Two words: Whitefish livers. Where have these been all of my life? Granted, I'm a liver eater. Chopped chicken liver is one of my all time favorite things. Duck liver, goose liver, calves liver, cod liver, monkfish liver, sign me up. But somehow whitefish livers have evaded me. These were delicious! I also had what might have been the most midwestern meal ever. Cheese curds with ranch dressing, a plate of whitefish livers, and a sweet brandy old fashioned to wash it all down. On the specialty drinks menu I couldn't resist the Berens Brandy Old Fashioned. I mean, I have been a fan of Charlie Berens for a few years but I didn't realize he had his own brandy for the definitive cocktail of Wisconsin. It was delicious, but it also turned out to be $12. For my second round I just got a regular brandy old fashioned which was also quite good, but weighed in at five bucks. Let the buyer beware. Which is ultimately why Pier Plaza fell short of the fifth star. The prices feel a bit high for what it is. Granted, it's right by the water, in a remote part of the state, and thrives on tourists. And that's fine. I have no regrets and would absolutely recommend folks who might be passing through to stop in for a very Wisconsin meal. Portions are large, so plan accordingly. read more

Bayfield is the cutest little town I've ever visited - and whenever I visit a new place I hunt for the best pasta in town. Menu hunting led me to Pier Plaza (Pickled Herring). The "Pierly Pasta" with it cajuned up was awesome (breadstick included). I noticed they had a horseradish ranch... yeah I dipped the chicken in it and even threw some on the pasta. Game changer! This place - location, ambiance, water view, food, drinks - the whole package! read more

Pier Plaza Restaurant - American Near Me - Bayfield, Wisconsin

My family and I had gone here on a nice day and decided to sit outside on the deck. There was no sign saying we couldn't sit there, we went to the bar to ask for menus the bartender treated us terribly and turned her back on us, we came back outside and was given dirty looks by the other worker. We then decided to go sit in the restaurant and we got ignored by every waitress and one of the workers ended up going outside slamming all the chairs together that we were sitting in. read more

This place is worth going to just to talk to Sharon or have the privilege of being served by Ibokay! We had the fish and chips and it was enough for two. The Apple crumble dessert was really very rich and tasty but again think about sharing it read more

Pier Plaza Restaurant - American Near Me - Bayfield, Wisconsin

Stopped here on a Friday night after a recommendation from a former local to the Bayfield area. There was two people in our party and we were seated immediately inside. They also do offer dining outside. We both opted for their "all you can eat" fish fry and it was delicious! With the fish fry you select your choice of 3 sides - baked potato, garlic mashed potatoes, fries, vegetable of the day, salad, or coleslaw. Between the two of us we opted for salads, garlic mashed potatoes, coleslaw, and vegetable of the day -- we loved it all! The first serving of fish with your sides is generous and comes with lemon wedges and tarter sauce. The fish breading is unlike anything I've tasted before! It was light, crispy, and seasoned just right! It reminded me of the breading on Culver's chicken tenders. Only thing missing was a piece of rye bread! But I definitely recommend a visit here for their fish fry! read more

Pier Plaza Restaurant - Fish fry - American Near Me - Bayfield, Wisconsin

See all

First time in Bayfield, WI and there are limited options. We already tried 2 so far and this is the 3rd one. There was a 15 minutes wait when we showed up at 7:30 pm for dinner. We were given a pager and it went off about 20 minutes after. Our waitress was friendly; we ordered whitefish livers and onions (recommended by friends), broiled whitefish sandwich and a seafood chowder. The chowder was creamy with lots of potatoes but I found a few pieces of fish bones which was dangerous. The whitefish livers weren't bad at all and we rarely eat livers. The sandwich came with coleslaw and it tasted average. Overall it was acceptable, nothing amazing or disappointing. The prices showed on the menu were different from what was shown on our check but the waitress didn't know why. read more

See all

We had great service and food during our Wednesday lunch visit. We sat inside. Our server took great care of us. The sweet potato wedges are delicious. I had a chicken sandwich topped with guacamole, bacon, tomato. My friend had the steak salad. It was topped with a full size steak! The prices are reasonable. There is a bar to sit at. read more

