We had been on a two day motorcycle ride around Lake Michigan and we're staying right down the road at a B&B. They were doing great with social distancing, so we decided to eat inside because it was so hot out on the deck. They sat us far away from the next table and all the bartenders, waitstaff and managers were wearing masks. I really appreciated how safe they were being. We had a couple of drinks that were delicious, I had a Moscow mule, my husband had a tequila. We shared a smoked fish dish that neither one of us liked that much, it had way too much cheese and not enough fish. Then we split a brand new menu item, chicken marsala. I make a mean chicken marsala and it sounded good so we ordered it. The problem was, it had about three mushrooms in it and it had absolutely no marsala wine taste. Otherwise, it was delicious. It just wasn't chicken marsala. That's why I gave them four stars instead of five. And that's the only reason. We tipped 25% because we are tipping 25% now because most of these folks have not worked in months. You could tell they were all very happy to be working. I have to tell you, I know that everyone who works in a restaurant is happy to be working right now, mask or not. Good job on making us feel safe and care for, not just feeding us. read more

Made a second visit this afternoon and added their hummus appetizer to the mussels that I HAD to order again. AMAZING!! Fresh, flavorful with a hint of heat, grilled naan bread and sliced veggies to dip. Oh yes, the mussels were just as good as the first visit, and the service by Sean was spot on. Attentive but not oppressive, willing to customize my food and offered suggestions for me. EXCELLENT!! read more

I was in the area recently and decided to try this place out. The started was ok, I got the fish dip and tasted bland. But after that, my steak came and it was excellent. read more

While the food items we had were good, they were not unique, nor were they worth the overall price of the meal. The staff was courteous, friendly, and helpful, which was a saving grace for our experience. read more

It's a beautiful place right on the river leading to Lake Michigan. It's a little pricey, but the atmosphere is worth it. The food i has, was delicious. It's more seafood, I'm not much of a seafood person so I can't give a review of the seafood. But I am sure it's awesome. The staff are very nice and friendly. I would like to check this place out in the summer. It will be slammed. Make sure Randee takes care of you, so very nice. read more

So pleased with everything at Blue Fish! The historic building with a modern industrial flair give a great atmosphere for dining. Amazing food choices and awesome craft cocktails. The bartenders and waitstaff are top notch, down to ability to make a Moscow mule and old fashion at the SAME time without skipping a beat. Options available to dine outside on the river with a great view, although with the inside practices for Covid definitely felt comfortable inside. read more

I keep wanting to like this place. Last three times here the food has been a major disappointment. Ordered a burger medium rare...result was a charcoal hockey puck. So bad, they had to reorder for me...still medium well vs. medium rare. Only saving grace for this place was a great bartender who was extremely nice and made great drinks. read more

One of Manistee's best spots to eat and drink! They have the prettiest outside deck seating and a wonderful menu!

Wonderful experience. Amazing, quality food. Beautiful atmosphere. Great serves. Highly recommend. Will definitely be coming back in the future with friends and family. We got the fish dip and I got the tomato basil soup and the lemon perch.. also, highly recommend, all of the above! read more

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Very nice setting. Very expensive. Took 2 pictures of kitchen staff, cooking not wearing masks. Least costly dinner/house specialties is the burger for with chips and slaw for $14.99. A dollar for each addition. Couple meals for $17 to $20 (chicken or pork). Steaks and fish $27 to $40. Salads or soup of the day $4 more. This was our second time here. Pretty much the same. Husband want to try again. They do have very good French Onion soup for $6.50. Lake Superior whitefish ok, modest portion. Husband kept a boat on Lake Superior for a few years, we know Lake Superior whitefish. In summary, ok, but, pricey. Will try to post menu. read more

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

Excellent location, friendly service, chef knows her kitchen. The risotto is heavenly. The bar is experienced and diversified. One drawback - okay it does have the word fish in its name, but 4 steaks on the menu - the rare rib eye came out medium! Our waiter Sean made it more than right, and even though my husband was sorely disappointed, I shared my perch and we sat outside over the river watching the sun set late on a perfect day spent up north. Definitely hope to go back soon. Beautiful River Street! read more

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Not really busy hours and not many people eating. Waiting for food forever. Chicken burned and burger burned. Ok the environment is nice. Not recommended if come with kids. Burger King is better. read more

