I was charmed right away in the bar when my Cajun Mule cocktail arrived with a cup of mixed snacks, including Bugles, which are so much fun. We were the first group seated at 5 pm on a Wednesday, and perhaps because of that, our various courses came just as we were ready for them. For me, that was the seafood pate and bread course, the rhubarb and strawberry (cold) soup course, the table-side salad course, entree and dessert. My entree was duck etoufee with red potatoes, which was delicious. My husband's blackened scallops were perfect for him, but too salty for me. Dessert was the flaming Bananas Foster, prepared at your table along with a recitation of the New Orleans origins of the dish. It was as sweet and scrumptious as you can imagine. The only thing that would have improved the meal is larger portions so I would have leftovers! Must know: Reservations are required and they don't pick up the phone after 5 p.m. The bar opens at 4:30 and there is a nice outdoor seating area to enjoy your drink by the lake. Service was outstanding. read more

Blue Bayou Inn - Deck to enjoy your pre- or post-dinner cocktail on Spider Lake. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin

The service was terrible, we had a 7:30 reservation. Everything taking so long we cancelled our Bananas foster when they came around with salads. Otherwise we probably wouldn't gotten out of there till 10:30 -11:00. Two parties seated after us were served before us. Shrimp and catfish were under cooked and the jambalaya tasted muddy. Will not return. read more

Unbelievably great service in an area where that can be sketchy. Beautiful views and a great menu.

The Blue Bayou was absolutely OUTSTANDING. The entire experience, from service to food and drinks, is exemplary. The servers are both knowledgeable AND passionate about the food and the history, weaving stories and anecdotes around your questions and orders. This is a place to go and relax, there's no rushing or impatience. And the experience starts with bread, seafood pate, and a killer remoulade. SO GOOD. Then soup. The gumbo was a classic, but the chilled strawberry rhubarb was NEXT LEVEL. Ingenius! Then a chilled salad where you choose the topping from the cart. Their Cajun Mustard house dressing hits the spot! Different dishes all around, and not a single complaint, except maybe there was too much jambalaya to eat in one sitting! Especially when you have BANANAS FOSTER coming up! Bananas Foster over praline ice cream. Smothered in hot caramel you watched being made. What more can I say? LEGENDARY. This is the type of place that you take friends and family to. read more

Great food and service for our larger group. All employees were fantastic and the pace of the evening was perfect.

Start to finish everything was exceptional. Had a drink at the bar where friendly owner was able to spend a bit of time chatting about the restaurant. We were early and it hadn't gotten busy yet. Once seated we were each presented with our own individual loaves of warm crusty bread with shrimp pâté and a remoulade. So delicious! And then the soup! I don't remember the name of the special but it was a dark brown spicy base with seafood and rice. Out of this world. I wish I could recreate it. Our dinners were all as wonderful. All 4 of us finished everything. We were full but not going to leave without trying the bananas foster. A server that happens to be daughter of owner, gave a wonderful presentation with a story of the dessert's origin. Beautiful flambéd mixture of butter, bourbon, liquor, cinnamon and bananas over ice cream. Perfect ending to our fabulous dinner. We will definitely be back on our next visit north!! read more

Blue bayou never disappoints. I have been coming here since I was a child. A destination restaurant that honors tradition and family and continues to make new memories. The food is unbelievable. Quality and culinary expertise and a warm environment create a perfect evening. Thank you I had the blackened prime rib and I don't think I even needed a fork. I'll be back as soon as I can. read more

Blue Bayou Inn - Abita chocolate cake porter - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin

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Consistently very good! Staff is courteous, professional, and never rushed! Always fresh, and homemade!

