The Waterfront is truly a very special restaurant. We were in the area and were so in love with how beautiful it was along the Mississippi River walking path that we dropped by here for an early dinner. We were so fortunate that they were able to seat us on the outdoor patio facing the water. This restaurant isn't just great for the views--the food and drinks here were phenomenal as well. Our appetizers of beer-battered cheese curds and mussels were so flavorful and hit the spot. We also loved our fish tacos and linguini with scallops (I absolutely loved the crushed red pepper that came with it too!). Our food all paired nicely with their extensive cocktail/drinks menu, which included many different breweries and distilleries. This is one of those restaurants you'll remember visiting forever--definitely come visit if you can! read more

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You definitely pay for the view! We split a crab cake and cheese curd appetizer. Both were very good. Because the crab cake had such great flavor, I did not use the herb sauce it comes with. Same thing with the cheese curds! Yummy all by themselves! While we waited for our table, we got some great pictures in the lobby with the flowers! Come here, relax, and enjoy the view! Most sincerely! read more

The Waterfront Restaurant & Tavern - Come early, there are plenty of things to see in the lobby! Great food too! Definitely enjoy the view! - New American Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

Service was amazing, cheese curds are 9 out of 10-the sambal aioli is 10 out of 10. Manhattan was good. Three cherries- so YES. You need to pick your whiskey though, so be prepared for that. I had Makers Mark due to recommendation from bartender. Ambiance is beyond awesome, sit outside in the comfy chairs and enjoy the view of the Mississippi River. read more

The Waterfront Restaurant & Tavern - Manhattan - New American Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

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Came here for dinner at 6:30 PM. wanted to sit in the tavern. There was a sign in front of it that said it was full, but the woman at the front desk told me I could go in and have a seat of the open table inside. The food was actually great. I ordered the devils on horse back appetizer, the the cream of mushroom and beef soup, and bread service. I also ordered a margarita, which was serviceable, but not all too good. The basic problem was services. There were plenty of servers available, in spite of the place being full for happy hour. After I ate my meals and the service was pretty prompt up to that point however, once I told the waitress I was done ordering food, she disappeared for half an hour. I said as many tables got up and left, and eventually I was the only one sitting in the back section of the tavern in the corner of the bar. After cleaning tables and waiting on other tables, she finally came up and asked I was doing I was trying to flag her down the whole time to get the check. Super frustrated. read more

The Waterfront Restaurant & Tavern - Empty tavern waiting for a check. - New American Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

Place is a 5+ establishment. Situated along the river with great views from the inside or outside seating. Ambiance in the dining room is simple and classy. The bar area is rich walnut and brass. Very cool place. John was our server. He was superb walking us through the options and steering us toward a fantastic experience. We started with salads. Wifey went with the hose salad with balsamic vinaigrette. I went with the wedge salad which was unique. Two slabs of iceberg lettuce topped with tomatoes, bacon bits and blue cheese. Both salads were fresh and generous. I would have liked additional dressing. Wifey had salmon ... perfectly prepared on a bed of farm fresh vegetables. I even asked her for a sample they looked so good and definitely unique. I'm serious those vegetables were spectacular. I had the Angus filet medium with blackened spices. I should have ordered it medium rare. My mistake. The steak came with a single pickled onion. A better idea would have been to order a side. Again, my mistake. We wrapped the night splitting the Crème Brûlée which was a perfect closer. Highly recommend without any reservations. Experience was far better than expected. read more

NOTE: The menu photos posted above under "menu" are old and not in effect! (I thought the prices looked a bit low.) I took photos of the lunch, dinner, drink, and tavern menus that are current as of August 2025: Look at the menus with 8/25 written in red. We had a wonderful lunch there today. The patio was large and the views of the Mississippi River were very nice and lent a peaceful air. And the food was great! I had the chicken salad board with delicious cashew chicken salad, fresh fruit, cheese, fig jam, and a croissant. My husband had the Mac and cheese, which came in a large bowl; he said it was delicious. The service was excellent: our server and the rest of the staff were very friendly. Highly recommend. read more

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What a gem on the side of the river?! The weather was perfect to have lunch outside so we did. It was absolutely beautiful out on the patio! My food was delicious! I had ordered a sandwich and fries, however what got me was the cheesecake! It was perfect in size and just the right amount of taste! I could have slept on the patio sofa afterwards!!! Our waitress was absolutely wonderful and knowledgeable of the menu. She was very patient and explained every question thoroughly! We will come back on our next rotation!! read more

