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    Harbor House

    3.9 (816 reviews)
    PriceySeafood
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM

    Harbor House Photos

    HARBOR HOUSE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Upscale
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Harbor House

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    Big shrimp
    Rick S.

    View excellent, inside is clean and attractive, food was great, the roasted beet salad was the best I have ever had. Steak was great! Apparently the shrimp and lobster and scallops were great but i dont eat those so i take that review from my dinner partner. Key lime pie was great! Service was excellent!

    Grilled Whole Mediterranean Branzino*
    Mary K.

    When it comes time to celebrating a birthday, this is the place to go! Wonderful ambience, atmosphere, and great waitstaff. I started with a delicious winter white Cosmo. Then I had the sea scallops which were prepared well and so tasty. My dining companion, whose birthday it was, had the branzino, which she said was tender and delicious. I love eating st Harbor House to experience a real fine dining experience.

    Claws for $20

    The view is fantastic. Great location with a wonderful environment. The food, however, was less than stellar. The crab claws as an appetizer good but two small claws for the price ridiculous. The oysters were just gross. The main course was ok but fell short considering the price. But for the view, one star.

    Clam Chowder
    Maddy K.

    I've been to Harbor House a few times and always have great experiences with dining and staff. The ambience of the restaurant and being on the lake is always lovely. I enjoy the versatility that their menu offers- a few of my favorites include the salmon dish, lobster bisque soup, and espresso martini. Most recently I tried the breaded seafood platter special, which was not my favorite as I tend to get a bit picky about thicker/plain breadings, but loved their french fries. At a previous visit, they were kind enough to provide a complementary dessert for my birthday . Definitely recommend dining at Harbor House if you're looking for a variety of seafood options and a classy dining experience.

    East and west coast oysters
    Keegan M.

    Where do I even start!! Ate dinner at one of the high tops in the bar area, surrounded by beautiful night views of the city and friendly chatter of others in the area. Sampled oysters from both east and west coast and paired it with a smooth red. Then on to a nice surf and turf pairing from the dinner menu, all of which was cooked and portioned perfect. Finishing it off with that sweet crunchy top crème brûlée. And above all, service was very kind and made me feel at home.

    Salmon - delicious salmon
    Nathan P.

    Date night, great spot for a date night. Service was impeccable as at all Bartolottas establishments. Food outstanding as well, best salmon and crab cakes in the city. Also loved the salad and lobster bisque. Great meal!

    Oysters
    Kristen D.

    This is a a stunning restaurant in a stunning location. Right on the shores of Lake Michigan, Harbor House had beautiful views. We visited on a Saturday evening with reservations at 7:00 PM and the place was packed. The food was excellent. It was hard to decide, there were so many delicious offerings on the menu. Ultimately, I went with the roasted chicken with olive oil whipped potatoes and roasted asparagus. The chicken was exceptional, the skin was so crisp and the meat was juicy and flavorful. Our server was kind and suggested additional sauces and options to make sure it worked with my dietary needs. They have a great list of non-alcoholic drinks and mocktails. I wish they'd post the drink menu on their website so I could have perused that beforehand! We had a party of 6 people and were seated within about 10 minutes of our reservation. We later found out that they also had a wedding reception in the back room that they were coordinating in addition to the other tables. Our guess is that this is why service was slowed down so much. It was about a 2 hour dinner and took extended time to be greeted, get our drinks, and then get our dinners. In all of that, our servers were kind, knowledgeable, and celebratory. They surprised us at the end of the night with a champagne toast for the bride to be, which was a beautiful and very personal touch.

    Isabel B.

    My husband and I came for a date night right at open (5pm) on Sunday. It was already bustling when we got there. The views are amazing, as they claim. A great spot to bring visitors! We enjoyed soft shell crab, and tried both types of lobster rolls (which came with fries). We also split a bottle of wine. Service was attentive to our needs. Definitely on the pricier end, but everything was delicious and we'd definitely come back.

    Oysters and fried clams
    Kate N.

    Fantastic spot for happy hour! Beautiful views and great service, valet was a great touch as well. All the staff were very friendly. Looking forward to going back.

    Bread and butter and wine to start
    Nicole L.

    Harbor House has always been a favorite of mine. I used to go there for trivia, and most recently we came for a date night. While there's parking nearby available, the valet is very convenient and affordable. We were pleasantly surprised to see that there was a mime when we came in for dinner, dinner and a show! Our server was absolutely incredible, she even taught me how to fillet my Branzino, which I know they're not even supposed to do. All of the food was delicious, they gave us complementary champagne since we were celebrating our engagement and purchasing a new home, and we were so stuffed that we didn't even have room for dessert. Even the people sitting outside the window on the Adirondack chairs with the beautiful view of the Milwaukee skyline in the Milwaukee art museum added to the ambience of just absolute luxury and lake life.

