I have been dining at the Channel marker for nearly 25 years, and it has always been on point, we have dined with family, Friends, and then just date night. We've taken the boat and have drove up over an hour one way and consider ourselves, " regulars". Over the weekend, we decided to venture up early and get there around 5 o'clock before it got busy, the first thing I noticed was a lot of the staple menu items were missing. The things that we had grown to love were gone off of the menu. I realize Food is now at an all-time high. The Jamaican chicken wings, poblano peppers, and several other appetizers that probably help put them above most other restaurants were no longer on their menu that we always ordered when we came. The drinks, the service are always phenomenal! Everyone is so nice there, what I always find impressive is the owners (the new owners as well) are always working right alongside their staff. My go to item is the coconut shrimp, which is the best I have ever had anywhere! My husband had the steak "Oscar" I ended up getting the smash reds and the brussels sprouts. The brussels sprouts were charred to the point where there was hardly any and dry, I was quite surprised at how very little was left of them under the leafy green, I didn't even eat them And the smash reds were dry and crumbly because of lack of moisture. No! I did not tell my waitress, I didn't want to complain lol (they started getting very busy) I just ended up boxing the food and taking it home (and yet yes, I'm posting a review) lol gheesh We did have to ask for dinner bread, which I thought came with the meal? They should per my suggestion automatically bring that out, If it's already being made in the back, and it's an item that they can provide, especially if people are dining on steaks and seafood, I guess maybe it should be an automatic to bring dinner bread.. I noticed that people next to us ordered prime rib both of them, and they too, had to ask for dinner bread. ( by the way, it was wonderful.)!! The only problem my husband had, was that the butter for the bread and the potato, came in the real tiny little individual packets.... He's a big guy and he could barely open the packets to get the butter out and it was a mess on the table., and he had tons of butter packets all over the place to butter the potato and the bread, etc. I almost wonder if it wouldn't be more cost-efficient just to put butter in a small ramekin like they do the sour cream like any other nice restaurant that you go to? This is only to say that I've noticed some small changes that could be fixed, to improve the dining experience, not to say Channel marker has went down downhill?!? Because it hasn't! We love this place that's why we make it a two hour round-trip to come here, we love the location, the people, and the selection on the menu, was just a little surprised at some of the things that had been taken off that's all. That's why we will return, and that's why we didn't really say anything while we were there as to not cause a problem. I'm not even sure if this review will make a difference. Or if the owners will take note. Everyone wants this restaurant to succeed always, the dining options on Wawasee Lake are outstanding! I include the Channel marker in that lineup! I just don't know if it was an off night in the kitchen, or dinner service was getting off to a rough start, and it got better towards the evening! The cost of our meal was great! What two alcoholic beverages Steak, shrimp, appetizer, and tip It was right around $100 Waterfront dining as well. read more

The Channel Marker - The Channel marker photo; the brussels sprouts at the bottom photo they are very green, the top is charred/dry - New American Near Me - Syracuse, Indiana

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The view is great, drinks are yummy and fairly priced. I reccomend 100% for anyone visiting. The two downsides. One is ridiculous, they only serve bottled water. It's on the lake, people come in dehydrated, be like every other restaurant and offer cups of water. No need to nickel and dime people, not to mention the insane amount of plastics being used. Heads up their Cole slaw side comes in a condiment cup, it's about 2 bites. Fries are tasting are a good portion size. Love the place, would be all about it if they upped a couple portion sizes and offered water to customers! read more

Service was slow, but I kind of expected that on a busy Sunday evening. Food took about an hour after ordering. Not sure if that is standard but the waitress kept apologizing so it must have not been. Perch was good but the Baja shrimp tacos and chicken quesadilla were not edible. And the added avocado wasn't there but didn't have time to reverse the charges. That said the bang bang shrimp were great. read more

