Pullmans at Trolley Square

by Tony Reffke

One of the best-kept secrets of Appleton, Pullmans at Trolley Square restaurant offers innovative and original meals in a sophisticated casual dining experience. Their beautiful location on the banks of the Fox River is truly remarkable and has been a site of importance for the city of Appleton for over a century. 

Specializing in generous and fresh salads, Pullman’s has something for everyone ranging from the ever popular Pullman’s Chopped salad to the Berry Walnut salad with chicken, walnuts, bleu cheese crumbles, strawberries, and mixed greens tossed in a strawberry poppyseed dressing. For those with a more adventurous spirit, the Pizzalad combines the best of a pizza and salad together into unexpected deliciousness with a chopped Caesar salad on top of a pesto, chicken, tomato, and mozzarella wood-fired pizza. Yum!

The Wild Mushroom Ravioli provides a unique fall flavor, perfect as the weather cools down over the coming months with both crimini and portobello mushrooms along with sautéed mushrooms, onions, dried tomato, and asparagus. 

The menu contains a great selection of seafood with plenty of pastas including the Lobster Ravioli as well as cedar plank Walleye and their signature Blackened Ahi Tuna served over wild rice with grilled asparagus and topped with scallions. One of the favorite appetizers in the restaurant is the Bacon-wrapped jumbo shrimp served with Bang Bang sauce. 

If you’d rather have turf instead of surf, there are plenty of burgers, sandwiches, and wraps. Check out the mouthwatering signature Pullman’s Tenderloin consisting of an exceptional 8 ounce filet topped with bacon and bleu cheese sauce and served with garlic mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus.

Save room for dessert as they have a collection of cheesecakes from the Cheesecake Factory with flavors for every palette.

Most meals can be made gluten-free and they are happy to accommodate substitutions or additions for any food sensitivities as well as provide vegetarian options.

There are plenty of ways to try their exceptional food as it can be ordered for take-out, delivery, or dining in at the restaurant. Pullman’s recommends that patrons book a reservation if they are wishing to eat indoors as it can be busy in the evenings and on weekends. You can also enjoy a refreshing cocktail during happy hour every weekday from 3-6 PM and all day on Sundays. Their dynamic cocktail menu is loaded with Mojitos, Mules, and the classic Old Fashioned along with seasonal beers. 

Though the weather is now turning cold, Pullman’s has a large fantastic patio for outdoor dining with a fire pit and waterfall leading to unparalleled views of the Fox River. During the summer, there are live bands every Tuesday on the patio so be sure to mark these days on your calendar in 2022. They are also hoping to bring back their exclusive wine dinners occurring every 6-12 weeks during the winter. Follow their website for more information.

Pullman’s opens at 11 AM every day and closes at 8:30 PM Monday through Thursday, 9 PM on Fridays and Saturdays, and 8 PM on Sundays.