Victoria's Nautical Inn Reviews

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By Karl Frederick
Kenosha News

Few restaurants offer first-time diners a tour of the building before seating their guests, but that is what you get upon arriving at Victoria's Nautical Inn.

Our host seemed to enjoy the role of travel guide, explaining that the restaurant was formerly located in the town of Brighton for many years before a fire in 1995 destroyed it. Rebuilding the restaurant on the Brighton site was unworkable because the owners Vicki and Dan Rothwell could not buy the additional land they needed to comply with state requirements. So they hoisted sail and headed east.

The restaurant which moved from the lake front in 1964 to a historic late 19th-century building in Brighton, featured seafaring memorabilia. When they rebuilt in the Uptown area, they chose an air of elegance over the sea motif.

Dan Rothwell explained there is a large ballroom seating at least 250 on the second floor and two smaller banquet halls for 150 each on the lower level. The main dining room has about 12 tables, and a matching room on the other side of the kitchen has another 12.

Nancy and I were then seated in the main dining room, a comfortably lit room with dark paneling halfway up the wall.

While the menu called the BBQ back ribs the house specialty, our waitress listed the steaks and prime rib as the featured items.

The restaurant's wine list offers a wine for any taste and even a good variety of the popular varietals.

Appetizers ranged from $4.95 for the chicken wings, deep-fried mushrooms, onion rings and mozzarella sticks, $6.95 for shrimp.

The menu offers the usual steaks, ranging in price from $15.95 to $19.95 for the 24-oz. porterhouse, and three sizes of prime rib from $15.95 to $19.95. Pork chops and chicken oscar are also regular menu items.

Add 3 grilled shrimp to any entree for $4.95.

For those with a hankering for ribs, the inn offers a 1/2 rack for $11.50 and a full slab for $14.95.

On the seaside, you can choose from three shrimp dishes (two prepared with scallops), cod oscar farm-raised catfish, walleye pike or frog legs. Prices are in the $13.95 to $15.95 range.

The special for the night was chicken marsala.

Nancy opted for the grilled jumbo shrimp, the soup of the day (cream of vegetable) and seasoned potato wedges; I chose the rib combination with catfish (you can have it deep-fried, broiled or Cajun style. I went Cajun.) I also picked the potato wedges and the garden salad.

While we waited for our meal, the waitress brought a rainbow rotini salad with silvered carrots and broccoli bits in olive oil, a kidney bean salad and a small loaf of bread. I thought both were ordinary.

The bread was a hearty, full-flavored, country load they buy and ship in from San Francisco. It was meaty, filling and tasty.

The vegetable soup was thick and looked like creamed corn, Nancy said. My garden salad was large, comprised of iceberg lettuce, cucumber slices and a tomato slice.

Nancy's shrimp came on a skewer. She described them as done perfectly and she was not about to give any up. My ribs were warm and tender, slathered with a finger-licking sweet, thick and tangy sauce.

The catfish was a smallish filet, spicy enough to not over-power the fish and not too spicy to scare off those with milder taste buds.

We both liked the seasoned potato wedges. They were light, with just enough seasoning to elevate them beyond the ordinary french fry.

For desserts, the restaurant offers pie and sundaes.

The combination of friendly service, comfortable atmosphere and well-prepared entrees make Victoria's Nautical Inn a pleasant dining experience.

Don't miss the boat on this one.