Driving into Lealand for the first time in years revealed quite a surprise: a brand new Bluebird. Going to the old Bluebird was a special occasion. The ambiance, food (especially the salad bar) and attentive wait staff, drew me in whenever we visited Fishtown. Don't get me wrong. The new restaurant is beautiful, the wait staff was fine, but the food was a big disappointment. Broccoli cheddar soup was watery and flavorless. When I asked for a piece of bread or a croissant , items they use for sandwiches which I was willing to pay for, I was told not available. Instead I got a couple of bags of pulverized oyster crackers. My husband asked for an option to French fries with his sandwich and was told "no substitutions." Really? While I miss the old Bluebird and was willing to give the new Bluebird a chance, there are plenty of other restaurants in the area that are more accommodating to their customers. read more

I was so excited to give this place another try after the remodel, especially because I love the location right on the water in Leland. Unfortunately, our experience was just okay. Our server was not the friendliest and seemed a bit impatient when we had questions. She also seemed eager to get our order in and move on. My grandma is very elderly and naturally takes a little longer, and I felt the server was particularly impatient with her, which was disappointing. We ordered the whitefish basket, a whitefish sandwich, and the fried shrimp. I was completely perplexed that the shrimp basket didn't come with any sides like the other baskets. Without sides, the meal felt incomplete. The food came out very quickly, and everything was good, but nothing was fabulous. The fried shrimp were tasty but really needed some sort of different dipping sauce (not cocktail) , and I think coleslaw would have made the meal feel much more complete. Overall, it was an okay lunch. The beautiful waterfront location definitely helped save the experience, and I really liked the metal cups our drinks were served in -- such a fun touch! I really wanted to love this place after the remodel, but unfortunately, the food and service didn't quite live up to my expectations. The location, however, is hard to beat. read more

What happened to the Bluebird? The new "Blue Bird" is a shadow of its former self. The inside of the place is slick, modern and very brightly lit. If that's what you're looking for, you'll be pleased. But if you're looking for that old and faded in the best sense Bluebird vibe, you'll likely find the experience jarring. It's like they thought "what's the exact opposite of the old ambiance?" and then leaned hard into that. You feel like you're at any of 1,000 generic sports bars in anywhere, USA. The food was not the same either. Yes, they still have their whitefish, but it's a significantly smaller portion and the presentation was basically toss-it-on-a-plate-with-some-fries-and-call-it-good. Probably should have ordered the cheaper basket, because fine dining it ain't. The burger was a solid D. Ordered medium rare but it was a hammered well done, and anything other than meat on a bun now costs significantly extra. Adding on cheese and making it deluxe took a rather small burger up to near $20, which was more than the large pizza we also ordered. The pizza was good though, so if we ever went back, which we no longer plan to, we'd get that again. Cedar Tavern pizza still puts it to shame though, and since the rest of their food is much better and MUCH cheaper, it'll be a shorter boat trip for us. Most distressingly, they no longer have a salad bar, let alone any of the classic salads or cinnamon bread they used to serve. No peas and peanuts. No bowtie pasta salad. None of it. If she was still with us, my grandma would have mourned the loss of the peas and peanuts, let alone all the other changes. It seems like they know the food isn't really the draw anymore, because their website doesn't even suggest a menu - it's ALLLLL about the merch. Which they have a TON of. Including a line marketing themselves as a "yacht club." Which is funny because the old TC Yacht Club and the old Bluebird had a similar sort of vibe. The outdoor seating does have a nice perch over the Carp still though, and I would say that that is an improvement to the old setup. I'm sure visitors to Leland who never knew the old restaurant will find something to like (or at least a lot less to dislike). But I think everyone in our quite extended family have now tried it, and we're all in agreement about the new place: nice outdoor seating, higher prices, worse food and completely altered (for the worse) atmosphere. read more

What a great location! Got seated upon walk-in, which was great because we were dying from thirst. Food was good. Service was great (served by a young fellow visiting from Lithuania). The ambiance was fantastic! It was a great day for an outdoor lunch. Hot but breezy. Don't steal their cups though. You can purchase one for $3! read more

