Blue Bird of Leland

We've driven by for years but this was our first visit. Super disappointed with the $22 smelt basket. So dry. It's sad that the kitchen would send this out to a table. If it looks inedible, it probably is. I feel like our server knew something was wrong but didn't ask.

Mid-afternoon & they were very busy. Host explained it may take a bit for our server to come. She was attentive, but it was quite a wait for the food. When it came it was fresh & hot! Shrimp was very good & a first for me peas & peanuts .... Yes Please!!! My friends enjoyed the fried smelt & white fish.

Stopped here for dinner. Sat on the bar side but there is a more formal dinning area located here as well. Had the fish sandwich which was very good. Thin but crunchy batter. Also had the potato skins which were bomb! Highly reccomend those. Joel was our server and he was great, appreciated his insight on the menu options.

Took them a very long time for the food and my grilled white fish was overcooked a little. Chicken wings and pizza were great and staffs were nice and you can tell they definitely care about their employees and costumers.

New vibes are stunning! Food is fantastic and staff is fabulous. Happy to have ya’ll back in town!

Wonderful experience. Good and service were great. A bit loud however, but they are addressing that.

This is a great place to eat! It can be a little pricey, that's great food, great staff, and great service! They also have a Louie the 14th, cognac whiskey, for $200 a shot! It must be good... :-) :-) now how's that for such a fine tasting cognac whiskey?? If you take the last shot, you get the bottle. The etched, especially word glass, Crystal and beveled glass, make this bottle worth anywhere between $250 then $1,500!

Very old school, if you want fresh water fish, they have something for you. Try to finish 10 minutes before sundown, and take the 1 minute walk to Fishtown for the sunset. Makes for a nice evening

after being closed for years, they are in their new building on the river. Beautiful spot. Lucky to get a pizza from their 'soft' opening, and it was the best pizza I've ever had. Wife and I had to haggle over the last piece.

Closed until next year due to new construction. Too bad - great place. Can't wait for reopen!

Incredible whitefish and walleye. Coleslaw very good! Fries terrific!! Nice, homey up north kind of place.

Very disappointed in the parchment whitefish. Normally I choose whitefish due to its white flesh and gentle color . This whitefish was Haney and fishy and maybe not fresh. There were 3 sprigs of asparagus with it which seemed for the price very inadequate. My wife did enjoy her prime rib but the potatoes with it were dried out and in a small ice cream scoop mound. Our dining partners had the walleye which was good but very small portion and the pork sandwich with chips. The chips were not played they just handed her a bag. I expect that if I am at the cheese shop but not at a sit down restaurant. Our server was a nice young man but he was inattentive and didn't even offer a dessert menu. All in all an underwhelming performance for a totally bill over 125 dollars for 4 people without alcohol.

Only go if there is no other option. We waited for a table although the restaurant was not busy. The host/waiter who ignored me, cut me off to give a message to a server when the other host/server led us to a table. The menu isn't great. Don't come if you want a salad. The waiter was snarky. The pretzel appetizer looked like it was doused in grease and the cheese came out of the microwave. The brisket and pastrami sandwiches were ok but not worth the rest of the experience. Overall disappointed.

Not my favorite diner/bar food place but descent menu options. I can only rate the bar menu as We didn't eat from the diner menu. It's your typical burgers, sandwiches, pizza type restaurant. At night there are a ton of locals as it's also the popular bar in town. I got the house-smoked bbq beef brisket sandwich and snickers pie. The beef brisket was well done. I just wish I had more sauce on it similar to pulled pork! They should also add something special flavor wise since they make a house made special ranch sauce. However, the brisket was very tender and tasty. I have to say the pie was disappointing and nothing special. Usually diners are good for pies and they are usually homemade, but this didn't taste as such. It was not worth the $5 per slice they charge for it. Overall, good for take-out or when in the mood for diner food but I wouldn't do the dessert.

We had a Ceaser salad with whitefish which was decent. I ordered smelt and it was horrible. Service was decent and the staff was friendly.

