Went here again like I always do and got the whitefish on wood which like always is amazing. The fish is not as big as the ones at Terry's but it is soooo darn good. The potato is very tasty and the place is a good vibe being right on the water. The apps were not as goo as I remember but the fish made up for it. I only give it 4 stars cause I can't give it 4 and a half and don't think it's worthy of a 5 as this place good but not the best. They also have very good burgers here. Probably the best burger I've had in charlevoix. read more

The best location in Charlevoix, right on the channel leading out from Round Lake, drawbridge into Lake Michigan. Outside seating is the best, enjoy the coming and going of the boats while your lunch is being prepared. Excellent food, drinks a bit pricey, but great, and the waitstaff are excellently trained! read more

The positives: great view and solid service. The negatives: cleanliness and dated decor. The neutrals: menu choices were just like every other Stafford restaurant...predictable, slightly over priced and bland. Was it bad food? No. Would I be happy paying $20 for lunch without the view? Absolutely. I'd skip it next time, grab a sandwich somewhere else and eat by the docks. read more

This restaurant is ok. The food was decent. The problem is that it is overpriced. Suggest you try somewhere else

The white fish chowder is excellent. We have been here two times and both times he ordered the white fish chowder. I ordered the cherry chicken salad on croissant and my boyfriend had fried white fish sandwich and a fried perch sandwich everything was excellent and we will return. would recommend highly both for the food and the Great view. read more

Had dinner here on a Friday night. Ate early so it wasn't too busy. Great atmosphere, great views, great service. Meals were just as expected, excellent. Would recommend and we will return soon. read more

We went to the weathervane on a Friday night in October. Did not find the wait staff to be very attentive. I think she might be burnt out from the tourist season. But that's not my problem! The food was meh! You can do better in this great city. read more

First night in town and it was a great dinner while watching the boats come in and out. Recommend the smoked oysters. Good variety for vegetarians as well. read more

Perfect, friendly staff, great food, reasonable prices. Outdoor patio next to the channel was entertaining.

I had the rainbow trout and myentire enjoyed a pasta dish featuring morel mushrooms. Both were very good. The Weathervane also has a short but excellent list of Michigan beers. I enjoyed a Founders IPA with my fish. read more

Good experience. Took kids and had no issues with noise etc... I had really well prepared filet mignon and my wife had the salmon on plank which she really liked. She was not impressed with the whipped potatoes but i liked my potatoe fingers. Nice view of river and bridge. Enjoy. read more

One of the best places to eat in Charlevoix great view of the water and the bridge. If you do go try to eat on the

Great food and view! Friendly staff. Avoid 3:30- 4:30 if possible, as the menu is limited to an "in-between' from lunch and dinner.

I came here recently for nostalgia's sake and was a little disappointed. You absolutely must sit on the deck if possible for the amazing views of the boats coming in off Lake Michigan, but I feel like you are mostly paying for these views and not the food. I had the $13 chicken salad, which came with fruit and bread, but the portion was definitely not enough for the price read more

Party of 12 for New Year's? No problem. These things can go terribly wrong - but the servers and staff handled everything perfectly. All of our meals arrived at the same time. We had the planked whitefish and lobster bisque. A favorite. Great way to end 2015 ~ and begin 2016 with the bridge drop at midnight, a fun band, great friends!! Go Charlevoix! read more

Food was excellent! I had the Shimp scampi and my husband had the salmon. Sat outside watching the boats come through...even there to see the drawbridge open. Beautiful view! Our waiter, Kenroy, was top notch! Explained everything that we asked, incredibly pleasant, suggested drinks for us as well. His attitude left a great impression on us. We would love to come back! read more

Service was really good and later we learned they were short 3 servers! Never would have known. Atmosphere is super cool and the food was pretty good too. read more

Awesome whitefish! And the best French onion soup on the planet. The view looking over the canal and lake is great, atmosphere is relaxing, not too dressy, and very comfortable. Great service, reasonable prices for the food received. Do not miss it if in Charlevoix! read more

