I got the mushroom burger - it was amazing. Sat outside on the patio, and my dog was even able to join for dinner. :)
(4)
Gundy A.
Nice place with good character. The open space for the bar area was very inviting and social. I thought the staff was very pleasant and made the visit worth it. I started with the "the best cheese curds ever" and a Spotted Cow. The beer was perfect but the cheese curds were just ok. I'm pretty sure I could go to just about any small town wisconsin bar and get better. Way too much breaking or cooked too hot. They weren't that good. The rest of the meal was decent and I would come back to try something else.
(4)
Erin L.
Pros: Great location House infused vodka DELICIOUS food (new menu since last week) Large bar Cozy fireplace Good TVs at bar Cons: Expensive Small portions Slow service NO HOOKS UNDER BAR FOR PURSES! random holes in the wall (kinda worn down interior) Difficult parking
(4)
Rick F.
Great beer selection, nice decor. It's right on the river. Good beer selection. I didn't try the food, but they have an outdoor seating area that connects to the riverwalk and also serves as a point of departure for river cruises.
(4)
Chris W.
So-So... Kinda of a neat place I would consider a "hole in the wall"along the riverfront walking district. Kinda plain and quite in its own right but great place to pop in and have a beverage and conversation without having to yell and scream over major crowd noise.
(3)
Melissa K.
Our server Kim recommended the cheese curds and they were amazing! Drinks were a little pricey but the food and service were great. Definitely will be back!
(5)
Bonnie K.
I never complain or write a bad review but our experience here was bad. Service was mediocre to begin with (one other table in the whole place and we had to ask for water refills, etc). We ordered 2 types of fish. The White Fish was good, the Catch of the Day, the Skate Wing was terrible. It smelled of chemicals and iodine. We ate one bite and told the server it smelled and tasted bad and she left it on the table and told us to enjoy the other one. At the end of the meal the fish was still there, untouched. I pulled her aside and told her I wasnt trying to get a free meal but that the fish smelled like chemicals and the chef needed to smell it so that he knew so they would not sell it and get people sick. She took it in the back and threw it away and never discounted our check or offered anything. I guess now we know why there were no other tables in this restaurant.
(1)
Kari F.
Not bad; not great. Had the roasted chicken entree which was well cooked, but not well seasoned. Had a cocktail that was weak and watered down tasting... For $8 if you're going to skimp on the booze, at least cover with a tasty mixer, not just more water. Good atmosphere and decent service.
(3)
Katie M.
I wasn't impressed but I wasn't disappointed either. My husband and I weren't planning on stopping for dinner but we hot hungry, stopped in and we were seated right away. Our waitress was pleasant and relatively attentive considering how busy she was. I ordered the seafood truffle fettucini with a salad. The pasta was just ok. It wasn't outstanding but it wasn't bad. The shrimp and scallops were cooked well but the truffle flavor was lacking big time. My husband ordered a burger and he enjoyed it quite a bit. Would I go back to Port of Call? I guess. Would I be super excited to go back? Not particularly. So if you're looking for decent food but you're not looking to be wowed then you will enjoy Port of Call.
(3)
Bruce K.
Love, love, LOVE sitting outside to eat. I don't know why, but it seems like the food just tastes better outside. And on this warm (but not hot) and sunny (but still slightly cloudy) and windy (but not breezy) day, sitting on their patio overlooking the river was perfect. I chose the grilled tilapia sandwich for lunch today. When it arrived, it was piping hot on a huge piece of toasted sourdough. I opted to cut it in half first. The right move. Good flavor, nicely cooked through and with the grilled vegetables, a little challenging to keep it either on the plate or in my mouth. The pasta salad was a bit too oily, but still decent. If it's a nice day, and today was a nice day, I'd really recommend sitting outside at Port of Call.
(4)
Sue S.
The only good thing was our waitress. Katie was great. Food was so so and location is nice. We were doing the Fireworks cruise and decided to start with dinner. Good thing we had plenty of time because the food delivery moved at a glacial pace. Seafood Cobb salad was a huge disappointment. One scallop and 3 tiny shrimp. Funky lettuce and too much of it. Roasted chicken breast was flavorful but fresh veggies soaking in the chicken juice was a turn off.
(2)
Amber J.
The worst service Ive had in a very long time. First we went to the bar to get drinks while we waited for our table. Well, both bartenders ignored and took care of everyone else at the bar. We decided to to sit at bar since the hostess said it would be quicker then waiting for a table. So we waited for chairs to open up and sat at the bar. Bartenders still continued to ignore us for good 10 minutes later came and took our drink orders. We told them we wanted to order food. The male told us to wait so we waited again for him to take everyone else's order. Once he took our food orders they brought out each order separately. The male bartender threw my salad at me. The last girl waited so long for her food she asked for a to go container. Instead of bringing her a container they packaged her food for her. She never even had a chance to eat.
(1)
Jessica T.
Ambiance was good, darkly lit dining area that made you feel like you were on a boat. The service left much to be desired although the food was good, overall
(3)
Badger B.
I had a bunch of friends come up from Chicago for the the Brewers game. We showed up before the game for Bloody Mary's and appetizers. The Bloody Mary mix they make is incredible and the cheese curds are the best I've ever had! The bartenders were fun and the service was great! I've always driven by this place but I can say that I'm truly glad we came in. We left and took the Mo's shuttle to the game. We took the shuttle back and skipped Mo's to go back to Port of Call! I can't believe I've never stepped in here, I'm sold!
(5)
Susan B.
We were recently in the Milwaukee area and asked the staff at our hotel for a food recommendation. Port of Call was suggested and since we wanted something quick, decent and somewhat healthy, we decided to give it a shot. When we walked in there were only 2 other parties sitting at the bar. There wasn't anyone greeting us and I finally made eye contact with an employee and I asked if we just seat ourselves anywhere. Once we were seated it felt like forever until a server came by (probably 5 minutes which was odd since the place was dead). Anyways, he finally came over with menus, which to my surprise, weren't very extensive (we aren't big seafood eaters and a lot of the offerings were seafood...guess this is a no brainer based on the name of the establishment!). Our food came out fairly quickly which was expected since we both ordered sandwiches (turkey sandwich and grilled cheese). I also ordered a lemonade which I would not recommend. It tasted like a really bad powder mix.
(2)
Eva M.
1st visit. Wasn't even planning on stopping there, but it looked pleasant. I was pleasantly surprised - Excellent food. I had the roasted chicken over a bed of green beans and mashed potatoes. Wonderful flavor. Staff was very friendly and I will definitely go again.
(4)
Liz P.
We went for Downtown Dining Week, which maybe was our first mistake. We had a reservation, though sat at the bar for close to 30 min - other people were able to walk in after us and be seated immediately. When we asked at the hostess stand why we were still waiting, we were told she didnt "know about us" and we should have talked to her when we first arrived. No apology - apparently it was our fault for talking to a different hostess?! We finally were seated outside. 15 min later we got waters and were able to order our drinks. 30 min later appetizers arrived (they were great!) - fish tacos and scallops. 45 minutes later entrees arrived - awful. My lobster carbonara had 2 slivers of lobster, portion size was literally 5 bites. My fiance's surf and turf was unrecognizable. The steak was all gristle and fat - and cold. He ordered medium rare, and it was a charcoal briquette. The lobster tail was still transluscent - completely undercooked! And again, cold. Server did not come to check on us for quite awhile. She offered to take the surf and turf meal off our bill, which was appreciated and the least she could do. Desserts were good - tiramisu and cheesecake. Overall nowhere we'll consider going again, despite the wonderful location and view! Poor service and terribly disappointing food is not a way to stay in business.
(2)
Lisa M.
I love this place! They had the best portabella mushroom burger and parmesan fries for this foodie...We went on a Sunday, midafternoon. Sat outside by the river. Enjoyed the people watching and wait staff. We have been back a few times and always superb!
(5)
Andy D.
Stopped in for drinks and an appetizer for the Packer game... The bartender was awesome! Attentive and fun. The bar wasn't crowded for the game which was really nice. Plenty of TV's at the bar. We also ordered the tune tartar. It was good when combined with the sauces it comes with (mango and siracha). We will be back for the great service and to try more of the food.
(5)
Nikole W.
Stopped in this past weekend with two of my friends. Was not crowded and looked like a nice place to sit outside and have a drink or two and an appetizer. We were seated right away outside and after about 10 minutes noone even came up to greet us so we left. It doesn't surprise me this place was empty because the service was HORRIBLE. We spent our money at Rock Bottom across the street where the service was great!
(1)
Chris L.
I really liked this place. I'm staying at the Intercontinental and had planned on walking down to the Milwaukee Beer Garden for dinner. After arriving and waiting at the bar for 10 minutes before a server even came over to me, I got frustrated and left. So I headed back to the hotel and saw this place, and thought it looked pretty good so I decided to stop in. It wasn't very busy, and I'm not sure why. The bartender was friendly and helpful. Really good place to watch games as well, with good, big TVs. I initially ordered the whitefish, but they were out of that, so I went with the salmon. Pretty good salmon dish; no complaints at all. I may go back again tonight.
(4)
Chris B.
Stopped in for a pint and some grub while visiting Milwaukee with a buddy. First time I've been there, but will definitely be back. We sat outside on a gorgeous early fall day. Nice view of the river and river walk from their covered outdoor seating area. Prompt seating and service. Friendly wait staff. Great food and cold beer. What more could you ask for?! The calamari appetizer was some of the best I've had and the fried cheese curds were great as well.
(5)
Christopher M.
One of these two stars is for the location. The other is for the food. Ate here during dining week (when you think they would want to impress) and was disappointed by my sirloin fillet and mediocre potato leek soup. My wife had a pasta dish that looked like it was being held together by Elmer's glue. I also noticed that the three 5 star reviews this place has on yelp are all from out of state - one claiming he didn't even eat the food. Suspicious.
(2)
Sadie T.
When a group of 15 people come in at 12pm on a Wednesday, is it safe to assume they are all on their lunch break from work, where they work downtown? Yes, yes it is safe to assume. The service was so slow. Shameful for any restaurant downtown during the lunch hour. It was a good 20 minutes before we ordered, and that was after asking the waitress 10 minutes before hand and then chasing her down at the bar to again ask to have the order taken. Okay, order taken. About 15 minutes later, waitress returns and informs 4 of us that they are out of black bean burgers. Out? Unhappy and bad planning on the restaurant's part. Wait another 15 minutes to tell me? Not okay. So it's 12:45 and we have 15 minutes to get back to the office, and no food yet. Other veg options? PB&J from the kids menu, or 1 salad. Sad times. Finally food came and it was okay. Well, I wanted a black bean burger. The salad was good and large. I also asked for a side order of fries, the ones I would have gotten with the burger. What did pokey waitress bring? A large appetizer order. When I asked 'what is this' about, she told me 'oh, you can only get the appetizer size' (which I know to be a lie, since the person sitting 2 people down got a side order with their PB&J). I thought really she should have told me ahead of time when I ordered. What's worse, after we were done eating the plates were cleared but the check did not come, and the waitress disappeared, out of sight. Around 1:30pm one of us finally chased her down, sitting at the hostess stand, and asked for the check. Overall, I was not impressed with the menu as a vegetarian and very displeased with the service and lack of promptness.
