I gave a five-star rating only because a six-star wasn't an option. While touring the western side of Michigan, we stopped in at the Blue Fish Kitchen & Bar for a late lunch. It was a mid-week day and there was hardly a soul in the place so I was a bit concerned. Completely unnecessary! The pulled pork sandwich was great and the gyro was also great. Served with some of the best chips I have ever had, the food was delivered hot and quickly from our server, Marie. The upscale atmosphere was perfect for a memorable lunch. Our table overlooked the river and on a sunny day, it was perfect. Marie did not lead us astray with the dessert menu - cheesecake made in-house with raspberry topping. Absolutely delicious! read more

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We enjoyed a delicious meal at Bluefish Kitchen + Bar. It was easy for me to make a reservation online and i think we beat the crowed because we were able to grab the first seat on the patio. My husband ordered the wagyu sirloin and while I didn't try his steak, the potatoes were AMAZING! My meal, the petite champagne chicken was also really delicious and it was the perfect size. Everything about this meal was great! It was the perfect kickstart to our vacation in Manistee, MI! read more

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Bluefish was a wonderful experience. We enjoyed everything from drinks, apps and our main entrees to the friendly service and warm ambiance. Their french bread is the best any of us ever had. (We couldn't get the recipe from them) We tried the goat cheese bruschetta, Hummus, Bolognese pappardelle, French onion soup, and Étouffée. Everything was delicious. We will be back when we are in Manistee again. read more

We absolutely LOVE this place! The decor is amazing! The menu is incredible and has items you cannot find elsewhere locally! It is a bit pricey but worth it! We go once or twice every visit to Manistee! read more

Hospitality Done Right: a tale of two restaurants. Let's start with the sour note. Our recent visit to The Flying Noodle in Traverse City was, frankly, a disappointment. From lackluster service to a forgettable atmosphere, it was a one-shot-and-out experience. Hospitality? Missing in action. Enter The Blue Fish in Manistee! In marked contrast to our recent unhappy experience at the Flying Noodle in Traverse City, the Blue Fish exceeded our expectations, as they always do. We were welcomed and asked where in their well-appointed restaurant we wanted to sit. Water and menus appeared almost immediately, and so began a lovely evening. Drinks I had a Michelob Amber Bock draft beer, and the ladies had the very refreshing Cucumber Coolers. Appetizers All shared white fish dip and a very creatively curated hummus plate. Main Courses I had the blackened white fish, and two of the ladies had the Chicago Filet, while the other lady had shrimp pasta primavera. Delightfully eclectic dinner conversation continued without interruption except for Ashlyn's unobtrusive but sincere inquiries about our progress. Sweet Endings--A trio of delights The scrumptious desserts of vanilla gelato, affogato, and key lime pie with coffee all around topped off a memorable evening. Final Thoughts The Flying Noodle can take a flying you-know-what, should fly down to Manistee and see how the Blue Fish generates repeat instead of one-shot-and-out business. It's not rocket science, it's hospitality. read more

Interesting menu (although light on fish, which was surprising) the Caesar shrimp wrap was delicious and enough to split. My husband really enjoyed his draft Shorts IPA. The accompanying chips are so tasty. Meatball sub was good as was the chicken salad wrap. (If you like nuts in your salad!) tomato vegetable soup of the day was a little bitter (guessing the tomato and bell pepper peels were included) service and ambiance was warm & welcoming! read more

What a lovely meal! Some of our favorite whitefish of the whole trip was consumed here! We enjoyed a sparkling lemonade cocktail (with fresh strawberries) and an Alaskan amber while nibbling on their yummy smoked fish dip at the bar. The crostinis seemed greasy and almost deep fried, but I brought my own rice crackers so I was good. Both spouse and I ordered the white fish with different preparations. I got blackened with parmesan risotto and a creamy chipotle corn sauce, it was fantastic! The yellow beans are a nice seasonal vegetable for something different on both plates. He ordered his fish with an herb compound butter and roasted potatoes. Although we didn't linger, this was a super memorable meal we would gladly repeat. read more

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Food Review Absolutely the worst dining experience I've had in a long time. I brought in a table of 18 guests and spent nearly $800 -- and the food and service didn't come close to justifying it. * The French onion soup arrived with no broth at all -- just soggy onions that had to be eaten with a fork. * I ordered a French martini and was served something closer to a French 75 -- completely wrong. * Steaks were inconsistent -- some overcooked, others undercooked -- clearly no quality control. When you're paying premium prices, you expect at least basic execution. What we received was mediocre at best -- and honestly felt more like a $300 meal, not an $800 one. Extremely disappointing experience, especially when hosting a large group read more

