Pier 290

We heard the new Chef was doing Wednesday night Sushi where he has it flown in fresh from Hawaii. I love good Sushi and its not that easy to find great Sushi locally so we tried it.
Melts in your mouth awesomeness! The rolls have tasty sauces and is a must try.
Wine was yummy, Tracy our waitstaff was excellent, and you can’t beat the atmosphere.
This is our second time for Sushi and we’ll be back!

Probably the prettiest restaurant on the lake, but best suited for after dinner drinks. Third time there and the food is consistently awful. $ 32 for «Maine Lobster Risotto» was nothing more than tasteless overcooked fake lobster floating in some sort of rice? and corn mash. The spaghetti bolognese was simply ground beef on top of noodles, no gravy pretty much dog food. Finally, the grass fed burger… the fries are better than the over cooked lump of burger. Service is always great, views of the lake amazing, atmosphere beautiful, but the menu with few choices and a glossary on back is an epic fail full of disappointing dishes. My guest summed it up as «McDonalds is better.» We will return strictly for summer cocktails.

The view of Lake Geneva from our table was absolutely lovely. Not so lovely was the sticky table top. When I mentioned it to the waitress she told us that it had ‘something to do with the finish.’ How about this Pier 290, try using tablecloths till you re-​varnish the tops; I’m sure you can afford them with the prices you charge. Also disappointing was my burger, so dry. Sadly it didn’t come with any garnish because ‘that costs extra.’ When I asked for ‘extra’ sliced tomatoes, I was told the restaurant didn’t have any because they’re not in season. Neither was the corn in my husband’s shepherds pie, sheesh lady! My dry burger did come with 290 fries, not an additional fee by the way, but also dry. Somebody get me more water so I can swallow this fare and get outta here. I was so looking forward to our lunch time date, but so disappointed. Hasta la vista 290.

I feel like Hugh Hefner with my family. Credible meal, impeccably prepared. If only my mom cooked carrots like this I probably would’ve eaten them.
Hugh because its first class food and Janiary 4^th I guess because absolutely no one is here. So again I feel famous. Two daughters my wife and I ate like royalty.
We will be back July 4^th.
Awesome Chef.
We will drive from Chicago with our friends.
Fabulous.
Todd and Yvette
Olivia and Sofia

The food is really bad. Tiny and very odd menu. I ordered spaghetti and it had no sauce on it And crumbled up ground beef. How do you screw up spaghetti?! I had to add a ton of salt and pepper for some flavor. My buddy had the skirt steak and fries and it was covered in salt. The outdoor bar is awesome. No complaints there. They should focus on bar food or find a new chef.

Smaillish but nice after-​dinner place to hang out and catch some mellow but decent local musicians. Depends on whose play on any particular evening.

I love this place! Lobster risotto is amazing! Bloody Mary’s are great! My favorite is going for a boat ride and being able to stop here, tie up and grab some food. The outdoor seating has a clear cover so you can stay warm even if it’s a little chilly. The staff is always really helpful and friendly.

The ambiance is just what the other reviews say. Get a window seat if you can to enjoy the view. Our server was friendly and quite knowledgeable. Service was prompt. Our group enjoyed the pork chops and various salads with chicken and shrimp toppers.
The drizzly evening prevented from dining by the outdoor fire pits. Once the rain stopped, the staff served us dessert by a pit. The clouds parted for a while and we greedily ate apple pie with home made vanilla ice cream and the home made chocolate ice cream.
The staff members were uniformly friendly and welcoming. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening and look forward to returning.

Went in on a Saturday late afternoon, sat right down out side looking at the lake. What a beautiful outdoor seating area. Perfect for any date or just a great relaxing meal. Drinks came right out and food was all in generous enough portions that we left with several small togo boxes. Ps. Nachos are a must!
Would definitely come back for lunch or dinner.

