Boathouse Grill - Manistee

I should have known that we were doomed from the start when the waitress was unable to produce a glass of water for me due to the 'boil advisory ' that day in Manistee. No, my friends, I could not even pay for a bottle of water. Ironically, I could just glimpse the Oleson 's grocery sign from my fantastic view (thank goodness for the view and the salad! . Now I 've been around enough restaurants to know that any time whether slammed or not, there are a plethora of staff willing to take a cigarette break and with only 5 tables occupied, I believe someone should have retrieved some bottled water from the store call me crazy, but really? No water? Well, from bad to worse we went. The perch, pleeeaaasssseee. Smelt were more like it, and trust me, they didn 't need the hot tub for as long as they were in. My husband tried one and said 'hmmm, perch jerky ' he was spot on. I couldn 't even use the Tartar (note the spelling the menu refers to it as Tarter as that had the consistency of snot not appealing, probably not safe, and a deal breaker for me. Dessert? No thanks. Check please.

Several weeks ago, I was treated to the Perch dinner by my wife and friends as they were raving about how great it was....after leaving I had to agree..it was the best meal of perch that I had eaten outside of my home...how ever this past Sunday eve. we treated family members from Arizona and California to the same meal and was very much disappointed. Not only was the fish and mashed red potatoes cold and greasy, but no rolls were served with the salad (was told were out of blue cheese dressing also which was delicious the last time there) It was a great embarrassment to me to have recommended this meal(at $15.99 a plate) to my relatives...The waitress was great but definitely a disaster for the kitchen crew and all responsible for not having what was needed the most...If going, make sure you tell the staff what is expected before ordering

We visited the restaurant on Saturday, June 27, 2015, and there was no wait for outdoor seating on the deck for dinner. Our waitress was very helpful and knowledgeable. The service was excellent, and the perch was delicious. Overall, it was an amazing experience, and we will definitely return.

In the past, I was quite critical of the service at The Boathouse, but I've witnessed a remarkable transformation. The management really understands what they’re doing now! The service is faster, friendlier, and the food is out of this world. It felt like a homecoming. I highly recommend trying The Boathouse and experiencing the difference for yourself!

I would suggest that River Station, with its fresh big fish, might be a better option. We had lunch there on a Friday afternoon and it took us at least two hours to get served, due to the poor quality of service.