(to finish a partial review I left three years ago) ...but after a couple of visits my husband and I were left scratching our heads, at a loss to describe what we found lacking; the best we could come up with is "it's too.....not....something". Not distinguishable from uninspired seafood restaurants in the touristy areas of Chicago? Not inspired to produce divine dishes at a price locals can afford? The upshot is: we haven't been back since before that review three years ago. Sigh. I did want to like them, if only to support fine dining in this area and a business in Benton Harbor. read more

Ordered the pork chop as it is my favorite and is a wonderful cut with a lovely blueberry reduction It was a featured item and also one of the most expensive things on the menu. When it came it turned out to be way overdone and tough. They offered to make another one but we didn't want to wait another 45 minutes so they apologized and comped us dessert. Very polite and classy. What we've come to expect from this restaurant. read more

Been there twice. Both times great menu and food. Can't beat the bread and oil starter. Simple salad is much more than that. Well prepared swordfish and beef. Worth the drive, highly recommend read more

One of our favorites!!! Food, drinks, and service are all fantastic - the French onion purses appetizer is a favorite!

You can eat with a water view! Good service good menu and food so what else is important?

Delicious food and amazing service! The French onion soup was one of the best I've had. Also recommend the roasted chicken.

Fish normally doesn't travel well but both the salmon and halibut along with their sides were excellent. They paired well with a French white from the Loire Valley. We have and will remain longtime customers. It's great to have gourmet to go. Six stars! read more

I felt a little bit unenthusiastic about my meal - which is likely due to the fact that it was soup and salad lunch and no drinks. But it was extremely solid. I got the vegan chili. I was concerned about the tomato and acid reflux but it was perfectly fine! It was extremely bean-filled, which was great! I got the turkey sandwich and I thought the meat was of very high quality. Think moist thanksgiving turkey slices. I would love to come back to try dinner and drinks! Their cocktails seemed very inspired. read more

HO. LY. CRAP. Checked out this place on a Friday night with my husband and some friends and ending up going back the next night with other friends who were in town visiting. This will definitely be the place we take out-of-towners to try to impress them with the Southwest MI area. "Move here. Please? We have good food! See?" The french onion purses are something I could eat every day for the rest of my life. Bold statement, yes, but I don't take food lightly and neither does Bread + Bar judging by their fresh ingredients and mouthwatering menu. Get the bread board. You won't be disappointed. Especially if the whitefish is available. I didn't even know I LIKED whitefish until last weekend! Definitely make a reservation if you want to be seated or you could wait 45 minutes or longer. The only downfall to this place is the noise. But the food is so good you'll be too busy eating to talk anyway! Can't wait for their patio to open, so I can stare at the water while enjoying a nice glass of local wine and those freaking amazing french onion purses. read more

I really enjoyed my trip to Bread+Bar for lunch. I started out my meal with the whitefish salad. I am not normally a fan of fish on salads but this one tasted great. The fish was cooked to perfection and the maple vinaigrette gave it a hint of sweetness but not too much. For the main course I tried the Nueske's Ham on Pretzel bread. This sandwich is served hot so the gouda cheese was actually melted into the Ham and pretzel bread. They also throw some honey mustard on the sandwich and while the honey mustard did taste a little sweet it was also kind of a spicy mustard. The best part of the meal was when we decided to split some deserts. We ordered the truffles and the creme brulee. The truffles were chocolate and dusted with chocolate powder. They were as good as any truffles I've ever had. The real slice of awesome was the creme brulee though. That was probably the best desert dish I have ever had. Oh yeah, besides all of the great food the service was outstanding as well. The servers haircut could have used a little improvement but otherwise it was all perfect. read more

This place was very tasty! Came here to celebrate my birthday after reading the write up in Edible Michiana. Enjoyed the cocktails, particularly the Jalisco Trident. The wine list was approachable, yet offered a selection that pleased my husband, who works in wine retail in NYC. We had the Muga rosé. We had a selection of Tartines and small plates that we all really enjoyed- we really liked the rigatoni, meatballs, French onion purses, and brussels sprouts. As far as the tartines - tomato and gruyere, Serrano ham and manchego, and smoked whitefish and cream cheese were our favs. Between the good food and good service, I would definitely return and recommend others to visit. read more

Bread+Bar - Trio of Tartines- Serrano ham and manchego was my favorite, followed by the smoked whitefish and cream cheese. - New American Near Me - Benton Harbor, Michigan

