The Waterfront Restaurant and Bar

Service was super super super slow, we were there Memorial Day Monday about 6pm since we were staying at The Abbey. There were only about 8 tables total n the entire restaurant. It took our waitress about 15 minutes to get our drink order then our drinks sat at the bar for 15 minutes. Food was ok but again service was super slow and not attentive at all. For a «resort» that prides themselves on quality service we just weren’t feeling it. Did I mention that we were staying here for our as a short honeymoon trip to relax after our wedding on Saturday, May 28? My sister gave us a gift card to the Abbey as a wedding gift card. So very disappointing… sigh. Do yourself a favor and don’t believe the hype… find another place to stay in Lake Geneva besides the Abbey.

We were there for Dining Week. There was a burger as one of the choices had up to five or six items on the burger. Onion lettuce aioli etc. I asked if I could get it with just the cheese and was told no. It had to have all the items on it because the kitchen had the menu planned that way. But if I came back when it wasn’t Lake Geneva Dining Week I could get it plain. Seems like a silly plan. I ended up getting the pulled pork with the slaw on the side instead of on the sandwich. Why accommodate me on one sandwich but not the other. The pulled pork was very good.

We stayed at the Abbey and were slightly apprehensive because some of the reviews weren’t that great, but the food and service were great! We both had the ribs. Awesome, fall off the bone. Great seasoning and sauce– the sides were good too. Bloody Mary was great. Glad to have come and will be back next time we’re at the Abbey.

We have been going to the Abbey for Easter brunch and Thanksgiving buffet for years. Since Chef Walters left, it has been going downhill, year by year. Easter 2016 worse than ever. Will not return. Service was awful. Never offered a Mimosa, although we hear that other tables were given as many as they wanted. Couldn’t get a clean plate, refill on drinks, and were never asked if we wanted coffee. The food was less than acceptable. Leg of Lamb was partly raw, partly tough and partly dried out. No more Brie en croute, oysters worse than ever, no duckling, less and less choices. Hot trays were barely kept full. The whipped cauliflower was the only item that was decent. With my mother being gluten free, there were quite a few gluten free items, which Chef Walters started years ago, but less and less of everything this visit. Two supposedly gluten free desserts were brought to my mother. However, both looked like they had brownies in them as opposed to flourless chocolate cake. No chef around to ask. She wasn’t taking a chance. At $ 40 per person, plus 20% tip automatically added (on a buffet, yet), plus tax (were taxed on gratuity as well), it was a brunch not worth driving into Wisconsin for. So disappointed! We all want a refund!

Very good pub food with a nice selection of healthier menu items. Had a very nicely prepared NY strip steak. The ice water tastes metallic for some reason. Otherwise, the restaurant is clean, the service has always been prompt, friendly and attentive. Good variety of drinks.

Well first, they need to resolve the fly problem! There were flies while we were waiting to be seated and around our table. I’d go eat outside if I wanted to shoo away flies while eating lunch. Just saying. My wife and I started with fried calamari and cheese curds. Small portions but decent. Glad we ordered two appetizers. My wife ordered fish and chips, she had the fish broiled. The fish was under cooked and had no flavor. I ordered the BBQ Combo. The baked potato was small. The ribs were really good, tender and the meat pulled right off the bone. The chicken is what killed it. The meat was rubbery and tasted strange. Not sure what it means that the chicken was rubbery, but yeah. Drinks, she had a Bloody Mary and I had a spotted cow. The spotted cow tasted like it was on draft and was flat. Disappointed since I’m not from Wisconsin and can’t enjoy this beer regularly. I would not recommend going here. I feel bad for the people that actually are staying at the Abbey.

This was our first dinner at The Abbey. We got a nice table outside by the water. Our server was not very attentive — we had asked for a couple different things that he kept forgetting to bring out (high chair, silverware, napkins). We waited quite awhile for our food. Had the «famous» BBQ, which wasn’t bad, just not sure it is as good as they brag. Nobody followed up after we received our food until we asked a different server to get our check for us.