(3)
Kara M.
Great outdoor seating on the river when the weather is nice. Apps were very good especially the cheese curds, among the best I've had! Service was average, nice but a bit slow. Homemade sangria was amazing! I would definitely go back!
(4)
Andrew O.
Worst service I've had in my life. How this place doesn't prepare for Northwestern Mutual's Annual Meeting by scheduling a full waitstaff for the 15,000 people in town is shocking. We waited almost 90 minutes and had to leave with no food. Stay away from this place unless you have no where to be. Wish I could choose no stars.
(1)
Joanna T.
A-Ok just about covers it. I've been here several times for work lunches and never been impressed but never been turned off either. Food? It's just ok - my burger was tasteless and a little greasy but had a generous serving of avocados which helped. Fries - soggy, limp but again, ok tasting. Service? Pretty good too. But it should be because there were like 3 other tables. Atmosphere? Inside is really nothing special but the outside has a killer patio. Verdict? It's food. That's it. Go for drinks and apps on the patio and turn green with envy as all the people go by you in awesome boats. Don't expect great things (I bet the boat people have great food, btw) Can you tell that I just really want a boat?
(3)
Erin B.
I went here for a friend's birthday dinner last weekend. There were about 10 of us who drifted in over the course of an hour. We first showed up with about five people and asked to be seated outside at a large table because more people would be showing up (eventually). The server who was up front said to the hostess (in full view and earshot of everyone in our party), "I am NOT taking them." Well, excuuuuuuse me, Miss Sassypants. Don't know what the hell her problem was, but definitely not a good first impression. The food was alright. Everyone was pretty satisfied by their meals, but no one was overly excited by any of it. T was disappointed that their side of onion rings were literally 3 rings. Decent sized, but 3? Weird. The highlight was the server we did have. She was very patient with our rag tag group but service was altogether way too slow. Drinks took about ten - fifteen minutes (we were one of maybe 5 tables in the whole place) to get to the table after ordering. They were also out of a ton of stuff. One friend ordered a drink off the specialty menu...they were out of infused vodka. She then ordered her meal...they were out of it. She asked for soup and the server sighed when she asked for tomato saying, "I'm so glad you didn't ask for the bisque because we're out!" Sheesh. They get an extra star because when learning that my friend was celebrating her bday, they brought her a piece of cheesecake. Otherwise...nah. Not really anything to get excited about.
(3)
Ken S.
I had the herb-crusted salmon. In my opinion a good slab of fresh salmon needs very little adornment to be wonderful. This piece of salmon started out slightly below average, but the way it was prepared and presented made it a very nice meal. When they say it's encrusted with herbs they aren't kidding -- the crust was about a quarter of an inch thick. I was suspicious of this approach, but when it came, the crust and the sauce rescued a pedestrian piece of salmon and made it a nice meal. The portion was just right for me. I don't want to leave still hungry but I fear over-eating more. Nice place.
(4)
Mike B.
Stopped by Port of Call during mid-day on a Sunday and sat outside. Pretty slow and the wait staff was welcoming. We tried their cheese curds as an appetizer along with a burger and grilled chicken sandwich. All of which were good and served piping hot (an important thing for me). The normal drinks were pricey (about $4 more than what you see elsewhere) so we got the drink special ($5 fruit infused drink) and while the taste was there the alcohol wasn't, as what I've found in most places. All-in-all it was a good experience, nothing overwhelmingly drawing me back there and while I wouldn't go out of my way to make it back, if I was hungry and in the neighborhood I'd definitely not hesitate to go back.
(3)
Michelle K.
Ate here for lunch recently. They have a great patio right on the river with plenty of seating. The service was great. We were well taken care of and attended to. No slow service like other reviews have mentioned. The A-OK review is due to the fact that the food and the drinks just weren't stellar. I ordered Sangria to drink which was on the specials board. It wasn't bad but I've had so much better than I wouldn't order it again. The burgers we had were okay. Again, not the best I've had but good. Overall, I'd go here for drinks on the patio.
(3)
Kristi H.
I really enjoyed this place! The boyfriend and I headed downtown for dinner one night intending to eat at lakefront brewery. Upon arriving there found out it would be a 45 min- 1 hour wait for a table. Nothing against the place, we just were not in the mood to wait that long. We walked around for a bit searching for a restaurant we had not tried yet and happened to stumble upon Port of Call. I am not a huge sea food fan but the menu (which is posted in the window) advertiesed burgers and sandwiches as well so we decided to give it a shot. We were seated right away. The restaurant theme was fun and inviting. After glancing over the menu we decided to order cheese curds as a starter and they were fantastic! The best I've had here in Wisconsin so far. I ordered a chicken melt and my boyfriend had the salmon blt. Our orders didn't take terribly long to come out and the food was very fresh and hot. I even tried a bit of salmon and would consider ordering it next time I go in. The waitress was friendly and knowledgable about the menu and took our order without having to write it down. All in all, we were happy to have found this place. I definitly want to go back at some point and get some more cheese curds! 5 stars :)
(5)
Tori L.
Enjoyed my first meal in Wisconsin here on a snowy Friday afternoon. My husband and I were one of only two couples in the restaurant at the time, which made my a bit worried about the food. We were two cold Texans desperate for a warm meal and a chance to thaw so we took our chances. I had the halibut lunch special and was pleasantly surprised- it came with potato pancakes, applesauce, and coleslaw and was really good! Not greasy and heavy feeling at all, making it perfect for lunch. My husband had the buffalo chicken sandwich and fries and gave it his seal of approval. The service was great and the restaurant was very clean!
(4)
L M.
Such a nice location, could be so much better. I had fish. It was expensive and just alright.
(2)
Mark D.
Great food. Mahi mahi with asparagus was wonderful, as was the lobster gnocchi . Service was very prompt on a Friday night. I liked the dark wood decor, and right on the river.
(5)
Rohan D.
Came here on a whim with the Chief of Staff on a pleasant Fall Sunday morning, and this is a very attractive restaurant inside and out, sitting right on the river, with a patio on the riverwalk. If you like eating al fresco, and the weather is nice, you can't beat this location. The interior is quite attractive, period restored tastefully recalling the late 18th century when the Cawker Estate Building was built. Service was prompt, polite, pleasant even though Emily was the only waitress working and had to double as the hostess. The name is deceptive, it's not a seafood restaurant, though they have a shrimp, and a tuna dish. The menu is limited, to the point of being a drawback. For brunch there is an eggs benedict, which I had and was pretty good, and a couple of variations on that like eggs florentine. They have a brat and egg scrambled dish, which is what the Chief of Staff had, but it wasn't exactly what she had in mind for breakfast, but there are only a couple more choices beyond that. The best aspect of this place is the location, I recommend it to visitors in the downtown hotels, a stop before or after a visit to the historic Pabst theater, or if you want to sit next to the river while having a beer. The cuisine isn't anything you'd want to go out of your way for.
(3)
Sean P.
I've been here 3 separate times, twice to eat, once just for drinks. The first time was about a year ago and I don't remember exactly what I had for my entree, but the table shared a whitefish pate that was delicious, but unfortunately no longer resides on the menu. The second time was last week, and I ordered the ginger soy salmon and it was perfectly cooked and pleasantly surprised me. The house drinks they offer are fun variations and twists on standards with local/Wisconsin touches on some. Each time, the service was prompt and very friendly, making sure we were not left wanting.
(4)
Russ T.
Wow, we didn't have the issues that others did. There was the hostess and the waitress and they were always around. Possibly because of comments from here? The food was good (soup, bratwurst, seafood alfredo). We were stuffed by the time we left and did not finish all the food (left the rolls from the bratwurst). Good thing we walked so we could walk some of this off. The bar area has large flat screens with sports on them but the sound is kept down. The tables are not crammed on top of one another so conversations are not strained. Prices were in line with similar places in the area. Service was very attentive even when we said we were in no rush so I would say things are better in that area.
(3)
Emily K.
After writing this review I tried contacting Port of Call on their website. I wrote a quick note and included the review from 6/10. Never heard back from them. Boo.
(1)
Jason L.
Hit Port of Call on a weekday for lunch. I had the Waldorf salad with grilled chicken--it was very good with fresh ingredients. My friend had the perch sandwich--he talked about it all afternoon. Service was very attentive--must have had my drink refilled about 5 times even when not completely empty. We both thought we'd go again.
(3)
Bonnie H.
My family and I went there last night to celebrate my husband's birthday. The food was excellent (we had an appetizer first, I ordered the Mahi Mahi, my husband had a burger, and my kids had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a grilled cheese kid's meal). Unfortunately, the service was terrible. The restaurant didn't seem busy, but the kitchen was (they were doing catering for an event as well, I believe). We waited over 15 minutes before a server even came to get our drink orders. She told us she didn't know we were there and was very apologetic. At one point my husband got up to take my son to the restroom and the waitress came back quite awhile later and said she was told we had moved outside (my other son and I stayed at the table the entire time). Once served, she never came back to check on us, offer refills on drinks, or clear the dirty appetizer dishes, etc until she brought us or checks. Very disappointing.
(2)
Linda C.
One of my favorite restaurants in town. Went with a friend and both of our meals were excellent. I understand that they have a relatively new menu that has a wide range of gourmet meals plus interesting sandwiches and salads. That is good when you have a number of people at your table, there is a wide variety to please everyone. Service was fast and pleasant. They had us served well in time for a play at the Rep despite my being late for the reservation. Can 't wait to go back when the deck is open.
(5)
Mark P.
So many places to go to and I made the mistake of coming here. Looks like it would be good, but sadly, it was not. Had a friend even go back a few nights later, and was just as bad. There are so many other places right nearby to go to, do it. I had the whitefish on a cedar plank...more like a slab of unflavored wood...you can't reuse the planks that many times guys. The risotto and asparagus that came with were also very bland. The worst part was it was pricey. The good part is I didn't pay for it. One other annoying thing was the staff. Bartenders and servers socializing way too casually across the place. Yelling, ignoring customers, you name it...need a manager in there to nip that in the bud.
(2)
Tony K.
Down. grade. Indeed. Just disappointed overall in the service. This is a great location with tons of potential. Staff seems generally uninterested in providing great service... not sure I feel inclined to return.
(2)
Marcus J.
Fantastic food prepared the right way. Great for a date night! Little expensive but well worth it!
(4)
Lori B.
