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September 21, 2026
MANITOWOC – The late-night crowds may be gone, but there is once again elbow room to be found at one of Manitowoc’s longtime gathering places.
After sitting closed, the historic restaurant at 702 Buffalo St. reopened Aug. 20 under new Owner Kent Meyer – bringing life back to a name that has been part of Manitowoc’s dining landscape since 1953.
Decades ago, Meyer said The Elbow Room was known as a destination for customers looking to extend their evening after a night at the local roller rink, keeping its kitchen open until midnight.
Following its grand reopening, Meyer said the hours are earlier, the menu is new, the interior has been renovated, the kitchen expanded and the bar rebuilt.
However, regardless of the many changes, Front-of-House Manager Anastasia Bartusch said the restaurant’s team has been intentional about retaining The Elbow Room’s identity and legacy.
“Continuing the legacy has been wonderful,” she said. “I’ve only known Kent for a few months, but being part of this and hearing from the community has been great. The staff hears so many stories.”
A name with seven decades behind it
Bartusch said the property’s restaurant and tavern history extends even further back than The Elbow Room name.
The location, she said, began as Dick Smith’s in 1932 and operated under several other names over the next two decades – including Normandie Tavern, Polka Dot Tavern, Bergner’s Bar, Alex’s Bar and Rocky’s Bar.
In 1953, she said it became The Elbow Room.
Through changes in ownership, generations of customers and an evolving restaurant industry, Bartusch said The Elbow Room endured.
That longevity is one reason Meyer said he saw an opportunity after its most recent operators closed the restaurant and the property came back on the market.
A Manitowoc native and nationally certified chef, Meyer said he is culinary school-trained and has spent much of his career in the restaurant industry.
Having opened other restaurants, including a Mishicot pizzeria, he said he also has experience working in supper clubs.
When The Elbow Room was listed for sale, Meyer said he and his business partner saw a chance not only to open another restaurant, but also to revive an established Manitowoc institution.
Because they don’t want to simply reinstate The Elbow Room, Meyer said they are pairing familiar elements – such as steaks, seafood, fish fries, classic cocktails and the Wisconsin supper club experience – with his own menu and approach.
New life inside an old favorite
Before reopening, Meyer said the new ownership team completed extensive work throughout the restaurant, redoing the bar, floors and ceiling while the kitchen received a substantial renovation and expansion.
The former dishwasher location, he said, was converted into a server station – a change that gave the kitchen approximately 15 additional feet of working space.
Bartusch said a new steam table was installed, the broaster and deep fryer were updated, the grill was renovated and other repairs were completed as well.
Though additional changes could eventually come – including a potential expansion in the back portion of the restaurant – she said for now, the 60-seat restaurant is focused on settling into its new rhythm and introducing customers to Meyer’s vision of a Wisconsin supper club.
Meyer said that includes a menu organized around offerings “from the land” and “from the sea,” along with sandwiches and salads.
Steaks, seafood and the Friday fish fry remain central to the restaurant’s identity, Bartusch said, with surf-and-turf combinations including steak and lobster tail, along with shrimp, scallops and other seafood.
In response to what customers wanted, Meyer said he’s added selections such as a deep-fried pork sandwich – exemplifying that the menu is his rather than a reproduction of the previous Elbow Room menu.
“The recipes are Ken’s; it’s all him,” Bartusch said.
Meanwhile, Bartusch said customers have been experimenting along with the restaurant, ordering across the menu as they reacquaint themselves with the space.
She said the scallops, shrimp and steaks have generated particularly strong feedback.
Classic supper club experience
The effort to bridge old and new extends beyond the food, Bartusch said.
Behind the bar, she said The Elbow Room is leaning into classic supper club dessert drinks, including the Brandy Alexander and golden Cadillac.
Bartusch said the team also brought back the grasshopper, but with its own twist using Andes chocolate – complemented by a team whose goal is to be warm and welcoming.
“The staff is super friendly, and the atmosphere here is to make you feel relaxed,” she said.
The Elbow Room currently employs a team of about 10 and continues to hire, Bartusch said, particularly for back-of-house positions as the front-of-house team develops into a professional, outgoing group capable of delivering the experience the restaurant wants customers to have.
Stories upon stories
Perhaps the clearest indication of how much The Elbow Room still means to Manitowoc came before the doors even reopened, Bartusch said.
When the restaurant launched its new Facebook presence, she said it gained roughly 1,000 followers within 48 hours, with its online interest quickly translating into stories.
“We’ve heard a lot [from people saying], ‘I used to come here with my Grandma’ or ‘When I was a little girl, we used to eat here and it’s been 20 years since I’ve had a steak in this place,’” she said.
Because early marketing efforts relied on social media and word-of-mouth recommendations, Bartusch said the team regained access to The Elbow Room’s Facebook page and is establishing control of its Google business presence.
These, she said, are important steps in ensuring former, regular and potential customers from across the area know the restaurant has reopened.
“[Eventually], we want all of Wisconsin to know about it,” she said.
The Elbow Room is open Tuesday through Sunday with hours and menu updates available on its Facebook page.
