The food definitely lives up to expectations. The cheeseburger was delicious. We also ordered the calamari and a fish sandwich. Everything was wonderful. The waitress was nice and friendly. The food wasn't as warm as I had expected. It wasn't cold, but it wasn't very warm either. My biggest issue was that the vibe in the place was off. The people at the hostess station weren't the friendliest but weren't welcoming. Just odd vibes all around. read more

Weathervane Restaurant - Weathervane restaurant - American Near Me - Charlevoix, Michigan

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Good food, friendly service. Could have been a little quicker. It is in a great spot next to the bridge. But definitely on the pricey side if you're just going there for lunch! I would recommend checking it out! read more

This place was right across from our hotel and the adorable original 60's neon sign lured us to check it out. The hostess wasn't friendly at all, always a disappointment from the outset. The expansive dining rooms and floor plan feel like a dinner outing in the 1960s - I really liked the atmosphere. I ordered the French dip and it was good but wow, what a small portion. French fries were fresh and good. I would love to return to try out their cherry cold soup in season! read more

My parents used to have a place on Walloon Lake for many years and we would eat at the Weathervane a lot. This was my first trip back to the area in 12 years and we wanted to hit our favorite places. It was such a disappointment. I understand the place has changed hands recently and it really needs a makeover. The service was just okay. The food was not good. Dad said his planked whitefish was really dry and over done, the worst he's ever had anywhere. My Steak Frites were tough, and the Cajun Steak Fries were just okay. The Caesar Salad lacked flavor, and the Fish soup was bland as well, we think they used canned potatoes. Anyway.... Unless there are some big changes I don't expect to eat there again. read more

Food was great and so was staff! Celebrated my birthday there! Shout out to the chefs! Our party had trout and pork, top rated in Michigan. The only detraction from the ambiance and excellent meal was the overly-needy clientele surrounding us. They strained the servers with extraneous requests fueled by their self-absorbed needs for attention in a dining atmosphere. I will return and recommend this place to others who are looking for quality food and top-notch service. read more

Weathervane Restaurant - American Near Me - Charlevoix, Michigan

Surprised to see this only has 3.5 stars, we had a great experience! We got the chilled cherry soup, salmon blt, beyond burger, and Italian chicken sandwich. Everything was super tasty and the service was quick. The view from outside was also great, we got to see the draw bridge open and close several times during our lunch. read more

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I found the food, service, and ambience average. Not a place I'd go to a second time. It's not terrible, but it's not great.

We live in Charlevoix year round and have enjoyed the Weathervane for many years. My husband and I even had our small wedding reception there because it was one of our favorite local restaurants & the staff was always accommodating to locals. However, in the last year or so, the establishment has been under new management, which has been our main source of dissapointment. We went down to have dinner last night and wanted to sit in the bar area as we have for several years, mainly because we love the low key dining atmosphere. Typically, this is not an issue since we can usually find an open table and get service right away. However, not last night. No sooner did we sit down at a table when the manager came rushing over, asking if we had a reservation. When we told him no, he asked if we were planning to eat in the bar, to which we said yes. We were then told that they no longer allow food service in the bar area until after 7:30pm. The bartender explained that the reason for this was so that they could allow the people with reservations to be seated & order. We sat there, contemplating our next move. Did we want to stay for 30 minutes & wait out the "reservation rush"? Or, find some place else? We stood up & started walking towards the door & I glanced toward the indoor dining seating area. More than 3/4 of the tables were empty. The manager quickly shouted, "we can seat you inside the dining area right now if you'd rather eat now". So, let me get this straight...you're willing to serve me 30 minutes earlier if I sit 30 feet from the bar?? No thanks. Besides this unfortunate service change, the menu itself has also changed. The quality of their steak is poor (extremely tough & fatty) & some of the old favorites are no longer on the menu. We tried to give them another chance, even with the overall decline in food quality, but our visit last night will be our last until Stafford's makes a change in management & brings back the high quality standards that they base their reputation on. To me, their current manager is too out of touch with Stafford's loyal customer base. read more

