Weathervane Restaurant

What a delightful culinary experience you'll not want to miss we during a visit to Charlevoix! We made reservations (recommended) and were treated to a waterfront table with a great view of boat traffic sailing under the drawbridge. The historic boulder stonework and fireplace added to the bright and festive dining atmosphere. They have an extensive cocktail and wine selection of which we took great advantage of! We leisurely dined on shrimp cocktail appetizers, lobster roll and whitefish dinners, and topped it off the evening with an incredible dessert and specialty coffee. The service was very attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. Highly recommend this dining venue for anyone travelling through the Charlevoix, Mi area.

The atmosphere and service here can’t be beat. A lovely place to have a meal and watch the boats pass under the bridge. Drinks were delicious (limoncello gin fizz and a strawberry wine spritz). Both were refreshing and not sweet- perfect. Our salads (Caesar and house) were fresh and the homemade Caesar dressing was great. My husband enjoyed the prime rib and although my whitefish was a bit dry and overcooked it was still an enjoyable meal overall. We would definitely go back.

I believe in being honest and offering help where I can. Now, in no way, shape or form is this a negative review, just a few observations as i see them. For having THE premier spot for being the best restaurant in town, a couple of things just fell a little flat for me. Walking in, it looked a little dated, not untidy, dirty or unkept, just complacent. You can tell it's been here for a while. I ordered the Shrimp Pappardelle, and added the sautéed morel mushrooms. It was a good dish, the pasta was very tender, but not over done, the shrimp were good sized and cooked perfectly and the roasted tomatoes were excellent. But for a small $38 plate of pasta, three shrimp was a disappointment. Now, maybe it's because I live on the gulf coast where 6 shrimp is the minimum, and maybe I'm just spoiled. I added the morels because I NEVER see them on a menu, and we're on a pretty special vacation, so I accepted the $18 add on. And don't get me wrong they were great, sautéed with the right amount of garlic, they were young and fresh with a slight nuttyness. They just looked sad and lonely on their own little plate. It was a great pairing with the pasta, so I would have preferred if they'd be dressed and plated together. We also ordered the Filet Mignon, which was incredibly tender and grilled to perfection. The minced onion and roasted tomato topping was a great touch. The filet was nestled in soft fluffy whipped potatoes and the demi-glaze brought it all together. Very nice plating. Now, saving the best for last. The Crab Cakes were the best I've ever had! Again, maybe they're just prepaired differently in the South, where most of the time what you get is a cake of fishy crabby favored stuffing that's been taken out of the freezer and dropped in the deep frier. But let me tell you, these are not that at all! These Crab Cakes are light and fresh, not gummy and soft. The crust on the outside was just right and nest of shoestring sweet potatoes gave it that crispy touch to finish. Well done!

The Weathervane is definitely a spot for the experience—beautiful location right on the water, upscale look and super cute inside, with fancier service that makes you feel like you’re somewhere special. It’s expensive (like… really expensive), which would be totally fine if the food lived up to the price tag. I ordered the $52 filet, and unfortunately, it was overcooked—not terrible, but definitely not the mind-blowing, perfectly prepared meal you’d hope for at that price. Overall, the food was fine, just not memorable. Still, if you’re looking for a fancy spot with great ambiance and don’t mind paying more for the atmosphere than the meal, it’s worth checking out.

The restaurant has a great view from the patio. The menu offered variety and the food was delicious. We and our teenager daughters enjoyed it! One daughter left her D&D dice behind. When we returned the staff searched high and low and they were found. We highly recommend this place.

NOT DOG FRIENDLY - no matter how small or polite or well-behaved your dogs are. We Google’d dog friendly places in Charlevoix and this restaurant came up. We walked up and saw a dog bowl on the patio and were excited to have lunch here. Unfortunately upon walking up to the Host stand, the Host informed us that there were, “No Dog Friendly Tables available today.” He repeated himself when I asked if there were other days when they were dog friendly. Very bizarre policy & extremely condescending attitude considering there were tons of outdoor tables available. Update: I changed my star rating from 1 to 3 since the restaurant did have the courtesy to respond back to this review. Sounds like if you have a dog that you want to bring with you here, the best advice is to call the restaurant in advance and find out if it’s your dogs’ lucky day or not! ; )

Fresh seafood. The service is very good. Food was amazing. My rum runner was amazing. Overall great experience!

We had a nice dinner there and although the menu is a bit sparse when tourist season ends, the meals are still prepared professionally and with the utmost quality and attention to detail. Our server was fantastic and knowledgeable and suggested things that we ended up liking very much. Table faced the drawbridge and water, great view.

