The food here is unbelievable. You won't have a bad dish and the menu changes everyday. My favorites include sauteed chicken breasts with tons of garlic and chipotle sauce over linguine, halibut with black butter, caesar salads with their homemade incredibly flavorful dressing, stuffed mushrooms, garlic prawns, and the chocolate buttercream pie. The fact that you have to make a trip of it makes it much more than a meal but a wonderful experience. The drive down is gorgeous as you wind between Lake Pepin and the bluffs. By the time you arrive you are in another world of relaxation, indulgence, and relationships rule the day. Not to mention the small town staff all treat you like you're a friend they haven't seen in ages. If you like rich flavorful food from across the culinary spectrum this is a great place. read more

I love all the rules! I love that you have to think ahead to bring cash, that the hours are crazy strange and you have to just hope that you hit it at a good time without a wait, and you can't plan ahead with a reservation....I love that you have to go up and look at the chalkboard and chitchat with the cool bartender that says, "bye Kids!" to everyone leaving the door. It makes you feel part of this lucky club that was there at the right place and the right time, and now will be rewarded....Most of all I love that the entire place is lined with books. This is my kind of scene!! Went on a little road trip today to RedWing, but missed our turn-off and ended up in Pepin, which seriously wasn't an issue. As we were were heading on, spontaneous road trip girl that am, I saw a sign for the "Bumblebee Inn and Campground" and asked my husband to drive down and investigate for further escapades. We never found it, but we saw a bunch of cute shops, and then I saw the Harbor View Cafe and thought....Oh my goodness...this is the place I keep hearing about...that is so good, but is never ever open and you can never get in!! So in we went at 2:45 on a Sunday afternoon. It was half-filled, and everyone just seemed so so happy to be there!! So cute with blue gingham and yellow flowers and a fantastic Spring day...halleluia praise Jesus kind of a day...Timothy and I dutifully trekked to the chalkboard and pondered on what to get. We decided to share an entree, and I let him pick this time, although the fish cakes wrapped in smoked salmon and topped with shrimp served with asparagus WOULD have been my pick...:) Anyway, we had swordfish with new potatoes, and I had a sublime salad with peppercorn dressing that tasted like REAL FOOD...seriously like food from the garden or something. The sweetest red onions I have ever had. I'm not even a salad fan and I will be thinking about this salad for months...I'm not a huge fish fan either, but Tim believes that when you on the water you always go with the fish, so we did. Hawaiian island harpooned swordfish with sides of homemade tomato chutney and tampenade. Tomato chutney rocked! We had some incredible cream of asparagus soup topped with dill and it came with two types of bread...white and honey wheat. They sat us next to the window so we could watch the water and be grateful for the good things in life. It has this contagious kind of atmosphere where even introverts like me chat up neighbor diners and it feels more like a dinner party than anything else. The group next to us was from Rochester. Both Tim and I have Rochester roots...so we had things (restaurants, and lack thereof to discuss). Apparently he is a chef that has been in San Diego and Colorado and has now come back to Rochester. We chatted about the new Punch-like restaurant he's thinking of opening in Rochester, and talked of all things California. Seriously, I talked to people I didn't know. I must have been in a good mood...usually I'm the person who pretends that even though I am sitting eight inches away from someone in a restaurant, we each have our very important invisible bubbles. Serendipity Sunday and the birthplace of the BEST GIRL EVER....my Laura Ingalls Wilder...I love Spring and daytrips!!!:) read more