We were traveling in the area and went to Yelp to help us out with lunch. Thankfully, Yelp reviewers led us to this place. I had the cheese panini with tomato basil soup. My husband had the perch tacos. We were both blown away. Great flavors, skilled cooking. I had started out that hungry, and neither had my husband but we both walked away with clean plates, it was all so good. I'll crave my panini and that homemade soup always. read more

Bluefish Kitchen + Bar - Cheese panini with tomato basil soup - New American Near Me - Manistee, Michigan

Indoor space is fantastic though I like the outdoors so we sat in the deck. The outlook was pleasant but the decor a little lacking there so the vibe isn't as cool as inside. Fried Brussel sprouts for starters was a little , undercooked and a little bland so more like boiled brussel sprouts. But the walleye for main was outstanding. The texture of the cooked fish was perfect, succulent, buttery, melt in your mouth and the topping was the perfect mix of flavor and subtlety. read more

Pretty good but pricey. I have Gluten issues and everything I ate was safe. They do not have a dedicated fryer so no fries or fried food modified. They will modify dishes with in reason, which was reasonable to me. I always appreciate that. They did have GF indicated on their menu and ask about other dishes like I said earlier they do modify. Here is why I rated them with a 3. It was safe to eat which gives them a positive. However my white fish was over seasoned and slightly under cooked. My risotto was under cooked which further brought the stars down. Veggies sodden with butter. I would try them again if I got a gift certificate as a gift. Atmosphere is fantastic and staff is pleasant. Another positive. read more

Great menu and service Sit outside and enjoy the experience Blackened fish awesome Brussel sprouts yummy read more

Amazing restaurant overlooking the Manistee River. The whitefish and champagne chicken were phenomenal dishes. 10/10 would recommend

Was vacationing in the area and after a chance stop one night came back for dinner next day, even though I prefer to explore and try new places every day when traveling. The food and drinks are awesome - but it's mostly the staff that makes it amazing. Ladies at the bar, especially Jennifer, had such a genuine positive vibe that it was an absolute pleasure to be here. But, again, don't discount the food - it is awesome. read more

I was pleasantly surprised by the food here! Everything from the fresh bread bowl to the desserts (yes plural!) was delicious! The entrée definitely stole the show. I am a sucker for salmon and the chef suggested "medium rare" along with risotto and creme fraiche dill dip was yummmm! The drinks were alright, and that's the reason I cannot add that last star! Even though higher on the price range, I would totally come here again! read more

Have been there a few times in the past. Food was ok, nothing to write home about, but satisfactory. This time my wife and I took our daughter and her fiance there for dinner. We made reservations. We were seated immediately. First thing I noticed was that the silverware was spotty. We browsed the menu and discussed what looked good to us. After about ten minutes, my daughter said she was thirsty, no one had greeted us or acknowledged our presence. None of the wait staff would even look in our direction. We decided to take a water carafe from a neighboring table that had left and had not been bussed (as were a number of tables). We waited another 10 minutes, now 20 minutes we sat there with no one coming to the table. My daughter went up to the hostess and explained the situation to her. She said she would find out what was going on. The hostess returned to her station and we sat another 5 minutes, and nothing. Noticed a lot of the people seated looked impatient waiting for their food. We decided at that point to leave. Went down the street and ate, had outstanding service and excellent food. Will never return, this is as far from upscale as you can get. read more

We went to blue Fish for lunch and Randee was our server .The food was very good. I had the grilled cheese and tomato basil soup which was fabulous. My wife had the chicken salad on croissant which was very nice and toasty. Wine was a little expensive and I had a hot cider which hit the spot on a cold fall day. Highly recommend read more

This is likely the best option in Manistee County, but for the rate, the experience should have been better and every entree a winner. The Good: Decent wine list with options at various price points. Nothing exciting about the starter menu, but they do a nice job. The "regular" items are done well. Good job on the fish. The aesthetic is great, nice remodel of an old factory right on the river. The Bad: The cheese plate was plunked down with no conversation about the cheeses, no staff training. The staff really doesn't understand fine dining flow. The specials were poorly executed. Jambalaya was awful, chef boyardee sauce, gamey shrimp, it just fell flat. The restaurant didn't recover well when two plates largely uneaten were sent back. Dessert pretty run of the mill, but fine. Overall, a party of four should have been about $160 and we had a $240 bill. If we go back we'd stick with the tried and true items. We regularly eat at truly foodie places, so we may be unrealistic for Manistee. read more