Lovely ambiance for an early dinner. Gives you a slight feel of cape cod when you walk in. Came here around 4:30 on a Saturday in mid April. Very quiet and not crowded. Started to pickup when we left at 6. I wouldn't call this a casual-dress restaurant; it should be a classy or dressy attire. Not your casual jeans & tshirt. A bit disappointed in the menu for their appetizer options but I'm hoping that's because it's their off-season. I did appreciate the gluten free options very much. Our waitress wasn't very attentive either. Super pleasant when she did come around. Recommend the planked whitefish but not the Caesar salad...the lettuce tasted bad. Fabulous drinks though! read more

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A Stafford's standard. An Earl Young building , fabulous fireplace, on the channel. Watch the bridge raise and lower, boats passing by. So interesting but the food tops it all. Classic dishes, excellent preparation, seasonal offerings. Attention to detail, professional service and presentation. Great service and a great rewards program for frequent diners. read more

Weathervane Restaurant - Summer Fun. - American Near Me - Charlevoix, Michigan

Second star is for the view, which is awesome. The interior holds one of the coolest fireplaces, built of giant boulders. So, why two stars? Unfortunately the food and service are not great. Colossal pretzel was a nice appetizer. Walleye dinner was not good. My spouse had a lobster roll special, which was a risky call in Michigan and it was, maybe not surprisingly, a miss. We took pictures of the view and likely won't return. read more

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Beautiful setting overlooking the canal but it feels tired and needs some love. Ordered the Walley and it was frozen crumbed dry tasteless rubbish. Rice was decent but the garnish of corn something just lacking in originality and flavor. You're ON the lakes. FRESH fish is a MUST. Your chef is lazy. Why are you buying McDonald's quality pre frozen garbage? Server was very attentive and friendly. All the stars are for her....the rest... put it to bed. Shut down or do better!! read more

Weathervane Restaurant - American Near Me - Charlevoix, Michigan

We LOVE dining outside on the big patio overlooking the harbor in the summer. There's a direct view of boats coming in from the lake, going under the drawbridge and into Charlevoix. It's so entertaining to watch the bridge move completely up to let huge boats on through. The food is always super delicious here too. I love getting the Caesar salad or burger. It always comes out great and our service here was amazing last time too. When we're not in a pandemic, there's two levels of indoor seating too, both with huge windows that overlook the water as well. We come every year! read more

What is going on??? The restaurant with one of the best locations on earth has crashed! Why??? I've been going here for 50 years. It's been on the decline for the last couple years, but I was hoping the new owners would come to the rescue. Did. Not.happen. It's actually worse. I went for dinner and very few customers were there, but 1.5 hour wait for - very bad food. Thought I'd try lunch instead but, again, very bad food. I don't know who came up with the menu, but it's very odd. The very good, traditional menu of the past is gone. The very few waitstaff are good, but overwhelmed. Only about a quarter of the tables are full because they have no employees. Somebody, please save this beautiful restaurant. read more

The building itself is very neat and it a good location. It has attached parking which was nice. Mainly a nautical theme and on the water, which was pretty if you were lucky enough to be sat by the water. There was a live orchestra band playing when we arrived which made it very noisy. This did not effect us where we sat but I did see a few patrons asking to be moved because of it. The server was very friendly with us and made several recommendations; however I did over hear our server and 2 other staff speak disparaging to two different tables. One was a 4 top of older adults that had switched tables because of the band. He had indicated he hadn't wiped off the table because of this and when the woman pointed out a dirty seat- he told her he couldn't do two things at once. When she attempted to say she didn't know if he saw it, he told her she reminded him of his grandmother. The second was another table where a much older lady was eating with her grandson. She asked if they could move to a table by window to see water. The waiter told her that table has dishes on it still and he'd see if he could get a busboy. A busboy came out and the lady was trying to speak to him thanking him and he completely ignored her. She then said they'd move over and he told her no you won't, the problem is there's a 5-person coming in. She did say I guess seniority doesn't count and he "schooled her" on how she didn't have to wait at all to get seated. The kitchen was very backed up and we waited over an hour for the food. Other tables were complaining about their food not coming out timely. I will say the portions were generous in size. As far as the food, it was good- nothing to write home about. I had the chowder which was a twist on clam chowder, but with whitefish. I had the whitefish which was on a cedar plank, which was good. It came with whipped potatoes which looked better than they were. I had the Mac and cheese which was outstanding- highly recommend/ it was the star of the show. My eating companions had the French onion soup- which the both said was not good. One said it was too sweet and the other said it was more sour. I did have a bite and whether it was sweet/sour- the moral of story is it was off. One companion had the steak Caesar salad which she said was very good, the other had the fish and chips which he also said was good , but didn't wow. read more