Based off my one meal at Harbor View Cafe, I have to give it five stars. Open only seasonally, my grandma decided to make a drive by the other weekend while I was visiting her in Wabasha. To our luck, it was open. Not only is the restaurant only open during Wisconsin's warm months, they're also only open Thursday - Sunday (add Monday after Memorial Day). We arrived at the restaurant during a lull and hardly had to wait for a table. There are two separated sides of the restaurant, and we sat on the cozy, cabin library-like bar side (highly recommended) tucked in an awkward corner. The only "complaint" I have of Harbor View Cafe is that their menu, which is written on a chalkboard behind the bar, is difficult to read unless you're literally sitting in front of it at the bar. So, my grandma and I both had to stand up and walk over to the menu. Their entree selection changes frequently, hence the chalkboard, and boasts an impressive selection of surf and turf. I went all out and splurged on a large haddock fillet in a creamy tomato heaven sauce, steamed asparagus, roasted tomatoes, and lentils. Oh, sweetness. Just typing that meal makes me tear up. Fresh, light, richly flavorful, and plenty to eat and spare. My favorite unexpected find were the lentils, which are not commonly served as entree side dishes. I did have to wait about 45 minutes after ordering, but it was worth the wait. A diet coke with lime and some quality chat time with grandma was all I needed to hold me over until the food arrived. The staff seemed frantically busy at times, as the restaurant bar side is small and cramped, but they were completely friendly and attentive nonetheless. I can't wait to return to Harbor View Cafe. If you go, you can expect a selection of fresh and savory meals, longer waits for table and food, and an overall fabulous experience at a Wisconsin river restaurant retreat. read more

We were spending the weekend in the area and saw this place had high reviews so decided to try it out. The ambience is quaint and the service was good, and they were hospitable to our children, but the food was overpriced for how normal it was. I expected the dishes to be as creative as high rating reviews suggested, but a floret of steamed broccoli alongside a bowl of fettuccine Alfredo with a fancy description is not worth what they charged (plus an extra charge for splitting it). They boast locality of their food sources, which I appreciate, and may be the reason for inflated prices, or it may be that the dishes are swimming in butter and cheese, but it's not because it's gourmet. read more

I'm still craving my dinner from eight nights ago. Four of us took the scenic drive down to Lake Pepin, arriving just before the restaurant opened. I was surprised that there was already a line to get in, but after the experience, I understand completely. Of course, a glass of wine makes everything better. (If you like wine, ask for the long wine list, after all, you'll have time to enjoy it). I ordered the Halibut with Black Butter Caper sauce. It was absolutely mouth-watering perfect. The Chicken with roasted Garlic Chipolte sauce is like gourmet comfort food. The salmon with fresh dill cooked in parchment looked beautiful. Order the Ahi Tuna Rare. They have really fresh fish, it must be from Coastal. Loved the spicy lentil soup. Everything is super fresh from scratch, and you can tell. I usually eat dessert, but I was honestly too full, and too happy. My mouth is salivating just writing about that dinner. Hanging out with foodies, you can get spoiled. I know the difference between an outstanding meal, and merely adequate food with great atmosphere and dramatic presentation. Fortunately, the Harbor View food is fantastic, comparable to other five-star restaurants. Their service is warm, friendy, and attentive, not a drop of arrogance or artifice, which makes it even better, all considered They deserve to be busy. It's just a pleasure to have a place that good. Highly Recommended. We can't wait to go back again. read more

Any restaurant gets to operation how it wants and you as a customer have to either not go or accept how they operate. Harbor View has wonderful food with local ingredients and great service, but does not take reservations. I guess they found too many people canceling at the last minute. The desserts are equally as good as the food. It is a local gem and is the reason we go down to Pepin and stay for a few days per year. BTW the wine list has excellent price performance! One other note. Cash or check only read more

To maintain this level of quality in a remote town deserves TEN stars! Have been coming for years and the service and food are top notch. Bravo! read more

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

Fresh. The food is so fresh. I believe their menu changes daily. Oh, there is a plethora of menu items, and don't be shy. They will prepare it exactly the way you want it. Phenomenal choice of wines and knowledgeable and friendly servers. Seldom have I eaten such delicious food so thoughtfully prepared. On a shivery, rainy day in May we headed here because I knew their food was fab. I had forgotten how genuinely nice everyone is. The joint was packed. We waited at the bar while the manager called in more help so everyone would get served faster. I asked the bartender for a recommendation on a glass of red wine. She gave me 3, yes 3 to taste. We were seated shortly thereafter. I wish I could remember what I ordered, but I can't. I can tell you that is was moan worthy. I'd go back in a flash. 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

The quality of the food has been declining since the ownership change. The service has never been great. A rude waitress ruined a family dinner for us and the restaurant proceeded to block me on facebook after I left a negative review on their page. Extreme lack of professionalism. 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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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'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

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