See all

This is not my first visit here. It was busy tho at 3 in the afternoon. Really nice server, attentive staff. I had the protein bowl with veggie burger. My friends had the Cesar salad and the chicken breast sandwich. The waitress was very helpful and super nice. I'll be back in a couple months. read more

We were visiting the area (Mon-Tues) and needed a place to eat supper. We thought we were walking into The Pickled Herring but I think that's a lounge connected to the Pier Plaza restaurant. We entered from Front Street, the patio side but the hostess stand is on Rittenhouse. The place was full but we were sat quickly. Our waiter greeted us but said it'd be a little bit before he took our order, which was fine because we had to look over the menu. When he returned, I ordered Sharon's Favorite sandwich with homemade potato chips and my sister got the Beef and Portobella and Swiss burger. My chicken sandwich was good. You can't go wrong with guacamole and bacon. The homemade potato chips were eh. No seasoning. Just tasted like burnt potato chips. My sister said the mushroom burger was good (but Wahlburgers mushroom burger was better). She ordered fries though. They were crisp and golden brown, not much potato though. The best part of the meal was the dill pickle spear! It was juicy, crisp and packed a punch! Not all pickles do that (Jimmy John's comes close) and I'd consider this one of my favorites. The menu had Lake Superior fun facts so that was interesting to read while we were waiting for our food to come. We were two of the younger people here. It made me wonder who everyone was. Were they locals or retired folks weekday vacationing like us? Lots of white hair beards. read more

Pier Plaza Restaurant - Sharon's Favorite with homemade potato chips. - American Near Me - Bayfield, Wisconsin

See all

LOVE IT..!!! We came here to try their Fried Fish, I have to say WE LOOOOVE IT..!!! the fish is from the Lake Superior and the coleslaw OOOOH MY.!!!. the best ever. Prices are not that bad and most important thing is REALLY GOOD Portion of food. I also try the Cider from Duluth really good beer, only 6% of alcohol. They are busy so you can call to have reservation. Place is very clean and Vintage looking also you can have a great view of the Lake. Please check and like my photos. Thank You. read more

See all

My husband and I were recently in Bayfield, visiting the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. Based on reviews, we decided to eat lunch at the Pier Plaza, and we're so glad we did! The Pier Plaza restaurant is inside the Pier Plaza hotel, right on the water's edge. It's a lovely old building that's been around since the 50s and has the perfect waterfront ambience. We were able to nab a table by the windows and could watch the traffic at the marina. Our server was Janine, who was friendly and helpful and genuinely happy to see us. My husband had the Cobb salad, and I had the smoked trout naan pizza, which was absolutely DELICIOUS! It was "brown sugar-cured smoked Lake Superior trout with caramelized onions, bleu cheese, sliced grape tomatoes and a balsamic drizzle on baked naan bread" and was simply, utterly HEAVENLY. I'm so glad I tried it! Every staff member at the Pier Plaza was friendly and welcoming, and made our meal that much more enjoyable. Thanks to everyone for a memorable lunch in such a lovely setting! read more

After walking by this place a few times, my wife said she would really like to eat outdoors. This place looked very inviting. We waited about 20 minutes for a table which wasn't bad. The seating outdoors was awesome, just as we hoped. The music was nice. This was Friday night so of course the special was the Fish Fry. I have to say up front that i'm not fond of fish. Fish is not in my Top 100 meals i would eat. I don't like fishy fish. I think whitefish is okay if breaded and drowned in ketchup. So after looking over the menu and passing up selections that i KNEW were good, I chose the fish. Shoot me now! I mean it looked good. So i ate the fish and it was pretty good. I tell you this background because i'm not the person you want reviewing a fish place. The ambience was excellent outside. The music was really nice. Our waitress was very good and efficient. I would definitely come here again as i believe the food to be good. I would order order something different next time though. This place won an award for being in the top 10 of Wisconsin Fish Fry's. I say give it a try! read more

Stopped by on Saturday. This place never fails to offer good good interesting food. it is not just a burger place.