Had the grilled cheese. It was the best I've ever had. Highly recommend. Husband had etouffee and liked it very much, and thought it was done to perfection. read more

Very nice place on the river. Chicago Cut filet mignon was very good. Blackened whitefish was completely delicious, an outstanding dish.

pleasantly surprised by this place - wouldn't have imagined i could have something delicious and culinarily sophisticated in manistee!!! my salmon was cooked to perfection and my husband's white fish was also spectacular. perfectly seasoned and not too salty. i finished the plate clean! the veggies were also still crunchy and not overly seasoned. love the parm risotto too. so creamy and perfectly al dente. i tried a bite of french onion soup too and that was really good. would love to get that next time. had a very pleasant smokey flavor and it wasn't overly cheesy and greasy. the table didn't seem to like the seasoned heirloom potatoes - i like the flavor but it could be less salty and also more crisped up as it was a bit mushy. the place is huge and clean and the servers were very attentive. we had a party of 10 with a high chair for an early dinner - and we were very well accommodated. read more

Bluefish Kitchen + Bar - blackened salmon - New American Near Me - Manistee, Michigan

Asked to order extra Rosetta and they gave me the same amount even though they charged me extra

We were seated quickly. Good service. My shrimp pasta primavera was delicious!! My husband had the chicken Marsala and he said the chicken was a little overcooked and dry, but he finished my primavera and agreed it was really good. Overall a good dining experience! read more

Nice place next to water in Manistee. Their menu is very diverse and fairly priced. I ordered Brussels sprouts for appetizer and walleye piccata for entree. The fish was perfectly cooked; great balance of acidity with a delicious bed of risotto and some crunchy green beans. I could probably eat that everyday. The restaurant is kinda quiet and the staff is nice and attentive. To top it all of the view from the Resturant gives you all the feels, right on the water and the sunset was a perfect way to end the night! read more

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We loved the walleye but sadly it is no longer on the menu. So disappointing. We dined in on a week night ordering three dinners which were good but not as good as the walleye used to be. The ahi tuna was very thick cut and served over a bed of quinoa. The tuna was cooked well and was tender but was very thick cut. I have never seen ahi tuna served this way. Usually its sliced much thinner and crusted with sesame pepper type of coating. The quinoa was cooked perfectly. Our friend ordered the pork and risotto. She was asked how she liked the pork cooked. That question is usually for steaks. Medium was requested. She thought it was medium rare and too pink inside. A little off-putting. We will return and perhaps order chicken or steak. read more

Bluefish continues to be the fine dining place to go in Manistee. They have diverse menu options to fit anyone's appetite. The happy hour has some nice app options. The bar area is very spacious and airy, as well as the whole restaurant. Outdoor river dining is great on the deck, but if you are trying to snag a spot, it can get more crowded due to size compared to rest of restaurant. Servers / staff are polite and well-trained. Great experience! read more

Drinks are very tasty and the salmon was cooked perfectly. We go here every time we visit the area and love it! The service is attentive and it has modern decor. read more

We were in from Grand Rapids with some friends and chose "Bluefish" for lunch. Our friends arrived before us and asked to be seated outside, which is what we had agreed upon. However, the seats were wet, unfortunately and as we arrived, they had just come inside, choosing to avoid the wet seats. Our server, Lindsay was very informative and helpful as we had some questions to ask about a couple of their dishes. At 11:30 we were the only people in the restaurant and as we left, we were still the only people eating in the restaurant. That was hard to understand because our meals which were the chicken marsala and the champagne chicken were excellent! School is back in session for the fall so I imagine a lot of the tourism is down now. We would definitely recommend the restaurant and we will visit again. read more

Wow. Bluefish was recommended by the Desk person now at the Hampton Inn. Do they know their restaurants. My girlfriend a.k.a. the wife had already picked out a table and was sitting there after I parked the car. So parking was easy. The menu was comprehensive. The ambience was outstanding as my company was looking mighty fine tonight. So they did not have my rum. I selected another top shelf and it was perfect. I try to keep an open mind. Even though my mind might be empty sometimes as I don't recall the name of the rummy said it was a water or something. More to come later read more

On a quick little trip to Manistee, we stayed right down the road from BlueFish Kitchen. The location is prime for downtown and right on the water (though we didn't have a view of it from where we sat). The inside is absolutely beautiful and well decorated. Everything we ate was quite delicious and we were not disappointed. Our server even made a couple comments that we "hated" the food because we devoured it so quickly! While fast eaters, it was quite good and we enjoyed it for a quiet dinner. Both the Walleye and the Bolognese were really good and had hefty portion sizes. The french onion soup was a little lackluster, but it's definitely a hit or miss item and I would have loved for the broth to have a little bit more flavor. All in all, it was quite a good spot for dinner and if you're passing through town, you should give it a go! read more