Stopped in for lunch on a rainy holiday weekend. The food was good. Had live music which was really nice but volume of music made conversation a challenge. Would suggest they turn the volume down a bit with all the doors and windows closed. Caprese salad was yummy perfect for lunch.

Rob (bartender) was very helpful and accommodating. The nachos and burger were terrific. Service was quick. Would come back for sure!

Ran in for a quick drink and the bloody was good. Fully dressed. Best part was the cheese stick! Wisconsin fresh.
I have always liked this place. A lot of these bad reviews are from people expecting a little too much. Chill out.

Wow… for such a nice resort how does this place suck so much. First of all, we sit at a table with the light being out and a bottle of cleaning solution above our table. We sat there for 15 minutes before the server finally asked for our drink order. No mention of where she was at or what took so long. I see the manager comments on these reviews… whatever your telling the staff to improve this — -it’s not working!!!
So my wife and I decide for the fish fry. After ordering within five minutes are server came back with tartar sauce, coleslaw, and apple sauce. I thought this is a very unique and interesting approach for a typical fish fry. Well 30 minutes later the meals finally come out and they gave me some kind of potato wedges and not my potato pancake. I thought they made a mistake, oh no, waitress told me they ran out of pancakes but were making more. Let’s just say the new batch never made it to my table.
I stopped eating my meal after the hush puppies were gone. I so wished I would have just gone to Chucks Tavern across the street where there fish fry is so much better, service, price, and the food!!! How can people go here, because they think how could a first class resort put out such crappy food and service.
We finally made it out of there and went back to the room. Still in awe of that experience and the money we spent. Can Bar Rescue please go here???
The manager should be ashamed and the owners of this resort should evaluate what the hell is going on. Never again will I go and will tell others to save their time and money.

Started out with the rudest hotesses in all of Wisconsin. They made us wait a long 30 minutes while way over half of the tables were clearly open and the underage waitstaff wandered around aimlessly probably comtemplating the upcoming junior prom and not caring about their jobs whatsoever. I began to get lightheaded as i waited what seemed like a millenium for my starter salad. How hard is it to throw some lettuce on a damn plate? The waitress looked like she just got her drivers permit and had no knowledge of any of the beer or wine selection. She did not even mention the specials. I overheard a waitor say it was his first day and he still had braces. The hostesses were very rude and there was no need to have so many. The amount of people waiting outside was sickening. Youd think at a place called the Waterfont they would actually open the blinds and let you see the damn water. The waitress brought us a small measly appetizer plate sized salad for our party of nine. I watched the bartender have himself a cocktail. How classy. Actual quote from our waitress: «Im having the chef whip up some more salad» ??? Overall horrible experience.

Yeah there on nothing special to eat at the waterfront. The view and patio are worth the 3stars. I would not recommend eating here if you are a foodie. The mangotini I had was good but at $ 10 a pop I did not want to order a second. Anyways outside seating is great.

I was out this way with my family. My sister’s boyfriend wanted to take my father out on the lake to go fishing. It was a foggy day but we made the best of it. After an unsuccessful jaunt, we were ready to eat some food.
The Waterfront had literally just opened. My sister and I decided that because it was after noon, it was time for flavored martinis. Both of us ordered the mango flavor. I must say, quite tasty! The guys decided to have a beer, and my mom just got an iced tea.
Appetizers were okay. We got the fried veggies and nachos. The nachos were better and for once were made with the right amount of toppings. I felt like every chip got some attention from either the meat or cheese so you didn’t feel like you were ever eating a barren nacho. The fried veggies were okay, but I really wasn’t a fan of the cake-​like breading.
My mother, my sister’s boyfriend, and myself all ordered wraps. My mom and I both got the buffalo chicken and the boyfriend got caesar. Dad went for a burger and my sister was weird and got pulled pork quesadillas. I ended up sampling everything except for the burger. The pork quesadillas were gross. I don’t like the idea of BBQ being associated with Mexican food, or perhaps just cheese in general. The buffalo chicken sandwich was just a little too spicy for my liking and kind of devoid of flavor. The caesar wrap was better, but again with the breading, not a fan.
I think the restaurant is decent, but not somewhere I can’t wait to get back to. The service is friendly, and I think the restaurant manager checked in with us because her only server was on break. Still, it was sweet of her to seek feedback. Whether or not she wanted it was unclear. I don’t think the rest of my family was all that impressed either.

