Reviewed this back in '24 when they opened and it's gotten better and better. Let me just say this:…read more The Backyard burger is the best burger I've ever had. Period. And I grew up in the 80's eating at 'up north' bars, which previously had the best burgers of my life. This tops it. In addition to great pinball, a nice space, and great vibes, The Outsider is currently winning Manistee.

pros: great burger, pinball, tons of outside seating, they have soft pretzels w cheese, seems like…read morea cool spot cons: $40+ for 2 people, you get about 8 onion rings for $6, didn't get chips bc i also ordered onion rings so that felt like a rip off lol, service was kinda slow but that's fine, AI signs

YUM! Well worth it, good prices as well those burgers are huge!. Food came out so fast as well!…read moreMadison you were awesome!!

We visited The Salty Heifer on 7/11/2026 at about 11am. My husband ordered the all you can eat…read morebreakfast, our youngest son got a kids breakfast and my oldest son and I got the Whole Farm omlette. My husband liked his food (besides his hashbrowns not being crispy as ordered), our youngest is 2 and a picker so he doesn't care, our oldest son said his food tasted weird but he ate it and I DID NOT like my omelette. I had 3 bites and a piece of toast and left the rest (2 year old was being whiny and I hate annoying other diners with loud children so we went to the car.) My omelette had no flavor at all. After adding salt, pepper and hot sauce (and not a lot at all mind you) all I could take was what I added. There were SO MANY barely cooked thoroughly hash browns that it might as well have just been an order of hash browns. The omelette was pitifully thin. It just wasn't good but whatever. My husband and oldest son stayed to finish their breakfast as I sat in the car with the youngest. The waitress (who was fantastic throughout the service) went to the back and apparently talked to the owner. My husband said she looked a bit like she was upset when she came back 5-8 mins later. Apparently she couldn't take it off the bill because the owner wasn't having it. Very strange, but whatever, my husband paid it. My husband went to tip the server a bit more than he had initially taken out and she said "no, you don't have to do that." But she was great and deserved a tip. As a business owner myself, the owner sounds like a jerk who has zero concept of good service. If a customer doesn't like something, you fix it and you don't treat your employees rudely either. I couldn't imagine treating my customers that way. Also, invest in some seasonings and lay off the hash browns. Fix your food and your attitude. And play some music in there or something.

When we first walked in, we were greeted by a very pleasant young lady. We decided to sit at the…read morebar. They had a selection of 12 brews: a great selection. We asked for a menu. The selection of food looked great. We chose to have nachos that were fabulous. Lauren, the general manager, was very pleasant to speak to and gracious. I highly recommend this establishment.

What a great experience at this restaurant! My burger was cooked perfectly to a true medium, just…read morelike I asked something that's surprisingly hard to find. The hand-cut French fries were absolutely amazing, and the nacho appetizer was out of this world. Everyone at our table loved their meal. We'll definitely be back! If you're in the area, do yourself a favor and check this place out. If you don't, you're really missing out!

Better than most local pubs! Come weekly to chill out and maybe even win enough to…read morePay for our dinner.

The food was good but nothing special. The vibe is nice high school cafeteria. Being the only…read moresit down option besides the buffet it's the place. Next time it's pizza at the deli which we like! Our server did a nice job.

We have come here every time we visit relatives and the food is always delicious. This place has…read morebeen around since long before I was born. I'm glad it has stayed in business. You don't come here to be fancy, you come here for eclectic decor and delicious food. The service has always been great as well.

Walking into this place, you understand that is completely a local's bar. It's the kind of place…read morefor people bring a deck of cards, or talk union business at the bar. I had barely set foot in the door when the two bartenders at the bar greeted me warmly and welcomed me in and told me I could sit anywhere I wanted. I sat at the bar and as recommended by a local, I ordered the pepper jack crab soup, which was delicious. One thing to be aware of: don't expect real crab in the soup. Imitation only. But it's plentiful and delicious on a frigid winter day. The bartender recommended the roasted chicken or the perch, and living near another great lake and always having ready access to perch, I decided on the broasted chicken. I was not disappointed. It came with four pieces, choice, potato, and a choice of another side. It was way too its food, but I ate more than I thought they would because it was that good. I will definitely return to the painted lady!

Best fish fry in town, delicious burgers and friendly staff - always our go-to on a Friday night!read more

First class: staff, food, beverage, atmosphere. Can't wait to go back! And, they treated my service…read morepups with utter respect. Thank you!

The bar is small inside. Saw max occupancy sign for approx 78 people. There is a pool table. It's a…read moreneat little bar. The service was good. The food was your standard bar food. It was hot and good. I enjoyed the pictures in the bathroom. Price was reasonable as well.

