Concourse Restaurant & Lounge — Restaurant in Elkhart Lake

We arrived 45 minutes before our reservation time, in order to visit with friends and get a cocktail. The service at the bar at the time was great. There were only 4 other couples there at the time. 15 minutes later there were about 30 people at the bar. Through conversations with some of these people, we found out they were there and were going to be in the banquet room. There were only 2 bartenders and patrons were getting loud about not getting their drinks in a timely fashion. Our friends arrived about 5 minutes later and didn't even get a drink before our reservation time. When I went to check in, there was no one at the desk. Twice someone came to the desk area and got menus, but no comments were made. A simple acknowledgement would have gone a long way. When someone returned: I told the young lady that we were the party of 8 for 7. She asked if we were all there and I said "yes". Then she said, "I can't seat you until everyone is here". Not sure why that was relevant. She escorted us to our table and then asked if we could share menus and I said sure, thinking that the 4 groups of 2 could share. (one each couple) She then put 3 menus down and left. By this time the "entertainment" had started in the corner by the bar. It was a young lady playing an electric piano. It was so loud that we were unable to converse and we were almost the full length of the dining room away.

Our waitress came and introduced herself and poured water for half of the group and then asked if anyone needed drinks from the bar and some of our group ordered beverages. Some of us then poured our own waters and emptied the pitcher. When the waitress came back with the beverages from the bar (15 minutes later) we requested more water. That took another 5 minutes. Then we were asked for our orders. The soups and salads came about 25 minutes later and the entrées arrived less than 5 minutes later. (my soup hadn't cooled enough for me to eat any) The waitress called off what she had on her tray, but we couldn't hear because of the "entertainment" noise. Having some serving experience myself, I don't know why she didn't know who had ordered what. You take orders either clockwise or counterclockwise and you deliver the same way based on the way the customers ordered. The food was not hot and the Phillies were flavorless and "needed" au jus. The pretzel walleye was good. The garlic shrimp was good also. The Airline chicken could have actually come off of a plane: back in the 70's when they still served food on airplanes. Other notes: the napkins were hard and NOT absorbent. They actually hurt your mouth when patting. They automatically add a 20% gratuity on or groups of 8 or more. And won't do separate checks. I understand that larger groups may spend more time at the table and that can cut into the waitresses income: but if we could have separate checks, we wouldn't have to spend time discussing who ordered what and how much it cost. We also couldn't visit because of the "entertainment". Our group consists of businessmen and women and more often than not we will tip 20% , BUT when we find ourselves FORCED to pay 20% we are fine with only leaving 20. Also: there are only few parking spaces (15?) adjacent to The Concourse. (half are reserved for the spa) Park on East...

I am not surprised by the many low reviews from 2020/2021, but you need to give them another chance because they re-vamped! The Concourse experienced staffing shortage during COVID which affected the atmosphere and service. As an Elkhart local, I had faith, kept coming back, and to my relief, Concourse has surpassed any of it's predecessors. I have to give a shout out to three staff members: John, Katie, and Hannah. John, their general manager, has helped to recruit and hire some of the best staff Elkhart has to offer. Katie runs an efficient bar with delicious drinks. Full disclosure, I don't know if she actually runs the bar but she's always there and always running around, so I am assuming. Our server Hannah was phenomenal. She was thorough yet quick, knowledgeable, and hilarious. The atmosphere at Concourse is laid back with a hint of upscale. They have bar, outdoor, and indoor seating. The "patio" is covered and has a decent view of the lake. If you go for lunch, be aware that the public beach is close so it can get loud with children. The indoor seating has huge floor to ceiling windows, a gorgeous fireplace, and cozy booths. The bar has a lounge area, long tables, and a decent amount of bar seating. The menu is "pricey" because you are paying for quality. We started with drinks. The beer menu is nice, they have decent wine, and their cocktails are creative. My mom really sipped her margarita and Hannah made sure to ask if she could get her something else because she wasn't sure if she liked it. Rest assured, the margaritas were very good, we just drink slowly when we know we have to drive in this town! The menu is not huge but it is diverse and everything I have tried has been delicious. I cannot recommend enough things from this menu! For appetizers, always start with the tuna nachos. The spinach and artichoke flatbread is so rich and delicious; a close second. I love their wedge and whenever I order it with the petite filet, it's cooked perfectly and enough for a meal. I couldn't choose one item on their sandwich menu- I have had everything and it is all amazing. The entrée menu is equally as amazing. Hannah recommended the walleye, which was flaky, breaded just enough, and pan fried to perfection. My husband got the braised lamb osso bucco for the first time, and it did not disappoint! Few extra things: my mom left her to go box, which they hung onto rather than throwing away. She was so relieved that when we returned ten minutes later, her walleye was waiting for her. My dad also forgot his glasses and Katie went the extra mile to let us know that she had them for us. Call ahead to make a reservation in the summer as it gets VERY busy, even on weekdays. You will not be...

Had an underwhelming birthday experience. They knew it was a special meal and didn't even offer a slice of cake with a candle! Lola's suffers from pretentiousness. It wants to be fine dining but in reality it doesn't pay attention to details, it's dishes are overcomplicated and it's service needs training to provide a fine dining level experience. The foie gras appetizer could have been spectacular. Had they not slathered the raspberry jam on the crostini like it was toast and jam for breakfast. Completely overpowered the foie gras, that was also three tiny little cubes. I had the scallops next. Nice presentation, nicely cooked. An opportunity for the server to suggest a wine pairing, but she didn't know anything about the menu let alone wine. Train your staff and have menu tastings with them!! Or hire a sommelier. A salad with grilled chicken came next. The chicken was barely 3 ounces no nice char or grill marks. It's summer, you have a grill, marinate it and grill it to juicy perfection. Don't mess with simple, it goes over way better then drying out my chicken in pan. Value for money was not there, entrees ran $30-40 and lacked high quality ingredients. I stopped after the underdressed salad and didn't order a entree. As for details; Glasswear smelled of dishwater, no ice offered (in the summer it should be ice cold if you don't give the option for ice) Wine was not poured tableside, other patrons had bottles that were not decanted tableside either. The coffee was served without a spoon and initially brought out black with no cream or sugar. The salad plate like Otto's was warm to the touch. In fact it's all the same silverware and tableware resort-wide. So for a better meal go to Otto's, the price point is better and the food is simple...