Great drinks and food, friendly service and a great setting for live music! Big fan of the outdoor space and convenience of location too.

Views, brews, and chews - the 3 parts that make The Wharf a sweet spot in Manitowac. Came here on a Sunday just as the music act was wrapping up so I'll have to keep their live music calendar in mind next time. The outdoor seating is the ticket. Right on river before the light house and great lake with full view of the draw bridge as well. The bartenders were very quick and great to chat with. Great big coolers of delicious drinks and lots of local beer on tap. Decided to get some tacos and they were a delight! Reminded me of taco night at home with really tasty tortillas and the beef was spot on. Tasty bite! Really enjoyed the cheese curds here too. Really fun evening and not too far from many other spots in Manitowac! read more

The Wharf - Bars Near Me - Manitowoc, Wisconsin

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Firstly I was disappointed that they were out of Perch. That's the only local thing on the food menu, so disappointing. I had a shrimp rice bowl and it was pretty good. Get food at window, make a separate purchase at bar for drinks. No waiters. Beautiful view of the lake and river. The bartender was kind and it was pretty slow on a Monday. The cheese curds were very tasty. No squeak though! read more

The Wharf - Bars Near Me - Manitowoc, Wisconsin

Great place to go for the weekend, this place normally has multiple bands over the weekend also! Great bar that is both inside and outside, overlooking the River and submarine on the river. Food is, ok. Tons of staff always there so you normally don't have to wait for any drinks. read more

This is such a cute space! Outdoor seating with a water view? Yes, please! You order at the counter and pick up your own food, but the staff is very friendly. The food was also very good. Would recommend the Wharf to anyone looking for a chill and fun restaurant. read more

The Wharf - Menu - Bars Near Me - Manitowoc, Wisconsin

Slightly spicy bloody was really good. Then Door County Salad fresh ingredients, fast service. read more

The Wharf - Door County Salad - Bars Near Me - Manitowoc, Wisconsin

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Logan Spicer live music! Saturday afternoon with the ladies for widows weekend! Great ambience view of the maritime museum and river. Great friendly service can't wait to try this place out in the summer with the awesome patio. Nice deal on bucket of beers! read more

The Wharf - Live Music - Logan Spicer - Bars Near Me - Manitowoc, Wisconsin

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It's a very cute place decorated nicely for Christmas. Place is really clean. Denise was the bartender and was great. We ordered some of the Christmas drinks and they were very tasty. Lots of negative reviews on the food so we were hesitant to order anything. However we did order the pretzels and cheese dip. Those were excellent. Definitely would order again. Very nice place to enjoy a drink and some appetizers read more

The Wharf - The Wharf at Christmas time. - Bars Near Me - Manitowoc, Wisconsin

Could only last for one drink. Seating limited only a few tables to be able to sit at, rest including bar all high stools, flimsy looking and seat only about the size of a normal frying pan. In fact it looked like the bottom of a frying pan. Good view of river only available on the on far north side in the hot sun. The music was so loud you couldn't even hear yourself. Don't know about food didn't make that far. But apparently you have to order by a window and then stand and wait for it like you would at a food truck. Very, very disappointed would not recommend to anyone. Had to give 1 star because there wasn't any lower rating, but I would rate it a 0. read more

I will start by saying they do a good job with their entertainment lineup and run a good bar ( only reason for 2 stars). Was there last evening for entertainment, food and bar. I've been trying to decide whether or not to post this, but their food absolutely needs help, it's a good menu but the quality, flavor, and delivery is sad. I have to say that I did order a Cuban and it was good however bun was not even close to being toasted which would've turned a good sandwich into a great sandwich. My wife had a burger and cheese curds, which was absolutely horrible. Cheese cards were extremely greasy, this I'm sure too dropping them too soon in a fryer that has not recovered and come to proper temp. I've been in the industry and a chef in the industry since my early late teens. The burger, I don't know what to say about that, but it wasn't grilled on a flat top or a chair broiler. Very much closer to being steamed to be cooked prior to delivery, not even close to being seasoned either. Too bad .....they do a good job on two of the three, but that won't cut it. I would suggest eating before you arrive and enjoy some beverages and entertainment. read more

Nice location right off the Manitowoc River; very scenic as one can see Lake Michigan, the submarine and the city to the other side which was still in Christmas decorations. Very spacious and is a place for bands and other venues. Large garage doors for summer months when it gets hot and humid. We just stopped to see what it was. Not many people there when we stopped but another 15 people came in after. There were a few that also used the heated igloo outside to be more present in the winter atmosphere. Definitely a nice touch! I think this venue will become quite popular as it ages as it's still new. Great drinks and staff was pleasant. Didn't get a chance try any food, but what I witnessed looked good! read more

