PostBoy — Restaurant in New Buffalo

If you’re looking for trendy views and a place to meet up with friends for some apps and a cocktail this is a good place to do so. The vibes are better than the service and food.

Hostesses were fine -not extremely rude but we were not greeted with much of a smile or warm conversation. We were seated right away on the patio which was a surprise as it looked to be absolutely packed but our server didn’t greet us for at least 5-8 minutes and we were just sitting and waiting which was a bit disappointing to wait so long to put in a drink order. We ordered the battered fries, bang bang shrimp, Caesar salad, and short rib.

Battered fries: they came incredibly fast, almost the minute our server pressed send on our order. The fries themselves were not hot and fresh, almost room temp and the seasoning blend was pretty bland. The cacio pepe aioli was pretty flavorless which was a disappointment.

Bang Bang shrimp: I absolutely love a good bang bang shrimp and this dish absolutely missed the mark for me. Our server was hyping this dish up and said there was bok choy in the dish which we were excited for another vegetable option for the table. This dish missed the mark completely. There were three tiny pieces of bok choy, basically garnish. The shrimp were tough and over fried, there was a distinct fishy taste as well. The seasoning was okay, I could’ve done without the giant clumps of sushi ginger thrown in the bowl. Overall very disappointing.

Caesar salad: there was a mixup with our tables on the patio and at first we were brought the next tables market salad (which I now wish we ordered). Once our server finally caught on that we had been waiting a while for our next course she had obviously let the kitchen know. What they brought out was nothing like they advertised on their social media or website. It was a soggy, overdressed plate of limp salad with way too much cheese-it furakake on it. Again, a big let down and just missed the mark season wise - dressing did not taste homemade and very mayo heavy.

Lastly we got the short rib: the short rib looked decent coming to the table. I was very much looking forward to this dish but again we did not enjoy it. The dish was flavorful but way too salty and I am a salt seeker and enjoy very salty dishes. I know they were going for an Asian vibe but the flavors were not all there - intense soy sauce flavors came through and it was missing a sweetness element. The meat was grey and not very tender with lots of fat that needed to be rendered more to fall apart and the dish wasn’t very hot and just felt like the kitchen was really struggling and they were over seasoning dishes to compensate for a lot of things. I was left insanely thirsty after this dish because the salt was way over done.

Overall - if you want a cute place to meet up with your girlfriends with great vacation vibes to take pics, this is the place but I will not be rushing back for the food. It felt like all of our dishes were made and sat up on the pass for 10-15 mins by the time they got to our table and were just not that great. There was only one server on the entire patio and felt that we were not checked in on a ton and I had to flag her down for a second drink. They are also a cashless establishment which we were not told until after our meal when I tried to pay in cash, I think it would be really helpful to let patrons know this as they are being seated by the hostess or by their server at the beginning. I really wanted to love this place, they do a beautiful job on social media but need to put more focus into their FOH and kitchen team as the food needs a lot...

PostBoy exceeded our wildest expectations in every way. My family and I just bought a home in New Buffalo after many years of visiting in the summers. Our permanent residence is in Chicago and I have to say that PostBoy is better than any top-rated, multi-Michelin Starred restaurant in the heart of downtown Chicago. This is a game-changer for the area and it is far superior in every way to every other restaurant I have ever been to in New Buffalo and the surrounding areas, and I have tried them all.

There was no detail left undone - from the chic interior to the perfect layout, balanced acoustics, warm and inviting hostesses, attentive and knowledgeable servers and the most delicious food with a menu that has something for literally every palette. It's hard to believe but the food was even better than its impeccable and beautiful presentation. Even the toughest critics, my 3 young children, ate every bite of their chicken and doughnuts (genius option by the way). My son ordered buttered noodles and even those were perfectly al dente. It is such a kid-friendly place and everyone working there made sure my kids were entertained with digital drawing tablets, colored pencils and activity sheets.

