Five O'Clock Steakhouse

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Rich in Tradition, Free of Trends

The story of Five O'Clock Steakhouse begins, according to legend, with an alarm clock. Each day at 5 p.m., a clock located behind the restaurant would sound to signal a free drink for patrons — and a name was born. Formerly Coerper's Five O' Clock Club, this family-owned and independently operated Milwaukee institution has been going strong since 1946, making it the oldest remaining supper club in the city and, by its own account, the only one of its kind left in the Midwest region.

That longevity is no accident. The Five, as regulars call it, has been recognized by Food Network, Travel Channel's Steak Paradise 3, Forbes, and Rachael Ray as one of America's best steakhouses. Milwaukee Magazine has named it "Best Classic Restaurant" and "Best Supper Club" on multiple occasions, and the Shepherd Express has recognized it for best steak, best supper club, and best restaurant service — all in the same year. The wine program earned a Wine Spectator Award of Excellence in 2024, a fitting nod to a list curated with the same care applied to everything else here.

The Supper Club Experience

The supper club is a distinctly Midwestern tradition dating to the 1930s, and Five O'Clock preserves it faithfully. An evening here follows a specific, unhurried rhythm: guests begin with a cocktail at the bar, where a host takes their dinner order. Moving to the dining room, the table arrives set with a fresh garden salad, warm sourdough bread, and a relish tray of olives, pickles, and hot peppers. The meal unfolds at its own pace, and on most Wednesday through Saturday nights, live music carries things well past dessert — no cover charge.

General Manager and Wine Director Hegel A. Terron oversees this experience with a background spanning hospitality management, culinary arts, and mixology, along with tenures at some of Milwaukee's most respected restaurants. In the kitchen, Executive Chef Gilbert Duarte brings over 50 years of experience, having trained under the renowned Chef Loess of the Four Seasons in New York and spent two decades as head chef at Sally's Steakhouse in the historic Knickerbocker Hotel.

The Menu

The steakhouse menu centers on USDA Choice or higher beef cuts, each served with butter-sautéed mushrooms, salad, bread, and relish tray. The Porterhouse — billed as the "Five O'Clock Cut" — anchors the list alongside filet mignon in 8 oz and 16 oz formats, a bone-in rib eye, and New York strip. Seafood runs deep: Alaskan king crab legs, South African lobster tails, jumbo shrimp scampi, and crab-stuffed mushroom caps all feature. Seasonal specials from Chef Gilbert have included Japanese Hokkaido scallops over saffron risotto with citrus beurre blanc, and Australian Wagyu hanger steak — evidence that the kitchen's ambitions extend well beyond the classics without abandoning them.

The adjacent Alley Cat Lounge, with its 1940s retro-lounge atmosphere, offers classic cocktails, fine whiskeys, and craft beer in a setting that feels like it has always been exactly where it belongs.