This place made me a bit sad. The location has so much potential, but the food was simply not good. I really WANTED to like this place. The calamari appetizer was alright, but nothing to rave about. However, the shrimp wrap I ordered was inedible. Blah. This may be a good place to grab drink on the patio in warmer weather, but I'd plan to grab food elsewhere!
(2)
Hanski E.
Play bar dice with Kent. Just do it.
(5)
Kate O.
Yuck. We went here for Downtown Dining Week and were very disappointed. The food was mediocre and the service was terrible. We went towards the end of dinner service, and the waiter acted like he had never seen the downtown dining menu. After taking our order he disappeared for 25 minutes before coming back with our appetizers, which were a soup and cheese dip, so they shouldn't have taken any time to prepare. Our entrees came out five minutes later, while we were still eating the apps, and appeared to have been sitting in the window for a while already. When we were done with out entrees, the server tried to bring us our check, even though the meal came with dessert. I ordered a special martini which tasted like water. The chocolate cake was dry. Plusses, the ambiance was nice, except for when someone stopped by our table to ask for our spare change. When I asked what was in the martini and indicated I didn't like it, the waiter brought me a more expensive drink for the price of the martini... Although when he was explaining this to me he did quote the price of the drink wrong. Maybe go there if your looking for a cool place to chill by the river and drink cocktails. The specialty drink menu looked good, and my second drink was tasty. But go somewhere else for dinner.
(2)
Amy E.
I had never been here, until we stopped by here during Tour de Farce. I would have never probably walked into this place on my own, but it has a lot of offer. There is great seating on the river and on a nice night, this would be an excellent way to enjoy downtown and those limited nights where our Wisconsin weather cooperates. Will definately come back and check this place out.
(3)
David G.
Decent spot. Good for lunch. Recommend the Tuna sandwich. Nothing special but worked out well for us.
(3)
Danielle B.
I visited Port of Call this week with a few friends for happy hour drinks on the river. This location always seems to change often, but it has a nice patio, right on the river, with plenty of people-watching possibilities. Their happy hour special is pretty awesome. Half off all appetizers and half off all tap beer. Fine by me! I ordered a HUGE Sprecher Mai Bock (lots of seasonal selections which was cool) and a cheese plate (to share. Sort of... I may have ended up eating most of it.). Cheese plate was fabulous. Really great bread, perfectly toasted, three cheese selections I liked, fresh fruit and candied walnuts and cashews. THAT'S how to do a cheese plate, folks. A friend ordered the duck quesadillas, and said they were really good. I'm a vegetarian, so I didn't sample those, but I did try the sour cream and salsa served with them. Thumbs up. Service was nothing special, and we didn't try any entrees, but they have an extensive cocktail menu which I'd love to sample and lots of yummy-sounding items - including a couple vegetarian selections which is always a plus. I'm definitely going back for happy hour this summer.
(4)
Michelle G.
Service was sooooo slow. Waitress almost dropped four plates of food. The salmon crostini was not good. Way to much mayo. I had the turkey and Brie and the panini was mush on one side of the bread. Overall experience poor and will not come back for food but possibly drinks if the weather ever warms up.
(2)
Scott O.
Seems like I'm not the only reviewer that's going to call out the service here. So here we go! My wife and I dropped by a week ago before a show at the Riverside. The place wasn't crowded. The hostess wasn't at her station as we walked in, but there was a waitress punching in an order. She didn't acknowledge us. 30 seconds later another waitress came over to tell us the hostess would be back shortly. So at least someone stepped up. We were seated outside and greeted promptly by our waitress. That was the highlight of the experience. After we ordered drinks it took her over 5 minutes (and 4 separate trips to the patio) before she finally came out with our drinks. We ordered the duck quesadillas, which came out 6-8 minutes later. They weren't bad, but they weren't special. I think the idea is good, but they were really greasy. Perhaps duck - or at least duck as they prepared it - wasn't the best choice for a quesadilla. Our waitress never returned to see how our food was or if we needed a refill on drinks. In fact, she walked past our table twice as we ate and I finally had to flag her down to get our check, then flag her down again to hand her my credit card. She was totally clueless and seemed to not care about her quality of service. Terrible. I'll give PoC 2 stars just because it's nice to sit on a patio by the river, but really, the service warrants only a single star. With such a great location and great potential, it's sad to find this place staffed by people who either don't like their jobs or don't care about their jobs. I won't be surprised if this place shuts down permanently before it sees another summer.
(2)
Rachel K.
The food was good, but nothing crave worthy -- except for the fried cheese curds, those were spectacular. Beer selection is great. Patio is rockstar. And would be great to hang out on before seeing a show across the river. Service was spotty, though most were friendly. Food took awhile to get to us and we weren't even there during the rush. Trying to park here for lunch was horrendous. I would recommend it more if you were already downtown, but it's definitely not something to go out of your way for.
(3)
Matt R.
Boursin cream couscous w/ orangey sauce on rainbow trout was my dinner. Nice flavor combinations, and the service was pretty good. Beer/drink selection left a bit to be desired and the atmosphere was enjoyable. Overall the experience was good, although I'm not sure I'll be tubing back anytime soon.
(3)
Cheol K.
Gumbo was very good and spicy. Nice to have a view of the canal from the restaurant as well.
(4)
Mike B.
Did not care for the menu, kind of, all-over-the-place. service was decent, but the staff started breaking down the tables and chairs while the restaurant still had a good bit of people. good place to entertain friends from out of town in the summer due to the nice view outside, but i would skip on this place otherwise. fried cheese curd was awesome!
(3)
Amanda D.
Right by the river Red pepper bisque hit the spot Super awesome service Full stars and they hit the spot for an EAA visitor!
(5)
Rick R.
I've only visited Port of Call a few times since they opened. I ordered a seafood paella on my first visit several years ago. It was ok, and it was served on a plate, not in a paella or even something resembling a paella. I was disappointed overall, but I should have known better than to order it there. They seem to do a little better with appetizers, although in fairness I have not had an entree there within the past few years, so there could have been improvements to the food. Last night I stopped in before the Yelp MSO event for a quick bite. The apps were 50% off for happy hour, except for the scallops. I ordered the Calamari ($11) and the Fish Tacos ($10), half priced during happy hour. The Calamari was good. The pieces were battered and the battered and the seasoning in the batter was balanced and had a good flavor. The marinara dipping sauce was also well-seasoned and had a nice flavor to it with notes of sweet and spicy. The only complaint I have it the amount of batter. It seemed that most of the pieces were very small and many of them were just small clumps of fried batter. The Fish Tacos were better. The description states that sauteed mahi mahi is topped with sliced avocado, tomato, cilantro and queso fresco. They are served in grilled flour tortillas, which were large and strong enough to stay together while eating, which I appreciated. I don't know about the "sauteed" part of the fish unless it was done before dropping the large chunks of fish in batter and deep frying them. I actually did like the tacos except for the aioli suace they put on the tortillas before filling them. It was too tangy for me. The bartender recommended adding sriracha when he delivered the tacos to me, so I did, and that was the call of the year. The sriracha saved the tacos from the aioli sauce that was already on the tacos. Overall, I enjoyed the tacos, thanks to the sriracha. I saw an acquaintance there who ordered the mini brats and said they were pretty good. I would have ordered that with the paremesan fries if the fries were house cut and not frozen fries. I may consider going back and trying an entree if I'm in another time crunch and in the area or taking a crusie on one of the boats that dock near there.
(3)
Tony Z.
The location is great, and the cheese curds are the best! This place is expensive though, like $6 draft beer expensive! So be prepared to spend!
(4)
Shanna L.
Chose this restaurant cause it was within walking distance of the Wisconsin Center on a chilly December evening, and it still had reservations available for 4 on the last weekend of the Lion King production. I made the perfect choice. Had never been here before, and boy am I glad we went. First time ever ordering a Portabello burger at any restaurant, and now I'm hooked. Hope other restaurants will live up to my new flavor standard. Friend of mine ordered the salmon blt sandwich, also very good, not dry, loaded with bacon, bread was not overbearing, allowing the "sandwich" contents to sit main stage and they were awesome. My daughter enjoyed the duck confit flatbread (an appetizer) as her entree. Flatbread good, light and crispy, not filling. The confit, very tasty. Only unexpected downside was that the entire dish was covered in sauteed onions. She's not a super fan, but in my opinion it was a perfect paring. Friends daughter had the Ceasar salad with chicken. I didn't try it, but she loved it. I will definitely visit this one again. So glad I was limited in choices that evening, it turned out to be the perfect place for two mom's and two daughters to grab a great bite before heading to a UCA cheer competition. Oh, should also mention that the hostess and waitstaff were very attentive. And the bartender prepared a perfect gimlet. Try it if you haven't.
(5)
Lisa S.
I visited Port of Call twice for lunch - once for downtown dining week, and most recently during the week when the NML conference was in town. Both times, they offered a limited menu due to the expected crowd. The first time I went, I ordered the salmon sandwich. It was nothing to write home about, but not bad; however, it came with a great side salad with what I believe to be homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Given it was downtown dining week, it also came with choice of dessert. I chose tiramisu. My friend chose NY cheesecake. My tiramisu looked like it had probably been sitting out unrefrigerated for some time...it flopped on one end and was barely room temperature. Also, the presentation was horrible (which was not the case for someone who ordered it at another table). My friend's cheesecake was frozen in the middle. What was more troubling was the service. Upon walking into the restaurant, there was no one at the hostess station; however, several staff members came up to the desk to punch in their orders on the computer, but not one of them acknowledged us. I get that it's not their job, but how hard is it to say "Hi! Someone will be right with you." It's as if they purposely avoided eye contact so we wouldn't ask them anything. This happened both times I visited. Just a friendly greeting and acknowledgement that I'm in their restaurant is all I ask for. Once acknowledged, seating was immediate. While seating was immediate, service was not. Someone brought water, and although the server was somewhat attentive, it took FOREVER for our food to be served. There were no apologies for the slow service. Even more disturbing is that people who came in after us were served first. Worse than that is that we were served before people who came in before us. Meal presentation was inconsistent. People at other tables who ordered the same meal as me had their salads come in a square bowl, while mine was half the serving on a square plate. My tiramisu did not have chocolate powder dusted on the plate while someone else's did. Just totally inconsistent. This most recent time, my boss and I were seated and it was nearly an hour before our food was actually served. Looking around the patio, there was literally NO ONE eating...EVERYONE was waiting for their meal, both people who arrived before us and people who were seated after us. Everyone was waiting. For my second visit, I ordered the chicken sandwich with avocado - it was hands down one of the best chicken sandwiches I've eaten in recent memory. But was it worth waiting an hour for? Um, no. I hesitate to give this restaurant a third try based on service (or lack thereof) alone. They have got to know that most people dining M-F during the lunch hour are on their lunch HOUR. I hope the management can do some serious training with the wait staff, the front station and particularly the kitchen to improve the speed and level of service. The food alone is not going to carry this restaurant. They need to have the service to go with it.