Also not messing around with Covid is the Bluebird. They're not currently seating indoors, but have a nice outdoor tented area available with plenty of seating - and precautions (not that we're overly concerned, just mindful of keeping our general distance from others with the Covid Cooties). While the tented area is in the parking lot, it offers nice views of the Leland river and passerby on the main Leland thoroughfare. My pizza (carry out), and then our pizza (eat "in") were both very good. Their pizzas have that yummy buttery crust! MmmmMmmmmm! Ditto the side garden salad, crisp and yum. They've also got a fairly comprehensive selection of craft beers (impressive in light of having to manage outdoor cooler space). Prices are reasonable and service can also be counted on. Both Erin and Forrest will take good care.

I was disappointed at the long wait from our server Forrest. However, I feel it's not the restaurants fault that he was so darn slow. The delicious pizza totally made up for it!! Wish they would open back up soon!!

Standard American fare with an emphasis on fried fish. As far as the fish goes, they mainly offer walleye and whitefish, and occasional specials of perch and bluegill. The walleye I had was pretty fishy tasting and the whitefish was a bit dry. The big winner was the bluegill that had a slightly sweet flavor and was perfectly moist. All the fried fish has a light coating, that doesn't take away from the flavor of the fish. Besides fried fish, they offer soups, salads, and other sandwiches. They also have delicious fries! The dining room is a bit dated as far as decor goes, but there's large windows with a pretty view of the water.

We Stopped here via the Fido AP. Real nice garden setting along the water on a gorgeous day. Location n setting- 5 Service- 4 Quality of food. (Fish tacos & Walleye fish sand)-3 Size of portions- (2 tacos) small filet (walleye) Value. 2 Overall-3 but worthy of 1st visit Negatives: no local draft beer on deck at the craft beer Mecca- bizarre. Offer baked n blackened fish; this is a fishery bonanza not land locked Indiana; portions if smaller we would have walked. We left hungry.

So sad to see this, been coming here for years but this was biggest joke ive seen.. Tent outside, cook left in middle of dinner , food took 1.5 hours after we sat down and came out in small servings. Paid 120.00 for 4 baskets of food that i could get anywhere for 50.00, wont ever go back.. even got charged 1.00 for. A water after waiting 1 hour for food.. very sad..

Advertised as dog friendly so we drove over from Traverse City only to be told they were dog friendly BUT NOT TODAY. Something about dogs not being allowed where food is served and they were afraid the health inspector might show up. Count me an unhappy camper.

I had heard good things about this place. Unfortunately, the first time I tried to come, they were closed for cleaning in the late fall. This past weekend, I had the chance to go. When you walk in, you can either go to the bar area which has a lot of seating, or wait for the dining room. Both areas have very different menus from what I understand. We went to the dining room. This area has a beautiful view of the river. I ordered the whitefish, which includes cinnamon bread, french bread, and the salad bar. All were very good, especially the cinnamon bread. Oh, and they were completely out of the french bread, which was a bit odd, The salad bar is very old fashioned and had some interesting options, some of which I wasn't even sure what they were. The main course was a lightly breaded whitefish with sauteed vegetables which was delicious. Ultimately, my experience here was very mediocre. It's difficult to pinpoint exactly what went wrong. It has a bit of a stuffy, upscale retiree vibe that just doesn't suit me. The wait staff was also giving off the same vibes. This makes two places I've been in Leland that seem to really market towards an older crowd. I think from now on I'll stick to trying out the places across the street, close to the lake, which seem to be livelier. If you want a quiet, "romantic" dinner, this could be the place for you. Otherwise, it doesn't quite fit. Perhaps the bar is better? Not sure I'll get the chance to try it anytime soon.

Doesn't get much worse than this. There is no management of the staff. Severely understaffed and unorganized. 25 minutes before anyone came to our table - and another 70 minutes before our grilled cheese and club sandwiches came. Waitress spilled the bowl of peanuts & peas on the table, and just left it there. Zero apologies for the wait time. This place has seen better days - and this had nothing to do with COVID.

