Whitail inn is one of the best places in the Northwoods for not only atmosphere but excellent meals. I love the ribs but frankly you can't go wrong with anything on their menu. The service is always good as well. For those of you who are familiar with the Northwoods this place stands out. read more

Great ambience with the rustic up north wooden beams and decor. Service was friendly. We ordered the sampler platter for $12.95. It came with onion rings, cheese curds, chicken tenders. For that price, it barely was enough for 2 people. We also ordered the fish fry - breaded cod ($10.95) and perch ($13.95). Disappointing. Mostly all breading and was very salty. They fill the plate with thin French fries (seemed like the cheap frozen kind) and give you tiny cups of coleslaw, tartar sauce, and ketchup. My perch was so salty that I needed several cups of tartar sauce to drown out the saltiness. Wish they would give you more than a tablespoon of coleslaw which was probably the best part. I felt like I just ordered a take out fish fry from a local tavern and not a nice place like the Whitetail Inn. If you're looking for a nice place with a great north woods feel, this is the place but hopefully the rest of the menu is better than the fish fry. read more

Beautiful venue and friendly bar area but it stops there. The folks waiting in front of us were lavishly received and seated ...next we were greeted with "2?" When we were being seated in the far back near the kitchen I asked if there was a better table. She said the tables in front were reserved . She said we could wait in the bar for better seating and we said we would...she seemed annoyed and this interaction should have been a clue. It was late, after 7, so it could be expected there would be turnover and few after us. The food is overpriced and mediocre. We literally laughed at the cole slaw on the plate it was a condiment cup ... a tablespoon, one bite! The plate was filled with French fries ala McDonalds type and my perch, while not greasy, was so over cooked I had to use a knife to cut the fillets. At 14.95 I had hoped for something better....Probably they have cooks in the back versus places at their price point who have chefs. The service was not great, but Northwoods places often seem to go cheap on staff...no bus service, no water refill, saw our waitress when we were done. Places don't seem to adjust to when college starts and they loose summer staff (if they ever had them). We've tried it twice, old owners/new owners, too many other terrific choices nearby...it looks good but doesn't deliver. read more

The food was OK while prices were on the high end. Our family vote is split between 2 and 3 starts and we are not going back.

Food is good, nice options for Friday fish specials. Nice large bar to accommodate everyone. Just beware of coming with a large party. One of the servers must have woken up on the wrong side of the bed...she was not pleasant to a few of us in the party....came back to the table after the bill was signed and rudely told the party that we didn't pay enough in tip...there was a confusion on our end to be fair but her attitude was not professional. read more

Not sure where to begin! Jeff and Joy were better hosts than we could have ever imagined. Right from the beginning, they were accommodating and just wanted our day to be perfect for us. Any questions that we had throughout the year and a half engagement were answered in a days' time. They dealt with my panic of weather worry and every other issue that came to my mind, very calmly and always had a solution/answer. There weren't many "no's" to our requests, as they just kept reiterating that they can accommodate and it was our day. Joy was practically a wedding planner and amazing at what she does. From helping us choose the vendors and color linens, to helping us solve a BIG issue 2 days before the wedding with our flowers. The service the night of the wedding was spot on and they knew how to keep the night flowing. At the end of the night, the staff helped (did most of it) clean up our decorations and such, so it made for an easy and quick departure. We couldn't have asked for a better vendor and location for our wedding. We would recommend them to anyone wanting their wedding in the north woods. read more

this review is based on a wedding reception... I was involved with helping for nieces wedding, so had some contact with the owner- who was very helpful and accommodating. They opened early in the morning so we could get in and decorate the tables. They offered to help set up the dessert table before the guests arrived. I was impresses that they had a real desire to make the bride's day memorable. The food was very good- prime rib/chicken/vegetarian pasta were the choices. The wait staff knew exactly what dishes went to each table so that the whole table would have their food at the same time. The dining room overlooks the golf course The atmosphere was beautiful...north-woodsey, in a classy way. An enjoyable evening! read more

