This restaurant has everything to make a very enjoyable experience. We started with Happy Hour drinks and Jalapeño poppers. Our server, Nick was great and the poppers were the best we have had. We moved into the dining room for dinner where every seat has a water view. The food was great and our server Nick continued to take excellent care of us. I highly recommend Freshwater Tavern. read more

Beautiful atmosphere with inventive and delicious dinners. Terrific variety. Also loved the cocktails. Excellent and attentive service. Highly recommend. read more

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SOMEONE needs to train their bar staff and inform them they are in the hospitality industry!!!!! Service was pathetic!!! I have worked in restaurants for over 25 years and I honestly was so disappointed when I was there this week. I was looking forward to a nice evening with an appetizer, a drink and then a nice dinner. I left without ordering a dinner because the service was so bad!!!! There were four people behind the bar and not one of them greeted me or made eye contact except for to get an initial drink order. I ordered an appetizer once I got her attention again and the crab stuffed mushrooms were...cheese topped mushrooms. I don't even think there was much crab...if any. It was served next to a bed of greens that were smothered in a bitter oil and salt. I asked the bartender if it was supposed to be consumed or whether it was just to dress the plate because I couldn't eat it. She responded that people liked it and walked away. No desire to make things better. No apology or acknowledgment of my disappointment. I then moved to the lounge, which was supposedly part of the bar and was never approached by anyone for over an hour. So...I decided to skip dinner and cash out instead of enjoying a meal. Utterly Disappointed. Management needs to pay attention!!!! read more

Our meal was delicious and we had a quiet, unhurried dinner with friends. Pork shank and lobster ravioli were the wonderful entrees and we were thrilled with the 1/2 off happy hour drinks and free birthday meal. Lovely birthday!! Jordan was a lovely, attentive server. Thank you read more

Dinner was great! Service was spot on! The walleye was fantastic- perfectly breaded. Pork shank did not disappoint. Ribs we fall off the bone good! Even the simple potstickers were amazing, Drinks were great too! View of the bay is beautiful, no one enjoys staring at it through bugs on the windows though. Prices are sticker shock. Portions are very generous- so it makes up for the price. Don't expect a meal with soup/salad/bread- you get what you order. If you are trying to feed a family- there is a kids menu to ask for. read more

Food was great. Cocktail choices are great too. I had the curry shrimp and whitefish, and the hubs had the beer battered walleye, yummy. Cheese cake!!! Yes please. read more

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Tanisha was outstanding!!! Food was amazing- Drinks were on point - dessert that she recommend hit the spot. Thank you from Chicago. read more

100% Recommend!!! We went in July, the weather was perfect. Grab a seat outside you won't be disappointed. We had the jalapeño poppers, the seafood risotto and the filet and walleye and it was freaking good! Topped with a red blend wine and a flight. The food here is amazing and the ambience is quite relaxing read more

Freshwater Tavern - Rolls and delicious butter assortment - New American Near Me - Gladstone, Michigan

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Excellent food, costly as compared to most restaurants in the area, but there are some dishes we come back for again and again.

Food was amazing! Chef had some great southern creations like Pork shank and cheesy grits with roasted Brussels! The cocktails were great as well read more

Start to finish we had an amazing meal! 1. Rolls with butter flight - When did this become a thing?! Unbelievable. The butters are regular, garlic herb, red pepper, and cinnamon. We had regular rolls, cheese rolls, and cinnamon rolls. 2. Brussel sprout chips - Shredded sprouts with onion straws in what tasted like a honey siracha sauce. Would definitely order again! 3. My husband had the seafood Mac and cheese. Big pieces of lobster! I asked the server for his opinion between the jumbo shrimp and whitefish. He told me to go with the whitefish and I'm so glad he did! I ate every bite. 4. We are on our honeymoon and the couple next to us was too. They treated us to the Fireball Banana Foster. Great way to finish off dinner! We may be back tomorrow! read more

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Gorgeous view and yes, even though it's extremely difficult to out-do Lake Michigan, Freshwater Tavern did it! Our group of 8 was ending a lovely vacation week in the UP when we visited. I called ahead for reservations just to make sure we had a table. Our server was prompt, courteous, and had no trouble managing our group! All our food even came out at the same time! Our choices ran the gamut of their menu from the yummy Brussels sprout appetizer, to burgers and seafood for dinner, to dessert! I was so pleased with my whitefish and veggies wrapped in parchment paper. Perfectly cooked! We also enjoyed the lobster/shrimp Mac and cheese, the vegan jackfruit burger (daring and yummy!!), walleye sandwich (that I wish wasn't a sandwich but still was pretty awesome), tavern burger, and salmon. We had a tough time choosing a dessert - we wanted them all! You seriously can't go wrong with bananas foster and apple orange crisp, but do me a favor and have the skillet cookie and cheesecake that were our runners-up! Their martinis are outstanding, and you can also get beer flights. And when you are in Michigan, you best drink up. It's some of the best beer in the country! Definitely come for the view, but you'll find the food tries its darnedest to out-do it. The Freshwater Tavern is a must-visit in the Gladstone area!! read more

