My boyfriend called the restaurant to book a table for 10 people and the gentleman that answered the phone took down my boyfriend's name and number to let him know when it would be ready (estimated time was 1 hour which we completely expected). He called back again about 20-30 minutes later asking if the wait time would be any different if we split into two groups and the woman who answered the phone said 45 minute to an hour (again, not surprising and expected). We decided to pop by the restaurant and see what the wait would be like for 5 people and they said an hour but we had already given our name from the first phone call. However, the woman said they don't do call ahead and asked if we called the restaurant in North Carolina. When my boyfriend asked what the phone number was, she didn't even know. She seemed very inexperienced and confused. It was such a mess of an experience. I was told from another family member that this restaurant is also very stuck up and the food is mediocre (but great views). We don't ever plan on trying to come back - there are other options in town! read more

My family who has traditionally enjoyed the Weathervane annually was shocked at the quality of food they were served! All the food was cold, French fries old, and the Chicken Tenders were so hard they couldn't be consumed! Staffords needs to up their oversight on the quality of its food! I would recommend McDonalds over this meal! Plus it would have saved a ton of money too! read more

Location was nice, but food was mediocre at best. The two young hostesses both had rude attitudes towards our group. Spent $40 on prime rib and when it came out there was a small curly black hair (YUCK) on my mashed potatoes. They took it back and 10 minutes later brought me a new plate with just the mashed potatoes replaced, so the steak itself had gotten cold along with the side of veggies. My waitress said "sorry about that" and that was it, nothing else to comp for it. Most likely won't be coming back. read more

Maybe - possibly - if you live in Charlevoix and this is the only restaurant you've been going to for the last 20 years, you could be under the impression that it's good. However, if you've eaten at a handful of other places, it'll be quite clear to you - the food at Weathervane is terrible. When the meal came out I was unimpressed at the sight of it, and my taste buds took me lower still with the first few bites. It seems like a place without a chef, relying on recipes that have never changed and line cooks who can "execute" them. Then you consider that the planked whitefish is nearly $35 and the frustration sets in. Please - treat yourself to somewhere else - anywhere else. read more

Wow! This is like one of the few restaurants open in Charlevoix this week so we tried it hoping for a nice fish dinner. What a huge disappointment! Extremely rude service... we left the bar before ordering a meal. Just plain awful! read more

Sitting on their patio in the summer, drinking one of their swoon-worthy cocktails feels magical. Yes, this place is expensive, but you are literally eating over the Channel watching boats pass in Charlevoix if you get there at the right time. This place is a classy restaurant in the heart of town. It's always a highly satisfying meal. The food ranges from good to delicious. Their deserts are yummy as well. They have a well stocked bar, and the service ranges from okay to good. This place has the best range of options for a vegetarian in town. NOTE: They took reasonable COVID precautions, and distanced tables over six feet which makes me think they're also being careful with food safety and respect the health and safety of their servers and customers. read more

We are staying in the condos across the street. My wife is having a lupus flare up and cannot move so going out this evening was not an option. We love this place so much so we thought to go would be great. They told us they would not take a to go order until 830 or nine which was incredibly frustrating considering the reason was that it was a holiday and they were too busy. Based upon their empty patio and the fact that it is 75° outside makes their response confusing. read more

Service was good, atmosphere and view of the canal are good. Food was average, we both got burgers and they were just ok.

Today the girls stopped in for late lunch. Ordered champagne and small plates. Wedge slice was excellent. Whitefish chowder drew raves. Crab cakes and lamb chop pops were both memorable, especially the accompaniments. Then... Peanut butter pie. OMG I've been here hundreds of times. Today, they blew me away. Thank you ! read more

Where else can you get a cup of Morel Soup and watch boats cruise the channel in Charlevoix? The Perch is great, too. So is the service.

