We had the Sunday brunch. There was a salad bar which was extremely basic. The croutons were cheap and the toppings were scarce. The rest of the food was also not great. If you don't want it fried, too bad. All of the meat had breading. The sides were very basic and cold. The desserts were nothing impressive either. The only reason I gave two stars was the service and the atmosphere, both were great. But the food was terrible. Not impressed for sure. read more

Came here after a business meeting in Springfield. I tried the grouper plate, Sam Adams IPA (non- alcoholic) and the peachberry cobbler. I don't recommend the grouper or the string beans that come with it. The texture of the beans were a bit waxy and hard. The fish flavor was less buttery and more ocean water. But the mashed potatoes, IPA and cobbler made up for it. Especially the cobbler. I will be back again but maybe I will try something different. My server was attentive and friendly. I also like the look of this place, very bass pro lol. read more

Hemingway's Blue Water Cafe - Grouper plate - Seafood Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

Unfortunately I need to update my review. First I need to say that I have been coming to Hemmingways for almost thirty years. I went to college here and married a local girl. Unfortunately after having been gone for 10 years we decided to visit here. Everything about this restaurant has changed. The amazing breakfast buffet that they used to have is completely removed and replaced with very poor quality food. At $25 a piece we were expecting the amazing food this restaurant was known for. On our first pass through we were disappointed with the small selection of food options. They had always been known for their apple dumplings. They are no longer available. In stead of a omelette station where they create fresh omelettes cooked to order they now have boxed eggs that I can't eat. The other big problem was the temperature of the food. Having had a safe serve course a few years ago I know that proteins have to be kept in a safe temperature or they become very dangerous. Our entire first course was cold and we had to throw it away. We told staff and eventually got hot food but wow. The staff were amazing but somebody in management has made some very poor choices and we will not be returning ever again . I Do Not Recommend This Restaurant. read more

See all

We came here for an early dinner after spending the afternoon at the aquarium (separate review for that - it was incredible!!). The reviews for Hemingway's were quite good and we'd were looking for eating here. We got there about 4.30 and there were only one or two other tables taken, so we were able to get seated right away. The ambiance is actually quite nice and the bar was really impressive. Massive salt water tank running the length with fun decor. Our waitress was nice enough and very pleasant. My wife ordered the crab crusted blackened grouper and I got the Islamorada Portofino - blackened mahi mahi with shrimp and a lobster cream sauce. Both our dishes came with green beans and I had mashed potatoes. Everything was "made in house" which I usually appreciate. However, neither of our meals were very good. The grouper was baked and the seasoning almost non existent. It was quite dry. My mahi mahi was beyond quite dry and the only thing that saved it was the lobster sauce which was the best thing on the plate. The shrimp were also overcooked. The mashed potatoes were gummy and the green beans had so much oil and butter on them to be very off putting. All in all a disappointing meal. read more

It was an easy way to eat supper! Go to the bass pro shop and catch dinner while there. It was walk up and be seated! I ordered drink which was really good and we both got catfish and it was good and very filling. If can be considered casual for the location but was nice with the aquarium and large bar there. Very nice read more

See all

We took the entire family there for brunch. Although we have eaten there several times this was our first brunch. The service was excellent even though the restaurant was packed and the place is packed with memorabilia around Hemingway. Wonderful experience! read more

