We will go back again when we get into town next time.

Great food for great price! Can't go wrong with the hash brown with cheese and onion and the strip

We have always gone to the cellar to celebrate special occasions. Sunday, September 1st,2024 was no different. I made reservations two weeks in advance and made a request not to sit in a high traffic area as we have been seated in the past. Reservationist suggested table #2 by window. Reservation for 5p.m. Get there at 4:55. I say Reservation for ****** at table #2 only for them to tell us someone else was sitting there. How? I can see I'm at top of the list so clearly they made a reservation after us...they sat us at table #22. Food great as always . Found out the people at table #2 are regulars and that it where they usually sit. Sorry I am not a regular and am not from your community but I chose your restaurant because I like it. Called owner and he could have cared less...

Amazing place to eat. We have never has any complaints. Used to only go for special occasions, but now go whenever we want a great meal! We have introduced many people to The Cellar. Service is great, atmosphere is great. We always let the cooks know what an awesome meal it was. They do know us when we come in. Would recommend The Cellar to anyone wanting a great meal! Give it a try, you won't be disappointed!

What a hidden gem! The server went above and beyond to make our night special, which made this one of our best dining experiences ever. She was knowledgeable, efficient, and fun! The food was delicious and very high quality. Loved the ambiance and everything out our night at The Cellar! We will be back!

I have been here quite a few times and every time the food is fantastic. And reasonably priced as well. The salads are the best I've had. The garlic and Greek goddess dressings are great. Service is outstanding. I didn't give it 5 because it in a basement with no windows and no TVs. Also an older crowd.

My wife and I, along with our sister-in-law enjoyed a wonderful dinner at The Cellar last evening. The last time we had enjoyed this fine establishment was 55 years ago when we were dating. The food and service was great and the atmosphere was exactly as comfortable as it was long ago. A real tribute to the owners that they have maintained the high standards for over fifty years. Not too many restaurants last ten years so it was a pleasure to visit the Cellar on our visit back to the Midwest. Larry Claton

Delicious, but exceedingly high price for the region. The steak was tasty, but not $30 worthy. However, I adored the fried shrimp! It was hearty, sizable, and flavorful. Not too much coating and no off-putting taste. I will come back, but it will need to be a special occasion spot because of the costs and the distance. It's 40 minutes away or so. It is in a quaint town with a charming main street of boutiques and lovely homes. It would be a delightful way to spend a Saturday.

Just the best! Everything is just fabulous! It is worth a trip from anywhere! They have wonderful appetizers and everything is hot and delicious! It has always been my favorite restaurant of all times!

Great food they do not overcook their steaks. The waitstaff are attentive to their tables (Like waitstaff should.) Did not have to ask for anything. Wish more restaurants treated their customers this much. My only complaint is that they do the salads different after CO-VID. Miss the big bowl and dressing choices.

Excellent food, classy atmosphere for special occasions. The wait staff was very attentive.

Wow, how things have changed under new owners.. Cost have almost doubled and service is lower. The great salad taste now like it came from a bag. The steaks are still good but at New York prices. It was at great value and a treat, it is now sad overpriced so so restaurant.

I usually like to cook my own steaks because it turns out better than most restaurants. The Cellar steaks are on another level! I usually have a extra large filet rare or medium rare with a side of bleu cheese. I cut the steak thin and dip it slightly in the bleu cheese. The bad part about their steaks being soo good is I miss out on their other menu items that are phenomenal.

Came here for a birthday meal,food smelled great walking in unfortunately didn't know we needed reservations which would have been nice to know before we drove an hour to get here

We have a dear family member that has been begging us to try this place! It definitely lived up to the hype! Our steaks were amazing (and I'm very picky), mine was cooked to a perfect medium rare exactly as I ordered it. Don't forget to try the hash browns with cheese and onion! The onion gave it great flavor! The salad before the meals was very good, the lettuce was cold and crisp! The dressings were great and presented nicely. The decor, I would assume, has not changed in many years! I love it.

