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The Mariner's Inn, Madison, WI

The Mariner's Inn

4.7
4.7
1857 Reviews
$30 and under
American
5339 Lighthouse Bay Dr, Madison, WI 53704

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 8 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
  • Great for scenic views
When Bill and Betty Von Rutenberg opened The Mariner’s Inn in 1966, they set out to provide a steak and seafood dining experience like none other. Mouth watering, delicious steaks aged to perfection and an assortment of seafood from lobster to the famous Friday Fish Fry.
Bill and Betty’s sons, Bill, Jack, and Robert, along with their crew, now carry on the tradition of outstanding hospitality of von Rutenberg Ventures. Waterfront dining on the patio and a sunset over the marina make dinner at Mariner’s an evening to remember. We offer five options for dining. Dine-in, expanded outdoor seating, carryout, curbside, and dockside. Try our monthly summer Lobster Boil. You can now enjoy the lobster boils by dine-in or takeout! Advance reservations required.

To make a reservation that is larger then 8 people please call us.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Seafood, Steak
  • Hours of operation
    Happy Hour Tue–Fri 4:30 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–8:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–8:30 pm
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Catering
    We now cater off-site events. For outstanding food and memorable hospitality, please contact us in person at any of our restaurants or call/email us regarding your next event.
  • Private party facilities
    We now can accommodate private groups. We have three private dining rooms as well as our beautiful outside waterfront lawn area available. Make your Mariner’s event even more unique by packaging it with a cruise on Betty Lou Cruises. Please ask the manager for details on how to make your next business, social or holiday gathering a memorable one.
  • Neighborhood
    Madison
  • Cross street
    Westport Road
  • Parking details
    None
  • Entertainment
    Live music outdoors every Saturday from June - August
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 1,857 people are saying

The Mariner's Inn 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

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Wisconsin

    American

  • Madison

    Best Overall

  • Madison

    Best Food

  • Madison

    Best Service

  • Madison

    Best Value

  • Madison

    Good for groups

  • Madison

    Great for outdoor dining

  • Madison

    Good for special occasions

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Mariner's Inn offers a nostalgic dining experience with "amazing food" and "friendly service." Guests appreciate the "old world Wisconsin look" and "supper club feel," complemented by a "warm and nostalgic" atmosphere. Despite occasional service delays, diners enjoy top-notch seafood and steaks. Sadly, it will close soon.

1,857 Reviews
  1. cathy

    Milwaukee46 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 22, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Yet again, another lovely, memorable dinner. Food was very good. Service was excellent. So grateful for such a nice evening.

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  2. Gail

    Milwaukee1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 20, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was good. All the Staff we interreacted with were friendly. We waited a bit when we first sat down for our Server to arrive at our table... in fact I needed to reach out to her first. But it was busy and once the initial interaction was past, our service couldn't have been better. Sorry that Mariner's will not be in Business much longer.

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  3. Sheri

    Milwaukee1 review

    4.0

    Dined on April 20, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Easter brunch was very good. Great atmosphere. They were really busy but got us in close to our reservation time. Foos was really good but would have loved for it to be warmer which I know is hard with brunch buffet style. Overall it was great.

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  4. Liz VIP

    Milwaukee28 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on April 12, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Meal was ok, they were running about 35 min behind on reservations.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Bruce VIP

    Chicago12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 21, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The seafood (salmon, swordfish and calamari) were excellent. The cheesecake was the best that we've had in years.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Carolyn

    Milwaukee57 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 20, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    As always, the food was great with excellent service. I am so sorry this restaurant will be closing on August 31.

    Is this helpful?

  7. kenneths VIP

    Naples5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The bone-in-ribeye was a good value at $57 considering the size, quality and preparation. It came with a good side salad and excellent crispy fries. Other steak places in Madison would pile on the cost of extras and charge for bread at the table. The old time supper club lives on just fine at the Mariner’s Inn.

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  8. Dwight VIP

    Charlotte3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 8, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It was a great experience, the food was very good, the salad was phenomenal. The steak was really good not quite deserving of five stars, but very good nonetheless. The walleye was exceptional. I would give this a 4.9 across the board. 9.8 out of 10

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  9. Norman

    Chicago1 review

    5.0

    Dined on March 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    One of my favorite seafood / steak restaurants. It has that old world Wisconsin look. The food is amazing and the service is top notch. The fried cod is the best I’ve ever tried. The atmosphere is warm and nostalgic. Every trip to Madison, we go to Mariners.

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  10. Cameron VIP

    Las Vegas1 review

    5.0

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always an awesome experience. One of our favorite spots in all of Madison.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Mariner's Inn offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (608) 246-3120.

The Mariner's Inn is rated 4.7 stars by 1857 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. Wisconsin
  4. Madison
  5. Madison

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 8 times today
Google Map for The Mariner's Inn

5339 Lighthouse Bay Dr, Madison, WI 53704

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Westport Road
  • Neighborhood
    Madison
  • Hours of operation
    Happy Hour Tue–Fri 4:30 pm–6:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu 5:00 pm–8:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–8:30 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    American, Seafood, Steak
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    None
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Entertainment
    Live music outdoors every Saturday from June - August
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Catering
    We now cater off-site events. For outstanding food and memorable hospitality, please contact us in person at any of our restaurants or call/email us regarding your next event.
  • Private party facilities
    We now can accommodate private groups. We have three private dining rooms as well as our beautiful outside waterfront lawn area available. Make your Mariner’s event even more unique by packaging it with a cruise on Betty Lou Cruises. Please ask the manager for details on how to make your next business, social or holiday gathering a memorable one.
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