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Not the Bluebird I remember from 10 years ago. The old building was razed and a new one rebuilt. It was honestly terrible. It took us forever to get our food after ordering. Everything was mediocre at best and the portion sizes for sides were a joke. If an entree comes with fries, I expect more than 10. If it comes with a veggie, I expect more than 4 measly baby carrots that were definitely just micowaved. My wife's fish basket was just as disappointing and the fried clams were just as uninspiring. This place obviously survives solely because of its location and new outdoor seating. Not worth it at all anymore. Do yourself a favor and go anywhere else. read more

Bluebird Restaurant & Bar - Overpriced whitefish with the 10 french fries that came with it. I already ate the 4 baby carrots. Unacceptable portion sizes. - American Near Me - Leland, Michigan

A beautiful spot in a busy little town! The white fish, walleye and Greek salad were delicious. They were short staffed so it took a while to be seated but after that all was good. read more

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Our beloved Bluebird Restaurant that we've been going to for decades is gone. It is still called the Bluebird, and claims to be the same after the recent renovations. but it's definitely not. It's basically been replaced and revamped as a sports bar. The new menu has an entire page of Pizza. The traditional Lake Superior Whitefish is a tiny blip on the new menu. Definitely our last time coming here. Very sad. read more

This restaurant looks good and is well situated on the riverfront in Leland. Love the indoor/outdoor bar. Unfortunately I cannot give the food the same accolades. I ordered a greek salad with chicken breast and what came (first the wrong salad entirely) eventually was the strangest greek salad I've ever had...it was covered in a layer of tomato based jardiniere...that wasn't even appetizing and drowned the whole salad. Truly disappointing read more

I wish I could write a review about the food, but since it seems to be closed more often than it's open, we've never been able to catch an open night. I miss seeing the old building, but I guess all good things come to an end. I've heard that they have trouble hiring/finding staff because of lack of affordable housing, but for whatever reason, other area restaurants don't seem to have that problem, and are open 6-7 days a week. I wish them luck. read more

Sorry not the same ol bluebird! After waiting so long it was a big disappointment. Not hot, mediocre to say the lest. You order fish and everything else ala cart! Not cozy, staff friendly. Not good wines. Not bar food or good food! Probably won't go again. Wish I would have gone to Dicks or Cedar Tavern!! read more

We had a wonderful lunch here! I had the cherry chicken salad and our party also had a spinach salad and BBQ sandwich! All delicious! The service was beyond excellent, friendly and helpful. We sat outside by the river and it was lovely! Highly recommend!!! read more

Way over priced. 2 pieces of perch for entree and no sides with the fried chicken. 4 oz White Russian was about $14,00 and the two piece small perch $30.00. Not worth it. no flavor. Will not be visiting again. read more

Don't waste your money...Portions in August were a lot smaller than they were in May for the same meal. Food tasted good but come on.. 5 fries as a side? read more

Acoustics are terrible and food is only fair. We couldn't carry on a conversation because of how loud voices carry. Can't imagine how loud it will be in peak season. The old Bluebird had a long time following and those people will be disappointed. This one is just another sports bar. Very disappointed. Won't be back. read more

I really liked this restaurant. Situated next to a river in a new building. We had pizza and were very pleased. Service was excellent.

Our waiter Catherine was so kind and the atmosphere was very warm and welcoming is you are visiting make sure to stop here the food was delicious as well. read more

Just finished up lunch. The outside patio is great and very relaxing. I had the fish sandwich and was underwhelmed. It had good flavor, but the portion of fish was laughable. It reminds me of a serving size for an elderly person. read more

We went to the Blue Bird for our anniversary. The food, service and ambiance were below mediocre.

after being closed for years, they are in their new building on the river. Beautiful spot. Lucky to get a pizza from their 'soft' opening, and it was the best pizza I've ever had. Wife and I had to haggle over the last piece. read more

Very disappointed in the parchment whitefish. Normally I choose whitefish due to its white flesh and gentle color . This whitefish was Haney and fishy and maybe not fresh. There were 3 sprigs of asparagus with it which seemed for the price very inadequate. My wife did enjoy her prime rib but the potatoes with it were dried out and in a small ice cream scoop mound. Our dining partners had the walleye which was good but very small portion and the pork sandwich with chips. The chips were not played they just handed her a bag. I expect that if I am at the cheese shop but not at a sit down restaurant. Our server was a nice young man but he was inattentive and didn't even offer a dessert menu. All in all an underwhelming performance for a totally bill over 125 dollars for 4 people without alcohol. read more

Incredible whitefish and walleye. Coleslaw very good! Fries terrific!! Nice, homey up north kind of place.

