The best cheese curds and wild rice soup in the Minocqua area. Seriously you need to try the wild rice soup. It's the best I have ever had. Anytime we come to the area we grab some. They have a great selection of beers including a nice amber one that was smooth. Cheese curds were melty and super hot. The best way to eat them. Son had a burger that he inhaled. You can't go wrong with a meal at the whale. read more

The Thirsty Whale - Beer and the Minocqua bats. Fun !! - Bars Near Me - Minocqua, Wisconsin

We came on a Friday evening. 45 minute wait to sit outside, only 2 tables were full outside, multiple open. So we decided to sit inside, windows were open, no fans on, 80 degrees. Than to find out they can't split a check 2 ways between 8 people? Also the person seating us was very rude. No hospitality or accommodation. So much for being a touristy town. Wouldn't return. read more

Terrible customer service. Was told an hour wait, we walked to the town area to kill time and they text after 30 mins saying our tables ready. We hustle back to get seated and the woman says " you need your full party here" we had 5/6 people. (No of this was communicated when we agreed to the wait) They give you a 5 min window to return, our 6th person arrived 1 min late and the woman gave our table to another group that just walked in. They offered us to wait for another table. The place is an absolute joke. read more

We got here and had a 30 minute wait. Had some drinks while we waited outside. Cash only at the bar unless you are above $20. The food was very tasty. I had the whale and my husband had the buffalo chicken sandwhich. The whale was very very good. Remoulade was very tasty and fries were crispy and tasty. My husbands sandwhich was basic but good. Views were great. Would come again. read more

The Thirsty Whale - The whale - Bars Near Me - Minocqua, Wisconsin

Horrible. The only thing worse than the food is the service and the wait staff. The food was cold the soup was too thick. I ordered a rum and tonic and there were ants in the rum. read more

Our party of 8 was met with a server who was inconsiderate and hostile to us. Why? She felt her tip wasn't big enough. She then threw the money back on the table and told us this was not a good size tip for her. We are to take it (the money) back and she said "You are never allowed to come back to the Thirsty Whale." Servers should know that tips are NOT mandatory. They are given to show them we appreciate all that they did for us. read more

We came to your restaurant on Saturday August 30th with 11 people at 4:20 and waited for our meals to arrive at 5:30. I don't blame the server but I'm not sure what happened in the kitchen. In my mind this is very bad service . The meal turned out fine for some and really good for others, however the time really ruined it for us. This was the response! If you are looking for a restaurant , pass this one up If you were the only table in the building and had to wait for a bit I would like to hear the complaint but on busy holiday Saturday and the tables were full I'm sure my kitchen staff did the best they could to get food done as fast as they could and don't want to hear it. If you think you can do a better job running the place I'd love to raid an offer! read more

Great place to enjoy a meal with a view! We arrived just in time to take in the water show along with our meal! read more

See all

Let me tell you why I love Thirsty Whale: - You will not find a better spot for food and drinks on the water. (See the picture of the view from my table. Usually, I eat outside, but today was overcast and rainy. Inside was just as gorgeous!) - Great menu! Fish sandwiches, burgers, chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese, salads, soups, curds, wings...something for everyone with added Thirsty Whale flair! The French fries are delicious. Crisp, fresh, and flavor on point! - Generous sauce sizes!! Seriously! I never have to ask for extra sauce, tarter, etc. They just get it and give me more than enough! - Fun drinks with a generous pour and fast refills on non-alcoholic drinks. - Last but not least: Alexa!!! Seriously, we love her! Meet her and you will love her, too. Please tip her well! We adore her and need her fun, fantastic self to be there every time we go!!! read more

The Thirsty Whale - Table view @ Thirsty Whale! It can't be beat!! - Bars Near Me - Minocqua, Wisconsin

Took a little long to get sat down. Edison was great. Drinks were super weak mostly just tasted like juice. Fries were really good but burger was just like any other burger nothing special. read more

Excellent prices, food quality, water side table and view, plus Linda the best and most efficient server. You will like it.

