When my college friend and I travel, we always try to find some top tier restaurants to dine at. On this year's expedition -- a tour of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan which included a visit to Mackinac Island -- I booked a table at the 1852 Grill Room. It was probably the best decision I made on this trip. I'm ranking it among the five best we've dined at--and that includes some famous restaurants in New Orleans, Memphis, Louisville, Albuquerque, Kansas City, and New York City, not to mention the crab shack we found in rural Delaware. The service was impeccable. Our waiter was the consummate professional. She promptly greeted us and took our drink order shortly after we arrived. Unfortunately the bar was out of one of the essential ingredients for the drink my companion ordered but the other "Old Fashioned" options were fine and he eventually ordered a second. My "007" Martini was also quite good. The starter menu was amazing. I went with one of my favorites -- if prepared well -- beef carpaccio, and it didn't disappoint. Micro-thin slices of raw beef topped with arugula, parmigiana reggiano, and a light dressing was the perfect start to the evening. My companion ordered gazpacho which he reports was excellent. I didn't plan on it at first, but I decided to order a whitefish dinner for the second day in a row. Instead of a sandwich, this time the entree was a beautifully planked whitefish filet with duchess potatoes and roasted asparagus spears. The fish was perfectly seasoned and cooked. The potatoes were outstanding. A few of the asparagus spears were not perfectly trimmed at the base, but overall they were fine. My companion ordered perch filets with a side of creamed spinach. I tasted the spinach and it was probably the best I've ever tasted. He gobbled it down. After a meal like that we had to have some dessert. We went with their crème brûlée -- a rather standard option-- but executed perfectly and with a generous pour of a single malt Scotch whisky it was a wonderful finish to an outstanding meal. There are lots of choices when it comes to dining on the Island (and I tried a few of them on a previous trip) but this is one I'd come back to again and again. read more

Anniversary dinner in a very nice atmosphere. Normally I'm not big on hotel restaurants but the food was excellent. I took the waiter's recommendation on the filet minion and I think it was prime beef and cooked as ordered. My wife had white fish and we swapped half's. We also ordered a Canadian lobster tail which tasted great but it was tiny (maybe 3-4 ounces cooked). We went all out and spent $240. I think you could have a great dinner here for half of that. read more

1852 Grill Room - 1852 dining room. - American Near Me - Mackinac Island, Michigan

We made reservations and came on a weeknight in the summer. We had been out exploring the island all day and did feel a bit underdressed when we arrived but we were welcomed. If you can get a window seat (which we did!) the view is great; on the other side of the dining area they had someone playing a piano- overall great ambiance. Our waitress was great- she had a lot of patience while we ordered and timed everything out perfectly. We ordered the shrimp cocktail, artisan bread board, lake huron walleye, strawberry caprese salad, mashed potatoes, and the creamed spinach. Everything was delicious! read more

Service, impeccable! Recommendations, top notch. View speaks for itself. The bread board, so delicious. I cannot say enough about the skirt steak! Absolutely the best I have ever had. So juicy and delicious and the most tender piece of meat. Will be trying to replicate at home until we can come back. Garlic mashed potatoes luscious, smooth and flavorful. Can't wait to return and pray the skirt steak is still on the menu. I will say my husband and I split the dish and it was plenty of food! read more

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We had a lovely dinner celebration here! I can recommend both the beet salad and the wedge with a slight preference for the beet salad. The mushroom risotto was great with a variety of mushrooms. The truffle fries sadly aren't vegetarian or I would have been tempted by that, too. The baked Alaska had a devil's food cake base and coffee ice cream, which I hadn't had before. They bring it to the table with a perfectly blackened balance. I'd love to see how they do it! read more

Celebrating our anniversary on the island and made reservations at the 1852 Grill Room for our special dinner. We were not disappointed. Right from the start the host confirmed our reservations and wished us a happy anniversary, we were then seated at a great cozy and romantic table with a great view of the water. Our server was attentive and also recognized our anniversary. We shared the wedge salad, and each ordered an entree. I ordered the plank whitefish from the menu, which was very good. My husband ordered the Chef's special, which was incredible! Yes, it's expensive, but you know that going into it. It was worth it for a celebration dinner. read more

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We had dinner at the 1852 Grill Room. The service was friendly and efficient. Food was excellent and portions were large. Loved the atmosphere! read more

