Just don't! The restaurant is on the top floor of the hotel overlooking Lake Michigan. It has an absolutely beautiful panoramic view of the lake. The restaurant serves dinner only. After Labor Day they have a "limited " menu. It's pricey and the food is barely edible(actually we couldn't finish any of the food we ordered so I'm being charitable here). There are a number of really interesting and very good restaurants a few minutes away along the river. Give the Windward a hard pass. The hotel needs to redo their whole concept; even the bar is limited and not very good. This is a great hotel and you'll have an absolutely wonderful time here but sail clear of the Windward! read more

Windward Restaurant - Manistee, MI Located on the 5th floor of the Hampton Inn Surprisingly great spot with beautiful views of Manistee and Lake Michigan! While the service was a bit slow and prices are on the higher side, the food quality makes it worth the visit. The wedge salad was fantastic--super fresh and flavorful. I had the mushroom Swiss burger which was massive and delicious, loaded with sautéed onions and mushrooms. Fries were perfectly seasoned. Our daughter is gluten-free and loved the cauliflower crust pizza--crispy, generous portion, and totally satisfying. Great spot for a relaxing meal with a view. Just plan on a little extra time and bring your appetite! read more

See all

Food was so good! Big portions and the restaurant was so nice inside. Definitely worth the money. The only thing I would change is the waitresses attitude, she did not want to be there and it shows. (Sorry we did not wait to take the pictures we were hungry). Overall good experience other than the waitress. read more

See all

We ate here for dinner while staying for the sleigh bell park. The food was delicious and the staff were all great! The only negative we can say about the place is it is small and a bit loud. But it wasn't bad, just a bit loud. We had the sleigh bell special and the stuffed acorn squash off the seasonal menu both were fantastic. Our son got the smash burger off the kids menu and it was also good. Kirk was our waiter and he was very attentive. He knew the menu answered all our questions we had and even went out of his way to make sure our little guy liked his food and got his chocolate milk. When we come back to visit family again we will Make sure to stop by for a bite. read more

See all

This restaurant is on the top floor of the new Hampton Inn and Suites on the Lake Michigan shoreline in Manistee, Michigan. It has great views of the northern shore and the city beach and piers Very updated decor and a well stocked bar with knowledgeable bartenders. We had the boneless wings done gluten free (+$2) for appetizers. They were excellent. My wife had the steak and potatoes and was very happy with her choice. It was done to order and was very tender. I had the Windward salmon which I can highly recommend. The wait staff were attentive and gracious. You don't need to be staying at the hotel to eat here, we just happened to be and the menu looked good. I have included their menu Decent portion size for the prices. read more

See all

Best view in the City of Manistee. Wait can be an issue but service is improving. My husband and I were seated but actual service took 30 minutes. It is worth the wait but we were miffed that no one came to give us water or take our order. read more

The Windward - Salad Near Me - Manistee, Michigan

I thought this place would have much nicer ambience than it did. Missed opportunity there. It's feels like a hotel restaurant, not in a good way. Food was pretty decent but nothing to rave about. Nothing wrong. Nothing exceptional. Just go for the view and everything else will be a bonus. read more

I'll start by saying cocktails were good and had a heavy pour of alcohol. I had two cosmos and my mom had two 7&7s. However, our waitress was not familiar with a 7&7 which we thought was crazy because it's a pretty basic cocktail. We ordered the spinach & artichoke dip for an app. Dip was good, but it was served with thick, crunchy pita chips that did not complement the dip it at all. For dinner we ordered the margherita pizza. It was good, but was barely warm, like it had been sitting for a bit before it was served to us. There were hardly any customers, so it wasn't due to being busy. It would have been great if it was hot. We will go back when I visit again in June because the view and cocktails are great. Hopefully, our food will be better. read more

Happy birthday The Windward! Tonight was our second time and you didn't disappoint again. The food was awesome. We had the smash burgers and we think they probably are the best ones in the 'Stee! The ambiance is always wonderful from the top of the hotel. Great views of Lake Michigan, the channel, lighthouse and beaches. And the service was top notch. We sat at the bar and had nice conversation with the bartender who took great care of us. Definitely not a place to pass up. read more