We love the Cellar for its steaks, ribs and homemade salad dressings but lately we have been a bit disappointed with the service ... they seem to be very "rushed" while serving you and makes it a less than ideal dining experience especially for the high end price you pay for the food. They also don't offer the wonderful dressing carousel that they used to and are very stingy with the dressing that they give you these days :(

The food was delicious, the atmosphere and ambiance was nice, the service excellent. If you enjoy fine dining, this is the place to go!

Burnt steak is always good Toke an 1 hour to get our bill and sitting there with no drink waiting. Never go back. Got to climb a mountain and cross a river to get to a bathroom

We have been going to the Celler for at least 50 plus years The food is always fantastic, great service and price are good. We have been there for anniversary, Birthday and just the to of us. Never had a bad experience. Highly recommended. Mrk

First time.. going to try for several years and tonight was the night..absolutely delicious! The supper club vibe is in the air: cheese and crackers, complimentary cinnamon rolls, a waitress that is so gracious, a menu with lots of variety..just a wonderful restaurant enjoyed with wonderful friends.. tasted at our table.. shrimp cocktail, French onion soup, salmon, steak kabobs, sirloin steak and New York strip.. not a grumble in our foursome.. Flavor is the best description... ended meal with one of the many specialty coffees.. I had Israeli coffee.. you'll have to stop by to see what flavors it imbued.

We love this place. Just was there for husband's 41st birthday. The cheese and crackers were a hit for the kiddos, fresh salad. Onion ring appetizer was really good. All of our dinners were awesome. Shrimp steak and pork chops, incredible. Had some Bally's coffee with dessert, great, and they have birthday cakes and sparklers on hand, cut it up and served it and packed up the other half for home. Just a great family feel at this place.

Amazing food with wonderful service although the hash-browns tasted different recently than they Did a few weeks ago still amazing tho

An excellent dining experience! An old supper club type of feel with a great bar and dining room. I had reservations for 11 people in town for a golf trip. The service was excellent and so was the food. Everyone at the table enjoyed their meal. Highly recommend the shrimp cocktail for an appetizer and I had the 5 oz filet and lobster tail. The steak was cooked medium rare as I requested and the entire dinner was excellent!! If in the Quad Cities area and looking for a great dinner, don't miss this place!!

Greatest steak around the area by far. The attention to detail and the great service you see far too little today.

On a golf trip with 11 guys...this place was OUTSTANDING! Service was great, Susan knew funny, fast, and always on top of our needs. I had the "2 & 4" combo, which is shrimp and ribs. Ribs fall off the bone and bbq shrimp was done perfectly. An old school, quality, steak house. If you happens to be in the area, stop here!!!

The atmosphere and staff are very nice! The food is really good and although it is a bit expensive I still think it is a really good place to eat! :)

Consistently great food and service. We visit the Cellar as often as possible. I love the food, but it's also a nice and relaxed restaurant.

One of the best places to get a steak in the area. Tonight we had great service and good food. I had the NY Strip Steak Special with salad and wild rice. My wife had the Fried Chicken with steak fries for her side. All was cooked as ordered and was great. The sticky buns we got with meal were very good as well. Tonight we did not get dessert but they have a lot of great options.

Absolutely delicious! This restaurant is a hidden gem my boyfriend and I frequent for great dinners. The location is unique, located in the basement of a building with dark, comforting, and cozy lighting. Upon arrival while waiting for your table, there is a bar, where we had delicious cocktails including a yummy and generously portioned mudslide! One of of our visits, once seated at our table, we were served by a lovely older woman who was perfectly attentive and friendly without being overbearing. The amount of food you get for the price is amazing! They first bring out bread, butter, and salad served with an array of dressings. The most delicious and favorite of our's is the green goddess dressing and is a unique treat we only have at the Cellar. Following the bread and salads, I ordered a french onion soup, which is always one of my favorites and it did not disappoint here. Then, I had a glazed salmon which was cooked perfectly and my boyfriend got the filet. His filet was cooked to a perfect medium and he had no complaints whatsoever! On previous visits, I've had the chicken and the BBQ shrimp (this i highly recommend! and you get probably 12 large shrimp) We both got baked potatoes with sour cream and butter as our sides. Overall, The Cellar is a perfect spot for any special occasion or just a nice dinner where your money will be well spent and you will leave stuffed from the delicious food!