Ate outside on the patio which was nice. Menu is very pricey and IMO not worth the money. I had the walleye which was fried with some sauce topped with a morel mushroom medley. The fish was bland as can be with absolutely zero seasoning. Very dry too. Asparagus and mushrooms were good, but for $34 it should be an outstanding dish. Wife had the chicken dijon which she said was good but not great. $24 for her dish. Artichoke dip was really good and came with a very large portion and crostini's. read more

I love this place! Perfect location, very friendly staff, wonderful food. My whitefish sandwich and an artichoke and spinach dip was mouthwatering! On top, 6-feet distance is preserved, all the tables are spread! Very nice place! read more

Weathervane Restaurant - Artichoke and spinach dish - American Near Me - Charlevoix, Michigan

Great food and great atmosphere. Get there early so you can get a seat on the patio. You will have a great view of the boats coming and going and the draw bridge raising and lowering. read more

Enjoyed great food with amazing ambiance! Would recommend for dinner 100%. Fun to watch the bridge

Amazing meal. Starting with the cold cherry soup. I know it doesn't sound good , but it's delish. We also had a great salad with cherries and pears on Bibb lettuce. The meal continued with the white fish and crisp veggies. Although the fish was delicious, it came out cold. I have a hard time sending anything back , so I ate it anyway. It was good all the same. The meal ended with homemade cherry ice cream. If you plan to go there , make reservations with the View. read more

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This place is so organized it's amazing. I also don't know how much they are paying these servers and hosts to be happy because they seem so genuinely nice and happy to work there. We walked in and there was a wait for the patio we put our names in and they texted us when our table was ready which was awesome and convenient. Before our table was ready we waited at the high top tables on the patio near the bar where Maggie served us. She was so sweet and genuine and communicated very well when she would be with us! We asked her many questions about the menu and she did a great job recommending us the mushroom cream soup it had some fancy name that unfortunately I cannot remember it. Then we were ready and the host guided us to the patio seating (which we requested) once we got there someone automatically gave us water and our server, Faith joined not to long after. We gave her our order and then it started to get really cold, once we told the host we wanted the same server just to move us inside, she accommodated right away and was really kind. Faith continued her amazing service with us in the dining room & we had some of the best food. The food was so worth the price! I ordered a NY strip with veggies and mashed potatoes which was amazing and cooked exactly to what my request was Medium rare. My mom ordered the planked white fish which I tried and it was so flavourful and not "fishy" if you know what I mean. Her mashed potatoes where in a different style than mine and slight salty but everything else was cooked to perfection we then ordered the turtle cream puff which was fluffy and delicious! I would absolutely recommend making the stop here if you can, you also get to see the bridge open a few times and have such a lovely view of the water and the smell of the fresh flowers if you sit outside, when you sit inside you can still have a lovely view of the water and the bridge but also a luxurious lit dinner. This was the perfect end to our road trip! :) read more

Weathervane Restaurant - The truffle cream puff - American Near Me - Charlevoix, Michigan

i went the the weathervane today and ordered a quinoa bowl. i was expecting a full bowl with enough rice and veggies to suffice my hunger. for $21 i got 1/4 rice and some peppers and cucumbers on the side. granted it tasted yummy however i don't recommend getting this meal if you are actually hungry. read more

The weathervane is such a fun place. They have awesome food and a great location. Always come here when I'm In Charlevoix! read more

Wonderful to sit outside on the terrace in the summertime and watch the boaters. Just a very relaxing place with great food and service.

We had such a fun time here last summer with a table right on the river, food and service were both delicious. They have classic and adventurous dishes, soup was by far my favorite. Great bread too! read more

Absolutely horrible service! Your hostess at the front desk was Totally argumentative and very un- customer focused!! We Waited the designated time only to to be seated in the wrong location. And When I went back to the hostess to explain the mixup, she proceeded to argue with me. Then, we were seated at possibly the worst table on the outdoor patio that had been open the entire time we were waiting. Appeared to be a punishment for questioning them. While waiting, the Bartender poured the wrong drink and then seemed upset when I questioned her. Every restaurant in the free world the caliber of the Weather Vane , and most even below it, use open table for reservations. However they seem so arrogant that they make you wait. And, I'm writing this review before we even had the food! That will be beside the point. Just the service and attitude alone makes me rate this a one star location! I would rate a "zero" star if I could!! Food needed up being very good read more

