FAMOUS FOR
- Building's History
BUZZ
- Fish Fry
I TRIED
- Baked 5 Onion (7/10)
- Mediterranean Chicken & Sausage Pasta (5/10)
I had a craving for a Vodka Martini, Dirty. I looked around Yelp for any bars, and around the Brown Deer area, there weren't many that I thought would spend the money to carry Ketel One. So I ventured out a bit and found this place. Decent reviews and decent # of reviews.
The place is old. It's actually over 100 years old, and had a life as a bordello and even a watering hole during Prohibition. There're small knickknacks here 'n' there, but I didn't really get a good glimpse. There are a few "sections" to this place that are sort of secluded from each other. Since no one greeted me at the door except a whole bunch of towny folk staring at me like I was the only Asian in town...oh wait..., I just  ducked underneath the glares and sat at an open spot at the bar...at the end I might add.
I had my martini, and then started ordering food. I know everyone talks about the fish fry, but I was really not in the mood today. I also wasn't in the mood for a sandwich/burger, which is about 85% of their menu! I wanted something more of an entree, but their choices are a bit thin when it gets to non "between bread" types of meals. I got the pasta and hoped for the best.
BAKED 5 ONION
This is French Onion soup. Soup, onions, croutons, and cheese. It was pretty good, not too salty, and I definitely could taste different types of onions in there! There were sweeter ones and bolder ones. If you're like me and absolutely hate raw onions, there's nothing to be afraid of here. It's really just like your average French Onion, but with slight variances in taste.
PASTA
There's Mediterranean chicken, Italian sausage, artichoke, sun dried tomatoes, black olives, onions, and spinach tossed in pasta in a white wine & olive oil sauce.
The flavor of the chicken is excellent! It's like 1/2 way there to Tandoori. It's got that lemony and smoky flavors that are good, but not as noticeable as Tandoori. Seasoning is weak, and the chicken is very dry! The whole dish is not a saucy dish like Alfredo. And unlike other oil/wine based pasta dishes, there isn't any additional oil/wine in the dish. I usually would like that to dip bread in, or provide extra seasoning/flavor but there is 0 excess. The chicken has to be eaten with other veggies to sort of give it a moisture boost. The tomatoes, olives, and spinach all actually pick up the slack in seasoning, or what acts as it because of a salty/sour taste from the wine or lemon.
All in all, this dish is really not one of my favorites and isn't something I'd order again. It's like something I can make at home if I just toss a bunch of veggies, pasta, and olive oil. There's nothing really "inspiring" about it, or anything crave-worthy.
NOT IN A HUNDRED YEARS!
Unless I had another hankering for a vodka dirty martini shaken, which actually I am right about now, I don't think I'll be back. The only thing, other than the martini, that MIGHT make me want to come back is all this talk about their fish fry. Guess that's a popular thing in Mequon, and most people who reviewed this place mention it. So...ok...curiosity and a martini may make me come back!
Sunday brunch at Centennial: Â April 7, 2013
Look online to see when Centennial opens: Â 10AM
Arrive at Centennial at 10:27AM. Â There are zero cars in the customer parking lot.
Approach the door. Â It is locked. Â Posted hours clearly say "SUNDAY: Â 10AM"
Call Centennial. Â They say that they are open. Â They come and unlock the doors.
We are the only people in the restaurant, along with a hostess, a bartender, and three servers. Â
It still takes 7-8 minutes for someone to come over and greet us after being seated. Â
The menu seemed like it had decent options, but I wanted a basic breakfast, so I ordered the "blue plate" with scrambled eggs, whole wheat toast, bacon, and their "signature" rosemary potatoes. Â
The eggs were overcooked and not at all fluffy. Â
The toast was the equivalent of Wonder Wheat bread.
The bacon was truly inedible--and that's saying something, because we're talking about bacon here. Â I don't know how you screw up bacon this bad, but the flavor sucked, it was rubbery, and it smelled bad. Â I had two bites and spit the second one out. Â
The rosemary potatoes were fine, but nothing that I couldn't have improved upon at home. Â
Centennial: Â failure on the service, failure on the food
Centennial is kind of underwhelming. This was supposed to be a classy place according to my dad who grew up in the area, but it was a pretty standard restaurant. The high expectations going in may have attributed to how significantly they deflated, but I think that Centennial is definitely worth a visit if you don't want to venture south to downtown Milwaukee.
Review Source:We have enjoyed the Centennial Friday fish fry for years.  In addition to a great fish fry, the Centennial always offers a variety of grilled fish and serve it all with a side of some of the best mayo-free coleslaw in town.  A real stand out is their Friday night host.  I am embarrassed - I don't even know his name -- but even when we haven't been there for months, he recognizes and takes great care of us.  This gentleman  makes a great food experience a great all over experience!
Review Source:This place can feel cliquey with so many Mequon residents eating here - but that's what one should expect from a neighborhood corner bar that serves good food. Â They are always busy for a reason. Â They must be doing something right. Â The service people could be more talkative, but they're simply hustling to get orders placed. Â
French onion soup - top 3 all time? Â As good as anywhere I know of in Milwaukee. Â To be clear, they are best know for the French onion soup.
Kids meals $1.99 - pair of hamburgers are sliders with toasted buns. Â It's always nice when a kid too full and the sliders are staring at me. Â Other kids items decent. Â Sure beats chancery. Â
Southwest turkey club with spicy chipotle sauce on side is my favorite.
Popcorn maker in the back - kids love it.
Fish fry is good Friday nights - the perch is best.
