Tried this place when on vacation and it was delicious. From the wife's drinks to the food everything was perfect .

I would never go there again the waitress was totally rude and I'll be 60 years old so no not a good place to go for me they have better restaurants on the main strip in Southhaven better than that and I know how to treat people well. read more

Always a good time at Captain Lou's! Strong drinks and flavorful food. Service has always been fairly quick, even when they are busy. I'm not a huge taco fan, but they're my go to here. Both the Cajun perch and shrimp are my favorite. I would get tots over fries, super crispy and addicting. They usually have a band that plays at night as well. read more

See all

Best jalapeño poppers I've ever had. Drinks were better than average. Beautiful view on the water. Relaxing.

Great location, food and service! Our server Cassidy did a great job on a hot Saturday afternoon. Only waited a few minutes for a table outside. Stopped for a quick lunch on the way to the beach. Cassidy was new to the job, but very thorough and personable. Fun place! read more

This place has super fun night life! Cheap drinks and good bar food! Live band and dancing!

I will preface by saying that I did not physically go to Captain lou's so take that into consideration. Some of our family went and ate in house and brought take out home for other family members. They brought home perch fish and chips and it was amazing. Still crispy upon arrival. Batter for fried fish is seasoned and delicious. Tater tots also good. Place looks cool, we drive by it many times. My parents sat right on the water. Would definitely go back. read more

Meg and Jess were all around perfect. Between the drink recommendations to the suggestion on the food menu, they knew what to suggest. Best spot in town! read more

Great waterfront summertime food & drinks. Wide variety of ice cold beers. Lindy Lou perch tacos are worth the visit alone. Busy whenever weather is good. read more

Love love loveeee Captain Lou's!! You absolutely cannot beat the atmosphere, right on the water, great views, all outdoors, during the day and at night it is wonderful (and the staff is pretty easy on the eyes too). I got the Cajun perch Rueben with sweet potato fries and it was so much food but all absolutely delicious and came out hot, even though the place was packed! My drink was strong, delicious, and served quickly. Water - always full. Staff was super attentive. Can't beat it - would recommend to anyone and everyone! read more

This had to be the worst food that I ever attempted to eat. The fries were over salted and the famous fish was not so good. We waited about 90 minutes and watched several people walk out. If you like to drink, I am sure it is a great place. Don't go for the food- one of the people in our party had a burger which she also said was awful. Such a disappointment after waiting so long. read more

Best perch dinner in the area. Served two ways regular and spicy. Atmosphere is upbeat and fun. Beer is cold, and wait staff is super efficient and friendly! read more

I love the Cajun Perch dinner here. It's one of my favorite meals! We drive 50 miles 3-4 times during the summer to have it! Even though we love the food, the service the last couple of times has been poor. The server we had was very nice, but we (and the tables around us) had to get his attention several times for drink refills and our checks. My wife had ordered fish tacos and one of them accidentally was knocked off of the table. After we cleaned it up, I had asked the server if they would consider making her another one acknowledging that it was our fault the tray got knocked over. He checked with manager who said no and that there would be an additional charge. Not wanting to pay for another meal my wife just said not to worry about it. Obviously the manager wasn't obligated, but I think that there are times, especially in the service industry these days, when you have a opportunity to do something thoughtful and nice for a customer. This was one of those opportunities. It was, however, lost. read more

Fun place. We stopped for lunch and had a great perch basket. Super fresh. Great place in South Haven.

Cool looking place but the food is extremely bland. Order Cajun style for things unless you like bland food.

Service was terrible. Not sure what previous reviewers were referring to, but there seems to be absolutely no system to seating other than other combative patrons scrapping for a table and an inattentive bouncer hanging out with his friend in the front. Once we finally got a table, waiter took forever to greet us. Food was exceptionally average, ambience was destroyed by locals seemingly on the verge of getting in a fight at all moments, and everything was overpriced (not to mention an absurd credit card policy). If you're visiting South Haven and/or are a family DO NOT come here. read more

Location - 4.5 stars Food - 2.5 Stars beer selection 3 stars The location of this bar is pretty awesome, however, as my 4.5 stars indicates, its not perfect. There is a limited number of seats that have the great view of the harbor and lake. While I didn't order and sandwiches, the "chips" and dip were pretty much meh. They were cold and the dip was from a can. The beer selection really only boasts one local michigan beer - Bell's Oberon, plus your crappy, i mean standard choices of mgd, bud, etc. If this place upped the anti on the beers and had more prime seats, i would give it another star. Overall the place is nice for a beer and standard bar food. read more

