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We just stopped in for dinner without a reservation and were seated immediately at a great table on the water (in the bar area so not a full menu but apps only). We order drinks, whitefish and peel n eat shrimp. All was good. The bartender asilo served us so she was a bit rushed understandably. We enjoyed the atmosphere and the food & drinks.
It was a beautiful day to be at the barge, my husband had fried fish and I had them fish tacos. Both were amazing. Our waitress was wonderful. The view was wonderful in the outdoor seating was even better. We went out there after we ate our lunch to have a few cocktails definitely a perfect spot.
We visited Saugatuck and a friend recommended the Barge for lunch. It's a waterfront bar with views of the river, great spot. We had a nice table with a view and our server was very attentive. We started with the smoked white fish dip. We don't get or have white fish where we live so we always order it when we're in Michigan. We ordered the Fried Perch, Mahi Tacos, and Mac n Cheese. The perch was good, more battered than I prefer but still good. The mahi tacos were delicious and the mac n cheese was rich, gooey, with house made bread crumbs on top. What a great spot.
One of the main reasons I wanted to go here was for their key lime pie!!! That was the first thing I asked for when we sat down. Sadly, they were out...and it was pretty early in the afternoon. Oh well. We did, however, get early dinner of Mahi Mahi for me and French dip sandwich for my husband. Both were excellent! Adult beverages were had as well. Strawberry gin fizz for me, the BARge Mule for him. Both very nice. The VIEW...cannot be beat! The water, the boats, the people...just awesome! And to have front row seats to it all, was terrific! Highly recommend this place for the setting alone. We were highly entertained!
I love that the BARge is part of the Ship-N-Shore. The firecracker shrimp is delight as is the Barge burger. They have a good selection of cocktails and mocktails. The pirate punch sounds yummy (cocktail) as does the strawberry mango fizz (zero-proof mocktail). Good vibes at the BARge.
Was in the area visiting for a mini vacation. Decided to stop here for dinner. Was a bit of a wait but well worth it. The food was amazing and so were the drinks. I had the seafood Mac and cheese to eat and had the Liquid Marijuana to drink. Will have to stop back in when in the area. The view was even amazing.
The beachy, bar vibe is strong at the BARge. So is the excellent seafood. I had the island snapper. The snapper was blackened with pineapple rice was heaven. To be as busy as they were, the service was excellent. I highly recommend the BARge.
Great views and great service from the several times we stopped by during a busy 4th of July weekend. Bacon wrapped scallops were great! Bacon crispy and scallops done perfectly. Seafood Mac and cheese was a little light on the seafood. 6 shrimps and only 2 pieces of crab. You can probably scale back on the pound of macaroni. Overall great place to hangout on the water.
Planned a Mother's Day meet up with family and this spot was about halfway for us all. We had a table for 10 ready right when we got there which was awesome for not reserving ahead though we tried- so probably don't take reservations. And I can see why because it was a steady flow of patrons in and out. The restaurant is right along the water so the vibe is very open and airy and beach and boat town type of vibes which we love! And we were blessed with amazing and warm weather with constant sun. Even though our table was inside it has garage door style for over half the restaurant so very open. Drink menu looks very solid with alot of cocktails under the same vibe. In laws got the rum punch and they ordered a second round so you know it was good! I got the Bloody Mary and I absolutely loved the in house mix they had with it. Drinks can get ya a little pricey but we're tasty. Food menu looked pretty tasty with lots of options. The only negative about the experience was the time to get our food; close to an hour, and only reason not 5 stars. Server was extremely nice, I forget her name but had her hair up in a pink bun. Kept checking in and super friendly even though I'm sure she Was work out with all her tables. When the food came, at least it delivered. The crab Rangoon dip was recommended by my BIL and niece as well as bbq pizza. My family got a cheese pizza and cheesy bread for our kiddos; no kids menu but they devoured both of these. My wife got the fish tacos and let me have a bite and it was tasty. My crab cake sandwich was pretty solid, I was impressed they actually give you two Pattie's, I enjoyed the Baja sauce. The fries that came with the meals were alright, kinda thin and lacking better seasoning; feel like that would amp up some dishes. Definitely would recommend this place for fabulous dining in the sun!
