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The Waterfront Restaurant and Tavern, La Crosse, WI

The Waterfront Restaurant and Tavern

4.7 (1248)
$31 to $50
American
328 Front St South, La Crosse, WI 54601

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 14 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for scenic views
  • Great for outdoor dining
We are currently open for dine-in, take-out, and curbside delivery.
The Waterfront Restaurant and Tavern has been changing the dining experience in La Crosse since 2006. By offering supreme product and hospitality, we have become a favorite of locals and a travel destination all in the same. Our menus highlight seasonal American cuisine that includes certified angus beef and fresh day-boat seafood. With a focus on the freshest foods of each season, our culinary team allows the ingredients to speak for themselves. Every detail is appreciated in everything we do – enjoy the results of hard work and high standards. Our current menus can be found by visiting www.thewaterfrontlacrosse.com
Thank you for supporting local businesses!

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Steak, Cocktail Bar
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Sat 11:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (608) 782-5400
  • Website
    http://www.thewaterfrontlacrosse.com/
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Jordan Freit
  • Catering
    Four unique dining spaces plus outdoor patios offer an elegant backdrop for any event from a private business presentation over lunch, a bustling conference with 300 guests, a wedding, or a relaxing cocktail reception. Your guests will feel at ease with every need artfully met.
  • Private party facilities
    The Cargill RoomThe 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 RoomDesigned 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 RoomA 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.
  • Location
    328 Front St South, La Crosse, WI 54601
  • Neighborhood
    La Crosse
  • Cross street
    Jay Street
  • Parking details
    There is a private parking lot located between the restaurant building and Riverside Park that is free of charge to all Waterfront guests. There are also reserved spots on the first floor in the parking ramp located on the corner of Front Street and Jay Street that are free to restaurant guests.
  • Entertainment
    Local and regional musicians fill the tavern with classic and contemporary music. In the warm season, enjoy our casual entertainment on the patio!
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Menu

At present, we do not have menu information for this restaurant. Please see their website or wait to visit the restaurant to learn more.

What 1,248 people are saying

The Waterfront Restaurant and 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

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

  • Wisconsin

    Great for outdoor dining

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Waterfront Restaurant and Tavern offers "consistently excellent" service, delightful food, and a "beautiful" riverside setting. Guests appreciate the "high quality" menu and the warm atmosphere, ideal for special occasions. While the lunch menu may not impress everyone, the dinner experience is praised for its "amazing" drinks and attentive staff.
1,248 Reviews

  1. Kathy

    Unspecified1 review

    5.0

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We love going to the waterfront. Every year, we celebrate our anniversary there. The food was wonderful. The atmosphere is amazing. The quality of the food is exceptional. The prices went up quite a bit from last year ,as much as I love the restaurant we may need to start eating in the tavern to get the tavern, prices and menu options

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  2. Leah

    Wisconsin5 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    We absolutely love dinner service and expected that lunch would have the same level of service and quality food. It was not. While our waiter was very nice, they seemed like they may have been new and didn't take the menu seriously? This was a stark contrast to the dinner we had later at Lovechild where everything runs like a well oiled machine. I asked about the burger and if it was a smash type burger...I was told yes. That was not the case. The burger was definitely pre-formed patties and not a smash at all. They could have at least been hand formed patties. Preformed makes me think it was low quality tube meat or frozen patties. I also expected that the fries would have been a better quality as well and not frozen fries. It was disappointing. Culvers makes a better burger. That said, my husband loved his steak sandwich, but was less than impressed that the chips seemed to be out of a bag. We will be back, the bartender and drinks were amazing as usual...but we will not be back for lunch.

    Is this helpful?

  3. David

    Wisconsin2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 25, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing experience. It's a great place to have dinner if in La Crosse

    Is this helpful?

  4. Laura

    Minneapolis - St. Paul3 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 25, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The Waterfront never disappoints. The food is high quality and deliciously prepared and the service is outstanding. The view of the water is so lovely especially during sunset. Highly recommend!

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  5. Jeff

    Wisconsin8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent service and food. Always consistent and excellent. Sat outside on patio which was very comfortable. Mother’s Day was excellent with the special Buffet.

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  6. cosmo

    Chicago / Illinois38 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It is a very nice restaurant with delicious food and great service.

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  7. Mark

    Minneapolis - St. Paul3 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on May 2, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    TWF has been our go to place for fine dining and celebrations for many years. The service this night was great as usual, but with my two favorite entrees (Shuby's pork chops, and the lamb shank), both gone from the menu, I felt the choices were extremely limited. Nor is there a single fowl entree on the menu, and limited seafood choices, so I ordered the "substitute" pork chop, which did not measure up. There are several steak choices, but I can get a good steak anywhere, including my own kitchen. We still love the place, but a more diverse menu selection is direly needed to keep this fine restaurant at the top of our list.

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  8. Sherry

    Coastal Georgia1 review

    5.0

    Dined on April 27, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Throughout every step of the meal, from the Lavash to the salad to the entree, everything was amazing. We were very impressed with the service and the atmosphere as well.

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  9. Kristin

    Chicago / Illinois5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Our server, Brittney, was amazing. We would recommend anyone going to request her. She was helpful answering any questions we had and informed us of all of the specials. The timing of our meal was perfect. We had plenty of time to enjoy our appetizer and had some time before our meal arrived. It felt nice and relaxed. The restaurant was very nice and pretty. Loved that it over looked the river. Great place for any special occasion!

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  10. Jennifer

    Seattle / Eastern Washington5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A delightful restaurant with lovely staff and delicious food

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Waterfront Restaurant and Tavern offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (608) 782-5400.

The Waterfront Restaurant and Tavern is rated 4.7 stars by 1248 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. La Crosse
  5. La Crosse

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 14 times today
Google Map for The Waterfront Restaurant and Tavern

328 Front St South, La Crosse, WI 54601

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Jay Street
  • Neighborhood
    La Crosse
  • Hours of operation
    Mon–Sat 11:00 am–9:00 pm
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    American, Steak, Cocktail Bar
  • Dining style
    Fine Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    There is a private parking lot located between the restaurant building and Riverside Park that is free of charge to all Waterfront guests. There are also reserved spots on the first floor in the parking ramp located on the corner of Front Street and Jay Street that are free to restaurant guests.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Jordan Freit
  • Entertainment
    Local and regional musicians fill the tavern with classic and contemporary music. In the warm season, enjoy our casual entertainment on the patio!
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Website
    http://www.thewaterfrontlacrosse.com/
  • Phone number
    (608) 782-5400
  • Catering
    Four unique dining spaces plus outdoor patios offer an elegant backdrop for any event from a private business presentation over lunch, a bustling conference with 300 guests, a wedding, or a relaxing cocktail reception. Your guests will feel at ease with every need artfully met.
  • Private party facilities
    The Cargill RoomThe 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 RoomDesigned 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 RoomA 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.
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