    Filet Mignon & Sea Scallops* (added mushrooms & onions- scallops were great)
    Bridgette K.

    The setting is gorgeous- you'll get nice water and art museum views. The cocktail menu was fun and delicious, and the wine menu was extensive. We had dual waitstaff which was lovely, they were very attentive and helpful. My steak was perfect- check out the photo - but my date's was more medium than medium-rare. I found more people casually dressed than I anticipated.

    Seafood pasta
    Emily H.

    I am so glad I finally made my way to Harbor house!! I am a big fan of seafood, so it's been on my bucket list for a while. We got the calamari, a lobster roll, and a special seafood pasta. All of the food was wonderful, and the atmosphere of the restaurant was amazing. Gorgeous views, good food, and wonderful service. I will definitely return in the future!

    Tracy C.

    This was my first time at Horbor House. We went with two other couples to celebrate birthdays of myself and friend. The ambiance so cozy & warm. The views were beautiful. The staff was amazing! The food, spectacular! When we were seated, my friend ans myself were each given birthday cards. After our meal, we were all surprised with champagne. Without even asking, they made sure I was given NA champagne. Which, was so delicious I had to make sure it wasn't the actual champagne. We were then presented with a dessert. Needless to say, we were all very impressed with the entire experience. Thank you for a wonderful evening Harbor House

    Linguine and clams delicious

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    8 months ago

    Tasty nice dinner for special occasion. The vibes and views can't be beat. Service is top notch. Food is fine but overpriced.

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    Page 1 of 21

    Harbor House Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Harbor House

    Is there a dress code?

    None that I'm aware of but it's a really nice place to enjoy dressing up a bit.

    Is this the location of the former restaurant "Pieces of Eight" from many many years ago?

    Yes, like Dan says. It was a gut remodel by new tenants, only the great location is the same.

    View All 3 Questions

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    St Paul Fish Company - Shrimp Po Boy.

    St Paul Fish Company

    (1.5k reviews)

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    This place will take care of you. Put your name on the list and you will be fed even after closing…read moretime.. when seated service was quick.Drinks first and hot food shortly afterwards...... perfect timing. The crab cake sandwich and fried shrimp dinner was delicious. This place has a big menu it's so much more to try, and they have specials for every day of the week.. you can also buy fresh seafood to cook yourself. I can't wait to come back .....try this place if you haven't it's definitely worth it!!! I watched my server take multiple tables orders with out writing anything down...that's definitely special....... And she got everything done right and quickly. Great service!!!

    I had a meal here many years ago while in town and enjoyed it. Recently I had the opportunity to…read morereturn. St. Paul Fish Market is located inside the very busy and popular Milwaukee Public Market indoor shopping complex downtown. It reminds me of the Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle. The only parking option that I am aware of is metered street parking. The building has 2 levels but the 1st floor is where most of the business are. It appeared to me that St. Paul's is the most popular business there. It is a seafood restaurant and fresh fish market. They have a small sit down area for table service dining or you can order your food to go at the counter. After being seated and reviewing the menu I decided to order the same meal I had over 11 years ago. I went with a bowl of clam chowder for $8 to start and then added a fried grouper sandwich ($16) with french fries for another $2.50. The chowder was perfect. Flavorful, delicious and I wanted more (5). The sandwich also was delicious and satisfying made with quality fish, lettuce, tomato, and bread. However while it tasted very good halfway through eating it the bread bun started to disintegrate and then quickly turned to mush before I could finish. Then I needed a fork to finish it. It got messy and I don't like that in a sandwich. It's only for that reason I give an overall 4 score instead of a 5. The french fries were very good tasting too but I had ordered too much food and only had room for a few of them.The table service was very warm and friendly. I believe St. Paul's is a very good choice for a casual seafood meal but please buy more sturdy buns!