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First experience at this fun spot in a revitalized area. Great food, fun atmosphere with a friendly staff. The smoked whitefish salad had the best whitefish I have ever had in my life. We also shared the the tartines for an app and they were great. I had the pork chop and my wife had the lamb chops. I would highly recommend both. All in all we were pleasantly surprised to find this quality of food and service at such a great value in Benton Harbor. We come to this area about once a year, and we will visit BreadBar every time we are in town. read more

This was a hard one to rate. I'd like to have given a 4 star review but service was very very poor and cause for the 3. After reading reviews this looked like a good option for a more up scale upscale dinner option visiting Saint Joseph. The restaurant itself is very aesthetically pleasing. We were sat right away as we beat the dinner crowd that came in behind us. My husband and two teenage sons all ordered the special " filet , with wilard potatoes , zucchini, and side salad. They brought a bread basket to the table immediately as we were sat down promptly by the host .The bread was outstanding ! Water was brought to the table in a chilled bottle with glasses but not poured for us .. which I found odd and a little off putting. I had to ask the waitress if we could order our drinks and appetizers as she was passing by. She stopped and took our order and after seeing I had poured the water she took the water bottle that was still half full off the table .. like why??? My one son only drinks water. She finally brought drinks and our appetizers. The appetizers did not disappoint we had onion purses and meatballs . Both where excellent. Salads came with the dinners I requested balsamic vinaigrette which came with mine ... however , I received the vinaigrette and no oil to mix with . The salad was inedible. Try straight balsamic vinaigrette and you'll find out why ugh.... our steaks came out about 40 minutes later. During our wait. The waitress didn't come by and ask if we needed anything , bring more bread , refill our drinks, nor did she ever bring back the water bottle placed on our table. read more

Is this place ever open? Really unprofessional to advertise hours of operation and then not adhere to them. We drove all the way out to this place and it was closed. I can't even tell if it's in operation anymore, the interior looked pretty grungy and outdated. Will definitely not be back. read more

great food and good service but NOT good for kids. They have a kids menu and they do have high chairs, but there isn't a changing table in the restroom. Parents with kids in diapers be warned- you will have to change your child on the floor. read more

Dinner was over priced and small portions vs what I was expecting. Ps..they call it the bread bar and you don't even get bread your meal? I ordered the dinner pasta and no bread. Hum.... In their defense I haven't been there for lunch and others say the service and food are pretty solid for that time of day. Maybe I'll give them another shot. I won't be going back for dinner. read more

What a great meal. Table of 6, and we tried many of the dishes. Service was fun, and friendly. The room was gorgeous. Can't wait to go back. Sriracha Chicken was A+. Save room for the Pink Lemonade cake. read more

Wow!! Fantastic servers! They made us feel very welcome, and were quite attentive. My husband and I ate there last evening, and a summer storm was forecasted. We asked to eat outside, as it was quite pleasant at the time. Not only were we seated outside, but they reserved a table for us inside when the storm eventually came in. The food was good - we had the mussels and steak. Both prepared well. Not spectacular, but quite nice. Bread was terrific - bit of swiss bakery is outstanding. Wine list was acceptable - good variety and options. Don't be alarmed by the location or exterior. Location is definitely Benton Harbor - urban outdoor environment. However inside is upscale and modern. There is a small bar area (hence the name) and looked quite popular. Give the restaurant a try - I think you will enjoy it! read more

The décor here is 5 stars, as is the service. I loved the roast beef sandwich. The pink lemonade cake is also pretty good, though I would prefer slightly less sweet frosting. The only downside was the tomato soup, bland and lacking balance. It tasted like tomato puree. The green pieces of herb on top had no flavor and had the texture of tough grass, needs to be left out altogether. Add something to that soup...crema, croutons, seasoning, anything... read more

Just finished an excellent meal here. We had the strip steak and it was so tender and flavorful! The dessert selections are wonderful. We had the deconstructed strawberry shortcake. The wait staff earn every penny, working nonstop, serving and bussing their tables. I can't think of anything that could have made the experience better. read more

My review is mostly for the service... The food was fantastic, I definitely recommend this place. There was a downfall. Coming in with 14 is always overwhelming and being a server myself I understand how this can go. Needless to say we were not too awful, each of us had 2 drinks max, had apps, and dinner. We warned our waitress that we were doing separate checks, it may not have been exact but it was logical. At the end out server was so rude about separating our checks, even after we had told her that they would be separate. She even complained to another server within earshot. that she was complaining within earshot. She was even rude and rushed 2 of our late comers due to car issues. This server definitely ruined our experience. I hope the manager figures out bad staff will poison the restaurant. read more

