Our meal was great. I had the chicken Cobb salad which was excellent. My husband had the whitefish dinner, also excellent. The service was super efficient. We had to wait about 10 minutes. Definitely will go again when in Marquette.
Aubin Whitmer
Breadsticks with cheese and pesto were life changing! My kiddo loved the walleye fingers.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Dema Matti
Great food options,very welcoming staff, and nice cozy vibes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nate Starr
There are restaurants, and then there are places that graduate into something more permanent. The Portside Inn in Marquette is one of those fixtures, a spot so deeply ingrained in the city’s identity that calling it a restaurant feels too small. It is part of the local rhythm, a setting for everything from post-hockey pizza to long nights spent hiding from the snow.
The Portside has no need to reinvent itself. Its wood-paneled walls, worn with age and comfort, carry the hum of decades of conversations. Students, families, and regulars have passed through for years, leaving behind the kind of patina money cannot buy. It is not trying to look rustic. It simply is.
And then there are the breadsticks. At first glance, they seem simple, maybe even ordinary. But one bite tells you this is the dish that made the Portside a legend. They arrive warm, golden, and impossibly soft, served with a cheese spread that feels like it was smuggled out of a Greek god’s banquet. It is rich, creamy, and immediately addictive. The kind of spread that ruins you for all others. People talk about Portside breadsticks in the same breath they talk about Lake Superior or the Ore Dock because they are that central to the Marquette experience.
The rest of the menu builds on that same comfort-driven foundation. You will find pizzas that satisfy on the coldest night and sandwiches that remind you that bar food can still carry a spark of magic. There are also items that rarely leave the menu and for good reason. Locals sometimes speak in hushed tones about the round ones, an appetizer that shows up now and then like a secret handshake. They are ham and cheese wrapped and fried, served simply, and remembered long after. They are not something to count on, and maybe that is the point. The Portside would not be the Portside if every treasure were handed out on demand.
What you can count on is the balance between food, drink, and atmosphere. This is not a place to overthink a beer list. The drinks are steady, the pours are honest, and the bar has an easy rhythm. It is the kind of spot where the order is less important than the company. Pull up a stool or find a booth and the place does the rest.
Part of what makes the Portside vital is that it belongs equally to everyone. A student can celebrate finishing finals here just as easily as a family can grab dinner after errands. A tourist can wander in with curiosity and leave with a memory, while a local might stop in three times a week without ever calling it a habit. The Portside lives in all of these stories.
That is why the Portside matters. It does not rely on novelty, it does not chase trends, and it does not need reinvention. It holds a place in Marquette the way the Ore Dock and Lake Superior do. It feels inevitable, like it has always been here and always will be.
So if you want to understand Marquette, you have to sit inside the Portside at least once. Tear into the breadsticks, smear on that cheese spread, and let the noise of the room wash over you. You will get it. You will understand why this is not just another bar and grill. It is a landmark. A touchstone. The place where Marquette gathers and remembers what it feels like to belong.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tabatha Hill
We came in on a rainy Friday night, it was busy but the manager was very kind and updated us throw the wait. Once we were seated, the serving staff was phenomenal and the food was AMAZING!! Worth the wait!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Robert
Best. Breadsticks ever.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Chad DePetro
Breadsticks and cheese dip. Heaven.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Valarie Hamilton
Excellent service and atmosphere. However the pizza we got was undercooked and very bland. I would try it again maybe just a bad day.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
Sally Judge
We enjoyed the outdoor seating on a perfect day. All the food was better than I expected. The bread sticks were crisp and warm served with a dip and a spread. The sticks weren't well with the bloody marys. I ordered the appetizer Whitefish cakes as my entree. All the food was excellent, as was the service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bread Sticks, Salad
Nell Kushlak, LCSW PLLC
Recommend. They have a really nice outdoor section. Inside is dark bar environment. Very accommodating for diet restrictions such as milk free. Very nice host. Food was good! Casual environment. Minus was charged about 5% additional fee for using a credit card. Marquette is very cash heavy town. Bring if traveling.
We stopped in for happy hour and dinner! Ordered happy hour beers! Then, appetizers and dinners. When the bill arrived they had charged us full price for the beers!!! Brought it to the attention of our waitress. Basically she said tough crap! Told us we should have come in 30 minutes earlier to be sure to be charged the happy hour price! What??
To add insult to injury we discovered an automatic 18% tip had been added to our bill unbeknownst to us!!! We had never known that to be done to just a party of 3!! Very sneaky!
BTW, the calzone had very little pepperoni or bacon!
Kimberly Mock
Tasty food, excellent service, and actually dog friendly!