(2)
Kellie R.
I booked a business meeting/lunch here for about 20 guests -- took place in April 2014. We were very impressed at the caliber of service we received. The food was great, atmosphere was perfect for what we needed, and the overall service was much better than we had anticipated it to be. Would highly recommend, especially if looking to take a small sized group there.
(5)
Billy K.
I've been here five or six times for lunch with the office crew and once for dinner before a show at the Pabst. Iiiiiiiiii like it. Atmosphere is super comfortable, staff is friendly, and the menu is great. There hasn't been a thing that's disappointmented me yet. Tried one of the specials a few weeks ago--scallops over orzo--that was absolutely fantastic. Waiting for the weather to get nice out, so I can wander on over after work and enjoy the patio while sitting on the river. Still close to the action, but away from the crazies on Water Street. Has potential to be a frequent stop on my way home from work.
(3)
Kerry G.
After strolling around the Milwaukee Riverwalk and checking out the menus of everything that appeared open, we decided to come back here, and were very pleased with our decision to do so! Despite reading the menu before coming in, it still took us quite awhile to decide what to order because three of the four of us were torn between two different things that sounded equally good. We ended up asking our attentive and helpful server for help deciding, and her recommendations were definitely good. I got the Shrimp BLT, which featured "Grilled Gulf Shrimp with Applewood Smoked Bacon, Mixed Greens, Tomato, and Pesto Mayonnaise on Panini Bread." (I can't resist a good pesto!) They were out of panini, so I got it on pretzel bread instead, and it was really excellent. After hemming and hawing for awhile between the Chedder Apple Burger (White Cheddar and Maple Roasted Apples) and the Peppercorn-Boursin Burger (Boursin Cheese and Red Grape Mustard), my husband finally settled on the Boursin, which came out beautifully medium-rare and even better than my shrimp BLT. Damn, what a burger! One of our friends got the Waldorf Salad, which she said was delicious but had a little too much dressing for her taste, and our vegetarian friend got the Gorgonzola Grilled Cheese. She was a little concerned about how it might taste on pretzel bread instead of panini, but ended up loving it. I don't know when I'll make it back to Milwaukee, but if I do, we'll definitely be planning a return trip!
(5)
Genevieve H.
Visited Port of Call tonight for the first time and was very disappointed. Service was very poor. We waited for 15-20 minutes just to get a glass of water. The food was fine but they forgot the salad and didn't remember until we mentioned it. They weren't very apologetic. I wouldn't recommend or visit again.
(2)
S M.
I stopped in for a quick lunch special that I couldn't pass up. $2 Fish tacos! I had three, they were awesome. I'll be back every Thursday.
(5)
Josh R.
Terrible service! We sat at a table for over an hour without ever seeing a waitress or waiter. I can't comment on the food because we went across the street to Rock Bottom, where we had great service.
(1)
Kelli E.
Fantastic patio! Had one of the best salads ever. Great for meeting friends-will definitely come here next time I'm in Milwaukee.
(5)
Eli B.
Crappy service- don't know about food... Waited fifteen minutes for service, finally after no one came, my wife went to the bar. She waited another five minutes listening to the bar tender talk to some old bag and sample wines. Not big deal if she was standing across the bar, but, in fact, she was standing right next to them. Finally the stank eye got his attention. I ordered my favorite beer, a seasonal beer from Michigan. I grew up in Michigan, I've toured this brewery and frequent the brewpub whenever I'm in western Michigan... I love this beer! So when I say this you can be assured that I speak the truth... This beer was foul, I think they dont properly store there beer OR they don't care enough to try their beers! The only reason for two stars is because they carry this beer. OMG! I almost forgot that we wanted to sit outside on this beautiful day and they told us it was a 90 minute wait, looking outside there were literally 10 tables open. This place blows! Now that I look around, I feel like this place could be a florida old folks home... Average age = 55... So if your cougar hunting...
(2)
Becky T.
Slow slow slooooooooow. Got there @ 6 & had tickets for an 8:00 show. We barely tasted the food & had to run to the theater. They weren't even busy! Never again.
(1)
Sona B.
This is definitely one of those under-appreciated restaurants that I truly hope makes it big. We came here during happy hour where drafts are half off and appetizers are 2 for 1. So naturally, we ordered beers and apps! We were seated in a modern lounge type area with a fireplace in the background. For apps, we got the PEI mussels- the only disappointment of the night, prob would forgo this; duck quesadillas- beautiful presentation, the cilantro cream sauce was amazing; door county white fish pate- crusts of bread with smokey (maybe a bit too smokey) fish pate covered with melted cheddar; crab cakes- savory, crispy, our favorite dish of the night. They have specials just about every night, my next visit there will be for $2 tacos!
(4)
Jamie S.
DT dining week was my motivation for trying new places.The point of trying them is to see if you like it and want to go back again. I would not. I was yelping out loud in the restroom after my meal to a few cougars, warning them to go somewhere else. Please. Meow. I'll break it down simply. The service was spotty.The replacement hummus on the menu was served with hard/dry pita bread. The 20 oz lobsters came as is: in shell, when after extracting the meat, amounted to about 2oz of meat. My steak was good. That was about the only redeeming moment. 4 bites of steak. I was under the impression, from everything i have read about dt dining, that the entrees are full size. Not the case here. If these are the full sizes, I am speechless. At the end of the meal the waitress took our payment, that was split between the group, and when i checked my bank balance later that evening, a pending charge was for the entire bill, in addition to $50; the portion I had her charge to the card. For 4 days the charge pended. Eventually it came off, but they should have told me that when they ran the card. Not a good place. Not even to dock the Edelweis.
(2)
Lucy Z.
Was excited for a good burger along the river. The waitstaff was friendly, but clueless. When our food came out, the food runners came out, though seemingly confused, dropped the plates quickly, and never gave us reassurance that they right orders were given to the right people. As it turned out, all the orders were mixed up, and when sorted out we discovered that none of the burgers were made accurate to order. The burger I had was decent. My friend wasn't a fan of the steak sandwich... found it overcooked. The fried cheese curds, however, were yummy. The place has potential, just seems like the kitchen and the waitstaff have to work on being better coordinated.
(2)
Christopher H.
I surprised Lucy with dinner here and a Festa Italiana fireworks cruise after dinner. We were seated immediately on the patio even though the place was packed on this beautiful and hot summer evening. She had a club sandwich and I had the chicken bacon ranch wrap. They were both very good and perfect for a summertime meal. Her club won our "who gets the best tasting meal" contest that we have every time we go out to eat. Sure it was just a club sandwich but mostly local ingredients made it close to that "to die for" food. My wrap was good but not great. Lot's of lettuce in the wrap took away from the flavor a bit. We both had fries with our sandwiches and they were definitely some quality fries. Thin, crispy, salty and just plain tasty. Service was friendly even if our waiter was a little overwhelmed by his crowded tables. The bar area is decent. Prices are okay. I could see becoming a regular if the quality stays this high. Oh and the fact that the boat boards just a little ways down the riverwalk from the restaurant's patio is an added bonus. Stop in. You won't be disappointed.
(4)
Erica R.
Awesome porch along the river, but pretty bad service. I'll give it to the wait staff that we came at a weird time (around 2:00 p.m.), but it took us around 20 minutes to get the beer and wine we ordered. I'll definitely be back for the porch and give it another shot.
(3)
Dustin M.
Sat outside on the patio, which has a great view. The steak sandwich and onion rings were very good, I would def. Get again. Would go back for food, and possibly a drink on the patio. Looks like they have great drink specials, but were just there to eat.
(3)
Jeff S.
Special of the night was $2 tacos but at 7:30pm they stopped making them as they were "too difficult". Kitchen was backed up (but the server warned us) but with really weak cold cocktails in hand, the food didn't take long... But arrived different than the menu specified. Enjoy!
(2)
Ryan L.
I did not eat here, but the food looked great, and the locals around the bar said the food was excellent. I'll take their word for it, because the place was packed. Bar area was fun, and offered $5 for a cold shot and tall-boy of PBR. For a late Saturday evening, that's hard to beat. We were told the Goo Goo Dolls had been here just a couple hours before us since they were in town that night. Staff is friendly. Would have liked to have dined here, but we were hopping around the area. For what I experienced, however, it get's 5 stars.
(5)
Amelie and Dan B.
We're giving it 3 stars because the food was great, but the service was horrible. We were there just a couple of weeks ago, we enjoyed the views (patio seating) and the overall atmosphere. We ordered the turkey wrap and chicken panini, and the calamari - very yummy. Just based on these 3 dishes we give it a 5 (for the food only). We were there on a Sunday, we stood and waited (with other individuals) to be seated. There were 4-5 waiters just walking around and not one approached us to sit us. After waiting a couple minutes, we "all" decided just to sit down, anywhere. So we're sitting and waiting, and waiting some more (with the people that were standing and waiting to be seated and other parties that just walked in) WE'RE ALL WAITING. Oh, and did we mention, none of the tables were cleared from the previous costumers. So we're waiting and staring at dirty dishes on our tables. After waiting for about 5 minutes, I stopped one of the waiters who was wondering about and asked him for menus and to clear our table - he was not happy and gave me attitude and said this wasn't his table. After some time he brought out menus and told us another waitress would take our order. So we waited some more, and finally our waitress came and took our order. Once we were eating - it was OK, but I couldn't help but to observe the rest of the waiting staff and the patio area. There was a couple who waited 15 minutes to pay their bill.... the lady was furious and was doing everything she could to call on one of the waiters! Seeing how upset she was I asked our waitress to go over there, she was kind enough to do so and called over anther waiter to their table to finalize their bill. Another couple who was sitting next to us was seated and their waiter never came back to take their order, they sat there for 20 minutes, with no drinks and no food! Our waitress was once again politely asked to call on their waiter. Furthermore, A couple behind us had the same problem with a different waiter. And there were some that just left because they were tired of waiting. I figured they must have been really busy IN the restaurant, so when I left to use the washroom, I noticed the entire restaurant area was EMPTY. There was one gentleman sitting at the bar. ONE person IN the restaurant! There was nothing going on. I have to say, our waitress was pretty decent, but not great. We will probably return to this restaurant because the food was really great. I'm just concerned about the wait time.......
(3)
christopher m.
Stopped in for a Sat afternoon lunch and drink. Our burgers were delicious and the beer cheese soup was good but not great. Service was great and friendly. We've been before, like the location slightly off the beaten path, and hope it remains as is.
(4)
Leia O.
This place sucks, the food was OK, but the atmosphere was lame. The staff was nice and everything, but it has no real draw to it. It wasn't decorated in any way. It had to real cozy feeling of fun. I was not into it at all and won't be going back, but thats just me.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Jillian G.