This is a tough one to write. I can't decide on two stars or three. Husband and I went to The Channel Marker for lunch while on vacation. I'm from northern Indiana and when I saw lake perch on the menu, I was pretty excited. I ordered the basket, husband ordered a Rueben. The basket was hugely disappointing. The fries were good but that poor perch was over battered. Lake perch has a unique taste and is a delicate fish. After I removed 3/4 of the batter, I could somewhat taste the perch. There's not a lot of places to eat in Syracuse so we ended up back there with friends the next week. This time I saw a lake perch dinner, with the perch sautéed, on the menu. Pretty pricey for lake perch ($22) but i really wanted some good lake perch, and it was delicious. Almost twice the price I've paid at The Chubby Trout in Elkhart, IN but it was as good. Both times I had the side salad, which is pretty pitiful. A very very small, limp lettuce salad, Syracuse is a "rich" town in the summer with all the summer people who have their huge homes. So The Channel Marker can and does inflate their prices and people pay. Next summer I'm sure I'll go back, order the sautéed lake perch and complain about the price again. read more

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Rode bikes here from Oakwood. Only had a drink. Food looked good but didn't order. Divey kinda seafood restaurant on the water. 3/5 stars as we were denied waterfront table but then saw them seat another couple that appeared to have just walked in too. And there was several open tables outside. read more

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We were waiting by the host stand for several minutes before one of the many hosts walking by said they would be with us in a minute. Got sat and then no one came to our table. A server finally approached and said their was confusion and she would be taking care of us. The atmosphere was not as relaxing and fun as we had hoped. Our cheese curds and potato skins were over cooked but tasted ok. Our burgers were mediocre and didn't have much flavor. We have no interest in going back read more

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We love eating at the channel marker I like there. Potato skins. Hamburgers aren't bad either. Service is great and waiters are friendly read more

Six of us went to The Channel Marker for an early dinner yesterday. The restaurant is located on the channel between the two lakes, Wawasee and Syracuse. Two had the fish tacos, one a spicy chicken appetizer, two had sandwiches (a fish and a chicken) with French fries and I had a cup of clam chowder and a Caesar salad (wedges with onions). Everything was very tasty. We had a table near the window for a nice view that was non existent since it was sort of a rainy day. The service was excellent. read more

Whiskey Tea is awesome Great open air patio seating. Order sashimi tuna and grilled shrimp for a appetizer and Baja fish tacos and tropical shrimp tacos for dinner. The Cajun shrimp is just absolutely freaking amazing. Just the right amount of heat and flavor. The tuna is good. Not bad just ok. Our server Trisha was great she handled the bar and all the tables around her like a pro. All right. The grouper tacos are as good as you would get in Florida. I highly recommend them. Awesome place great food and great service. read more

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Enjoyed a great meal out on the patio. The Chicken Alaska with a bowl of lobster bisque was awesome. The hubby had the yellow fin tuna and wild rice also a great meal. Service was great. The waitress was sweet and attentive to our table. Would definitely recommend this restaurant. We arrived early around 4pm. read more

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Service was great, we had a large party, and they were able to seat us at a couple tables next to each other. Big menu with a lot unique options. My butterflied shrimp dinner was nearly unrecognizable. The shrimp were over fried, nearly burnt, and the handful of brussel sprouts I got as a side were cold. A couple other people's fried meals were overdone as well. read more

The Channel Marker - New American Near Me - Syracuse, Indiana

Wait staff is friendly and service was good. Love to sit outside and enjoy the lake view.

