Weathervane Restaurant in Charlevoix

Walk in to an empty waiting area and hostess ignores us for a couple minutes without so much as a greeting. We ask for a table outside and are told it will be a 45+ minute wait. There were 5 empty tables outside. Originally thought it could be socialDistancing but most of the tables that were occupied were all next to each other. Wanted to dine next to the water but apparently they don’t mind letting business walk?

Nice little place, modestly upscale, friendly staff. There were some aspects that could use more polish, like staff staging food and dishes in the foot path. Overall good experience, with a pleasant, low key atmosphere. Food was good, try the chilled cherry soup if available.

Checked out the reviews online and decided to try the restaurant. It did have a good view of the waterway from Lake Michigan to Lake Charlevoix. But the menu was limited and in my opinion somewhat mediocre. I wanted the French dip sandwich but that is only a lunch option. So I got the bleu cheese wedge salad and French onion soup. The soup was very good, and it was topped off with a proper gruyere cheese. I would go there for the soup alone. But it really wasn't what I was expecting for such a high profile restaurant.

Secinic view of the boats passing in shimmering blue water. from the patio Service was excellent. Food very good.

First I want to thank the hostess and bar for locating my list phone tonight. I appreciate your kindness and patience with me. I was very stressed about lithe phone....you were both so very nice . Joanne

Staff exceptional and food very good. Highly recommended!

Great place..great service...great view of the boats coming through the channel and watching the drawbridge.

Went for Happy Hour the special items were amazing...had the perch sliders!

The best Chefs in town!

Very nice restaurant but on this day, service & food delivery was a bit slow.

Great views of the channel and bridge, nice ambience and our server Brad was excellent. The food on the lunch menu was Ok, a bit pricey and modest to small portion sizes. The dinner menu is more for those with discerning tastes but you pay for it. I recommend anything that came fresh out of the lake

Nice atmosphere..poor service. Food was good but pricey. Lunch will run about 20.00 p/p. We waited 15 minutes to be seated only to see several open tables throughout the restaurant. While the views were nice we left expecting more.

The service in the bar is top notch! She took care of us and was super attentive!The soups are amazing, we had the morel and the chowder. The white fish chowder has plenty of fish flavor, so you need to be in the mood for it. The morel soup is earthy, luscious and velvety. It is a must try!The whitefish fingers were well fried, but needed something to cut some of the grease. The sauce was decent, but a vinegar based chutney would round out the dish perfectly.

The Weathervane is a long time favorite for myself and my family. My grandparents have been taking us here since before I can remember! My cousins have had wedding parties here and we’ve celebrated many a birthday overlooking the channel and watching boats go by as we dine on delicious morsels. The appetizers are fantastic! The lamb lollipops as well as the escargot really hit the spot. All the sandwiches are great but I really enjoy the whitefish! Whether it’s fried or on a cedar plank it is oh so delicious! Next time you’re in Charlevoix be sure to hit this spot!

Delicious food, great atmosphere. I first dined at the Weathervane in 1977. It's as good 40+ years later. Great food, excellent drinks, good wine selection. A must stop if you are in or nearby Charlevoix.

This is the place you just have to eat at if you’re in Charlevoix. The food is top notch delicious. They have the best French onion soup I’ve ever tasted and the best fish and chips.

Small portions and high prices but the food was very good. The wait staff in the bar was rude. We had a large party of 20 or more in town for a wedding. We were spending A LOT of money at the bar but they acted like we were an inconvenience. It was very busy because there aren't very many places to go in Charlevoix. They did a lot of eye rolling, sighing and groaning because there were several of us drinking and standing around in the bar after we had eaten. I guess they'd rather not have your business.

Delicious spinach artichoke dip! Great service from Jeff!

The tart cherry soup is fantastic, but is not on the menu this year. A close second is the Great Lakes chowder. Beautiful setting, especially in summer.

We have been here before and it was amazing- food, ambiance and service. This time around the ambiance and service were still 5 stars but the food was 1 star. Not sure what happened here? We may try again, everyone has their off days. If we do I will adjust and update the rating.

Amazing food, great service and the view outside is incredible. Great place to eat if you're celebrating, or just splurging.

Service was very good, I really wish I could remember her name. Food was good but not spectacular. We had the white fish and perch both were cooked well but lacked flavor for me.

What a great view! Try the whitefish, it is a must! Great food and drinks.

Dry prime rib 30 minute wait

Great food and service. Pricey

My COVID experience in this restaurant: The salad wasn’t a salad, just a leaf of romaine lettuce with tons of fruit on top. If you aren’t used to ‘fancy’, ‘high end’ restaurants that serve petite portions, or you would like to go to one, don’t go to Weathervane. The service was slow, we had to ask multiple times for the same drink refills, and the food wasn’t fantastic. although, if you want to get fish from a restaurant, do go to Weathervane. Their fish was some of the best fish I’ve tasted from a restaurant.

