Excellent service and menu options for dockside dining. After figuring out we could order online instead of over the phone, we pulled up via pontoon and our order for 10 was ready. The fried walleye sandwich was excellent, sides like the fries and cheese curds were huge and were shared amongst our group. Overall, White Oak Grill is an excellent easy play to dock if you are in need of Lakeside dining! read more

The wife and I went here for a special dinner and had delicious 10 ounce tenderloins cooked perfectly the meal came with choice of soup or salad, choice of potato and a vegetable. We had a very friendly and helpful waiter named Michael who also explained that all their meats are bathed in the Sous Vide method which makes the steaks tender and juicy. Can't wait to get back there! read more

I made a reservation for 10 for my family at 5:20 on a Friday, the last night of our vacation. Their reservation system uses an AI assistant. It booked me for 5:20 and we planned on it. I got a call from White Oak Grill at 5:06, informing me that they did not have room for us. We were unable to find another reservation for such a large party and it was a huge disappointment. I understand the desire to use AI but if it isn't something that can be efficient, then perhaps booking reservations with an actual human being might be the better idea. Booooooo. read more

Tried going for lunch no one would even acknowledge that we were there so we left So I guess we will never know if they have good food cause never going back read more

For an establishment that calls itself the esteemed steakhouse of the North, you'd expect *at least* 4-stars. Don't get ahead of yourself, this place is far from quality, and I'm talking food AND service. Came with my fam and we had a 6pm reservation on Labor Day weekend. Arrived and the place was practically empty -mind you 6pm seems reasonable for dinner up north AND it's a holiday weekend! Service was slow AF. Waitress told us they were out of several items (and blamed it on a wedding the night before) including the 14 ounce NY strip - one of their two steak options, BUT there was a 12 ounce NY strip available as one of the evening specials which came with gnocchi and summer veggies .. questionable? Waitress response was "well the chef thought there was too much fat so we reduced the cut and serving it as a 12 ounce instead i.e. Our initial thought was is he trying to charge us more for a smaller version?! Odd, but as someone who rarely eats steak anymore I figured I should try it. After we ordered, I asked the waitress if we could get some bread in the meantime and she promptly says yes and that they have a wonderful bread service. Great! 20 minutes go by, and our drinks finally arrive. Still no bread. Another 10 minutes, bread plates arrive. Another 10 minutes go by.. waitress comes over and says the chef says no bread service tonight. Umm what?! This is a steakhouse. So we ask the waitress what's the deal. She goes to consult the chef and comes back. Her response : Chef says how about you guys come back tomorrow and he'll give you a loaf of bread. Not sure whether he was deliberately trying to come off pompous, but we felt very insulted and communicated this to the poor waitress who had to deal with such an inconsiderate, self serving chef. His answer : send us a plate of ribs and entrees that tasted mediocre at best. My NY strip was overcooked and gnocchi tasted like the chef had taken dehydrated ones and thrown them in a pot of boiling water. Far from fresh. After 2 hours of what became the least satisfying meal on the planet (I had been so pumped about it) we booked it out of there. Next time I'll stick with steaks from the grocery store on the grill with some BBQ sauce. For a $255 bill and that kind of experience, do yourself a favor and skip this one! read more

In a word White Oak Grill is flat out fantastic. Having read the good reviews from others we decided we needed to check out White Oak Grill for ourselves. We arrived a on cold Friday night and were immediately greeted by a warm fire crackling in the bar. We were promptly seated in the dining room which is also flanked by an even larger fireplace keeping the room nicely cozy. Our waitress came by to take our drink and appetizer orders. White Oak has a nice selection of tap beer that changes regularly, which some from our group ordered. I selected a bourbon old fashion, which was nice start to the meal. For an appetizer we selected the calamari, which were perfect, not over cooked, lightly battered and not greasy. Next we decided to try their soup of the day which was clam chowder. It comes in a cup or bowl ($2 difference). I chose the bowl and it was a generous portion. The soup itself was great, creamy and flavorful and not salty. Finally for our entrees we ordered the fish fry (both breaded and broiled) and the pan roasted chicken. The fish was again spot-on. The chefs at White Oak know how to "fry" food, the fish was lightly battered, and not over cooked or oily. The same can be said for the broiled cod. Along with the fish came sides of baked beans, coleslaw, choice of french or sweet potato fries and some buttered pumpernickel bread points, all were delicious (I could tell everything except maybe the fries, were made in house, it shows) The pan roasted chicken was also very enjoyable; it came with roasted brussels sprouts. The only recommendation would be for White Oak to mention to diners that the sprouts are roasted with bacon as it wasn't listed as such on the menu (not a problem in this case, but some people don't like pork). Overall a truly excellent meal in the north woods, White Oak has earned a spot in our regular rotation. read more

