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Plank's Tavern, Saint Joseph, MI

Plank's Tavern

4.3 (1188)
$31 to $50
Contemporary American
800 Whitwam Drive, Saint Joseph, MI 49085

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 27 times today

About this restaurant

  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for creative cocktails
Plank's Tavern on the Water is on one of the oldest harbors in the Great lakes.
Its approachable modern menu, home-style seating, and waterfront location takes inspiration from the place it's in, the people who live here, and the past it comes from.


We offer indoor and outdoor seating, outdoor seating is available on a first come, first served basis and cannot be reserved. although every effort will be made to accommodate your seating preferences.

Join us in a place where everyone is welcomed!

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American, Mediterranean, Contemporary Mexican
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Daily 7:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Daily 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Chef Elton Mann
  • Catering
    Please contact us directly.
  • Neighborhood
    Saint Joseph
  • Cross street
    M-63
  • Parking details
    Free hotel parking lot at The Inn at Harbor Shores.
  • Entertainment
    Live music - call to verify dates & times
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 1,188 people are saying

Plank's Tavern reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.3
4.3 based on recent ratings
  • 4.2Food
  • 4.4Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 3.9Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Grand Rapids / Western Michigan

    Great for brunch

  • Grand Rapids / Western Michigan

    Great for outdoor dining

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Plank's Tavern offers a "wonderful waterfront dining experience" with "creative menu and cocktails." Guests praise the "great service" and "delicious food," including standout dishes like the "surf and turf" and "summer chicken." While some found it "overpriced," the "great views" and "nice ambience" make it a special occasion destination.
1,188 Reviews
  1. Pearl VIP

    Grand Rapids / Western Michigan159 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful dining experience on the water! Food, drinks and service were fantastic. Relaxed vibe with upbeat menu.

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  2. Jonathan VIP

    Chicago / Illinois1 review

    1.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Horrible all around. Applebee’s at Gibson’s prices

    Is this helpful?

  3. Philip VIP

    Chicago / Illinois8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Been going to Planks for years! Always try to dine outside by the water. Great food, drinks, & service. ❤️

    1 person found this helpful

  4. Lee

    Berlin1 review

    2.0

    Dined on June 15, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Disappointing Service Overshadows the Ambience We visited the restaurant for Father’s Day, hoping for a pleasant meal. While the ambience was great, the service left a lot to be desired, and unfortunately, this isn’t the first time I’ve experienced this here. We waited about 15 minutes after being seated before I had to flag someone down to send a server over. After placing our order, one person in our party waited an hour for a simple appetizer (a soup), and it took another 20 minutes before our main courses arrived. That kind of delay would be frustrating on any day, but it’s especially surprising given this is something I and others in my group have encountered here on multiple past visits, not just during a busy holiday. This place has potential, but the consistently slow and uncoordinated service really drags down the experience. I hope they make some operational improvements soon because the setting deserves better.
    Plank's TavernResponded 5 days ago
    Lee- We are very sorry to read your review. Father's Day was a very very busy day for our crew; we served over 400 guests for brunch that day. I apologize if we missed the mark on your table. We will give your feedback to our team to help improve operations. We hope you give us another change during a not so busy holiday and I am sure you will have a great food and service.

    Is this helpful?

  5. OpenTable Diner

    Indiana1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 12, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Lemon Drop was delish, as were the burgers and fries. Service from Joshua was great. Nice outdoor seating. All good!

    Is this helpful?

  6. Wendy

    Minneapolis - St. Paul3 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 7, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was excellent, love the summer chicken. My daughters are picky about steak in a restaurant but they loved the filet.

    Is this helpful?

  7. David

    Chicago / Illinois4 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on June 6, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Overall, the restaurant was nice, however, the price of the food compared to the actual value for what you got the quality of the food did not match. For five of us where we got two drinks, two appetizers, and four entrées, the bill after tax, credit card service charge, and tip was $270. I can definitely say that this was not a close to $300 meal in terms of what we got for the quality of the food. Service was good and the ambience is nice, however, you do look out over the water to a bunch of gravel piles versus actually seeing the lake. This is one of those places where once you’ve done, it you don’t need to do it again.

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  8. BrendaR

    Chicago / Illinois13 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 3, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Wonderful bread. OMG! And the entrees were very good also, hubbie had surf and turf, I had the trout. Both delicious. Waiter Eric was very good also. Nice view, even from inside. Would definitely go back!

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  9. Lori

    Grand Rapids / Western Michigan1 review

    4.0

    Dined on May 28, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 3
    Great views of water and boats. Food selection is wide and scrumptious!

    Is this helpful?

  10. Tori

    San Francisco Bay Area2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great location with really pretty views. The food was fast and very fresh. Everything we ate was cooked perfect! The waitress we had was very kind and attentive. We are definitely going back!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Plank's Tavern offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (269) 408-9108.

Plank's Tavern is rated 4.3 stars by 1188 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Grand Rapids / Western Michigan
  4. Southwest Michigan
  5. Saint Joseph

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 27 times today
Google Map for Plank's Tavern

800 Whitwam Drive, Saint Joseph, MI 49085

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    M-63
  • Neighborhood
    Saint Joseph
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Daily 7:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Daily 4:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American, Mediterranean, Contemporary Mexican
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Free hotel parking lot at The Inn at Harbor Shores.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Chef Elton Mann
  • Entertainment
    Live music - call to verify dates & times
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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