Only place still open after we got off the ferry. But, I have to admit it earned all 4.5 stars: the local fish & chips were a lifesaver to a hungry patron (me). Waitstaff were good, food came out in a timely fashion & we had no surprises (other than how good the fish really was!). The only complaint I could possibly come up with is that the umbrella lights on our outside table kept going off. The motion-sensors weren't that good, but it did not detract from our patio dining experience. read more

See all

Just went there tonight, ate there 3 times before and had very pleasant experiences, great food great service, Till tonight, The hostess was so rude! After having our name in for 2 hours .. we patiently waited. After seeing others being seated I asked the host and he was so rude! I asked so you don't care if I walk away and he replied he did not care! So we did and sad to say we won't go back after having such great experiences from the wait staff for 3 other meals. So sad that one person can turn us away. read more

The food here is always great, and if you can get one of the tables outside - even better!!

Me and my family went there after a cruise and we're hungry and it was busy at the beginning and waited awhile to be seated but it took nearly a hour after ordering to get our food and the food is not worth the money or the wait but our server/waitress was very nice read more

Fish Fry Friday. We arrived at 3pm. Realized Fish Fry Friday, a Wisconsin tradition, started at 430pm so we chose to secure our exterior patio table for 1.5 hours sipping on water waiting for the fish fry to begin. According to the menu they are voted the BEST Fish Fry in Bayfield, WI. Our server was Ann. She was lovely. She was friendly. She was attentive. She was what ever customer wants their server to be. Ann is the reason for the five stars. Okay, Ann AND the salad with REAL bleu cheese dressing. Whitefish and Trout. Both caught this morning from Lake Superior. The Fish was fresh. I so wish they didn't have to Fry it. It was likely delicious without all that breading. I don't eat fried anything but when in Rome...or in this case...Bayfield... The Fry came with garlic mash, fries, or baked potato, coleslaw or salad. It was all you can eat for $16.99. They don't have sweet tea. I know...shocking. Wanted me to put sugar into unsweet tea. Oh My Gosh! No dessert with this Fry. Was it the best? It was hot. It was fresh. Our server was the best, most patient woman. The outdoor seating overlooked the lake. It was a great experience. read more

Pier Plaza Restaurant - $16.99 Friday Fish Fry - American Near Me - Bayfield, Wisconsin

Awesome place! Bartender Toni was very attentive, food was great, drinks were great! All around great service and atmosphere. Will be back! Thank you! read more

Pier Plaza Restaurant - Steak Nann - American Near Me - Bayfield, Wisconsin

With a direct view of Lake Superior, and an architecturally beautiful façade, this place is worth the stop. The food will bring you back too. The two of us stopped for lunch after visiting the ice caves. The mushroom Swiss burger was complete with plenty of delicious mushrooms that were bound to the burger with melted Swiss on a sturdy bun. I had the daily special - pulled pork sandwich. No sauce was used and it was not needed. The flavor came from the combination of homemade coleslaw and spice rubbed pulled pork laid on the bun. Who knew that pulled pork didn't need sauce. The mandatory fries were perfectly fried and the service was friendly. Enjoy! read more

See all

My husband and I sat outside on the scenic, water front, deck, on a beautiful fall day, and ate the most delicious meal ever. To die for onion rings, followed by tender, flakey white fish sandwiches. Yum! Our server was friendly, attentive and polite. As it was my husbands birthday, she surprised him with a huge ice cream sundae. Thanks Pier Plaza, for perfecting outdoor dining and locally caught cuisine. read more

Pier Plaza Restaurant - Beautiful fall day in Bayfield, celebrating my husbands birthday. - American Near Me - Bayfield, Wisconsin

I am constantly baffled by what my dear Wisconsin friends consider good food. Pier Plaza served average bar food and barely average diner food. The view from the deck doesn't overlook superior, it overlooks the street and two other buildings which face Superior. The rice balls are simple, bland but not terrible. The antipasto is served warm, which seems to be a trend here and something people are used too...not me. The best part of dinner was the chicken and veggie soup, which was chocked full of chicken and flavor. The whitefish sandwich, brioled, was fresh but bland, presented on a plain white roll. Friendly service, but it doesn't make up for the boring, unimaginative food. read more