We are out of towners that checked out BlueBird on a sunday evening and ate in the Tavern part of the restaurant. It's a nice interior and the staff was very friendly. Seating a party of six at this time was not an issue. We shared the asparagus "mock-amole" and it was pretty good, but I guess I wouldn't have called it "mock-amole" so much as an asparagus cheese dip. I had the Bird Pie pizza and it was delicious. My husband had the walleye platter and said it was good. It came with cole slaw. I only tried his fries, not the fish or cole slaw and unfortunately my husband got food poisoning from either the slaw or the fish. So ... while it is terrible that he got food poisoning and basically didn't eat for 3 days after, my personal experience was good. We just can't give it a stunning review.

There aren't many places to go in Leland, but Bluebird offers a nicer dining room for a more upscale dinner, but also a tavern to visit if wanting something a bit more simpler or to sit down for a beer. Because of that, there usually isn't a time when Bluebird isn't a good choice. Not to mention they have a patio. The beer list is what one would expect with varied local bottle and draft options as is the menu with fish, pizza and sandwiches. Not sure how people can complain about that. They also have some interesting renditions from a Smoked Trout Chowder to an Asparagus Guacamole thing. And if you don't like anything, then some Whitefish Tacos will do. And if you don't like fish tacos, I don't know why you're visiting Fishtown.

My family has been coming to the Blueburd since I was a kid. We enjoyed our outdoor dining experience necessitated by the pandemic. The food and drink were great served by a very attentive staff.

Always a stop on the way back from the Island when delivering the Boat. Good food and a nice atmosphere. The staff is always quick with a recommendation if you are not sure.

Stopped in for a quick lunch on a recommendation from my parents. Our party shared a couple pizzas and everyone enjoyed them. The crust is airy and soft. The cheese and sauce were not distinct but no complaints about either. I think it is baked in a low pan because there is some caramelization of cheese around the edge of the crust, I found to be the best part of the crust. Even though this is not my favorite style of pizza it is good and for me a One Bite rating of 5.6. Was happy to see Bell's Oberon on tap. I will be back and next time I will drive into their menu. I would recommend if you happen to be in Leland.

Bluebird never disappoints! Always quick service and good quality food. The menu isn't that exciting or diverse, but it is a classic American restaurant. They have burgers, sandwiches, salads, chicken, and pizza! I was going to settle for a salad tonight, but I discovered that they serve a Cherry Chicken Salad dish. I highly recommend it! The chicken tasted so fresh and I loved the chunks of cherries in it. Although their food and service is great, the actual restaurant area is somewhat a bummer. The lighting is very dim and the seating area is pretty small. Overall though, it is a special gem located in Leland. Try it sometime if you are in the area!

Amazing ethnic night, Viva la France! Beautiful wines, both red and white; we enjoyed the moist, tender PorkBelly and the sweet and delicate Sea Scallops! Home Runs all around!

Docked my boat in Leland for a few days at the marina, and we thought we would try one of the very few restaurants in town that we could walk to. The waitress was not friendly at all. She seemed a bit miserable to be there really. Not impressed with the food either. It's too bad as I Loved everything else about Leland... would not recommend this place at all.

Great service and loved sitting outside by the river. We had the Whitefish grilled. It was perfect! Plus 3 different sides...Potato Salad, Cole Slaw and the amazing Peanut Pea Salad!!!

First time in Leland and stop at the Bluebird for lunch. Nice lunch selection and good serving sizes. Fish and chips from the appetizer menu was ok, the personal pizzas were great. The Gluten Free pizzas were the best we've had in a long time. Great service and friendly staff.

An institution in town so it's sad to see it in such a disarray. Even their classics over done and much smaller. I hope when I go up next year it will be better

Not for vegetarians. Soups all had meat and salad bar had lots of salad type dishes such as potato salad and chicken salad. Salad bar was really expensive for what it was...$21.00. There were no non meat entrees at all. Server was very sweet but slow service. Husband said his prime rib was great though. Wish I had ordered prime rib entree which includes salad bar for $5.00 more. I could have taken prime rib home for husband to have the next day.

