By Patricia Summerfield
October 2, 2008
Republic Chophouse is located in Downtown Green Bay and is an exciting new addition to the area's dining scene. The exterior and interior of the restaurant emanates class and sophistication. Decorated in a contemporary upscale style, it is done in warm colors of browns and beiges, with brick walls and hardwood floors. The dining rooms are finished in dark woods and lit softly, adding to the cozy atmosphere. Even though it is a chophouse and steaks are the featured fare with a variety of cuts, sauces, and seasonings to choose from, the chophouse also has a nice selection of seafood. Everything is made from scratch by Chef Abbey Steffen, including all the sauces and desserts. They have a full bar and an extensive wine list with a non-smoking policy in effect until 10:00pm.
For a beverage my husband and I decided on hot tea. The server brought out a wooden tea box with eight choices of loose teas, from a local tea store that carries high quality teas. We were then brought a basket of fresh homemade breads: a hearty wheat, pretzel rolls, and white bread. The breads were accompanied with four different whipped butters: plain, fresh roasted garlic, cheddar cheese, and a honey cinnamon. The breads and flavored butters were all very fresh and wholesome. For starters my husband and I decided on the Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes for $12.00. We were served two jumbo cakes on a bed of mixed greens with avocado aioli & sweet chili sauce. The crab cakes were lightly browned and had a fishy flavor with a meaty texture.
For our main entrees I ordered their 16oz Irish New Yorker for $35.00 and my husband ordered their Chili Rubbed Pork Rib Chop for $27.00. All entrees are served with a Republic Chop salad or choice of soup; we chose the salad. Our salads were of a good size and were very fresh, cold, and crispy with a mix of Romaine lettuce, mixed greens, tomatoes, and cucumber. The house dressing, which consisted of sundried tomato and artichoke, was refreshing. My steak was marinated in Guinness, whiskey, oregano, garlic, onion, and sesame oil and served with a shot of Jameson. 
The steak was hot and cooked medium well, just as I requested - it was tender with a satisfying taste to it. My husband was served two large pork ribs which were rubbed with chili powder, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, cumin, and oregano. His chops were very tender and succulent with a nice sweet and spicy taste. For our side, which they call sides for two ($8.00) because of the large portion, we ordered the truffle steak fries with parmesan cheese. These are a must try. The truffle oil is what truly makes this dish, as the fries were absolutely delicious, done lightly browned, not greasy. For desert we ordered the Crème Brûlée for $6.00 and the republic chocolate truffle torte, also for $6.00. Again the portions were a nice size. The Brûlée had a nice vanilla flavor, but was more solidified on the inside as opposed to creamy. The chocolate torte was a flourless cake with an Oreo cookie crust and accompanied by raspberry coulis, it was truly heavenly.
Republic Chophouse's service was fabulous, our waitress was warm and friendly and happy to educate us on the menu. She saw to our every need, right down to escorting me to the restrooms. The manager and Chef made a point of introducing themselves throughout the dining area to see how everything was.
