We saw an upper deck while out shopping and decided to stop by. It was very busy which was a good sign. It's a little strange that the upper and lower deck have separate host stands with separate waits, but not the end of the world. While we did have to wait a bit, a man (owner? Regular? Guardian angel?) told the hostess to bump us to the top of the wait list and we got in fairly quickly after that. All servers/hostesses were very pleasant. The food and drinks were delicious! We had a great view of the water watching all the boats come through. Whether you're in need of a meal or a drink, I absolutely recommend the BARge and can't wait to return. read more

The BARge - Queso - Bars Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

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We just stopped in for dinner without a reservation and were seated immediately at a great table on the water (in the bar area so not a full menu but apps only). We order drinks, whitefish and peel n eat shrimp. All was good. The bartender asilo served us so she was a bit rushed understandably. We enjoyed the atmosphere and the food & drinks. read more

The BARge - Bars Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

It was a beautiful day to be at the barge, my husband had fried fish and I had them fish tacos. Both were amazing. Our waitress was wonderful. The view was wonderful in the outdoor seating was even better. We went out there after we ate our lunch to have a few cocktails definitely a perfect spot. read more

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Was in the area visiting for a mini vacation. Decided to stop here for dinner. Was a bit of a wait but well worth it. The food was amazing and so were the drinks. I had the seafood Mac and cheese to eat and had the Liquid Marijuana to drink. Will have to stop back in when in the area. The view was even amazing. read more

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We visited Saugatuck and a friend recommended the Barge for lunch. It's a waterfront bar with views of the river, great spot. We had a nice table with a view and our server was very attentive. We started with the smoked white fish dip. We don't get or have white fish where we live so we always order it when we're in Michigan. We ordered the Fried Perch, Mahi Tacos, and Mac n Cheese. The perch was good, more battered than I prefer but still good. The mahi tacos were delicious and the mac n cheese was rich, gooey, with house made bread crumbs on top. What a great spot. read more

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One of the main reasons I wanted to go here was for their key lime pie!!! That was the first thing I asked for when we sat down. Sadly, they were out...and it was pretty early in the afternoon. Oh well. We did, however, get early dinner of Mahi Mahi for me and French dip sandwich for my husband. Both were excellent! Adult beverages were had as well. Strawberry gin fizz for me, the BARge Mule for him. Both very nice. The VIEW...cannot be beat! The water, the boats, the people...just awesome! And to have front row seats to it all, was terrific! Highly recommend this place for the setting alone. We were highly entertained! read more

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I love that the BARge is part of the Ship-N-Shore. The firecracker shrimp is delight as is the Barge burger. They have a good selection of cocktails and mocktails. The pirate punch sounds yummy (cocktail) as does the strawberry mango fizz (zero-proof mocktail). Good vibes at the BARge. read more

The BARge - The orginal BARge burger - Bars Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

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The food was good, however I noticed when I checked my credit card statement that our bill that we were charged $60 more than what we should have been. This may have been a mistake however when I reached out to the restaurant no one got back with me. Lesson learned for me to save our restaurant receipts. read more

You are going here for the views and the river front dining. Great place to spend a couple hours. We ordered the fried calamari appetizer and the walleye fish and chips. You would think that walleye being caught nextdoor it would be flash fried and fresh. Instead both the calamari and the fish and chips were dry indicative of being under the lights for hours. the calamari coated in mayo on top. We did eat at 4 PM so maybe that was a reason. Based on that order I don't know if i could eat there again. Highly disappointing meal and I wish I would have made a better menu choice. read more

The beachy, bar vibe is strong at the BARge. So is the excellent seafood. I had the island snapper. The snapper was blackened with pineapple rice was heaven. To be as busy as they were, the service was excellent. I highly recommend the BARge. read more

The BARge - Island Snapper - Bars Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

Great views and great service from the several times we stopped by during a busy 4th of July weekend. Bacon wrapped scallops were great! Bacon crispy and scallops done perfectly. Seafood Mac and cheese was a little light on the seafood. 6 shrimps and only 2 pieces of crab. You can probably scale back on the pound of macaroni. Overall great place to hangout on the water. read more