Great place. Stopped in for lunch. They had NO issue putting two tables together for a 8 of us. No complaints on food. Pizza was wonderful. They had an excellent gluten free pizza too. Service was prompt. Felt good leaving a 22% tip. Waiter was great! Definitely getting back to this place.

The Bluebird used to have a great outside dining area looking out towards a river, but that was discontinued(would've rated outside dining a 4 star). The inside has bad food(probably frozen), terrible interior and is expensive. Anyone who eats at the bluebird is an elder stuck in their old ways, because it used to taste good back in the 70s.

I can't describe how incredibly bad the service was at this place. The first time I called for a reservation, the person who answered the phone was yelling instructions to another employee after they had already answered the phone, so it was several seconds before they turned their attention to me, and said "hello?" Annoying to say the least. Once we arrived, our waitress was inattentive, untrained, and had a miserable attitude. We waited for our food for over 40 minutes, and the different people in our party were served at different times. The food was mediocre at best: over cooked steaks, lukewarm watery soup, and a under-stocked, poor quality salad bar. Drinks weren't served until after we had the entrees. I hadn't been there in over 10 years and now I remember the reason for my absence! I won't be back again.

Was headed to a different restaurant for lunch , but challenges parking my motorhome dictated a change. My wife and I both had the Walleye basket. This is the best Walleye I have had in years! Very fresh, very easy on the breading. And very flavorful. The freshness also was very apparent in the house-made Cole slaw. I like it when the cabbage still tastes like cabbage. We both had a glass of a locally made Sauvignon Blanc. I'm not a wine person, but this seemed like a good vintage and went quite well with the fish. It seemed a bit pricey, which is the only thing keeping my review from being 5 stars. If you are in the area give Bluebird a try.

Very nice salad bar and meals come with warm bread and the most delicious cinnamon rolls you'll ever taste. We sat at a table overlooking the river with a beautiful view. The drinks are good and our server Lucy was very attentive and friendly. The white fish was a little dry but a large piece was served. Shrimp scampi is served on noodles and the pretzel crusted fish looks good. The salmon Wellington was delicious as well.

Meh food & ok service. Got in from the boat from South Manitou Island and was hungry. Heard someone mention they were going to a place called Bluebird. I wish I had cell phone signal to see reviews. The server seemed new, but was polite. I was thirsty and quickly downed the short glass of ice water she brought. We ordered a burger that came with a bag of chips. There was no lettuce nor tomato on the burger, so that was meh. I had the walleye with coleslaw and the seasoned fries. The coleslaw was tasty - a mustard-base. Crisp and yummy. The serving of walleye was decent but the flavor was also meh. The fries were a big disappointment. They were supposed to be seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic and something else. I think they forgot the seasoning. Had to request water refills even as both short glasses were quickly emptied as soon as we sat down. Can't say I want to come back to this place for a meal. Could be a lot better.

Wow - Have been going to the Bird for well over 50 years. While nobody expects it to match the good ole' days when Leona Telgard was in the kitchen, the food is beyond mediocre. Every summer we go to the Bird just in case it has improved. Yep - - -nope! Their famous whitefish dinner has fallen into a freezer somewhere for quite some time and then is cooked to death until dried out and tasteless. Makes us very sad indeed. A large group went last week and all but one person ordered the Lake Michigan whitefish. Although polite about the meal, one could clearly observe people taking several bites and then just moving the remainder about the plate until the table was cleared. What a shame. That will be our last visit to the once fabulous Blue Bird in Leland.

We had a really nice meal there last night due to two things: wonderful and attentive server from Lithuania and knowing what to order from their dated, very seventies menu. Literally, it's like stepping back in time, coming to this place. With the old, tired decor, strange musty smell and completely uninterested hostess, whom we waited almost 15 minutes for, when we walked in the door, and the place was not even slightly crowded. She didn't apologize nor seemed to care that we stood there, and had not one person tell us that someone would be with us, eventually. Really comical. But the view of the water is fabulous and since we are very experienced diners we knew to stay clear of anything adventurous on the menu and stick with steak, potatoes and the real throwback: salad bar! I have to say we were on point with this menu choice. The salad bar was very strange, but we managed to steer clear of the multiple mayonnaise based salads and enjoyed the mixed greens and cucumber (also, to be honest, we were both very hungry) our server was charming, professional and friendly ( clearly, the only one there, who was) and the steak was cooked perfectly. We really enjoyed the meal. That being said, this place needs a compete renovation and in a "real world" market would not stand a chance, but it's all about demand and location. So, do I recommend it? I would have to say if you stick with the most basic menu items you might be fine. The view seems to be what it's all about.