I got the mushroom burger - it was amazing. Sat outside on the patio, and my dog was even able to join for dinner. :)
(4)Gundy A.
Nice place with good character. The open space for the bar area was very inviting and social. I thought the staff was very pleasant and made the visit worth it. I started with the "the best cheese curds ever" and a Spotted Cow. The beer was perfect but the cheese curds were just ok. I'm pretty sure I could go to just about any small town wisconsin bar and get better. Way too much breaking or cooked too hot. They weren't that good. The rest of the meal was decent and I would come back to try something else.
(4)Erin L.
Pros: Great location House infused vodka DELICIOUS food (new menu since last week) Large bar Cozy fireplace Good TVs at bar Cons: Expensive Small portions Slow service NO HOOKS UNDER BAR FOR PURSES! random holes in the wall (kinda worn down interior) Difficult parking
(4)Rick F.
Great beer selection, nice decor. It's right on the river. Good beer selection. I didn't try the food, but they have an outdoor seating area that connects to the riverwalk and also serves as a point of departure for river cruises.
(4)Chris W.
So-So... Kinda of a neat place I would consider a "hole in the wall"along the riverfront walking district. Kinda plain and quite in its own right but great place to pop in and have a beverage and conversation without having to yell and scream over major crowd noise.
(3)Melissa K.
Our server Kim recommended the cheese curds and they were amazing! Drinks were a little pricey but the food and service were great. Definitely will be back!
(5)Bonnie K.
I never complain or write a bad review but our experience here was bad. Service was mediocre to begin with (one other table in the whole place and we had to ask for water refills, etc). We ordered 2 types of fish. The White Fish was good, the Catch of the Day, the Skate Wing was terrible. It smelled of chemicals and iodine. We ate one bite and told the server it smelled and tasted bad and she left it on the table and told us to enjoy the other one. At the end of the meal the fish was still there, untouched. I pulled her aside and told her I wasnt trying to get a free meal but that the fish smelled like chemicals and the chef needed to smell it so that he knew so they would not sell it and get people sick. She took it in the back and threw it away and never discounted our check or offered anything. I guess now we know why there were no other tables in this restaurant.
(1)Kari F.
Not bad; not great. Had the roasted chicken entree which was well cooked, but not well seasoned. Had a cocktail that was weak and watered down tasting... For $8 if you're going to skimp on the booze, at least cover with a tasty mixer, not just more water. Good atmosphere and decent service.
(3)Katie M.
I wasn't impressed but I wasn't disappointed either. My husband and I weren't planning on stopping for dinner but we hot hungry, stopped in and we were seated right away. Our waitress was pleasant and relatively attentive considering how busy she was. I ordered the seafood truffle fettucini with a salad. The pasta was just ok. It wasn't outstanding but it wasn't bad. The shrimp and scallops were cooked well but the truffle flavor was lacking big time. My husband ordered a burger and he enjoyed it quite a bit. Would I go back to Port of Call? I guess. Would I be super excited to go back? Not particularly. So if you're looking for decent food but you're not looking to be wowed then you will enjoy Port of Call.
(3)Bruce K.
Love, love, LOVE sitting outside to eat. I don't know why, but it seems like the food just tastes better outside. And on this warm (but not hot) and sunny (but still slightly cloudy) and windy (but not breezy) day, sitting on their patio overlooking the river was perfect. I chose the grilled tilapia sandwich for lunch today. When it arrived, it was piping hot on a huge piece of toasted sourdough. I opted to cut it in half first. The right move. Good flavor, nicely cooked through and with the grilled vegetables, a little challenging to keep it either on the plate or in my mouth. The pasta salad was a bit too oily, but still decent. If it's a nice day, and today was a nice day, I'd really recommend sitting outside at Port of Call.
(4)Sue S.
The only good thing was our waitress. Katie was great. Food was so so and location is nice. We were doing the Fireworks cruise and decided to start with dinner. Good thing we had plenty of time because the food delivery moved at a glacial pace. Seafood Cobb salad was a huge disappointment. One scallop and 3 tiny shrimp. Funky lettuce and too much of it. Roasted chicken breast was flavorful but fresh veggies soaking in the chicken juice was a turn off.
(2)Amber J.
The worst service Ive had in a very long time. First we went to the bar to get drinks while we waited for our table. Well, both bartenders ignored and took care of everyone else at the bar. We decided to to sit at bar since the hostess said it would be quicker then waiting for a table. So we waited for chairs to open up and sat at the bar. Bartenders still continued to ignore us for good 10 minutes later came and took our drink orders. We told them we wanted to order food. The male told us to wait so we waited again for him to take everyone else's order. Once he took our food orders they brought out each order separately. The male bartender threw my salad at me. The last girl waited so long for her food she asked for a to go container. Instead of bringing her a container they packaged her food for her. She never even had a chance to eat.
(1)Jessica T.
Ambiance was good, darkly lit dining area that made you feel like you were on a boat. The service left much to be desired although the food was good, overall
(3)Badger B.
I had a bunch of friends come up from Chicago for the the Brewers game. We showed up before the game for Bloody Mary's and appetizers. The Bloody Mary mix they make is incredible and the cheese curds are the best I've ever had! The bartenders were fun and the service was great! I've always driven by this place but I can say that I'm truly glad we came in. We left and took the Mo's shuttle to the game. We took the shuttle back and skipped Mo's to go back to Port of Call! I can't believe I've never stepped in here, I'm sold!
(5)Susan B.
We were recently in the Milwaukee area and asked the staff at our hotel for a food recommendation. Port of Call was suggested and since we wanted something quick, decent and somewhat healthy, we decided to give it a shot. When we walked in there were only 2 other parties sitting at the bar. There wasn't anyone greeting us and I finally made eye contact with an employee and I asked if we just seat ourselves anywhere. Once we were seated it felt like forever until a server came by (probably 5 minutes which was odd since the place was dead). Anyways, he finally came over with menus, which to my surprise, weren't very extensive (we aren't big seafood eaters and a lot of the offerings were seafood...guess this is a no brainer based on the name of the establishment!). Our food came out fairly quickly which was expected since we both ordered sandwiches (turkey sandwich and grilled cheese). I also ordered a lemonade which I would not recommend. It tasted like a really bad powder mix.
(2)Eva M.
1st visit. Wasn't even planning on stopping there, but it looked pleasant. I was pleasantly surprised - Excellent food. I had the roasted chicken over a bed of green beans and mashed potatoes. Wonderful flavor. Staff was very friendly and I will definitely go again.
(4)Liz P.
We went for Downtown Dining Week, which maybe was our first mistake. We had a reservation, though sat at the bar for close to 30 min - other people were able to walk in after us and be seated immediately. When we asked at the hostess stand why we were still waiting, we were told she didnt "know about us" and we should have talked to her when we first arrived. No apology - apparently it was our fault for talking to a different hostess?! We finally were seated outside. 15 min later we got waters and were able to order our drinks. 30 min later appetizers arrived (they were great!) - fish tacos and scallops. 45 minutes later entrees arrived - awful. My lobster carbonara had 2 slivers of lobster, portion size was literally 5 bites. My fiance's surf and turf was unrecognizable. The steak was all gristle and fat - and cold. He ordered medium rare, and it was a charcoal briquette. The lobster tail was still transluscent - completely undercooked! And again, cold. Server did not come to check on us for quite awhile. She offered to take the surf and turf meal off our bill, which was appreciated and the least she could do. Desserts were good - tiramisu and cheesecake. Overall nowhere we'll consider going again, despite the wonderful location and view! Poor service and terribly disappointing food is not a way to stay in business.
(2)Lisa M.
I love this place! They had the best portabella mushroom burger and parmesan fries for this foodie...We went on a Sunday, midafternoon. Sat outside by the river. Enjoyed the people watching and wait staff. We have been back a few times and always superb!
(5)Andy D.
Stopped in for drinks and an appetizer for the Packer game... The bartender was awesome! Attentive and fun. The bar wasn't crowded for the game which was really nice. Plenty of TV's at the bar. We also ordered the tune tartar. It was good when combined with the sauces it comes with (mango and siracha). We will be back for the great service and to try more of the food.
(5)Nikole W.
Stopped in this past weekend with two of my friends. Was not crowded and looked like a nice place to sit outside and have a drink or two and an appetizer. We were seated right away outside and after about 10 minutes noone even came up to greet us so we left. It doesn't surprise me this place was empty because the service was HORRIBLE. We spent our money at Rock Bottom across the street where the service was great!
(1)Chris L.
I really liked this place. I'm staying at the Intercontinental and had planned on walking down to the Milwaukee Beer Garden for dinner. After arriving and waiting at the bar for 10 minutes before a server even came over to me, I got frustrated and left. So I headed back to the hotel and saw this place, and thought it looked pretty good so I decided to stop in. It wasn't very busy, and I'm not sure why. The bartender was friendly and helpful. Really good place to watch games as well, with good, big TVs. I initially ordered the whitefish, but they were out of that, so I went with the salmon. Pretty good salmon dish; no complaints at all. I may go back again tonight.
(4)Chris B.
Stopped in for a pint and some grub while visiting Milwaukee with a buddy. First time I've been there, but will definitely be back. We sat outside on a gorgeous early fall day. Nice view of the river and river walk from their covered outdoor seating area. Prompt seating and service. Friendly wait staff. Great food and cold beer. What more could you ask for?! The calamari appetizer was some of the best I've had and the fried cheese curds were great as well.
(5)Christopher M.
One of these two stars is for the location. The other is for the food. Ate here during dining week (when you think they would want to impress) and was disappointed by my sirloin fillet and mediocre potato leek soup. My wife had a pasta dish that looked like it was being held together by Elmer's glue. I also noticed that the three 5 star reviews this place has on yelp are all from out of state - one claiming he didn't even eat the food. Suspicious.
(2)Sadie T.
When a group of 15 people come in at 12pm on a Wednesday, is it safe to assume they are all on their lunch break from work, where they work downtown? Yes, yes it is safe to assume. The service was so slow. Shameful for any restaurant downtown during the lunch hour. It was a good 20 minutes before we ordered, and that was after asking the waitress 10 minutes before hand and then chasing her down at the bar to again ask to have the order taken. Okay, order taken. About 15 minutes later, waitress returns and informs 4 of us that they are out of black bean burgers. Out? Unhappy and bad planning on the restaurant's part. Wait another 15 minutes to tell me? Not okay. So it's 12:45 and we have 15 minutes to get back to the office, and no food yet. Other veg options? PB&J from the kids menu, or 1 salad. Sad times. Finally food came and it was okay. Well, I wanted a black bean burger. The salad was good and large. I also asked for a side order of fries, the ones I would have gotten with the burger. What did pokey waitress bring? A large appetizer order. When I asked 'what is this' about, she told me 'oh, you can only get the appetizer size' (which I know to be a lie, since the person sitting 2 people down got a side order with their PB&J). I thought really she should have told me ahead of time when I ordered. What's worse, after we were done eating the plates were cleared but the check did not come, and the waitress disappeared, out of sight. Around 1:30pm one of us finally chased her down, sitting at the hostess stand, and asked for the check. Overall, I was not impressed with the menu as a vegetarian and very displeased with the service and lack of promptness.