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What an experience! My husband and I visited for our 2 year anniversary and it was such a wonderful choice. The view is amazing, and a pianist was playing the entire dinner service. The service was top tier. Eddie was so personable and kind. And the food, impeccable. We had the bread delicious wine, whitefish, and lamb chops. I have not stopped talking about the whitefish dish. I would absolutely love to return one day! read more

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Our server was wonderful, and the only positive part of the experience. Unfortunately, the food was incredibly disappointing. I ordered the beef short rib, and it was about 90% fat. When I brought it up, the chef's response was that it's "supposed to come out that way," which was hard to believe. They quickly took it away and replaced it with a New York strip. I ordered the NY strip medium, but it came out well done, dry and tough, like sandpaper. The lobster mac and cheese and sweet potato sides were equally underwhelming. Overall, this was an expensive meal that fell far short of expectations. One star. I wouldn't recommend coming here unless you like getting ripped off. read more

1852 Grill Room - NY strip..... - American Near Me - Mackinac Island, Michigan

Absolutely best fine dining we found on Mackinac Island - and we tried several!! Wide and varied menu, extremely pleasant environment, superb service (William was amazing)! Their attention to sound absorbing solutions made a full dining room quite pleasant!! read more

Absolutely wonderful dining experience! This restaurant is the only reason the Island House Hotel was an enjoyable stay. Food was expensive, but 100% worth it! Delicious and original. Service was professional and the ambiance was high class, without feeling totally snobby. The nicest place I've ever ate at in all of Michigan! read more

1852 Grill Room - American Near Me - Mackinac Island, Michigan

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Love love LOVE this place! The staff were amazing and so attentive to us. The food was amazing and so flavorful. I will for sure come back here next year when we stay at the hotel! read more

1852 Grill Room - American Near Me - Mackinac Island, Michigan

We had a very nice dinner at this beautiful restaurant. The seating offers great views out the large windows of the historic hotel. Our food was very good, though the side dishes were a bit tepid. Service was spotty. Our server would simply disappear. Our initial drinks took a long time to come. We were well through our appetizers before our cocktails showed up. Overall, a good meal but we left with a hit-and-miss impression. read more

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My girlfriend and I came here for our 2 year anniversary. It was incredible! The ambiance and view were awesome. Regarding the food, since we left my girlfriend hasn't stopped talking about the sauce the steamed mussels came in and we ate here over 2 days ago. She needs to know what's in that sauce! read more

We came from California to Mackinac Island to celebrate our 10th anniversary at dinner tonight. I mentioned our anniversary when I made the reservation and when we arrived at the restaurant. The food was good and the service was efficient, but Beth our server was very cold and not at all friendly. There was absolutely no recognition of our anniversary during or after our dinner. After this disappointing experience, if you're celebrating a special occasion, go somewhere else. read more

We had the most amazing time at the 1852 grill room during our stay on Mackinac. The service was excellent as well as the food! We enjoyed the appetizer, entree, and dessert we had. The view was also beautiful of the lake/harbor. We would definitely return. read more

1852 Grill Room - American Near Me - Mackinac Island, Michigan

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We went for their $50/head High Tea and we were pretty disappointed. The menu boasted 'clotted' cream, it was whipped double cream. The house made scones were slightly over-baked and tasteless. They gave us two TINY sandwiches each and NO trolley served to top you up. If you've ever had a proper high tea, you expect to have a server continue to bring you more little sandwiches until you're done. Worst of all - and I'm British and so this was the nail in the coffin for me - the tea was TEA BAGS, not loose leaf tea and even worse - they made you sit your sad little tea bag in your cup with warm water (not hot / not boiling hot water) to drown for 2-3 minutes before the water in the cup got any color. By this time of course the water is almost cold. This is not how you serve tea. EVEN WORSE STILL the server kept on offering to top up my sad little cold half drunk cup of tea up with plain hot water. This isn't coffee! Yes, in a diner I would love my coffee cup refilled because you're pouring coffee into my cup to top it off. In this case you're just pouring plain old water into my already not strong enough, not brewed properly, cup of tea - you're diluting the tea further. At least the view was spectacular, the service staff were wonderful and the tea sets / china beautiful. read more

We had an amazing night last night at the 1852 Grill Room. Our waitress was top flight and the food was excellent. Everything from their bread. to some of the best perch I ever had, to their steak. Atmosphere was truly wonderful too. Will definitely be going back. read more