Beer selection wasn't great (only 6 beers), but their spinach artichoke dip was quite possibly the best I've ever had anywhere!! My wife had a cocktail that she loved. The atmosphere was very cool and the bar was really cool. I'd go back just for the dip. The staff was very nice. read more

A great meal was had at the Weathervane. We ate an early dinner out on the patio overlooking the canal and drawbridge. Like others before us, I would say eat al fresco if at all possible. We started with soups- the reviews regarding the French onion soup were on point- it was very good. I had the morel (mushroom) soup and it was thick and creamy. Delicious! For entrees, my partner had a filet mignon which came with mashed potatoes, carrots and asparagus. He said the steak was perfectly done (medium well). I had the shrimp and lobster fusilli and it was excellent with asparagus, dried tomato and spinach. A very generous portion. The lobster claw did not have much flavor but the cream sauce made up for it. We split a scoop of cherry praline ice cream for dessert - it also was perfection in a glass. Rich, creamy and an excellent choice to finish off the meal. Charlevoix is a walking town, which is a darn good thing read more

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B.A.S.I.C. This is the best way to describe this place. What attracted us to this restaurant was the balcony views off the harbor. We thought it would be nice to watch the sunset and enjoy a great meal; however, the reviews were misleading. First, while the view was decent, it was extremely loud on the balcony. Between the draw bridge and honking boats we could barely have a decent conversation. The wait staff was nice and very attentive and of course they said everything on the menu was a "great choice". I got the perch which looked amazing; however, it required a few tablespoons of hot sauce to make it edible. It was as if they simply breaded the fish, with no additional seasonings to give it any taste and threw it in the frying pan. My husband had the filet mignon, and he described it as "not horrible". It didn't stand out but it was edible. Not necessarily a compliment but not total trash. This is your basic touristy place, where they don't feel the need to try hard to keep people coming. Needless to say, we won't be returning. read more

Went to this place w/a party of nine. Great service from a very knowledgeable server...even w/4 or 5 separate checks, no errors; everything to the table in a timely manner w/out hovering. (it was off-season though and not slammed.) Great Lakes chowder for me to start...flavorful and hearty, very New England-like. Others had nice salads...no complaints there. I had a whitefish and perch combination which was a special of sorts and very good. Not overly seasoned but that's okay w/me. Several others had something similar (e.g., all whitefish, all perch)...no one was disappointed. A couple of folks had prime rib which was cooked just right but could have used a bit more seasoning. So, we would definitely go back...chowder quite good, fish very good and both recommended. read more

Good food...terrible service. Waited almost 20 minutes for drinks and over 45 minutes for soup and sandwiches. Not the kitchens fault, definitely the waiter. For whatever reason never had a pen and would disappear. read more

To celebrate both my birthday and that of my partner, this past Saturday I hosted a party of 40 in the lower level of the Weathervane....From the very first contact Jennifer (who handles banquets / special events) was first-rate. To begin with, she ALWAYS answered her phone or called me back immediately. She also made a few smart menu suggestions (we had prime rib, whitefish, chicken wellington etc.)... accomodated my dessert request for fresh berry cobbler.... Our servers (Steve and Brenda) were also very good - quiet and competent... The food is consistent if not exciting (but for this group... it was right). Our bill was not shocking... We had absolutely no problems and would highly recommend the Weathervane... read more

Here for lunch last week, around 1:30pm, very empty. After I got my meal I soon found out why. Ordered fish tacos, first one was edible with a bitter rancid taste. The second one I couldn't even eat. Had a bad smell too. I alerted the waiter, explained the situation and was told that he would let the cook know. That was all, I asked if they would deduct half the meal. The waiter told me they would-when we got our bill $2.50 was deducted. Will not recommend this retaurant to anyone here or on T-A. Just a miserable way to treat patrons. MD read more

Great view sitting on the deck but that is what you are paying for. Food is mediocre. Bucket of shrimp was soggy a sure sign the shrimp was frozen not fresh. Decent wine list. read more

The atmosphere was delightful by the water with loads of fun watching the boats go by. The French onion soup was very flavorful and better than most we've had. They had a great Alaskan Amber on draft and a cherry Mojito definitely worth the stop! read more

