It's been years since we've eaten at the Harbor View. It's still being written up in Twin Cities magazines, so, we decided to have lunch there on a recent trip to see the colors along the Mississippi river. It's a quaint eatery on Lake Pepin. The vibe is good and the service is professional although a bit slow for us given they were packed. However for big city prices, the food just doesn't measure up. While the soup was good - a thick, spicy squash/tomato, the entrees were only so-so. I had the stuffed mushroom linguine which was over sauced and too garlicky -- and I LIKE garlic. The dish was mushy and soft and dripping with olive oil. There was no subtlety to it at all. My wife had the pork sandwich with potato salad. The sandwich was okay, but nothing more than you'd get at any other roadside cafe. The potato salad was only ordinary. Then we had dessert. I ordered the butter cream chocolate pie and my wife ordered the blueberry bread pudding. We both agreed the bread pudding was spot on, but the pie reminded me of the graham cracker-crusted chocolate pie served in a cafeteria. Nothing special. In the end, the experience was a bit of a let down. Perhaps it was what we ordered. Perhaps our expectations where out of line. Or maybe the Harbor View is resting on its reputation. read more

Headed to Harbor View with my Grandma and Mother last weekend. Gosh I just love the experience. The drive was spectacular (I HEART fall in Minnesota) and the wait wasn't too bad (with an ice tea in hand and a wonderful view of Lake Pepin). Once seated, which took a bit, we were promptly seated and given yummy bread and waters. After perusing the chalkboard menu, we ordered up the Salmon cooked in parchment, Pork Shanks, and Duck with Lentil. All were amazing! Portions were huge (NOTE: Bring a cooler with you so you can take the leftovers home!) and the flavors were wonderful. The only downside was the my dish was very oily. In fact, I could barely eat the greens that were served with my dish because they were so oily...but other than that, the food was great. They also have a decent wine selection and I had a great glass of 2006 Cote du Rhone. Of course we had to get dessert...as if we weren't full enough! We ordered the almond cake with lingonberry sauce (MORE PLEASE!!) and the chocolate mousse cake (HELLO HEAVEN!) with coffees. Both were great..the coffee was just ok and I think the restaurant would seriously benefit from upgrading the coffee options to include an espresso bar. Gosh, I want to go back today! read more

Lovely in every way. Classic upper Midwest decor: checkered blue and white tablecloths, wooden furniture and walls. Hearty and heartwarming menu. read more

Best restaurant of all time. Such a cute tiny place with great food. Upscale, ambience is amazing and so is the staff. This town is extremely romantic and would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a perfect anniversary dinner. My significant other and I have the best times here. My S/O got the Alaskan Halibut... he said if he had to pick a last meal... it would be this! I got Hawaiian Ahi Tuna. Looks like steak and has great presentation... tuna just MELTS in your mouth and is to die for! We love this place! read more

Harbor View Cafe - New American Near Me - Pepin, Wisconsin

For a place to eat when traveling through the area it isn't bad. Staff are friendly but be warned that a 45 minute wait will be double that and despite what they claim, it is not worth waiting over 45 minutes for food that is limited to soup or salad with entree. They have fast service once you get seated but it feels you are being rushed out of there. Warning: cash only. We will be expanding our horizons next time we are in the area. read more

We went back to the Harborview café in October 2014. We went there for dinner on a Friday night when we were staying in the area. Looking forward to a relaxing meal with some wine. Unfortunately the service we had was very rushed with the main course coming after two bites of the salad. It was not a particularly busy night either so we're quite surprised by the service and speed. Another change that we noticed was that the quantity of the food had gone up substantially from our past experiences while the quality of the food taste in the flavor had gone down. I'm hoping it was just a bad night for the Harborview because it's one of our places we like to go to for a relaxing meal. Hopefully they'll reopen 2015 and have better food and service and hopefully will have an app in a come back and enjoy that. read more

Great food and fantastic service. This is a hidden gem in the small town of Pepin, Wisconsin. The food is made from scratch and delicious. I had the Hawaiian Marlin with red curry sauce. The sauce was unbelievably great. Serving size was perfect and ambiance was great. You can walk in in shorts or a suit and tie and you will fit in. No reservations and the wait is well worth it. read more