We had breakfast and dinner at this restaurant. I'd recommend this place. It was spendy but so worth it. You could tell that the price was what you were paying for. Breakfast was good. The avocado toast and fruit plate (I didn't take a picture of) was more money than it should've been. The service was so attentive and friendly. Overall highly recommend if you're staying at the island house hotel. read more

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Perfect choice for a special occasion!The view is spectacular, the food is delicious with colorful presentation, and the wait staff is attentive and prompt without smothering you. I ordered the ahi tuna appetizer, fresh gazpacho, and key lime pie. The piano bar was a nice touch. The tab (including wine) was $150 for two which was a pleasant surprise. read more

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Had a wonderful dinner at 1852 Grill last Sunday. We were part of a small tour group, and they seated us close together, tho not at one table, which was OK since we were still getting to know each other. Waiters were very attentive Started with a wonderful martini and my rife had a glass of Chardonnay, delicious! House salad was next, nice and fresh, also delicious. For our mains, I had their Prime Rib rare, an excellent cut of meat, perfectly pink to my liking. Served with a side of delicious mashed potatoes. My wife had their freshly caught whitefish from Lake Huron, light breading served with a side of asparagus. Absolutely delicious! We finished with sampling of their deserts along with expresso. Fantastic meal, wonderful setting, highly recommend! read more

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Although everything on the island is pricy, the grill room is very pricy. But for a honey moon dinner it was perfect. Steak at medium rare is a must, while the service was outstanding! read more

We had dinner here last week and the harbor view was amazing. I have to say it might have been the best meal I've had on the island the prime rib and the whitefish both were delicious. The service was also top notch and while expensive the quality is there to back it up. If you've got a special occasion this IS the place. Make a reservation you will not regret it. read more

The food was absolutely delicious! The server was attentive without being overbearing. The view of the water and the overall ambiance made our dining experience feel elevated and luxurious without being pretentious. read more

Always excellent food and service. Here are more characters to complete the review. And more.thouhjts.

Wonderful ambiance looking out over Lake Huron. Delicious entrees and great service. Had a lovely anniversary dinner here. Highly recommend!

Everything I've had here has been delicious. This is a top five restaurant for me in the world. It is also consistent every time good food and service. read more

Got there before 9pm at 845 and they would not serve dinner. Beautiful place and very excited to eat there but would not accommodate party if 3 unfortunately. read more

Of all the places we ate at on Mackinac Island, this was hands down my favorite! First of all, the atmosphere and view were incredibly beautiful. We also had a very friendly and polite waitress. As an appetizer, we ordered the grilled shrimp, corn, watermelon, and burrata with lemon basil vinaigrette: it was very light, refreshing, and delicious. The flavors complemented each other very well. My dad and brother really enjoyed the beef tartare they ordered. It had many components that worked well together. Entrees: - Macadamia crusted Chilean sea bass with pineapple salsa and Parmesan risotto: it had a delicious, nutty, buttery crust on the outside of the fish. The fish was cooked perfectly and flaked apart. It was a huge portion! - Dover sole: served with a nutty brown butter with green beans on top of hash browns. It too was delicious and cooked perfectly. - Walleye: tasted very fresh and flavorful. - Seafood linguine with clam sauce: it was filled with fresh seafood and a rich clam sauce. My mom really enjoyed it, but found it to be a little salty. Dessert: we got the ice cream cookie sandwich to share, which looked incredible. Unfortunately, I did find it to be overly sweet. I don't think I'd order it again. Yes, this place is pricy. But if you're on the island, this is a must visit! read more

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This is a must-do for an excellent dining experience at Mackinac Island. The wine list and dining choices were wonderful and we really enjoyed the fresh fish. The pianist was exceptional and we saw that he played by ear with no music sheets. The views were also enjoyable and scenic and the chairs outside made for a more relaxing time. read more

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Thanks for a wonderful birthday meal! The food was absolutely amazing, a filet Mignon so tender I could cut it with a butter knife. I'm sure the flavor was the best I've had in the last several years combined with a side of morels. It was memorable. Service was impeccable, and as a single diner, they seated me at a regular table, not the bar!, facing the piano, popular music from all different genres was played by a very talented gentleman. Just perfect for my birthday. They also had a Vouvrey by the glass which is one of my favs and almost never by the glass. Their wine list was well rounded although not extensive, you would be sure to find something excellent. Kudos to this establishment. read more

