APPLETON, Wis. (WFRV) – Tucked just off Oneida Street in Appleton, the Red Ox Supper Club has long been a local favorite, a place where tradition, family, and food go hand in hand.
Owner John Hayes has been with the Red Ox since the 1980s, when he first stepped behind the bar as a bartender. He’s seen the restaurant through major changes, including a fire in the 1990s that forced it to relocate. Now, he’s preparing for the next chapter.
“My daughter, my son, and his wife, as I am stepping out, they are stepping in,” Hayes said.
That family-first mentality extends to the staff as well. Hayes described his team as a tight-knit group that has only grown stronger over time.
“All the staff I’ve had in the past 45 years, I just feel like we keep getting stronger,” Hayes said. “Every time I think we take a step back, we take a step forward. Great people here.”
Among those longtime employees is bartender Jerry Ewig, who has spent nearly 30 years at the Red Ox. A U.S. Army veteran who returned to his hometown of Appleton, Ewig has become a welcoming face to regulars and newcomers alike.
“I think the people have changed, and now you have to adapt to that,” Ewig said. “Now it’s the Manhattans and the martinis. Everything starts at the bar, then goes to the dining room.”
The supper club is known for its expansive haddock menu, which includes 14 different preparations. Hayes said what started as a few specials grew into something much more.
“We used to have specials, and then one day, when I was doing the menu, I thought, ‘Let’s just let them choose.’ And I ended up with 14 different ones,” he said.
Some of the options include Door County cherry, crab cake, and Mexican-style haddock. The variety, along with steaks, seafood, and pasta, keeps customers coming back.
Clayton Sheasby, a chef at the Red Ox, said the mix of menu and atmosphere is what gives the restaurant its staying power.
“We’ve been around for a while and everyone loves our food,” Sheasby said. “It’s just a nice, down-to-earth place.”
Pat and Susan Tourville are two longtime patrons who have woven the Red Ox into their own family milestones.
“Brings it back to high school, when we would come here to celebrate school dances like homecoming,” said Susan. “As we started our family, we would come here for special occasions. And now we’re here celebrating my 55th birthday and our 33rd wedding anniversary.”
“For me, it’s the food,” Pat added. “The typical entrées you wouldn’t usually get when going out.”
For Hayes, it’s always been about more than just the food.
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“I have some incredibly great employees here,” he said. “It’s the clientele, it’s a great place. I like the people.”
With decades of history behind it and a new generation ready to carry it forward, the Red Ox Supper Club remains a staple of the Appleton community.
