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 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

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

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

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

Came here on a gorgeous summer evening. Food and service both excellent. Best appetizer was the beet salad which was "phenomenal". For dinners, our group samples the perch, salmon, and whitefish. The whitefish was absolutely sublime and everything else was very tasty. A great restaurant in Manistee! I should have waited on my review because the key like pie was fantastic!! Maybe best ever. 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

Wow! 10 plus experience! We rented top part of restaurant with 21 people with full bar and piano! Paige and Andrew were professional and fast servers! Food moved quickly when needed and paused for presentation! We live in Los Angeles and hosted grandmas 80th birthday! Could not have flowed any better! Food was terrific and NOBODY complained! (Rare in our family!) We'll be back same time next year! read more

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

Nicest atmosphere and cuisine in Manistee. Pretty much the only place where the food is actually prepared for you. Everyone else specializes in deep fried mediocrity but not here! read more

Oh my so delicious! Fresh salad and warm bread and butter. The perch was amazing with the cheesy risotto and fresh sautéed veggies. Excellent!!!!! The scallops and the jambalaya were also reported to be amazing. This place should not be missed! read more

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Even if you aren't staying right in Manistee, it's worth a drive! Atmosphere: white tablecloths, somewhat modern, but in an authentic older space. Great mix of city and small town. This restaurant could be successful in a big city, but still feels like you're in downtown Manistee. Good volume for conversation. Service: excellent, no complaints. Food: Soft, warm bread with herb butter to start (they grow their own herbs in front of the store!). A couple people in my group had draft beers and starter Caesar salads that were great. I had the perch for an entree. The perch was lightly breaded and served with an aioli, parmesan risotto, and warm summer veggies. It was excellent. I left full, but not stuffed, and quite content. Splurge, enjoy, support local business! read more

The Blue Fish was sooo delish! From the moment I walked into the door until we left I was thoroughly impressed with this restaurant. The service was excellent and decor was modern but still had a great sense of place. The food continued to follow suit. There were a lot of fish options on the menu - no surprises there - and my entree was fresh and very well prepared. I had the white fish with summer vegetables and a chipotle corn risotto. All three parts were good alone or eaten with each other. Bottom line: If you're anywhere near the blue fish you must make the trip, you won't regret it. read more

This is the best place to eat in Manistee. Great atmosphere, you can reserve the second floor for a big party, incredible food. Prices aren't bad at all, hostesses are friendly and the waitresses are great. Had the pork belly appetizers, on top of creamy polenta. Local fish and vegetables, tasty Parmesan risotto. Great freshly baked bread, wish I saved room for dessert! read more

We stopped by for a late lunch and both loved this place. The perch tacos were amazing!!! The Pico delicious!! And the Strawberry Mojito was outstanding!! Great patio provides a move casual feel! We will be back!! read more

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

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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

Excellent food and great service. The only thing we didn't like was their strawberry smoothie - tasted artificial, like lipstick if that makes sense. We were able to exchange it for a peach smoothie, which was much better but still had the same artificial flavor in it so we suspect it's from whatever they use as the base for their smoothies. We had the mussels - cooked to perfection, excellent wine broth great for dipping bread into. Smoked fish chowder was excellent - salmon and trout if I remember correctly. It had carrots, potatoes, celery, corn and bits of smoked fish in a thin creamy broth. We had never had smoked fish chowder and were pleasantly surprised. For entrees, we had the apple goat panini - made with MI apples and Traverse city cherries. The goat cheese was very creamy and abundant, mild flavor. The Montmorency cherry port duck was excellent. The skin was crispy, duck was cooked to the perfect temperature - moist and tender. The cherry port sauce was a great complement. I didn't like the polenta so much but that's probably a personal dislike of polenta. Definitely worth the $27. read more

Bluefish Kitchen + Bar - Montmorency Cherry Port Duck - Excellent. Crispy skin, breast cooked to perfection. Moist. $26.95 - New American Near Me - Manistee, Michigan

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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

This was the best restaurant I have eaten at in a long time. We had steaks that were cooked to perfection. The servers were amazing. We were treated with so much respect. Even the servers took pride in what we thought of the restaurant. Atmosphere was amazing. They have beautiful indoor seating with a lot of ambiance. The outdoor seating was comfortable and very quaint. It is right on the river so the views were fantastic. If you are ever in Manistee and do not stop at this restaurant you are missing out. read more

What a find! This fabulous restaurant in Manistee. The food was amazing. The wine list could use some tweaks but its decent. While the service is attentive and extremely helpful, you can tell theyre nervous at this level of service. But incredibly accommodating. The restaurant is beautiful the outdoor space fantastic- i cant say enough! We are big time foodies from Chicago and were so impressed with everything. Tour the Ferry, stroll the bookstore then eat at Bluefish! read more

Bluefish Kitchen + Bar - Smoked trout dip- yummy! - New American Near Me - Manistee, Michigan

The Blue Fish Kitchen was definitely a wonderful surprise! We were in town for an anniversary trip and used yelp to find this treasure. The place is absolutely lovely both inside dining and out on the patio overlooking the riverwalk. We chose to eat outside and enjoyed the California blt and the smoked fish dip. Both were Amazing!! We loved the creamy dip with Crustini breads , it was light and not too fishy , I highly recommend and the wait staff, Laura , was very sweet and attentive. She was at our table to refill drinks and very friendly. She also brought us an awesome surprise dessert to help us celebrate ! We will definitely recommend this gem! read more

Bluefish Kitchen + Bar - This was our surprise dessert! Thank you Laura and Blue Fish Kitchen!! - New American Near Me - Manistee, Michigan

