The Village Inn

CLOSED.

Sadly, the V.I. is closed. I'm not sure of the reason.

I always loved going there and never had a problem with service while the O'Bryon's (or previous owners, for that matter) owned it -- over 10 years. The food was always good and the atmosphere was always friendly. I made many friends there over the years.

It's a moot point now, but the fried whitefish livers and the fish chowder were out of this world. There's not many places left where the old men come in every day to play cribbage and gossip, and after a couple visits, everyone knows your name. Nice also was the fact that the bar wasn't littered with television sets. People actually interacted with each other.

Another of my favorite places bites the dust. I'm running out of places.

Gotta love a small town restaurant.
My family and I stopped here after visiting the ice caves. The place was filled with locals greeting each other and the place was very relaxed.
Two people helped us. The gentleman was rather reserved but the other employee was very nice and accommodating.
Coffee was help yourself (awesome!) and breakfast was so cheap and delicious.
My family got omelettes which were good but nothing special. I got Adam's Skillet which was amazing. I couldn't finish it but I was so content with my meal.
If I'm ever in the area again I would go. Great little place.

The food was good but the hospitality was absent. We were never greeted. Never thanked after transacting. Our waitress literally only spoke maybe 8 words and upon entering, I patiently stood to the side while staff cleaned off a booth. I said you don't mind if we sit here? The employee looked at me weirdly yet did not speak. Okayyy! I thought maybe I was confused or did something wrong. Then my wife whispers out of the side of her mouth, "man, this is the worst customer service". I played dumb and said "what are you talking about?" Then she proceeds to say we were never greeted. We sat for 15 mins before getting drinks. The waitress simply handed out menus and said nada. Really an off experience. If you look at my previous hundreds of reviews, I am way friendly and appreciative and positive.

Our experience was very much lime NW posted on 7/10/14.

I just don't get it.

I put off reviewing this place for so long, and then someone from Alabama beats me to it. Mostly I forgot what I ordered because it was on the way to Bayfield, pretty far too. My distinct memory is of the seafood chowder. I'd die if they ever took it off the menu, it's that fantastic. One of those places where I just fill up on the soup, salad, cheese&crackers. I heard they have daily specials with a theme, i.e. Mexican night. I was at the Tiki bar next door and it's a fun place for a party. I happened to be at a rehearsal dinner, last year. Whatever I got at the restaurant, I know I liked it a lot, but all the other goodies blocked it out. If I were on an extended stay in the Bayfield area, I would make the trek here more often.

Enjoyed the Siskiwit Bay Burger made with local Kim chi, beef, and goat cheese. The flavor was very good. Service was mediocre. Prices were moderate for the area.

There's not a lot going on restaurant-wise in little Cornucopia, so my expectations weren't to high when we stopped in for drinks and dinner following a long day of paddling the Apostle Island sea caves. We headed into the bar and we're greeted immediately by the bartender...we later found out this was her first ever shift ad a bartender! The service was really friendly and the drinks (Brandy Old Fashioned, of course) were perfectly made. We quickly my ade small talk with regulars and other tourists. After taking a look at the menu, we decided to grab a table a few steps from the bar and hunkered down for THE best white fish I've ever had! The server told us the fish we were having was caught that morning in Lake Superior; talk about fresh. The Village Inn was really a pleasant surprise; from the friendly service to the awesome food, I'm so glad we stopped. And, it wasn't until we were leaving that we discovered the restaurant dining room adjacent to the bar! Though, I definitely don't regret eating at the bar.

What? I can't do 0 stars?
Let's start by saying my wife and I had a good lunch here, once. We have been back twice since.
Visit 2-
Entered the bar area and sat down in a booth. We were never greeted, looked at, talked to, or acknowledged in any way. Waited for 10 minutes while the staff kept busy with the 4 other people in the bar. Left without food, drink or a hello.
Visit 3-
We were coming back from Bayfield with friends and thought we would stop and have a drink. Laughed about the last time we were there, thinking it was a one time issue. Wrong. We sat for a good 10 minutes before going up to the bar and ordering our drinks. The two old ladies who were working walked by multiple times without even bothering to smile at us. Received our beers, with no further conversation. Finished our beers and had to wait, at the bar, of course (why would waitstaff want to come to your table to have you pay their wages?) to pay. There were also two other groups who were waiting to pay in frustration.
My advice- drive by this place. The one good lunch we had there wasn't good enough to go into this place.
And to the two "bartender/waitresses", you would be fired at any place I have ever been to that served anything.
Drive down county c to Washburn and go to Patsy's. Great food, great service and they actually treat you like you are there.

On our way to view the ice caves, stopped for breakfast, It was amazing, the special potato is well worth it! After 4 hours on Lake Superior we stopped back, on Valentines Day and we had a GREAT Friday Fish Fry! Food was great, beer choices were plentiful and the place was just right in the location it was in.
We will defiantly be returning, this is a destination place with so much to see and do in just a few miles, great find! Clearly the place of choice by many locals.
The fish sliders were great also.

Bloody Mary's, biscuits and gravy, and cold beer. A+!

Wade and Mike were great hosts.

Three of us went here for breakfast. They do fried red potatoes which are very good. Solid place for breakfast. Check out the whitetail deer butt mounted above the bathroom entrance. Lots of historic pictures on the walls of the back dining room, as well as various prints/ pictures for sale.