We visited Hemingway's for brunch with our family, including our 13-year-old who has Alpha-gal syndrome, a serious allergy caused by a tick bite that can trigger delayed, unpredictable reactions to mammal-derived products. Reactions can vary day to day and, in severe cases, can include anaphylaxis. Before ordering, we made the allergy very clear to our server and explained how serious it is. We asked detailed questions about food preparation, fryers, cross-contamination, and what items would be safe. We were explicitly told that the restaurant takes allergies very seriously, that the food would be safe, and we were given several options our child could eat -- including items from the buffet. Based on this information, our 13-year-old ate from the buffet. Only after the meal was finished, a manager came to our table and informed us that the buffet is not Alpha-gal safe and that the information we were given by the server was incorrect. The manager then explained that none of their fryers are safe and that the food our child consumed should not have been recommended for someone with this allergy. We were left shocked and deeply concerned. While we understand that Alpha-gal can be a complex allergy, we did everything a family reasonably can do to protect our child: we communicated clearly, asked the right questions, and relied on the information provided by the staff. The failure here was not a lack of understanding on our part, but a breakdown in communication and knowledge about the restaurant's own kitchen practices. If our child had experienced a severe reaction or gone into anaphylactic shock, the consequences could have been life-threatening. I rarely leave reviews and have great respect for how hard restaurant staff work. However, this situation was extremely serious and could have ended very differently. My hope in leaving this review is not to attack, but to urge Hemingway's to improve allergy training, internal communication, and verification between servers and the kitchen before assuring guests that food is safe. Food allergies are not preferences -- they are medical conditions. Clear, accurate communication can quite literally save lives. read more

We made reservations because we were told you could sit by an aquarium however when we got there, they did not have us sitting by the aquarium. We were actually at the furthest table away, and the aquarium is only at the bar seating. Kids were disappointed. The kids had the buffet there was eggs, biscuits and gravy, salad bar, small dessert bar, fried catfish, mini muffins, mashed potatoes and veggies. Great for kids but not filling for adults. Food was mediocre nothing stood out or wowed us unfortunately. read more

Hemingway's Blue Water Cafe - Lounge - Seafood Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

See all

I had the brunch buffet : The salad was good, but not a lot of choices. As far as the hot line I found everything bland as if it was all just prepackaged sides heated up. The blackened chicken Alfredo was both bland and tough. The bourbon glazed " sirloin" was dry and tasteless. The desert bar had several items of which I tried three. The strawberry bar was very dense, the peach cobbler tasted strait out of a grocery store freezer. The coconut bar was actually tasty. My wife ordered the alligator bites as we had had them multiple times and had always enjoyed them. We found them very tough and basically inedible this time. When asked by the waitress how are Meal was, she seemed personally insulted when I told her that the alligator bites were very tough. The manager did come over and apologize and did end up taking them off our bill. Due to our past experiences we will probably give them another try, but had this been our first visit it definitely would have been our last. read more

This place looks neat on the inside, but the food is underwhelming to lousy. Not ever worth 1/2 the money it cost; let alone what they truly charge for their items. Chowder: a thin broth chowder that lacks flavor. Bison sliders: they're ok at best. Bison meatloaf: Nothing at all, that you want to even try a second but of. Halibut: overcooked and an odd tasting sauce. Shrimp Alfredo: Nothing to write home about; and odd to order Alfredo - then have a red sauce topper on the Alfredo. I personally suggest to skip this place, if you want seafood. Should you try it, you'll be severely disappointed, and your wallet will get fleeced. read more

See all

I should begin by giving kudos to our server. She was attentive and warm, answering every question and offering helpful advice. We recently moved back to Springfield and looked forward to one of the restaurants our young family loved when we were here 25 years ago. The setting is still beautiful, with a huge aquarium filled with large, impressive fish. The food was less impressive. I ordered a Cobb salad. The bowl it was in was round and high, which made the greens hard to cut. There was cheese, bacon and boiled eggs, but there was such an abundance of salad greens that most of it got lost in the bottom of the bowl as I ate. My husband ordered fried shrimp and fries. He said the shrimp was fine, but he did not like the battered fries, which were not described as such. He would have ordered a different side. Sadly, we were disappointed with our food. We might try the weekend brunch at some point. read more

Inside the Jewel of the Ozarks, Bass Pro Shop,your one stop shop for Fishing, hunting, and Outdoor sports up to and including boat and trailer combos. I am compelled to come here every time I am in Springfield just to have a Bloody Mary and watch the 30,000 gallon salt water aquarium. It's a beautiful thing. They have a comfort food menu that has not changed much over the last 30 years and an impressive Sunday Buffet, if you like that kind of thing. The food is down-home delicious. The service was wonderful, the bartender was as chatty as my husband so they got along fine. The service is efficient and friendly. Parking can be tricky, it's a popular place, and then you run a little shopping maze to get to the restaurant. It's hard to find your way out without shopping. Prices are good and they literally have something for everyone. read more