The Wharf - The Wharf - Bars Near Me - Manitowoc, Wisconsin

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I've heard good things about this venue. As it is about an hour from me, I was just recently able to get the chance to visit (4th of July). There is a lot of parking available around the facility. Despite it being a busy holiday, we easily parked and found a table on their deck. The building has a cool retractable roof. It was open, allowing all the patrons to soak up some summer rays. While not posted (at least I didn't see), patrons go to the bar for drinks or to an outside window to order food. While skeptical of the setup, I found they had a good amount of staffing at the bar and in the kitchen. The wait for drinks was short and despite it being very busy, our food order didn't take long either. Since we spent the afternoon listening to a band, I had multiple opportunities to go to the bar. The bartenders were friendly, efficient and poured good drinks. There was even a large cooler of water for patrons to get water from at their leisure. Our food took a while to come out. However, I was told when I ordered to expect the wait. Our chicken sandwiches were hot and tasty. Our chips (crunchy) and salsa (cold) also hit just right. With a great location, excellent service and solid food, we will definitely drive to Manitowoc again to go to The Wharf. read more

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As with many of the other one star reviews, The Wharf fell way short of the hyped information doled out on the visitmanitowoc.com website. What respectable Wisconsin bar/restaurant doesn't have the capability to put the Packer game on one of their numerous big screen TVs? Food was unremarkable, basically self-service. Won't be back. read more

Location Wonderful. Drinks Great. Music was really great but was way too loud. My Apple Watch was alerting like crazy. We could not talk without screaming. My ears were in pain. I can't believe the city would allow that noise level. read more

The Wharf in Manitowoc is coasting on hype rather than delivering any genuine quality. The food was flat-out uninspired, bland, and felt like something reheated from a catering tray rather than made fresh. Presentation was sloppy and flavorless -- nothing justified the inflated prices. The atmosphere? Imagine a cheap tourist bar awkwardly trying to masquerade as an upscale destination. Sticky tables, a weirdly sour smell near the bar, and music loud enough to kill conversation but too dull to even call a vibe. Service was indifferent at best. Staff acted annoyed with reasonable questions bordering on rude. For a place that bills itself as a highlight of the riverfront, The Wharf is all marketing and no heart. Save yourself the regret and pick literally any other spot in town. Manitowoc has far better options that respect your palate -- and your wallet read more

I came here for lunch on a Friday with my daughter. There was ample seating inside, but we got a table on the patio right on the river's edge. During our meal, we saw The Badger car ferry dock. That was a real treat. I ordered the Cuban sandwich, which is ham, pulled pork, Swiss cheese, and beer mustard, on a soft bun. The salty ham and smoky pulled pork worked well together. The beer mustard complimented the sandwich nicely. The price was reasonable, and the table bu rhe river was amazing. read more

I'm giving this restaurant two stars because it has beautiful views of the Manitowoc River and it's a very nice looking place. I ordered a mushroom and Swiss burger with fries, a side of cheese curds, and a soda. $30. No refills on the soda. I waited about 40 minutes for my food and in my opinion, the place wasn't busy enough to justify the wait. My burger was not good. The burger patty low grade meat, very thin, unseasoned, and had a slimy texture to it. No flavor to the Swiss cheese. The bun was hard as a rock and was not toasted. The burger was loaded with fresh mushrooms but they were also unseasoned and tasted like they had been soaking in water. The fries were decent but unsalted. The cheese curds were cheap frozen out-of-the-bag curds served with a raspberry sauce. I don't think a raspberry sauce goes well with cheese curds. No ranch sauce option. Overall I was unhappy with my experience here and will not be returning. read more

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We came for lunch on a Thursday afternoon. Self seating but much of the seating was reserved for a 730 concert. We started with drinks with 2 friendly and helpful bartenders. To order food you need to walk over to the food window and order, no wait staff. My wife ordered a Door County salad and I ordered a pulled pork sandwich with sweet potato fries (sides are extra). It took about 10 minutes for pickup. My wife said the salad was excellent with plenty of dried cherries, feta, apples, and candied pecans. My pulled pork was fine, but nothing special. The fries and slaw were delicious. It was nice to sit by the water on a warm day. One bonus: the restrooms were beautiful and very clean. read more

The Wharf - Door County salad, pulled pork sandwich and sweet potato fries. - Bars Near Me - Manitowoc, Wisconsin

Great location! Love the outdoor space for summer afternoon. Enjoyed my Bloody Mary with lots of fun toppings. That was the highlight. Had anticipated correctly that it is sort of a tourist trap. High prices. Limited food selection. And limited is fine, if done well. Tried the Brussels with dried cherries, goat cheese & balsamic, but it was severely overdressed. It is a very good-sized portion, though, so plan for that to be your meal or share. Tried to share, but hubby was not a fan. Smoked salmon taco was a tasty morsel. And hubby enjoyed his shrimp taco & perch taco. read more