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Took a client for dinner last week and The Waterfront did not disapoint. One fillet, one ribeye, one pasta for entrées All cooked as requested with sides that were solid. The pear candied walnut salad and the Cesar salad both 5 of 5 We had this date, fig, bacon wrapped app that was 5 of 5 Service was also 5 of 5 read more

Food is over priced for what you get. $65 for 3 scallops over a small mound of pasta? Salad is extra. No bread - they ran out. Place was not crowded and cold. We were freezing and glad to go somewhere else that was warm. Food had good flavor, so if money is no object, you don't have a big appetite, and you wear layers, it is a good place to eat. Bar area is nicer - warm, friendly, and cheaper options. read more

The Waterfront Restaurant & Tavern - tiny scallop - New American Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

We are SO incredibly sad to hear this fine establishment will be closing its doors this coming March. While not always on the menu, ask for a raspberry lemon drop and you won't regret it. The BEST one I've ever had. I will be begging the bartenders to teach me their ways before they close their doors. This is our top choice in town to celebrate accomplishments and achievements. The tavern and patio offer a more casual ambiance, while the restaurant itself is chic and has an element of more formality. The staff is always ALWAYS incredible and thoughtful. The food is always on point, interesting, and flavorful. This place will be well-missed come March, but I know I will be back here plenty in the mean time to get my fill and and support this staff before then. read more

A lot of people hyped up the steak and ambiance here, so I had to check it out for myself. I can't eat a huge steak, so the skewer was the perfect amount of meat to go along with the cheese curds (LITERALLY the best I've ever had), and the foie gras (if you don't know what it is, don't look it up, just trust me...it tastes like butter. The French don't steer us wrong on decadent delicacies). The bartender was a hoot, and service was quick and attentive. I look forward to returning! read more

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Wonderful restaurant with an even better patio overlooking the river. We got the house salad and the chicken sandwich, which our waitress highly recommended and she was right! Definitely worth checking out if you're wanting to enjoy a good meal with an even better view. read more

The Waterfront Restaurant & Tavern - New American Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

Went for lunch on a weekday and was not busy. The place is beautiful inside and has an amazing view of the river. The food was excellent and the service was great. read more

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Great location in La Crosse on the water. We sat outside and had beautiful views of the water. Inside the bar looked amazing with selection and beauty. The same for the inside dining area. Our server Nate was great and very helpful. The cheese curds were amazing. We both had the house salad for a light dinner. My wife ordered the side salad ($6) and it was really enough for her whole meal. I ordered the dinner size version ($12) and it was too much. I added salmon at that was another $15 and wonderful taste and huge size. I split it with my wife. Next time I'd just get the side salad size. Their meats look amazing but we had a late lunch so we weren't looking for a ton of food. read more

A nice spot to take a break from driving from Minneapolis- looking forward to lunch! Well lunch finally came .. let me just say the SERVICE was very slow, MY cocktail took a long while, our appetizer came when we were nearly finished with our lunch. In fact the manager brought our "appetizer To another table! ‍Husband ordered another beer that took another long while . I was not asked if I wanted another beverage ‍ since now i get to WATCH my husband drink his second beer! Sigh! Sadness- expecting a wonderful experience not here, not today. We tipped our server well. Not her fault she didn't bring anything on time. read more

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The venue is lovely but the food was disappointing. I ordered my steak medium rare and this was how it came out. I didn't send it back because my waiter didn't even come check in after he brought it to me, so I didn't have an opportunity to say anything. Given that they have a pretty large selection of steak on their menu, I would've expected better, especially for $55. I would avoid the steak here. read more

The Waterfront Restaurant & Tavern - Filet - New American Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

Beautiful location,good food,excellent service. Why is this place closing in March? I can't believe it. We always take our out of town friends there. It will be missed. read more

It's beautiful and you can make a reservation. However, they don't do brunch anymore and they don't open until 11 so if you're relying on the website, you will be disappointed. Service was decent, although our server disappeared for a really long time toward the end of our meal and everyone was agitated by a group of 14 that became 24 that ended up being 41. I ordered a dirty martini and it was good. The crispy chicken sandwich and the burger were both really tasty. The date appetizer was fire. But it was disappointing to not have any brunch options. They appeared to have great salads. read more

I celebrated a graduation here with friends and the graduate of Viterbo University in LaCrosse. Everything about the experience was so refreshing and classy. The cheese curds were some of the best I've ever had. Whether it was the batter or the unique dipping sauce, it just had a unique touch to it that put me in a good mood. Burger and Fries were classic American style. Nothing more, nothing less. I loved their beer selection and especially the imported Radler from Germany!! read more

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I had dinner on February 3, 2026 and the food, drinks (white chocolate and the caramel pecan martini) was delicious, the service and staff were exceptional. The view of the river and the sunset and the atmosphere was so wonderful. It was my first time being there and I'm so sad to hear that they are closing in March. Beautiful place. read more

Had an appetizer and drink before dinner elsewhere and the view and service were superb. Next time we will just stay for dinner as well!