Delicious food and attentive service. Sat outside overlooking water on a beautiful day. Was first time here as visiting this area from out of state. Would go back if I'm ever in this area again. read more

A great place to sit back and take in the scenery on a warm day. The outside patio offers up close seating to the channel, the covered open air seated is perfect for a little weather protection. Their Beachcomber fish sandwich is always a good choice. Other selections we've tried is their burger, Buoy Fish sandwich and Basil Chicken and Key Largo salads, seafood fondue and edamame apps - all good. Service is usually good. Only downside is you can only order bottled water on their patio. read more

Today is out on their open deck on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. Draft vanilla porter for me (delicious), gin and tonic for RRR. Such a pleasant day with a breeze and beautiful blue skies. There are several trees and umbrellas over every table so we enjoyed lots of shade. Lunch was Sweet basil chicken salad with RRR choosing the Key Largo salad. 'Really interesting and good salad. ' I'm impressed they don't overload the salads with lettuce. Mine was generous with bleu cheese and pecans, so good. The raspberry dressing was very sweet but it comes on the side so i used it sparingly. The server was also good, food came quickly. All in all a much better experience than in the past. read more

The service was superb. We loved our food. We had the seafood fest, and there was enough to share. The brussels sprouts were incredible. The smashed potatoes were amazing and the shrimp with three different sauces... I would order again! My brother really wanted a BLT and he said it was awesome read more

The Channel Marker - BLT - New American Near Me - Syracuse, Indiana

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Great food outside. Didn't care for the Pepsi cans though. Really wish it was free refills.

Great place to sit by the water's edge enjoying an adult beverage and watching the wildlife! Including the boaters lol read more

This was my first time here. Ordered the Alaska King Crab...full market price, which wasn't cheap. I spent the entire night vomiting from sea food poisoning. Hell of a first impression. My wife ordered the lake perch...one of her favorite dishes and said it was okay but wouldn't order it again. I'm relieved she didn't get sick. The decor was nice but certainly not worth getting sick. There are 2-3 other restaurants around the bend. My advice is to keep driving and try them out. read more

It was just ok. Was in the area for work and ended up here for dinner. Drinks were good. Service pretty solid. Food was meh. Steak was cooked to medium (ordered medium rare) but was really fatty, even for a ribeye, and lacked flavor. I got the chowder and garden rice for sides. Chowed was solid, rice was not good at all still had hard pieces in it. read more

First Time trying the Channel Marker. Melisa ordered the Steak Salad. She said she wishes they had a more variety of Types of lettuce in it. I order the Michigan White fish that was laid out on a Cedar Plank. Fish was wonderful. The house salad was good. I also ordered a small bowl of Clam Chowder and it was ok. read more

Food was good. Ambiance was great. Service even better. Best to call ahead. Optimal time to visit is summer

Fun, lakeside restaurant with boat in access, tiki bar and food service. Inside dining during off season. Closes early.

Cute look. Food was ok, nothing special, friendly staff. All I can say is I ordered a heart healthy meal, it was supposed to be meat on bed of onions, The onions were fried and it was covered in BBQ sauce to the point it made me gag, the meat was ruined by the sauce. would not eat here again read more

The seafood got my whole party sick. We contacted the restaurant to let them know and the owner/manager was extremely rude and dismissive. I guess we'll have to find a new lake side restaurant to go to cause this one seems to be pretty careless about freshness of their food read more

Love this place , wait staff is excellent , food is delicious, outside seating is the place to be

We were looking for a place to eat in Syracuse, and were excited to find this lovely restaurant on the water! We were able to sit at a table outside where there was a nice breeze and plenty of fans to keep us cool. The service was fantastic! The food was delicious and unique, and that's exactly what we were looking for. Nice ambiance. We will definitely come back here again! read more

My family and I went here to try a new resturaunt since we allways went to the same ones, and when we entered, we were met with a tropical kind of vibe, the waiters were very nice and friendly and none of them were mean in any kind of way, both the outside areas had a nice view of the lake and one of the outside areas had fans and that made the experience even better because I wasnt sweating excessively. I ordered a normal burger with american cheese and fries, and there was nothing wrong with the burger, and the taste was amazing! The fries were amazing as well. There was maybe a couple bees, but they did not really bother. You should definetly try this place if your looking for quality food and a friendly and welcoming enviroment! read more

Great food. Great views. Feels like you're at a restaurant in Florida. Just wish they took reservations. :) read more

