I wish the owners invested as much money in the quality of kitchen staff as they did with the decor of the place. I will say it is a very beautiful establishment, but the food is sub-par. I ordered the braised rabbit with roasted red peppers and avocado, which was on a "raft" of polenta. First off, when you braise food, you usually add some aromatics. I love rabbit, but this product was flavorless and I was disappointed again when I tried the polenta, which was soggy from the juices of the rabbit and roasted peppers. My next order that night included one of my favorite sandwiches; the Cuban. They include a fried egg, which I agree is a fantastic addition to any sandwich, but all I could taste was dijon mustard and pickles. Again, the meat had NO FLAVOR. The bread was toasted, but burnt and just added to my disappointment. Even the fries, which seem to be cut in house, lacked salt and pepper. It seems that Lisa (one of the owners) gathers inspiration from her many bragged-about travels around the world, but is unable to have the actual FLAVOR successfully replicated in her own kitchens. It is sad to see that not only do the Mogensons have 3 different establishments within a one block radius by phoenix park, but at Stella's and the Livery the food is just plain not good. Somehow, Mogies' gets their food right, but the other places do not. Maybe these people should stick to burgers and deep fried food instead of pretending to be something they are not.

by WayneManor
05/10/10

Great atmosphere, OK food. Really would like to see them focus on something, and make it keep-coming-back good. Potential is there...

by bjs1228
03/22/10

The atmosphere was very nice and the food we had was good. I just wasn't impressed with the menu. Had a hard time finding anything that I really wanted to order. Ended up with their burger and it was good. The service was ok, but really got the impression they could care less. Not real friendly. The place has potential though. They just need to step it up a notch.

by jemm
03/20/10

When you get a chicken sandwich that is RED (ie., raw) in the middle you have to give a place a 1. Seriously, are they trying their hardest to see if they can give people food poisoning? Another complaint would be the fries, which were WAY to greasy (not drained before being brought to the table). Hopefully these guys can make improvements, because the atmosphere (which is about a 4 out of 5) deserves better food.

by pjjuwec
01/09/10

Lots of potential but not quite there yet. The menu has some interesting and unusual choices but they could be executed better. The rabbit on a raft was interesting but poorly seasoned. The duck tenders were nicely done but could have been seasoned better and were served with a gloppy & uninteresting sauce. The smaller selections were reasonably priced but too much of the menu was expensive. The beer selection is excellent. It took a while to be waited on initially but then the service was great. We look forward to going back but would especially like to see the menu improved. Love the building!

by Cordy
12/03/09

Went back again because we liked the atmosphere (and the country music) so much. The menu should be simpler without so many items hit-or-miss. The fried calamari was spot-on - but one would hope since it's just deep fried. They need to get a handle on how to properly make those fresh-cut french fries because when done well would be an asset. And for gosh sakes be generous with the fries! They're cheap! Nice selection of tap beer - we liked that some of the domestics are being phased out and replaced with local or unique beers that will draw people in. Get the bloody mary without the relish/salsa. Our bartender told us that's how we should order it - we appreciated that.

by cwhite
10/20/09

I have been here about 10 times, and I ate their once, had the burger and it was great. Didnt care much for the fries. As for the bar part... 1. It takes a while for the bartender to get or even make a drink, I should'nt have to wait nearly 5 min. 2. The drinks are costly. $3 for a bottle of beer is a little high, but tap beer is the SAME price! Tap beer should always be cheaper. 3. And the thrid strike is weak mixed drinks. For their prices, id expect a little more liquor in my mixer. Also, the bloodys are also one of the worst ive had. Three strikes and your out Livery...

by JoeT
10/12/09

Went for drinks with a few friends from out of town. The atmosphere is nice, and I really like the huge fire pit in the back. One of the worst Bloody Mary's I have ever had, I'm not a fan of the relish they serve on top of it. Also, I will only order bottled beer as I ordered a Patron with a lime, and the bartender put Rose's Lime (sick!) instead of a lime wedge. Also, this has nothing to do with my experience at The Livery, but that blonde lady that is always around has been nothing but rude to my friends and I when we are at Stellas, The Red Room, etc. Be nice to your customers.

by WayneManor
08/10/09

Food was good, service was good. We went for lunch and got there around 11:30 so it wasn't busy yet. Nothing bad to say, was suprised and really liked the decor. My mom wasn't a fan of sitting up high, but that's her.