We found seats immediately and had to wait a while to get noticed to get our drink order. Drinks were good. Also ordered the crab cakes which we've had before but they changed their sauce from a Baja sauce to an old bay sauce. Also got the gator bites with Baja sauce and they were tasty (another repeat appetizer we enjoy). Wish service was a little more attentive and that they would let the motel guests do take out since the BARge gets busy with alot of people from all over....it used to be like an amenity or a perk for us guests but now it can be a hassle to get in to get food.
I spent an evening at the BARge on a Saturday night with some friends celebrating me and my husband's anniversary. My husband and his friends spent much longer at the BARge having drinks and talking while my friends and I went shopping around downtown Saugatuck. However, when we arrived at the BARge to try and get a table the staff was so kind as to let us snag a bigger table to fit our party even though there was a 1 hour and 30 minute wait for the restaurant. I was very grateful that the staff was so gracious to let us skip the wait and that's why I am giving this review 4 stars. The restaurant itself is loud, fast paced, with mediocre food. We sat on the second floor deck which had great views of the Kalamazoo river which I very much enjoyed. The location of this restaurant is excellent! The restaurant is very big and they fill it up good, so keep in mind it is pretty loud. Plus they have music (crappy millennial house music) playing too. Our drinks were all good. The moscow mule was strong which I personally liked. Our appetizers were fine, however our meals were pretty mediocre. My first option was apparently sold out (which was fine), so I got the margherita pizza. The whole pizza was very bland and lacking in flavor. I doused mine in parmesan and even sprinkled salt on to give it more flavor. So the food was disappointing and lacking in authenticity to say the least. Although this place certainly wasn't bad I do recommend the Southerner in Saugatuck for a great riverfront restaurant, but with better food. - Sue H
The view is very beautiful. The food was ok and the drinks were good. I just love how it's an experience the atmosphere was pretty loud definitely a fun place. The service was great! Definitely coming back
As locals, we've been going to the BARge every year since it opened (5?) and had another pleasant experience this summer. We loved the old Mermaid and sitting right on the river. The BARge has ample outdoor seating and almost feels like a Florida bar (in a good way). Great drink menu. We sat at the bar, ordered a margarita, enjoyed the river, and ordered egg rolls, wings, cheese dip, pizza, and a burger. The egg rolls were definitely the star, stayed hot for a long time, and were super tasty. All the other bar food was exactly what you'd expect in downtown Saugatuck. Our main suggestion would be to warm up the service/staff. The three of us are/were as friendly as it gets (ALL in the food service biz) and tried to engage the bartender, expo, and staff. We went on a weekday when it was dead; we're unsure as to the cold reception reason. We always love/admire a restaurant where the staff clicks and has a little fun.