Updating my review since I've been back a couple times and had a great experience both times! Menu is completely different now. They have a lot of great options that are unique for the UP, and the UP is lucky to have them to switch it up! I had the whitefish sambal and we shared a couple desserts. Everything was 10/10 read more

I've been back to the Freshwater three times since my last review. About 5 weeks ago I went with my husband. I had the halibut special that was delicious. My husband had filet and walleye with Tuscan potatoes that were dried out and had far too much rosemary on them. Tonight I went with a friend and we each had the shaved prime rib sandwich. $28 The prime rib was completely overcooked and dried out and the roll was greasy. Neither of us ate it or took it home. We ordered coffee after dinner and it was so weak like drinking warm water. Two weeks ago I stopped in for drinks with friends. 3 espresso martinis $44 at least they were good. I used to love everything about this place. I had intentions of buying certificates for Christmas gifts. I'm going to rethink that. read more

Lovely view of bay with friendly service and great gf choices. Will definitely stop by again for shrimp curry and also blackened walleye tacos read more

Warning..... the portions served are HUGE! (And if someone mentioned it in an earlier review, I wish I would have read it) The food here is excellent! The staff is super friendly. The view is beautiful. Prices are a little high but you get so much food. They start you off with their bread and butter flight. Three different types of soft and flavored breads with four different types of butter/spread pairings. All of the choices were incredible. For dinner I ordered the seafood and bacon mac-cheese. It was so delicious - creamy and flavorful goodness! It could have fed a family of 4. Hubs ordered the beer battered walleye. He received two whole fish plus two sides. HUGE! I felt like Monty Python's Mr. Creosote; just one wafer thin mint.... We were leaving the next day and could not take a leftover container. After we had already received our food I overheard another table ordering something to split. Good idea! read more

Went to dinner last night for my birthday. Another great meal, I had the cedar plank salmon with smashed potatoes and roasted rainbow carrots. I tried their Terrace Mule which was delicious (ended up having a second one). read more

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It goes without saying the Terrace restaurant needed a facelift...but $300.00 per night for a room where you have to go outside to change your mind, straight up martinis that can only be made with Top Shelf vodka ($14.00 each)... thats exactly what the bartender told me and dont get me wrong...thats how i drink them...( goose or kettle)... its the principle of it all...and worry that a " mixologist" behind the bar that doesnt know what it means when i ask for it dirty...and the supposed blue cheese stuffed olives i requested and was told they had but they were downstairs never manifested...it was truly a disappointment...if you are making rules for how the guests can order drinks-, then get it right. One more comment on the pre-dinner/ barside cocktails. ..while rare, it is a fact, that "some" people do like their martinis on ice (rocks). I prefer mine 007 style. My friend however is a rocks guy...dont ask me...but he is the customer. He also wanted mushrooms in his martini. The drink was served in what looked like a shallow old fashioned glass - with his vodka, one large round ice cube that literally filled the glass...(like the ones you put in your good glass of bourbon). Unfortunately, the glass did not accomodate the drink...at all...where the mushrooms should marinate in the glass of vodka...in this glass, .there was no place in the glass for the mushrooms...so they sat all alone on top and couldn't touch the vodka to flavor the drink. We decided to say no to any other drinks...and decided to go right to dinner. By the way...they apparently won't/ or cannot reserve a table for you for dinner while you sip your $14.00 drinks in their bar. Dinner time...simple menu...the truffle fries ordered extra crispy were very good...but are not best served with ketsup as the condament in my opinion. We grew up here and were visiting so thought the perch and walley would be a nice treat. The walley was beer battered...and perch breaded...bothe were good. Most entree's averaged $27.00 orore...salads as yourvrntree with a protien also $18-29.something, Bread/ buns and a flight of flavored butters were offered (a nice presentation). Sides -.we both chose roasted, heirloom- (multi- colored) baby carrots. They were disappointingly. Clearly over roasted ..soft. and mediocre at best. So NO...on expensive (for escanaba/ gladstone crowds-especially when prepared incorrectly) cocktails , YES on the whitefish ( perch and walley), perhaps a different side would have been a better choice gor the truffle fries...and NO on the carrots.. Great view and our server - Crystal -(spelling) was the highlight of the place! read more

