The Waterfront Restaurant and Tavern
Local and organic foods are incorporated into all menus as best appropriate. Each menu is designed and created with our guests in mind. Enjoy the results of hard work and high standards. Please note, patio tables are first-come first-seated only. Thank you.
Lunch: Monday - Friday: 11:00am - 2:00pm; Dinner: Monday - Thursday: 5:00pm - 9:30pm, Friday - Saturday: 5:00pm - 10:00pm
Summer patio open for lunch and dinner service. Reservations not accepted for patio dining. For large party inquiries, please contact the restaurant directly.
The largest of our event spaces, The Cargill Room is a grand, light-filled ballroom with panoramic views of the river and park. The subtle elegance of the Cargill Room makes it a stunning venue for wedding receptions, conferences and banquets. Dedicated amenities include two private bars, coatrooms, powder rooms, Wi-Fi, customized lighting and projection systems.
The Banquet Room
Designed as a stylish, comfortable venue for 24 to 100 guests, The Banquet Room showcases breathtaking views of the Mississippi River and Riverside Park. Amenities include a private bar, coatroom, powder rooms, private parking lot and complimentary presentation technology.
The Private Dining Room
A secluded dining or meeting space for a small group, The Private Dining Room looks out over a spectacular river scene. Adjacent to the restaurant and tavern, it seats up to 16 guests.
Menu
Excellent dining experience , service was outstanding.
Best restaurant we have been in for a long time. All aspects of the service were very professional, food was top quality and pricing was very competitive. Overall this restaurant is one of the best in the region.
Excellent food and service. View of river was outstanding. We could not have been any happier.
Husband has been a cook for years ,so going out to eat and impressing him is difficult but finally found the one place he has no critiques for! We both love the food and felt like our waitress was personable and so friendly! Great nite out and can't wait till the next time!
Great quiet spot
Excellent Restarant , one of the areas finest! Highly recommend!
Why does this reservation not count towards opentable points? Would have given 5 stars if the points would have been applied. Was a very nice restaurant though.
Amazing service, waitress was extremely knowledgeable and gave great recommendations on everything from wine choice to dessert.
Food was excellent, well presented and delicious.
And the view of the river along Lacrosse’s waterfront is beautiful.
Our reservations were for 8:45pm, which we set up at 7pm, so we could go out for dessert after supper at The Pearl, which closed at 10pm. We arrived at 8:30pm, and our table wasn't ready until 9pm.
Once we were seated, the view was magnificent! We ordered crab cakes and oysters on the half shell for appetizers. The crab cakes had good flavor, but were soggy. The oysters were good, but very small.
For dinner, I had the walleye and my wife had the shrimp and scallops.
The walleye: Presentation was... sloppy. A large piece of fish, covered with a soggy pecan crust, was very sweet. The plate was then spattered with broccoli, cauliflower, and small, soggy batter-fried mushrooms. (At least I think those were mushrooms) I've had fish in the past that didn't need tartar sauce to enhance the flavor, but, until now, I've never been served fish WITHOUT tartar sauce.
The shrimp and scallops: the shrimp was delicious... both of them. The scallops were also delicious... both of them. The pasta served with them was so sweet, I could only force down one bite.
The service: obviously a Saturday night is generally busy... but we couldn't tell whether service was slow because it was so busy, or to add to the ambiance of the dining experience, but it was very slow. Needless to say, by the time we were able to get out of there, The Pearl had been closed for a half hour. We settled for McDonald's twist cones.
We will not be returning to The Waterfront.
Amazing steaks!
We were visiting from out of town and were looking forward to a special dinner with family and friends.
Location is great but the food and service were just OK. No problems but nothing special. Our dinner was early and the restaurant was not busy at all.
Underwhelming food and service but really good dessert!
We rated the food a 4 star because the the filet and garlic mashed were extremely over seasoned. Very salty! I couldn’t eat more then a few bites. My husband ate some of my food and said the same about the seasoning.
Excellent dining experience overlooking the Mississippi River. Friendly service and excellent food made a memorable time. Try the bacon wrapped dates for an appetizer, they are amazing!
What an amazing meal we shared with friends on our recent visit to LaCrosse. Everything was perfect.