20 days ago
First time here for dinner and we enjoyed the experience! First the manager was so accommodating and friendly. She told us the wait time and introduced us to one of the bartenders so we could order drinks while waiting. Sometimes it's the small gestures that matter. We were seated at a promo table overlooking the river and had a blast watching the parade of boats motoring by. Our server was friendly and fast. More drinks and time to peruse the menu. Our food came out without too long a wait and we really liked our mahi mahi tacos and the grouper Reuben. The Reuben was such a great novelty and I loved the generous portion of grouper breaded and deep fried to perfection with the right amount of fixins with the marble rye. Good fries too. Sure the prices reflect the location/views/vibes but it was all worth it and we'll be back. read more
We saw an upper deck while out shopping and decided to stop by. It was very busy which was a good sign. It's a little strange that the upper and lower deck have separate host stands with separate waits, but not the end of the world. While we did have to wait a bit, a man (owner? Regular? Guardian angel?) told the hostess to bump us to the top of the wait list and we got in fairly quickly after that. All servers/hostesses were very pleasant. The food and drinks were delicious! We had a great view of the water watching all the boats come through. Whether you're in need of a meal or a drink, I absolutely recommend the BARge and can't wait to return. read more
30 days ago
We just stopped in for dinner without a reservation and were seated immediately at a great table on the water (in the bar area so not a full menu but apps only). We order drinks, whitefish and peel n eat shrimp. All was good. The bartender asilo served us so she was a bit rushed understandably. We enjoyed the atmosphere and the food & drinks. read more
5 months ago
It was a beautiful day to be at the barge, my husband had fried fish and I had them fish tacos. Both were amazing. Our waitress was wonderful. The view was wonderful in the outdoor seating was even better. We went out there after we ate our lunch to have a few cocktails definitely a perfect spot. read more
We visited Saugatuck and a friend recommended the Barge for lunch. It's a waterfront bar with views of the river, great spot. We had a nice table with a view and our server was very attentive. We started with the smoked white fish dip. We don't get or have white fish where we live so we always order it when we're in Michigan. We ordered the Fried Perch, Mahi Tacos, and Mac n Cheese. The perch was good, more battered than I prefer but still good. The mahi tacos were delicious and the mac n cheese was rich, gooey, with house made bread crumbs on top. What a great spot. read more
1 year ago
One of the main reasons I wanted to go here was for their key lime pie!!! That was the first thing I asked for when we sat down. Sadly, they were out...and it was pretty early in the afternoon. Oh well. We did, however, get early dinner of Mahi Mahi for me and French dip sandwich for my husband. Both were excellent! Adult beverages were had as well. Strawberry gin fizz for me, the BARge Mule for him. Both very nice. The VIEW...cannot be beat! The water, the boats, the people...just awesome! And to have front row seats to it all, was terrific! Highly recommend this place for the setting alone. We were highly entertained! read more
I love that the BARge is part of the Ship-N-Shore. The firecracker shrimp is delight as is the Barge burger. They have a good selection of cocktails and mocktails. The pirate punch sounds yummy (cocktail) as does the strawberry mango fizz (zero-proof mocktail). Good vibes at the BARge. read more
1 month ago
Was in the area visiting for a mini vacation. Decided to stop here for dinner. Was a bit of a wait but well worth it. The food was amazing and so were the drinks. I had the seafood Mac and cheese to eat and had the Liquid Marijuana to drink. Will have to stop back in when in the area. The view was even amazing. read more
3 months ago
1 year ago
The beachy, bar vibe is strong at the BARge. So is the excellent seafood. I had the island snapper. The snapper was blackened with pineapple rice was heaven. To be as busy as they were, the service was excellent. I highly recommend the BARge. read more
Great views and great service from the several times we stopped by during a busy 4th of July weekend. Bacon wrapped scallops were great! Bacon crispy and scallops done perfectly. Seafood Mac and cheese was a little light on the seafood. 6 shrimps and only 2 pieces of crab. You can probably scale back on the pound of macaroni. Overall great place to hangout on the water. read more