The BARge - Bars Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

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Planned a Mother's Day meet up with family and this spot was about halfway for us all. We had a table for 10 ready right when we got there which was awesome for not reserving ahead though we tried- so probably don't take reservations. And I can see why because it was a steady flow of patrons in and out. The restaurant is right along the water so the vibe is very open and airy and beach and boat town type of vibes which we love! And we were blessed with amazing and warm weather with constant sun. Even though our table was inside it has garage door style for over half the restaurant so very open. Drink menu looks very solid with alot of cocktails under the same vibe. In laws got the rum punch and they ordered a second round so you know it was good! I got the Bloody Mary and I absolutely loved the in house mix they had with it. Drinks can get ya a little pricey but we're tasty. Food menu looked pretty tasty with lots of options. The only negative about the experience was the time to get our food; close to an hour, and only reason not 5 stars. Server was extremely nice, I forget her name but had her hair up in a pink bun. Kept checking in and super friendly even though I'm sure she Was work out with all her tables. When the food came, at least it delivered. The crab Rangoon dip was recommended by my BIL and niece as well as bbq pizza. My family got a cheese pizza and cheesy bread for our kiddos; no kids menu but they devoured both of these. My wife got the fish tacos and let me have a bite and it was tasty. My crab cake sandwich was pretty solid, I was impressed they actually give you two Pattie's, I enjoyed the Baja sauce. The fries that came with the meals were alright, kinda thin and lacking better seasoning; feel like that would amp up some dishes. Definitely would recommend this place for fabulous dining in the sun! read more

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We found seats immediately and had to wait a while to get noticed to get our drink order. Drinks were good. Also ordered the crab cakes which we've had before but they changed their sauce from a Baja sauce to an old bay sauce. Also got the gator bites with Baja sauce and they were tasty (another repeat appetizer we enjoy). Wish service was a little more attentive and that they would let the motel guests do take out since the BARge gets busy with alot of people from all over....it used to be like an amenity or a perk for us guests but now it can be a hassle to get in to get food. read more

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I spent an evening at the BARge on a Saturday night with some friends celebrating me and my husband's anniversary. My husband and his friends spent much longer at the BARge having drinks and talking while my friends and I went shopping around downtown Saugatuck. However, when we arrived at the BARge to try and get a table the staff was so kind as to let us snag a bigger table to fit our party even though there was a 1 hour and 30 minute wait for the restaurant. I was very grateful that the staff was so gracious to let us skip the wait and that's why I am giving this review 4 stars. The restaurant itself is loud, fast paced, with mediocre food. We sat on the second floor deck which had great views of the Kalamazoo river which I very much enjoyed. The location of this restaurant is excellent! The restaurant is very big and they fill it up good, so keep in mind it is pretty loud. Plus they have music (crappy millennial house music) playing too. Our drinks were all good. The moscow mule was strong which I personally liked. Our appetizers were fine, however our meals were pretty mediocre. My first option was apparently sold out (which was fine), so I got the margherita pizza. The whole pizza was very bland and lacking in flavor. I doused mine in parmesan and even sprinkled salt on to give it more flavor. So the food was disappointing and lacking in authenticity to say the least. Although this place certainly wasn't bad I do recommend the Southerner in Saugatuck for a great riverfront restaurant, but with better food. - Sue H read more

The BARge - View from the top deck of the BARge - Bars Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

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Don't go!! Horrible service. We were told we had to wait for a table which was fine .....so we sat the bar which had a lot of empty seats. The waitstaff wouldn't even acknowledge us. After 30 minutes, we left. When we told the management on our way out, they didn't want to serve us either. We've been going to Saugatuck for years. We will never go back to The Barge. The next restaurant we went to was much, much busier and they waited on us right away. read more

The view is very beautiful. The food was ok and the drinks were good. I just love how it's an experience the atmosphere was pretty loud definitely a fun place. The service was great! Definitely coming back read more

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As locals, we've been going to the BARge every year since it opened (5?) and had another pleasant experience this summer. We loved the old Mermaid and sitting right on the river. The BARge has ample outdoor seating and almost feels like a Florida bar (in a good way). Great drink menu. We sat at the bar, ordered a margarita, enjoyed the river, and ordered egg rolls, wings, cheese dip, pizza, and a burger. The egg rolls were definitely the star, stayed hot for a long time, and were super tasty. All the other bar food was exactly what you'd expect in downtown Saugatuck. Our main suggestion would be to warm up the service/staff. The three of us are/were as friendly as it gets (ALL in the food service biz) and tried to engage the bartender, expo, and staff. We went on a weekday when it was dead; we're unsure as to the cold reception reason. We always love/admire a restaurant where the staff clicks and has a little fun. read more