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The worst $300 meal I have ever had. Oh wait, $309 because we were charged $9 to use a credit card . They charged us $5 for extra toasts with our $20 whitefish pate and didn't even mention there was a charge. The BBQ chicken must have been BBQed for 3 hours it was so dry. Yuck. The place is really sad and dated looking. I had a feeling when I walked in that I was going to be disappointed, but I had no idea I would pay $309 for that level of disappointment... read more

Neat setting and the service was great BUT the prices for mediocre food is not worth the view! read more

The food was ok... did not come to our table hot. no salad no bread no extras. my husband ordered prime rib, it was cold..and extra charge for fries that were also cold. The wait for food was extra long as well. Manager did apologize but no other action. would no recommend. read more

After an awful experience, awful food and awful service at The Weathervane Restaurant in Charlevoix, MI, I stumbled upon it in Yelp reviews today for some reason. I got such a laugh at the 5 star reviews! Does the restaurant think people are stupid? All the 5 stars even contain professional photos taken directly from their menu! HEY WEATHERVANE! STOP TAKING TIME PUTTING FAKE 5 STAR REVIEWS TO HELP YOUR OVERALL SCORE AND TAKE THAT TIME IMPROVING! Anyone reading this review check out what I am saying, if not a laugh you will be aware of fake positive Yelp reviews! read more

Food was sub par. Had two prime ribs- no flavor, brussel sprouts were burnt and dry. ( I got sick after- vomiting up sprouts and I never vomit). Waitress was uninterested in serving us. Kids running around back and forth between both ends of restaurant. Not one server or manager including parents told them to stop. AVOID this place. It was a waste $93.00 + for us, plus the inconvenience of getting sick from the food. Cold atmosphere. We were here on 6/13/2024. read more

Disappointed. Have been coming here for 30 years... They have a great view and it's gone so far away from the things that made it great before that this will be the last time we come here. The morel "bisque" soup is a frozen mushroom base reheated with some morel pieces thrown in. Canned soup from a super market is easily better. It was the consistency of condensed soup with just a touch of milk. Served barely warm. The bread... why bother serving this? It was like they bought it packaged from a supermarket and somehow added what may have been a touch of rosemary to the bottom and spread some butter on top to make it look homemade. The Bibb salad was whatever...not bad, just not good either. Nothing noteworthy there. The service was well, slow. Yes, there's a labor shortage. At the prices they charge, they should be able to attract an adequate staff. Their competitors have and there's no issue with staffing there. Confusing to us all, was that they stopped serving all the things that used to be wonderful and what made us want to return. No perch on the menu. This restaurant sits on the channel that links Lake Michigan to Lake Charlevoix and there's no perch. No smoked whitefish pate (what we came here). They used to have a fantastic bread assortment - it USED TO BE incredible. Not today. No more. The waiter told us that they hired a new chef who made changes to the menu. I guess he was fed up with having happy customers. Will not return. Not recommended. I'm not here to push their competitors, who do offer a better experience. Message me if you're interested in my opinion of better alternatives. I added a photo of this awful soup. read more

I got the French toast with an Arnold Palmer (great), The service was quick i got about 5 arnold palmers all delivered super fast. 10/10 would recommend! read more

Wonderful service food. Great views watching boaters in the canal and watching the drawbridge sitting on their patio.