Hemingway's Blue Water Cafe - 30 thousand gallons - Seafood Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

My husband and I went to Springfield yesterday to see the Wonders of Wildlife Aquarium and ate here for dinner. First of all, the restaurant design is absolutely gorgeous. The bar has a saltwater tank behind it and there is a rustic-like lounge area with a fireplace. For the appetizer, we got the bacon-wrapped jalapeño duck poppers. They were very spicy, but good. The bacon and duck were cooked perfectly. For our entrees, I got the bison burger, cooked medium, with a subbed side of macaroni and cheese and my husband got the islamorada portofino, which is blackened mahi mahi with grilled shrimp and lobster cream sauce and sides of mashed potatoes and subbed macaroni and cheese. I had never had a bison burger before and this one was very good and juicy. There was BBQ sauce on the top of the patty and honey mustard on the bottom bun. I now have a new favorite sauce combination! The cheese was perfectly melted on the patty and the Roma tomatoes, as they always do, added a great touch to the juiciness. My husband said his mahi mahi was very good. The macaroni and cheese was very delicious! For dessert, we got the chocolate chip cookie sundae, which is a chocolate chip cookie baked in a cast iron skillet and topped with vanilla ice cream and hot fudge. Once again, we were not disappointed. The cookie was very well baked and the ice cream with hot fudge added to the deliciousness. For a cocktail, I got the peach sangria. It literally tasted like a spiked peach Capri Sun. So good! Our waitress was also very good. She was very nice and attentive! When we visit Springfield again, this will definitely be on our list. I am actually shocked how many bad reviews there are. read more

See all

Food was pretty good, I'd come back to try other items. It was also fast which I appreciated! Lots of yummy sounding menu items to try for sure. The Islamorada Portofino contained LOTS of my favorite things - tuna and mahi mahi blackened shrimp, grilled zucchini & the most perfectly salted fries! Also the cream dipping sauce on the side was really good too. My friend also enjoyed her grilled chicken sandwich. read more

Hemingway's Blue Water Cafe - Islamorada Portofino, Grilled Chicken Sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

As mediocre as they come. Severely needs an update. Beautiful spot inside Bass Pro. But the menu is totally drab and besides the awesome aquarium behind the bar, nothing special. They have a Sunday brunch that might be the poorest buffet I've been to in a while. Positive Tip: Skip the meal and grab a drink at the bar. The fish tank behind the bar is beautiful. read more

Awesome atmosphere , service, quality and pricing. I was shocked at my total. The Thanksgiving buffet was awesome and the green beans that came with Islamorada Portofino were hands down best green beans I've ever had. read more

Ordered from the menu two different types of fish that was good but the green beans served with it were cold and undercooked. The elk burger had some kind of sauce on it that wasn't to anyone's liking. The ribeye steak was cooked as asked but had such a bitter taste that only half of it could be eaten. We ordered 4 different appetizers to try, the sliders were good, the alligator was good, the calamari was very overcooked almost burn, the artichoke dip was everyone's favorite. The service was a little slow but she was very nice. There was 5 people in our party and we shared everything we ordered so that we could make a decision on the food and I'm sorry to say none of us will be going back to Hemmingway's in Springfield, Missouri. read more

We took a road trip to Springfield, MO and decided to check out the original Bass Pro. For lunch we decided to try their fine dining restaurant upstairs. It was a neat little find and the options were very unusual and somewhat unique. Service was very nice. The view was cool as we could see down into the store. Food was pretty good, though it came at a fine dining price. Parking of course plentiful. read more

See all

Went to eat weekend brunch buffet after nieces graduation, one of the worst meals our party of 8 has ever had! Fried Catfish was disgustingly fishy because the skin was left on, the scrambled eggs were dry and had no taste, the breading on the cashew chicken was mushy, I could go on and on and it was $25! It gives Bass Pro a bad name!! read more