To Go is great and affordable. Â Arrive 15 mins early and sit at bar for drink and watch some games. Â Don't tell my wife. :)
Remember, it's a busy place with tiny waiting area so call 15-30 minutes ahead to get name on list.
If you don't like too much butter or grease on sandwiches make sure to tell them to not toast the bun or bread on the grill.
It looks like I'm the out of step Charlie here but I cannot recommend this place at all. Â Have been separately to the bar and restaurant many times with similarly bad experiences. Â The bar service is rude and at times non existent. Â I've had bar staff disappear inexplicably for long periods on multiple occasions. Â The food isn't horrible but it's not good either. Â I like the location and the structure but that all this place has going for it.
Review Source:I came here twice with my family. First time we came here was the Saturday after Thanksgiving since we were on our way to my aunt's for some crazy family gathering and introducing my youngest nephew to the extended family. We were also looking for something different from the typical fast food that we usually went with. My sister-in-law and I were charged with finding some place near the highway to eat while my brother was driving. We then drove up and made sure it was open since we couldn't find hours at first. Our light lunch was most excellent, minus the guy rolling up to us and presuming we are the Illinoisans with the Obama sticker. Ehh... Came back on Boxing Day for round 2 of light lunch for another stop-in on the way to my aunt's. This time, just my parents and I. Very awesome service, even though a large group came in not long before we left. Yes, we will be back and may turn this into our new lunch spot on the way to my aunt's! :)
Review Source:Good beer, good potato salad, good service. Â We had the Friday fish fry. Â I had perch, but also tried the cod and waffle fries. Â Very mediocre fish and fries. Â I definitely will not have fish there again. Â It tasted bland and old. Â Almost like it was reheated. Â No crispiness and dried out. Â Not worth the 13.95 a plate. Â Cole slaw was good, very gingery. Â I liked the place, but the deep fried food was poor.
Review Source:This is definitely a local hangout. They seem to have a fiercely loyal client base. The food is always excellent if a tad bit pricy. Service is solid, drinks are great ( best bloody ever!) but the real reason to go is the food and the people. I would have no trouble recommending this to friends.
Review Source:Went here tonight because I had purchased a Groupon recently.
We each had a beer (which was cold) and a cup of Chili (which was good).
However, the service was cold (as if we were an inconvenience) and the entrees were not good.
We had the Grouper Sandwich (Sloppy and Bland) and the Peppersteak Pasta (Steak was too tough to chew) and overthrown with Onions.
I was excited to try this place as it is close to home and the picture on Groupon looked great. Perhaps we just visited on an "off-night".
The place was packed at the bar for Trivia but few people were eating. I wonder if this is really just a place to have a pint and play triva...
I am suprised at all the good reviews...
I would however not recommend this place.
I grew up in Cedarburg but had never been to the Centennial until a few weeks ago when I moved back to the area.  My husband and I came here after catching a movie at North Shore, and I'm so glad that we picked this place!  First of all, I like the history of this old building-- very cool.  The service was good.  My husband was happy with the beer selection on draft, and I found the wine list to be pretty good.  The menu had so many delicious-sounding options... I can't wait to go back and try more meals here.  I ended up with the  Roasted Red Pepper Cream & Chicken pasta with a cup of the soup du jour ("What's the soup du jour?" "It's the soup of the day."  "Mmm, that sounds good, I'll have that"-- sorry I can't ever resist this quote when talking about soup du jour).  The soup was Swiss Mushroom, and it was goooooodd!  I don't think I've had a cup of mushroom soup that tasty in a very very long time!  My pasta was also very good.  It was a huge portion; I ended up getting 3 meals out of it!  My husband had the Black Russian burger and he said it was awesome.  All told, we really enjoyed our meal and I can't wait to go back!  And I can't believe I lived miles away for my whole childhood and never went here.  I will make sure that my daughter isn't 31 before she experiences the Centennial!  :)
Review Source:The Centennial follows in the long tradition of many Mequon restaurants: in an old, quaint building, great food, and keeping the history of the area alive. I came here with my new in laws on the Sunday after I got married for a fam dinner. At the time, there was a wait to seat us. Instead of fretting about it, we hunkered down at the bar for some drinks. All of us enjoyed some cocktails and munched on their carafes of peanuts and M&M's. The bartender gave my husband and I a celebratory tequila shot too. Nice!
Eventually, a table opened up and we had dinner. I went with the reuben sandwich and rosemary chips. Others had the fish fry and other selections. My reuben sandwich was alright, really nothing special. The bottom was a little soggy and not as crisp as the top, so that was disappointing. The rosemary chips were divine. I throughly enjoyed them. All in all, the meal was good and satisfying.
The Centennial is a Mequon staple. Â It's been at its same location for over a hundred years, so it must be doing something right. Â I had my first legal drink there and have always enjoyed every other experience with the place. Â Items that stand out are their soups, ribs, and fish fry. Â Good place for a quick bite at the bar or a family gathering.
Review Source:There aren't too many nicer dining options this far up the north shore, and there certainly aren't any better places to drink. Friendly staff, good food and Spotted Cow on tap (not to mention how close it is to my parents' place) mean I will usually find my way here at least once when I'm in town visiting.
The fish fry is available every night, and they offer Wisconsin-native fish like perch and walleye in addition to the standard cod. The chalkboard specials are always changing and usually worth a look. Live music on Saturday nights is hit or miss  (with "miss" having a bit of home-field advantage, it seems) but it's usually a pretty lively place till close.
If you're from the area, it's hard not to run into someone you know (or their parents) here, but a little catching up sometimes beats the rigamarole involved with a trip down I-43 to the city bars.
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