Great atmosphere, food, and service! The bartender was attentive, particular (making sure the wine glasses were clean), and friendly. The owner came by our table to check in and chat with us, making us feel even more comfortable. I had the catfish which was deelish. Loved it all! read more

This place is ridiculously over priced. The food was good, service was good but $25 a plate was not worthy. Can't go back because I can't afford it! read more

Our favorite place to go. In addition to delectable food smothered in the best sauces on the planet and sweet charming staff, every time I go here, it feels like I am on vacation. I love sitting outside with my husband and a drink along the sidewalk overlooking the harbor on a beautiful evening. It is like an outdoor party. Everyone is happy, chatting and eagerly awaiting a wonderful dinner. read more

My husband and I were staying at a B&B in Red Wing last fall and wanted to go out for a nice anniversary dinner. The Harbor View Cafe was recommended to us, but we were extremely disappointed with the service. I am dairy-free due to an allergy. When I asked the server about dairy-free options, she curtly responded with, "This is Wisconsin. We are a very dairy-heavy restaurant." I felt like she was shaming me for my dietary restrictions and that she was annoyed that I would even come into the restaurant and ask such a thing. At that point, we wanted to leave, but we weren't sure what else was open in the area, so we stayed. The woman sitting behind me was also asking about dairy-free options and was treated poorly. There were about two options on the menu that I could pick from since most were marinated in milk ahead of time, but the food I did have was very good. Our waitress continued to be rude and demeaning for the entire meal, and the whole experience put a damper on our anniversary outing. If you don't have any allergies, I would recommend the food, but do NOT go there if you have any sort of dietary restrictions or allergies. Most other restaurants are kind and willing to accommodate, but I felt embarrassed to be there (since I was treated as if I was unwanted) and just wanted to leave as soon as the meal was over. read more

A charming little hole in the wall with floor to ceiling bookshelves and stunning views of Lake Pepin, this is THE place you have to eat at in the area. We stumbled into it thanks to Yelp, and were glad we came. Great food, wonderful service. read more

Nostalgia got the better of me this visit back to the Harbor View Cafe. While the bread, soups and salads are still great the prawn, swordfish and chicken entrees were all pretty mediocre. The staff are friendly and it's a beautiful spot on lake Pepin but I remember the entrees being better in years past. read more

Bar tender recommended the white fish dinner - one of the best dishes I had my entire trip. My wife had the chicken dish - also superb - as were the dinners for everyone else at our table. Reasonable prices, adequate wine list, diverse menu, server was great. Can't wait to go back. read more

Very heavy, rich food. Pricey! A lighter option with more veggies and fruit would help. $23.00 for A black bean entree is pretty darn steep! A small, plain coffee for $3.00 is same price as a bottle of beer next door. Spent over $100 for 3 people and we got the cheaper entrees. Two people had a glass of wine with their meal. Terrific service. read more

I don't know why I bother to write this review. This place is so amazing that mine won't make a difference. My husband had the curried beef, I had the pork and veal dumplings. Both were great. Both had subtle but definable flavors. My "dumplings" were not what I expected. They were more like a meat patty but still excellent. Portions on both meals were large. We took home about half our entree each. Price for both meals, 1 glass of wine, and 20% tip was about $60. We will definitely be coming back and recommending this place to friends and family. read more

An incredible October afternoon, capped with an evening visit to the Harbor View Café. Would the restaurant live up to the hype? The answer? Yes. Yes, yes, a hundred times yes. The setting is so special. We arrived with a sunset backdrop to the few boats still in the water this late in the year. Trains rolled past, loud, but just as much a part of the landscape as the water. The restaurant glows inside, and the smells waft to the guests waiting for seats on outdoor benches. We were so late arriving that the menu was lacking a few choices, but nothing was less than perfect-even though we were served an hour past closing time. My husband had the Halibut with black butter, and loved it as much as other reviewers. Our dinner guests had the pork tenderloin and chicken tenderloins with linguine. I decided on the chicken in a saffron sauce with roasted tomatoes and olives. I could have taken a straw to the sauce used on that chicken. Ah. Maze. Ing. Everything was wonderful. Perfect choices for a balmy autumn evening. We were able to snag two deserts, regrettably not the Walnut Pie. We had the almond cake topped with whipped cream and lingonberries. I was immediately transported back to an Italian bakery from my youth. The almond cake was exactly the taste and texture of a cookie I enjoyed during my college years. So delicious. The chocolate buttercream pie was a decadent slice of bliss. read more