My family and I went here on a nice summer day for lunch and we were able to sit on the balcony. It was the same day as the Charlevoix marathon, but even though they were busy (we had to leave our name and get a text that our table was ready), the food and service was great once we sat down! My husband and I shared both the ultimate grilled cheese, tomato soup, and the chicken salad plate with fruit and were very happy with our choices! I tasted my mom's morsel soup and that was delicious too! Watching the boats and the drawbridge is always very entertaining too! I have been coming here since I was a child, and we plan to come back next summer! :) read more

Always love the Weathervane. Consistent quality and professional service. Planked whitefish and then cherry praline ice cream. Great place to bring customers. read more

My wife and I enjoyed our food, I had the Walleye and my wife had the whitefish. After reading other reviews I wish we had ordered an appetizer. Overall we enjoyed our experience and would return. The restaurant is well located for walking traffic. We stayed at a nearby BNB with a two block walk at the most so I can't opine on parking. read more

In a word, The Weathervane food "sucks". Had lunch there while on our annual Northern Michigan family vacation (Walloon Lake) on Thursday, August 4th. We were seated on the patio (my wife and I, with our 19-month old in a high chair) and enjoyed the view of the canal for about fifteen minutes before our waiter even bothered to give us a "hey, w'sup?" (his quotes, not mine). In short, my Cuban sandwich was brutally small (panini bread for a Cuban? Really?) and bland, while the burger my wife ordered could have easily been used as a hockey puck during a Charlevoix winter. Finally, our water glasses were never filled (25 minutes) so I proceeded to get up and grab a water pitcher from the bus station and fill our own waters, as well as clear our own table. It's been 20-years since I've waited tables, and I'm happy to report I still have my chops. Summary; smart-ass, slow and lazy waitstaff food sucks over-priced to help pay their rent... ...which is why you're paying for a view. ONLY go there for a cocktail to watch the sunset. Don't order the food. Awful. cnstratton@gmail.com read more

I was really excited to eat at the Weathervane. Every summer, my family would make sure to eat their because they whitefish is the best. It appears, when you walk in, they have their Covid act together ... but it's misleading! When we sat down, our waiter took our order. When he brought my drink, he handed me a straw that was not wrapped. Then, when my husband asked for salt/pepper, he handed him two shakers and his hands were directly placed where the pepper/salt come out of.. gross. All of the servers wore their masks but not covering their nose..... hello, why wear the masks!! They should be covering their nose!! I ordered a whitefish sandwich and husband got the chicken salad. The server went to serve me and I asked for no tomato, which I quickly saw, my sandwich had. Their was another tray with a whitefish sandwich and he said that must be it so he grabbed that one and gave to me. Then, he took my sandwhich that sat in front of me and gave to the next table. Luckily, the little old ladies were so talkative they didn't notice but that is gross again!!! Finally, my husband asked for a side of ranch to dip his chips and nearing the end of his plate of chips... he dipped and saw a hair. Love the food but just not a health friendly place to go. They need to put their young servers through sanitary training. Unless they make some quick changes, they are bound to create an outbreak. read more

The most unprofessional Manager named Paul The view drew my family to the restaurant. It's on the channel and right next to the bridge. Sadly being a more upscale restaurant Paul the manager was nothing of the sort. Rude and quite prejudice. First I tried calling to book a reservation for me and my family. It rang twice then went to a voicemail stating the times they were open and if I wanted to speak to Paul leave a message (I found the pre recorded msg quite odd for an actual restaurant) After calling twice with no answer I walked over (we are in the hotel right across the street) and asked to get a reservation in person. He said "no we are completely booked all evening" so I left. Not knowing this my aunt went over and asked for a reservation not fifteen minutes later. He said he could do that. This made me EXTREMELY frustrated that he would turn me down only to give it to someone else due to either my age or the amount of money I may spend. This wasn't the end with Paul the manager. He said to my aunt it was about an hour and a half wait. My uncle went over about 40 min later just to check back in and make sure we were still good on the time and if anything changed. Paul said "Look I told your wife an hour and a half. It's been 40 minutes so how long do you have left?" Who says something like that. The food was ok but it was overpriced for what you get. We are not coming back due to Paul the manager. read more