(3)Kara M.
Great outdoor seating on the river when the weather is nice. Apps were very good especially the cheese curds, among the best I've had! Service was average, nice but a bit slow. Homemade sangria was amazing! I would definitely go back!
(4)Andrew O.
Worst service I've had in my life. How this place doesn't prepare for Northwestern Mutual's Annual Meeting by scheduling a full waitstaff for the 15,000 people in town is shocking. We waited almost 90 minutes and had to leave with no food. Stay away from this place unless you have no where to be. Wish I could choose no stars.
(1)Joanna T.
A-Ok just about covers it. I've been here several times for work lunches and never been impressed but never been turned off either. Food? It's just ok - my burger was tasteless and a little greasy but had a generous serving of avocados which helped. Fries - soggy, limp but again, ok tasting. Service? Pretty good too. But it should be because there were like 3 other tables. Atmosphere? Inside is really nothing special but the outside has a killer patio. Verdict? It's food. That's it. Go for drinks and apps on the patio and turn green with envy as all the people go by you in awesome boats. Don't expect great things (I bet the boat people have great food, btw) Can you tell that I just really want a boat?
(3)Erin B.
I went here for a friend's birthday dinner last weekend. There were about 10 of us who drifted in over the course of an hour. We first showed up with about five people and asked to be seated outside at a large table because more people would be showing up (eventually). The server who was up front said to the hostess (in full view and earshot of everyone in our party), "I am NOT taking them." Well, excuuuuuuse me, Miss Sassypants. Don't know what the hell her problem was, but definitely not a good first impression. The food was alright. Everyone was pretty satisfied by their meals, but no one was overly excited by any of it. T was disappointed that their side of onion rings were literally 3 rings. Decent sized, but 3? Weird. The highlight was the server we did have. She was very patient with our rag tag group but service was altogether way too slow. Drinks took about ten - fifteen minutes (we were one of maybe 5 tables in the whole place) to get to the table after ordering. They were also out of a ton of stuff. One friend ordered a drink off the specialty menu...they were out of infused vodka. She then ordered her meal...they were out of it. She asked for soup and the server sighed when she asked for tomato saying, "I'm so glad you didn't ask for the bisque because we're out!" Sheesh. They get an extra star because when learning that my friend was celebrating her bday, they brought her a piece of cheesecake. Otherwise...nah. Not really anything to get excited about.
(3)Ken S.
I had the herb-crusted salmon. In my opinion a good slab of fresh salmon needs very little adornment to be wonderful. This piece of salmon started out slightly below average, but the way it was prepared and presented made it a very nice meal. When they say it's encrusted with herbs they aren't kidding -- the crust was about a quarter of an inch thick. I was suspicious of this approach, but when it came, the crust and the sauce rescued a pedestrian piece of salmon and made it a nice meal. The portion was just right for me. I don't want to leave still hungry but I fear over-eating more. Nice place.
(4)Mike B.
Stopped by Port of Call during mid-day on a Sunday and sat outside. Pretty slow and the wait staff was welcoming. We tried their cheese curds as an appetizer along with a burger and grilled chicken sandwich. All of which were good and served piping hot (an important thing for me). The normal drinks were pricey (about $4 more than what you see elsewhere) so we got the drink special ($5 fruit infused drink) and while the taste was there the alcohol wasn't, as what I've found in most places. All-in-all it was a good experience, nothing overwhelmingly drawing me back there and while I wouldn't go out of my way to make it back, if I was hungry and in the neighborhood I'd definitely not hesitate to go back.
(3)Michelle K.
Ate here for lunch recently. They have a great patio right on the river with plenty of seating. The service was great. We were well taken care of and attended to. No slow service like other reviews have mentioned. The A-OK review is due to the fact that the food and the drinks just weren't stellar. I ordered Sangria to drink which was on the specials board. It wasn't bad but I've had so much better than I wouldn't order it again. The burgers we had were okay. Again, not the best I've had but good. Overall, I'd go here for drinks on the patio.
(3)Kristi H.
I really enjoyed this place! The boyfriend and I headed downtown for dinner one night intending to eat at lakefront brewery. Upon arriving there found out it would be a 45 min- 1 hour wait for a table. Nothing against the place, we just were not in the mood to wait that long. We walked around for a bit searching for a restaurant we had not tried yet and happened to stumble upon Port of Call. I am not a huge sea food fan but the menu (which is posted in the window) advertiesed burgers and sandwiches as well so we decided to give it a shot. We were seated right away. The restaurant theme was fun and inviting. After glancing over the menu we decided to order cheese curds as a starter and they were fantastic! The best I've had here in Wisconsin so far. I ordered a chicken melt and my boyfriend had the salmon blt. Our orders didn't take terribly long to come out and the food was very fresh and hot. I even tried a bit of salmon and would consider ordering it next time I go in. The waitress was friendly and knowledgable about the menu and took our order without having to write it down. All in all, we were happy to have found this place. I definitly want to go back at some point and get some more cheese curds! 5 stars :)
(5)Tori L.
Enjoyed my first meal in Wisconsin here on a snowy Friday afternoon. My husband and I were one of only two couples in the restaurant at the time, which made my a bit worried about the food. We were two cold Texans desperate for a warm meal and a chance to thaw so we took our chances. I had the halibut lunch special and was pleasantly surprised- it came with potato pancakes, applesauce, and coleslaw and was really good! Not greasy and heavy feeling at all, making it perfect for lunch. My husband had the buffalo chicken sandwich and fries and gave it his seal of approval. The service was great and the restaurant was very clean!
(4)L M.
Such a nice location, could be so much better. I had fish. It was expensive and just alright.
(2)Mark D.
Great food. Mahi mahi with asparagus was wonderful, as was the lobster gnocchi . Service was very prompt on a Friday night. I liked the dark wood decor, and right on the river.
(5)Rohan D.
Came here on a whim with the Chief of Staff on a pleasant Fall Sunday morning, and this is a very attractive restaurant inside and out, sitting right on the river, with a patio on the riverwalk. If you like eating al fresco, and the weather is nice, you can't beat this location. The interior is quite attractive, period restored tastefully recalling the late 18th century when the Cawker Estate Building was built. Service was prompt, polite, pleasant even though Emily was the only waitress working and had to double as the hostess. The name is deceptive, it's not a seafood restaurant, though they have a shrimp, and a tuna dish. The menu is limited, to the point of being a drawback. For brunch there is an eggs benedict, which I had and was pretty good, and a couple of variations on that like eggs florentine. They have a brat and egg scrambled dish, which is what the Chief of Staff had, but it wasn't exactly what she had in mind for breakfast, but there are only a couple more choices beyond that. The best aspect of this place is the location, I recommend it to visitors in the downtown hotels, a stop before or after a visit to the historic Pabst theater, or if you want to sit next to the river while having a beer. The cuisine isn't anything you'd want to go out of your way for.
(3)Sean P.
I've been here 3 separate times, twice to eat, once just for drinks. The first time was about a year ago and I don't remember exactly what I had for my entree, but the table shared a whitefish pate that was delicious, but unfortunately no longer resides on the menu. The second time was last week, and I ordered the ginger soy salmon and it was perfectly cooked and pleasantly surprised me. The house drinks they offer are fun variations and twists on standards with local/Wisconsin touches on some. Each time, the service was prompt and very friendly, making sure we were not left wanting.
(4)Russ T.
Wow, we didn't have the issues that others did. There was the hostess and the waitress and they were always around. Possibly because of comments from here? The food was good (soup, bratwurst, seafood alfredo). We were stuffed by the time we left and did not finish all the food (left the rolls from the bratwurst). Good thing we walked so we could walk some of this off. The bar area has large flat screens with sports on them but the sound is kept down. The tables are not crammed on top of one another so conversations are not strained. Prices were in line with similar places in the area. Service was very attentive even when we said we were in no rush so I would say things are better in that area.
(3)Emily K.
After writing this review I tried contacting Port of Call on their website. I wrote a quick note and included the review from 6/10. Never heard back from them. Boo.
(1)Jason L.
Hit Port of Call on a weekday for lunch. I had the Waldorf salad with grilled chicken--it was very good with fresh ingredients. My friend had the perch sandwich--he talked about it all afternoon. Service was very attentive--must have had my drink refilled about 5 times even when not completely empty. We both thought we'd go again.
(3)Bonnie H.
My family and I went there last night to celebrate my husband's birthday. The food was excellent (we had an appetizer first, I ordered the Mahi Mahi, my husband had a burger, and my kids had a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and a grilled cheese kid's meal). Unfortunately, the service was terrible. The restaurant didn't seem busy, but the kitchen was (they were doing catering for an event as well, I believe). We waited over 15 minutes before a server even came to get our drink orders. She told us she didn't know we were there and was very apologetic. At one point my husband got up to take my son to the restroom and the waitress came back quite awhile later and said she was told we had moved outside (my other son and I stayed at the table the entire time). Once served, she never came back to check on us, offer refills on drinks, or clear the dirty appetizer dishes, etc until she brought us or checks. Very disappointing.
(2)Linda C.
One of my favorite restaurants in town. Went with a friend and both of our meals were excellent. I understand that they have a relatively new menu that has a wide range of gourmet meals plus interesting sandwiches and salads. That is good when you have a number of people at your table, there is a wide variety to please everyone. Service was fast and pleasant. They had us served well in time for a play at the Rep despite my being late for the reservation. Can 't wait to go back when the deck is open.
(5)Mark P.
So many places to go to and I made the mistake of coming here. Looks like it would be good, but sadly, it was not. Had a friend even go back a few nights later, and was just as bad. There are so many other places right nearby to go to, do it. I had the whitefish on a cedar plank...more like a slab of unflavored wood...you can't reuse the planks that many times guys. The risotto and asparagus that came with were also very bland. The worst part was it was pricey. The good part is I didn't pay for it. One other annoying thing was the staff. Bartenders and servers socializing way too casually across the place. Yelling, ignoring customers, you name it...need a manager in there to nip that in the bud.
(2)Tony K.
Down. grade. Indeed. Just disappointed overall in the service. This is a great location with tons of potential. Staff seems generally uninterested in providing great service... not sure I feel inclined to return.
(2)Marcus J.
Fantastic food prepared the right way. Great for a date night! Little expensive but well worth it!
(4)Lori B.
