harbor house

terrible food. this was the worst food i have ever had at a restaurant. after literally gagging on my salmon and setting my fork down, my friends joked that they were hungry for dinner and we should hit up mcdonald's afterwards.

the menu does not describe the dishes properly at all. the mussels were pretty good but not at all what i was expecting based on the menu description. someone else ordered a salad and you could visibly see the salt on it. it was beyond terrible, completely inedible.

the salmon i ordered was boiled, slimy, and unseasoned. it was garnished with some apples and below the big chunk of nasty fish was some extremely salty cooked spinach.

i would gladly have paid more if that is what it takes to bring in a skilled chef. or even just a competent chef.

food with a view! scenic lake michigan background made brunch even more wonderful in addition to the endless, scrumptious food! a good amount if variety for seafood lovers/non seafood lovers alike, harbor house was a powerhouse of classy fare, excellent and efficient service, and a very full (and filling!) buffet. @

very nice waitstaff amd bartenders . the food is excellent but portions are for dieters. i'm not a big man eother. the dinner is not served with any extras like soup or sald with rolls. very nice setting over the lake. i would not go back unless i was on a diet. i just think when i pay $40.00 a plate a few standard extras would make it worth it.

not impressed. sloppy wait staff and average food. he ordered seated tuna and it was gray. not at all appealing. best views from the lake. $20. valet parking. ev charging next door.

if you're hungry on sunday morning, then don't miss harbor house's fine sunday brunch. a lovely cottage w/ large picture windows & outdoor seating is right on milwaukee bay. enjoy views of the sail boats or loons having their own fresh brunch while catching your breath b/t courses. a cab would be a good idea from downtown hotels, as the only parking is thru the valet. the highlight of the prolific spread was, to me, the salad & fresh fish section, where i began & remained for the majority of our meal. lots of green & seafood salads, charcuterie & fine cheeses, smoked salmon w/ all the accompaniments, & around the corner large peel & eat cold shrimp, raw oysters, etc. boiled crab legs are included but must be ordered from the server, & while alcohol is of course extra, the bar top itself features many sweet, sour, & savory dressings/condiments for both bloody marys & mimosas. i sampled & munched (already full) from the breakfast & cutlery stations (both good), but my satiated appetite would not let me even consider partaking of the entree (pasta & fish) or omelet tables. dessert was mostly of the 1-2 bite pastry variety. about $40 will get you a seat, and i felt i got every penny's worth due to the brunch's quality & variety at this beautiful eatery.

one of the worst experiences i had in a long time.  staff is not willing to accommodate clients,
and service was as slow as one can possibly imagine about it.  we arrived on saturday at 2:35 for a late
lunch after visiting a brewery.  we were
told we could not seat in the main lounge because dinner was at 5 pm, and lunch
was not served after 2:30.  we were forced
to seat at the bar, where no accommodation are made for people with wheel
chairs or/and a 4 years old whose head was barely above the high table.   when i suggested the manager to let us seat
in one of the dining table, she just did not care, and followed the rule by the
book.

my ratings. 0...............2.5................5
5(excellent)

cleanliness ......................... 4
menu(size).......................... 4
timely service........................ 3
knowledge of servers......... 4
flexibility of establishment... 3
food and presentation........ 5
fresh food ...................... 2 frozen
portion size........... 4
quality of service............ 3 rude parking attendant
noise level........................ 5
ambiance and décor......... 5
condiments ............. 5
bread............................... 3
restrooms....................... 4
overall value..................... 3.5
total rating............... 4.4

needs a little tweaking on bread and frozen fries just so....so

not good food. sorry, i usually like bartolotta restaurants. the setting is beautiful, service just okay, and food sorely lacking...yikes! what happened? i absolutely love, love the steaks at joey gerards, but while tender, this one tasted funny, like wild meat. (and i'm used to natural corn fed beef.) not worth the prices. there was nothing about my meal that i could comment positively about.

slow service; bad food.. for a high end restaurant one would expect service and food to match the views.

harbor house misses on two of the three.

two visits with one month with executive level colleagues for celebrations.

service was brutal from the start to the point of bring almost surreal.

side dishes and other platrs camr out cold or unseasoned. i will say truthfully the cut of beef was amazingly tender and flavorful again.

complaints of both fell on deaf ears.

... at least we had tome to enjoy the view of downtown and the lake.

been two times. same result.

none of us will be back.

great place, overcooked tuna. i really like this place but always leave feeling the food doesn't measure up to the location, interior and service. i had seared tuna tacos which were ok and could have been great if the tuna wasn't cooked completely through.


-----27 oct, 2010-----

good and just ok. had dinner last saturday night with 2 others including an out of town guest who's a bit of a foodie.
the "goods" were inside design, service (i'd give this a great), bar scene and service,
the food was just ok, except for our guest's ny steak which she described as spectacular. the two seafood dishes were ok, but not great in any way and lacking creativity, flavor and color. they also served us a tomoto salad that should not be offered once fresh heirlooms are out of season and a cup of bisque that would have been tasty if it was served hot rather than lukewarm.
fun place, but i'd opt for more creative places like crazy water, lpb, or hinterland; next time i'll opt for the steak here

the steak was tough like shoe leather. i get better choice steak at grocery store. the waitress vanished for over 30 minutes. i will not go here again.

well, we liked this restaurant. didn't love it, but it was fine. the view is unbelievable and the interior of the restaurant is very pretty. the menu was uninspiring. i ordered the bronzino, which was a fish served whole. the fish was cooked nicely, but was kind of dull tasting. many entrees, including mine, came with roast potatoes. huh? how dull. they tasted even more boring.
all in all, the restaurant lacks creativity, from its menu to its interior. i far prefer hinterland, roots or smythe at the iron horse hotel. more soul, guts and innovation.

first off, the harbor house might have the best view in milwaukee. located just north of discovery world, the restaurant sits on a piece of land that stretches into lake michigan. the views of the art museum and skyline are unmatched. i am sure that during the summer, the scenery is even more dramatic.

loved it!!! i had the almodine trout and it was so delicious, great service beautiful view of the lake... definitely coming back : )

food was average. very good service.the baguette bread stale and dry. linguini pasta was precooked which is a terrible thing to do.i expected better from bartolotta.