I've been coming here for 30 years now and it never fails to please! It has been a bit hit and miss since the owners sold to their employees, though. Last year I was disappointed in the sautéed Chicken Breasts but this year they were back to being great again. Believe me I've tried many other things on the menu over the years and they were all good but I always come back to those delightful pounded lightly breaded sautéed Chicken Cutlets topped with the most amazing Roasted garlic chipotle cream sauce! You have to pop the garlic gloves out of their skin but it's totally worth it! It is served over linguini with a side of sautéed green beans. There's always enough for lunch next day, too. A bit rich but it's only once a year, right? read more

The location is ideal and ambience very nice. Service wasn't amazing and food was just OK. Good portions, however! One plate makes two meals for sure. read more

This is one of those wonderful, surprising places you are really lucky to stumble across. My sister recommended it, and we had dinner there. It's in Pepin, WI, a small town on Lake Pepin. Not a very impressive looking place, and the restaurant is correspondingly casual. (They pretty much only take cash.) We ordered two of the fifteen or twenty entrees they had on their board (all looked good): Norwegian meatballs and Sauteed Chicken on Linguini with garlic sauce. Both were surprising in a very good way. We started with an excellent salad with house-made dressings which were tasty and obviously fresh. The meatballs (veal, I think) were bland (as they should be for Norwegian meatballs), but they were flavored with cardamom (something I never thought of) with a nice cream sauce and lingonberries! Really nice! The sauteed chicken on linguini came and it looked like it was smothered in a mushroom sauce, but the "mushrooms" turned out to be nice, mellow roasted cloves of garlic. We got two excellent, surprising and good dishes. We'll be back. read more

WOW - this place is always GREAT! The Halibut With Black Butter Caper Sauce is fantastic -- best fish anywhere. Don't miss this place -- worth the drive for sure. read more

We stopped here on a motorcycle trip for lunch based on a recommendation from my brother-in-law. Holy Toledo.. My biggest regret.. we stopped for lunch and we really didn't have the appetite to do this place justice. I had the Lamb Cassoulet which was stupendous. A couple of riding buddies had the stuffed Portabella mushrooms, which I sampled as well. I thought I had died and went to food heaven. The worst part of the whole experience?? We had NO way to take the leftovers with us being on bikes. It was almost a crime to leave them behind. The portions are huge. No one in our group could finish. Afterwards we sat outside the restaurant beneath the aforementioned umbrellas on the Adirondack chairs for 40 minutes in a food induced stupor (e.g. food coma). We were unable to get back on the bikes until we had time to digest for all this excellent food for a while. If I was ANYWHERE within 2 hours of this place, I'll make a point to stop and eat here. AND make sure I could take the leftovers home with me, because you WILL have leftovers. Note to cheap Yelpers, this place is NOT an inexpensive cafe, but OH SO worth it. Note, also a great view of the river! read more

Food was good. My wife got the walleye which was unbelievably delicious. I got stuffed mushrooms. Mine was bland but good. We had an hour wait and it was worth it. Service was very slow, it was packed but still pretty slow. The waitress we had actually spilled a beer on me but she made it right by comping my meal and drinks. Will definitely come back and try a different entre. Every entre' that came by my table had me second guessing my own choice. I can't wait to come back and try something different. read more

Been here twice. Both times were outstanding. I've tried 4 different menu items and each was amazing. Even the salads before the main course were tasty. The salad dressings were some of the best I have ever tasted. Even the bread they serve is worth praise. Cash only. Be prepared - some of the menu items can run in the high $20s. read more

Go early or you will wait in long line. They take no reservations and do not hold tables for anyone!!! The food is amazing and has been written up in the cities papers and beyond . People come from all over. They frown on customers whom hold tables by drinking lots before ordering thus holding up table, and you will get the message. Food is pricy but worth every bite and you will come back!! read more