This place made me a bit sad. The location has so much potential, but the food was simply not good. I really WANTED to like this place. The calamari appetizer was alright, but nothing to rave about. However, the shrimp wrap I ordered was inedible. Blah. This may be a good place to grab drink on the patio in warmer weather, but I'd plan to grab food elsewhere!
(2)Hanski E.
Play bar dice with Kent. Just do it.
(5)Kate O.
Yuck. We went here for Downtown Dining Week and were very disappointed. The food was mediocre and the service was terrible. We went towards the end of dinner service, and the waiter acted like he had never seen the downtown dining menu. After taking our order he disappeared for 25 minutes before coming back with our appetizers, which were a soup and cheese dip, so they shouldn't have taken any time to prepare. Our entrees came out five minutes later, while we were still eating the apps, and appeared to have been sitting in the window for a while already. When we were done with out entrees, the server tried to bring us our check, even though the meal came with dessert. I ordered a special martini which tasted like water. The chocolate cake was dry. Plusses, the ambiance was nice, except for when someone stopped by our table to ask for our spare change. When I asked what was in the martini and indicated I didn't like it, the waiter brought me a more expensive drink for the price of the martini... Although when he was explaining this to me he did quote the price of the drink wrong. Maybe go there if your looking for a cool place to chill by the river and drink cocktails. The specialty drink menu looked good, and my second drink was tasty. But go somewhere else for dinner.
(2)Amy E.
I had never been here, until we stopped by here during Tour de Farce. I would have never probably walked into this place on my own, but it has a lot of offer. There is great seating on the river and on a nice night, this would be an excellent way to enjoy downtown and those limited nights where our Wisconsin weather cooperates. Will definately come back and check this place out.
(3)David G.
Decent spot. Good for lunch. Recommend the Tuna sandwich. Nothing special but worked out well for us.
(3)Danielle B.
I visited Port of Call this week with a few friends for happy hour drinks on the river. This location always seems to change often, but it has a nice patio, right on the river, with plenty of people-watching possibilities. Their happy hour special is pretty awesome. Half off all appetizers and half off all tap beer. Fine by me! I ordered a HUGE Sprecher Mai Bock (lots of seasonal selections which was cool) and a cheese plate (to share. Sort of... I may have ended up eating most of it.). Cheese plate was fabulous. Really great bread, perfectly toasted, three cheese selections I liked, fresh fruit and candied walnuts and cashews. THAT'S how to do a cheese plate, folks. A friend ordered the duck quesadillas, and said they were really good. I'm a vegetarian, so I didn't sample those, but I did try the sour cream and salsa served with them. Thumbs up. Service was nothing special, and we didn't try any entrees, but they have an extensive cocktail menu which I'd love to sample and lots of yummy-sounding items - including a couple vegetarian selections which is always a plus. I'm definitely going back for happy hour this summer.
(4)Michelle G.
Service was sooooo slow. Waitress almost dropped four plates of food. The salmon crostini was not good. Way to much mayo. I had the turkey and Brie and the panini was mush on one side of the bread. Overall experience poor and will not come back for food but possibly drinks if the weather ever warms up.
(2)Scott O.
Seems like I'm not the only reviewer that's going to call out the service here. So here we go! My wife and I dropped by a week ago before a show at the Riverside. The place wasn't crowded. The hostess wasn't at her station as we walked in, but there was a waitress punching in an order. She didn't acknowledge us. 30 seconds later another waitress came over to tell us the hostess would be back shortly. So at least someone stepped up. We were seated outside and greeted promptly by our waitress. That was the highlight of the experience. After we ordered drinks it took her over 5 minutes (and 4 separate trips to the patio) before she finally came out with our drinks. We ordered the duck quesadillas, which came out 6-8 minutes later. They weren't bad, but they weren't special. I think the idea is good, but they were really greasy. Perhaps duck - or at least duck as they prepared it - wasn't the best choice for a quesadilla. Our waitress never returned to see how our food was or if we needed a refill on drinks. In fact, she walked past our table twice as we ate and I finally had to flag her down to get our check, then flag her down again to hand her my credit card. She was totally clueless and seemed to not care about her quality of service. Terrible. I'll give PoC 2 stars just because it's nice to sit on a patio by the river, but really, the service warrants only a single star. With such a great location and great potential, it's sad to find this place staffed by people who either don't like their jobs or don't care about their jobs. I won't be surprised if this place shuts down permanently before it sees another summer.
(2)Rachel K.
The food was good, but nothing crave worthy -- except for the fried cheese curds, those were spectacular. Beer selection is great. Patio is rockstar. And would be great to hang out on before seeing a show across the river. Service was spotty, though most were friendly. Food took awhile to get to us and we weren't even there during the rush. Trying to park here for lunch was horrendous. I would recommend it more if you were already downtown, but it's definitely not something to go out of your way for.
(3)Matt R.
Boursin cream couscous w/ orangey sauce on rainbow trout was my dinner. Nice flavor combinations, and the service was pretty good. Beer/drink selection left a bit to be desired and the atmosphere was enjoyable. Overall the experience was good, although I'm not sure I'll be tubing back anytime soon.
(3)Cheol K.
Gumbo was very good and spicy. Nice to have a view of the canal from the restaurant as well.
(4)Mike B.
Did not care for the menu, kind of, all-over-the-place. service was decent, but the staff started breaking down the tables and chairs while the restaurant still had a good bit of people. good place to entertain friends from out of town in the summer due to the nice view outside, but i would skip on this place otherwise. fried cheese curd was awesome!
(3)Amanda D.
Right by the river Red pepper bisque hit the spot Super awesome service Full stars and they hit the spot for an EAA visitor!
(5)Rick R.
I've only visited Port of Call a few times since they opened. I ordered a seafood paella on my first visit several years ago. It was ok, and it was served on a plate, not in a paella or even something resembling a paella. I was disappointed overall, but I should have known better than to order it there. They seem to do a little better with appetizers, although in fairness I have not had an entree there within the past few years, so there could have been improvements to the food. Last night I stopped in before the Yelp MSO event for a quick bite. The apps were 50% off for happy hour, except for the scallops. I ordered the Calamari ($11) and the Fish Tacos ($10), half priced during happy hour. The Calamari was good. The pieces were battered and the battered and the seasoning in the batter was balanced and had a good flavor. The marinara dipping sauce was also well-seasoned and had a nice flavor to it with notes of sweet and spicy. The only complaint I have it the amount of batter. It seemed that most of the pieces were very small and many of them were just small clumps of fried batter. The Fish Tacos were better. The description states that sauteed mahi mahi is topped with sliced avocado, tomato, cilantro and queso fresco. They are served in grilled flour tortillas, which were large and strong enough to stay together while eating, which I appreciated. I don't know about the "sauteed" part of the fish unless it was done before dropping the large chunks of fish in batter and deep frying them. I actually did like the tacos except for the aioli suace they put on the tortillas before filling them. It was too tangy for me. The bartender recommended adding sriracha when he delivered the tacos to me, so I did, and that was the call of the year. The sriracha saved the tacos from the aioli sauce that was already on the tacos. Overall, I enjoyed the tacos, thanks to the sriracha. I saw an acquaintance there who ordered the mini brats and said they were pretty good. I would have ordered that with the paremesan fries if the fries were house cut and not frozen fries. I may consider going back and trying an entree if I'm in another time crunch and in the area or taking a crusie on one of the boats that dock near there.
(3)Tony Z.
The location is great, and the cheese curds are the best! This place is expensive though, like $6 draft beer expensive! So be prepared to spend!
(4)Shanna L.
Chose this restaurant cause it was within walking distance of the Wisconsin Center on a chilly December evening, and it still had reservations available for 4 on the last weekend of the Lion King production. I made the perfect choice. Had never been here before, and boy am I glad we went. First time ever ordering a Portabello burger at any restaurant, and now I'm hooked. Hope other restaurants will live up to my new flavor standard. Friend of mine ordered the salmon blt sandwich, also very good, not dry, loaded with bacon, bread was not overbearing, allowing the "sandwich" contents to sit main stage and they were awesome. My daughter enjoyed the duck confit flatbread (an appetizer) as her entree. Flatbread good, light and crispy, not filling. The confit, very tasty. Only unexpected downside was that the entire dish was covered in sauteed onions. She's not a super fan, but in my opinion it was a perfect paring. Friends daughter had the Ceasar salad with chicken. I didn't try it, but she loved it. I will definitely visit this one again. So glad I was limited in choices that evening, it turned out to be the perfect place for two mom's and two daughters to grab a great bite before heading to a UCA cheer competition. Oh, should also mention that the hostess and waitstaff were very attentive. And the bartender prepared a perfect gimlet. Try it if you haven't.
(5)Lisa S.
I visited Port of Call twice for lunch - once for downtown dining week, and most recently during the week when the NML conference was in town. Both times, they offered a limited menu due to the expected crowd. The first time I went, I ordered the salmon sandwich. It was nothing to write home about, but not bad; however, it came with a great side salad with what I believe to be homemade balsamic vinaigrette. Given it was downtown dining week, it also came with choice of dessert. I chose tiramisu. My friend chose NY cheesecake. My tiramisu looked like it had probably been sitting out unrefrigerated for some time...it flopped on one end and was barely room temperature. Also, the presentation was horrible (which was not the case for someone who ordered it at another table). My friend's cheesecake was frozen in the middle. What was more troubling was the service. Upon walking into the restaurant, there was no one at the hostess station; however, several staff members came up to the desk to punch in their orders on the computer, but not one of them acknowledged us. I get that it's not their job, but how hard is it to say "Hi! Someone will be right with you." It's as if they purposely avoided eye contact so we wouldn't ask them anything. This happened both times I visited. Just a friendly greeting and acknowledgement that I'm in their restaurant is all I ask for. Once acknowledged, seating was immediate. While seating was immediate, service was not. Someone brought water, and although the server was somewhat attentive, it took FOREVER for our food to be served. There were no apologies for the slow service. Even more disturbing is that people who came in after us were served first. Worse than that is that we were served before people who came in before us. Meal presentation was inconsistent. People at other tables who ordered the same meal as me had their salads come in a square bowl, while mine was half the serving on a square plate. My tiramisu did not have chocolate powder dusted on the plate while someone else's did. Just totally inconsistent. This most recent time, my boss and I were seated and it was nearly an hour before our food was actually served. Looking around the patio, there was literally NO ONE eating...EVERYONE was waiting for their meal, both people who arrived before us and people who were seated after us. Everyone was waiting. For my second visit, I ordered the chicken sandwich with avocado - it was hands down one of the best chicken sandwiches I've eaten in recent memory. But was it worth waiting an hour for? Um, no. I hesitate to give this restaurant a third try based on service (or lack thereof) alone. They have got to know that most people dining M-F during the lunch hour are on their lunch HOUR. I hope the management can do some serious training with the wait staff, the front station and particularly the kitchen to improve the speed and level of service. The food alone is not going to carry this restaurant. They need to have the service to go with it.