We enjoyed the whitefish here so much, we came back for a second visit. I had both the fried and planked versions. Both were fresh and flaky. I slightly preferred the planked with mashed potatoes. Service was fast and friendly, considering it was early stages of re-opening the dining room during COVID. I felt assured that precautions were taken to keep both staff and customers safe and I appreciated that. read more

Weathervane Restaurant - Fried whitefish n chips - American Near Me - Charlevoix, Michigan

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Food was good, not great. Service was poor. I understand it's a strange time with labor shortages, but please, try to behave as if you like your work..... bartender wasn't having a good day. read more

Quite possibly the best fish and chips I've ever had - tempura whitefish that had real flavor, plus nice fries and slaw. Ask to be seated near the fireplace if you can - or check it out on the way in or out. There is a nine-ton boulder at the top, and a massive meteorite at the bottom right as you look at the fireplace. The creation of Earl Young, the fanciful architect of Charlevoix' "Mushroom Houses" and more. My only complaint: a very small waiting area so if you have to wait for a table, dress for the weather! (The Yelp-enabled texting service is great at telling you when your table is ready so you can stroll around or even watch the drawbridge go up and down if you're lucky) read more

Great experience!!!!! Went to the Weathervane Restaurant on Aug 8 for dinner. Wanted an outside seat to look at the water, boats and draw bridge with my wife. None were available so the host put us on a wait list. Less than 10 minutes later he called us to say our table was ready:))). Great job Host!!! Our waiter, Mitchell, was outstanding! Very polite accommodating and great conversationalist!!! The food was excellent!!!! Spare ribs and whitefish on a plank! My wife is Gluten free and they did a great job accommodating us. Prices are reasonable!! Highly recommend the Weathervane for an elegant, comfortable dinner on the channel watching the boats go by and the draw bridge going up and down on the half hour. A delightful experience! Thank you Weathervane!!! read more

We visited this place with my husband maybe a month ago and I still remember how good the whitefish was. It was super flavorful and cooked to perfection. I appreciated how nicely the mashed potatoes were decorated on the plate. My husband ordered steak bites I believe and he wasn't impressed at all, he said they were really dry and he didn't finish his plate. That's the only reason why I took off a star. It was a cold day and we were seated by a fireplace which was really nice. Our server was very attentive as well. Ordered some clam chowder to share and it was delicious as well. I would definitely come back for the fish and ask to be seated either by the fireplace or by the window, also a very nice view. read more

Weathervane Restaurant - Whitefish on a plank - American Near Me - Charlevoix, Michigan

We didn't even get a chance to sample the food . The host was the most obnoxious young man I have ever seen in my life getting information from him was like pulling teeth. He statedthat they were full and couldn't take us. probably 2/3 of restaurant was empty. When I asked him about it, instead of saying something like sorry we're really understaffed it was very rudely stated like Ithe staffing issue was caused by people wanting to dine at 8pm. He was just rude. If he is any indication whatsoever what the restaurant is like I don't want to go. read more

Too expensive for the quality of the food. It tried hard to be a nice place, but the whitefish egg roll was very bland and the vegetables were cold. I did like my chicken Wellington and turtle dessert, so that's why it is a 3 star, not lower. read more

Food is good. The drinks are little pricey though. Nice experience with the happenings of the "dine & drawbridge ". I had lamb. Jim had burger. read more

This use to be our favorite spot in Charlevoix but it is no longer. I was really looking forward to celebrating my birthday here but it was very disappointing. They got rid of our favorite lobster Mac and cheese and lots of the menu seems fried with heavy breading. The breaded chicken dish I ordered had boiled veggies on top yet it was very expensive ($26 if I remember correctly). On top of this the waiter was rude...who doesn't know what a pain killer drink is? I told him we were celebrating my birthday and I think he thought I was lying to try to get free food or something...he didn't even say "happy birthday". I don't think we will be back although we will miss the views. read more

Weathervane Restaurant - View from our table - American Near Me - Charlevoix, Michigan