I told my nephew that I needed two things when I arrived in Michigan. Walleye and smelt. He frequents this place several times every summer as he has a boat nearby, and swore this would be thee place for local smelt. I now concur. Michigan smelt when fried up are about the size of a thick French fry. This was a huge plateful of perfectly fried, lightly battered wonderfulness. I crave these little delicacies on occasion, but Musso and Frank in Hollywood is the only place I know of in SoCal that always have them on the menu. Give me a shout if you know of any OC restos that carry them. Service here, at least by our fresh face server was, shall we say, summer job amateurish. When I asked her about the "whitefish", and specifically what fish it was she flipped to her notes and started to read, " a flaky mild...." I bailed the poor girl out and just ordered up the smelt. She giggled and apologized as she stated she doesn't really like or eat fish. "Kind of weird, to be working in a fish place huh?" I guess I nodded and she giggled again, "not many other options in this little town." Well fish restaurant management is one option she may want to cross off her future career options. She was attentive at least, cute, and funny as well. Apparently this is a locals favorite as well as a tourist hot-spot. Very busy on Memorial Weekend Sunday with lots of families. There is a fairly large bar in the center of the main dining room, so maybe it gets rowdy later with less kids. My nephew and his wife both ordered the chicken gumbo that was on the specials board and raved several times how delish it was. So look to the specials board for some additional tasty items. For me it was all about the smelt. I just need to find a source closer to home.

We started with the smoked salmon appetizer----delicious, the crackers that they use are special. I had the bluegill special for the day and it was outstanding. My wife had the whitefish and also said in was great. Service was perfect. The setting for this place in Leland, Michigan is special with an historic village half a block away. The view from the windows are beautiful.

Docked the boat and walked up to the patio. We were seated and enjoyed the beautiful outdoor weather. We ordered pizzas and whitefish dip along with some fried clams and salads. Amazing food and no one left hungry. We also enjoyed a variety of cocktails and beer. Good day!!

The Bluebird was billed as a classic Leland establishment, and I think they rest mostly on these laurels to keep guests coming. To its credit, the view of the Leland River from the windows was great, so make sure to request a window seat for a view of the Leland river. But aside from its historical charm, the Bluebird was somewhat of a let down, especially for the price. Atmosphere: 2 stars Even though the fish was solid, something about the indoor atmosphere just wasn't right. Perhaps it was the worn out carpet or the Ruby Tuesday's style salad bar with iceberg lettuce, but it just felt like somewhere you go for dinner with your grandparents (in all honesty, I was there with my grandparents). Food: 3.5 stars That said, the local fish offerings were still good. The Walleye Oscar was particularly tasty. The Fresh Lake Michigan Whitefish was also solid, although the blackened version of this was served a bit too charred. In general, this is a quality spot to pick up some Lake Michigan fish. Service: Very nice waitress, but the hostess was quite pushy about making our party take its seats while one person was in the bathroom even though there were empty tables and no line. She also yelled at people later for standing in the wrong spot in the salad bar line. Reminded me of the middle-school lunch cafeteria all over again.

Wouldn't recommend. My youngest sons pizza came out 15 min before we got the rest of our meal. Waitress didn't stop by to give an update or ask if we needed anything while waiting. My oldest son ordered a white fish sandwich and ended up getting white fish. The waitress said I can bring out a bun. My wife ordered a salad ($24) and it was supposed to come with bread , but didn't. People next to us had their dog there and it kept barking. Waitress never stopped by when we got our meal to ask if we needed anything, etc. Not an enjoyable experience for $100.