We stopped in for an early dinner during the week. There was no wait, and we were seated right away on the patio (we had our dog with us). We'll be back again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
ashleigh morr
Delicious food and a great atmosphere. The patio is dog friendly. Get the breadsticks!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bread Sticks, French Onion Soup
Our meal was great. I had the chicken Cobb salad which was excellent. My husband had the whitefish dinner, also excellent. The service was super efficient. We had to wait about 10 minutes. Definitely will go again when in Marquette.
Breadsticks with cheese and pesto were life changing! My kiddo loved the walleye fingers.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food options,very welcoming staff, and nice cozy vibes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
There are restaurants, and then there are places that graduate into something more permanent. The Portside Inn in Marquette is one of those fixtures, a spot so deeply ingrained in the city’s identity that calling it a restaurant feels too small. It is part of the local rhythm, a setting for everything from post-hockey pizza to long nights spent hiding from the snow.
The Portside has no need to reinvent itself. Its wood-paneled walls, worn with age and comfort, carry the hum of decades of conversations. Students, families, and regulars have passed through for years, leaving behind the kind of patina money cannot buy. It is not trying to look rustic. It simply is.
And then there are the breadsticks. At first glance, they seem simple, maybe even ordinary. But one bite tells you this is the dish that made the Portside a legend. They arrive warm, golden, and impossibly soft, served with a cheese spread that feels like it was smuggled out of a Greek god’s banquet. It is rich, creamy, and immediately addictive. The kind of spread that ruins you for all others. People talk about Portside breadsticks in the same breath they talk about Lake Superior or the Ore Dock because they are that central to the Marquette experience.
The rest of the menu builds on that same comfort-driven foundation. You will find pizzas that satisfy on the coldest night and sandwiches that remind you that bar food can still carry a spark of magic. There are also items that rarely leave the menu and for good reason. Locals sometimes speak in hushed tones about the round ones, an appetizer that shows up now and then like a secret handshake. They are ham and cheese wrapped and fried, served simply, and remembered long after. They are not something to count on, and maybe that is the point. The Portside would not be the Portside if every treasure were handed out on demand.
What you can count on is the balance between food, drink, and atmosphere. This is not a place to overthink a beer list. The drinks are steady, the pours are honest, and the bar has an easy rhythm. It is the kind of spot where the order is less important than the company. Pull up a stool or find a booth and the place does the rest.
Part of what makes the Portside vital is that it belongs equally to everyone. A student can celebrate finishing finals here just as easily as a family can grab dinner after errands. A tourist can wander in with curiosity and leave with a memory, while a local might stop in three times a week without ever calling it a habit. The Portside lives in all of these stories.
That is why the Portside matters. It does not rely on novelty, it does not chase trends, and it does not need reinvention. It holds a place in Marquette the way the Ore Dock and Lake Superior do. It feels inevitable, like it has always been here and always will be.
So if you want to understand Marquette, you have to sit inside the Portside at least once. Tear into the breadsticks, smear on that cheese spread, and let the noise of the room wash over you. You will get it. You will understand why this is not just another bar and grill. It is a landmark. A touchstone. The place where Marquette gathers and remembers what it feels like to belong.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We came in on a rainy Friday night, it was busy but the manager was very kind and updated us throw the wait. Once we were seated, the serving staff was phenomenal and the food was AMAZING!! Worth the wait!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best. Breadsticks ever.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Breadsticks and cheese dip. Heaven.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent service and atmosphere. However the pizza we got was undercooked and very bland. I would
try it again maybe just a bad day.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 5
We enjoyed the outdoor seating on a perfect day. All the food was better than I expected. The bread sticks were crisp and warm served with a dip and a spread. The sticks weren't well with the bloody marys. I ordered the appetizer Whitefish cakes as my entree. All the food was excellent, as was the service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bread Sticks, Salad
Recommend. They have a really nice outdoor section. Inside is dark bar environment. Very accommodating for diet restrictions such as milk free. Very nice host. Food was good! Casual environment. Minus was charged about 5% additional fee for using a credit card. Marquette is very cash heavy town. Bring if traveling.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
We stopped in for happy hour and dinner! Ordered happy hour beers! Then, appetizers and dinners. When the bill arrived they had charged us full price for the beers!!! Brought it to the attention of our waitress. Basically she said tough crap! Told us we should have come in 30 minutes earlier to be sure to be charged the happy hour price! What?? To add insult to injury we discovered an automatic 18% tip had been added to our bill unbeknownst to us!!! We had never known that to be done to just a party of 3!! Very sneaky! BTW, the calzone had very little pepperoni or bacon!
Tasty food, excellent service, and actually dog friendly!
We stopped in for an early dinner during the week. There was no wait, and we were seated right away on the patio (we had our dog with us). We'll be back again!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious food and a great atmosphere. The patio is dog friendly. Get the breadsticks!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Bread Sticks, French Onion Soup
Good food
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Great food and great service!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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