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Great location. Window food service was beyond bad. Four out of six meals incorrect. Shoved onto one tray. Two fell off. Asked for. Another tray they "were out" with. Stack sitting there; said they were dirty. How about wash one especially since we were the only customer at the window. Horrible service attitude. Unapologetic order was wrong. Woman should be dismissed for the lack of care she showed for customers or her job. read more

I had a terrible experience here due to the awful customer service. I tried to pay as I went at the bar, like I've done at countless other places, but they flat-out refused. The bartender told me they don't allow that because they "don't want to pay the credit card company a percentage" every time I pay. Seriously? That's not my problem as a customer. Instead of focusing on providing a good experience, they made it clear they don't want my business. Won't be coming back. read more

My smoked salmon salad was tasty. My husband liked his burger and really enjoyed his mozzarella sticks! Thankfully we had great live music to listen to since the wait for our food was about 50 minutes! The band Annex was really fun! The outdoor space on the harbor is beautiful. read more

The Wharf - Annex playing on 7/14/2023! - Bars Near Me - Manitowoc, Wisconsin

I have been here two other times but in the summer when it was busy, windows and doors all open with good weather so maybe I was more forgiving then, or maybe this place has changed.... This time I came a cold, November Friday night around 5:30 pm. We were able to seat ourselves right away, probably only 4 or 5 other tables/ couples at the bar when we first arrived. They were out of a lot of things - first was the Beer we wanted to order, that's ok we got a different one. I asked to add avocado to my wrap- no they are out. Ok no worries. We get our drinks about 10/15 mins later. Then about 45 mins after ordering the waitress comes back and told us they were out of the appetizer we put in. Ok at that point we will just have our entrees. Then our entrees come over an hour after we got there (probably closer to an hour 15), mine was lacking the cheese ingredient- they were out. I asked for ranch on the side- they were out. Not sure if it was more our waitress or the kitchen because she didn't give any reasoning or seem apologetic at all. Some of our annoyance could have been saved with better / proactive communication. Maybe this is the norm now? Pretty disappointed, but since this is an easy spot we'll probably be back (in the summer) and lower our expectations In summary: - Positives: ambiance, views, live musics, always has seating or bar spots -Negatives: were out of a lot of ingredients and dishes, wait staff apathetic, long wait time for food especially read more

OK, hate to write a bad review, but here I go. I am a local resident who is THRILLED with the idea of The Wharf and the concept. We need something like this in this town. But it has lots of problems. Today I went with a friend to see a Beatles tribute group. It was a free concert, so we knew it would be crowded. The concert started at 2:30 pm. When we got there at 12:20, more than half the tables were reserved for sponsors. OK......I get that you have to give your sponsors something, but it was still depressing to see all those empty tables and not be able to sit down. We finally got a less than ideal table in front of the bar, in the direct line of traffic. In the meantime, we begin observing a guy "holding" a table for six (this was not one of the sponsor tables). He was the only person seated there for more than two hours. He sat on one of the stools and plopped his phone right in the middle of the table as if to say, "This is mine." That did not deter several people (usually a couple) from approaching the guy to ask of they could share the table. He always told them no. About five minutes before the concert started, his people showed up. UNFAIR. Management of The Wharf need rules to prevent this nonsense. I visited Al Johnson's in Door County last week and they will not let you occupy a table unless your entire party is present. It took an hour to get our food, but hey, at least we got it! They ended up shutting down the kitchen entirely for more than an hour. Wouldn't even take orders during this time. The other horrific thing that happened was when the first song started, I stood up to shoot an 11-second video. I was walking and holding my phone and an old man put two hands on the top of my butt and shoved me forward to get to the dance floor. I was in shock. People are so incredibly rude. read more

Nice atmosphere right on the water. High marks for that. Looks like it could be a great place to dine, but so many items were crossed off the menu as not available. I had a salad with chicken added and it was OK but a bit pricy for such a small portion. Staff was pleasant. Don't think I'll be returning. read more

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Came on a Tuesday night for supper VERY disappointed. Servers were nice. Do Not come for food. out of salads, key lime tarts, salmon, kitchen staff didn't even say sorry we are out of, just we don't have. Guess they say it so much... Pizza was good, brat patty was good, but not the split brat on menu. Menu looks good but the kitchen sadly does not deliver. Fish and chicken strips were over fried and hard, also tasteless. Suggest they get a time for the cook. Nice staff good drinks. read more

Cute place right by the water. Very casual ambiance, sit at the bar or mingle around. Live music was the reason we were attracted but we got there right as they were wrapping up, it looked like everyone was having a good time. Food was good although is not the reason you would go back. Service, beer and live music by the water make it worth visiting. read more

We came here by accident when out exploring in February. We saw the igloos and went inside to inquire how to rent one. We made a reservation and came back for the igloos. What a gorgeous and fun time. We had drinks and appetizers in the igloo. Super fun time and service was perfect. Highly recommend. read more

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What a fun place, and we saw a band called the dweebs. What a great time. Great drink choice.