We did not have a good experience. They told us a 45 min wait, ended up being an hour and 15 min before we were seated. The food was very average and very overpriced. The waiter "Levi" was rude from the start. He wasn't willing to split the bill and tried to charge us for an extra desert. He huffed and puffed and called us "weird" when we called him out. We told the manager but she didn't really seam to care either. Our group will never be going back. Please, do yourselves a favor and find another place to eat. read more

We had a prime rib dinner here Aug.2018. The food was good but a little expensive. We got the artichoke appetizer and 2 prime rib dinners, no alcohol or dessert, and our bill before the 20% tip was $75.00. They were busy when we arrived at 6pm and the restaurant was very noisy, but the wait staff was great and the appetizer was wonderful! read more

Had dinner inside on a Sunday night. There was an hour wait for an outside table and a quick 15 minute wait for an inside table. This was a Sunday ... But in July. The food was good and the service was fantastic. Overall a fine place but did not stand out in any way. I would go back and have another meal .. But it is not as good as Cafe Sante if you are in the neighborhood. The view of the river is great ... They do have live music which was played nicely. (not too loud!) read more

Great outdoor patio next to the bridge. We had a great dinner though did feel a bit rushed by the server. Ribs were just the way we like them - falling off the bone and moist. Great fries too. Had the crab cake appetizer and you get two average size cakes. They were tender and had a great flavor. Ordered a classic wedge salad with the crab cakes - perfect light dinner on an 85 degree evening. We enjoyed our meal and the atmosphere enough to put the place on our list for next year. read more

We had a very good meal here with good service (NY strip and Mediterranean chicken). The food was well timed with our drink orders and not rushed at all. The staff were accommodating, nice place with pretty views in a good location although definitely an older crowd. read more

As the sail boats and Beaver Island Ferry slowly move through the channel under the draw bridge, you know that this is an evening to remember. I've been coming to this lovely locale for twenty plus, and I"m only 40. In addition, I live in SoCa yet always return to The Weathervane in July. My wedding reception to my dearly departed was the last one they allowed. That's how fun this place can be. Let me begin by saying they hire fantastic bartenders. The hostess has been the same since I started being delighted by this Stafford restaurant. I may be jaded, but everything about this place screams excellence. Start with the fish chowder and a spinach salad (the french onion is a spectac winter treat), have the planked white fish and veal boursion, follow it with coffee drinks and life is heavenly. {I'm a grammar phobe but will run on for the weathervane} Don't forget to watch the sunset at some point from the break wall that is within walking distance from their parking lot. This is bliss. read more

Had the best prime rib I have ever eaten at the Weathervane! I will definitely eat there again...and again! Excellent service along with awesome food! read more

Excellent service, delicious food and great views. The greeters were very friendly and seated us promptly. We really appreciated that they offered us a table where we could fit our baby's stroller without us having to ask as she had fallen asleep before we arrived. The server was also very friendly and attentive to detail. I can't say enough about how much I appreciated her responsiveness when I told her I have a food allergy. That doesn't always happen at other places. She actually brought out the chef. He was very knowledgeable and went out of his way to help me select a dish that could be prepared to suit my needs. The service was very prompt. We had the shrimp bucket as an appetizer -- it was very fresh. I had the salmon with a few customizations as my entree. It was out of this world -- great flavor and perfectly cooked! We also really enjoyed watching the boats come in under the drawbridge during our meal. read more

