Wells Brothers is located on Mead and 21st Streets in Racine. I live in the historic district in Racine, but even I will say it's in a very rough spot of Racine. I don't feel safe there. It reminds me of a couple of restaurants I've been to that have security outside to watch the parking lot and to escort people in and out, except Wells Bros. doesn't have security, that I can tell. (I just spoke to a Racinian who indicates that there is usually a cop on duty outside the place on busy nights.)
I was invited to Wells Bros. for a meeting. I have never been there, despite living in Racine for almost 9 years. When I got there I felt unsafe. There were teenage loiterers all over the place. Luckily, it was daylight and there were others arriving. When I went inside I was not surprised that the restaurant is in desperate need of remodeling. It smells like a dirty bar mop, and the vents covering the central AC ducts were packed with thick, dirty dust. I only noticed because I was seated right over the top of one of the vents. I will say the atmosphere didn't do much for my appetite.
The staff seemed very nice, including bartenders and wait staff. They worked around us as we held a seminar/meeting. I found our waitress very attentive, and she smiled a lot and called everyone "hon" or "sweetie."
First, they put out pizza at the bar. I had heard that in Racine this pizza is considered the best. I'll say it had some decent flavor, but it's super thin and greasy. If you like that kind of pizza, it's for you for sure. I had a couple of small pieces and used a couple of napkins and then had to wash my hands. (I have also been told that there have been magazines that have rated this pizza in the top 10 in the nation, to be fair...so try it for yourself and decide.)
Then our food came to the tables, served family-style. I thought this was a nice touch instead of doing a buffet. The server, again, was very nice and attentive, and brought more of whatever dishes seemed to be going fast, despite the fact that the guys at my table passed the dishes amongst themselves before getting to me so that I had very little to eat. It's ok, because the food wasn't that great and I just wanted to taste each item.
The first dish they brought out was salad. It was pretty good, with pepperoni, mozzarella and olives, all coated in the homemade house Italian dressing. I thought maybe I'll be surprised and dinner will be good. Then they served a potato dish. It was like a home fries/casserole with lots of garlic. That was actually tasty.
Some cheese ravioli came out and I tried only one, but then I was glad that the guys ate the rest of them because the bad frozen raviolis you buy at the grocery store in the frozen section are better. These weren't very hot, the dough was watered down and not very flavorful, the filling was equally unappealing, and the red sauce was runny for my taste and not anything impressive. I passed on seconds.
I tried one meatball and one piece of Italian sausage with peppers. The meatball was gross. I didn't like the flavor or the texture. It seemed like something you'd buy in a frozen bag of meatballs, and I'm sure it wasn't, but it was not appetizing at all. I would have spit my bite out, but that would have been rude. I didn't finish the meatball. The sausage had ok flavor, but wasn't prepared in any way that made it special. The particular sausage they use is fatty and the texture isn't easy to chew. I didn't finish my sausage either.
I did take a piece of slow roasted chicken. I had a thigh and it was decent but, again, nothing special. It was like someone put a chicken in a crock pot with just salt and pepper and cooked it until it was falling apart. I was glad to find something I could take more than a bite of, though, and I finished the thigh meat.
A side of seasoned green beans was served with the meal, but they were overcooked and most of them were untouched. I tried a bite and that was enough. The bread served with the meal was dried out as if it had been yesterday's bread. I didn't even butter or try my slice.
I was surprised to find that the restrooms were actually cleaner than the rest of the front of the restaurant, and well stocked with everything needed. Too bad the dining room wasn't as freshly painted and cleaned.
I couldn't help but think that if people have a booming business putting out this food, a good cook could make a bundle in Racine. I can't believe this is a gathering place and an institution. I hear that Salute on Main Street was owned by a son of the Wells Bros, but the ex-wife now runs it. I enjoy Salute much better, ambience and food.
The one thing Wells Bros has going for it is friendly staff. I do have to give them thumbs up on that. I'm sure I'll have to go back for meetings, but I will be sure to eat beforehand.
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