What a neat place to stop down on the weekend to see a live band or to just hang out! I am not from the area, but was visiting my friend over the weekend and we went to The Wharf to see a musician. The drinks were delicious (I'm looking at you, jalapeño cucumber mule) and the atmosphere was fun and hip. I love that it's right on the water, and the sandy area where you can play bags is a neat touch. My only complaints were that I had to buy a bottle of water instead of getting a glass of ice water, and also the bathrooms are port-a-potties. Not a huge deal, as they were impeccably clean, but still not my preferred restroom option. read more

The Wharf - Jalapeño Cucumber Mule - Bars Near Me - Manitowoc, Wisconsin

First of all, this is a beautiful place at a great location. If they figured things out they would make a killing! We stopped by for dinner on a beautiful summer evening and upon going to order, learned that a large portion of their menu was unavailable because they were "out" of ingredients. The black marker through the menu items on the menu board indicated that this was not just a temporary issue. We chose to order some pizzas for the group and upon ordering, were informed that they were out of some of the listed ingredients. We chose to order them anyway and after a short wait they were finished and we picked them up at the window. The pizzas were served in large pizza boxes and we asked for some plates so that we could eat at our table. We were informed that they did have paper plates, but they were "saving them for tomorrow". Not sure what that is about as we paid for our pizza and now were not given plates because they were saving them for future customers!?! We got a handful of napkins and ate off of those. The pizzas were nothing special. Premade pizza crusts that were chewy and doughy and average toppings/ingredients. We will not be back which is a shame as we wanted SO bad to like this place. read more

The Wharf - Bars Near Me - Manitowoc, Wisconsin

Reviewers on here that complain of the high Chicago prices must have never actually been to Chicago. A similar place with this setting in Chicago would easily charge twice these prices. All of our out-of-town family asks to go back here when they visit. Even better, their food menu uses ingredients from awesome local businesses like Pine River Dairy. read more

The Wharf - Brussels sprouts app and 2 salads - Bars Near Me - Manitowoc, Wisconsin

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Great potential, so-so on execution. Out of several menu items. Coleslaw bland. Nice location. read more

We waited 1 hour for our food, and our friends waited 90 minutes. Our meals of fried perch were okay, but we would never eat here again. If you want only drinks, you walk to the bar and order from a friendly bartender. But food? Forget it. The location is great right along the river. read more

Very disappointed! Asked for a side salad,no raspberry dressing. Asked for a shrimp taco, no taco shells. Asked a turkey bacon wrap, no wraps. She finally suggested a turkey bacon melt. It was good, but not what I wanted. This was our first time here and the place was nice on the water. Won't be back! Don't know how you can be out of so many items on your menu !! Also no ranch dressing! read more

Thankfully the burger was good! Out of perch, out of salmon, no taco salad, forgot mayo and Cole slaw with our orders. Band did a sound check the entire time, wondering why they didn't set up before lunch? (To their credit, they sounded good once they started playing) Did I mention overpriced drinks? Hard pass. read more

Biked up from Belgium for lunch. This is a very cool place on the water with a nice outdoor theme and ambience. I ordered salmon tacos which took a full half-hour to come out even though there were only about 12-15 people there, some just drinking at the bar. I didn't expect the salmon to be cold smoked, but I like cold smoked salmon so they were good, and generous portions for the price. The wait was long but they seemed short staffed, which seems to be what nearly every restaurant is dealing with these days. Would I go back? On a nice day heck yeah. read more

I never let someone else or someone else's review, positive or negative stop me from checking out a place in person and forming my own opinion. In this case, I'm glad I did. I love this place! A must stop while in Manitowoc or passing through. Boats are welcome too! A new boardwalk/pier is now open. Great place to socialize and enjoy a few drinks as well as a great venue to see live music! What a view! The lakeshore has been waiting for a place like this for years. Keep up the great work! I will definitely return! read more

I love the black pig. My favorite is the Pork Ragu. It is delicious with nice chunk of pork. Drinks are very well prepared. My only complaint is since they open it up to double the size is it is very noisy. read more

Great upscale bar and restaurant right on the water! Great for people watching, live music, drinks and food. I loved the music and the service, a must stop when near Two Rivers read more