Decided to go here for my mother in law's birthday. Didn't really get started off on the right foot but things got better when food came out. First, I called to make reservations the night before for 7pm for 4 people. We came in early so we could sit at the bar and have a couple of drinks. Good thing too because once we got to the restaurant, lady tells us that we are not on the list at all. Thankfully there would be a table available at 7 so that was good to know. I really don't know what happened between my phone call and us not being on the list at all but hopefully this doesn't happen to other people. Maybe making a reservation on OpenTable might be better? Once we got seated it took a bit to get our order but once the waitress got to us (she was great!), things went smoothly from then on. We had the Firecracker Shrimp as an appetizer and that was gone within minutes of us getting it. It was delicious and the perfect amount of spiciness! I ordered the Macademia Crusted Walleye for dinner and that was amazing as well. I couldn't complain about the food at all. The other people I was with tried the Snapper Provencial, Chicken Marsala, and the Rosemary Roasted Duck Breast and they had nothing but good things to say about those as well. The ambiance in general is very rustic. I love how they have the fireplaces which make the rooms even more cozy. I didn't get to walk around the property but being right next to the water you can't go wrong. read more

Salty food. The soup was so salty I couldn't finish it. The bone in ribeye was just good. My three dinner partners were also disappointed. This place is NOT Northwoodsy at all. Very high end. The bartender could not make a brandy old fashioned to save his life. I wanted The White Oak to be good as our guests were married there 10 years ago. Won't go back, too many other good consistent restaurants in the Northwoods. Gotta say: the entertainment of Bret & Frisk was outstanding! read more

2016 was amazing and delicious. 2019 horrible! Expensive,cold tasteless food in an empty dining room. So sad as this is a beautiful setting,they really really need to hire a great chef and kitchen staff to once again attract a full dining room with satisfied customers as was evident in 2016. read more

Not a good experience for myself here. I stopped in as a single female, for a drink. They were about 1/2 full. And no one was sitting at the bar. I sat down and there were two people behind the bar. I sat there for 8 minutes before someone said 'I'll get to you in a minute'. Well. Despite having people behind the bar , they never did get to me. There was a wine tasting area so I went over to that. He said the bottle were for sale. I wanted to purchase one but no one could help with that. I Left. Feeling like a was unimportant and invisible. I will never return. read more

We had a delicious dinner at the White Oak Grill. After reading about their opening since the fall, we finally decided to try it. We ate at the restaurant when it was the Dinner Table but have not been back since. It was a pleasant surprise! We arrived at 6 pm on a weeknight to an empty parking lot and assumed the worst. However we decided to give it a shot and are thrilled we did! The staff was delightful and as we were the only ones dining, they were quite attentive (by the time we left there were 4 tables occupied). After some miscommunication with my drink, which was quickly corrected, we started with a tasty, above the usual supper club fare, salad. As a celiac, I order the pan fried walleye without breading and without even asking, the chef put the sauce on the side (two thumbs up). The side dishes were a tasty snap pea dish and roasted red potatoes (forget the boring baked potato with sour cream). Everything was delicious! As I continued to nurse my huge cocktail, my husband ordered a coffee and a chocolate cake, which was the only disappointing aspect of our dinner. It was a bit on the dry side. Overall, dinner was a definite hit and with the Carlin Club closed for the summer, definitely a place we will go back to! The restaurant has a very nice (and large) bar area and outdoor seating with heat lamps! I'm already going thinking about a fall visit! read more

We are delighted to see this place reopened and with new management and chef. Bar menu and formal dinner menu now available, offering a large variety of choices and variety for every family. The night we visited the fireplaces were on, making for a cozy atmosphere. We are looking forward to dining there again soon; maybe on a Wednesday when they have entertainment. Suggest you give the NEW White Oak a try. read more