The food was decent, however, the service was slow and the restaurant/​bar was cold. We only ate here to grab a quick meal, as it was in the hotel that we were staying at. Our server was pleasant, however, it took forever for the food to come out and she wasn’t around enough make up for it. We ordered the fish fry, which tasted good, but ordering another piece was a hassle and took far too long.
The bar are was right in the middle of the restaurant and an impolite girl kept going outside to smoke. Every time she did, a draft of –10 wind would fill the restaurant. Good management could easily fix these issues.

While staying at the Abbey, we came here for a later dinner after arriving around 9pm one night and then came back on Friday night for some drinks and the music.
For dinner, I got a portabella sandwich with tzaziki and the biggest sweet potato fries ever, and really enjoyed my meal. My boyfriend got a chicken wrap and wasn’t quite as satisfied. The service wasn’t slow as many other reviews indicate, but our waitress didn’t seem too thrilled to be working and serving us.
On Saturday night, Big Al played which was a four person band. The music was great and the servers were there whenever we wanted a drink. Seemed to be a pretty tame crowd, but may it was just too early.
Convenient if you’re staying at the Abbey, and good for catching some music.

Should have read the other reviews before deciding to eat here. Super slow service, even though our waitress was very nice.
Nachos were just above ball park quality. There were chips, a glob of salsa, some guac and sour cream and a bunch of the cruddy warm canned cheese with s little shredded on top for looks.
The veggies and hummus was pretty good.
Opted to not have an entrée. Spotted Cow was good and my wife had a couple of their signature mixed drinks without complaint.
Seating area was kind of loud from all the kids and poor acoustics. Nautical theme. Nice view of the harbor. Would have been better if we could have sat outside though.

Coming to the Waterfront restaurant was a big mistake. Coming on our first night at The Abbey was an even bigger mistake.
We came for dinner because we arrived at the resort late (9pm) and the kitchen was open until 10. We weren’t looking for anything fancy, just some appetizers, and a few beers.
We were seated right away, but waited about 10 minutes for a server. I even looked at the BF and told him they had 5 minutes before I left and drove the 25 minutes into town for something instead. While we waited, several staff members (servers, managers, host staff, bartenders) were standing around the bar area, doing nothing.
Our server, (Autumn), finally came and took a drink order, as well as food. We ordered the sample platter of appetizers (cauliflower, jalepeno poppers, chicken tenders) and an order of sweet potato fries.
The food was a joke. First, when it arrived, we had no silverware, and Autumn walked across the restaurant to three different service stations to find some before just taking it off another table. Second, for almost $ 12, the portion was tiny. 3 poppers, 3 tenders (the size of poppers) and some bottom-​of-​the-​barrel breaded cauliflower, tiny tiny pieces, the size of kernels of corn. The serving of fries was also pretty miniscule. Everything tasted about the same. I only ate it because I was hungry.
Autumn continued to be flaky, not really checking on us. When we asked her what there was to do around during the weekend, she informed us that on Saturday night, the Waterfront would have «a mediocre band playing, and then a good band.»
Seriously? Food sucked, service sucked, I wouldn’t waste your time at Waterfront. It really reflects poorly on the rest of the resort.

Hey, guess what guys? Just because your restaurant is located in a hotel in tourist town Wisconsin does not mean you should hire 16 year olds who clearly don’t give a shit.
I sat 15 minutes and no one walked up to our table. 4 adults= minimum of 4 – 12 drinks. Equals $$$. However, 2 adults with 3 brat kids are waited on right away= WTF.
I even walked up to the hostess and complained. She stared blankly and did nothing.
I was then informed by the couple we were with that service is always this bad and no one in management has ever seemed to care.
Don’t waste your time here.

We went to this restaurant because we heard the pulled pork was great but sadly we were very disappointed. The meat was dry and chew like jerky. It seemed like the meat had been microwaved. The sauce was pretty good but it smelled a bit funny. The French fries were very yummy though, but not worth ever going back.