Captain Lou's is your typical waterfront bar with food - my expectations weren't very high and this place won't deliver more than you expect if what you're looking for is a nice view, a place to watch people/boats go by and a thirst quenching adult beverage. There are limited tables with a nice water view and when the place is crowded (every summer weekend) you will likely sit somewhere in the main bar which doesn't have much of a view at all (unless you're seated right by the window). Our server was nice and fairly prompt and we ordered a few drinks and salads, tacos and sandwiches. The tacos were ok, (chips and salsa are straight out of the bag/jar). The Cesar Salad had tomatoes on it which should give you some insight on it's authenticity but it was a pretty good salad. I ordered a fish sandwich that came on marble rye with coleslaw on it - and a very long dark hair. I told our waitress who apologized and replaced it. The sandwich was surprisingly delicious aside from the "extra" ingredient. When the check came, without any compensation for the issue with my sandwich, we asked if it was customary to have your food served with a hair in it and no visit from a manager or any adjustment to the bill - the server said she did tell the manager. We asked her if he could stop by the table. Several minutes later she returned with the adjusted bill, having taken off the sandwich - no visit to the table, no apology. Honestly - we have been underwhelmed with most of the restaurants we've visited in South Haven but we don't come here for the restaurants. Keep your expectations low and watch for those "extra" ingredients and you'll be ok. read more

A great summer time party spot by both tourists and locals alike! A quick walk over the bridge from downtown, on the north side, is Captain Lou's. As a local, I love walking here for a cold drink after a hot day at the North Beach. The front patio overlooks the harbor and channel into Lake Michigan, and the back patio has been redone with a beach theme and circular bar. On some Friday or Saturday nights there's a very entertaining 3 person band that plays top 40 and dance songs - so much fun, they get everyone dancing! You will pay a cover whenever there is entertaining, and ignore the "bouncers" on a power trip. I can't comment on the food, since I've never eaten there. read more

Captain Lou's sits right at the foot of the drawbridge in South Haven and is THE place to have a nice meal/drinks and watch all the goings on in the harbor. My husband and I were there for an early supper on the 4th of July so I was pleasantly surprised that we were able to get a table right on the dock area of the restaurant. We enjoyed watching the parade of boats passing under the bridge every 30 minutes. The wait staff is friendly and attentive. The food is good but nothing to get excited about. I had the deep fried perch and it was reasonably good. My husband had the shrimp and said it was good. It was pretty much a family atmosphere but I doubt I would take children there much after the dinner hour. It was just a bit pricey but nothing worse than you would expect in a touristy area. read more

Captain Lou's - Captain Lou's - New American Near Me - South Haven, Michigan

Great outdoor patio for drinking. And for vegans, they have the Impossible Burger! For everyone: tater tots!!!

This place is terrific. My wife and I have been here many times and it's quickly becoming our favorite summer outing. Met Eric the GM and his bride to be, Aubrie (sp?). Great people. Setting is great, right on the river, service is always excellent and food is very good (much better than your average bar fare). You won't be disappointed at Captain Lou's!!! read more

I just love Captain Lou's. We stop here whenever traveling up the Western Coast of Michigan. Sitting at the outside dinning, watching boats come and go, draw bridge going up and down, and cool tunes usually makes for a nice stop. The food is tasty and the beer is cold. The fish tacos we had on the last visit were really top notch. Whether you are staying in SH or just passing through, I recommend Captain Lou's. Yummy and fun. read more

Run down, nasty ladies' room, perch wasn't very tasty. Overrated Yelp reviews. Kind of a dump.

Food was really good but high for what is. Had 2 mixed drinks and 1 beer and it was more than the food.

Can't visit South Haven without a trip to Captain Lous. Their service is quickest and staff is the friendliest in town!

Went here a few years ago and they folded our ID in half, voiding the ID, days after we turned 21 on vacation. Then this year, a person projectile vomited on three people in our party (during covid) then tried to fight us and the bouncers told us that we were the issue and didn't even kick the person out. GO ANYWHERE ELSE. read more

We have been to Captain Lou's many times over the last 10 years, and always enjoyed the food, the service, the drinks, the view, and the fun beachy, laid-back atmosphere. Except last night. We got back to South Haven and top of our bucket-list was a summer evening meal at Captain Lou's. We got seated fast at 6pm. We got our order of 2 fried perch dinner baskets right in. We waited and waited and waited and waited for the food to come. After 45 minutes our waitress came to our table to apologize for the wait and promised the food was coming soon. 30 more minutes of waiting. Finally one hour and 15 minutes after placing our order it came. The French fries were cold and soggy. The fried fish was tepid, not hot. The portions were definitely not worth the $19 bucks we paid per meal. That was our last time there. Never again. The waitress was good, but the food and the value were not. There are plenty of other good places to eat in South Haven - go there instead. Paul W. read more

