Late's — Restaurant in Manitowoc

My wife and I stopped at Late’s for lunch around 4PM or so earlier today. When we arrived, we were the only customers inside. Neither of the women behind the counter area acknowledged us in any way. We sat down at a table and the younger of the two women came over a few minutes later. I ordered a soda and my wife went with water. When the server came back with our drinks, my wife ordered a plain hamburger and fries, along with an order of cheese curds for us to split. I ordered the Two Piece Lunch, which was broasted chicken along with fries and coleslaw. We were warned that the chicken could take 15-20 minutes. I told her that wasn’t a problem.

About 10 minutes later, I could see one of the cooks put two small baskets on the back counter. The server milled about the area for quite a while before she finally grabbed one of them and brought it to our table. It was a basket of fries that apparently went with my wife’s burger, which arrived several minutes later. She also brought my plate and the cheese curds at that point.

My wife’s burger was thin and tasteless. The fries were undercooked. The cheese curds were meh. My chicken consisted of the smallest leg and thigh I’ve ever seen.

The server never checked in with us until I finally flagged her down to get to-go containers after we’d finished eating. No receipt, she just rattled off a total that I’m hoping was at least somewhat accurate. Now to be fair, they had a few takeout customers show up while we were eating, as well as a couple of guys at the counter. But between two servers and at least three guys in the kitchen, I’d hardly call it any sort of rush.

I’m honestly baffled at all of the positive reviews. They’re the reason we decided to stop at Late’s in the first place. Maybe they were just having a bad day, but we won’t be back. Quite honestly, it was one of the worst restaurant experiences we’ve...

The food is ALWAYS delicious & cannot be duplicated! Although Late's truly is a local "Tradition", lately our family has one UNFORTUNATE ONGOING ISSUE with this quaint BBQ Diner; the flat-screen TV's on the wall. This has taken away from the "traditional-flare" of what made Late's so unique. The TVs seem to take away from the customer conversations that made the small-diner experience special. Moreover, it seems obvious that owner chooses to subliminally force his personal agenda onto every customer who chooses to patronize his restaurant by broadcasting the Fox News Channel constantly. This is a surely NOT coincidence and requires no explanation. My most recent visit with my family provoked this posting. Not only was this "channel" on again(Saturday afternoon) but the volume was so uncomfortably loud, that it was unnerving and difficult to carry on a conversation. Simply based on a many customer comments that we heard while eating, the common consensus was: "is there not something more lighthearted and pleasant to watch?". Out of curiosity, I asked an employee if changing the channel was allowed and the reply was that the "boss" prefers Fox News, furthermore adding: "we (the employees) cannot stand this channel either!" My suspicions were confirmed. Undoubtedly, for even more obvious reasons, this practice may not be the most prudent choice to follow as a Business Owner. Maybe some "decades" music at a comfortable (low) volume may be more tolerable and more relaxing to eat the delicious food by. It warrants some...

Late’s: A Nostalgic Name, But Nothing Worth Coming Late For

Tried Late’s for lunch and left wondering why this place is still in business—besides sheer stubbornness and locals with low standards.

Let’s start with the Maple Bacon Malt. Or should I say, Maple Bacon Milk. Thin, lukewarm, and flavorless—it had the consistency of Lake Michigan in July and none of the richness or thickness you’d expect from a malt. Clearly the Midwest needs a refresher on what that word means. This was not worth the ATM fee we had to pay since Late’s is inexplicably stuck in the Stone Age and doesn’t accept cards.

I also ordered a double bacon cheeseburger with cheese curds, and sadly, it was all downhill from there. The burger was bland and forgettable, the curds were underwhelming, and the portion sizes felt like a joke—especially when there are far better restaurants nearby serving twice the food and quality.

The cherry on top? The young waitress with long brownish-red hair (wish I caught her name) who served up a snooty attitude with a side of judgment. After leaving a 20% tip despite the poor experience, we got a scuzzy look instead of a simple “thank you.”

Overall, Late’s feels less like a retro gem and more like a tired diner clinging to a reputation it no longer deserves. Save yourself the cash-only hassle and go literally...