(2)Kellie R.
I booked a business meeting/lunch here for about 20 guests -- took place in April 2014. We were very impressed at the caliber of service we received. The food was great, atmosphere was perfect for what we needed, and the overall service was much better than we had anticipated it to be. Would highly recommend, especially if looking to take a small sized group there.
(5)Billy K.
I've been here five or six times for lunch with the office crew and once for dinner before a show at the Pabst. Iiiiiiiiii like it. Atmosphere is super comfortable, staff is friendly, and the menu is great. There hasn't been a thing that's disappointmented me yet. Tried one of the specials a few weeks ago--scallops over orzo--that was absolutely fantastic. Waiting for the weather to get nice out, so I can wander on over after work and enjoy the patio while sitting on the river. Still close to the action, but away from the crazies on Water Street. Has potential to be a frequent stop on my way home from work.
(3)Kerry G.
After strolling around the Milwaukee Riverwalk and checking out the menus of everything that appeared open, we decided to come back here, and were very pleased with our decision to do so! Despite reading the menu before coming in, it still took us quite awhile to decide what to order because three of the four of us were torn between two different things that sounded equally good. We ended up asking our attentive and helpful server for help deciding, and her recommendations were definitely good. I got the Shrimp BLT, which featured "Grilled Gulf Shrimp with Applewood Smoked Bacon, Mixed Greens, Tomato, and Pesto Mayonnaise on Panini Bread." (I can't resist a good pesto!) They were out of panini, so I got it on pretzel bread instead, and it was really excellent. After hemming and hawing for awhile between the Chedder Apple Burger (White Cheddar and Maple Roasted Apples) and the Peppercorn-Boursin Burger (Boursin Cheese and Red Grape Mustard), my husband finally settled on the Boursin, which came out beautifully medium-rare and even better than my shrimp BLT. Damn, what a burger! One of our friends got the Waldorf Salad, which she said was delicious but had a little too much dressing for her taste, and our vegetarian friend got the Gorgonzola Grilled Cheese. She was a little concerned about how it might taste on pretzel bread instead of panini, but ended up loving it. I don't know when I'll make it back to Milwaukee, but if I do, we'll definitely be planning a return trip!
(5)Genevieve H.
Visited Port of Call tonight for the first time and was very disappointed. Service was very poor. We waited for 15-20 minutes just to get a glass of water. The food was fine but they forgot the salad and didn't remember until we mentioned it. They weren't very apologetic. I wouldn't recommend or visit again.
(2)S M.
I stopped in for a quick lunch special that I couldn't pass up. $2 Fish tacos! I had three, they were awesome. I'll be back every Thursday.
(5)Josh R.
Terrible service! We sat at a table for over an hour without ever seeing a waitress or waiter. I can't comment on the food because we went across the street to Rock Bottom, where we had great service.
(1)Kelli E.
Fantastic patio! Had one of the best salads ever. Great for meeting friends-will definitely come here next time I'm in Milwaukee.
(5)Eli B.
Crappy service- don't know about food... Waited fifteen minutes for service, finally after no one came, my wife went to the bar. She waited another five minutes listening to the bar tender talk to some old bag and sample wines. Not big deal if she was standing across the bar, but, in fact, she was standing right next to them. Finally the stank eye got his attention. I ordered my favorite beer, a seasonal beer from Michigan. I grew up in Michigan, I've toured this brewery and frequent the brewpub whenever I'm in western Michigan... I love this beer! So when I say this you can be assured that I speak the truth... This beer was foul, I think they dont properly store there beer OR they don't care enough to try their beers! The only reason for two stars is because they carry this beer. OMG! I almost forgot that we wanted to sit outside on this beautiful day and they told us it was a 90 minute wait, looking outside there were literally 10 tables open. This place blows! Now that I look around, I feel like this place could be a florida old folks home... Average age = 55... So if your cougar hunting...
(2)Becky T.
Slow slow slooooooooow. Got there @ 6 & had tickets for an 8:00 show. We barely tasted the food & had to run to the theater. They weren't even busy! Never again.
(1)Sona B.
This is definitely one of those under-appreciated restaurants that I truly hope makes it big. We came here during happy hour where drafts are half off and appetizers are 2 for 1. So naturally, we ordered beers and apps! We were seated in a modern lounge type area with a fireplace in the background. For apps, we got the PEI mussels- the only disappointment of the night, prob would forgo this; duck quesadillas- beautiful presentation, the cilantro cream sauce was amazing; door county white fish pate- crusts of bread with smokey (maybe a bit too smokey) fish pate covered with melted cheddar; crab cakes- savory, crispy, our favorite dish of the night. They have specials just about every night, my next visit there will be for $2 tacos!
(4)Jamie S.
DT dining week was my motivation for trying new places.The point of trying them is to see if you like it and want to go back again. I would not. I was yelping out loud in the restroom after my meal to a few cougars, warning them to go somewhere else. Please. Meow. I'll break it down simply. The service was spotty.The replacement hummus on the menu was served with hard/dry pita bread. The 20 oz lobsters came as is: in shell, when after extracting the meat, amounted to about 2oz of meat. My steak was good. That was about the only redeeming moment. 4 bites of steak. I was under the impression, from everything i have read about dt dining, that the entrees are full size. Not the case here. If these are the full sizes, I am speechless. At the end of the meal the waitress took our payment, that was split between the group, and when i checked my bank balance later that evening, a pending charge was for the entire bill, in addition to $50; the portion I had her charge to the card. For 4 days the charge pended. Eventually it came off, but they should have told me that when they ran the card. Not a good place. Not even to dock the Edelweis.
(2)Lucy Z.
Was excited for a good burger along the river. The waitstaff was friendly, but clueless. When our food came out, the food runners came out, though seemingly confused, dropped the plates quickly, and never gave us reassurance that they right orders were given to the right people. As it turned out, all the orders were mixed up, and when sorted out we discovered that none of the burgers were made accurate to order. The burger I had was decent. My friend wasn't a fan of the steak sandwich... found it overcooked. The fried cheese curds, however, were yummy. The place has potential, just seems like the kitchen and the waitstaff have to work on being better coordinated.
(2)Christopher H.
I surprised Lucy with dinner here and a Festa Italiana fireworks cruise after dinner. We were seated immediately on the patio even though the place was packed on this beautiful and hot summer evening. She had a club sandwich and I had the chicken bacon ranch wrap. They were both very good and perfect for a summertime meal. Her club won our "who gets the best tasting meal" contest that we have every time we go out to eat. Sure it was just a club sandwich but mostly local ingredients made it close to that "to die for" food. My wrap was good but not great. Lot's of lettuce in the wrap took away from the flavor a bit. We both had fries with our sandwiches and they were definitely some quality fries. Thin, crispy, salty and just plain tasty. Service was friendly even if our waiter was a little overwhelmed by his crowded tables. The bar area is decent. Prices are okay. I could see becoming a regular if the quality stays this high. Oh and the fact that the boat boards just a little ways down the riverwalk from the restaurant's patio is an added bonus. Stop in. You won't be disappointed.
(4)Erica R.
Awesome porch along the river, but pretty bad service. I'll give it to the wait staff that we came at a weird time (around 2:00 p.m.), but it took us around 20 minutes to get the beer and wine we ordered. I'll definitely be back for the porch and give it another shot.
(3)Dustin M.
Sat outside on the patio, which has a great view. The steak sandwich and onion rings were very good, I would def. Get again. Would go back for food, and possibly a drink on the patio. Looks like they have great drink specials, but were just there to eat.
(3)Jeff S.
Special of the night was $2 tacos but at 7:30pm they stopped making them as they were "too difficult". Kitchen was backed up (but the server warned us) but with really weak cold cocktails in hand, the food didn't take long... But arrived different than the menu specified. Enjoy!
(2)Ryan L.
I did not eat here, but the food looked great, and the locals around the bar said the food was excellent. I'll take their word for it, because the place was packed. Bar area was fun, and offered $5 for a cold shot and tall-boy of PBR. For a late Saturday evening, that's hard to beat. We were told the Goo Goo Dolls had been here just a couple hours before us since they were in town that night. Staff is friendly. Would have liked to have dined here, but we were hopping around the area. For what I experienced, however, it get's 5 stars.
(5)Amelie and Dan B.
We're giving it 3 stars because the food was great, but the service was horrible. We were there just a couple of weeks ago, we enjoyed the views (patio seating) and the overall atmosphere. We ordered the turkey wrap and chicken panini, and the calamari - very yummy. Just based on these 3 dishes we give it a 5 (for the food only). We were there on a Sunday, we stood and waited (with other individuals) to be seated. There were 4-5 waiters just walking around and not one approached us to sit us. After waiting a couple minutes, we "all" decided just to sit down, anywhere. So we're sitting and waiting, and waiting some more (with the people that were standing and waiting to be seated and other parties that just walked in) WE'RE ALL WAITING. Oh, and did we mention, none of the tables were cleared from the previous costumers. So we're waiting and staring at dirty dishes on our tables. After waiting for about 5 minutes, I stopped one of the waiters who was wondering about and asked him for menus and to clear our table - he was not happy and gave me attitude and said this wasn't his table. After some time he brought out menus and told us another waitress would take our order. So we waited some more, and finally our waitress came and took our order. Once we were eating - it was OK, but I couldn't help but to observe the rest of the waiting staff and the patio area. There was a couple who waited 15 minutes to pay their bill.... the lady was furious and was doing everything she could to call on one of the waiters! Seeing how upset she was I asked our waitress to go over there, she was kind enough to do so and called over anther waiter to their table to finalize their bill. Another couple who was sitting next to us was seated and their waiter never came back to take their order, they sat there for 20 minutes, with no drinks and no food! Our waitress was once again politely asked to call on their waiter. Furthermore, A couple behind us had the same problem with a different waiter. And there were some that just left because they were tired of waiting. I figured they must have been really busy IN the restaurant, so when I left to use the washroom, I noticed the entire restaurant area was EMPTY. There was one gentleman sitting at the bar. ONE person IN the restaurant! There was nothing going on. I have to say, our waitress was pretty decent, but not great. We will probably return to this restaurant because the food was really great. I'm just concerned about the wait time.......
(3)christopher m.
Stopped in for a Sat afternoon lunch and drink. Our burgers were delicious and the beer cheese soup was good but not great. Service was great and friendly. We've been before, like the location slightly off the beaten path, and hope it remains as is.
(4)Leia O.
This place sucks, the food was OK, but the atmosphere was lame. The staff was nice and everything, but it has no real draw to it. It wasn't decorated in any way. It had to real cozy feeling of fun. I was not into it at all and won't be going back, but thats just me.
(3)