by KateKurshinsky
07/24/09

Went early on Friday evening. Our waitress was great. The food was great. The raspberry mojitos were particularly yummy! 4 1/2 stars. Would give five except we dined here with our toddler. They have highchairs, but only high top tables which are 2 ft. too short for the table. He was able to sit in his stroller this time, but if we take him back we will have to bring a travel highchair.

by Michelle
07/18/09

Agreed that the menu does include some novelties you normally wouldn't find in the Chippewa Valley, however it isn't enough to make it my number one destination dining spot. The service is very spotty, especially at the bar. This is not a place to pop into for a quick drink-too bad because the atmosphere is great! Been there twice and will try only once more.

by smartmama1
07/01/09

We had a very good meal tonight. Around the table: smelt, skate, ribeye, and 1/2 lb cheeseburger. I tasted all of the food and found it to be quite good. The skate especially was a nice treat. My dining companions agreed. Atmosphere and Service was very good as as well. The raspberry brownie sundae was good, but not fantastic, but then again our bellies were full of food and beer. We will be back!

by brodog
06/27/09

The atmosphere is nice. Good place for drinks, but man did we not like our meal! Too bad, I had high hopes. I had the caribbean jerk chicken and fries. The chicken was unexceptional tasting and mostly bones. The fries tasted like they'd been sitting out for a while. My girlfriend had a salad that was basically a head of romaine lettuce cut in half and monstrous croutons - some of which were soggy, others I couldn't even bite into. The "tacos" was a single small taco for $4! I hope they improve their menu cuz the place itself is nice.

by adam0101
06/12/09

I have high hopes for this place. I see a lot of reviews here for poor service, but I am confident that they will work those issues out in time. The menu looks fantastic, we only went for drinks though, but it was a very good selection and my friend said they made an excellent Old Fashioned. I really like the decor and the garage doors will be a nice addition once it actually warms up. Good quality pool tables and a nifty old school pinball machine complete the place. For the non-country music fans, check out the jukebox in the back room.

by smithjul
06/07/09

Kinda sucks that it doesn't explain how to "give stars" very well. Obviously, I didn't mean to give them five stars. See previous post.

by cwhite
06/05/09

I've been here twice now. We practically had to BEG for our tab from the bartender, who really didn't seem to be doing anything to begin with except wandering around and tending to other people who were behind us in line. Finally, another bartender was forced to tend to us and gave us our bill - but didn't charge us for one of the beers. Their loss. Ok, so they have decent beer on tap. It's nothing special. but it sure seems pricey! I can go to Mogie's and get a better selection and price! Their fish sandwich made with grouper is difficult to eat at best - there's a reason grouper isn't commonly used for sandwiches is because it's too fine of a fish and doesn't hold together well. Also, at this point the menu doesn't reflect the food served. There was cheese on the fish sandwich and the menu description said nothing about cheese (YUCK!) and I would have preferred to ask for it without. HOWEVER the homemade tartar sauce is the best thing about this place. I HATE tartar but actually liked theirs. You don't get hardly any french fries with your meal and they were almost burnt beyond recognition. Thought the mango salsa on the jerk chicken wrap was just icky. I really want to like this place, cuz the amosphere is interesting and they actually play country music, but I don't hold out much hope...

by cwhite
06/05/09

bigdan, Have you ever thought that maybe its a brand new restaurant with brand new staff? There are going to be waits. Its new. That being said I went down there on Friday and had the Skate wing. I thought it was amazing! You just cant find skate around here. The service was quick for me. And they were all very friendly. The Fire pit outside in a nice touch. I will for sure come back!!

by shallots
05/24/09

Brought my mom here for a quick dinner and a quick drink after graduation. It took us 20 minutes just to get a glass of wine. While we were waiting to see a menu the owner walked by and then asked how we got the table, and was quite rude to us. I have been a fan or red room and stella, but was quite surprised by the service and managment of this "new" establishment. Dont listen to all the hype, stop in if you have alot of time and are in need of a little uncomfortable conversation.

by bigdan
05/18/09

Another great addition to Eau Claire's restaurant scene. We didn't know what to expect when we got there but were delighted to be able to choose a vast variety of small dishes so we could try more!!! From mussels to rabbit, calamari to jerk chicken...food was good and atmosphere laid back and friendly - prices fair.

by tschrauf
05/13/09

It has a good idea here, but I feel like this place is 6 years too late. Even though they talk about this kind of low key place, I find it to be a more gay person hang out; with hoity toity cocktails and feminine feel. I'm a girl whose more of a tomboy I understand, but thats why this place lets me down.

by hunterchic
05/11/09