Beautiful setting overlooking the golf course, the Hostess was welcoming and my brandy old fashion was great, finally able to relax after a full day of travel, boat launching and condo checking. We had the Friday night fish, my husband had the fried cod, very generous portions, he said it was good, I had the baked cod crusted with Parmesan and some kind of breading, I'd say my fish was slightly over baked but good, the baked potato was excellent, we would go back. read more

Group get together last Saturday Oct. 27th, we have been here before, and enjoyed. This was first time I was charged for using a credit card, 3% charge, since bill was above $200.00 this came to an $8.00 charge, was told this had just started. Was not to happy about that. Not sure if I will be going back again. read more

What a beautiful dining room, over looking the golf course, where the geese were bedding down for the night and the whitetail deer were playing the course like pros. We really enjoyed the atmosphere, service and steaks cooked to perfection. We will be back, thank you Whitetail Inn for a lovely evening. read more

Whitetail Inn is a nicer, rustic-style upscale dining experience in the northwoods. The building is made up of huge logs; it is open inside with vaulted ceilings and large log beams; mounted animals and a fireplace add ambiance. My wife and I tried Whitetail on Valentine's day. Upon our arrival, the large bar section was pretty full. We had a 7:00pm reservation, and were seated right away in the large, open dining area despite being about ten minutes early. So, we sat for ten minutes until our server came to bring waters and take our drink order. Overall, the food was really good, but the service was SLOW and sporadic. The server was older, pleasant enough, but somewhat frazzled and forgetful throughout the night, disappearing for long stretches, despite it not being super-busy in the dining area. At one point she said she'd bring my pregnant wife more water, then it was probably at least 15 minutes before she came back, without the water. Usually a server will check in a couple of times, especially if there is a wait, offer to get us more drinks, etc.. That didn't happen. Good thing I wasn't thirsty. I guess I could've gone up to the bar myself. At the end it took quite a while for her to come back with our credit card...that always makes me nervous. She thanked us for our patience at the end, if only to try to garner some sympathy from us when figuring out the tip. As for the food, I had the maple-glazed roast half duck, which was excellent. Yum! My wife had the tenderloin with a burgundy glaze. Also YUM. Salads were decent too. All in all, we were there for over an hour and a half. We weren't in a hurry, which was a good thing. Not sure I'd go back though. Probably won't anytime soon. read more

We started with Caesar salads and my wife had the roast pork and I had a chicken breast stuffed with asparagus. Our dessert was a very delicious chocolate covered cherry ice cream! The food is good but I would not rate it outstanding. Nonetheless, the beautiful log building is something to behold and I kept wondering how they were able to construct it with such massive logs. Lastly, service was excellent! read more

This restaurant has one of the lovliest interiors (with the exception of the dead animal heads on the walls) in one of the prettiest settings around. The service is outstanding. However, I found the food to be mediocre. I ordered crab cakes and they smelled "off" as soon as they arrived at the table. One bite confirmed that they were, indeed, past their date. The waitress was apologetic and took my replacement order directly to the kitchen. My new food arrived in time for me to keep pace with everyone else in my party of 8. Sadly, my replacement meal was less than stellar. I ordered the shrimp and scallop kabobs. They were edible but rubbery. I believe that if some time were spent working on the menu and its preparation, this place would outpace everything else in the area. I doubt that I'll return unless I hear that they've improved the fare... read more

We live year round in the area & have enjoyed many a good meal at the Whitetail in the past couple years. However last winter we made three consecutive trips there only to find it "Closed for Private Party" each time. Please call ahead before your wasting your time in the off season. Tonight my wife and I decided to try again. She has the salmon which is her favorite and it was very good as usual. I had the NY Strip which is one of my favorites and it was inedible. The part that I could cut was full of stringy white stuff and the rest was all sinewy and gristle and I could not even cut it. The waitress took it back but came with the check without even an "I'm Sorry..." and treated us like nothing had happened. I was not looking for a free meal or anything else but I did refuse to take the boxed left overs home, even for my dog! Unbelievably BAD! I will think hard before going back again! More so because of how we we treated rather than the poor food. read more