Planned a Mother's Day meet up with family and this spot was about halfway for us all. We had a table for 10 ready right when we got there which was awesome for not reserving ahead though we tried- so probably don't take reservations. And I can see why because it was a steady flow of patrons in and out. The restaurant is right along the water so the vibe is very open and airy and beach and boat town type of vibes which we love! And we were blessed with amazing and warm weather with constant sun. Even though our table was inside it has garage door style for over half the restaurant so very open. Drink menu looks very solid with alot of cocktails under the same vibe. In laws got the rum punch and they ordered a second round so you know it was good! I got the Bloody Mary and I absolutely loved the in house mix they had with it. Drinks can get ya a little pricey but we're tasty. Food menu looked pretty tasty with lots of options. The only negative about the experience was the time to get our food; close to an hour, and only reason not 5 stars. Server was extremely nice, I forget her name but had her hair up in a pink bun. Kept checking in and super friendly even though I'm sure she Was work out with all her tables. When the food came, at least it delivered. The crab Rangoon dip was recommended by my BIL and niece as well as bbq pizza. My family got a cheese pizza and cheesy bread for our kiddos; no kids menu but they devoured both of these. My wife got the fish tacos and let me have a bite and it was tasty. My crab cake sandwich was pretty solid, I was impressed they actually give you two Pattie's, I enjoyed the Baja sauce. The fries that came with the meals were alright, kinda thin and lacking better seasoning; feel like that would amp up some dishes. Definitely would recommend this place for fabulous dining in the sun! read more
28 days ago
We found seats immediately and had to wait a while to get noticed to get our drink order. Drinks were good. Also ordered the crab cakes which we've had before but they changed their sauce from a Baja sauce to an old bay sauce. Also got the gator bites with Baja sauce and they were tasty (another repeat appetizer we enjoy). Wish service was a little more attentive and that they would let the motel guests do take out since the BARge gets busy with alot of people from all over....it used to be like an amenity or a perk for us guests but now it can be a hassle to get in to get food. read more
1 year ago
I spent an evening at the BARge on a Saturday night with some friends celebrating me and my husband's anniversary. My husband and his friends spent much longer at the BARge having drinks and talking while my friends and I went shopping around downtown Saugatuck. However, when we arrived at the BARge to try and get a table the staff was so kind as to let us snag a bigger table to fit our party even though there was a 1 hour and 30 minute wait for the restaurant. I was very grateful that the staff was so gracious to let us skip the wait and that's why I am giving this review 4 stars. The restaurant itself is loud, fast paced, with mediocre food. We sat on the second floor deck which had great views of the Kalamazoo river which I very much enjoyed. The location of this restaurant is excellent! The restaurant is very big and they fill it up good, so keep in mind it is pretty loud. Plus they have music (crappy millennial house music) playing too. Our drinks were all good. The moscow mule was strong which I personally liked. Our appetizers were fine, however our meals were pretty mediocre. My first option was apparently sold out (which was fine), so I got the margherita pizza. The whole pizza was very bland and lacking in flavor. I doused mine in parmesan and even sprinkled salt on to give it more flavor. So the food was disappointing and lacking in authenticity to say the least. Although this place certainly wasn't bad I do recommend the Southerner in Saugatuck for a great riverfront restaurant, but with better food. - Sue H read more
11 months ago
The view is very beautiful. The food was ok and the drinks were good. I just love how it's an experience the atmosphere was pretty loud definitely a fun place. The service was great! Definitely coming back read more
2 months ago
2 years ago
As locals, we've been going to the BARge every year since it opened (5?) and had another pleasant experience this summer. We loved the old Mermaid and sitting right on the river. The BARge has ample outdoor seating and almost feels like a Florida bar (in a good way). Great drink menu. We sat at the bar, ordered a margarita, enjoyed the river, and ordered egg rolls, wings, cheese dip, pizza, and a burger. The egg rolls were definitely the star, stayed hot for a long time, and were super tasty. All the other bar food was exactly what you'd expect in downtown Saugatuck. Our main suggestion would be to warm up the service/staff. The three of us are/were as friendly as it gets (ALL in the food service biz) and tried to engage the bartender, expo, and staff. We went on a weekday when it was dead; we're unsure as to the cold reception reason. We always love/admire a restaurant where the staff clicks and has a little fun. read more
6 months ago
We were there Friday, Mar. 13, 2026 @ 5:45 pm. They had just opened back up (for the season) yesterday. All went smoothly as if they had not been closed. It was not busy at all. We both had pizzas. I had the Hawaiian with Cauliflower crust (9") & my husband had the Deluxe with their regular crust (13"). They were both wonderful & not salty like some pizzas can be. Had leftovers for another day as there was plenty of each. We definitely recommend this place. Enjoyed our time there & always run into family or friends. Great place to gather for great food. read more
1 year ago
3 months ago
3 months ago
1 year ago