Do anything you have to to avoid this place. I'm staying at the hotel, and wanted room service. They said they don't offer room service, so I went up to the restaurant. I was directed to the bar to place a to-go order. I waited 7-8 minutes before anyone was even at the bar. I said I wanted to place a to-go order, and without offering a menu, the bartender asked what I wanted. I asked for a menu. He proceeds to disappear for another 10 or so minutes. During that time, new people had sat down at the bar. When he came back, he started going to them first before me. I raised my fingers to indicate I was ready, even though I had set the menu aside which is a universal sign. I placed a to-go order for a Caesar salad with chicken and an order of spinach artichoke dip. Instead of going to enter my order, he proceeds to take drink orders for five people. Instead of entering my order, he proceeded to MAKE all of said drinks. He was apparently oblivious to my eyeballs burning a hole in the back of his head. He finally enters my order and brings over a receipt, telling me it will be 15-20 minutes. I said okay, gave my credit card. He comes back and asks if I want a drink while I wait. Why he thought that was the appropriate time in this sequence, I wish I knew. I said no. He says "well you can go leave and come back in 15-20 minutes." Oh gee can I? Thank you for such a lovely welcome. I didn't, I stayed and waited. The full 20 minutes later - suffering through insanely loud one-man-cover-band music, I got my food. WOW. I have never had such a disgusting Caesar salad in my entire life. I actually didn't know it could be so awful, truly. It was completely sopped in dressing, like soaking, and it tasted like Miracle Whip, not Caesar. The chicken was dry, stringy, tasteless shredded rotisserie chicken. The spinach artichoke dip was small and greasy, beyond what you'd even expect from a cheese dip, which I wouldn't expect to be grease free, but yuck. Luckily my picky eater accepted the dip anyway but I can't believe for a decent hotel in a prime location the restaurant is capable of failing so spectacularly. I'd give it 0 stars if I could, and plan to relay this directly to the manager when I check-out. read more

The service was amazing. Not too loud or bright. Perfect view of lake Michigan. Very clean and new. Very experienced mixologist. Food was great. read more

See all

Amazing service with amazing views, food was great as well. Not so sure on the BBQ chicken pizza, though, that one was a bit dry is all. read more

See all

Can't beat the views and the ambiance is solid for a hotel restaurant. Wife's poboy was good but my fettuccine Alfredo lacked any flavor, but other menu items looked good from what we could see others eating. Very lively environment although they could dim the lights a bit to make it more intimate. Great drink selection of local makers and your typical bar staples. Worth the visit, just fix the Alfredo sauce. read more

See all

We stopped in at around 8:30pm on a Saturday after dining elsewhere to inquire if we could get just dessert and coffee and enjoy the lovely sunset lake view at this hotel restaurant. The friendly staff seated us near the lively bar area and our server promptly brought out a Beachcomber espresso martini and a generous slice of carrot cake with caramel sauce to share. Both were quite good. The food at tables near us looked delicious. We plan to visit again in the future for dinner. The restaurant is on the small side and only takes reservations for hotel guests; others are first come first serve. read more

See all

Over priced. Food took an hour. When the food arrived it was cold. Very deceptive. Pictures on the menu showed one thing and they substituted something else. Instead of vegetables, we received little squares of potatoes that were burnt And tasted bad. read more

Great view of the lake, creative cocktails, and nice Wednesday night music. 5th floor of hotel.

I just spent 4 nights at the hotel (Hampton Inn) that this restaurant is "attached" to. My only regret was that I only ate here 3 of those 4 nights. The food was great- excellent carrot cake for desert. The service was fantastic- Kirk is the best. He does a fantastic job and remembers his guests and their likes/dislikes/tendencies. He really is one of the best bartenders/servers I've met in a while. Wednesday music was great and not too loud. View is incredible. Even the food prepared to go is great. Highly recommend giving it a try, and I'll also add that I did not experience any of the issues with slow service or any kind of wait. Maybe that's because of the season, but I had zero complaints. read more

My wife and I went to The Windward for drinks and Brad took care of us. He mixed a "Red Sky at Night" for my wife, who loved it. My Neat Scotch with a twist was as good as a Glenfidich can be. Brad was very conversant and accommodating to give a pleasant experience. Thank you Brad. Bless you. read more

