6Smith Wayzata Review: Lively Lake-View Steak Spot, Best at Restaurant Week

The short version: 6Smith is the big, lively steak-and-seafood spot at the end of Wayzata’s main street, right on Lake Minnetonka, with its own parking, upbeat music and a rooftop in summer. The food is good, the portions run small, and the service is fast and friendly. During Restaurant Week, a three-course lunch is $30, the best value I’ve found in Wayzata. The rest of the year it’s a pricier steakhouse, and what you’re paying for is the spot on the lake. Either way, for a quick, happy lunch at the bar, it’s an easy pick.

I had lunch at 6Smith on October 21, 2026, solo at the bar, during Minneapolis Restaurant Week. A week earlier, I’d been for dinner for my dad’s birthday. I paid for everything myself, and nothing was comped.

Pros

• The $30 Restaurant Week lunch: three courses, excellent value
• Fresh, well-made tuna poke bites, and very good crisp fries
• Fast: food in about 15 minutes, so you can be in and out
• A lively, happy room with upbeat music and a lake view
• Its own parking lot and valet
• Works for solo diners, couples, families and birthdays

Cons

• Portions run small, especially the steak
• Regular-menu prices are steakhouse prices: dinner steaks run $42 to $76
• Dinner service can be a little uneven when it’s busy
• The lot can fill up

Getting there

6Smith is in downtown Wayzata, at the far end of Lake Street past Sakana and the other main-street restaurants, in the same building as Macanda. You go into the main building, and 6Smith is straight ahead, with Macanda to the left. It has its own parking lot and valet. You can usually find a spot, but it can get packed. From Hotel Landing, it’s a short walk down Lake Street.

The setting: 8 out of 10

It’s a lively, happy place. It gets busy at lunch and very crowded at dinner, they usually play upbeat dance or pop music, and you’ll often see a table celebrating a birthday. The room is wide open and industrial, with some darker undertones: concrete, steel and a red ceiling. A staircase goes up to the second floor, which they sometimes use for events, and to the rooftop in summer. From the bar and the window tables you look out at the marina and the lake, and there’s an outdoor seating area I haven’t tried. The spot on the water is the main thing that sets it apart from the other restaurants in town.

The food: 8 out of 10

I went during Restaurant Week, so I had the $30 lunch: an appetizer, a main and a dessert. I skipped the dessert, since I wanted a quick lunch and I never get dessert anyway, to avoid the sugar.

Ahi tuna poke bites: 8.5 out of 10. Crudo-style tuna with avocado, seaweed and wonton chips. Excellent, and very fresh. I’m normally not a fan of avocado, but it paired really well here, and so did the seaweed. The portion is a bit small, and I’d have liked a few more chips, but everything on the plate is good.

Half steak frites: 7.5 out of 10. A good steak, cooked medium rare, with very crisp fries and béarnaise, truffle aioli and ketchup on the side. The steak is quite small, which is part of how they keep the price down, and it wasn’t as juicy as I’d have liked. The fries were the star.

From the birthday dinner: the bread, an 8, was excellent: a salted baguette with jalapeño-honey butter, chimichurri and whipped ricotta. Two things to know: it’s $13, not complimentary, and it comes with the butter already on it, which the server didn’t mention. The marinated flank steak, a 7.5, was quite good, and better than the half steak frites at lunch. No photo of that one. They brought my dad a sorbet with a candle.

My favorites were the tuna, the fries and the bread. On the regular lunch menu, the half steak frites is $35, the poke is $28, and the Power Lunch steaks run $46 to $76.

Service: 7.5 out of 10

Usually pretty good. At lunch, I was wearing a Philippine Airlines jacket, and both the host and the server complimented it; the server turned out to be half Filipino and struck up a conversation about it. The food came in about 15 minutes.

The birthday dinner wasn’t quite as smooth. They gave my dad a handwritten card and a $15 card for the next visit, which was a nice touch. But one order came out wrong, and the dishes arrived staggered without anyone letting us know in advance. It’s a busy place at dinner, and the service can get a little stretched.

What it cost

The Restaurant Week lunch was $30, and $39 with tax and tip, for an appetizer, a main and a dessert. Restaurant Week runs twice a year, so check the dates. The rest of the year, the half steak frites alone is $35 at lunch, dinner steaks run $42 to $76, and the bread is $13.

Value: 9 out of 10

For Restaurant Week, it’s an excellent value. Three courses for $30 at a place where the steaks normally run $60 and up is hard to beat. On the regular menu, I’d call it a 7: the portions are small for steakhouse prices, but you’re paying for the spot on the lake, which nowhere else in Wayzata quite has.

Vs. Belle & Grey and the rest

• Belle & Grey: I’ve had the steak frites at both. The quality is similar, but 6Smith is much cheaper, so it’s the better value. Belle & Grey is calmer and easier to work in; 6Smith has the energy and the lake.
• Sakana and Sushi Fix: different food, but if you want a lively room right on the water, 6Smith is the one.
• CōV: the other lakefront spot, a short walk along the water. CōV has the better setting and patio; 6Smith has the better food and service, and I like it more.
• RH Rooftop and Mara: better food and nicer rooms, at a higher price. 6Smith is the casual, fast option.

Who it’s for

Solo diners at the bar, couples, families and celebrations. I don’t see a lot of kids there. It’s good if you want to eat quickly, and good if you want to stay for a birthday.

Tips if you go

• Go during Restaurant Week if you can. Three courses for $30. It runs twice a year.
• The bread is excellent, but it’s $13, not complimentary.
• Get the tuna poke bites, and get the fries.
• Sit at the bar for a quick solo lunch, or ask for a window table for the lake.
• Use the restaurant’s own lot or the valet. Street parking is tight.
• There’s a rooftop in summer. I haven’t been up, and it’s sometimes closed for private events, so check ahead.
• At a busy dinner, expect the courses to come out at their own pace.

Verdict: 8 out of 10

A lively, happy place with good food, fast service and a spot right on the lake, and during Restaurant Week, the best value in Wayzata. The portions are small and the regular prices are steakhouse prices, so it’s a better lunch than a splurge dinner. But for a quick, upbeat meal on the water, it’s an easy recommendation.

FAQ

Where is 6Smith?

At the end of Lake Street in downtown Wayzata, Minnesota, a short walk from Hotel Landing, with its own parking lot and valet.

How much does 6Smith cost?

The Restaurant Week lunch was $30, about $39 with tax and tip. On the regular menu, the half steak frites is $35 and the steaks run $42 to $76.

What should I order at 6Smith?

The ahi tuna poke bites, and the fries that come with the steak frites.

Does 6Smith have a rooftop?

Yes, in summer, with a view over Lake Minnetonka. I haven’t been up there yet, and it sometimes closes for private events.

6Smith or Belle & Grey?

Similar quality, but 6Smith is cheaper and sits right on the lake. Belle & Grey is the quieter room.