Houdini’s Escape Gastropub

too much $ for what ya get, don’t go on a weekend! oh and they DON’T take reservations

This was the 4^th time I’ve been here with a group of friends and the 4^th time it has been a great experience! We made reservations (as everyone should when going to a popular restaurant during a busy time) and the table was ready right when we walked in. The pub chips are a must-​have for us, delicious and easy to share. I ordered the Mahi Mahi with mixed vegetables and truffle mac and cheese. Saying that the meal was delicious and a must have isn’t even doing it justice, my mouth is watering just thinking of it! Everyone was beyond impressed with what they ordered even though the shrimp scampi was very spicy. The atmosphere, the service, and the food made an all around a great experience and I can’t wait to go back!

Décor 8
Beer Selction 10
Service 3
Menu 4 (middle aged women love words like panini and brioche)
Presentation 9
Execution of order 2
Flavor and ultimate satisfaction 1 (Bland, over cooked, dry. Hardly inspiring)

Horrible. I have never eaten here. Our first time required an hour wait, so we left. I just called this evening (3÷1÷16), and was told by the person who answered the phone that there were a «lot of tickets» in the kitchen, and it would be best if I could call back later. What? Are you serious? Who instructs their staff to give this answer? Maybe I wanted to call my order in and stop by for a beer or two. I can’t imagine giving a new customer a better reason to post a negative experience. Never experienced this before, and don’t understand the reasoning that this is acceptable. I’ve never been given more of a reason to change my dinner plans.

The food was good, but much spicier than what I was expecting based on the menu description. The price was a little steep and the service seemed a little slow, although the restaurant was very busy for a midweek lunch.

I have not been in since they opened. The remodel is a vast improvement and the place looks great. I had the tropical habenero wings, fair amount of heat no flavor to speak of. I did see a duck salad with butternutsquash with dried cheries i will be back to try. The waitstaff was great and dressed professionaly however i was not impressed by what seemed to be management in a flannel shirt.

Very good food. Came in once for drinks while under construction and was hesitant to return. So glad I gave it another shot! Had the pork special that night — sweet potatoes, fried brussel sprouts and amazing sauce. Ate it all! Partner got the oxtail, and that was very good too. Great selection of drinks as well. Hope to be back soon!

Ordered the blackened fish tacos with truffle mac n cheese. They were both amazing! Love this place so much I’ll likely go back again even though I’m only in town for two weeks. A must visit restaurant while in town!

Way too busy!!! Went on a Friday and there was a 2hr wait. We had drinks then bounced to an Asian place down the street.

I have visited before and after the remodel. The patio area is very nice. The service was not the best but both times, the food has been awesome! Kudos to the chef.

Went here on a date with my wife. Service was good and food was good. Great selection of beer (obviously). We sat at a high top table in the bar area and my only recommendation would be to be seated in the dining room for a more intimate dinner.

My favorite place to eat in Appleton. Consistenly delicous, which is a complement since some fine dining establishments are hit or miss depending on the dish. Dinners are spectacular and for at a recent lunch, everyone at my table cleaned their plate. This is the Fox Valley equivalent of Plae Bistro in Green Bay, for those familiar. Both are fantastic.
The downside to it being so awesome — and especially on the weekends– make a reservation if possible. Or brace yourself for a 1 – 2 hour wait.

I have eaten there several times so far. It is sometimes quite good, sometimes quite bad. A hit or miss kind of place. Today was a total miss on several levels.
THE FOOD. I had a lunch special — a half panni with a cup of clam chowder. The chicken panni was okay but not impressive enough to even critique it. The soup was way too salty. I could only take a couple spoonful and decided to skip it. The main reason for going to a «gastropub» rather than a fast food place is to get good quality, interesting food.
THE SERVICE. Our server didn’t bother to mention the special of the day to us and didn’t ask us if we want to have separate checks. It was hard to get her attention to refill our drinks.
THE PLACE. The restaurant has made a lot of updates since their expansion in summer. But we felt disconnected sitting in a corner in the old dining area. Couldn’t see the kitchen and couldn’t see our server. It bothered me seeing another server cleaning the tables with a chemical cleaner, squirting the bottle from up high and directly onto the salt and pepper shakers.