The Blue Bayou was such a wonderful and special experience! The food was excellent, the staff was amazing and told us the history of the restaurant. I wish I didn't have to wait an entire year to be back again! The cocktails were also really good! We loved all of the extras like seafood pate, homemade remoulade, salad cart and bread. The seafood gumbo was the best we've ever had. You MUST get the bananas foster table side (order when you order your entree). We haven't had a meal and experience as awesome as this in a very long time. Highly recommend. read more

One of the best meals you will have in the northwoods. Staff and owner are fabulous!!! Steak Diane is highly recommended along with the banana foster prepared table side. read more

Very good first visit! May not get back until next year as they are seasonal and will be suspending operations. Good Old Fashion was enjoyed on the patio overlooking the lake. Upscale service with several of the team providing service. You get really good warm bread and crackers along with a seafood pâté. You had the choice of three hot and one cold soup. Then a salad cart was brought to the table where you could select from several additional items to be added to a mixed green selection. This was topped with a house made dressing. The Thousand Island was as good as my grandma 's! (That is saying a lot). My wife enjoyed the blue cheese dressing. The entrees were good. I had a combination with crawfish etouffee, jambalaya, and a crusted cat fish fillet. I ordered everything mild so my wife could sample the items from the plate. She was grateful that I was generous with the cat fish as it was well prepared. Of course it was sided with house made tarter sauce. My wife had a shrimp dish with fresh mushrooms and pasta. The sauce was good bu needed a bit more salt. I usually do not add salt at the table but this needed a bit to perk up the dish. Overall it was a very good meal that was well paced and served by people that seemed to care what they were putting out. read more

Blue Bayou Inn - Bourbon Old Fashion w/seltzer. A classic! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin

Average meal. The tempo and 2 hour wait feels a little superfluous. The relish that came with the bread was delicious, the special of the blackened scallops, and the cocktails were made well. More seasoning and a tad more spiciness would have been appreciated. Cajun dressing was a dash mayonnaise heavy...not much kick. Cajun sampler, etoufee, and scallops were ordered. Old fashions and wine ordered as well. The prices were high and did not correlate well with the meal. Service was fine and the server we had was very nice. read more

Blue Bayou Inn - Cajun Sampler (Left to right) jambalaya, fried catfish, half and half of the crawfish etoufee. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin

We ate at the Blue Bayou for the first time last night and it surpassed our expectations. A place I've always wanted to try but the timing never worked out even though I've been going up to the Manitowish Waters/Mercer,WI area since I was a girl. Family run and gracious is the inspiration behind this remarkable establishment now in its 44th year. The views of the lake, cozy bar, and supper club cocktails, (my husband said it was the best Old Fashioned he ever had) along with some that stand proud to represent its Louisiana roots, like the Hurricane for those hearty souls, just added to the welcoming vibe. We went for a few of the evening's specials. I had the blackened scallops and my husband had the walleye. Simply put, outstanding. The fish is always fresh, never frozen, and the scallops were the sweetest I've ever had. My husband's walleye was garnished with two cajun seasoned shrimp and everything was cooked to perfection. But it goes beyond the gourmet quality of the entrees. I had a cold fresh strawberry and rhubarb soup that was so lovely, just a touch of cinnamon and a bit like dessert before dinner. They prepare salads tableside offering a series of dressings including housemade, which we chose keeping with the more Cajun flair. The white table cloths, the view, impeccable service, warm staff, made for a dining experience that was as memorable as some our finest ever. We cannot wait to go back. read more

Live harp jams courtesy of the guy in the Hawaiian shirt with the long white beard... Strong as all get out hurricanes handcrafted by a 70 yr-old bartender... Pull your "party barge" right up to the dock, proceed to dock and park yourself on the patio or inside... Fine(r) dining meets up-nort' Wisco laid-backness? You betcha der! This place is like a northwoods Narnia... pretty magical, if you ask me. (apropos to Milwaukeeans: it's basically like At Random met Pitch's in the hobbits' Shire) read more