    Barnacle Bud's - Relish tray

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    (317 reviews)

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    Three friends and I booked a reservation two months in advance for Barnacle Bud's Pop-Up Supper…read moreClub. The only reservation we could get was 4:30PM but we were excited we were able to get in at any time. Because of the timing, the sun was setting over the water, which was really pretty to see. I got a little confused with where to enter the building and I guess I went in the wrong way because I walked down the dock and entered the back of the restaurant by the restrooms, lol. Barnacle Bud's had a cool decor vibe and moody lighting. Our waitress was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and you could tell she was very excited about the menu and the pop-up experience. She provided exceptional customer service- she went over the menu thoroughly, came back to check on us multiple times, and always refilled our water, which I always appreciate! To start, we ordered wine and the relish tray. Everything on the relish tray was a little too vinegary for me but most of the table enjoyed it. However, the four of us didn't finish it. It was pretty powerful with vinegar flavor. For an entree, I had the salmon with veggies and my friends ordered the lamb chops, carbonara, and a vegetarian friend ordered a plate of Bud's potatoes and veggies. The food was good but I thought mine was very salty. And I'm glad I ordered my sauce on the side. For dessert, the four of us shared the mousse, which had good flavor and texture. Also to note, there were up-charges for veggies, sauce was $3 extra, etc., so just pay attention to pricing if that's a concern for you. Overall, it was a unique experience and worth checking out.

    We got a reservation for Gene's Supper Club on the River & had zero regrets about braving the cold…read morefor this experience! The food was so fun! I was expecting "standard" supper club dishes, which are awesome & was fully excited for, but what we got was a twist on the traditional! Every bit had so much flavor & the portion sizes were plentiful. 4 of us shared 2 apps, 1 salad, 3 entrees (with add-ons) & dessert. Plus a lovely bottle of wine & some pre-dinner cocktails. The restaurant was decked out for the holidays inside & out. It felt cozy & festive. The service was beyond...from the moment we walked thru the door, we felt welcomed & even appreciated for being there. The staff is amazing! If you have the chance to go...do not waiver!

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    Okay, I'm going to dish in a second. But overall - Maxie's…read moreis a super cool vibe. The colors, the well-placed low lighting, the appropriate volume of cajun music ... all done in excellent taste. The waitstaff is INCREDIBLE. They all seem to be having a great time, when it's slow, and when it's busy, which is important to see; plus, they help each other out. Waiters, bartenders, bussers, hosts, food-runners - they're often smiling and helpful to anyone. Not only did our waiter Scotty take amazing care of us (a group of 10 on a Saturday night, all arriving at different times; and he had many other tables besides us), but his teammates helped bring drinks, clear the table, and our deliver our food. Everything was timely, fresh, and as far as I know, no errors were made with drinks or food. We were all quite satisfied with our meal. The reason I give 3 stars is, for some reason I do not understand, near the end of our meal, we heard a man yelling quite loudly from the kitchen area AT OUR SERVER. The man (manager I assume) was insisting that Scotty was not attentive to us (and I can't discern a single reason why this would be claimed). Even if he noticed something we didn't -- it could have been a moment of quiet criticism, but this dude turned it into a screaming fit. And he could not have been more wrong. In fact overhearing this exchange (right around the corner, within full earshot of us and the back half of the restaurant) was the ONLY thing that soured our otherwise amazing experience. We then watched who I assume was the same guy (red-faced and angry) sit down at a table very close to us, and our server return a moment later somewhat shaken up. It was awful. We made sure to congratulate him loudly on his impeccable service after that. I don't know if the manager heard or not. But one can hope. This was not my first time here, but it was the first time I've experienced anything like this. Like I said, the team seems solid, our service is always timely and kind (and often, incredibly FUN) even when they're PACKED, the food is bangin', the oysters are fresh and delicious, and EVERYTHING is well priced & spiced! So we will be back. But we really hated seeing our waiter treated like that. For anyone who doesn't know - waiters in WI currently make $2.33/hour. This is below the federal wage rate of $7.25/hour for the same job. They survive off your tips. If they're good, they're great, and GOD BLESS THEM - they must do what they do because they love people. This manager did not seem to appreciate what he had right in front of him. But we did!!!! GO SCOTTY GOOOOO

    Great place for a delicious meal!! We arrived early so no problem with seating. This place can…read morefill up at peak times. Posts of the restaurant can be a little dark, but the interior is cool southern decor. Parking is street parking but that's not usually a problem in this area. We started off with the creole chicken meatballs. They were delicious. Served in a nice seasoned tomato sauce with toasted French bread rounds. Would definitely order again. I had the Pecan-Crusted Riverence Trout which was also hands down delightful!!! It was seasoned well and served hot. Again I'd order this again. Or waitress was super attentive and checked with is often. She gave good input on menu items. She knew an off menu item my friend ordered which made ordering easy. Although I say that I'd order these items again, the menu is expansive so there's do much more to try before I get back around to these two items. In the past I've had the fried chicken with greens and corn bread. I did find the greens a little sweet for my taste. And the corn bread was a little dry so I definitely used the yummy orange honey butter. When you want some good southern food and oysters, this is where you go.

    Harbor House - seafood - Updated May 2026

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