This restaurant gets two stars and that is simply because of the friendliness and attempted rectification of our dining experience (sort of) of who I assumed to be the manager of the restaurant. I came here with my mom while visiting Charlevoix as my mom had eaten here many times before and said it was a great place to eat with great food and a great view of the water. Many reviews on here complain about the decor, however that was not an issue for me at all; I thought the place was cute. The issue for us was the horrible quality of our food. We decided to start with their seasonal (only served in summer) bisque that was a creamy mushroom of some sort, and then to split the escargot appetizer, as well as the crab croissant. Our waitress was very nice and friendly, but then she immediately got seated a six top right next to us which is when the neglect began. As our waitress proceeded to greet and take care of the six top immediately after taking our orders, our soups and appetizer never showed up. A manager stopped by our table and asked if everything was alright, and we let her know that we have received no soup or appetizer and it has been close to ten minutes. She profusely apologized and brought out our soup, to which I had to request crackers and we then requested some bread. The soup came out, super bland, super mediocre, and it was 7 dollars for a small cup. The bread was terrible- some sort of grocery bought rolls that she clearly warmed in the microwave in an attempt to enhance our visit. The oyster crackers that came with my soup were stale. Our waitress never came to our table during this time, never apologized for the lack of soup and appetizer showing up and for the fact that her manager had to bring to us what she could not manage to, and all the while the table next to us (a younger couple who I hadn't even noticed had been sitting for over ten minutes in her section without ever receiving any service) was getting up to leave. They walked out even as the manager was pretty much begging them not to leave; our waitress clearly could not handle more than one table at once. After that happened, the manager came and apologized to us and offered to please flag her down if we need anything. She (not our waitress) brought the escargot. I have never in my life ever seen anything like the escargot that was served to our table. The escargot itself was rubbery and flavorless, served in a tacky plastic thing. There was no buttery sauce like is typically served, however it was topped with the strangest looking, driest looking cheese topping I have ever seen. My mom refused to touch it and I at least tried it. Feta cheese on top.... With some dried Parmesan or something. It was the most unappetizing thing we had ever laid eyes on. My mom had them remove it from our bill. The crab croissant was the most bland thing I have ever had. Completely flavorless- even some red onion on it would have helped. The croissant itself was very disappointing and just overall lame. The best part of the entire meal were the house made chips only because they were doused with salt which I am a fanatic of. My mom sat with an empty Diet Coke for the last portion of our meal. No apology from our waitress, and I overheard her tell her six top that she has been working at the weathervane for five years, but she was a cook and this is only her second month as a waitress. In my opinion, she should stick to the back of the house. This was a very disappointing first visit for me and last visit for my mom. There were plenty of other places downtown Charlevoix we were kicking ourselves for not going to instead. If I were you, I would avoid this place for sure. As we left the restaurant and walked back down the strip, we spotted the couple from earlier enjoying what looked like to be a wonderful lunch in one of the better looking restaurants downtown charlevoix has to offer, and we were immensely jealous that they were lucky enough to escape the brutality of the weathervane's food by receiving no service and waking out. Avoid at all costs. read more

Was told we didn't need a reservation for lunch. When we arrived, we were told there was an hour and a half wait. No matter what you're told on the phone, get a reservation. We lucked out and got a table in the bar area. Food was great, as was our waitress! read more

Such an amazing experience we had! The absolute best Food and wonderful service thanks to Hudson! Will definitely recommend to all our friends. Such a wonderful place. read more

Looking in Charlevoix for a restaurant that would be typical of the area with the kind of local fare found in the lake and with a view we walked into the weathervane without a reservation. Since it was late, already after dark we had no trouble being seated on the patio with a view of the canal and the bridge. fun to watch the boats go by. We found the service to be quite good, but compared to the others yelpers, we had a waitress named Robin and we did not have a waiter. She was great, although she explained it was her last day for the season. Let us sample different brands o local beer to help us decide and recommended cocktails, told us about the different fish like the perch, the walleye and the whitefish. I tried ordering prime rib, but they were out due to the late hour, so we tried the trio-sampler. I would recommend the whitefish to my fellow yelpers. would NOT recommend the deep fried perch. Also liked the mashed sweet potatoes. read more

After visiting Castle Farms and wandering about Charlevoix, we stopped in for lunch. The restaurant is one of the very few on the river and has a very nice view of the river. We sat inside and not even at the windows and still enjoyed the scenery. Both the service and food were really good -- excellent whitefish and chips, crispy, hot and not greasy. My wife had the Cobb salad, which includes local and fresh produce.. It was good. The prices here are a bit high, but still very reasonable for a trendy resort area. read more