I just want to say this before posting this, I've worked in the restaurant world for about 12 years now, and I get tough times happen. No business will run smoothly 24/7. But after countless visits from the beginning of summer to now, I've been disappointed time after time. To the point, i decided to create an account for the first time to post an honest review. There's a clear issue with the kitchen and a clear issue with the quality of training. Just doesn't seem to be as friendly as a place as it used to be. Hell, you can even see the responses the GM gives to criticism, just not what it used to be. Advice Communication, friendliness, and a smile goes far. Sure, that's not gonna make everyone happy, but it'll be better than nothing. Other places in the area I recommend The villager, Happy Troll, and the tap room. Sure, these places are by no means fancy, but if you are looking for good service and good quality of food, these are great places. But in all honesty, you aren't paying for a high-class environment as you once had around 2018. You're paying for the view souly. I hope the best for this establishment. I've seen very good faces in this building, and it saddens me it has been tanted lately with certain people associated with the restaurant. But in all honesty, it starts from the top and goes down. Until these issues are addressed, I feel like the small town of charlevoix will continue avoiding the once crown'd king of charlevoix. read more

We used to eat at the Weathervane several times a summer but the prices keep increasing while service and food quality goes down. Decided to give it another try a few days ago and realized there's no need to go back. The bill for the three of us was a ridiculous $164 pretax. $21 of that was for the margarita I ordered with their well tequila. When I questioned the price the server told me it was due to the way it was prepared - as in they pour more than one shot in a margarita which makes the price go up. Huh? It was a decent drink but definitely not worth $21. The food was good but not worth the high prices. My steak frites was just that - a small bistro steak and fries. No veg and the side salad was $13 for lettuce, some pickled onions and goat cheese. I'd guess food cost for that salad was a buck fifty. My husband's pork chop was good with a morel mushroom sauce but was a whopping $43. Served with mashed potatoes and nothing else. The portions were anything but hearty and they no longer serve bread. Our server was cheerful and efficient but clueless when I questioned my pricey drink. Dessert was good - the cream puff and crème brûlée - and we definitely had room. We thought we got lucky getting a table at 5:30 on a Friday but the place was half empty. I suspect people are over the small plates and stupidly high prices. Cool building, awesome view and lots of potential but the Weathervane isn't the excellent restaurant it used to be, it's mediocre at best. Argonne House and Grey Gables are much better options for a nice meal in Charlevoix. read more

Can't tell you anything about the food because we never got any. We were visiting friends who have been to this place many times over the years. Seated outside quickly, order taken and that is all. We were never even given water let alone the food or drinks we ordered. Our friend went in and asked what was up and still, nothing. After 40 minutes we walked out. Too bad couldn't give 0 stars. read more

Service was excellent which matched the amazing food. Great views of sailboats entering and leaving Lake Charlevoix.

They mean well and do have the best location but good gravy do they waste all that potential with very poor food and poor service. These are easy fixes and they really ought to spend some time improving their game. Had the lobster roll-yuck!!! Also they were out of numerous items from the food and bar menu on 4th of July weekend!!! read more

Terrible. Rude service. We had the afternoon menu. Way overpriced and food - meh. Additional credit card charge. Lame.

I have been eating at the Weathervane for decades. I think I had my last meal there as it was terrible. Our waitress gets bonus points but the bussing staff? Three walked past our table and first no silverware or napkins (I sat for long enough that my soup was Luke warm), no water refill and no dish clearing. Post Covid, expecting bad service is norm for most places, but a Stafford's restaurant??? Then the food. Terrible. Brown lettuce salad, too much raw liquor in the soup and no taste Cesar and ranch dressing. The view is still good. But you can picnic at the park and open a bagged salad for a better experience. read more

Food is ok but pricey. Went with my son and daughter, spouses and my toddler granddaughter. Service was fine. Total bill including only two cocktails was $320 plus tip. Two things annoyed me: they charged me $10 for bread(small pieces of focaccia and French bread with oil and vinegar that probably cost restaurant $1). And they charged a 3% credit card fee. Why nickel and dime me? Just increase your prices for the food. I expected to pay top dollar for a restaurant in the middle of scenic Charlevoix. So instead of leaving with the impression of a restaurant with decent but somewhat pricey food, my impression is a restaurant where management is trying to squeeze every last cent out of you. Not a good look from my perspective. read more