A little disappointed, first time here, Valentine's Day lunch. Pasta was extremely al dente. Very undercooked. Couldn't finish it. Sad, because it tasted good but not edible. Coffee was very lukewarm. We are coffee people and appreciate hot coffee. Not here! I didn't know the fish and chips were actually not fries, but parsnips. Would have been nice to give me a heads up, since it was ur first time here. Waitress kept leaving and taking very long to come back, for anything including taking our order. They were not understaffed, so IDK what was going on. Over all, the taste of the food was good, just wished the pasta was completely cooked through. Wait, already said that but really? How disappointing, for $100 total bill plus tip. For some reason our waitress kept singing out every word, not sure why, I'm glad she was happy but it became pretty annoying. She did apologize each time she left and came back, as if she knew she gone long. Otherwise, we will give it another try. Dessert was mini, but delicious. Ambiance, was low key. We sat in a corner, not by choice so, really couldn't enjoy the beautiful view of the flurries and lake. read more

One Star - Not Worth the Hype or the Price I don't usually write reviews, but I feel compelled after my disappointing visit. This place is wildly overpriced for what you get. I ordered a basic pasta dish and a drink, and somehow ended up with a bill that made me do a double take. The food was fine--nothing special, certainly not worth the cost. But what really pushed it over the edge for me was the WiFi--or lack thereof. I needed to get a bit of work done while I waited, and the connection was practically non-existent. Slow, spotty, and kept dropping. If you're going to charge premium prices, at least offer working internet. Definitely not coming back. There are far better options in the area that won't empty your wallet and kill your data. read more

The Waterfront Restaurant & Tavern - This is all I can afford - New American Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

Every time I come into town, I eat here at least once. Amazing food, bar service and bar menu. Well done peps.

I want to like this place, I really do! But each time I come back I'm disappointed on a greater scale. The staff is fantastic, the atmosphere is great and the food is mediocre and for a hefty price. And to make matters worse, they throw on the "credit card processing fee." This is what really prompted me to write the subpar review. It's not like this place is cheap to being with. It's quite possibly the most expensive restaurant in town- which is still cheap compared to the bigger cities. They charge for absolutely everything! Including bread- which used to be free. Having said that, the food is good, but overpriced and the added fee really puts me over the edge. I hate to say this, I won't be back. read more

We really enjoyed our meal at this restaurant. The cheese curds and oysters were delish and the bacon wrapped dates were outstanding. The halibut was dry and there was a mix up on our sides that came after we were pretty much done with our mains, but they were good. Good drink and wine selection. Our server was lovely. And it is a beautiful location. read more

At a very good lunch here. Beautiful restaurant and the service was excellent. We had the pear/pecan gargonzola salad and walleye tacos. False delicious and freshly made. Highly recommend this place read more

Wanted to try the Wednesday fish special. It had sold out in 40 minutes - not a big deal. We ordered cocktails on the veranda, Steak, Blackened Fish Bowl, and Scallops. For $42 we got 2 scallops on a pile of spaghetti that was almost too salty to choke down. The Fish Bowl turned out to be 2 mini tacos with 2 mini pieces of fish placed on top, and a handful of potato chips out of a bag. The steak was ok. It's been a while since I've been there. Used to be much better. I'd have drinks on the veranda again, but nay to the food. read more

One of the finest dining establishments we've ever experienced. Top notch service, ambiance, bar and cuisine. Have the saganaki. Absolutely delicious! Also check out the filets -- melt in your mouth delicious. Before dinner drink? You won't be disappointed by their Bloody Mary. Same goes for the Southern Comfort Old Fashioned Sweet. Loved it for dinner so we went back the following day for lunch. Superior quality and a place I shall miss! read more