Waking in to this restaurant the visuals are very nice; high cellings and a rustic yet modern feel. It took a few minuets till someone greeted us and sat us at our table. The waitress was not very noligbal of the drink and food menu. The fall drinks that our table ordered lacked in flavor and and mixology. We weren't sure who was the bartender during our time there though, everyone from our server to the host who sat us made drinks. On the other hand I have no complaints about the food; every thing was presented very well and had a good combination of flavors. Hats of to the chef. Minus the fact that our server was a hovering mother on her child's first day of school this restaurant was okay. read more

When in Manistee you need to try this place! Have only been here for lunch, but excellent every time. Food and service wonderful. Good wine selection as well. The price is very reasonable too. read more

Great first experience. The Duck was amazing. The Shrimp n Grits had was very Cajun in persuasion. As yummy as they were,the spice was a bit much fory wife. Guess I should ask for a better description before ordering. Sitting on the deck was quiet with a beautiful view. The server was attentive and very pleasant. Well worth the visit. read more

The food and service were outstanding! My friend had the champagne chx breasts and I had the pasta fra diavolo.

Ordered blackened whitefish with red beans and rice. I'm allergic to dairy. The meal arrived with everything on top of risotto. When I said this isn't right, the meal wasn't suppose to come with risotto and that I have a food allergy. The manager came over and argued with me that it came with risotto, until he went back and got a menu and realized he was wrong. So they sent it back, but just took the fish off the risotto and put it on another plate. Leaving risotto on the bottom of the fish and also on the end of the asparagus. And of course it was cold by this time. They never offered to comp the meal or give me a free desert or a free drink or anything. So my experience wasn't the best. read more

Great location overlooking the riverwalk. Sat outside on the deck on a warm Saturday night. They weren't too busy which I attribute to the rainy weather earlier that day. The pan seared whitefish was delicious as was the Caesar salad. Cocktails were good and service was adequate. Parking was available right in front of the restaurant. Love the old brick interior. Would recommend for date night. read more

Everything we ate here was delicious. The sausage and polenta appetizer was amazing. So what's the soup of the day, which was the corn chowder with sausage and a creamy base. For entrées, I had the lemon scented pan seared perch. It was fresh and very tasty, served with great sautéed vegetables and risotto. Hubby had the black and white fish served with the same size. His was also delicious. Service was friendly and fast, without any obtrusiveness. We sat on the back patio, which overlooks the river. A lovely setting. Highly recommend this place. read more

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Closer to a 4.5. Nice big restaurant with a deck out back overlooking the river. Great service and a decent draught beer list as well. For dinner, I got the pork chop, which was huge, super juicy, and very flavorful - one of the better pork chops I've ever had. read more

We eat at the Blue Fish all the time. Delicious food and great service. The lemon perch is my favorite, but I have a hard time staying away from the steaks too. Top notch service and we love sitting outside. We are lucky to have such a great restaurant in Manistee. read more

This is review for Reservation experience only. We did NOT end up eating there. Looks cool, heard food was good, albeit over priced. We were in town on vacation, celebrating parents 50th wedding anniversary. 3-4 weeks ahead of time, made reservations for 12, on the patio. All set right? No Good thing I called the day before to confirm reservation. I was told, pretty rudely, that they can NOT take reservations for the patio; the previous person did it in error. I did speak to the manager, Derek I believe, in person, the next day. He was very nice, apologetic of error, but still unable to make reservation on patio, per owner. Therefore, we ended up going to the Glenwood, great view of Portage Lake, great food and service, spent over $600; guess owner of Bluefish doesn't need the money? read more

My husband and I had our reception here. FANTASTIC! Contact With their manager was easy and quick. The price was sooo reasonable. They were incredibly accommodating with a couple of last minute requests. On top of that, guests told us it was the best food they had ever had a wedding. We absolutely recommend this business! read more

Beautiful space. We were seated inside, but happened to be there at sunset--the colors reflected off the river into the windows and it was magical. So good start. Surprisingly not busy on a Friday (post season) Our waiter was friendly and laid back--put up with my husband's silly jokes. Oh, and food was excellent... read more

What a delight!!!! Stopped for a lunch on a beautiful fall day and was seated out on the patio. Great views and great food! They had just switched to the fall menu, so i ordered the butternut squash and apple salad and my husband ordered the Cuban. Wow! Both meals were absolutely delicious and fresh! I would highly recommend Blue Fish kitchen and will definitelty come back again and try the dinner menu the next time we're in the area. read more

Almost everything we've ever gotten has been excellent. The single best item on their menu is the white fish and risotto. It's probably the best plate in town. Beautiful facility and great views. Outdoor seating. The service sometimes leaves much to be desired. Most servers and bartenders can't be bothered. read more

Interesting and historic building, much better eating than expected to find in Manistee. Friendly and efficient service and a menu that makes me want to return. I had the warm whitefish dip to start and blueberry and blue cheese salad, both were excellent. Recommended read more

Grilled salmon Greek salad was delicious. Great atmosphere. Finley waitstaff and great listening music. Lovely location by the river.

My wife and I recently stayed two nights at the Dempsey Manor Bed & Breakfast and we were referred to the Blue Fish Kitchen which was in easy walking distance. During our two days, the food was so wonderful and the service was so excellent, that we had lunch there one afternoon and dinner both evenings. I am looking forward returning very soon. read more

Great food! Really the best view as far as eating out in Manistee. Filet was great and so was the champagne chicken. Went back for brunch it was so good! read more