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If I could give Blue Bayou ten stars, I would. I've wanted to try it for the last several years, wondering what sort of great seafood I'd find in the land of trout, walleye and bass. Turns out it was the best I've had in a good number of years in any restaurant anywhere. I started out with shrimp cocktail and it was delicious. A lot depends on the sauce and Blue Bayou's is homemade and just spicy enough. So was the blackening on my whitefish which was tender and perfect. Others at the table offered similar reviews for the filet mignon, the vegetarian jambalaya, and the "magic fish" (you'll find out when you go). A note, too, on the salad which is served from a cart at table side with a choice of homemade dressings so good they really should bottle them to take home. And the soup! Also homemade (I chose the tomato basil) and delightful. This is the sort of place I'd like to visit each summer when I travel to the North Woods. I suppose it's trite to call a restaurant a "gem" but...there it is. A wonderful dining experience. read more

We try to come here once or twice a season and usually bring along someone who hasn't been here. We brought our friends who love New Orleans. Our friend stated all he needed was a big bowl of that gumbo, his hurricane, and the bread pudding with caramel sauce. I finally wandered past my usual sampler and went with the blackened scallops. Absolutely awesome. We enjoyed Penny as our waitress. (Loved her in the past as a bartender and her wine knowledge). Matt is an outstanding chef! Always plan for the meal to be an evening event. It is not for those who wish a quick in and out. read more

A few heads up: I'm from Louisiana. And I don't have the highest standards for fine dining. The remoulade sauce wasn't remoulade sauce, it was pickled celery with some paprika in it. The crawfish comes from China, not from Louisiana; the proprietors don't come from Louisiana either. It took close to 2 hours to get to the 4th course, crawfish etouffee; I had cajun sytle, my partner had creole style. This is when we asked where the crawfish came from, were told China, and politely refused to eat a bite of it. For anyone who doesn't know, etouffee is made in batches, not individually. Actually almost anything you're going to order at this place is made in batches not individually, so waiting 2 hours for your main course is egregious. Oh, the raspberry vinaigrette was the consistency of automotive antifreeze and not made in house. Oh, and in the bread basket, we had some crackers from Sysco, still in their individual wrappers. Basically, the only people who give this place anything more than 1 or 2 stars, are blind, deaf, dumb, and have no taste buds. read more

We sorta stumbled into this restaurant while visiting MW. The food and service was excellent. Our dinner experience was about two hours. The pate', autumn squash soup, salad (made table side) and homemade dressing (I had the blue cheese), sampler plate, and to top it off their grandmother's recipe cheesecake with warm cranberry sauce....Wow! We may just had back to the north woods again next year for a re-do of this meal. Excellent! read more

This is my favorite place to go to in the North woods. Penny, Rita and all the workers here are so kind and make you feel like family. The food is delicious (can't get enough of the chicken and wild rice soup). I look forward to coming to this restaurant when I am there. You won't regret checking this place out for sure. read more

Its over priced truck stop fare. Good luck getting anyone to serve you if you don't have lots of money and a reservation. This is the north woods of Wisconsin, by no means should you be so pretensious. read more

Blue Bayou Inn - Boat parking - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin

Decided to give this nice little restaurant on the Manitowish Lake a second try. Started with a brandy old fashioned at$8.50 each. Little high for the Northwoods. Dinner servings were small and sides we're tasteless. Don't think we will return. All the right ideas but just not very good food. read more

Excellent food and service!!! Been passing by for 30 years during Snowmobiling season...finally made it in last weekend.

We've been going there for several years every time we vacation in fall in Wisconsin. We never miss Blue Bayou. I'd recommend getting there early as our server Penny had time to tell us the restaurant history and we could negotiate an off menu adjustment to an appetizer. The food is great. I'm very familiar with cajun and creole cooking and I love both the food and the servers. Rita is a great hostess. This is our first must stop of many good restaurants in the area. Penny turned us onto Coco's in Washburn and The Candy Shoppe in Bayfield. I love her desire to share wonderful food experiences. We dropped off some of her favorite wine bread from Bayfield as a thank you. Highly recommended. read more