Gorgeous venue and I totally agree with the prior review, upscale yet rustic! We have been here twice - one time for drinks where we enjoyed their couches right by one of the beautiful REAL fireplaces. Returning a second time on a winter Friday night I had a house salad,(fresh and delicious) and the mushroom ravioli which was excellent. My dining mates enjoyed the fish fry. Best that we have had in the area! Excellent service and friendly staff. So happy to have an alternative to bar food and to have great dining in Manitowish Waters!!!! They are making further improvements to the property-can't wait to see the finished product! We will definitely go back! read more

We were visiting my parents in Lac Du Flambeau and they suggested we drive to White Oak to try the fish fry. We were nervous to bring our 3 month old to a nicer restaurant but were pleasantly surprised how friendly and accommodating the staff was. The dining area is absolutely beautiful, its like sitting in the hull of a restored ship. My Dad and Husband had the fish fry which they enjoyed, my Mom had the tuna tartar appetizer which was delicious and I had the chicken with fingerling potatoes and snap peas. It was amazing. The snap peas were my favorite. They also make a great Old Fashioned, which is very important. We will definitely be back. read more

White Oak Grill at Chippewa Retreat - this was our first visit to the newly created restaurant and facility - located on the shores of Manitowish Lake. General Manager Dakota was prompt and communicative via email and phone as were coordinating our reservation. I was surprised by the size of the new building, it's much larger than I had imagined. Very well appointed and comfortable - visit the 1930's era bar area for a casual cocktail while taking in the views of the lake and beautiful resort. Tonight she had one of her favorites, pan fried walleye served with asparagus and a deliciously light house salad. I tried the evening special,"surf & turf" - seared pork belly and seared salmon served on a bed of tangy, black bean salsa and grilled asparagus. My dinner was excellent, well plated and tasty. She didn't enjoy the walleye but found the salad and asparagus delicious. I had a Wisconsin favorite - an Old Fashioned with mushrooms - very tasty. Misty our waitress was efficient and friendly as she attended our needs with her genuine Northwoods hospitality. White Oak Grill is quickly becoming the "place" in the Northwoods to see and be seen. I think you'll enjoy your visit - the location is romantic and charming and the hospitality is attentive and energetic - the food is well presented and delicious. Enjoy. read more

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An exceptional restaurant in a beautiful setting. I live in Minocqua Wisconsin and drive 23 miles to eat at this restaurant at least once a week. The food and staff are outstanding. Well worth the drive. read more

My husband and I came for dinner with our 3 kids. We were a little nervous as the kids are all young. Staff was very accommodating of the kids, and by the grace of God they were pretty well behaved. Our server was very knowledgeable about the menu and wines. The meal was well paced. Never felt rushed... never wondered when our food was coming. The food itself was well seasoned and delicious. I had the Mahi Mahi with grilled pineapple. Lots of flavor. My husband had the snapper and remarked at how fresh and perfectly cooked it was. The plated was also really lovely. Our 5 year old had the fish and chips. She was very happy. The other children shared side salads, french fries, and wild rice pilaf, while coloring with provided crayons. They were happy. I should mention there is a pretty decent kids menu that includes all the favorites, but our kids wanted sides! We all split a very generous portion of chocolate madness cake for dessert. Yum! We left very satisfied and relieved the environment, while refined and tasteful, was also family friendly. We will definitely return. read more

My wife and friends were at the White Oak Grill tonight for dinner and thoroughly enjoyed our meal. We had the salmon dish and it was cooked to perfection. Apparently the chef uses a wonderful technique to crisp the surface of the fish, we all loved it! The atmosphere is great and we highly recommend it! read more

This place is permanently closed. Tried to go there for dinner last night and it wasn't open even though their website said they open at 4.