So, we stopped in for a late lunch... Elk sliders are really good, and should have been my meal. Had dinner salads, with housemade croutons. Really tasty. Sunshine had the Bison burger, with BBQ sauce on the side. Cupcake had the Bison meatloaf. Good, but nothing special. Service was great. Once seated, promptly watered, drunker and app'd! Now waiting on a Key Lime to share. Ambiance is bustling but quiet; no overhead music. My $0.02¢ read more

Hemingway's Blue Water Cafe - Sunshine & Nicky at Hemingways. - Seafood Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

We ordered the halibut, the bison burger and my stepson got the chicken strips. The good: chicken strips were good and the fries were cooked/salted well. The bad: the halibut was TOUGH. Like, right out of the bag tough. This was not fresh fish. The mashed potatoes came from a box. The bun on the bison burger was so stale that I couldn't even recognize if the burger was even good or not. The tried to hide the staleness of the bun by toasting the inside and outside of the bun, but it didn't work. Very frustrating considering that we had to walk around the outside of the building to get here after leaving the aquarium exit. They got a star back for taking those two meals off our meal and the service was nice. read more

Huge disappointment, so not waste your time or money. My family and I had been to Hemingways for brunch years ago. I remember being very impressed with the omelette bar and tons of options. However, they have completely changed the brunch. There is no omelette bar no prime rib carving station and the food options are very limited. Personally I thought the food was horrible. The eggs were gross and they only made 5 small panipat a time. People were constantly waiting. Our server is the only reason I am giving any stars. She tried to accommodate us as best she could. The interior looks run down and needs a refresh. read more

It's amazing. The inside environment gives you the feel you're at a yacht club. The view gives you the feel to you're up in a treehouse overlooking the wilderness. read more

Elegant. Soothingly relaxing. Exceptional food. Many big cities lack a restaurant as fine as this one. Lucky Springfield. read more

See all

Not what it used to be. Food mediocre at best. This place used to one of Springfields better places to eat, sadly that's not true anymore.

Easter buffet. The atmosphere is lovely, but the buffet seemed "off" this year. The food was not up to par to where it used to be. A lot of money was spent for a bland meal. read more

We were excited to hear that Hemmingway's at Bass Pro was bringing back their breakfast buffet. (We heard the announcement while in the store.) We took family from out of town and bragged how good it was in the past and at 9:10 am we sat down. The staff was attentive and provided good service and there was good ambiance as usual. The food was awful, downright sad and embarrassing. $15.95/99 for what was offered was lacking in flavor, appearance and freshness. Biscuits undercooked, scrambled eggs runny, French toast over cooked and dried out, and the fruit was so so. Hemmingway's used to be a classy place with great food. Johnny Morris wouldn't have eaten this. Go somewhere else, you'll be glad you did. read more

Service was awesome! My server was Ashley. The food was great as well! Also, the atmosphere(or ambiance) was amazing!

This place is awesome for a cold drink and great seafood. We came here and had a great lunch with great service. We ordered the shrimp cocktail and clam chowder which was delicious. If your ever in the area you gotta come here to eat. Girlfriend had the shrimp tacos and they were amazing as well. read more

Food not very good. Wait staff friendly. I had catfish which was very thin with lots of breading. The tartar sauce was mayo. No flavor at all- no seasoning read more

Hubby had read good things so he really wanted to go. They had a lunch buffet so it was perfect for our trip back home to gobble up some grub. I was dissapointed to learn that this basically the same restuarant as the White Fish one on the landing. The food was average at best and not hot, just warm - even the items that were JUST replaced. It is a bit small with minimal offerings. I didn't care for the circle design because there are items on the inner and outer circles and not room to walk between the people. We sat at the bar and the bartender had a "I have to be here" vibe... I didn't find her inviting. The bar view was cool, but not cool enough to recommend it or go back. read more