Amazing wagyu and salmon. 100% recommend the crème brûlée for dessert. The server Katie provides amazing service! For sure a place to eat when visiting manistee. read more

Blue fish kitchen serves a great meal. I have been here twice, and both experiences were very pleasant. The pork belly and polenta is a great way to start your meal, as is their soup of the day which was chicken and sausage curry on this visit. It was good enough to be an entree. Stay through dessert for an ever changing sweet treat. read more

Always excellent food. Great service and ambiance. We love going for special occasions.

Came for a celebratory birthday dinner but was pretty disappointed in the drinks and quality of food. Definitely not worth the prices they charge and service was spotty. read more

Great food. Great Decor. Great service. The perch was fantastic. Highly recommend the Brussel sprouts too

Came here with my girlfriend on 5/13/22 for a nice dinner at sunset. The hostess was a little off, like cold? Still, we were having a good time - we ordered drinks and dinner right before the kitchen closed at 9. The waitress checked our IDs and walked away, everything was fine. Then a very stoic woman came out five minutes later, and was very unpleasant - told us that she needed to check our IDs again and that one was suspicious. She was awkward and we felt very unwelcome. Then she left without saying anything at all. Then our waitress came out sweating nervously and told us that she couldn't serve us because our IDs were in question. We are both over 21 with valid IDs?? We are clearly a gay couple and felt very unwelcome but beyond anything else - they handled it so poorly and made us feel so awkward. Truly an unpleasant experience. And, it was past 9, so then all the kitchens were closed in all of the restaurants in Manistee. So we were left with no way to get dinner. Just unpleasant, awkward, and thoughtless staff. Especially because we are both literally of drinking age with VALID IDs! We were left wondering if it was something about us that made them want to make us feel unwelcome. read more

Great view, great service and good food. We ordered the avocado BLT croissant and it was delicious. We also ordered the trio sausage appetizer which was also very tasty. The whIte fish po boy was light, flaky, tender fish on brioche. The fish was tasty, however the sandwich was a little bland. Would definitely go back! read more

Wow worth the drive from Cadillac. The food was fantastic and service was solid. We came on a Wednesday night and my teenage daughters loved the food read more

I have been coming to the Manistee area for years now and always thought Blue Fish would be on the pricier side. Not so, maybe a tad higher than some of the local places, but the food is really good. I had the chicken Marsala and it was wonderful. I have never heard a bad thing about Blue Fin. Highly recommended read more

Unimpressed. Place is nicely decorated but service is slow. We were hungry but had to wait quite some time before we got some bread on our table. My salmon was half cooked half raw, could not finish the whole piece. My wife asked for well done steak, came out burnt charcoal, had to wait again for a replacement piece which came out medium rare, had no choice but to reject it and leave the restaurant hungry to get food from some other place. How can any chief not be able to cook simple steak dinner? Never again. read more

We were visiting Manistee and couldn't have made a better dinner choice! The atmosphere, the guitar player the service and the food....fantastic!!!! The champagne chicken and the penne pasta shrimp and sausage were amazing!!!! Thank you! read more

Had a GREAT lunch here. Imaginative menu items, well executed. I had the Fish + Pig Sandwich, which is perch and crispy pork belly with lemon aioli. This was too weird to pass up and did not disappoint - great and unique. My Sister-in-Law's onion soup was shockingly good - it seems to be a lost art in the U.S., but theirs is perfection. Another classic recipe that they do well is the Ceasar salad - yes, they use anchovies as is called for in the original. My wife loved the Honey Goat + Tomato Basil flatbread. Great wine menu and a good selection of craft beer. We walked in here at lunchtime with flip-flops and t-shirts, but there is also a glassed in "fine dining" area with white table cloths and $25-30/plate entrees. Lunch was so good that we might try to come here for dinner and sit in the "aquarium" the next time we're in town. read more