The ambiance is 5 stars, but everything else is lacking… The service is okay, not half bad considering its Lake Geneva… still not great though. The cocktails are okay, my «Pain Killer» tiki drink actually had the most flavor of anything that we were served.
My real problem is the food. Literally ½ the menu had Hoisin sauce… its like the only thing they knew added flavor. I opted for the scallops special — no flavor at all. My husband had some pretty flavorless ahi tuna.
For $ 100, for a shared app, two cocktails, and two bland main dishes… gosh… they have a problem. We’ve discussed with all the neighbors and they all say that the food just stinks!
Finally, we parked our boat at the dock, but someone even moved our boat — seriously, you just don’t do that. What good are the dock hands for?

Greeted and seated very quickly, even on a busy sunday night. For some reason our complementary bread came much later than those who were seated after us. (I like bread, okay?) We ordered the oysters as an appetizer, which were good but nothing too special.
After looking through a rather bare menu, the entrée i decided on was half of a duck covered in teriyaki and green onions with a side of mashed potatoes. It was just mediocre, a bit dry and the teriyaki tasted somewhat off. The potatoes were fine. My whole party of five agreed that their food was just okay.
The view of Lake Geneva was beautiful, sadly though we did not get to sit outside to enjoy it while eating. The atmosphere was very interesting, with all sorts of sea-​themed pictures and antiques.
Had the food been better, I would recommend Pier 290. The atmosphere was great, service was okay (it took them a while to refill our waters for seemingly no reason) and the view was beautiful. I go to a resturaunt to eat great food though, and sadly that is not what i received here.

Nice restaurant on Williams Bay to grab dinner.
Had the Maryland Blue Crab Pasta and enjoyed it.
A bit runny so I soaked it in some of the bread and it was great.

Let’s start with food. It’s a solid three stars with an occasional better appearance from the menu. Deviled eggs are a great appetizer which I get every time. Salads are solid but the Cobb isn’t really a Cobb but more of a mixed Salad with Italian vinaigrette. Try them during restaurant week to sample their offerings. Service is variable. Some times I get a great server. Sometimes I don’t.
5 stars for location location location. Wow. Too bad food quality doesn’t match. Right on the water. Patios. Umbrellas. Awesome.

Just ate here with a group of 10. There was a bug in our salad. Instead of the manager saying «sorry, what can I replace your salad with?» He said «I examined the bug and it didn’t appear the bug was dressed for the salad». As a preface, yes, I get what he was trying to say, however, I can’t help but ask, how precisely should a bug be dressed for a salad? It appeared to us that the bug was naked, NAKED I tell you!!! NAKED on my greens… he could have at least had some decency to put on pants! A suit and tie maybe?
Here’s the point… as a manager, your job is to admit when something is wrong and remedy it. Don’t say something so ridiculous that you sound not only like an a$$, but a pompous restaurant manager.
Oh, and for the of you still reading the food was decent, maybe deserving of 3 stars, but overpriced. The ambiance and décor is 5 stars.

I came her with some friends as part of a bachelorette party weekend. We were a big group — about 15 of us or so, but the Maid of Honor had called ahead, picked a menu, and made sure our table was ready.
Everything was set for us when we walked in the door, and we were quickly led to our table. On each plate, there was a menu of 4 – 5 different items that had been pre-​selected for our lunch menu. It included a couple salads and some sandwiches. I chose a chicken sandwich with fries.
We were well attended to, I think mainly because the dining room was pretty empty. I’m sure the view and ambiance is usually lovely, but we had the unfortunate luck of being there during a strong storm. Such a bummer as we hoped to sit outside and had even planned to take a boat ride from the dock as well.
My sandwich was OK, but really nothing special. I also didn’t get very many fries (I noticed others at our table did), so perhaps there was a quantity control issue? I was actually really surprised that I didn’t enjoy my meal since the restaurant looked really nice, but after reading some of the other reviews, I see my experience was actually quite the norm.
The bill per person was $ 20, and only the bride had a drink, which I thought was quite overpriced for a sandwich, tax, and tip.
I don’t think I’ll be back.

Took clients to Pier 290 for dinner. Beautiful view and a great atmosphere! Food was spectacular and the service was 5 stars (thank you Caroline!)
Pork belly appetizer was wonderful.
Amazing pork chops!