Decent food and nice view but not five stars. Food was a bit pricey. Everyone liked their food but on the whole it was not amazing but simply above average. I wouldn't go here at their price level if it was just for the food. However, combined with the nice draw bridge view, it was a good choice for this area. If you're just visiting, it's not a bad stop for lunch. The cocktails were pretty tasty but one was not chilled enough. Guessing the prosecco used was not chilled.

The sunset is to die for. They provide excellent waiting services!

The food is decent with a home-cooked appeal to it and the environment is nice, being located with a fantastic view overlooking the channel to Round Lake. But the atmosphere and menu seem very pretentious for what it is and it’s seriously overpriced. Even the plating of all the food seems about on par with what you’d get at like a Hamlin Pub downstate. It’s good, it’s just not _that_ good...

I have been coming to this restaurant for many years and every time the hosts are very rude and lazy. My last trip I asked to speak to a manager about the rude host seating us and it just so happens the rude “host” was the manager (a older woman). This is the rudest and most hostile person I have ever met. My family and I will never eat here again.

I am sharing this post because of my experience there this past week. Is there some reason that you cannot post on you door the fact that you can no longer get take-out except for certain days and hours? Also, your seating staff are as RUDE as can be. I've been coming to Charlevoix and eating at the Stafford for over 40 years and have NEVER been treated so rudely. I will be sure to pass on my experience with my family and friends that frequent your establishment. I would certainly hope that you would take the time to retrain you staff on dealing with the public and how to be personable during this difficult time.

The food was excellent. The White fish was perfectly done and seasoned. The French Onion Soup is a must have. We had the special drink of the day Sangria and it was just right. Watching the boats go by and draw bridge open is really cool. We walked right in but it was early and an off day, so really recommend reservation as the next day they were full.

Great View great food great service and outstanding prizes. I'm not going to stay there cheap by any means you get what you pay for and you definitely get what you pay for when you go for weathervane can't wait to visit again on my next trip to Michigan

Historic building in Charlevoix, located on the waterway connecting Lake Michigan and Lake Charlevoix. Ambiance and decent food. Good salads fish dishes, burgers and good selection of wine and beer. Friendly wait staff. Take time to go downstairs and learn about Earl Young and the interesting structures he built over 6 decades.

Excellent views. Drinks were top notch. Service was amazing. Food was very good. Mashed potatoes on my plate were a little dry but the main entree was delicious.

An absolute blast anytime I'm there. Always love watching the boats. Food is amazing as well.

Great food and service.

From service, food, ambience, view..... Everythingwas fabulous about this place. You definitely want to go here

Fish gombo. Nuff said.

Besides the Stafford's Bistro across the street, the Weathervane Restaurant has the best view in Charlevoix. I ordered the New York Strip Steak which was the Tuesday special. It was covered with blue cheese, bacon and green peppers. In regards to atmosphere, there wasn't one. My wife and I had the place to ourselves. It was truly a pleasure and very romantic.

Wonderful restaurant on the canal, it's pricy but the quality of food is great with a casual atmosphere. Sitting outside to eat is right on the canal and it's lots of fun to watch the boats go by on their way out to lake Michigan. The menu has a great selection of fish including whitefish and salmon. The deserts are wonderful also, our family had chocolate lava cake and a piece of glutten free carrot cake. Overall this was a great restaurant and I look forward to a return trip sometime (after saving up some more money :-). Ps there is a drawbridge here so on the downside every 30min there is a bit of noise with the alarms bells chiming and the bridge raising and lowering.

Loved this place. Came here for early for Sunday lunch and the place quickly was filled with other people. Beautiful views of the water. Our eyes were a bit bigger than our stomachs and we ordered quite a bit of food. It took about 15 minutes to get the apps but everything we were served was amazing. Would recommend.

I am very disappointed, we have been coming to this restaurant for 10 years. Today we were traveling with friends and family and wanted to share this restaurant with them as it was one of our favorites. When i asked the hostess ( found out later wad the manager) if she could seat us and it was okay if it was at more than one table, she said that she couldn't help us. I stepped back out of the way of other people in line dumbfounded. She proceeded to sit a party of 6 and then two parties of two. When i asked why she could seat them and not me, she threatened to call the police on me. I was not rude nor did i rais my voice. What is going on with your restaurant? Rude, rude, rude!!! Will never return

Great place for a patio lunch or dinner and a cocktail. Watch power and sail boats pass within feet of your table. A fun spot to watch the bridge go up for large power and sail boats.

Such a relaxing place to sit outside and watch the boats and be part of the ambiance. The food is good and always packed. Make reservations. Great local place to visit.

Always great food, service and atmosphere. We love watching boats go by and the bridge doing it's thing.

Best ribs I've ever had! The fish is amazing too. Good beer selection!

Menu offers variety from basics to creative. Indoor and outdoor seating. Family friendly. Drawbridge and canal view make for unique experience and view of boat traffic.

Had lunch here midway through a 70+ mile bike ride. Enjoyed the awesome al fresco dining overlooking the channel and watching the boats come by. The Pesto Roast Beef & Havarti Sandwich was perfect with a Bell's 2 Hearted Ale.

Awesome place. The toast of Charlavoix.