I was really excited to hear that Manistee was finally getting an upscale/fine dining restaurant. As someone who's been in food-service for 8 years, 3 of which have been spent in a fine dining atmosphere, I had high expectations. Service: We were seated quickly, and our waitress was very nice. However, I had to prompt her to tell us about the specials, and she mispronounced one of the sauces on the dish. My water went unfilled for at least 15 minutes and I had to request that from her as well. She seemed unfamiliar with the entire menu (didn't know what beers were on tap, what certain things tasted like, et cetera). Food: Pork Belly Appetizer: Fantastic! If I ever go back it will be for this dish alone. The gnocchi with it had just a touch too much potato flour and had reached a gluey consistency. However, the meat was awesome. It was braised to perfection with a delicate sugar crust and beautifully plated. Beet Salad: Beautiful presentation. However, the flavors were not quite there. I had one bite with a touch of fresh basil in it, but other than that the beets did not have enough "pickled" flavor, and the balsamic dressing was very weak. They'd be better off roasting the ruby beets and getting a stronger dressing to pull the dish together. Champagne Chicken: The chicken was the best dish of the night. It was tender, juicy, cooked to perfection, and the sauce was delicious. The risotto it was served with was not hot enough. It had taken on the glazed look food gets when left under a warmer for too long. Salmon Entree: My salmon was overdone. I asked for it medium rare and it came out VERY well done. The spice profile on it was great, but the meat was too overdone for it to be a great meal. Again, the risotto was cold/lukewarm and had the glazed look. The vegetable medley that the dish came with was my favorite part. The chunks of squash and zucchini were still slightly crunchy, and they had a great flavor. The sauce with it tasted like a dill-ranch. I'm assuming it was supposed to be an aioli, but it was unlike any aioli I've ever had. Creme Brulee: Delicious. It was a traditional creme brulee that was light with a delicate vanilla flavor. Perfect. Drinks: Great prices on the draft beers! Thyme Vodka Cocktail: The taste of the thyme was there. However, the vodka should have been left to infuse longer, and the garnish should have been a fresh thyme sprig instead of a lemon wedge. Nothing in particular stood out about this drink. Cilantro Margarita: First of all, this was an on the rocks margarita. Therefore, it should have been served in a rocks glass. Not an over-sized collins or highball glass. Next, the drink was not shaken correctly. There was what looked to be a viscous bottom of lime juice at the bottom that we ended up mixing in with a fork at the table. The garnish leaves were not cilantro. They were spearmint or mint. In a Mojito this would have been acceptable, but not in a cilantro margarita. Once mixed properly, the taste was decent. Overall Remarks: I visit Manistee two times a year on average to see my family. Will I be back to eat at the Blue Fish? Probably - but only to see if it manages to improve a bit. I'm thrilled to see a new restaurant in Manistee and wish the owners the best of luck. read more

Excellent service. The chicken salad croissant and tomato basil soup was awesome! My husband ordered the garlic pesto pasta dish and it was way to garlicky (if that's a word). I love garlic and it was even too garlicky for me :) the atmosphere is awesome though and we sat right outside in the deck next to the water! Loved that! Very classy restaurant. Never knew Manistee offered such a classy style restaurant. :) we will go again for sure :) we went at lunch time btw. read more

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The perch tacos are delicious. Just the right amount of heat, combined with a crunchy slaw. The decor is reminiscent of an old warehouse, but with modern touches. read more

Bluefish Kitchen + Bar - The bar area - New American Near Me - Manistee, Michigan

Over rated and over priced. We waited over an hour for our food. We almost left and I wish we did. My husband ordered his steak medium rare and they burnt it. The chicken was hard to eat as well. I wanted to like this place when I walked in because it is nicely decorated but the service and the food was a huge disappointment read more

I had the champagne chicken with Parmesan risotto and green bean & zucchini melody and it was amazing !! $14.00. Texture was good and very savory read more

5 star for the great fish dishes. My son had the salmon, wife ordered perch and I had the whitefish. All three were caught locally from the Great Lakes. Minimal flavoring and just the right amount of cooking made the dishes one of the best we have had. This coming from a fisherman who has had some of the best fish fries ever. My daughter had the pasta kids meal, she also gave the restaurant a 5 star. The wine menu needs a lot of work, but I wasn't there for the wine, and the small town needs a simple wine menu! read more