Dinner is served! Delicious and great customer service. I would even recommend based off customer service only! They have beer, wine, and margarita flights. I had the beer and margarita flights (and they ain't greedy, it was tasty and strong). The view of Lake Michigan was a plus! We asked to have window seats during Covid and we got it, so definitely a plus. They also give you a flight of butter to go with the trio of bread as well (butter, garlic and herb, bell pepper, and cinnamon). read more

Freshwater Tavern - Margarita flight - New American Near Me - Gladstone, Michigan

Yummy food!! Great atmosphere. The view was so pretty and peaceful. I recommend checking out this one for dinner! read more

Freshwater Tavern - Cajun jerk salmon - New American Near Me - Gladstone, Michigan

When visiting or traveling through Escanaba this place (a bit to the East in Gladstone, but still only ten minutes from Escanaba itself) is epic. The food, drinks and views are spectacular. If you want fresh Great Lakes seafood (like the northern mainstays of perch and walleye) this place is for you! Great bar selection of craft cocktails including some great recipes they have created, and good wines plus beer from local brewery Upper Hand. Highly recommended. read more

The host at our Air BnB recommended this restaurant. When we saw "tavern" we thought we were going to some little dive bar. This restaurant blew us away! The food was outstanding and the drinks were fantastic. The view from the dining room over the water was gorgeous and our waiter was awesome. If we're ever back in town, this will be the first place we go to. read more

The food was fabulous as well as the drinks and service. The ambiance is lovely with a great view of the lake. Highly recommend.

Really enjoy the Freshwater. We always go here for our birthdays because they give you a free meal on your birthday. Great atmosphere, modern... Really like the place. read more

New Year's Eve. They didn't take reservations. We arrived at 6:30 Waited at the Bar. They had a list if items they ran out of, even nread was discontinued We finally ate at 9:40. read more

What an awesome meal we had! Started with a new appetizer of stuffed mushrooms ( which could have been my meal if I didn't have to share it ). The new menu is great! Can't wait for the new dessert menu. Our server Kelsey was also just a dolly and I will request her in the future. Very happy with the new and improved Freshwater Tavern. Didn't sit in the bar area this time, so not sure if it has been updated yet. So nice to not regret spending the money to go out to eat and then having not worth it food and or service. This was worth every cent! read more

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We had a wonderful dinner tonight. The Louisiana shrimp and grits was excellent, just the right amount of spice and heat. The red curry shrimp and scallops was savory without the heat. Our server, Josh was attentive and friendly. And You can't beat the gorgeous view of the bay! read more

Food was Amazing!! great service and great menu. I would highly recommend this restaurant!

Happy Hour is amazing. Service was wonderful, Danny our server was great. Food was fabulous.

Yummy food, beautiful view of the water and friendly service. You can tell they updated the flooring recently.

Just like it claims - a fresh new take on the classics from the food to the atmosphere. Loved the interior decor and view of the bay! Came with a group of 5 for dinner at 6pm. We made a reservation and arrived early - they were able to seat us immediately with a great spot next to the window (and the view). We were served water & drinks came very shortly after we ordered them. A great selection of craft beers (upper hand & KBC), wines & martinis/moscow mules/margaritas. Our waitress, Dani, was very attentive to bringing more water and great at giving recommendations for meals. We ordered the Brussels Sprouts Chips as an appetizer, they were sweet with loads of fried onions on top - delicious. This is their #1 selling appetizer, according to the waitress. I can see why. The menu has a great selection for picky & adventurous eaters alike. All the entrees come with a good bread selection & butter flight. We ordered the special as well - it was great. A coconut crusted salmon with pomegranate sauce & red roasted mashed potatoes. The pan seared parmesan salmon with lemon cream was good too. Big serving size over rice, hard for one person to finish! We also ordered the seafood fettuccini, good amount of shrimp and scallops, but hard to find the crab that was supposed to be in it. The three pepper fettuccini with blackened chicken was great - very juicy chicken with just the right amount of spice. Not too much for those with a tame pallet. The bacon wrapped sirloin with Gorgonzola cream was quite the large piece of meat - a little tough and a little undercooked for the medium rare request. The peppercorn green beans on the side were delicious though! We had a great time and will definitely be back. Great service and great menu selection did not disappoint! read more