Fantastic. Service and atmosphere were great and the food was delicious! Definitely will go back.

The food is always delicious! We love the cheese and crackers and the homemade cinnamon rolls! It is a true dining experience! They have great waitresses and it's always such a treat to come to the Cellar! Everything is fabulous!

Lives up to the hype! Have eaten here several times for family events and each time I come away satisfied, but always wanting more. I got the pork chops which come with warm BBQ sauce and a hash brown the size of my face. My wife got a sirloin and backed potato, perfectly cooked and juicy. Don't fill up on the crackers and tasty salad, because you'll miss out on an amazing meal!

Amazing little place with such history in the area. The walls are brick and decorated in a rotating display of art from local artists, all available for purchase. The food is delicious and freshly made. The meats are second to none, freshly charcoal-cooked for your order. Their fried catfish is huge. Their fried mushrooms and cauliflower is spectacular with the cheese and tartar-like blue cheese sauce. The sticky buns that come with your meal are a dessert on their own! Don't leave without trying one of their combo plates (surf and turf, catfish and filet, etc.) or one of their after-dinner tipsy coffees with whipped cream. Oh how I miss you! I'd return to the QCA in a heartbeat just to eat here at least one more time :)

Best steak in the Quad City area. It can get a bit loud in the restaurant. The apps and salad are good. The Green Goddess dressing is great.

The cellar is an example of a business that knows it's customers and does simple things well. I recommend the classic charcoal broiled porterhouse steak with a gin martini from the experienced bar staff. If you are looking for unpretentious value, the Cellar is your Restaurant, with excellent deals on the Thanksgiving dinner buffet and a comfortable ambiance for regular customers. The display of paintings on the walls from Geneseo area artists is a particularly nice touch that adds to the eclectic atmosphere. The charcoal broiled duck in orange sauce is a real standout and consider combining the free sticky buns with an "english coffee" or "butter rum" to finish your meal on a cold night in the Quad Cities. Why drive into Moline or Davenport to eat out when a "little steakhouse that could" is available right at your doorstep?

OK, for Geneseo this place is 5 stars! There really isn't much here at all. Also, another reviewer mentioned that the Cellar had brick walls. More like brick looking wallpaper! LOL. Anyway, the food is OK. Looking this place up online it mentioned the house special was charcoal broiled shrimp. My friends got a combo with the filet and shrimp. Another got the rib eye. I got the duckling. We started with the boasted cheese and cracker basket. Its just a ball of soft cheese spread and individually wrapped Melba toast and other crackers. But it was different than the same old bread baskets. The salad is just a simple lettuce salad with a trio of salad dressing to choose from. Croutons were on the table. With our dinner, my one friend and I ordered the asparagus and also the hash-browns (an up-charge but supposedly worth it). The asparagus I got was just room temp. The hash-browns were greasy but good and crispy. Looks like each order is cooked in its own skillet. But honestly, for how these were built up, they were just plain hash-browns. My friend had a cheese sauce on his. I have had better hash-browns at Huddle House. Everyone was happy with their proteins. The steaks were excellently cooked. The shrimp was good but not sure how they were labelled as the house specialty. It just had BBQ sauce on them. My duck had good flavor but was overcooked and the breast was very dry. The sticky buns to finish are just a very simple cinnamon roll with a very light sugar glaze. It is a good finish and they were nice and warm. It was just enough but it isn't a great dessert if that's what you are expecting. With the exception of our server being caught between two feuding tables and spending most of her time de-fusing the situation, the service was great. The dinner was ok. I have had better but not in Geneseo. But with just ok or barely above average food, they do have a hefty price tag. The food definitely wasn't worth the price.

My all time favorite restaurant! Perfect for anniversaries, birthdays, or special occasions. I love the green goddess salad dressing mixed with the French dressing from the salad dressing carousel. The filet is to die for and the shrimp is amazing. Another family favorite is the duck and chicken livers. Always have superb service as well! Make a reservation to guarantee seating.

Myself and several co workers were working in the area restoring power after an ice storm and chose to eat here after a long day. Despite being under dressed and no reservations they promptly sat us and treated us like family. Food was consistently good from beginning to end. Server and staff were pleasant and attentive. Great mixture of small town hospitality and well prepared food. Rivals any steak place I've eaten at in the QC no sweat.