Totally unexpected gem in the northwoods. Every dish was flavorful and delicious. Our waitress Penny was extremely knowledgeable, professional and offered us 5-star service! I got the scallops and my partner ordered the swordfish, both were specials and we were not disappointed. Incredible flavor and beautiful simple presentation. I would have expected this in Chicago and Nola but to find it in Wisconsin is a treat. Well done, we'll definitely be back! read more

I have driven 800 miles to eat here every year for at least 15 years. I've never been disappointrd. The Steak Diane is incredible. The service is impeccable and the staff is friendly and efficient. Don't forget the Bananas Foster. The view I of the lake from the dining area is incredible. Everything on the menu is delicious. It may be Cajun cuisine but it's not killer spicy. Stop here for something a little special. read more

Blue Bayou Inn - This is the Steak Diane.It's amazing. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin

The best dining experience I've ever had in the north woods. Escargot and blackened anything is a must. Won't disappoint

Great place, service and food. Be sure to make a reservation. Go early enough for a drink on their deck overlooking the lake.

Slow service?? C'mon, go to Mcdonald's if you want fast food. The leisurely, unhurried pace allows you a chance to savor the good food from this great restaurant. In business for 30 years they offer a great menu of good southern food in a relaxed, hospitable setting. A family owned and operated, the owner, her son and daughter contribute to the southern experience as well. A good selection of wines, and their mint julep is excellent (complete with mint from plants just outside the door! read more

After years of driving past Blue Bayou (BB) (and always hearing it recommended) my wife and I were finally able to give it a try. The restaurant has a wonderful atmosphere capturing some of the "feel" of NOLA, and has a gorgeous views of Manitowish lake and the evening sunset. Upon arriving our table was not yet ready so we elected to take a seat in the bar. While pursuing the drink menu our table became available, so while we did not get to sample a cocktails, we definitely plan to next time. Once seated our server arrived promptly. She had perfect touch of experienced waitstaff, explaining the menu and how food service worked at BB, and the specials of the night. We order shortly there after, and soon started with and amuse bouche from the kitchen which was a seafood pate, with crackers, and an olive tapenade, along with warm bread and butter. All were delicious. Next our soup came. I chose the gumbo. It was delicious, rich and flavorful and full of seafood. Next was our salad, which is on a "cart" meaning that a sever brings the cart table side and your salad is assembled with whatever you select. I selected the house cajun honey mustard dressing, which was good, though maybe a touch sweet (I'd love to see a little more spice in it). For my main entree I selected the Cajun Sampler and my wife chose the Magic Fish. My sampler was delicious, with jambalaya, crawfish etouffee, and blackened catfish. The jambalaya came baked with cheese on top, which I might do without next time, but otherwise everything was excellent. The catfish was especially good, cooked absolutely perfect. My wife's magic fish was a blacked fillet of walleye. It was some of the best fish we have had in the north woods. We finished the night with an order of bread pudding (we probably could of skipped it as we were very full but it sounded amazing). It lived up to the hype, very rich, buttery and delicious. Overall and excellent meal. While it might appear on hair on the expensive side, when you factor in the amuse bouche, soup, salad, and entree, it's actually quite a deal. BB also has a excellent list of wine that are all very resonably priced. We enjoyed a bottle of California chardonnay from one of our favorite wineries for only $25. Additionally they had a live harpist playing that night who was wonderful. Live music adds a great touch to a great meal. One last note, they say right on the menu "A presumption is made by the chef that our patrons have at least 2 hours of dining time to spend with us." Our dinner took a hair under 3 hours, but was a wonderful un-rushed experience. Can't wait to return. read more

Best five star dining experience in the north woods. If your looking for a great three course dining experience with the best southern flair, look no further than the blue bayou. As they say, it's as far north as the south will get! read more

Lower than average food and dated decor. The service was overbearing and annoying. Entirely forgettable and a waste of time and gas to get there. read more