I have eaten at the Weathervane many times over the years. They currently have a new menu, but my greatest interest in going there is still to have the oldest thing on their menu: planked whitefish. If the food tonight hadn't been puzzlingly consistent, I would give the Weathervane four stars. However, with eight people in our party, the inconsistencies were easy to spot. Example One: Four of us had the whitefish. Three received delicious, perfectly-cooked fresh fish. The fourth received dry and -- believe it or not -- fishy-smelling and -tasting fish. If I had received it, I would have returned it, but that diner was a teen and chose to cover hers with catsup, Example Two: Fresh fish is more expensive than fresh vegetables. It wouldn't be surprising if a restaurant served small portions of protein. The Weathervane serve large portions of fish, BUT they serve ridiculously small portions of vegetables. We received a golf-ball-sized portion of spaghetti squash and two (!) asparagus HEADS. I am so not kidding. Two of our diners noted that they used to pipe their mashed potatoes all the way around the plate; now they are a quarter of the way around. I would be interested to learn if other people have inconsistent experiences at the Weathervane. And they definitely need to serve larger portions of vegetables! read more

This isn't my first time complaining but it will be my last because I am not going back. I brought three friends with me in town on business. I went to eat in the lounge to find the same bartender I had last time waiting on me, serving food with her long black hair hanging in it. I watched her serve food and go back behind the bar to eat her own dinner. That was enough for me, I turned around and left. I went to the East Park Tavern located just down the block and now I am enjoying my dinner. She was eating in front of three gentlemen customers!!!!!!!!!!! I am not sure what has happened to class at this place. read more

I don't get the hype. I've had better whitefish at other restaurants, like The Cove in Leland/Fishtown or The Brown Trout in Indian River. The planked whitefish specialty was a complete disappointment for me; it was bland, a tad dry, and, like Angelique a. found, its pathetic accompaniments of two asparagus spears and a few scoops of spaghetti squash almost made me mad. Hubby had the crab-topped whitefish which had far more flavor - crab flavor, since the whitefish was pathetic, but an improvement still. Our server was great and the location is an obvious plus. The outdoor patio's a draw, but avoid the tables right next to the bridge. The traffic noise is intrusive and the smell is off-putting. read more

Excellent food. All fish dishes (white, amberjack, salmon, walleye) were well prepared. Escargot had a cottage cheese-like topping .....interesting preparation and worth trying.....too much cheese for me. Morel soup was superb. Meal for 4 with drinks and tip was $260. read more

Weathervane Restaurant - Atlantic Salmon caught in Torch Lake in 2015. - American Near Me - Charlevoix, Michigan

We just dropped into the Weathervane on an impromptu trip to Charlevoix. We thought the place looked rich in character from the outside and headed in. Upon entering, things got very confusing. First we were told that the inside of the restaurant and the outside were run completely separate from each other. We were also told that our group of seven could be seated immediately (this was at 5:30) as long as we were willing to sit next to the live saxophone player. Once we were seated we asked about a table of the same size that was right next to the window so we could overlook the water while we ate, however we were told that the table was not available. We continued to watch this table until we left... When we opened the menus, we were a little surprised at the cost if the dinner entrees. Having never even heard if the Weathervane before, we didn't know what to expect, but we certainly didn't expect entrees over $20 and steaks/fish over $30 with salads and other sides being served a la carte. Most of us settled on a New York strip special that was quite tasty and worth what we paid. Everyone else thought their meals were good too. Overall, we were pleased by our food and service, however they only get three stars from me because of that table by the windows. See, that table that we were told we couldn't have sat empty the entire time we were in the restaurant. I'm sure they were holding it for a reservation or for some other reason, however we could have sat there and still cleared out before the reservation came. Spending our entire meal looking at the table we couldn't have sit empty loses a star for the Weathervane. read more

I wanted to update my review because the manager of the place sent me a "solid" this past summer by inviting me and my wife to have lunch on him. I didn't go..... but I appreciated the thought behind it. His willingness to put up with a snotty ahole review and try to make it right for me was pretty professional and I have to give him kudos. read more