This place has the typical North Woods fair. Chicken sandwiches, burgers, and fish. The bonuses are you can drive or boat to it, they have a game/arcade area which can be fun for all, and the outdoor seating is right on the lake. All of the food and drinks were tasty we all especially liked the pretzels and Thai shrimp. read more

See all

Great experience. Went for lunch in the water with family. There were six of us, 4 adults and two children. Had to wait about 20 minutes for a table. Got lucky and sat outside under an awning right at waterside which kept the kids busy. Super nice young lady took our order. She was in the top of her game: friendly, attentive and wonderful communicator. We ordered sandwiches with fries, the standard side. Chicken sandwich was adorned with a beautifully prepared grilled slab. BLT on toasted wheat with generous slice of tomato and lettuce, and crispy bacon looked delicious. Philly cheesesteak was paired with green peppers and onions, and a side of gravy. I had the blue cheese bacon burger. It was very flavorful, cooked perfectly and served with tomato, lettuce and pickles. Delicious ! The children had chicken strips and a corn dog - their standard fare. Must have been good. Baskets were empty. Kids were amused by a couple of duck families swimming by waterside. It was a beautiful day with a nice breeze. Couldn't have asked for better conditions. Highly recommend without any reservations. Excellent place for lunch or dinner. Waterside seating made it fun. Good value and excellent service. read more

8/15/25 - If I could leave a half-star, I would. Im a single senior woman. The middle-aged male bartender went out of his way to ignore me, waiting on people on either side of me. Considering all their copious signage telling people to be polite to their staff, they need to take their own advice and lighten up with their customers. I simply left. And I will tell anyone who will listen to avoid this establishment and go elsewhere. read more

The wild rice clam chowder soup was amazing! We sat out on the deck and had fabulous lunch! Service was fast and friendly. read more

The Thirsty Whale - Bars Near Me - Minocqua, Wisconsin

I was there today, August 31. Linda, our waitress was amazing and extremely helpful. The owner on the other hand was extremely rude pushy and forced us off our tables before we were even done eating. read more

This is the best spot in Minocqua to bring your family. Even if there is a wait for tables, there are plenty of arcade games to play to pass time. Best views of the lake and food is delicious. We like that it's family owned. You can tell they care about good service within the community. read more

Food was average. One meal was served and it was cold. The wait staff demanded a 20% tip when a 14% tip was given. Stated it was the establishments policy that 20% tip was expected. Had the conversation with me in front of multiple other customers. No where did we see that a 20% tip is a must. Was very offended to have this conversation as well as watch wait staff counting their tips in front of customers. Will not be returning. read more

Great people, fun atmosphere. No actual whales though. Perhaps in the summer? More read more

Our first visiting here, not the best experience! The views are awesome eating on the deck by the lake! We had the fried macaroni bites for an appetizer and a few drinks, which were good. But we were excited to order the wallleye sandwich Wow what a disappointment!!! It was a great big sandwich, but they forget the fish! You couldn't hardly see the fish in the sandwich much less taste it! My daughter ordered the French dip which was less than average along with the French fry's. Service was ok but not great!! Definitely a lot better places to eat around here! read more

The Thirsty Whale - Sad fish sandwich - Bars Near Me - Minocqua, Wisconsin

Never ever go to The Thirsty Whale. They hate us Chicago folks. We came there tonight to enjoy some music and have a few drinks. The bartender was not only rude and unreasonable about a wrong drink order she prejudiced us for being from a different state. Vulger horrible staff. All the terrible reviews I have read are all accurate. The single worst establishment in the Northwoods. Hands down. Fear for yourself when you go here. They disrespect anyone that isn't from Wisconsin or local. Food and drinks are terrible. Go to Otto's. You will be treated fairly and have a great experience. Stay as far from this place as possible. read more

Oh Thirsty Whale-I miss the good ol' days when you cared about your customers! After decades of being a patron I will sadly never return again. This trip to my cabin we tried to eat here twice. Once you closed because it was too hot. It is 2025-get air conditioning! The second time we were there with my family of 8 including a toddler and 5 year old coming from our pontoon. I came in to get a table while they got the kids and things situated. The restaurant was pretty empty and they refused to seat me until each person presented themselves at the stand. The host said he would hold the table though. When my family walked through the door moments later the host told me the table was no longer available and the wait would now be over an hour!! No way we could wait that long with the little ones. So, once again, headed back to the Yacht Club. Seated immediately and had food and drinks in moments!!! So long Thirsty Whale-you had a good run there for a while. Let us know if you ever plan on changing back! read more

Had a great time last night. (Friday of Labor Day weekend) Had only a twenty minute wait. Great food (fish fry featured - limited menu). Enjoyed the summer drinks. Our server, Melissa McCarthy's doppelgänger, was great! The place has a great nautical vibe. As a note on the menu, a lot of the pictures are old that you will see posted on many social platforms. I've always wish these sights would purge reviews after a couple of years. Reminds me of places that put their 1995 Areas Best signs out still. read more

We go to thirsty whale every year for the ambiance. Make sure you get a table outside right on the lake. If you time your visit on a night the Minocqua bats have their waterski show you get not only dinner but a show. The food is decent. Not amazing but there is really nothing like the ambiance of the thirsty whale on a warm summer night. Menu includes burgers and fish ( you can get grilled fish and substitute the fries for a side salad so I was content as were my kids). Decent cheese curds. Overall, food is ok but this place has become a family tradition so we will happily be back next year. read more

Beautiful views of Lake Minocqua. The food was good but came out a little cold- probably because it was really busy at the time. Waitress was very sweet and attentive. read more

The Thirsty Whale - The view - Bars Near Me - Minocqua, Wisconsin

Iconic Northwoods pub that literally sits in lake minocqua. Once a former boat works, it's a great place to let the kids play some games, get food and drink. Great service read more

Delicious food all around. Very affordable. Amazing view. Great customer service. Family friendly.

manager was awful, condescending towards all of the women in my group even the adults. worst time of my life.