We waited 5 minutes for the hostess to greet us. She was not very friendly and was hesitant to offer us patio seating. Other than that the experience was great.
Food was great, Service was on top of everything. Really enjoyed our time and plan on going back again soon!
Thanks for making our night special.
Wonderful dining experience. Excellent fish options. Very good wine list.
This was a fantastic, romantic place with all the amenities of a 5 star restaurant, but not the prices. Perfect.
The staff made the dining experience. They were friendly, patient and efficient. The food was amazing. Glad I saved room for dessert as it was also amazing. Very relaxing place to dine.
One of my favorite places to eat in La Crosse WI. Love brunch on the patio. Great happy hour.
We sat on the patio. It was a very enjoyable experience. I would recommend to anyone to go there.
First time back since returning north for the summer. great meal, great service.
We started with cocktails and an appetizer and the beautiful outside patio. When it was time to be seated outside it was getting cloudy but we thought we could get dinner in before the storms. Unfortunately we couldn’t so we moved inside for a delicious dinner. I had the salmon and my husband had the chicken and they were both outstanding. Service was excellent and the ambience is ideal. We enjoy this restaurant every time we come to La Crosse.
While driving a car across the country we Zagat searched a lunch option in La Crosse WI and found the Waterfront. What a delightful stop. The staff was super friendly and accommodating. The setting is beautiful. We dined on the Mississippi River and loved our amazing food. This neighborhood gem is worth the effort to get there! Bravo!
Our reservation was at 5pm,we arrived at 458,and the front desk host said the kitchen is not ready. So I said,we will wait in the bar,ordered drinks and at 5pm said to the bartender we will take our drinks at our table,then returned to the front desk to be told to wait. So we sat on the couch and others came through the door and got seated. 2 other couples before us. Made me wonder? In European restraunts the staff does not come to the table as often,they leave you alone to enjoy your meal and company,I find the staff interferes to often. Took forever to get the bill though.
Food is always good here, in our opinion, best in la crosse area. If u can get outside seating it is a great place to dine and watch the Mississippi meander by. Inside is also nice with views of water. It’s pricey dining but u get what u pay for. Good wine selection as well.
Incredible
This was a lovely restaurant with outstanding food. We celebrated my husbands birthday and had a very nice evening. John was our server, and he was very polite, friendly and professional. My only complaint would be that service was very slow. We waited 15 minutes for them to seat us, even though we were on time with a later reservation and from seating through dessert, we were there for three hours. Just very slow. Otherwise we were very impressed.
Great ambiance. Wish there were more vegetarian options. Service was great but extremely slow.
Spectacular food and best service we have EVER had anywhere (and I am 'old' and a former server). A very memorable evening, with special thanks for never feeling rushed, having had a later reservation. Everything was perfect.
First time to the Waterfront for us and we will definitely be back! Best steak I have every had. I had a filet and my husband had a Rib eye. Cooked to perfection!
Waterfront has a cool bar/lounge area where you can have a drink before dinner. We sat in the dining room for dinner. Well lit and decorated. There is also a neat outdoor patio dinning area.
Can't recommend this place enough!
Always a great meal! Staff is always courteous and informative. Love the group effort they display. Great food!
Always a lovely place to meet friends and enjoy a meal.
The patio is absolutely gorgeous for a girls night! Love the view of the water
Beautiful and memorable experience. Delicious dishes and wonderful service. We celebrated our anniversary here and were very pleased with everything!
The food was very good and the wait staff were very friendly and competent. Although I expect this level of restaurant to give you a leisurely dining experience things did seem to take a bit too long. Dinner turned out to be about a 3 1/2 hour adventure. Although we had plenty to talk about while we waited it got a bit too long for my 97-year-old mother.
We were so pleased with the restaurant - the service was the best we have every had in years - we were not rushed to leave - food was excellent - wish we didn't live so far away we would go there more often - all four of us love the place
This place was so amazing. The staff were fantastic and very attentive and the food was delicious!!!
superb service, gorgeous view, romantic ambiance, and the food is worth a drive. The cuisine was creative and prepared as described. The food is the star, fresh, beautifully prepared, and artistically plated. Will definitely return!