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Made reservations well in advance and selected this restaurant for our special night 30 year anniversary. Asked for a nice table with a view. When I arrived asked the host, looked like the manager to ensure I had a nice view. Seated on the side of the restaurant. I had a view of the customers while there were other fantastic tables up front that were available. I even asked the person seating us if we could sit at one of the other tables and was ignored. Giving it a 3. Service was good as well as the food. read more

We heard about the fantastic food and great drinks. We went and were not disappointed

Don't hesitate to visit this restaurant the food is excellent and the service is excellent

One of the fanciest "destination" restaurants I've been to, with some amazing food and atmosphere to match the experience! We've both ate at a few fancy restaurants in Mackinaw City and Mackinac Island. They've since closed down so for this trip, I was scrambling to find a place for us to celebrate our anniversary. I came across 1852 Grill Room, a place we had rode bikes and walked past many times. I figured we'd give it a shot. We had a reservation a half hour after they opened. The weather was turning sour and we got there early so I went in and asked the hostess if we can get our reservation moved up earlier. She said she could do that and would absolutely do that for us. We were off in the right direction already! We were then seated in a very personal setting (myself and my fiancé right next to each other on the same side). It was something we hadn't experienced before and it ended up being really nice. The weather though, not so much. We were looking out at the downpour of rain. Oh well! Our server brought out some amazing bread with raisins(?) in it that made the bread really sweet. Then we both got their clam chowder. It was incredibly good. A lot of vegetables in the broth which is what we like. Then came our main course, a large filet mignon for her and a large piece of walleye for me. We hadn't eaten a full meal all day, so these were very welcoming portions for us. Sadly, because of all the food and the wine we had, we didn't have room for dessert. We saw a couple banana fosters go by, so we'll be back to snag a piece of it! Another great part of our evening, other than the great food for our intimate evening, was the soft piano music played in the background by a gentleman in the center of the restaurant. He looked so focused the whole time and sounded so great. 10/10 evening at a 10/10 restaurant. Thanks again, we'll be back! read more

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Had a lovely brunch on Mackinac Island. The food was delicious. Ryan was our server and very attentive. We had a table by the window with a lovely view of the water. read more

We were seated very quickly and our server had a beautiful French accent, extremely polite and knowledgeable. I had their Colorado Lamb Chops and Creamed Spinach. This was the BEST Creamed Spinach I have ever had; I've had many. The wisdom of the chef when he prepared the lamb was second to none and when paired with the sauce, had my taste buds smiling. The only Key Lime Pie that is better than this one are those from Key West. We canceled our reservations at another place and decided to dine here last minute; it was the best decision we made on the entire trip. HIGHLY  recommend! For a little oomph, when making reservations,  ask to be seated in the 'front over looking the downtown/bay' area' especially if you're dining at sunset.  Best view ever! Extras: This restaurant is attached to the "Island House Hotel" and sits beautifully along the visual shoreline. You can sit outside on the lawn after dinner and enjoy the beautiful views at dusk. read more

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I had the prime rib and I have had better. It was brought out and definitely not medium rare. The clam chowder is a smoked clam chowder and quite honestly didn't care for it. My wife had the white fish on maple plank and she liked it Overall food was okay but not worth the money. Overall bill with two drinks was over $200 and price wasn't bad but not five star food. Ambiance is ok we were seated along wall away from window with three other couples like right on top of us. Not very private waitress was good but I didn't get a spoon with my chowder and had to ask for one. Overall okay if you need a place to eat but definitely not my top pick on the island. Upon leaving no one wished us a good evening or thanks for coming. Kind of snobbish in that way read more

The service gas so nice and helpful. The food was amazing. We liked the view. Get the artisan bread board and plate whitefish.

My husband and I had a reservation and ate dinner here on a Friday night. It was busy but not packed, and the service was the right amount of attentive. Our waiter was friendly and my water glass was always full, and the manager (at least I believe it was the manager) stopped over at one point to check on us. My husband ordered the French onion soup and I got the soup of the day (tomato basil) as starters. Both were very good! I would have liked the tomato soup to be less creamy and more tomato-y but that is just personal preference. I ordered the planked whitefish (one of the dishes they're known for) and it was fantastic! Well seasoned and baked and the potatoes and asparagus on the side were perfectly done as well. My husband had the salmon which he enjoyed - especially the caper sauce. Our only hitch was the dessert. We ordered the special of the day, tiramisu, and it tasted like straight alcohol and not much else. Wouldn't recommend that but they had several other desserts that looked amazing! Overall a very nice meal, and we enjoyed our time. read more

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