By far one of my very favorite places to go - especially in the summertime. I love the vibe here. I'm a local so I go here to feel like I'm getting away from it all. I love the ambiance and the view overlooking the water. Its enjoyable to watch the ducks and the boats drive by. The service and staff are always efficient and pleasant. The food is great! We especially love the coconut shrimp, chicken sandwiches, burgers and their fries! They also have games to play and frequently have live music inside. The ski show is also fun to watch from the deck. Can't say enough about this place. We just love it! read more

This restaurant on the lake is always a must stop for us when we visit Minocqua. Our favorite sandwich is the Thirsty Whale Deluxe with fries, that are always delicious. We also love it when we can sit outdoors but inside seating is light and airy, too. There is a good selection of craft beers, nice and cold. read more

This place has really gone downhill. Only reason it's still popular is the location. Also the only reason I gave it more than one star. If you're here on a nice afternoon be prepared to order right away, eat fast, and be rushed from your table. The food is meh at best. My "French dip" sandwich was thick-sliced cold roast beef with half-melted cheese on a bland bun. Much better places in the area to go where the food is better and the staff is happy and welcoming. Not so here. read more

The Thirsty Whale - "French Dip" ick. - Bars Near Me - Minocqua, Wisconsin

The food is delicious, and the servers are nice from my experience. They do stop serving after a certain time though. Nice interior, and great view of the lake. Great for snowmobiling, as they have a spot for those when the lake freezes over! read more

The Thirsty Whale - Kids buttered noodles, with breadstick. - Bars Near Me - Minocqua, Wisconsin

Terribile service, rude! What is this? Now we are supposed to tolerate wait staff insult patrons and still tip them? Can't you just say please don't sit in this area of the bar because it's reserved for my family? Do the owners know? Do the owners know that you ask customers if they have "common sense" and when they get offended you say you don't like their "attitude"??? That's the language you use with customers? "Common sense" and "i don't like your attitude"? Since when do employees at a bar tell customers to use their common sense? What happened to courtesy? We just approached the bar to orders! We just got there! Are you entitled to treat paying customers that way? We canceled our dinner reservation and left. You don't get our money, and we are letting everyone know. How arrogant. read more

Always crowded, always fun. Wonderful bloody Mary's with chaser beer. Great tshirts. Terrific porch in good weather. Loud inside fyi.

Met friends for drinks. Drinks were weak. Stopped on the way out to play the quarter slide game. I won several quarters and the game ate them. Asked the two hostesses chatting behind me about it. They first said "that's the point of the game" (it's not), and then said "I don't know, that's so weird it didn't come out." Um.... Can we be solution-oriented? Say "I'll go get a manager to retrieve them for you? Here's a free drink token?" Bummer. read more

Beautiful outdoor dining area looking over the lake. Very reasonable pricing. Food was delicious and served by attentive staff.

Location alone makes this worth a stop. Menu is simple and consistent. I do not think you will eat at the Whale and be blown away by the food but nothing is wrong with well done bar food. It would be interesting to see a stronger menu and more creative dishes at a place like this. Would I go back? Absolutely. read more

The Thirsty Whale - Whale Deluxe: Blackened grouper fillet topped with swiss cheese, fire roasted peppers & onions; served on a toasted hoagie roll. - Bars Near Me - Minocqua, Wisconsin

Perfect spot for drinks and pub food on the lake. Impossible to not have a great time with friends.

I have been coming to the north woods for most of my life and have never been to the Thirsty Whale. I have been missing out! The outside seating is a wonderful area to grab a drink and some food in the summer time. The atmosphere is so fun and you can fit bigger groups here! Highly recommend. read more

The Thirsty Whale - Patio - Bars Near Me - Minocqua, Wisconsin

It was a beautiful October day and we sat out on the deck overlooking the lake. Lunch consisted of typical pub type offerings. My cheeseburger and fries were good. The waitress was very pleasant and attentive. The Thirsty Whale is a good place to relax and have a pub style lunch. read more