This place is the most recommended restaurant on Google in Charlevoix so decided to check it out. It's a MASSIVE restaurant. On a Friday at around 5pm, we were seated instantly with a nice view of the lake. Ordered the Walleye, Chicken Wellington, and Bibb Salad. Walleye was cooked well; nicely breaded. First time eating a Wellington which I learned about because it's Gordon Ramsey's signature dish, so I'm not sure what it's supposed to taste like but this tasted amazing! It had a bit of cranberry in it so it was savory and sweet. The outside was oh so flakey. I liked the broccolini and carrots that these dishes came with; a light buttery flavor and soft texture. Bibb salad was good but the dressing was okay, almost tasted like the Go-Gurt I had as a kid. The piece of bread it came with was good though, I wish I could get more of it! Our waitress was nice and checked on us frequently.

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.

Pasta was tough. Shrimp was oversized and utterly tasteless. Will not return. And busboy walked around with towel hanging out of his pocket, against Health Department rules.

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.

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.

We have tried again and the new management hasn't helped. Servers were totally untrained to the point where we felt sorry. Brussels sprouts were as hard as golf balls. One of our party was billed for wine they never got and they tried hard to get it! Bills were incorrect, salads came out after entrees, etc. A shame.

Our last meal in Charlevoix, the atmosphere and the view were so good! The service was nice, we really like our waitress and the host. They are dog friendly restaurant! I almost got salad and whitefish egg roll, but changed my mind last minute and got their feature menu: Salmon and Hazelnut instead. The first couple bites I was like, I don't know what it is but then...it's very good! The tomato stuffs on top was very refreshing! Mashed potatoes was good as well. My husband got bacon jam burger and fries, he said everything's perfect, usually he doesn't like the egg with his burger but it was very good this time. We were happy with our choice tonight!

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.

Do not go when crowded. We waited almost an hour for our food. My fish was barely warm. My friend's prime rib was cold. How he ate it, I don't know. I had one bite and could hardly swallow the cold meat. The manager (Julie) came up to our table and actually asked if the food was served "At least warm?" We told her no. She apologized and quickly walked away. That's it. They made no attempt to fix it. They charged him full price - for a cold steak.

The Weathervane has always been one of my favorite restaurants in the 20 years I've been coming to Harbor Springs. I live here full time now and was anxious to take my houseguests for her birthday. I couldn't have been more disappointed. Apparently the new management has changed the menu and I couldn't find anything that was appealing. None of the old favorites. Not even an appetizer. So not impressed. Maybe lunch menu is better. While I was disappointed with the menu I have to say that our waitress Lily was delightful. Also still love the Earl Young building so I hope they put back some of the favorites.

Great views. Food okay paying for the view. Asked to sample a wine. They don't "sample" anymore. Never been turned down a sample of wine at a restaurant before. Restaurant 1/4 full so it wasn't because they were busy. Waitress then copped an attitude. Found out after dining waitress should have brought our table bread.

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!

In all the years I've come to Charlevoix I've never been to the Weathervane. I've admired the architecture and I've meant to go, but in the end it just didn't happen. This year I made it a priority to go. The atmosphere is cozy. It is mostly one long room with lots of windows overlooking the channel. There is an overflow room to the side and a patio for those who are more weather adventurous. I ordered the Chicken Wellington ($28), which is a chicken breast stuffed in a pastry puff with Brie cheese, cranberry pear filling, and a sherry butter. It also came with diced red potatoes and vegetables (carrots/asparagus). This was excellent the chicken was juicy and sauces were a perfect compliment. I didn't really taste the puff pastry though. The potatoes and vegetables were very good and a perfect compliment. I also ordered a Raspberry Lemonade ($4ish), side note there are no refills so it is a per glass price. That being said it's worth it. It was probably the best Raspberry Lemonade I've ever had. The Person I was with had the Planked Whitefish ($34.50), with Duchess potatoes, vegetables, remoulade, and lemon. The meal was stated to be excellent. The service was top notch. Very efficient and super friendly. Overall a 5 star review. Would I return? Yes, I'm already planning next years vacation and Weathervane will be included.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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

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!

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.

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

Great location! Located on the water Downtown Charlevoix. We arrived at 4:30, hoping to sit outdoors on a gorgeous afternoon. The host said there would be an hour wait for the patio, although we saw several vacant tables outdoors. We were happy; however, to be seated near the window with a gorgeous view! We had wine, cocktails, seafood chowder, french onion soup, walleye and perch. The kale rice served with the walleye entree had no kale and tasted hard and old as though it had been sitting all day. It was also served lukewarm (which we did mention to the waiter, he said he would notify the Chef). Both soups were delicious as well as the fish. Overall, the prices were a little inflated, the atmosphere felt a little old school, and the decor was definitely dated, but the food was good, service was great and we enjoyed our experience, so I would recommend for a special night on the town!

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!!

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!!!

Not worth the cost anymore. Used to love coming here even in the winter. Service people were not friendly...no salad... no bread! New owners have ruined it!

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.

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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!!!