Closed until next year due to new construction. Too bad - great place. Can't wait for reopen!

Only go if there is no other option. We waited for a table although the restaurant was not busy. The host/waiter who ignored me, cut me off to give a message to a server when the other host/server led us to a table. The menu isn't great. Don't come if you want a salad. The waiter was snarky. The pretzel appetizer looked like it was doused in grease and the cheese came out of the microwave. The brisket and pastrami sandwiches were ok but not worth the rest of the experience. Overall disappointed. read more

Not my favorite diner/bar food place but descent menu options. I can only rate the bar menu as We didn't eat from the diner menu. It's your typical burgers, sandwiches, pizza type restaurant. At night there are a ton of locals as it's also the popular bar in town. I got the house-smoked bbq beef brisket sandwich and snickers pie. The beef brisket was well done. I just wish I had more sauce on it similar to pulled pork! They should also add something special flavor wise since they make a house made special ranch sauce. However, the brisket was very tender and tasty. I have to say the pie was disappointing and nothing special. Usually diners are good for pies and they are usually homemade, but this didn't taste as such. It was not worth the $5 per slice they charge for it. Overall, good for take-out or when in the mood for diner food but I wouldn't do the dessert. read more

Also not messing around with Covid is the Bluebird. They're not currently seating indoors, but have a nice outdoor tented area available with plenty of seating - and precautions (not that we're overly concerned, just mindful of keeping our general distance from others with the Covid Cooties). While the tented area is in the parking lot, it offers nice views of the Leland river and passerby on the main Leland thoroughfare. My pizza (carry out), and then our pizza (eat "in") were both very good. Their pizzas have that yummy buttery crust! MmmmMmmmmm! Ditto the side garden salad, crisp and yum. They've also got a fairly comprehensive selection of craft beers (impressive in light of having to manage outdoor cooler space). Prices are reasonable and service can also be counted on. Both Erin and Forrest will take good care. read more

We had a Ceaser salad with whitefish which was decent. I ordered smelt and it was horrible. Service was decent and the staff was friendly.

Standard American fare with an emphasis on fried fish. As far as the fish goes, they mainly offer walleye and whitefish, and occasional specials of perch and bluegill. The walleye I had was pretty fishy tasting and the whitefish was a bit dry. The big winner was the bluegill that had a slightly sweet flavor and was perfectly moist. All the fried fish has a light coating, that doesn't take away from the flavor of the fish. Besides fried fish, they offer soups, salads, and other sandwiches. They also have delicious fries! The dining room is a bit dated as far as decor goes, but there's large windows with a pretty view of the water. read more

We Stopped here via the Fido AP. Real nice garden setting along the water on a gorgeous day. Location n setting- 5 Service- 4 Quality of food. (Fish tacos & Walleye fish sand)-3 Size of portions- (2 tacos) small filet (walleye) Value. 2 Overall-3 but worthy of 1st visit Negatives: no local draft beer on deck at the craft beer Mecca- bizarre. Offer baked n blackened fish; this is a fishery bonanza not land locked Indiana; portions if smaller we would have walked. We left hungry. read more

So sad to see this, been coming here for years but this was biggest joke ive seen.. Tent outside, cook left in middle of dinner , food took 1.5 hours after we sat down and came out in small servings. Paid 120.00 for 4 baskets of food that i could get anywhere for 50.00, wont ever go back.. even got charged 1.00 for. A water after waiting 1 hour for food.. very sad.. read more

Advertised as dog friendly so we drove over from Traverse City only to be told they were dog friendly BUT NOT TODAY. Something about dogs not being allowed where food is served and they were afraid the health inspector might show up. Count me an unhappy camper. read more