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Nice place; I got the French onion soup and a burger. My husband got the cinnamon roll French toast. He thought the portion was a little small but he was practically licking the plate because it was delicious. I liked my burger, I asked for medium but it was cooked all the way through. Still very tasty though. I didn't care the French onion soup that much, but the coffee drink was amazing. read more

Bluefish Kitchen + Bar - Bar and dining room on a Sunday morning. - New American Near Me - Manistee, Michigan

Food was well prepared but had to wait longer than one would have expected for a party of four. The waitress was pleasant and attentive so no problems. The restaurant has nice decorations but with all the brick can be noisy. read more

Delicious food in a beautiful restaurant with great ambience and a very friendly and courteous staff!

Nice atmosphere inside, and considering the prices the food should be AMAZING. It's not. The fish I got was nothing special. The veggies were smothered in butter. Neither had much flavor at all. It was basically food I could have cooked at home for a tiny fraction of the price. Unless someone else is buying and they insist that we're eating here...I'll find somewhere else, thanks. read more

Don't bother at all. It looks nice and is a nice place as far as decor. The food was very low quality and our waiter was not attentive at all. Our orders were wrong to top it off. The salad I had was pathetic and had yellow lettuce, not spring mix. My husband's order was completely wrong. Do NOT waste your time. Walk a little further down and go to TJs Pub. TJs is superior! read more

Had to get my own Pepsi refills from the bar. Barely saw my waitress, confusing? Took two hours while not busy. God bless and go elsewhere.

This is a beautiful restaurant and the margarita, alone, is worth the trip. Wine choices are excellent. The (blackened--how we chose) white fish with risotto and asparagus is very good. My favorite part was the caesar salad because the dressing was just right; not overly creamy, but light and delicious. Our waiter was wonderful. We enjoyed talking with him. The French onion soup had a lot of yummy onions (yay); I would do the cheese differently, though. It didn't taste like Gruyere, to me. But I would return to this restaurant in a heartbeat. 4.5 stars read more

We have to watch our money with our first kiddo on the way so we decided on a staycation for our 3 year anniversary. We decided to try something "fancy" or I at least somewhere that we wouldn't normally go due to cost. I got the spicy shrimp and sausage Alfredo and she got the champagne chicken. Both excellent choices that are some of the cheaper options on the menu. Since we didn't go too expensive with our entrees we got an appetizer. It was some kind of bacon pirogies. Those were good too. Service was a little bit slow in my opinion for how empty it was but not terrible. We sat near the bar and was able to catch some tigers on the tv. After dinner, we took a short walk around town, played some pinball at outsiders, and got ice cream nearby too. read more

One of the best restaurant in Manistee. The place was gezellig (cozy). If you are into arts you will be amazed on this place. Even their bathroom very artsy! Their food was bomb dot com! I had Shrimp Thai Curry (spicy), my Mother in Law had summer bolognese, my husband and Brother in law had champagne chicken it was delish! And their brussel sprouts for appetizer it has a rustic flavor. Their creme brulee and cheesecakes was good too! Not too sweet, just right. For their prices it is 100% worth it! Also, shout out to our server Shelby, she is very knowlegable , professional and polite. Overall , we enjoyed our experience. Highly recommend. read more

Bluefish Kitchen + Bar - he outside of a storefront - New American Near Me - Manistee, Michigan

Food was so delicious! Our server, Tom, was very kind and hospitable. Christmas decorations are also tasteful and inviting! Totally recommend if you are in the area. read more

Bluefish Kitchen + Bar - grilled salmon - New American Near Me - Manistee, Michigan

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Some good dishes and most were bland. It's really cool that they'll cook up the fish you catch. Not cool that you will need to salt most things and they served and appetizer with half a dozen broken or unopened muscles. Not the quality I expect for prices of these dishes read more

Bluefish Kitchen + Bar - Half a dozen broken or unopened muscles - New American Near Me - Manistee, Michigan

The view is great from outdoors! The drinks as well as the food were very tasty. A few members of our party particularly enjoyed the Champagne Chicken. The portion sizes were really nice, not too big, not too small. The bathrooms were also very clean! The only downside we had was that the service was a little bit slow, but our server Jaidin was very friendly and helpful! Overall it's a great place to stop for lunch!! read more