This place is a breath of fresh air for the area for lunch! I work locally and lunch options are very limited and almost always too slow to be a option to eat at in under an hour. But Bread+Bar is great! We can get in and out with full service in around 45 minutes. Unfortunately have heard a lot of bad things about dinner menu and service, but every time we've had lunch we have thoroughly enjoyed our food and service! Another note- To Go service is terrible! If you order something don't automatically expect that it will be given to you the same way it comes in the restaurant. Sandwiches don't come with salads UNLESS you ask for them, salads don't come with bread UNLESS you ask for them, and sometimes even when you order things don't assume they will be in your bag. It's unfortunate that since there are only a handful of halfway decent restaurants in this area that they really don't have to care about making their customers happy! The food is great and we will return for lunch but this place could be MUCH better! read more

I'm new to the area and was delighted to be taken to this charming dinner spot this evening! The decor is rustic - but very modern. A great spot for happy hour with colleagues. The menu is limited, but absolutely delicious (we tried the meatballs & Brussel sprouts for apps, and the Chicken for a shared main course-- all were flavorful, perfectly seasoned and plentiful in portion size). They've nailed the farm-to-table menu. Our bartender was wonderful! She helped me navigate the wine menu, was attentive with water refills and was truly a pleasure to served by. As a newbie to the town, I'm grateful this hotspot is in my back yard and will be back again very soon! read more

Excellent, fresh food. The smoked whitefish tartines and the french onion purses were excellent. The balsamic vinegar & bacon Brussels sprouts were also very good. If you believe that dinner should be a slab of beef, a heap of mashed potatoes, and a quart of gravy, bread+bar is not for you; if your tastes are more adventurous, be sure to visit. read more

I love eating at the Bread Bar. The atmosphere is very comfortable. Casual dining with a view of the St. Joseph River. Smoked Whitefish salad is great . Eggplant Parmesan sandwich is a favorite. Desserts are fantastic. Pink lemonade cake is the best, but seasonal. read more

Bread+Bar - Pink lemonade cake - New American Near Me - Benton Harbor, Michigan

We really want to LOVE this place, but... Excited to see what they have done in an old insurance building (I think?), great ambiance, trendy and casual, although when busy very noisy, although have been told they are working on it... Service has been great, Nicole has been our bartender as well as Billy, and both very accommodating, and enjoyable to talk to... We enjoy sitting at the bar, and this bar falls a bit short- there are only a couple of great seats, otherwise you risk sitting next to the kitchen or being bumped by the staff at the service station. Food is good, but do feel there is a bit of hype with it...we always leave hungry. For the two of us we are used to leaving full and satisfied from places like the Ideal Place in Benton Harbor, or Soes in Sawyer... We have experimented twice with (1 salad, plus 1 app, plus one main dish to share), and then the last time we each got a main dish and shared an app- 2 drinks each, but still hungry, with a bills of $80 to $100(we included tip to this)- thus higher than some of our other favorite haunts, and equal in quality. We love the Roast Chicken, the salmon was ok (disappointed it was farm raised), small piece and came with no sides, vege's or anything. The French Onion purses appetizer are delicious, both the white fish and arugula salad are decent. I believe outside seating is soon, and that should be a great place to have a drink and a bite. We will continue to go, although not as regular as our other favorites. read more

Wow! What a great find! My friend and I stopped here for lunch on it day excursion to St.j Joseph / Benton Harbor. The restaurant is absolutely beautiful with a modern craftsman vintage vibe. Our service was excellent. I had a bowl oh roasted tomato soup that was so tasty and fresh and got thAt writh a half of a roast beef sandwich - filled with arugula, horseradish mayo and tiny matchstick potoroos. On a Bit of Swiss pretzel bun- delicious!!! My friend had Swiss onion soup and and open face eggplant Parmesan sandwich- WOW!! She loved it!!! We will be coming back!! read more

Bread+Bar - Excelllent roasted tomato soup with half a roast beef sandwich on a pretzel bun. - New American Near Me - Benton Harbor, Michigan

We have always had a great meal at this place.. Every time we go..They know how to cook fish! Last night I had the Sea Bass Special which paired with the Arugula salad, was exceptional! My husband had the Half Michigan Chicken and loved it! It is our favorite restaurant in the area! read more