Pier Plaza Restaurant - Half the whitefish sandwich. Meh. - American Near Me - Bayfield, Wisconsin

My wife and I both had the all you can eat whitefish fish fry. The fish was very good and fresh. The fries and slaw were very good and the tarter sauce complimented the fish well. We couldn't have asked for better service, the service at most places in the area is very good but this was some of the best we've had in all our years visiting Bayfield and Madeline island. read more

Pier Plaza Restaurant - Bayfield strawberry mule. - American Near Me - Bayfield, Wisconsin

Their Cavatappi Alfredo was one of my favorites I've ever had. It's really clean inside and also had a nice deck and good booths for seating. The spot had a "Boston old-school pub" feel, but nice views of the water. It was very friendly, quick service. We will be back! read more

We waited for about 45 minutes on a Friday night! Great fish fry! What a great dinner. We enjoyed the drinks, food and service! Great start to our weekend vacation! Would highly recommend! read more

Pier Plaza Restaurant - American Near Me - Bayfield, Wisconsin

I was here with family to spend couple days over Father's Day weekend. Visited this restaurant twice during our stay here for their amazing fish fry. Stopped by this place for dinner on Thursday and almost everyone on the table got their fish fry. You have options between trout, white fish or mix of both. I'd suggest going for the mix. You can pick to have different sides ranging between fries, salad, coleslaw, mashed potato or chips. All of them were good. While we were there on Thursday, we were told about all you can eat Fish Fry on Friday. What more to ask for, we definitely came back the next day for more. It's also dog friendly and they serve water for the dogs. read more

Pier Plaza Restaurant - American Near Me - Bayfield, Wisconsin

I was very disappointed in this place yesterday when I came with my family. After waiting for 35 minutes which was understandable since there seemed to be a lot of people, we were shocked by our server. Server: 901 Francis didn't even introduce himself and was very sharp with us (we got his name in the receipt). He didn't bring us water even when we asked for it. My father was brought a dirty glass for his beer that HE had to ask for a glass to begin with. Then we were told that the restaurant has run out of fish 45minutes ago and everything with fish is off the menu. Wow wish we knew that before we waited 35minutes for a table. When we asked about non-fish recommendations, our server said to refer to the menu. The only redeeming quality of our server was that he was wearing a mask. The restaurant also had customers at every other table for social distancing as well as outdoor seating which was great to see. However there was no hand sanitizer anywhere and the servers didn't wear gloves. We left after paying for our drinks, but the rudeness of our server made us feel unwelcome. Needless to say he did not receive any tip. Will not be coming back again. One star for the covid precautions in place and the Vanilla Russian ($9 and too much ice) read more

Pier Plaza Restaurant - Vanilla Russian - American Near Me - Bayfield, Wisconsin

I don't even know where to start. We stayed at the Pier Plaza Lodging. We started our trip out with dinner at Pier Plaza, our dinner was great! We stayed for a while and had some drinks. Jody, Toni, Gary, and Marcus are a riot! We had so much fun, these guys MADE OUR TRIP! It was so comfortable to hang out and enjoy some beverages. We went back for another night and again this crew was amazing! Highly recommend stopping in, you will have a great time! read more

Jeannine is the best waitress here! She gives great service and is especially great with our dogs. Good food and great service too! All at a good price! read more

Well, my fiancée researched this place and it was a good deal. We both had the surf and turf. She had the trout and I had the whitefish. Our meals came out fast and I enjoyed our side dishes too. The soup was good as a starter but would have wished for a salad. The mixed vegetables were good but the portion was small. Afterwards, we walked around but the shops closed early for a Saturday evening. read more

We've been coming to Apostle Islands for a few years now, and even though we've tried to branch out, we just keep coming back to the Pier Plaza Restaurant. They have great fresh fish, broiled, grilled, or fried, and lots of great local beers on tap. Their salads are fresh (for some reason, a LOT of Northern Wisconsin restaurants can't do this right. I want my lettuce fresh, crispy, and opaque), and their dressing was good. I couldn't eat the bread, but my picky aunt and uncle said that their breadsticks were also quite good. I had a Leinenkugel Honey Weiss, which is my preferred pairing with late summer lake trout, and it never fails to disappoint. The view is about as good as you're going to get in any Bayfield restaurant; you're basically a block from the water and cruise ship wharf. read more