What a BEAUTIFUL spot for a wedding reception!!! I just attended one this past weekend and still cannot get over this place. The grounds are absolutely gorgeous, the main building is lined with the largest white pine logs I've ever seen, the staff were incredibly friendly and efficient, and the food was so delicious that I might have to go back before my summer vacay comes to an end! I'll admit I had no idea what to expect on our 45 minute drive there, but the second I got out of the car and walked in through the main entrance, it all made perfect sense. This is an experience that all Northwoods visitors should have. read more

I went to this restaurant based on the menu. I'm sure if we stayed the food would be great, but we didn't stay because the service was not acceptable. The bar tender was very rude. We asked the bar tender if we could get a menu, he/she kept ignoring us. Finally she answered with "In a little bit". In all I didn't have a good experience here. read more

The Horror.... Just paid 25 bucks for Thanksgiving 'buffet' ... a collection of chemicals that were trying to imitate food. I would call it your basic 'instituition food' - mashed potatoes that started out as powder, gravy that had never had any involvement with any animal, etc - but if you served this stuff in a prison, you would have a riot. If I can prevent one person from inflicting this place on their family or friends, I will not have killed a substantial portion of my taste buds in vain. Please - for the love of God, avoid this place. Now, please excuse me while I go to the garage and rinse my mouth out in year old gasoline from my tractor in a desperate attempt to get the taste of the 'gravy' out of my mouth. read more

We went to the Easter buffet. It was all booked up but we were able to get a first come first served high top table near the bar. The bloody Mary's were spicy good and complimentary champaign. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly. The buffet looked looked a little worked over and the shrimp were underwhelming. The rest of the trimmings were tasty, a little heavy on the salt. The omelet chef was working hard and the bananas foster was fun to see. We had a fun and pleasant time we will be back. I'll hold my fifth star to be blown away. read more

After we were seated we watched 3 other tables get seated and got drinks before we did. That annoyed me a little. Then we got our appetizers and the waitress left again before taking our order. She had one other large table to serve and she had help. We finally ordered after our server said "I am ready for you now". We watched those other 3 tables finish their meals. By this time an hour and a half had passed. The waitress had only been to our table 3 times. Which should have been plenty to eat and be out of there already. We couldn't wait for that long and risk having terrible food for those prices. We complained to the host twice. She explained that the other tables had ordered before us. I said no they didn't because we heard them order. The hostess said she would let us finish our drinks. Then we left and went accross the street to blink Bonnie and had such a great experience and great food! read more

Good basic American fare. Interesting building. Great golf course views. Owners are wonderful people.

We have been going to the Northwoods long before Whitetail Inn was built! This past year we finally decided to spend Thanksgiving Up North. The "we" is myself, my husband, our four daughters aged 9-23, one of the older girl's boyfriend and Grandma. My husband choose dinner at Whitetail Inn. The 15 or so family that stayed in Chicago couldn't understand why we wanted to having Thanksgiving Dinner Up North, let alone at a restaurant. Let me just say this was one of the best Thanksgivings ever! We loaded up the truck early Thanksgiving morning. Arrived at the cabin around 10 AM, unloaded, unpacked, took a nap the headed to Whitetail Inn for our Thanksgiving Dinner which proved to be OUTSTANDING!!!!! The food was hot, delicious and quite plentiful. The service was impeccable! The staff really made us feel like home. And of course the ambiance of the lodge decor and great fireplace made the holiday a wonderful time and family memory! Thank you Whitetail Inn staff! read more

