Buoys By The Bay — Restaurant in Saint Ignace

Our family of five visited this restaurant for Saturday dinner. Our own waiter was wonderful and the food was mostly satisfying (Bayou Pasta) to delicious (Pesto Shrimp Bruchetta). However, we were returning to this restaurant—for the fifth time—for the Whitefish Dinner, which we have enjoyed on previous occasions. We were therefore disappointed when it arrived tasting mushy, soggy, even mealy, with an old-tasting crust—as if it had been cooked earlier in the day and sat before reheating.

Two others tasted the whitefish and agreed it was off, and we sent it back immediately (“This whitefish tastes bad to me, can I get something else?” / “Of course”). Thus when we received our check, we were surprised to find that we had been charged for both our replacement entree and full price for the Whitefish, with the dish’s price having been strangely increased from $27 to $38, followed by a $10 “discount”. This was later resolved with $10 off the bad whitefish (not eaten).

Ours was a large order, with appetizers, several entrees, and alcoholic drinks. There was no reason for such penny pinching, or for failing to communicate that we would be charged for the dish even when sending it back virtually untouched.

However, the most disappointing moment occurred when we questioned the charge and asked if they had tasted the whitefish that day, at which point certain members of the waitstaff were shockingly rude (“There’s nothing wrong with the fish” / “No, I’m not going to taste something off a customer’s plate”—as if that’s what was being suggested).

Additional word of caution: the restaurant charges an additional 4% “service fee” for using a credit card, a fact that is explained only by small print at the bottom of the menu. This too felt like a “gotcha”; we had cash on hand and, if we had been informed of this extra charge, would gladly have paid with it.

To summarize, sadly, this will likely be our last visit to the restaurant, as we felt we were treated poorly and rudely (particularly given our large order) and perhaps even deceptively (increase of the Whitefish price from $27 to $38 before applying a $10 “discount”). It was not the fact of the mischarge or even the whitefish, but rather the waitstaff’s dismissive and rude responses, that underlie our disappointment.

UPDATE: given the unprofessional response I received to my initial review, I have decreased it further on the basis of customer service, given it seems to be the owner who treated us so poorly. I have also screenshotted the owner’s responses...

Don't eat the steak or steak bites. The cook doesn't know the difference between medium rare and well done. They both came out chewy. Like eating a piece of rawhide. And don't dare complain, the manager/cook was clearly offended by my complaint. Wouldn't offer any solution to the problem. Instead, he turned his back and walked away. I wasnt asking for a handout. Maybe just a simple discount for a $36 steak. Our party had given our credit cards to the waitress to cash out. I was pretty upset about the whole disrespect from the cook. We exchanged some words. It got heated. Our cards were brought back by the waitress. We proceeded to leave. As we were walking back to our vehicles, the owner of the place was racing down the dirt road, locked up the brakes and came at our party with aggression and demanded that I pay for my bill. He started to push his way around and assaulted 3 of us. We tried to explain that the bills were paid. Since we got our cards back and left. The police showed up. The waitress explained that during the confusion, she didn't run my card. But gave it back. Meanwhile, another person in our party went in to pay the bill after it was explained. I demanded assault charges be filed against the owner. I gave him a choice to remove the steak from my bill or have charges filed. At first he refused. Then he realized $40 wasn't worth going to jail. He refunded the money and we left. This guy and his cook has no business dealing with people. Very unprofessional. My party and I will NEVER return to this...

This is a must visit! First off, it's veteran owned, which for me is a big positive. Next, the main dining area does not disappoint, themed well and plenty of beautiful artifacts that will keep your head on a swivel. The staff is attentive and gives you plenty of space and approaches at appropriate times. A nice simple high chair bar dual TVed, and warmly accommodating. Kudos for the Coastie wall!! Now I am no seafood gourmet but the menu plays well with the theme AND now for the best part! The seafood menu is amazing!!! Mu wife had the Lobster Mac-kina c which she says enjoyed the simple dish with a satisfying amount of lobster. The duck wontons had a smooth spicy sauce that complements the duck and wonton ensemble. I visited for the Shipwreck Rueben but gave in to my seafood desires with the Atlantic Salmon. Don't let the bland name fool you, it should be called King of the Sea on a Bed of Heaven. The greens and potatoes paired perfectly with the Salmon and custom Maple Curry Glaze. You can have five different samples and mix the flavor to your liking with every bite. The ingredients match together and none over power the plate, just a well decided balance of Salmon-Sauce-Vegetable. I could go on but this gives you the idea. Price is worth every penny. This is your next place to be. Sorry, no pictures, I inhaled it...