Latitude 42° Brewing Company Portage — Restaurant in Portage

I would rate Latitude 42 a solid 5 stars if they didn't brand a "42" onto their entrees. This is the most pretentious presentation I've ever seen at any restaurant.

My first visit to Latitude 42 was the day they opened. The I P Eh I had was good but wasn't quite strong enough for my tastes. The macaroni and cheese I had I give 4 stars, and the Ribeye I give 2 stars. The Ribeye tasted like the grill and was pretty disgusting, but it was cooked pretty well for a thinner steak. The "42" branded onto it almost incited me to violence. I was happy to give Latitude 42 another chance on an entree because I know how hectic things can be on a busy opening day.

My next visit was a 5-star visit. I tried the Wanda ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gherig's Disease) Ale which is an Imperial IPA @ 8.9% abv. Hoppy, full-bodied with a great nose and a nice strong finish, this beer is a winner. Our server explained to us that the brewer's grandmother had sadly suffered through ALS, and they give a dollar to some ALS foundation for every one of the beers sold - a classy move as one of my favorite guitarists (Jason Becker) also suffers from ALS. I started with their soup of the day, a chicken tortilla. The soup was excellent - vibrant and provocative, I would definitely order it again. I followed it with a small meat lover's pizza. The pizza was one of the tastiest and freshest I've ever had. This I would also definitely order again.

My third and most recent visit to Latitude 42 was also an A+ experience. Unfortunately, they sat a 40-person table shortly before we arrived, and consequently we had to wait a little over an hour for our food. However, the staff fully acknowledged the slow service and apologized and offered us complimentary drinks, soup, and dessert - I was happy to accept a second Wanda ALS Ale on the house! When our food arrived, it was top notch once again. I ordered a Portage Prime Rib Sandwich which is shaved prime rib, haystack onions, gouda cheese, on a toasted french bread bun that sadly had a "42" branded onto it - I held the horseradish. The sandwich was absolutely delicious and I will be ordering it again 100%. The au jus that came with the sandwich was unlike any I'd had before and really made it a premium experience. Instead of just brown like au jus I'd had before, this au jus had a nice red element to it.

I look forward to returning to Latitude 42 and having more Wanda ALS Ale and trying...

I would not recommend this establishment to anyone.

I have gone into Latitude 42 twice within the past month and have not had pleasant experiences.

My girlfriend and I went in to Latitude 42 about a month ago for the first time, on a Thursday night. We were informed that there was a 30-40 minute wait for a table. The suggestion was made by the hostess that we could sit at the bar if we would like. Perfect! So my girlfriend and I went to the bar and sat down. A few minutes passed, no interaction with the bartender. A few more minutes passed, still no interaction. Finally, after more than 10 minutes of waiting, still no bartender had approached us and inquired as to what we would like. We immediately got up and left, puzzled as to why no one behind the bar (from what we could tell there were two bartenders working that night...) approached us.

Once again, my girlfriend and I were looking for something to eat last night (Sunday) so we decided to give Latitude 42 another try. We walked into the establishment and were immediately greeted by a hostess. We were sat at a table without any problem. Then the long wait began once again. A few minutes passes, no one came to our table. A few more minutes passed. Nothing. A few servers walked by without so much as acknowledging us. We waited for about five minutes and then once again, we got up and walked out.

Very, very poor customer service. We didn't get to try any beer. We didn't get to try any appetizers. We didn't get to try any of the entrees. We went to Latitude 42 twice and didn't speak to one of the waitstaff each time we were there. Poor.

A mention needs to be made of the atmosphere. From the outside, the establishment appears to be very "cozy," with brewing structures visible from Portage Road. Going in you think, "cozy, beer, entertaining." Once you get inside you're met with a very cold, contemporary feel. The place is LOUD. Concrete-looking floor. Expansive ceiling. Nothing on the walls. My girlfriend and I felt as though we had to shout to hear one another during normal conversation.

I've given Latitude 42 two chances and they have failed miserably both times. I will never return to...

Went to Latitude 42 for lunch on NYE, so there's definitely some big leeway in terms of service expectations. However, after being initially told 25-30 minutes and waiting an hour for our group of 11, we checked in with the hostess to see where we were at. She looked surprised and told us that they were "putting tables together right now" and that it would be ready in a few minutes. After another 20 minutes a large group left and we took their table. I really would have preferred they either tell us that we were still waiting for another party to leave instead of lying to us and saying that they were putting tables together with us. I know it's busy, but it really irks me when the waitstaff lies to our faces instead of giving a realistic expectation. Food varied. I had some amazing crispy and well seasoned fried chicken, but my friends had 2 cold in the middle "medium" cooked burgers. The mac and cheese was delicious and pizza was pretty tasty too. Overall though, we couldn't get past the initial impression of waiting 90 mins with no update and a lie to enjoy our food much. Only saving grace was that they had a dedicated play area with toys, kitchen set, books, chalkboard, and other things to keep the kids occupied. That's a really neat touch for a restaurant. +1 star for that alone if you have kids. I'm sure(?) that if we came back a different time, our service and food experience might(?)...