The espresso martini needs a moment. I consider myself an expert when it comes to judging the quality of an espresso martini. I have never given one a perfect 10 until Saturday night at PostBoy. It was the most incredible espresso martini - it was also beautiful with the right balance of espresso to vodka, extra frothy and flavorful. All 4 adults in our party agreed it was the best one they had ever tried.

The food - I don't write reviews unless the experience is extraordinary, or the opposite. I would write reviews of this meal all day every day. We started with publican sourdough bread and it was the right amount of crisp while still maintaining a soft doughy middle, the butter and oil enhanced the sourdough flavor and everyone wanted more, so we ordered a second serving. Kennebeg fries reminded me of the fries I love from Amsterdam, a wide variety of flavors that come together so well. Hamachi Crudo was delectable in every way. The Harissa Wings were otherworldly, those were a major fan favorite and I will be dreaming about them until I can go back. I shared the halibut (market fish) and the short rib with my sister in law and we could not make a decision on which was better. The halibut was cooked to perfection, a little crispy on top with all of the right spices to enhance the natural flavor. The short rib was melt in your mouth good, high quality all around with coconut rice, a match made in heaven. My husband had the burger and said it ruined him because no other burger will ever compare.

The desserts - sweet corn ice cream is the most incredible flavor that I did not know I needed in my life. The black lime blondie was the right combination of savory and tart, everyone loved it. The Smores Tres Leches was the biggest hit - that smokey campfire smore flavor mixed with a classic cereal treat and a peanut finish - my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

If I could give it 10 stars, I would - I can't wait to be a regular...

We've been coming to New Buffalo for the last 20+ years and I was so excited to have a new restaurant option downtown! And the atmosphere you have created is just fantastic! The building itself, and patio, fits into the space just perfectly and the location couldn't be better. Since we had a group of 7, I made a reservation several weeks in advance. No problem at all. We sat inside since it was hot outside.

I took a week before writing this review, because in a group of 7 we had a LOT of opinions. haha! Overall the food items themselves were a hit. The flavors and combinations were wonderful and at least 3 in our group agree that it was the BEST food of the week (and we have a LOT of restaurant traditions we enjoy in New Buffalo but it's hard to cram them all into just a one-week annual visit).

Our server Jasmine was fantastic, and I hated to put only 4 stars for service, because she was top-notch, but two specific words that she used just set off a debate in our group. And it actually caused a couple people in our group to question as to whether or not they'd even go back.

First off, please don't describe the menu choices as being "shareables". They definitely are not that. Don't use that word at all. Maybe the fries are (which were yummy by the way). But the menu items (which are limited) are individual servings for sure. And most are smaller portions than the price would suggest. That doesn't mean it's not delicious. Two of us got the chicken thighs and one got the tostada and we agreed it was our favorite meal of the week!

The second word, and it's probably more a kitchen/business thing than anything else, is telling us the food is served in "waves". Aackkk! In a group of 7, there's nothing more uncomfortable than 2-3 of you getting your food early and then having to decide to either let it sit there in front of you til it gets cold, or go ahead and eat it in front of everyone else while they have nothing. Ugh, it's the worst!! PLEASE bring the food out at the same time. No WAVES unless they are in Lake Michigan.

On to the drink menu: I got the RumDNC cocktail and my sister got the Leisure Suit Larry and we agreed that they were our favorite drinks of the week! SO GOOD! And we ordered drinks about everywhere we ate, so I had some comparisons. haha! (We almost gave up Nancy's ice cream later in the week as we thought about returning to PostBoy for just those drinks again!!)

However our wine drinkers at the table were disappointed in that the bottle of "Pasa Robles Cabernet Sauvignon" was in fact NOT Pasa Robles when it arrived at the table. (It was another big debate that required a second staff member to talk to during the incident.) The menu listing should be updated.

I would definitely recommend PostBoy for a date night; girlfriends' get together; or for drinks and atmosphere with a tasty light dish. I can't recommend it for a large group, or for big hungry "meat and potato" eaters.

Since it's my personal review, it's FIVE STARS from me!! I can't wait to get back to New Buffalo and visit PostBoy again! Thanks for bringing this awesome new restaurant...