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Place looks fancy when you first walk in but it's hard to know what to do when you walk in. There appears to be a host stand in front of the restrooms but nobody was stationed there. I walked into the dining area and found some servers congregated by a work station and asked if they had a table for one. They said I could sit anywhere inside or see the host if I wanted to sit outside on the patio. The patio was awesome! Overlooking the Mississippi right at sunset with nice music playing and a nice breeze cooling down the scorching summer day. I ordered the crab cake for a starter and it took over 20 minutes before I saw it with an apology from the server, "I'm not sore what's going on back there!" Love it when the server throws the kitchen under the bus! The crab cake was just okay. I also had two divers scallops and an ala cart shrimp. The scallops were really good. Shrimp was massacred for some reason but tasted okay. I ordered the burger and it was truly awful. Fresh bun was killer but rather than a 1/2 lb. Burger they serve two dry over-cooked 1/4 lb burgers with some over-cooked bacon. The sauce was mid. The server must have know it sucked because while he walked by me a dozen times while I was choking it down he never stopped to ask how everything was. There was no attempt to suggest a dessert or after dinner drink or anything. The pitch was, "Do you want dessert?" I ordered the crem brûlée. He set it down in front of me 5 minutes later without a word. It was pretty good with fresh whipped cream and some fresh fruit. Over-all pretty disappointing all the way around. read more

Nice restaurant on the Lacrosse River leading into the Mississippi River. The menu was small but the quality of the food was good. Many of the folks in the town highly recommended it. The oysters were fresh and the salmon crust was perfect just a little under. I felt our waiter was trying to get us out of there because they were near closing. All in all it was a great location, great scenery, and good food. read more

The Waterfront Restaurant & Tavern - New American Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

Been here twice - one 6 years ago in college when I was vegan and this last summer. Both times they were okay. I remember ordering their curry when I was vegan and it lacked flavor and depth. The latest time, I got the duck while my sister got the steak (sirloin?). She asked for the steak to be medium but when we received it, the steak was so rare that even I could not eat it. The duck was better, it was cooked just right medium rare and the orange sauce with it was okay. The duck seemed to not be processed right because there were extremely chewy and had lots of tendons. For dessert we got the crème brûlée which was pretty okay as well, nothing too notable. The service was nice and kept us taken care of. They were accommodating when I was vegan and omitted chicken from the curry. The overall restaurant felt like a fine dining restaurant when you walk in with a home-y vibe. Personally, I think it's overpriced for what you're getting, for dinner at least. read more

The Waterfront Restaurant & Tavern - Duck and steak - New American Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

We were in town touring and had a recommendation about the lovely patio at this place so we stopped in for happy hour on a weekday. We got there shortly after 3pm and were able to snag a shady seat with a great view of the Mississippi River. My a bit after 4pm the place was full so come early when the weather is nice. We ordered a number of drinks - the local liquor gin, vodka, etc was $5 in a mixed drink and very tasty. We also got an order of their calamari which was very good and a good price. My sister saw some people getting dessert and ordered the chocolate bombe - wow was that delicious. Our waiter was very friendly and attentive. He kept things rolling. Not sure how dinner is at this place but we definitely would go back for happy hour during the warm months. read more

The Waterfront Restaurant & Tavern - Mississippi River - New American Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

Service was great ambiance was delightful . Now the bad news, the $53 ribeye was grilled perfectly but the steak was tough as shoes leather and with connective tissue. This is the second time this has happened. The side dishes were fine but grocery store beaf would have been a huge improvement. Sadly i have to give a 2 star just because the quality of the beaf. If they would source the beaf higher quality they would be deserving of 4.5 to 5 stars. read more

We tried their ribeye and chicken. All were very good. The service made it all the better.

We celebrated with a group for a very special anniversary for my in laws at The Waterfront on a Friday evening. The setting cannot be better. It's right on the bank of the river with beautiful views. They also have a semi private room for small parties like ours. Every drink and morsel was fantastic and the service was outstanding. It's definitely one of the best restaurants in LaCrosse. read more

The Waterfront Restaurant & Tavern - Cheese curds from the tavern menu. - New American Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

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We had dinner here in July for our 20th Wedding Anniversary. The $100.00 Waygu steak was full of gristle. Very disappointed in the steak but even more disappointed in their lack of customer service! Emailed them 2 times and Facebook messaged 1 time. No response from anyone! Will not dine here again! Very disappointed in The Waterfront. read more

The view, service and food were wonderful. We would highly recommend dining at The Waterfront.

We had an amazingly good meal and lovely evening with excellent a friendly service. It's a friendly but upscale place with kind and knowledgeable servers. We enjoyed the fresh corn salad and a cheese board. The house salad is fresh and well-dressed and quite large. We had excellent swordfish. The menu offered dry aged local pork that was described the way beef often is so we tried the T-bone and it was excellent. Large midwestern-size servings. read more

The Waterfront Restaurant & Tavern - Cheese board - New American Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

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While traveling to visit a friend, we discovered this place. We were there on a Saturday between lunch and dinner so they have a tavern menu. Several food choices. The buttermilk fried chicken sandwich was very tasty! The Caesar salad was also very good. Service was excellent! Unfortunately it was raining so we didn't get to experience eating on the patio. Maybe next time on another visit. read more