This place is a gem! We ordered the smoked fish dip, smoked salmon deviled eggs, and wall-eye and everything was superb! The fish dip was warm, creamy, and savory, the deviled eggs were so tasty and smooth, and the wall-eye was perfectly crispy on the outside but tender inside. The host at the front was very friendly and greeted us with a cheerful smile! It wasn't very busy that day (Sunday) for lunch so we were able to walk freely around the patio as well. The view of the water was phenomenal and we were also lucky enough to witness the draw bridge go up! The only complaint I have is the location of the light fixtures. One of them was handing right above my head and would grace my head every time I got up... Overall, we loved this place and would definitely go back!!! read more

I really wish I could leave a better review for this place, but I just can't. Overall, we had a really bad experience tonight at Blue Fish. I always try to find the good, so: the restaurant was clean, has good decor and the people were friendly. We sat on the back deck along the river, which was quite nice. However, almost everything else was either average or poor. There were so many errors/shortcomings that it's hard to list it all here. Our wait person was newer, and she really tried hard. We helped her as much as we could. But, she was in over her head. It was not her fault - she didn't appear to be well-trained, and not once did a manager come to help her or to ask us how we were doing. She was on her own. Ownership/Management has to do better. The onion soup was not warm and was barely edible. One of the burgers had to be sent back twice. The tuna was meh at best and it was served with cold rice. There were good comments about the champagne chicken and the tomato soup ($10 for a bowl of tomato soup). Oh, and they charge for bread, too. It's hard to overstate how bad the entire experience was. Maybe it was just a bad night for them, I don't know. But, we were charged full price for everything (other than 1 soup) and the quality did not match the price we paid. For grading purposes...the ambiance is an A, the service was a C, the food was a solid D and the value was also a D. I would not recommend and I would not return. read more

Bluefish Kitchen + Bar - Beautiful sunset from the back deck - New American Near Me - Manistee, Michigan

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We had to wait 2 hours for our food. Our waitress was working in another area so we only saw her the bare minimum that she had to. We never got water refills, asked for a pitcher so we could do it ourselves but never got one, had to go to the bar to get refills on our drinks. Never got bread but guests around us with other servers did. Had small children and would have been nice for them to at least get their food first but no. Food was cold on everyone's plate. One person's food was raw and couldn't be eaten. The others came out 15 minutes after everyone else's. Worst service. Manager cared not. Server had no idea what good service was. Will never return and would not recommend you waste your time or hard earned money, not good and higher priced. FIND ANOTHER PLACE TO EAT!!! Also first words out of her mouth were we don't have whitefish...main reason we chose the place. Shoulda just left then! read more

Food was terrible. Soup was cold and poorly prepared, Burger was a Hockey puck that you could buy frozen at the grocery store, had to send food back multiple times because not prepared as ordered. Probably worst dining experience I've had in decades. read more

What a lovely and relaxing dinner we had a Blue Fish Kitchen. The interior of the restaurants is spacious, stylish, and very clean. We opted to have out dinner on their lovely deck by the river canal. It was a bit cool out, but lovely. It would be nice if they had a couple of outdoor heaters to help with the cooler evenings. All of the servers were friendly and efficient. I started with a fat tire beer and my husband had a scotch- with one ice cube and the server didn't look at him like the goofball he is when he placed his order. Ha! We chose to share the mussels in wine sauce, the roasted Brussel spouts, and the cajun sausage and shrimp pasta. It was plenty of food for the two of us. The sauce for the mussels had wonderful flavor. We were disappointed that six of our mussels didn't open. We aren't sure if the kitchen rushed them a bit and they just didn't open or if they were bad. The server was very respectful of our concern and adjusted the price of the dish. The Brussel sprouts had a different twist to them. They were prepared with candied cherries and pecans. They were tasty, but we decided that we actually prefer our sprouts more charred and toasted with a savory. These sprouts were really sweet and more sauteed than charred/roasted. We didn't have room for desert, but I saw several being served and they looked amazing. We will be sure to explore the deserts and some of the fish dishes on out next visit to Manistee. read more

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Outstanding food! Beverage service terrible...didn't ask everyone for refill...did not get second drink until food was finished. Did not offer to take anything off bill....server just blamed it on the bar. Bring your own beverage and enjoy the food read more

Full respect to owner of Bluefish. We had an issue with a big reservation but was later righted by the owner of the restaurant. She was timely and professional when dealing with this issue. Highly recommend this up north restaurant. read more

Many visits for dinner made us try Sunday brunch. Big mistake. Food okay, service from kitchen and staff was horrible. Seemed overwhelmed but olace was empty. Server was clueless on menu, said he usually bartends. Bad excuse. How do you not know what comes with an entree? Like the first day ever doing brunch. Train your people. Really disappointing. read more