Obviously this place has a great location; right on the water. Although they could just capitalize on that fact alone while serving swill and slop, they certainly do not settle for that. All of their burgers can have the beef patty swapped out for an Impossible burger for $2! So this vegetarian can get a delicious casual dinner while out with friends. They only have bottled beers but it's a good selection of local brews so no complaints. All in all a fantastic joint to enjoy some drinks and get food with a view. read more

The nice atmosphere is not enough to balance the poor burguers we were served yesterday: not tasty, without juice, some overcooked (carbonized on the surface). It dies not value for the money you pay. I do not recommend this place if you want to eat. read more

Burger was not good. A few people got the perch and said that was ok. Atmosphere was nice along the river.

This restaurant does not offer carry out until after 8 pm, even though their website claims they offer curbside pick-up. Not covid friendly, and a poor business practice. read more

We stopped at Captain Lou's on our way upnorth from Florida. We were very happy with our server.. friendly and very accommodating. We ordered the perch basket which was delicious and cooked perfectly and the shrimp tacos were some of the best I've had. We love the vibe at Lou's. Plus they have a great assortment of tee shirts and other paraphernalia for sale at very reasonable prices. We will always make it a go to Spot in SoHa! read more

This is my favorite bar in south haven. Right on the water and perfect for watching the boats meander by and the bridge go up or down. They often have live music in the evenings, and the food is simple and good. The lake perch fish and chips are awesome. read more

Stopped into South Haven on our drive home from Saugatuck to Chicago. This place is a super cute spot for a bite and cocktail, right on the water. I had the Silver King Reuben and was nervous it wouldn't be as good as it sounded but omg it was delicious. Most of our table got some form of perch and the fish was so good. Drinks were great and service even better! Shoutout to Zoey and Carly for being amazing servers and for the great conversation :) read more

Absolutely disgusting cleanliness wise. Waited two hours for food. Needs the food inspection people to show up. Would not recommend anyone. TV's don't work, owner no where to be found, food horrible. Waitress complained about owner as well. Doesn't seem like he cares. read more

This is a cute little place right on the harbor within walking distance of the Old Harbor Inn where we stayed. It was pretty hot the day we were there, so we chose to sit inside out of the sun. It's all open, but there was a nice breeze going through. We had cheeseburgers which were pretty good, and I had asked the waitress what she recommended for a good mixed drink and she made me some blue curacao drink that was EXTREMELY good! I didn't add a dollar bill to the collection on the ceiling/walls, but I was wondering how many drinks I could buy if I started picking them off :) read more

Captain Lou's - New American Near Me - South Haven, Michigan

Once considered a dodgy spot tucked behind Jensen's and barely a legitimate watering hole, Captain Lou's has risen to the top of South Haven bar scene. They've done a lot with a little at this riverfront under-the-drawbridge location. Come here to enjoy tropical drinks and summery beers on the water while seated at wooden hightop tables liberally covered with marine grade polyurethane. There's a definite seasonal "bare bones" mostly bottled beer and hearty hard liquor feel to the drink assortment. Drink menu? What's that? In this way it reminds me of a bar you'd find on a remote tropical island where their deliveries occur by boat. But they've bolstered the legitimacy of the place over the years. They didn't used to have a blender but now they do. They didn't used to have much of a kitchen but now they have a kids menu (though I still wouldn't recommend coming here for the food). They didn't used to have draft beer but now have a keg fridge with Bell's Oberon on tap. Little by little the place has become more full fledged without losing its authenticity. Lou's succeeds because it's found the perfect intersection of tropical, nautical, and southwest Michigan then blended it together with a fun "everyone's welcome" atmosphere. Highly recommended. Ownership: If you ever want to sell this gem, call me. read more

Ana provided terrible service. Asked her about items on the menu two times and she didn't know. Which is fine but she didn't bother to ask a coworker and just said "don't know" and when asking about size of patties she just said "a regular size" didn't refill our water. Didn't ask how we were. Walked past us multiple times without taking our cards after getting out bill. Very unfriendly and lacked emotion. read more

while visiting South Haven last summer, found this nice place right on the water. A few of us stopped in and had a few drinks on a Saturday night. Good music (DJ), cute waitress, alcohol, and good times... We didn't have any food, so I can't comment on that. read more