Oh Pier 290 how I want to love you…
First the good.
This place is beautiful! It is an amazing space tastefully decorated with a natural lake setting right out of a movie set. You can drive here from the bustle of the city and in minutes you are at peace with a drink in your hand (well maybe more like 15 minutes waiting for the drink because the service is so slow), which leads me to the bad.
The Bad.
The food… did I mention the food is bad, really bad. If you arrive in between lunch and dinner you receive a bar snack menu. The only thing that is close to enjoyable is the chips and onion dip and that is when they don’t leave the chips out in the sun too long becoming soggy before being served. At 5pm comes the dinner menu and that contains poorly executed under seasoned food at downtown Chicago prices. The menu reeks of pretension and simply is too far reaching for that staff to execute. We had dishes that were under cooked, over cooked and under seasoned all in the same sitting. Please, please simplify the menu with some Wisconsin supper club standards just elevated a bit. For the love of God throw a burger on the menu!
The Service.
It seems that there are more servers standing around in groups then actually taking orders. They all seem very polite but incredibly clueless. No one seems to be proud of what they are serving and I have to say to that point… I can’t blame them.
Until they overhaul the menu, train the staff, I would recommend grabbing a seat by the water. Sink your feet in the sand, order a bottle of wine and enjoy the best thing at Pier 290… the view!

Yesterday, we headed to Illinois tourist haven Lake Geneva to check out a potential wedding venue. Per the venue contact’s recommendation, we headed to Pier 290, as she noted they may pick up catering for events in the near future. The restaurant, located in Williams Bay, was also close to another location we were scoping, so we gave it the ol’ college try.
Verdict: Straight three stars on this one. I’m in line with a lot of other reviewers on this place, it seems.
Food: C/​C+
Straightforward and nothing to write home about, really. A few small touches and thoughtful additions to this basic menu — both in the form of more innovation w/​existing menu items and the addition of a few new items — would go a long way here, IMO.
Service: B
Our bartender (outside) was nice and pretty on point. Host stand was super awkward. It happens. No big!
Ambiance: A
Lovely. Indoor vibe/​décor/​ambiance = awesome, and outdoor patio on the lake = breezy, open, and airy.
So! Mediocre food and a nice patio/​solid indoor ambiance. That really just about sums it up on this one, folks.

Great view. Of a beautiful lake,
however the service and the food was. Certainly not up to the expectations attributed to the cost. Overpriced overhyped for what you get.
Would certainly recommend a drink and an appetizer and leave it at that!

We rode on motorcycles from Chicago to my sister’s lake house off 50. By the time we arrived, she and her family had packed up and left. A neighbor told us about Williams Bay. Hungry and interested, she gave us directions. We decided to look for the first place near the water. This is how we stumbled upon Pier 290. I haven’t had this type of bad luck with service in a long time.
Word of advice: do not come expecting to have a good experience when you arrive between lunch and dinner service on any given day. Leave, as soon as you are told that ALL the available tables are reserved for dinner service. Their definition of a limited food menu is an overpriced understatement.
Even though you must wait in line at all times to be greeted and seated by a hostess, you are not given much choice. She is there precisely to direct you to their bar, patio or beach area and to make sure you do not occupy any one of the empty dining tables that are inside or outside the restaurant.
The beach is nice, if you like sitting in folding chairs on sand in your street clothes without any shade to protect you from the sun or heat.
The outdoor patio was acceptable for about five minutes. There was no air or wind circulating under the covered deck and the ceiling fans weren’t turned on.
It took way too long for our order of pub chips and ham and cheese sandwich to arrive. To make matters worse, the sandwich had about a pound of cheese and one measly slice of ham on it. The dip which accompanied the chips was disgusting. When our friend brought the sandwich to the server’s attention, her remark, «I didn’t make it» only enraged him.
The party sitting directly across our wicker set up made a horrible situation better by including us in their happy occasion. It was someone’s birthday and we were the only strangers invited to eat some of the cake.
After all that waiting for our small order of food, it wasn’t what the men had in mind so we
left rather abruptly. By now, they were irritably hungrier. We found a place with decent food overlookong the water in downtown Lake Geneva.