Thirsty Whale

Amazing waterfront views. We really liked the blackened fish, cheeseburger, and grilled chicken sandwich. Nice beer selection. (re picture - note I already ate some of the fish and the pickles and tomato are my kids garnishes)

We stopped in by chance on a walk for a quick libation and ended up staying for an evening bite - it was a great choice!

The food was good, service excellent (Lexi, great job); we were seated on the deck, waterside, sun going down and water-skiing shows - couldn't have planned it better.

If you have the time, the Thirty Whale is a great hit!

This waterfront restaurant is not just another tourist trap. All food items are flavorful and service is top notch - Chicken wings were crisp and fish was meaty. Great place to look out over the water and dine. Wait for a bit long but it was a nice place to visit nevertheless.

Great day to watch American Pond Hockey from Thirsty Whale. Thanks Julie for the awesome service. Enjoyed a delicious burger, famous bowl of Wild rice clam chowder, and a Bloody Mary

The whale deluxe sandwich was fantastic. Wings were very good too, loved the honey garlic sauce! Salads come with a delicious bread stick, even the side salad.

An absolute staple in the community, this has been the waterway and music area to go to. The food is decent and they are staff appropriately to help out. Sitting on the water is awesome while eating!!

Thirsty Whale has amazing waterfront seating both indoor and outdoor with awesome views. We went for lunch on a Saturday and there was a 20 minute wait. We were seated within the estimated time. Before being seated there is plenty of space for the family to grab drinks at the bar. There are also games for the kids to play. Once we were seated our waitress greeted us immediately. All the staff was very friendly. Our food came out timely and our family had absolutely no complaints. I had the grilled ham and cheese and the “famous” wild rice clam chowder. The soup lived up to the hype and the grilled ham and cheese was great too. I highly recommend the well run establishment and will definitely go back to try additional menu options .

We’ve been coming to the Thirsty Whale as a family for many years and have always had amazing food and service! This time was extra special because my boyfriend coordinated with my family to propose to me in Minocqua, then he surprised me with a dinner with all of our family at the Whale! Ella, our server, and the manager were exceptional!!! They were so helpful, kind, and excited for us. They took care of my family like we were their family and ensured that we had an absolutely perfect time. They allowed us to rearrange tables so we could all be together, Ella even put on my favorite music on the jukebox when we were walking in to the restaurant! It was so special.
Somehow, they even arranged for a rainbow to appear overhead so we could get some photos!! :)
Thank you to Ella and to the management at the Thirsty Whale!!!!

Awesome staff and service with an AMAZING view if you’re able to dine on the docks! Great variety of menu items. I had the blackened grouper with fries, my son had the blackened ahi tuna steak rare with fries! Both were amazing!! 😍😍

Absolutely the best!! Lexi our server was excellent, fish was fast and tasted fantastic!!

Classic Minocqua! Been going by this place for 30+ years. The views on the water are great, and there was even a water ski show happening when we were there. It was Friday night so the place was extremely busy. Staff was friendly and kind dispite being understaffed and over-worked during Covid. The food this trip was just ok. I had a burger and my husband had whitefish sandwich. Both were fine but nothing special.

The service was incredible, the food was delightful! Very clean place. Will definitely be coming back next time we are up north!

Awesome service. Very friendly and accommodating. Super smiley! The Angus Burger was bomb. Clam Chowder most definitely crushed!!!!! Killer seating. Fun games. Very kid friendly.

Great people great service and great views

A great time at the Thirsty Whale every time! It is an institution at Lake Minocqua. What you may not know is that they have a great indoor and outdoor seating area. They have a great menu with great servers. All of the food is wonderful! Definitely try the cheese curds! We had a group of nine and got seated in a short time.

Minaqua is an adorable town with great people, food, and boating...but the Thirsty Whale encapsulates all of that while allowing children to sit at a bar. Have you had a rough week at work and also have 6 year old son? No problem. He can eat cheese curds and drink a Shirley Temple at the bar while you have a frozen strawberry daiquiri or two. Then you can spend 5 dollars to step inside the photo booth to commemorate that lovely summer day when you day drank at the bar with your son, talked about the new Mario Brothers movie, and ate cheese curds...and life was great.

The buffalo chicken sandwich is incredible. Fries were a touch too salty. But you can’t beat the views!

The food was pretty good. We had a wait time of 20-30 minutes but we were seated about 15 minutes later and the waitress was attentive and all our food (drinks, apps, and main meal) came out in a short order. Plus the view was great.

Their patio area overlooking the lake is gorgeous and the food and service is great!

Great atmosphere right on the lake! Service was fast. Wide variety of beers on tap. Burgers and fish sandwiches