The Lakely

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.

Very small but interesting menu. We all found the appetizers and drinks amazing, but food needs a bit more seasoning or a kick, especially because it was well cooked and prepared! The atmosphere and service were amazing!

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.

We had our Rehearsal Dinner in the private room at The Lakely. We fell in love with the atmosphere and style of the building as it fit with our personalities well. We were disappointed however with the difficulty communicating with the coordinators and staff. Every time we called, we were told they would call us back and then would never get a call back. There were very limited options for plated meals and the items on the menu at the time were all sandwiches (we wanted something a little nicer for our rehearsal dinner). We went with the chicken and steak meals but there was also a significant minimum that we had to reach for each item. When we arrived on the day of, the tables were not set up as we had discussed and the staff present didn’t know any of the details about our event as the coordinators had left for the day. We ended up getting everything figured out in the end and our waitress was really nice and helpful, I was just hoping for a little more professionalism for an event that was important to us.

Imagine the disappointment. You find The Lakely. You choose to stay in the Oxbow Hotel for a weekend because of it. You check out the menu. You find a unique craft cocktail you’re really excited to try. You get there right when they open on a Saturday night. And you find out that the person who got there 1 minute before you got the last one of the cocktails you wanted. Ok. Poor planning on their part. Bad luck on your part. Move on. So you order the other cocktail you thought looked cool. And, nope. They’re out of that one too. Same for your third choice. And no attempt to recover. No offer to make a similar drink with one modification. Just indifference from the staff. How much disappointment should a cocktail bar serve? I’m sure the cocktails are great…when they have them. We walked away from what would have been a hundred dollar dinner. We live thousands of miles away, and they’re not open the rest of the time we’re here, so there’s no “next time”. I’d say go early, but that is no guarantee that they’ll have what you’re hoping for. So, prepare for disappointment and be pleasantly surprised if they can actually deliver on their promise.

Stopped here for a drink with a couple friends on a a Friday night. It was busy but still had seats available. Live music was playing inside. I could have stayed all night outside on the patio. String lights, couches, high tops, fire pit. Great atmosphere and excellent cocktails.

Started out with the bone marrow appetizer. Wonderful, my favorite part of the meal! Then we ordered the quinoa and garlic cakes with sprouts and lemon dijon sauce, and pheasant roasted garlic vegetables and black walnut cream sauce. Chased with Wisco ginger ale and a sour beer. EXCELLENT! Great service too.

Meat upscale but not overly pretentious place. Serve old school cocktails. Had jazz music on a Monday night. Interesting and neat decor in the hotel lobby. Warm fireplace.