Overall.it.was.just.OK. Service was great. The parmesan crusted filet was pretty good. Cooked perfectly. The duck was over cooked and had very little flavor. Scallops seemed like they were boiled and over cooked. Very nice kids and gluten free menu. Ice cream drinks very good but very over priced. read more

My wife and I went to Northern WI for the first time last week and spent it around the Minocqua area. We found a wonderful restaurant in St. Germain, a huge log building right at a golf course. The building itself is worth the drive if you like log structures. Walking in we weren't really sure what to expect but we were greeted by a very nice hostess upon entering through the front doors. We headed to the very large and well stocked bar to have a few drinks before dinner and found only one young man was taking care of the entire bar. As we ordered our drinks we could tell that the bartender knew a lot of the people in the bar and thought that only one person wouldn't be able to take care of such a large place and so many people; but we were wrong. He talked to us about the movie " Public Enemies" and about the area and served us some wonderful drinks. Although very nice he could not tell us why and old fashion was named that but his ice cream drinks after dinner made us forget that he was young and still learning. Our dinner was at a wonderful table overlooking the 18 green and started with fresh dinner rolls and a salad with hot bacon dressing. My wife had the walleye and gave me a taste, that brought memories of growing up and going fishing with my father as a young boy. She took care of every little bit of walleye but could not handle the piece of Broccoli that came with it. I myself had the roast duckling; it was great, very tender and succulent. The wild rice that I chose went perfect with the duck. Our waitress was very pleasant and orderly, you could tell that she was just not summer help. For dessert they had some wonderful choices but both my wife and I saw some of the ice cream drinks made by the young man behind the bar and decided on having a grasshopper to split. This was a piece of art and we almost asked to have our picture taken but thought that might sound odd. The prices were not near that of what we would have paid at home and the pleasant music that played through the speakers along side the huge deer mounts made this a night to remember. To see a building of that caliber and then to have that matched with the service and grace of all the employees is something special. I will be back there for another dinner and they told me Sunday brunch is another must do. I trust them now- Joe read more

I would NOT recommend this place to my WORST ENEMY! I got engaged Feb 2013 and made arrangements with Jeff within the week of getting engaged to secure a date for my wedding. I spoke with Jeff via email, phone, etc. I settled on my date and he told me, "I have you in the books for this date!" and that the day was held for us. I expressed to him that I intended on getting up to sign the contract and deposit ASAP. He also told me that the Whitetail Inn is closed the entire month of April. All of Feb and March I was stuck in Chicago caring for a very sick family member full-time, and wasn't able to make it up there right away. I had communicated that to him from the very beginning. She passed away in the middle-end of March. So, we didn't make it up there in February or March. April the Whitetail Inn is closed the entire month. I made it up in May, and emailed Jeff beforehand asking what day/time would be best to meet with him. His reply to my email was something along the lines of, "...This day, at this time, work best for me..... Unfortunately, some time has passed since we talked and your date is no longer available. We have taken reservations of someone else." Needless to say, this was a very shocking email to receive, and not what I expected from the "Up North Hospitality" that I have grown to love and truly appreciate. I received NO call, NO email to inform me that some one else was interested in that day as well. He did not attempt to contact me ONCE to let me know he was going to give my day to someone else despite "being in the books" and having every method possible to get a hold of me if he wanted to (email, phone, etc). I expressed my dissatisfaction about this, and he recommended that I change my wedding day to the Friday before or Sunday after the actual day I wanted because the dining room would be open those days. This, to me, is distasteful and simply bad business. I wouldn't recommend this place to ANYONE! read more

The best place I've ever eaten at in the north woods. The building is absolutely beautiful and the food is superb. The service is also excellent, and all of the staff are very friendly and helpful. The Whitetail has a great family atmosphere and a gorgeous bar area. I would highly recommend the Chicken Portabella, delicious, and the ice cream drinks from the bar are always a must! A great dining experience overall! read more