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We were there Friday, Mar. 13, 2026 @ 5:45 pm. They had just opened back up (for the season) yesterday. All went smoothly as if they had not been closed. It was not busy at all. We both had pizzas. I had the Hawaiian with Cauliflower crust (9") & my husband had the Deluxe with their regular crust (13"). They were both wonderful & not salty like some pizzas can be. Had leftovers for another day as there was plenty of each. We definitely recommend this place. Enjoyed our time there & always run into family or friends. Great place to gather for great food. read more

The BARge - 13" Deluxe Pizza - Bars Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

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The bartender was great! The stuffed backed Jalapeno appetizer was delicious. However, my fish in myahi taco was cold and the CBT sandwich was nothing special. Not sure we would come back for food, maybe for a drink. read more

Beautiful view, right on the water. Watch the boats go by. Food delicious and came out quickly. Staff very friendly. Drinks were great. We always end up here more than once while staying in Saugatuck. read more

Absolutely wonderful food and service. I highly recommend their fish tacos, best restaurant in the area.

Meh. Food was nothing to write home about. Service was okay in so far as the team was trying but seemed under staffed so getting extra silverware or our check took longer. Place easily gets crowded when the weather forbids the place being opened up. Genuinely nothing to rush to go to but if you are stuck without a place to go it is fine. Don't bother with the blood Mary the 'bartender' special recipe on the menu is the most watered down one I think I've ever had. read more

Oh my. Such a wonderful gem. Dog friendly! Perch was light and so delicious fries excellent. I had a wonderful side salad with cauliflower crust pizza. Amazing. Service outstanding. read more

The BARge - Perch light and cooked perfectly - Bars Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

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The food and views were fantastic. Food arrived quickly and was delicious. We ended up staying a little longer to try that key lime pie. It was all top level. We will be back next time we are in town. read more

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Great Food,Drinks and Food.And,the Staff and Views of the Kalamazoo River are great! A great place to take out of time guests! read more

Great spot right on the water. Great drinks and service. Meals were well priced and substantial.

Great atmosphere n good drinks and food. Nothing to complain about. Great view right on the river.

After a little more than a two and a half hour drive from home to Sagatuck we were thirsty, hungry and more. We were promptly greeted by the hostess with smiles and just a short wait. While waiting our wives excused themselves to the bathroom to freshen up. Clean! We sat at the bar to have a adult beverage and promptly greeted by Maggie with a smile. Our table was ready. We were seated on the edge of the glass with a spectacular view of the water and some beautiful boats, some docked and some motoring by. Our waitress, Izzy was nothing short of excellent. She made some recommendations that were spot on; Mahi Tacos and the Perch Sandwich. She checked on us and was always smiling. Overall, a must see, do and eat for the great staff, awesome views and some really good food. read more

The BARge - a white building with a sign on it - Bars Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

Food is decent but come for the atmosphere. I eat and drink at this spot regularly and would normally give a solid 4 starts but the server tonight is unattentive and possibly incompetent. Who knows which; haven't seen much of him Had to ask for drinks every time. And no one took a single dish from our table. Not even apps. I should take a pic but over it and ready to leave. You kidding me? Why is my table filled w dirty dishes when I'm out to dinner. Ugh bummer read more

This restaurant has an upper and lower deck for seating. You can put your name in for either deck. We went on a Saturday evening and it was busy, so we put our name in for both decks. The upper deck came available first and we were so glad it did because we had a nice view of the water and it was such a nice temperature outside. Our waitress took our order quickly and brought us our drinks quickly too. Our appetizer of the whitefish dip came very quickly and it was really good. It is served cold with small naan and toasted pita chips. Our entrees came shortly after. I had the grouper Rueben which was hot and crispy and very large! It was tasty and a lot to finish. My only issue was the fries were a little on the chewy side but I wasn't really interested in my fries anyway. My husband had the seafood mac and he thought it was great! Our daughter ordered the original barge burger and fries. She liked her burger but hesitated on the fries also. The restaurant has a nice view on the upper and lower deck. This is one I would recommend! read more