Three of us went to The Cellar on a Thursday night before the John Deere Classic golf tournament. I had looked up Geneseo restaurants on the internet - the Cellar had good reviews. We loved it. I was excited to see pan-fried chicken livers on the menu. They were a favorite from my childhood, my mother would make them in a white sauce over biscuits. I rarely make them for myself so was looking forward to trying them. The restaurant had a definite Wisconsin supper club feel. We loved the atmosphere the moment we walked in from how the tables were set to how nice all the staff looked. - Loved the little dish of cheese spread that comes with the crackers. It was as good a cheese spread as what we have had at Wisconsin supper clubs. - Liked how the salad was served in communal bowl. Liked the homemade salad dressings too. - I had read about the unique cinnamon rolls The Cellar serves as the bread course. The three of us dining in our group were so caught up in conversation we didn't even notice them and discovered/ate them after the meal. Very yummy, fun, and unique. - I LOVED the chicken livers. I ordered them as a combo just in case with a filet. Next time I'm able to go I will order them alone. Sautéed just right with a great crisp. The steak was good too. - Combinations is a neat feature of the menu. Lots of interesting pairings you can make. - We did have a turtle cheesecake for dessert, it didn't blow me away but I may have been too stuffed from dinner. - Loved that the kitchen was open where you could see all the cooking going on as you walked in. We had gotten to the restaurant right as it opened so the kitchen was quiet -- when we left, the kitchen was awhirl. It was a sight to see. I believe it was the head chef thanked us for coming - very nice touch. We liked The Cellar so much we are hoping we can plan a special trip to play the TPC Deere Run course sometime (which is a really really interesting course with all its hills) and have dinner again at The Cellar!

I would never review a restaurant where I have eaten only once. On one visit, a restaurant/food can be deemed bad (or good) for a whole host of reasons (chef sick, waiter/waitress having a bad hair day, a group of boisterous, inebriated patrons, perhaps just a plain old bad day). So, I have eaten here twice. I heard raves about the great ambience and steak. On my first visit, the steak was of poor quality, with excess fat. Add to it, it was over-cooked (well done versus my requested medium). The asparagus served was fresh, but cooked plainly; no sauce, no seasoning. One would fare better having been served Green Giant asparagus straight out of the can! On my second visit, I ordered their surf and turf (lobster and steak). As with my first visit, the steak was again of poor quality and over-cooked. The lobster had no flavor at all and was completely bland in taste. Even a dip in butter could not help. I have had lobster many times and their lobster was clearly frozen. The so-called ambience? Well, it is in the basement of a building, so you have to expect it to be dark and a bit clammy. The dining room is due for a make-over, at the very least some updating. If you go, stay out of the back, overflow room, unless of course, you don't mind the basement feel. I find the reviews of this restaurant puzzling as, after two visits, I would never go back. I am not originally from the area and I have lived and eaten in numerous major cities where fine dining is not something hoped for, rather it is expected. I will add, on the whole, the entire Quad Cities (by the way, no one from over 100 miles away has ever heard of "The Quad Cities") area is lacking for not only fine dining ("Johnny's" being the exception) but variety, too. Sorry, I call them the way I see them.

The food was good but expensive The service was way off this time not friendly at all Not worth the hour drive

Our extended family visited this restaurant recently for my father-in-law's 80th birthday. First the positives... staff was very friendly and cooperative. They stored our Birthday cake in the cooler and brought it out later in style with lights dimmed. Steaks unfortunately were good not great. My well done was over cooked (charred) and I had to send it back and get another one made. I asked my other family members to rate their steaks and everyone felt the experience was about 3 - 3.5 stars. I guess there are not very many options for good steak houses in this area so The Cellar rules for now.

The waitress was rude, food took forever, wouldn't let anyone order simple meals P.s- Christine, ur a bitch

I came in here 45 minutes before it closed- alone after riding my bike from Rock Falls for 7 hrs. My steak was cook perfectly and the wine hit the spot. Service was great. Was a great place to end my rough day.