I live about 2 hours away from the Harbor View Cafe, but I consider it well worth my drive every time I visit. The restaurant is quaint, with books lining the walls - as decoration and to sell. It is decorated well, with more of a homey atmosphere than that of a restaurant. You really can't beat the view out the windows at the harbor, either. The staff has always been friendly and helpful. You can tell they enjoy their work and they like to be there. They are knowledgeable about the menu items, which are always really good. I still have cravings for their stuffed mushrooms. And speaking of their menu items, I firmly believe there is no way you could pick a bad one. All of the food that I have tried there has been amazing. You can tell they are made by people who love food and want to treat it well. The items are unique, with many I haven't seen any other place (or at least in quite the same way). I always love to try new dishes when I visit, and I know that I will never be disappointed. I read the one review of the Harbor View Cafe that is less than five stars and I have to say that I have never been less than impressed with the quality of the staff and the food. I have to say it is one of my most absolute favorite destination restaurants ever, and am already making plans to go back there with a friend very soon! I can't wait!!!! read more

One of the best places to eat in the Midwest. The food is superb and so is the service. The menu changes constantly but you can't go wrong with anything you order. The portion sizes are also quite big, we never finish and almost always take half of my meal home. We always take out-of-town guests here. We love to do the great river drive and stop here for lunch or dinner. Careful though, you can end up waiting 2 hours if you show up for dinner at the wrong time on a beautiful summer day. read more

Love, love, love the Harbor View!!! They have sooooo many mouth watering meals and then there is the buttercream pie - need I say more!! The Halibut is my favorite year round dish -my favorite in the fall is the chicken with champagne grapes, it is yummy!!! They also have awesome soups - I am getting hungry just thinking about it!! Cheers to the crew at the Harbor View!! read more

I have wanted to go to this restaurant for years. My sister drove up from Kansas City and I met her at Lake City. We drove over to the H.V.C for a early dinner. Excellent food and service. I had the Lasagna which was excellent. Sun-dried tomato sauce, fresh basil and the sweetest ricotta I have ever tasted. My sister had stuffed mushrooms over a bed of linguine with a light wine cream sauce. It was the best meal I have had for a long time. The prices are crazy --$48 for both of us including dessert. Highly recommend. read more

The stuffed mushrooms with cheese and a garlic fettuccini was delicious! I also got their cream of mushroom soup, only because the other option I didn't care for. The soup was amazing as well! Fast service, friendly, clean, oh and even though Yelp says they don't accept credit cards, they do. read more

I was so disappointed with the food there, do not understand what is the hype all about! The food is mediocre at best. My halibut was advertised as sauteed, in fact it was breaded and fried dry! Salad is nothing special, they can be better at a chain restaurant. Soup - advertised as creamy cauliflower - arrived as gooey blah, not a drop of cream there. My husband's pasta with mushrooms was salty and bland. Our lunch cost us almost $70 before tip - with one beer and a glass of wine ( looks like dinner and lunch pricing is the same) This place is certainly not worth the drive from any where. read more

Creative menu and excellent food and desserts! We always make sure to stop here when boating.

I'd probably put the Harbor View between 4 and 5 but the beautiful drive merited the bump up. We've never been disappointed and the seafood is always fresh and prepared in interesting ways. read more

went here for thursday lunch...we shared the vegetable lasagna, salad(homemade dressing), soup and homemade bread. all delicious...pleasant atmosphere with view of the harbor...service could have been better...we will return... read more

Two of us drove down to Harbor View after reading a glowing review in a local foodie magazine. There was a 75 minute wait (no reservations allowed ever) on Sunday afternoon at 4:00pm, so I guess it's popular. They informed us that the wait on Saturday night had been 3-1/2 hours! The restaurant is small and crowded, and the only menu is on the chalkboard. I'd checked the website in advance and knew I wanted the caesar salad (described as "gloriously garlicky" in the restaurant review) and the halibut with black butter sauce (their signature dish and I love halibut). My boyfriend ordered the pesce, similar to a bouillabaise with clams, mussels, calamari, etc. in a broth. Salads were delivered quickly by a very cheerful server. Although I love garlicky caesar dressing, this was almost TOO garlicky even for me. The salad was dressed with too much dressing and there was a huge pile of parmesan on top but no croutons. Kind of odd, but pretty good. Not great. The halibut was a very large piece that had been coated in a cornmeal crust and fried, then covered in the most peculiar black gravy. It came with white rice, sauteed sugar snap peas, and a mango/tomato/jalapeno salsa. A strange combination of foods. The halibut itself seemed pretty good but the taste was completely lost in the heavy gravy. When we asked the server what was in it, she said it had about 30 ingredients including molasses. Molasses with a light white fish? I was disappointed. The boyfriend was very happy with his pesce - lots of seafood - but when I tasted the broth it seemed too heavy on the saffron. That seemed to be a consistent theme for this restaurant - good ideas but too heavy-handed with the flavors. The halibut cost $30 and the pesce was $28. Add in drinks while you wait over an hour and the tab gets as high as any restuarant in the Twin Cities. If we're going to drive 95 minutes to a restaurant and pay that much for a meal, I expect it to be pitch-perfect and this wasn't. We won't be back. read more