The food was pretty good I got mac n' cheese because I hoped it would be good and it was ok I got sat outside and the view was amazing The food took a long time to get and for waiting that long it was not worth the wait But the staff was pretty friendly and nice. Overall 3.6/4 stars

Zero stars are not available, unfortunately ! We have given this place 3 chances and the service is so bad, we have never had the opportunity to eat there. First time, server argued with us that when you order a Budweiser, you get a bud light and refused to bring the correct one. 2nd time, bartender gave everyone a free shot because she made too much. Then never returned and hung out with guys at the end of the bar. 3rd time, last night sat at the bar ordered a drink and menu. Watched the bartender wait on other people, clean tables etc. never brought us anything. I asked if we were invisible. He laughed. Nice service!

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.

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.

We sat on patio, ordered whitefish and walleye dishes in which both were good, but nothing memorable. We observed that the focus of server and front of house hostess is to turn tables as quickly as possible, this truly ruins the dining experience. We did find the high quality paper napkins somewhat unique, while everything else average. We decided to have our port, after dinner drinks, and chocolate at Vue on other side of canal... which was a great decision! In addition, we learned Petoskey restaurants take reservations and offer higher quality of service.

Wouldn't go back. The best part was the view of the lake on the deck. Our server was nice but our drinks didn't come until our food came and half of our food didn't even come until we were done with the other half. Food was not impressive for the price either.

We have come to this restaurant for more than 20 years. Typically very reliable good meals. Clearly there's been a significant change in recent weeks. The usual menu items are no longer available but more importantly, the kitchen and wait staff clearly don't communicate. After waiting for our ordered entrees over 40 minutes, waiter returned to inform us they were out of Caesar salad and could not make the whitefish dairy free! Worse than that, the so called "manager " (Philip) finally comes after requesting him, and he doesn't apologize, offers no solution's to address the situation. Could barely apologize until someone in our party of 5 said "what can you do to help make the situation better " to which he answers- I'll give you a $25 certificate for your next visit. Are you kidding me?? We just wanted solutions so everyone at our table could eat. Multiple items (not just one) wasn't available. Saturday of a holiday weekend and they had no Caesar salads (after ordering them and waiting 30 minutes for them). Then they told us they had no broccolini (again, after ordering it only to be told 30+ minutes later- "oops, we're out of that also". Clearly management has no oversight and they alleged manager on duty, is poorly trained with no skill set to even try and do a service recovery. I rarely complain about food service given all the staffing struggles most places have these days, but this wasn't a staffing issue- it was a complete failure of management.

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)

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.

The hosts were clearly annoyed by us having a group but they don't take reservations so there was no winning with that... service was not helpful and quite rude. It seemed like we were inconveniencing everyone working in the restaurant throughout the whole experience. It was my birthday dinner and I was really disappointed as we are from out of town and just wanted to enjoy a nice meal. Food was cold and sub par. Wouldn't recommend and wouldn't come back.

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.

Don't bother. Horribly rude host staff. We spent 20 minutes at "1st in line" on our reservation before finally giving up, watching multiple parties seated ahead of us - despite the fact we were "1st in line." Each time we asked about our seating, the host staff found a new and different way to make it perfectly clear they had no intention of seating us. At the end of it all, we had to leave - if the front of the house was run that poorly, we could only imagine the horror film already underway behind the scenes.

Hubby and I ordered the macaroni and cheese with tenderloin. The dish was cold, the tenderloin was burned to a crisp. We would have complained and asked for the manager, but after we got our food, our waitress never came back until she brought the bill. By then we were hugely unimpressed with our experience. We just paid the bill and left. Won't be returning. Ever.

Obnoxious host. While I was waiting for my table, I was cringing listening to him talk to people who entered asking for a table. There was zero kindness in his voice - he seemed like he was put out just doing his job. The food wasn't very good - tomatoes in caprese salad were huge chunks, which weren't ripe. Server had too many tables to provide the kind of service expected at the Weathervane. I had dinner twice there this year just to make sure they weren't having a bad night. I was underwhelmed each time. I came to Yelp to see what others are saying. I can't stand the way Paul is responding to guests. Way too defensive and arrogant. I met Stafford a few years ago at the Bay View Inn. He would be disappointed if he saw how much the Weathervane continues to go down the drain, because management won't take responsibility to deliver the quality of food and service people expect.

You pay a premium for the view. Place has lovely views of the Pine river and the boats passing. Food prices seemed doubled. A small cup of clam chowder was $9.50. My daughter ordered a kids meal which was $12 and the portions were small and she was left hungry. They also added a credit card surcharge which was disappointing.

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!

Outstanding service. Great drinks. Great view. Chicken Wellington and blackened beef Mac and cheese ( more pasta-like than traditional man and cheese) were excellent. Nice to come in winter without the crowds and wait.

Service was poor and food wasn't very good - waited 35 minutes and the experience was disappointing