I was in town and needed some dinner, and the Friday Fish Fry sounded like a winner. They have…read morespecials most days, and they all sounded great. It's a cozy space, with a very lively crowd at the bar. Service was on point, which was impressive since there appeared to be only two servers. The fish was plentiful, with a nice crispy breading. The slaw was also really good and seemed like it was made in house. I do wish I got the perch, it's several dollars more, but the piled high plates that went past us looked delicious.

As per usual, I forgot to snap a quick picture of lunch at TJ's today, so I'm hoping a good…read moredescriptive review will suffice! While looking for TJs in the downtown Manistee area, I commented how cool the historic exterior of the corner building was. Much to my pleasure, it turned out to be where we were heading. Walking up, several stories of crisp bricks greet you from the clean, quaint street. Walking in, you're hit with the casual, historic feel of an old building, with good smells wafting out of the back. The service was fast and friendly - we were seated within a minute, despite a pretty busy late lunch crowd. Our waitress checked on us multiple times through the meal, without being intrusive. A+ for this! We ordered chicken alfredo and the smoked Mac and cheese. Both came out of the over piping hot and fresh, loaded with cheese and sauce,and garnished with some fresh toasted baguette slices. The mac was topped with real bacon bits - none of the fake grocery store stuff. Portions were just right - I definitely could have eaten more, but I'm glad it wasn't there for me to gorge. TJ's is a great spot for lunch!

Cozy little place, menu pretty typical of quality bar and grill operations. That included a…read moresouthwest-style chicken salad, which is a favorite of mine, and TJ's is a bit unique. It had the standard toppings--avocado, corn, black bean, tomato, tortilla chips. But the cheese was melted on top, like a kind of crunchy/chewey plate--it really looked like it was topped with a mini pizza. Not sure that enhanced the salad, but overall it was fine. Instead of dressing, it came with tubs of sour cream and salsa to mix in. I do that at home sometimes, so can't complain. The lettuce was fresh and crispy. Decent beer selection, including a quite a few bottled ones, which I hadn't noticed until after I ordered my pint of Two Hearted. Be sure to ask for a bottle menu. I sat at the bar and the server regularly looked in on me. Wasn't too noisy, in spite of the tight space that was full when I stopped in on a Sunday night. Nice little spot to check out in Manistee.

Bluefish was definitely one of the highlights of our trip to the area and the perfect capstone date…read moreto our vacation. We went about midday during off hours and were advised that there was only one server on shift and there might be a wait. However, Lauren absolutely KILLED it and the service was great! On to the food... it was OUTSTANDING. The dishes my girlfriend and I had were unique and tasty. I had the blackened whitefish with the corn chipotle sauce and the flavors blended wonderfully. The seasoning was great, and it was cooked to perfection. You could also tell it was very fresh. Definitely check this place out!!

I gave a five-star rating only because a six-star wasn't an option. While touring the western side…read moreof Michigan, we stopped in at the Blue Fish Kitchen & Bar for a late lunch. It was a mid-week day and there was hardly a soul in the place so I was a bit concerned. Completely unnecessary! The pulled pork sandwich was great and the gyro was also great. Served with some of the best chips I have ever had, the food was delivered hot and quickly from our server, Marie. The upscale atmosphere was perfect for a memorable lunch. Our table overlooked the river and on a sunny day, it was perfect. Marie did not lead us astray with the dessert menu - cheesecake made in-house with raspberry topping. Absolutely delicious!

I've vacationed to the Manistee area for the last couple of years now, and Alpine has been a MUST…read moreSTOP. Beware, this place will make your wallet mysteriously drain. Everything here is phenomenal, from their local chocolates to the popcorn. I've never had anything bad here. This time around we got the giant truffle box, the smaller assorted box, s'mores popcorn, garlic parm popcorn, taffy and some fudge. We haven't broken into most of it but the smores popcorn is absolutely absurd, and the boxed chocolates are exactly how I remember them. The first time I was here, I left wanting more so I bought some chocolates from the store. Not even a comparison. There's only one Alpine. Can't say enough good things about this place. Come check it out!

Call chocolate place in downtown Manistee. They have so many different things decorated caramel…read moreapples, different types of chocolates, ice cream, bag, candy, popcorn, toffee , fruit, fruit, fruit I don't want that varieties, open jar candies. As well as package goods. You can also get an ice cream cake in case you're looking for a cake somewhere. So many different choices. Servers are really friendly and very helpful. Took care of us really quickly and the chocolate is incredible. Cool old school chocolate store.