Wait staff was friendly and efficient. Bartender was efficient. Drinks were very good, as was the food. The restaurant is not a beauty to look at, but don't let that fool you. Food was delicious. read more

My 60th Birthday year continues with another "first time" restaurant. I was so looking forward to this meal with our new lake neighbors, but, what a disappointment. The food was just...... not good.... period. The waitress was nice and the service was ok. My hubby noticed the manager/owner? Enjoyed putting his hands on all the staff girls. Which was so inappropriate! First time and of course..... last time. read more

Every time I've gone here over the years I've had high hopes. Every time we go those are dashed. The service was meh, the food worse. Three plates of food not eaten and the waitstaff didn't bother to ask why. $21 for a dish that's $18.99 on the menu was the icing on the cake. That Carribean Shrimp tasted like my kid threw a bunch of rejected portions onto a plate and microwaved it. It had the flavor of a floor cleaner. The clam chowder tasted like chewing on a handful of pepper kernels right off the tree (I've done that). I think next year when we visit we won't be coming back. Gross. Overpriced, terrible food. read more

The Channel Marker - Receipt for the "Carribean Shrimp" that's $18.99 - New American Near Me - Syracuse, Indiana

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Only thing to say is Wow!! Hot spot to eat for my husband and coworker. Great choice to eat and right on the lake. read more

Island vibe was fun. Food was pretty good. Nice selection of beers on tap. Seating on the water.

Absolutely best place on lake. It has a drink called swamp water that is unreal! It is delicious and potent. They are famous for the out rigger burger. It is delicious! Best burger I have ever had! This is the place to go for food, drink, and atmosphere!!!! read more

Interesting first experience at The Channel Marker. Was recommended the burger (which was the crowd favorite). However, I personally ordered the NY Strip and asked for it to be cooked medium which was not what I received. The steak was cold and rare... read more

We were on our way back to Indy from Shipshewana and took a detour through Syracuse to see lake wawasee. We found this little gem on our way. We were created immediately by very friendly hostess. Our waitress joined just moments later. The four of us immediately struck up a conversation about holiday baking and different ideas and the reason why we were in Shipshewana stocking up on ingredients. My husband started with French onion soup. I've never been a huge fan of it but it smelled wonderful. He had me taste it and I have to admit it is probably the best french onion soup I've ever had. It was rich and thick and you could taste the red wine in it. Wonderful. I had a grilled chicken sandwich on a Hawaiian bun with onion straws and honey mustard dressing. It was also covered in Swiss cheese and was very tasty. My husband had fried shrimp and french fries and he said it was very good as well. The fries were very crispy and thick and very hot. We had a rum runner and Mai Tai a wawasee sunset and a swampy water drink. They were extremely tasty and strong. In fact I slept most of the way home! LOL the view of the channel was beautiful on this sunny Saturday. We walk through the tiki bar, closed for the season, and could tell that this place was probably really hopping during the summertime. we are even looking for some vrbo's on the lake so we can come back in the summertime. read more

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On a holiday week, be prepared for a small wait. BUT the waitstaff is clearly working hard and are excited to serve you. This place is legendary so give the staff some grace. Post-COVID equals a staff shortage, but the Channel Marker is worth the wait for this incredibly kind staff to serve you. Additionally, if you haven't had their bang-bang shrimp you are missing out! Couldn't take a picture of the food because we ate it so fast! read more

The Channel Marker is an amazing spot for families and friends to gather, celebrate and enjoy a nice lunch, dinner or early afternoon. The waitstaff are working hard to bring you your drinks and food during this crazy summer of being back open! Can't say enough good things about this place, we are always welcome, drinks are cold and life is good at The Channel Marker! Steve and Bridget are incredible owner/operators! Will be back many times throughout the summer! read more

We ate here during a breezy summer night On a friday. It was packed with locals so the vibe was fun and buzzing. Food was incredible, the staff was running has hard as they could to keep up. We came from out of state for a family reunion. We will go back next time we are in town. read more