I have dined here for many years. Excellent food, view and ambiance. A recent visit to the Harbor View made me question any future return visits. I ordered my meal and when it was served it realized it contained something I am quite allergic to. This item was not mentioned on the menu but was included in the description of other menu items. I naturally thought it was a safe bet. The wait person was very rude to me, chastised me for not asking before I ordered and did not offer to take my plate back to the kitchen and remove the allergy producing item (which could have been done easily). I had to scrape it off onto my bread plate. I asked for a clean fork to eat my meal with. It was begrudgingly given to me. When presented with the tab, I noticed I'd been charged significantly more than the price listed on the menu. Upon pointing this out to the wait person I was told the menu price was incorrect. Implying that I should be ok with the higher cost. She finally conceded to charge me the price listed on the menu while implying she was doing me a huge favor. I am also told the wait person is one of the owners. Not a pleasant experience. read more

Stopped in last Friday for lunch. Nice clean premises with a library theme. On that particular day the clientele were primarily seniors and it was a nice quiet atmosphere. I ordered the sautéed chicken with curried lentil soup. The soup was fabulous. Nicely seasoned. The sautéed chicken was delicious as well however with a $24 price tag I expected a little more. The chicken breast was moist but it was so small that I ate it in five bites. The baked/sautéed garlic was baked well but at $24 for the plate I would of liked to have the garlic peeled. Perhaps the skin was left to satisfy the daily recommended serving of roughage. Overall a satisfying experience. With the high prices I feel it is place to visit on special occasions. read more

Worth the wait and I will be back again! The view was spectacular, right on the lake and each dish we ordered was packed full of flavor. My dad loved the beef tenderloin with wild rice and mushroom. The Pesce was packed with seafood, including halibut and swordfish (typically you just get white fish) in a Saffron sauce that was beyond words. I typically don't order chicken but the Saffron Braised Chicken was one of the best dishes I've ever had. Moist chicken and the broth I didn't let a drop go to waste. read more

A truly excellent dining experience. We experienced a 45 minute wait to get a table - but this was part of the fun. We grabbed two cocktails and headed outside - to the front sidewalk - to grab two chairs and soak up the setting sun - with beautiful views of Lake Pepin. Next door - guitar and vocals were playing for the enjoyment of all. Hostess sat us at a table for two at front window with more views of the lake. Labor day Sunday - the place was jumping with diners. The bleu cheese dressing on the house salad was incredible - and the red bean soup was delicious and full of flavor - the aromas poured out as it sat there waiting for me to tuck into it. We enjoyed the summer cassoulett (superb) and the braised pork shank - the pork was fall-off-bone tender and the portion was huge - had to take a shank home. The mashed potatoes were killer as well. We have been sailing on Lake Pepin for three years now - but this was out first visit to Harbor View. Looking forward to returning to get the same exact dining experience. read more

I was looking so forward to try this restaurant and have to say was dissatisfied. I ordered the pork cheeks with mushrooms. While the pork was fork tender it was drenched in this almost sour tasting sauce....the sauce was so overwhelming you could not taste anything else.....husband got the stuffed mushrooms over linguine and it was better than mine but still nothing exceptional. The bread and salads were tasty! Would like to give it a try again and hope to have a meal to rave about. This was on Monday of this week. Tonight we ate at Nosh in Lake City! Now that was 5 stars hands down...... read more