We were devastated to find the Mermaid strip closed and wasnt sure where to go for outside water seating... luckily, the Barge looked like a perfect experience! We wanted upstairs seating but they were full, so we had an hour wait and went to the lower bar to order drinks to wait. About 3-5 bartenders on the lower level, refused to acknowledge us, served the 2 people next to us- even tho they showed up to their seats 15 minutes after us- took their order and then never came back to us. We jumped to multiple spots around the bar hoping someone would take our order, but luckily, upstairs finally called us. We were seated upstairs at the perfect table by the water. Our server, Juan swung by saying he'd bring us a round of waters. We waited another 20 minutes for him to return. I watched him take an order, refill another Chardonnay bottle, cash out 2 tables, forget what he was doing and then remembered us. Once we received service, it was great! Food, drinks atmosphere- perfect! We ordered a round of drinks and 3 appetizers for the table. It's definitely worth the wait as everyone aligns, but I'm unsure if they were understaffed? Not prepared for the day? Phone lines were crazy- and we beat the rush all together bc the wait became crazier as we watched how busy it became near the end of the meal. Juan was very nice but he obviously had too many tables and the bartenders on the lower level were extremely dismissive. The restaurant is great, service just needs a little tweak. Also- we are in the service industry and completely understand being understaffed and overworked, but wanted to give a heads up bc it was a lot longer than expected. read more

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Food was subpar but nice atmosphere and friendly staff. Decent drinks. Salads had wet lettuce. Pizza bland but good for a cocktail

Had a great dinner. Our first time there.Got waited on right away and Waitress was very attentive. I had the fried perch, and my husband had the blackened Maui Maui. He really is not an asparagus fan and the dish came with a nice amount of asparagus. He gave some to me, however after took a bite he kept commenting on how good it was. I agreed. His dinner was very moist with a nice large proportion. The batter on my perch was very light and crispy. Also shared a Caesar salad. Sat on the first floor by the open garage doors and near the water. Great view of the boats going by. It was very hot out, but there was a great breeze. Glad we tried! read more

This spot is cool with its airy, open patio and deck and views of the water. It was fun watching the boats pass by - you can also dock your boat at the bar. My friend and I stopped by for a drink one afternoon and had fun catching up. She ordered a spicy paloma but it was super spicy! She let our server know it was really hot and our server was so sweet and got a new one without jalapeno. So be careful if you don't like spicy stuff! The vibe during the day was relaxed and chill - I can tell that at night it would be more lively so I was happy to enjoy some quieter time here. The menu looked good but we didn't order any food. I'd definitely stop by again for lunch and some drinks! read more

The BARge - Bar - Bars Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

This is a popular spot, but I wasn't expecting it to be so expensive even in the off season (Halloween weekend). Service was pretty slow and there were a lot of people there and a lot of people working. Not sure if maybe they weren't expecting the crowd or possibly short staffed? It was a gorgeous day! The beer I had was really good and from a local brewery. The turkey burger recommendation from our server was pretty tasty too. I live in Chicago and even here a turkey burger is most often not $20. So if you don't mind higher prices, you'll have some good food, drinks, and view of the water! read more

The BARge - Oval Beach Blonde - Bars Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

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Great food and friendly staff! Lots of different options especially with seafood. Cool view of the river ! read more

The BARge - Crab stuffed shrimp & crab Rangoon dip - Bars Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

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Only went here for 1 drink and the bartenders were great! Can't speak to their food but would go back. The rooftop deck on the water is a fun vibe. read more

The BARge - paloma - Bars Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

We love Saugatuck and always stop here when we come into town. Watching the boats go back and forth is always a wonderful sight. Sitting in the balcony is the prime spot for this - but it fills up fast. Seating is first come, first serve. Today all of us started with drinks; liquid marijunana's and blackberry mule. Delicious and perfectly mixed. For our meal we had the crab cake burgers and cheesy breadsticks. The crab cake burgers were more breading then crab - but still were fabulous. The breadsticks seemed to be a bit on the garlicky side - but once again, very good. If you're looking for a fun spot by the water for a drink and some yummy foods, make sure you stop here! read more

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I've heard good things about the food so I was looking forward to going there. I ordered a martini (it was very good) and perch for mid lunch. Asked for extra crispy fries and the youngster waiting on me said that he could tell them but can't promise anything. Okay, that's fair I guess. Boy was I disappointed. The fish were dried up and not very warm as were the fries. I pictured them sitting under a heat lamp because they came out in 5 minutes tops. I really wanted to like this place too. Oh well. I had to ask for silverware from another server who was very sweet. The atmosphere was nice, on the water, and outside. They had a good crowd so I guess they really don't need me. read more

Tried calamari, crab cakes, and cheese garlic bread. Everything was fresh and flavorful! Very good service even during their busy time. Awesome view of kalamazoo river! The table and menu had some sticky spots. read more