The atmosphere is beautiful rustic but modern. Perfect setting in the woods and next to the lake. We were looking for a place to celebrate our anniversary and couldn't get in to Smokeys, my dad mentioned the White Oak but warned us he had heard it was expensive. There was a little confusion about who was going to wait on us so we waited a few extra minutes to place our order but after that the service was very good. I had the NewYork Strip w brussel sprouts which couldn't have been better and my wife had the Ravioli which she loved. The only reason it isn't 5 star is the hiccup in service which isn't how you want to start a meal. The bill for both meals and drinks me 2 her 1 was $68w/o tip read more

Great food..Horrible service! Fireplace backs up and it smells smokey. Third time we tried over the past year...same result. Ambiance is inviting but no one greeted us at the door. We called to make a 6:15 res. we were on time and a few patrons were at the bar and 5 tables of diners in the attached dining room. We waited 2 to 3 minutes without being acknowledged but did notice the wood burning fireplaces running full blast on a 65 degree day. The smoke was so bad we almost left. With eyes watering we asked a server for a table in the next room, which was set up but unoccupied. Our table had a great view and we opened a window. Problems solved we think. at least 5 minutes went by before water arrived. then ten minutes for our apologetic waitress to take a drink order. Waited about 15 minutes for wine..brought by a different server. Nice guy who was filling in...acknowledged smoke was bad due to kitchen exhaust. We suggested opening a window or two to prevent back drafts. We drank half our wine before waitress arrived. No food or snacks offered or brought by buss staff. We thought menu was interesting and enticing. Ordered soup and main courses. Another long wait for soup. We complained. Bartender brought complimentary wine which my wife refused. Finally got a few crackers on a plate. Food arrived by some miracle hot and delicious. After nearly and hour and a half anything would have tasted great. My duck breast was cooked perfectly and kale and potato cubes done right. Wife's Seafood Paella was great but light on seafood quantity. Chatted with male fill in server which salvaged the experience. Got the bill and did tip, but tempted not to. Apparently owner was out of town...no excuse for 2 1/2 hour 2 course meal. Great food..bad smoke and service. Too bad..but this is the third time we had a similar experience here. Three strikes. We won't return. read more

The food at this place is the best in the north woods...but trying to get a reservation is a pain. I called multiple times, and either was left waiting until I had to hang up or was told I would receive a call back to confirm my reservation...and then I never received the call back. Very disappointing customer service for such a potential gen of a restaurant. read more

Took visiting family to dinner. Very embarrassing. They were out of a number of items. Then, after we placed order, we were told they were out of bread. It appeared there were only 2 waitresses for entire restaurant. Lamb was cold, soup was cold. Very nice waitress who was constantly apologizing. Wow, what a disaster of a dining experience. read more

We almost couldn't find this place, but finally did and we were very glad we did. First, the restaurant is large, roomy, homey and had a beautiful fireplace with a roaring fire in it. Stunning! We were immediately seated and offered drinks. I chose a glass of wine while my husband ordered a Fat Tire on tap. We had a Brie en crute with Raspberries for an appetizer and was almost perfect. Melted brie in a golden brown puff pastry with warm, fresh raspberries, very nice. For diner I ordered Scallops Lucille, while my hubby ordered a 20 oz Bone-in Ribeye. Both were exceptionally well presented and cooked perfectly. Truly the best scallops I have ever eaten. I asked our server were the scallops came from and she told us the Chef flies them in from Cape Cod a couple times a week. Ken's steak was a perfect medium rare. We finished the meal by sharing a Frangelico Crème Brulee which was divine. White Oak Grill is without a doubt the best restaurant in the Northwoods. It is an amazing value!!! read more

Decided to go to an upscale dinner with the family for the last night of the trip. I am from WI but live in SF so decided to go for what I consider a good midwest dinner, steak. My two daughters and I ordered their steak special, which was the only steak on the menu. Note: NY Strip was on menu at 2 OZ bigger but they said they didn't have any as the chef only had the smaller cut so they called it a special instead. I asked about the sauce, as they have different choices for the steak on the menu, but the waitress said this comes with a special sauce. While the place was only about 1/3 full, despite being Labor Day weekend, the meal took forever to come. When we asked for the bread, they said they were out of bread. Really?? We arrived at 6PM and they were out of bread?? When we asked to waitress to tell the chef of our disappointment we expected the chef to send a small appetizer to make up for nothing to nibble on during the extensive wait. The waitress returned and said the chef told us that "If we wanted to come back tomorrow, he would give us a loaf of bread." Really?? I almost told her to tell him that we will pay the tip but if the chef wants us to pay for the meal, he should come to our house tomorrow and get the money. I have never felt as insulted as this. As we were discussing the virtues of getting up and leaving, the waitress went back to tell the chef we were very insulted by this, and at that point he/she sent out an appetizer which was very good. Then the steak arrived. Mine was cooked just right but it was just a cooked piece of meat. No sauce, no seasoning, no grill or broil marks so not sure how it was prepared. Just a medium rare steak. The meat itself was good, but I had to put on lots of salt to bring out the flavor. The summer vegetables and gnocchi was mediocre. Obviously, this is a place I will never ever go to again. Especially at $38 for a small NY Strip. read more