New place, great concept! Just opened they are working out some kinks. Try the tenderloin it’s amazing. My family was invited to the soft opening and loved everything…
Last two visits not so good. They have a revolving door for the Chefs.

I really wanted to hate this place, but instead came away really impressed.
First off, the name. Houdini’s Escape sounds like a bad carny ride or a generic place in a mall.
Second — Gastropub? Really? What’s the word I am thinking of? That’s right — Pretentious.
Put it together and I was ready for the perfect «Meh» meal, right up there with applebees, etc.
Instead…
Really good food. Good tap beer selection. Nice bar selection. Good service. Fair pricing (for what they are serving).
My partner and I broke a cardinal rule ordering — never get Mexican food and a place that is not a Mexican restaurant, preferably owned and run by Mexicans. Never Never Never.
Glad we broke that rule. Really good food, well prepared. Shockingly good.
So, why not five stars? Well, we will see if they can provide the same my next time back — if they do, it will go to five stars.

Went here with friends while they were remodeling. It is fantastic the quality of food that comes out of their tiny kitchen. I had the fish plate since it was a Friday and it was the perfect amount of fish and it was expertly made. I really like that you get options on sides and I may have tried to steal my friends mac-​n-​cheese side more than once. The selection of beer was also really good. I would highly recommend you try them out.

Like the atmosphere. You’ve got to check out the glowing bathroom glass doors. We went there for lunch. It was busy — 20 minute wait. The food was decent bar grub. I had a steak sandwich which was rather bland. The side of Mac and Cheese was pretty decent. Overall, I’d visit again for a causal meal.

I got a decent bar seat at Houdini’s escape… then for the next hour and a half, I wanted to escape. They claim to be a craft beer bar, but I had to ask the waitress for a beer 3x because the menu was out of date. Each time she went to check on a beer, she was gone for a while. The bartender also claimed every time she knew nothing about craft beer and was new to her job… uhh who gets a job with no experience or training?
After I received my 3^rd choice beer, I sat without a menu for another 20 plus minutes trying to flag down someone. Finally the untrained bartender returns and says she wasn’t going to give me a menu until my party arrived. I sadly had to inform her that i was a single diner.
On a good note, my food was rushed through. The couple sitting next to me who had ordered a good 15 minutes before were still waiting and gave me an odd look.
The BAT (bacon, arugula, and tomato) sandwich was on a croissant. The fat from the bacon and butteriness of the croissant made my lips greasy for days. Any other type of bread would have been preferred.
My side was the truffle oil mac and cheese. I could totally see where the chef was going with the truffle oil. It gave the mac and cheese a good depth. However, the cheeses did not play their part.
After eating my meal, I asked for a box and the check. After receiving the check, I set down my credit card immediately. Too bad after 25 minutes the bartender never returned. Luckily I had some cash to pay my bill. Not enough cash for a tip…

Wonderful gastropub!!! Locally sourced produce and meats and cheeses. Wonderful array of small plates, soups and salads, sandwiches, panini’s and larger plate entrees.
Great craft beer draft selection and about 150 bottles.
Wonderful, friendly, attentive staff. Very informative about food and beer selections. A very welcome place across the bridge from downtown Appleton.
Drop what you are doing and come here!!!

Houdini’s Escape is a little hidden gem in the Appleton area. It is in such a cute little building, and is decorated perfectly for its audience. The outside patio is such a great addition, and I would highly recommend it to visiting guests.
The food is a little different, but in an amazing way. The pub chips were delicious, my favorite were the beet chips. Such a unique thing to serve, and they did it well. We had a very large, rather loud group on the patio last weekend, and they handled us extremely well. I am hoping my parents are welcome back because they just love it here. The chef came around after dinner to see how everything was, which is so personal and unique. Most of our dishes were fabulous, with sides that were to die for!
I think this is a place you have to try at least once! Give it a whirl, because you’ll most definitely be back again.