Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Backwaters Bar And Grill

    3.6 (30 reviews)
    Open 4:00 pm - 8:00 PM

    Backwaters Bar And Grill Photos

    BACKWATERS BAR AND GRILL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

    You might also consider

    More like Backwaters Bar And Grill

    Recommended Reviews - Backwaters Bar And Grill

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    a man working at the bar
    Bob B.

    I rarely give 5 stars....very few places live up to that honor. That being said, Backwaters does live up to the 5 star rating. Plenty of parking, out of town a bit so traffic is less. Overlooking the Wisconsin River, a nice location. Some knotty pine interior finishes but not to much to be to woody. We had fish fries, which were excellent. The menu was very ample and varied. One of the owners, Richard, was bartending and was very friendly and accommodating. Many folks patronize the restaurants in town, this place is well worth the few mile drive out of town. A lot bigger than it appears from the outside. Two large rooms with plenty of seating. If you do not try Backwaters, you are missing out!

    Perfect Bloody Mary !
    Kaiti P.

    I used to love this place. We've been here a few times since the new owners took over and each time it's been worse and worse. At first we understood that they are new. But now it's just bad. The owners are very nice and seem to be trying. But the food and drinks were below standard. Bloody Mary was thick and not very good tasting. Walleye fish fry dinner was AWFUL. Fish was a weird color. And every bite was BONES. The flavor was plastic like. Not good at all. Philly sandwich was dry and flavorless and they didn't even have cheese to put on it. Also... they should really hire one or two GOOD waitresses. Instead they had 8or 10 teenagers who needed cueing every 2 minutes and didn't know what they were doing or where they were. On their phones. Standing around. Didn't know the food they were serving to other customers. I get that they're trying... but it's been over a year now. I think they need to re-evaluate.

    Baked Cod, drawn butter, roll, EXCELLENT baked Potato with all the fixings. Great Coleslaw, Lemon for the fish.
    Karin B.

    Absolutely EXCELLENT! Celebrating Our "10th Anniversary" Up North Style. What an AMAZING PLACE. Owners so kind, upbeat, love the Music! Drinks Perfect. A must stop establishment. Clean, lovely setting on the WI River. Highly Recommended

    Dayna M.

    It's a weird time for going to bars and restaurants with COVID-19 ruining literally everything. My family and I decided to stop here for a drink outside and to order some fried chicken to-go (we had heard good things about the chicken). Thanks to COVID, we sat outside, and despite being a little chilly, it was a REALLY nice experience. There were plenty of tables outside all spaced out and with a beautiful lake view. We had wait service outside and our server was so, so nice. The drinks were well poured, and our appetizer came out quickly. We ordered the tavern mix, which was basically a basket of various fried things with cheese lol. It was very good though, and hit the spot. We ordered our fried chicken to-go, off of the to-go menu (16 pieces of chicken with wedge potatoes, rolls, and individual Cole slaws and brownies). We got our food quickly and went home. OMG! This is the BEST fried chicken I have ever had! It was crispy, juicy, and super flavorful. I couldn't stop eating it! The potato wedges were incredible as well. I didn't even need ketchup on them, they had so much flavor. The rolls were okay, but felt like an afterthought. The coleslaw was AWFUL. It's was green, and had a chopped consistency that was not appealing. Honestly though, the chicken was so good, I'm not even mad about the weird coleslaw. I can't believe I waited so long to try this place out. I can't wait to order more chicken!

    Backwaters Bar & Grill - Wisconsin River Hwy 47 Rhinelander WI - Cold Beer Good Food

    See all

    Photo of Donald V.
    161
    74
    53

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mia T.
    0
    29
    2

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Karin B.
    1
    52
    148

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Good food and very family friendly! The outdoor seating is a great asset! The staff is very friendly!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ted T.
    0
    207
    1192

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of N I.
    0
    21
    0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Pat T.
    0
    12
    0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Ask the Community - Backwaters Bar And Grill

    Review Highlights - Backwaters Bar And Grill

    The Backwaters Bar and Grill is a great place for food and drinks with a gorgeous view of the Wisconsin River.

    Mentioned in 7 reviews

    Read more highlights

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    Get access to customer & competitor insights.

    Verify this business

    Lizzy T's Tamarack Tap - Always a great place to stop, Food top notched, don't understand bad post, best they stop taking up space

    Lizzy T's Tamarack Tap

    4.0(24 reviews)
    4.3 mi
    $$

    I am rating them a one for service. We came into their place about 7 PM. The bar was full, but…read moreeveryone had already had food or drinks. There was one big table with about 12 people. We sat there for 20 minutes without anybody acknowledging we were there. Perhaps they were understaffed, but at least offer us some drinks and say hey we'll get you as soon as we can. Then I went to the bar to get some drinks i waited there 10 minutes before someone showed up. Next the bartender never acknowledged me again and proceeded to cash out some tickets. After a total of 30 minutes, we decided to just leave. Our money wasn't good enough for them and we probably won't try to visit again. Plus, they're never open anyway.

    We were recommended Lizzy Ts buy our Airbnb hosts. We had a drink at the bar and placed our order…read more We were seated in the dining room as soon as a table opened up. It was a Friday night October 2025 and was very busy! The wait staff and bartenders were flying! We had parmesan cod and it was delicious! We also ordered a side of cheese curds. They were actually wedges and probably some of the best we've ever had! We saw an old menu and prices on-line so we were quite surprised by the hike in price. Our parmesan cod was $18. However it would not deter us from going again. The food and service was very good. By the time we left at 7pm it was standing room only. Definitely doing something right. Had a hard time paying our bill at the bar because it was extremely busy. I think like all restaurants now it's hard to find help, you just need to pack your patience. All in all it was an excellent experience!

    Photos
    Lizzy T's Tamarack Tap - Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs and hand cut fries - Lizzy T's Neubold McNaughton Lake Tomahawk WI Hwy 47

    Full Rack of Baby Back Ribs and hand cut fries - Lizzy T's Neubold McNaughton Lake Tomahawk WI Hwy 47

    Lizzy T's Tamarack Tap
    Lizzy T's Tamarack Tap - Lizzy T's Neubold McNaughton Lake Tomahawk WI Hwy 47 Snowmobilers Heaven

    See all

    Lizzy T's Neubold McNaughton Lake Tomahawk WI Hwy 47 Snowmobilers Heaven

    Backwaters Bar And Grill - salad - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...