I just ate here for dinner with my family -- the service was excellent but the food was just okay. My family and I wanted to sit outside and the hostess did a great job of keeping us updated on wait times and telling us the status of when the table would be ready. She definitely went above and beyond with her service! Our waiter was also great, personable and friendly, but also checked up on us often and made sure we were satisfied. As for the food, each entree was $20-$25 and I don't think worth the price. I ate here with 5 family members and we all ordered different things and tasted each others meals. I was not impressed. My whitefish was dry, the green beans I got on the side were dry, and my mashed potatoes were also..dry. Same goes for the perch, walleye, etc. The highlight of the meal were the orders of sweet potato fries we ordered on the side. All in all, good location in Charlevoix and great service, but food left something to be desired. read more

First time I have ever been to the Weathervane and was pleasantly surprised. We were seated with a view of the river. Janelle our waitress was fantastic. She explained that the have a new menu and are very excited about it. We started with the shrimp risotto fritters. Oh my were they superb. Two large fries risotto cakes with an asiago cream sauce serves with large shrimp. It was luscious. We split the prime rib sandwich that was on a homemade roll and a pesto mayo. It even came with homemade chips. We also had the French onion soup that was covered in cheese. Our water glasses were never empty. Great service. Would go back. read more

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Best place in Charlevoix to soak in the water views. Excellent service and presentation, had the whitefish, top notch! Drinks are stiff and fairly priced. read more

I confess this was my first visit here, after spending vacation weeks in this part of Michigan for 25 years. Mostly, not going was because, after biking several hours, then hanging on the beach each afternoon, just getting up the energy to leave the rental house was not there. But finally, we voyaged 20 minutes north from Eastport. It was well worth it. The nine of us had fabulous meals. Being from Tacoma, I avoided the lake fish (mercury..I know too much, sometimes it is better to be ignorant), and had the filet medallions with morel mushrooms. Cooked perfectly. But, several in the party ordered the planked whitefish and it was cooked perfectly. The wine selection is good and very reasonable. We had the Chateau Ste Michelle Indian Wells Cab 2009, delicious and at $33 a good value. It is a place where there are a lot of grandparents and sailor types, but even for hipsters from Minneapolis and Tacoma, it all works just. read more

We had a nice table on the porch, so the kids could watch the bridge go up and down. The view and location was probably the best part of the whole meal. Service was just ok, and slow. We had to flag down other waitstaff for everything (more drinks, silverware, napkins) because our waitress never checked on us. Food: all portion sizes were pretty small. Spent 3 extra bucks for a dozen sweet potato fries that came cold and soggy. The whitefish sandwich was tasty, as well as the blueberry mojito. Salads were meh. Small and uninspired, pretty much from a bag. read more

Not a bad place. Came here for Valentine's Day. We started off with... Bread: Meh! I felt that these biscuits had absolutely no flavor whatsoever. Not even the butter could save them Escargot: It was good very flavorful. They were cooked very well. And the bread they came with was delicious. I had the salmon on the plank.: Good it had lots of flavors and some spice to it. I wasn't crazy about the parmesan potatoes they served with it. I didnt taste the parmesan. My boyfriend had the surf and turf which he absolutely loved. Service: very good they were great about refilling our drinks and checking up on us. read more

My husband and I were looking for a restaurant with a view on our recent trip to Charlevoix and came across the Weathervane. It was a Wednesday evening around 8:30 p.m. and the hostess told us it would be about an hour wait for patio seating (we ended up being seated by 9). We were seated at a table right against the railing with a great view of the drawbridge. Our waiter, however, was definitely a let down. Even though we were seated first, he took the orders of the tables on either side of us before visiting ours. After about 15 minutes of no service, we were just getting ready to leave before he finally came to take our order. I ordered the pasta primavera and my husband had the perch and ribs combo plate. The meal didn't take long to arrive, but my food came several minutes before my husbands (not sure why our waiter decided not to serve us at the same time?). By that time it was so dark on the patio that it was difficult to see much of anything, especially our food. My meal was fine- heavily sauced but edible- and my husband said his food was fine, too. Nothing special, and kind of pricey for the quality. Something to note- the bread basket that came with our meals was quite delicious! Also, even though it was only 9pm, the kitchen had already run out of prime rib for the evening, as well as caesar salad. Who runs out of salad in the middle of dinner service? read more