Inconsistent. That's really the only word to use for this place. Fresh croutons? Delicious. Charcuterie? I try not to lick the plate. Crunchy lentils...not so much. I've never had a bad meat option here, but the sides have been undercooked on multiple occasions. The bread and dessert options are always wonderful (Bit of Swiss is so good). The ambiance and service are also quite good, and despite the sides this is easily the best fine dining in the area. read more

We came on a Saturday night and a lot of the food we wanted was sold out which was a bummer but I was able to eat something I normally wouldn't have ordered and it was delicious! I wasn't a huge fan of the tartines actually which was surprising because in theory they are all things I love. Our waiter was very nice and the drink selection was very good. We had the lemon custard mixed berry cobbler, so good, freshly baked! Yummmmy! We will def be back. Oh and as we were leaving we got a huge bread for free since they would be closed the next day! Bonus points!! read more

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Wow, did Bread+Bar ever surprise me. I came to benton harbor/St. Joseph to escape Chicago for the weekend, and happened to stop by here while driving around the city. The inside of the restaurant has a modern rustic feel, very clean and well laid out. The service was very good, but since we came at an off time we also happened to be the only ones there. The food was top notch...their pretzel knots is the best pretzel bread I've ever eaten. It was so good, that I ordered a second one after we finished our meal. The tartines and potato croquettes were very good, but not on the same level as the pretzel bread. This is now on my regular list of places to visit when I'm in Benton Harbor, and it should be on yours. Seriously, get the pretzel knots. read more

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A favorite for a terrific and varied menu, exceptional food, and good service. The French onion "purses" are amazing. Every dish was excellent. And the staff - went above and beyond helping us celebrate 2 birthdays and making our birthday celebrants feel very special. The staff made a presentation of the cake we had brought from their bakery, Bit of Swiss, even locating a candle. Always enjoy dining here - the extra touches by the staff made this simply amazing. read more

This place has high quality food at a reasonable price. Lunch sqndwiches are a comparable price to the restaurants feeding tourists downtown with much better food. We would pay more for larger portions. Yelp says this place is good for kids. It technically is a place where kids are welcomed but I wouldn't say my 2- and 5-year olds fit in. Caters to the trendy dressing business crowd who don't want the setting too upscale. I would take a client out here if I were in my big city. read more

I ordered the blood red orange martini which I def enjoyed. For dinner I got the eggplant parmigiana sandwich which came with a salad. The arugula salad was nice and light in a delicious dressing topped with cheese. I enjoyed my eggplant sandwich but definitely felt like there could have been less bread n more eggplant. For dessert, they brought out a slice of delicious cheesecake for my bday. It had an Oreo crust n was topped w whipped cream and shaved coconut....AMAZING! And it was on the house since it was my bday. read more

Bread+Bar - Blood Red Orange Martini - New American Near Me - Benton Harbor, Michigan

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Food was very good. Enjoyed the French Onion Soup purses and the coconut shrimp. My husband enjoyed the Walleye. No complaints, we would go back again. read more

Amazing! The ambiance and decor are absolutely wonderful. The food was delicious and so balanced. The drinks were tasty and potent. I had the Bloody Mary which was very flavorful and not overwhelmingly salty. The Asian salad with chicken was to die for. I also had soup which was outstanding. The location was of the beaten path but well worth the wait. I would definitely return. read more

So good! Service was lovely as was the atmosphere. I got the grilled cheese and tomato soup and it anything but basic. Very rich but perfectly proportioned. Definitely recommend for a nice lunch. read more

Bread+Bar - Grilled cheese and tomato soup - New American Near Me - Benton Harbor, Michigan

Interesting cuisine with fresh ingredients, prepared with attention to detail. Bread and deserts are worth a trip over the river, and views are spectacular at sunset year round. read more

My favorite time to come is dinner. Lunch is light with sandwiches salads and soups but the best plates are the dinner entrees! Don't forget to ask for a basket of bread with your meal (or before) and at the end always ask to see the desserts. You'll literally be shown the desserts. read more

Went to Bread+Bar tonight for a little bite of eat and a couple drinks and opted to sit at the bar. We've been to bread+bar in the past and always had a good time. But this time went above and beyond our expectations. The bartender recommended my fiancée a drink he LOVED. As a bartender in the area that enjoys going out we often receive poor service in the area due to poor training. This bartender was amazing my fiancé isn't really a fan of going out and often feels uncomfortable. He had an AMAZING time. Good service should be complimented. P.s. the good wife cocktail is my new favorite! Sincerely, A St Joseph resident tired of bad service read more