Ate on the patio a few years ago and decided to come back while in Leland. It was a rainy Monday around 2. We were awkwardly told by the host that they couldn't seat anyone else bc the servers where overwhelmed. (It didn't appear that busy). He recommended we check out "the tavern" in the same building. As we consulted our phones for an alternative, we watched him do the same to a family with 2 adults, 2 kids. But then 1 min later seated party of 3 older adults. So are you too busy or not?!? Sorry, you lost your chance. Won't return.

Some of the best smelt and walleye I have had anywhere. Lightly battered as opposed to the "here's something the size of a frickin' banana with a smelt somewhere inside" that you find at some other places. The batter is supposed to add some flavor and not supposed to be *the* meal. A good place to drop by on your stroll thru downtown Leland and Fishtown. If nothing else, stop in and have the smelt basket.

This place has been around forever and has been owned by the same family since it opened in 1923. It's the kind of place that, when I was a kid, we'd head to for a dress up dinner with our grandparents. It sits directly on the river, affording very pretty views if you can get one of those tables - I highly recommend that you make reservations ahead of time, especially in the summer. Far more casual now, jeans and such okay, but still an old favorite and a must-visit when in Leelanau County. Steaks, lamb, chicken, etc. are all fairly good, but what people really come here for is the Whitefish. They prepare it a number of ways, but I've found that the more simple preparations are best - I generally stick with the broiled whitefish at this point, but the breaded is very good as well. Very flaky, delicate and fresh - I highly recommend it. In the winter they offer "Ethnic Nights," check their website for themses/dates. Sides and veggies are fairly standard , soups are quite good, attractive and fresh salad bar is available with entrees for a few dollars more or as a standalone. I don't get a appetizers very often here as they have generous servings, but the whitefish spread is really quite good. Good cinnamon rolls. Very, very excellent wine list!!!!! Quality seems to have declined just a bit over the years, but the staff is always great and the food (especially the Whitefish) is solid overall. I would give it 3 stars for the food and one star for the great views. A good place to come with the family.

It smells old and musty right when you walk in, which is not a great first impression. The menu looked great, but we weren't there long enough to find out if the food was any good, because he service was so bad we left before ordering dinner. Disappointed.

Came to Leland while on vacation and stopped in to have lunch with the family. We were seated immediately, then waited a few minutes before placing our order. The staff was pleasant and the food was great. I would recommend this place and sow would my family. We'll be returning to it the next time we're in town.

Stopped by Blue Bird for a nightcap while on a long weekend getaway. Bluebird is only about a 4-5 min walk from Fishtown. We sat at the bar. Ordered a couple beers. Seems like a hometown bar. Many of the patrons were obvious regulars. Order a small pizza and it was really good. NO tv's on the wall. It was US open time and we couldn't watch. :(. Other than that I would go back again.

Honestly i expected this restaurant as one of the few by the water in Leland to be better than it was...certainly wasn't the most pleasant with the bus boy walking around with pajamas after we sat down. Upon receiving my fish, with a side of italian pasta salad, i soon found that my $3 side contained 6 noodles in a small plastic sauce cup making it a whopping 60 cents per noodle. Which after dropping one to my dismay, i calculated with its less than convenient packaging. To top it off my battered cod could easily have been found with better taste at a local McDonalds.

Have always loved visiting Leland but was very disappointed with the Bluebird on this visit. We went to the Tavern and ordered fish and chips and a fish sandwich. Fish and chips tasted ok but seemed like they were just frozen. Same exact shape and size on each and pretty small as well. The whitefish sandwich was not very good. A LOT of bread and very little uneventful fish. My daughter actually got sick a few hours later (pretty sure it was the sandwich). The waiter was friendly. Would recommend the Cove over the old Bluebird.

Get ready for throw back dining. The menu, salad bar and decor scream 1983. The food was solid, wine list was ok, it's just missing something for a $50 a person meal. The staff was a bit tired, but very friendly. The carpet is worn but clean, the ceiling tiles have yellowed but no cob webs. I was first surprised to see the place mostly empty on a Saturday night, given its reputation. Soon after it all made sense. I will be back after the renaissance that hopefully is coming sooner than later.