See all

I'm giving this 3 stars for the ambience alone. Huge, dramatic aquarium behind the bar, and the room decorated in a cool, woodsy manner. My complaint is with the food... so disappointing! I ordered the Shrimp Bonetti, which is one of their specialty dishes. Shockingly, it was pretty awful! I asked for light sauce, but the pasta was drenched in a crazy amount of thick Alfredo sauce. It was actually stuck together with the vast amount of rich, gooey sauce! Almost inedible. I was too tired to send it back, should have, but shame on them for even serving that. read more

We arrived on a Wednesday evening and didn't expect the restaurant to be busy. We were correct. However, we proceeded to wait approximately 25 minutes for a table, while no less than 5 employees stood at the front hostess stand and continually averted their gaze. When we were finally escorted into the restaurant, a table 10 feet from where we were standing, we noticed there were only about 5 tables with guests in the restaurant. Despite this very rocky start, our server arrived and was spectacular. Simona waited on us and was one of the best servers we have had the pleasure to meet. She was very attentive and kind. She is the reason for the 4 stars. If others in the restaurant were as pleasant, we would give many more stars and high recommendations. The food was very good and arrived in a timely manner. Simona is the reason we will be back. read more

Went to Hemingways tonight and ordered the blackened Grouper. Normally this should be a thick chunk, but it came out looking like a catfish fillet. As I ate it, I noticed it was not very flaky and looked translucent. Upon further investigation, I discovered it was raw. Showed it to the manager whose eyes grew to the size of golf balls in shock. The soup was cold and the water tasted so thick of chlorine that I thought I swallowed a whole pool of chlorinated water. We learned a couple cooks quit early in the day. Wonder why...hmmm? Needless to say several others in our party ended up feeling sick from the horrid fare this establishment tends to serve. Eater beware when going to Hemingways because that meal could wind up being your last. read more

The Bass Pro shop is an awesome place. You can spend all day there. I recommend leaving to get something to eat though. The blue water cafe has very average food, at best. And is on the pricey side. The brunch buffet left a lot to be desired. read more

The service is great. The waitress is very personable. And the service was fast. I like the family environment. The food was not good. I ordered the catfish and it was awful. I sent it back and got their cod instead. It was not much better. All of it was greasy and tasted like the grease had not been changed in weeks. I didn't eat it either. I was still charged full price. So even though I live locally.I won't be back. Not what you would expect from BASS PRO SHOP. read more

My wife and I had looks forward to coming here to eat lunch for a while now. So we had time and stopped in the food was good try the shrimp tacos. And the drinks were strong which my wife loved. The issue was the service. We sat at the bar because there was 20 min wait for a table. Took awhile to get the bartender to come get us meuns and our drink order. She was rude and very short with us. So service being a big deal to me is why only 2 stars read more

Hemingway's Blue Water Cafe - an aquarium - Seafood Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

Good food and the clam chowder was hot and very good. The fish was good but don't get the catfish, I have heard it is not to good but you can try it yourself. The service is good; very nice people. The drinks are good they are very syrupy which adds a good bit of flavor. The ambiance is good to, it gives a feel of being at the ocean while fishing but also like the lake. I would come back, very taste. read more

Hemingway's Blue Water Cafe - The aquarium - Seafood Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

Busy Saturday visit, was luckily enough to get a seat at the bar, closer to the fish. Quick service, host and server were friendly enough. Ordered a build your own burger with Swiss and mushrooms and fries. Order came out hot and relatively quick. I only wish a burger came with mayo instead of dry buns, then you need to ask for it and wait several minutes for a small ramekin to come out. Burger itself was cooked and seasoned well, mushrooms were fresh, fries were yummy. Server didn't check on meal but did give me a drink refill. $20 for burger, fries, soda & tip on the high side, but food and atmosphere were nice. read more

Hemingway's Blue Water Cafe - Seafood Near Me - Springfield, Missouri

Pretty good I got the chicken sandwich, but wished I got the fish and chips tasted the fish and was really delicious! Atmosphere was really cool! read more

See all