The Lakely

Their live music is exceptional. Josh Gallagher and Jeremy Boettcher are top notch talents and we are lucky to have them providing live music in the Chippewa Valley. Unfortunately, the food and service are just ok. When we first moved to the Chippewa Valley, we would go out to eat elsewhere and then come for a few drinks and the live music because the food was not great. Then about 2 years ago, they updated their menu and we really liked it. About a year ago, they updated their menu again and it's back to going out to eat somewhere else and coming for just the music. If I'm spending $120 (before tip) on dinner, I expect tastier choices, better preparation, more attentive service, and my meals to arrive within a reasonable time of each other. (One member of our party got their meal and had completely finished it--eating slowly so as to try and wait for us-- before the other 3 people were served. ) Throughout the meal our water glasses sat empty and our server only came back to our table once in the hour it took to get our meal. Just really a mediocre dining experience with exceptional live music. We'll definitely be back...but only for the drinks and music. My son has really enjoyed their seasonal mocktails and I have enjoyed some of their house-special cocktails. We'll eat somewhere else before we come. Please fix your menu and service because we would like to come and enjoy your food. It's a lovely venue, your atmosphere is great and we enjoy your music.

Love the vibes here!! Honestly probably my favorite place to dine and work. Everything on the menu is superb. Small app to Entrées + Desserts!! Definitely upscale. Great for a first date or a reunion! Live music on Friday and Saturday! Come check us out!!

We stayed at the Oxbow and decided that we would try eating at the Lakely that evening. They had a jazz ensemble that that was a bonus. Unfortunately, it was not the experience that we were hoping for. Got there about 9:00 on a Saturday night. Plenty of open tables and we got seated right away. Then things went downhill from there. Our server took a while to acknowledge us, and get to our table. They took our drink order, and said they would be back with waters. 10 minutes laters she came for our food order. We ordered several different items. She came back in little while later and said that they were out of two items. So we changed our order. Then she came back again and said that they were out of those two items. So we changed our order again. Then we waited. No waters, no drinks. At that point I went to the bar and told someone else that we were waiting for our items, and that our server might be having difficulty. We then relocated outside where it was a little more quiet, and we could talk. The rest of the service was provided by both the original server and the additional one (thanks Caroline). The food was a mix of good, and okay. Since we ended up settling on items that they still had. Cheese Curds, Burger and Wings were good. The Chorizo Tacos were just okay. Seems like the servers need better training or more help. Not sure I would want to eat here in the future. ps - The stay at the Oxbow Hotel was nice.

Stayed at their hotel for our anniversary and had a lovely dinner here. Service was over the top, consistently exceeding our expectations in all areas. We will definitely be back. This is a gem of a place!

Husband and I went here on a Tuesday night, on a whim, having had dinner elsewhere and wanting dessert and mocktails. We knew there may not be dessert, but we asked the waitress, and she had the courtesy to check with the chef. She came back and said they happened to have their pastry chef preparing to debut a dessert for that week and would we like to be the first to try it. We said yes, and the chef himself came out to serve it to us and explain it: a chocolate flourless tort with berry sauce, orange-infused whipped cream, and an Amish-style cashew and pistachio brittle with cayenne pepper. We started nibbling each component and then realized that this dessert was very well-contrived, as each element makes you seek the next. The salty sweet brittle leads to a smoky heat that is perfectly complimented by a bite of the dark chocolate and a swipe of the whipped cream. Lovely. Not too heavy, not too rich. The kind of dessert that is memorable and that you savor while you eat it. We were asked directly by the chef what we thought about it and we were able to give him our compliments. It was just a lovely experience. I would like to come back for dinner on a Friday or Saturday when they have live music.

We’ve never had hot or even warm food. Service is horribly slow regardless of how busy they seem. Menu items often not available or "sold out". Decent place for drinks and live music. Don’t waste your time on the food, otherwise set a low bar/expectations.

This is our second time at The Lakely. We didn't have food, only drinks. They had a jazz band, and it was actually a very good band. All young, talented, promising musicians from Eau Claire. They do live music every Friday as well some other days, too. Would love to try again next time.