Food was slow to come out took 40 mins for it come out Salad was last to be served - warm with lettuce not cut at all Wedge salad was a 1/2 head of iceberg with yellow core for 1/2 of it Pizza was doughy and burnt - several items out of stock not available Service the waitress avoided table and had a nervous laugh Price was outrageous left 90% of food on table - over $90 for the meal Only resolution was a dessert chocolate bomb - oversized chocolate cupcake each person that ate something was sick for the rest of the evening Not recommend will not ever be back read more

Worst service ever! The hotel is great. Took forever for our food. The waitress, Taylor was very argumentative due to the food being slow. 45 minutes to be exact. .I got fish tacos that had more salsa and sauce than fish. Long Island iced tea was horrible as someone who drinks them a lot. Go somewhere else and don't waste your time here. read more

After 5 visits, I'll finally give a review. This is definitely the best location in Manistee and will rival any place in the state for the views of Lake Michigan. As a new restaurant, you expect a few issues and there were several. Unfortunately, the food and service has not lived up to the location, view, and price. It's currently not in my Top 10 in Manistee. Lots of work to do with the menu, service, and quality. Really hoping it gets better as it's a place you really want to see make it and match the view it offers. Unfortunately it's currently like going to Arcadia and getting a Whopper for $20. read more

Best views but food was VERY disappointing, not too mention very delayed. Better off going into town to eat.

Great food and a great view! Service needs some tweaking. Wait staff spent lots of time standing around when they could have been checking on tables. Our waitress was unable to answer some basic questions. No effort to upsell dessert. It is a small venue. I'd suggest reservations. Note: They have new, digital menus. The one pictured is not current. read more

Beautiful views of the Manistee Lakeshore. Staff was very attentive and friendly. Well rounded menu with great options. Wonderful new addition to the Manistee area. read more

The consistency of the pizza has never been the same. I have ordered pizza 7 times and each time it was different. Either the crust, the sauce, or the preparation was different. They have a great wedge salad and the only bartender that is friendly, professional, and knows how to make a drink is the bartender Ashley. read more

The bar, host and serving staffs are A+. The food, however, is lacking. I ordered the Turkey Melt and it arrived badly burned and missing the slaw that was supposed to be on the sandwich. My partner's food was mediocre and bland. Lowering the lights would improve the ambiance. I will go back for the view and the accommodating/friendly staff with my fingers crossed that the kitchen has improved. read more

Food was delicious,ambience is wonderful, wait staff was good but could be better.Wish they had small bday cakes for those special occasions. read more

A beautiful restaurant with even better views of Lake Michigan! They have a great variety on their menu. Our waitress was very attentive and we enjoyed our visit. read more

We ate here our first evening at the hotel. The prices are way too high...for example, the wedge salad was 1/2 head of lettuce with few other ingredients. The tsp of bacon bits tasted imitation, only a few teeny tomatoes, NO blue cheese pieces...$10 for basically 1/2 head of lettuce is ridiculous. Hotel website stated there was room service but beware! They do NOT have room service and hotel website is misleading read more

A missed opportunity. There were five of us dining. Beautiful views of Lake Michigan. Service was lackluster, with Inattentive waitresses who took 20 minutes to bring glasses of water to our table, then took another 20 minutes to take our drink order, and another 20 minutes to bring two beers, a glass of wine and an iced tea. After watching our waitress yak at another for 30 minutes while leaning on the podium where the hostess greets incoming diners, one of the members of our group had to shout and ask for another beer. The waitress quickly brought the beverage, but quickly disappeared before any of us could ask for more water. The kitchen needs to get its act together, and prepare meals in a timely manner so diners like us aren't kept waiting 1 hour for their meals. Three meals were very good, but the white fish entree was disappointing for a companion diner and myself. The fish wasn't properly skinned. It was disgusting finding slimy bits of rolled up skin on my plate, and equally disgusting having to flip the white fish fillets over to scrape off the remaining skin. The fish was served with canned, peeled tomatoes (not fresh) and artichokes bits from a jar. All in all a very disappointing dining experience. We don't plan to return to the Windward ever again. read more