When you're on vacation it's always hard to find good food at decent prices with a nice atmosphere. Hmmm, maybe that is not just when you're on vacation, I digress. The Pier Restaurant in Bayfield is one of the very few restaurants with outdoor seating and better yet, lake view seating! Their location and view are tops (thus the 2 stars) the food and service however, leave one thinking a picnic on a nearby bench might be a better choice. DO NOT try the veggie burger unless you like a thick, paste-like, tasteless something. I thought it was just me, but I had the displeasure of eating at the Pier more than once on our vacation and noticed others around me who made the same mistake. They moved the tasteless something to the side and began munching off their mate's plate. The single flat bread pizza is okay, but $10 is a bit steep for very little food. The service I am so sorry to say was slow and incredibly disorganized. Both trips to the Pier happen to fall in the middle of lunch rush and yet they had "seat yourself" posted. People were standing around tables waiting for "their spot" to open up. How unprofessional and embarrassing! I hope the Pier improves or more restaurant choices appear in the area soon. At least the views are beautiful :). read more

After 2 days of bar hopping and greasy appetizers, I was hungry for a healthy meal, in a relaxing atmosphere. The Pier was a great choice. My wife and I shared a delicious smoked trout salad and Mediterranean broiled Whitefish. It was perfectly prepared, our waitress was very pleasant and attentive. I noticed some other reviews complaining about the hostess or how a drink was described. Our hostess couldn't have been nicer. She seated us promptly and right by a big screen TV so we could watch the Badger game. And if a drink is tart and taste like Raspberry what more of a description do you need? By the way the Pecan Bourbon pie was the best pie I have ever had. Actually had the perfect hint of bourbon flavor. I eat out a lot, in many different cities around the country and this was the best restaurant I have been to in a long time. read more

A must do on a Friday night. Excellent house breaded lake trout and whitefish caught right across the street (Lake Superior). Excellent bloody marys! read more

The location is the main reason for the 4 stars....food is prb a 2. Had the whitefish sandwich (have to come here ever since hurricane hut closed...they had the best whitefish sammie EVER). Pretty much a bust at $10 sammie only. They must take the tail end of the filet they don't use for the meal and bread it because this thing was literally a millimeter thick. Boo. Great service and view of the docks though. read more

Pier Plaza Restaurant - Whitefish sandwich $10 fries not inc. Waaaay to thin cut for local accessible fish- - American Near Me - Bayfield, Wisconsin

I went there with a group of friends and we tried the fish cake. It was exceptional. As was the shrimp salad, chicken wings and the fish fry. This place is a must try! read more

I have had worse dinners. This was the only restaurant in town that was open. We had a 45 minute wait that stretched to an hour, but with the pager we were able to walk around the completely closed down town. Really nice glass of wine. My husband and I both ordered the fresh whitefish dinner. The soup, chili, was good. The baked potato was good. The fish was fishy and came with the skin. When asked by the waitress how the meal was, we replied that the fish was "fishy". Her response, so it's good? No no no, teach your wait staff to ask how they can fix a dinner that is not good. We had planned on coffee and dessert, but with the cool night temperature and the door to the restaurant open, even as we asked if it could please be shut, we left as soon as possible. Not a restaurant I would recommend if other choices are available. read more

Was here on Mother's Day, 2016. Great food, service & pricing, also. Took a little long for food to arrive, but not a deal breaker. Wii be back. read more

Nice atmosphere, great view of the lake. My mom and I went there for the poutine. Big portions and very good! The chicken legs are to die for. I had the steak and portabello naan which is unusual and delicious. Very nice service as well. Meal thoroughly enjoyed. read more

Ordered the WI Poutine, it was to have brisket on it as stated on the menu but what I received was a deli sliced roast beef. Would have been a 5 star as the rest of the food was very good but the roast beef was not very appetizing. read more