This was our third visit to the White Oak grille in Manitowish waters . The first two times they were not serving breakfast or lunch so we decided to come to Sunday brunch which they had suggeste. It was not a classic brunch as one may expect. it was a sit down order from the menu style. There were salads ,a few sandwiches and a few egg plates. I ordered the bibb and beet salad . The salad was very nice but the beets had absolutely no flavor. I also had the herbivore omelette. which was okay but not flavorful. However I did not order meat or potatoes and both came. Both of the meats were so rich and greasy. Inedible. My dining companion had scrambled eggs which were very much overcooked. He could not eat the pork belly that came in place of bacon as it was mostly fat. He ordered the French toast bake which seemed more like a pile of baked old bread with too much syrup and whip cream. The saving grace to his meal was the side of the berries that he requested in place of potatoes. My impression is that the White Oak grille is trying to be something it is not. The menu is too much all over the board. The impression is that the chef is trying too hard. Trying to be upscale but the food is not. The restaurant itself is very nice, service was good as well. But given this is the middle of summer in the north woods the place was empty. I think if this place did a classic style brunch buffet that more people would come. we were really looking forward to an omelet station ,smoked salmon, fruit, berries: a wide array of foods to enjoy with a glass of champagne. White Oak grill fell very short of this expectation. After being very disappointed with our meals the bill came for 4 people $125. which is the last dollar White Oak grill will be getting from us. The two stars are for the nice waiter. read more

The food here is very, very good. Our party of four ordered entrees including the walleye, salmon, halibut and lamb chops, all very tasty and well prepared. Why then only 3 stars? The service is super slow. We had a baby with us and expressly asked for quicker service. It took forever to get our entrees after our soup/salad course. The waiters seemed stressed and unable to keep up with the volume of diners. We asked for more bread and never heard one iota about it! Several large parties of 10 to 16 people were seated and I'll bet they were there for 3 hours! The second reason is price. This food is very, very expensive. The food is all a la carte with soup $5 and up and salads around $10. The entrees are not reasonable e.g.the walleye is $34! This makes for a rather pricey evening. You can do far better in the Northwoods and I doubt this place will make it with the current menu and poor service. read more

Really loved the dinner I was served at White Oak Grill. The atmosphere was so lovely. I had the tuna tartar as an appetizer. LOVED it! Amazing. My entree was the roasted chicken with green beans and instead of a potato I asked for an additional vegetable. I received tasty fresh corn. The meal was delicious! I will return to White Oak Grill! A gem in Manitowish Waters! read more

My husband and I went to dinner at the White Oak Grill on Friday July 24th 2015 because I had just taken a tour of The Cippewa Retreat. The retreat itself was so beautiful and of course I expected the food to have the same quality as the grill was trying to portray with all the fine furnishings throughout the establishment. Unfortunately, I was so disappointed......The food was prepared in a fast food manner. We had the Cod which was bearly warm and not at all "crunchy" and looked as though is was frozen and then baked. It was accompanied by baked beans, slaw, and uncooked fies. This meal was something that I would expect to be served at a "fair." So very dissappointed! I sincerely hope that they listen to what I am saying regarding the food guality. Maybe a new chef and change in staff would guide them in the right direction. If no changes are made then I will not be back. read more

Went for Mother's Day brunch for the second year in a row. Was disappointed in selection of food. Pulled all breakfast food too early and was only offered lunch. Dessert table skippy with minimal fruit dumped in bowls - no presentation. Not that food wasn't good but for the price expected to overwhelmed. Specialty cocktails were very good. Last year a whole variety of breads and pastries but this year only cornbread offered - really? No carved meat, last year two selections. Cheese and vegetable trays last year now some beans and onions, that's it. Last year ice cream and different cakes, this year tiny carrot cake and dry cheesecake bars. Salad was fresh and omelet station was a nice addition but wanted to order two since there wasn't much else to choose from. Wait staff was excellent and very attentive. Talked it up to people but now feel it wasn't worth the price. Disappointed - will reconsider this tradition. read more