Wendt's on the Lake — Restaurant in Town of Friendship

Our fist visit to Wendt's was after our 5 year old son's first day of ice fishing on Lake Winnebago and we could not have found a more perfect place to end a fun day of making memories. I really love restaurants that provide an immersive experience in a local culture without making you feel like a stranger. Wendt's does this better than most.

We had just finished fishing and were on the fence about stopping somewhere to eat on our way back home because, frankly, we didn't have much time to waste. We walked in and were immediately and genuinely greeted despite the fact that we were head to toe in ice fishing gear. We took a look at the menu and each immediately found something we were interested in so we asked for a table. We were seated by the window, in view of the sturgeon hangers (it was the first day of spearing) which was an awesome aesthetic for us. Our server was prompt, responsive and polite. We ordered Spear Beer, a perch fry and chili. Both of these dishes can be a dicey choice your first time anywhere, but we were not disappointed in the least.

We were amazed at how quickly the food came. The perch came out piping hot, which is the only way fried fish should be served, and they were a real treat. They were complimented by equally hot and fresh cross cut fries and a unique vinaigrette (vs. mayo) based coleslaw that was tart, crunchy and refreshing. My wife had a hefty bowl of chili that she loved.

We didn't feel rushed to eat, but were able to keep it to a very reasonable amount of time considering we were en route after a long day. I feel, based on observation, that we could have stayed as long as we would have liked.

In the flurry of walking into a new place and looking over the menu, we missed the sign that said they only take cash or check. My wife noticed it half way through our meal and I confirmed that we only had a credit card an a little cash. Instead of stressing about it, we decided to just enjoy our meal first before speaking with the manager. I'm glad we did because she was extremely kind about it. We took care of the waitress' tip with the cash that we had and hit the road feeling refreshed, full and excited about our experience.

I hope that they don't change a thing about this place because we look forward to eating here for...

Family made reservations for birthday. We were given a limited 1 page menu. Most wanted Haddock and we were told no Haddock upon arrival but did have a baby Haddock sandwich. It was not busy at all. They did not know how to make my drink and asked me about it. The drink came and was not good, not mixed and ingredients were off. I took it to the bar and politely told them it did not taste right and was met with grief and some rudeness from an owner bartending. I just asked for a different drink from their menu which tasted ok when I got it. I felt very uncomfortable the rest of the time I was there as I sat with my family. We ordered. My sister could not get a baked potato, waitress said they were out of that too. I asked if I could get the cherry chicken sandwich ( not on 1 pg menu but regular chicken was on it. I was told no, sorry it’s not on the Sunday Funday menu. All they would have had to do was put the cherries and mayo on it. We ordered appetizers. The dip for them never came. When waitress came back, we asked and she said they were out of the dip and one of us asked for different dip even though she could have asked when she brought the apps out if we wanted different dipping sauce. Still not busy at 5:30-6pm. After supper, we were asked if we wanted dessert. Ordered tortes. Another staff came and said we are all out of this and everyone just wanted to cancel their desserts bc it seemed like family members 6 could not get what they wanted. We did manage to get some kind of torte ( very small for price) It was yet another disappointment on the restaurants behalf. I felt very bad bc our father was trying to take us out for a nice meal and he entrusted Wendy’s to be a good restaurant like it was in the past. I just don’t think it’s the same anymore. If you can imagine what this meal cost and the fiasco of not getting the food you wanted to get here then maybe go elsewhere. I know that I personally will not be going here again. The worst part is being treated rudely and not making the customer feel welcome in...

I used to go to Wendt’s when I was younger with my family but haven’t been in years, so my husband and I decided to go for some fish. I am not one to typically leave a bad review but this establishment is NOT what it once was.

When we first walked in we were greeted by a friendly young lady who sat us quickly. No complaints there. But when seated it took a while to get help. They were busy, we understood. When the waitress did come she was friendly and joked around with us. The dining room itself was uncharismatic, the rubber flowers on the table were..something on top of a very old and sticky feeling tablecloth.

It took too long to get our drinks, and I ended up going to the bar to get them. the bartender was very standoffish and did not acknowledge me with any sort of friendly greeting. He seemed as though he would've rather been anywhere else. Eventually we did get the drinks and the waitress took our order.

The Prices weren't very cheap, which is expected at a super club so that didn't phase us initially. I ordered perch and my husband ordered half poor man’s lobster and half cod. The lobster was chewy, dry, and fishy, while the breading on his cod was soft, no crisp, and very bland.

During our meal, A woman who I assume was a manager came out speaking to the staff in a seemingly unfriendly manner, which left a bad taste in our mouth as this staff seems very young. It was a busy night so we understood focusing on business, but the high prices, poor quality, and overall attitude we witnessed has changed my perspective for the worse of a place I have good memories with...