I don't know what restaurant these people were eating at, but our experience was disappointing at minimum. I was taken in by the ambiance if the place, but was disappointed when I discovered that the patriarch of the restaurant was deceased, and his son was doing the cooking. Nothing wrong with that, but they play up the heritage of the place and how the wife and husband started it from scratch, but forget to tell u the kid is now doing the cooking, and is not good at his craft. I got some form of jambalaya special, and it was So"Cajun" spiced up I could barely eat it. I have been to new Orleans, and their best dishes only hint at spices. It is the mixture of the flavors that stands out, not the abundance of spice. It was interesting to me that two women sitting next to us ordered the same dish, and they got theirs after I was served mine, and were out the door before I finished my meal. And like me, they did not have a doggy bag. Expensive, and very disappointing. read more

Food was good. They do let you know to plan two hours for your meal, but don't dwell a bit longer. We were told we had to leave since others were waiting for our table. May I suggest timers on the table? That way folks won't exceed their two hour limit. read more

This place is a gem, and one of the only restaurants in the Northwoods truly famous for its food. Spend some time in the Steamboat Lounge with Rita the owner/tender, and make sure to get the Hurricane Club Card! read more

OK, if anyone has been to New Orleans or southern Louisianna, do NOT go to Blue Bayou and expect to have the same taste you had when down south. The spicing, cooking techniques & time just isn't done here at Blue Bayou. The above said, one can still have a good meal at Blue Bayou. We had dinner at Blue Bayou on Saturday evening. We had a very early reservation (5pm) as we wanted to make the 45 minute drive while light out in order to take in the glorious fall colors. Early bird gets the duck in the case as one is supposed to order their cajun roast duck 24 hours in advanced. Turns out they had 2 orders (of 1/2 duck) which our table & the other 5pm reservation gladly ordered. the duck had been reheated as the skin was not crisp but none the less, the duck was amazingly moist & full flavored, though not really cajun in my opinion. I had walleye w/two shrimp on top, pan fried & dusted w/spices. I have to admit the entree looked like something from Red Lobster but both the shrimp & fish were cooked perfectly, I really enjoyed this dish. Each person that orders a dinner entree receives: small dish of shrimp pate (good, not great by any means), soup (either gumbo which is terrific, or soup of the day which in this case was sweet potato & duck, simply a delicious soup!!). Also a server wheels up a mini salad bar for each diner to choose their toppings for their salad. The house dressing is a mayo/mustard 'cajun' dressing (not really much cajun to it) but it was tasty none the less. Fresh baked bread is served along with what they call their cajun salsa, which is quite good. So to summarize, one can get a good, enjoyable meal if not expecting 'the real thing'. read more

My wife and I have been going here for 21 years with the food and service up and down. After a "down" we will skip it for a while, but eventually return hoping for better. The Wednesday before Labor Day around 6:30 we entered the restaurant, dining room was almost empty, we were told that a "large party" was coming and so we would have to wait at least until 7:00. (many restaurants would have seated us and gotten our order before the "big party," but not here.) Not wanting to wait while our order was taken after they dealt with the "big party" we left and had a fine dinner in Manitowish Waters. We will probably try again (Hope springs eternal) but not for a year or so when they have turned over their staff again. read more

Another great dinner. Blackened swordfish, juicy, perfectly prepared. The Blue Bayou tends to be very busy so be prepared for a leisurely dinner Wait staff is very friendly and works hard. Glen walker, on the harp he made, is heavenly. Rita the owner is gracious as usual. She makes everyone feel at home. read more

My husband and I discovered this gem in the North Woods, and we couldn't have been happier that we did! The ambiance was fantastic, including a live harpist, and the food was amazing. Best catfish we ever had! The waitstaff were superb as well. I would give this place six stars if I could. read more

Hands down the best food North of Highway 8. Everything on the menu is delicious, but the Blackened Catfish Étouffée is your best bet if you are new to Cajun food. Plan about three hours to work your way through drinks, bread, soup, salad, entree, and dessert! read more

Very nice. Excellent presentation. Seafood gumbo and catfish were authentic. Fine dining. Our foursome ordered different dinners and all were perfect. Nice wine selection, too. read more