The food and views were fantastic. Food arrived quickly and was delicious. We ended up staying a little longer to try that key lime pie. It was all top level. We will be back next time we are in town. read more
10 months ago
After a little more than a two and a half hour drive from home to Sagatuck we were thirsty, hungry and more. We were promptly greeted by the hostess with smiles and just a short wait. While waiting our wives excused themselves to the bathroom to freshen up. Clean! We sat at the bar to have a adult beverage and promptly greeted by Maggie with a smile. Our table was ready. We were seated on the edge of the glass with a spectacular view of the water and some beautiful boats, some docked and some motoring by. Our waitress, Izzy was nothing short of excellent. She made some recommendations that were spot on; Mahi Tacos and the Perch Sandwich. She checked on us and was always smiling. Overall, a must see, do and eat for the great staff, awesome views and some really good food. read more
11 months ago
2 years ago
We were devastated to find the Mermaid strip closed and wasnt sure where to go for outside water seating... luckily, the Barge looked like a perfect experience! We wanted upstairs seating but they were full, so we had an hour wait and went to the lower bar to order drinks to wait. About 3-5 bartenders on the lower level, refused to acknowledge us, served the 2 people next to us- even tho they showed up to their seats 15 minutes after us- took their order and then never came back to us. We jumped to multiple spots around the bar hoping someone would take our order, but luckily, upstairs finally called us. We were seated upstairs at the perfect table by the water. Our server, Juan swung by saying he'd bring us a round of waters. We waited another 20 minutes for him to return. I watched him take an order, refill another Chardonnay bottle, cash out 2 tables, forget what he was doing and then remembered us. Once we received service, it was great! Food, drinks atmosphere- perfect! We ordered a round of drinks and 3 appetizers for the table. It's definitely worth the wait as everyone aligns, but I'm unsure if they were understaffed? Not prepared for the day? Phone lines were crazy- and we beat the rush all together bc the wait became crazier as we watched how busy it became near the end of the meal. Juan was very nice but he obviously had too many tables and the bartenders on the lower level were extremely dismissive. The restaurant is great, service just needs a little tweak. Also- we are in the service industry and completely understand being understaffed and overworked, but wanted to give a heads up bc it was a lot longer than expected. read more
1 year ago
1 year ago
This spot is cool with its airy, open patio and deck and views of the water. It was fun watching the boats pass by - you can also dock your boat at the bar. My friend and I stopped by for a drink one afternoon and had fun catching up. She ordered a spicy paloma but it was super spicy! She let our server know it was really hot and our server was so sweet and got a new one without jalapeno. So be careful if you don't like spicy stuff! The vibe during the day was relaxed and chill - I can tell that at night it would be more lively so I was happy to enjoy some quieter time here. The menu looked good but we didn't order any food. I'd definitely stop by again for lunch and some drinks! read more
This is a popular spot, but I wasn't expecting it to be so expensive even in the off season (Halloween weekend). Service was pretty slow and there were a lot of people there and a lot of people working. Not sure if maybe they weren't expecting the crowd or possibly short staffed? It was a gorgeous day! The beer I had was really good and from a local brewery. The turkey burger recommendation from our server was pretty tasty too. I live in Chicago and even here a turkey burger is most often not $20. So if you don't mind higher prices, you'll have some good food, drinks, and view of the water! read more
3 years ago
Great food and friendly staff! Lots of different options especially with seafood. Cool view of the river ! read more
3 years ago
Only went here for 1 drink and the bartenders were great! Can't speak to their food but would go back. The rooftop deck on the water is a fun vibe. read more
We love Saugatuck and always stop here when we come into town. Watching the boats go back and forth is always a wonderful sight. Sitting in the balcony is the prime spot for this - but it fills up fast. Seating is first come, first serve. Today all of us started with drinks; liquid marijunana's and blackberry mule. Delicious and perfectly mixed. For our meal we had the crab cake burgers and cheesy breadsticks. The crab cake burgers were more breading then crab - but still were fabulous. The breadsticks seemed to be a bit on the garlicky side - but once again, very good. If you're looking for a fun spot by the water for a drink and some yummy foods, make sure you stop here! read more
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Do they take reservations?
They do not, even for SnS guests. It's first come, first serve.
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The BARge - bars - Updated August 2026
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