Doesn't get much worse than this. There is no management of the staff. Severely understaffed and unorganized. 25 minutes before anyone came to our table - and another 70 minutes before our grilled cheese and club sandwiches came. Waitress spilled the bowl of peanuts & peas on the table, and just left it there. Zero apologies for the wait time. This place has seen better days - and this had nothing to do with COVID. read more

Always a stop on the way back from the Island when delivering the Boat. Good food and a nice atmosphere. The staff is always quick with a recommendation if you are not sure. read more

We are out of towners that checked out BlueBird on a sunday evening and ate in the Tavern part of the restaurant. It's a nice interior and the staff was very friendly. Seating a party of six at this time was not an issue. We shared the asparagus "mock-amole" and it was pretty good, but I guess I wouldn't have called it "mock-amole" so much as an asparagus cheese dip. I had the Bird Pie pizza and it was delicious. My husband had the walleye platter and said it was good. It came with cole slaw. I only tried his fries, not the fish or cole slaw and unfortunately my husband got food poisoning from either the slaw or the fish. So ... while it is terrible that he got food poisoning and basically didn't eat for 3 days after, my personal experience was good. We just can't give it a stunning review. read more

There aren't many places to go in Leland, but Bluebird offers a nicer dining room for a more upscale dinner, but also a tavern to visit if wanting something a bit more simpler or to sit down for a beer. Because of that, there usually isn't a time when Bluebird isn't a good choice. Not to mention they have a patio. The beer list is what one would expect with varied local bottle and draft options as is the menu with fish, pizza and sandwiches. Not sure how people can complain about that. They also have some interesting renditions from a Smoked Trout Chowder to an Asparagus Guacamole thing. And if you don't like anything, then some Whitefish Tacos will do. And if you don't like fish tacos, I don't know why you're visiting Fishtown. read more

Bluebird Restaurant & Bar - American Near Me - Leland, Michigan

My family has been coming to the Blueburd since I was a kid. We enjoyed our outdoor dining experience necessitated by the pandemic. The food and drink were great served by a very attentive staff. read more

Bluebird never disappoints! Always quick service and good quality food. The menu isn't that exciting or diverse, but it is a classic American restaurant. They have burgers, sandwiches, salads, chicken, and pizza! I was going to settle for a salad tonight, but I discovered that they serve a Cherry Chicken Salad dish. I highly recommend it! The chicken tasted so fresh and I loved the chunks of cherries in it. Although their food and service is great, the actual restaurant area is somewhat a bummer. The lighting is very dim and the seating area is pretty small. Overall though, it is a special gem located in Leland. Try it sometime if you are in the area! read more

Bluebird Restaurant & Bar - Cherry chicken salad! - American Near Me - Leland, Michigan

Stopped in for a quick lunch on a recommendation from my parents. Our party shared a couple pizzas and everyone enjoyed them. The crust is airy and soft. The cheese and sauce were not distinct but no complaints about either. I think it is baked in a low pan because there is some caramelization of cheese around the edge of the crust, I found to be the best part of the crust. Even though this is not my favorite style of pizza it is good and for me a One Bite rating of 5.6. Was happy to see Bell's Oberon on tap. I will be back and next time I will drive into their menu. I would recommend if you happen to be in Leland. read more

Bluebird Restaurant & Bar - American Near Me - Leland, Michigan

Amazing ethnic night, Viva la France! Beautiful wines, both red and white; we enjoyed the moist, tender PorkBelly and the sweet and delicate Sea Scallops! Home Runs all around! read more

Great service and loved sitting outside by the river. We had the Whitefish grilled. It was perfect! Plus 3 different sides...Potato Salad, Cole Slaw and the amazing Peanut Pea Salad!!! read more

Docked my boat in Leland for a few days at the marina, and we thought we would try one of the very few restaurants in town that we could walk to. The waitress was not friendly at all. She seemed a bit miserable to be there really. Not impressed with the food either. It's too bad as I Loved everything else about Leland... would not recommend this place at all. read more