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Thank you Yelp for leading me here!! I was surprised to see that this place is located in a hotel, but its location RIGHT on Lake Michigan was absolutely beautiful. They were not offering outdoor seating since they were hosting a wedding that evening, but the indoor seating is full of amazing views too. I got a margarita flight, and while I didn't love all of the margaritas, it was still a fun experience! My boyfriend got a chocolate martini and LOVED it. The bread and butter flight was the highlight of the meal!! Everything was FANTASTIC- different types of bread and rolls and different types of butter (along with a veggie cream cheese spread). My boyfriend got the prime rib and I got seafood mac and cheese. Both were very good, but we both agreed that we would probably order something different next time. We absolutely intend to return when we can get to the U.P. again though! read more

The quality of food at this restaurant rivals anything found in a larger metropolitan area. My husband had the lake superior whitefish sandwich on pretzel bun with sweet potato fries, the breading was crisp and fish flaky well seasoned. It was giant. I had the salmon salad which was also giant, fresh and tasty, field greens and fresh vegetables with house made salad dressing. The spinach side salad was also well appointed. We came here two nights in a row on our vacation because the first night's food was excellent. When you compare area restaurants, This one is hard to beat as they have their bases covered; the wait staff is attentive, well prepared food, ambiance on the bay in a nicely remodeled restaurant dining area. read more

Freshwater Tavern - Whitefish sandwich with sweet potato fries - New American Near Me - Gladstone, Michigan

Stayed in the hotel for a few days and just went with an easy place for dinner after we got in. Great appetizer with the Brussel Sprout Chips where the siriacha was just a nice touch. Good diversity I'll on the menu and we enjoyed the local whitefish and walleye. Went back a second time and enjoyed the drink and dessert menus as well. In my limited experience, this is the best restaurant in Escanaba. read more

Food was EXCELLENT! You may not expect such gourmet food in this small UP town but this place will surprise you. An absolute must!

Nick our waiter was great! He made good suggestion and was on the spot with the selections. We had the seafood paella and the shrimp and scallop curry both were great!! Our appetizers were stuffed mushrooms which were a little smallish but tasty without much crab. The view was excellent and the drinks were good too. Highly suggest if your budget allows. read more

A 35 minute wait but we were seated in slightly less than that - yay! After being seated we sat with no acknowledgment for 25 minutes. During that time 3 other tables were seated and served drinks and even appetizers! We left. I'm sure this is a rare case of miscommunication, but several of the staff made repeated eye contact and they could clearly see we were not being helped by anyone - for close to a half hour. A friendly call to restaurant manager a couple days later proved to be pointless. No apology and pure apathy. It gets an extra star because the food that went by our table for 25 minutes LOOKED and SMELLED great. I'm sure this review will get removed by the restaurant. Happy eating in Michigans Yoop, eh. read more

Just returned from having a fabulous anniversary dinner at the Freshwater Tavern. Jordan was a wonderful server- the food was fabulous (chicken caesar and roasted pork shank) and we were given our choice of a free dessert because it was an anniversary celebration. We did the happy hour drinks at the bar before dinner. Everything was first rate. read more

The food was amazing! Drinks and service were good! We had a wonderful view of the water!

We dined here as we actually stayed at the hotel it's connected to. It had been a long drive from Chicago that day so we decided to just eat at the hotel restaurant. Firstly the restaurant is surprisingly nice compared to the hotel (though the bar area is a bit dim for my liking). There's a beautiful view over Lake Michigan from the restaurant and it has a bright and airy feel to the place. The food - we ordered the smoked whitefish dip and pita chips, and I had a half order of the baby back pork ribs with a side of the veggie of the day and the spinach salad. The bf ordered the blue buffalo mac & cheese. The smoked whitefish dip was good but I felt the pita chips were a little stale-ish? Not a big issue but a little off putting. The baby back pork ribs were really good! The meat pretty much fell off the bone and we're covered in a delicious sauce. I really enjoyed this dish. The veggies of the day was green beans (also good) and the spinach salad was great too! The bf enjoyed his mac & cheese - it came with fried onions on top (not mentioned in menu description); the bf isn't a big fan of onions but was easy enough to remove them. There's a nice selection of draft local beers. I also saw quite a few people partaking in the margarita flights and beer flights. They bring a selection of bread for the table and have a cute selection of various butters which I enjoyed - the cinnamon butter and jalapeño cream cheese butter were standouts for me. Overall, it was a good meal and if I was back in the area, I'd likely dine here again. It was a little more pricey than what you'd expect for the area but as the food was overall very good, I didn't mind too much. read more

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