Beautiful decor and a huge menu, -- the chicken was amazing. Unfortunately, the waffle was rubbery and nearly impossible to cut, which was really disappointing. The bigger issue was the bill: our group was charged 20% gratuity even though the menu clearly stated 18%, and the explanation we got was unclear and undocumented. We also had a reservation, but the staff seemed unprepared for our group. Some great food, but the inconsistencies and billing issue left a bad impression. read more

Dogwoods Kitchen and Bar was a solid dinner spot for our family and honestly... we left full and happy. I ordered the mushroom burger and it did not disappoint. Big, juicy, and piled with smothered mushrooms plus all the classic burger fixins'. It came with house-made chips seasoned with Cajun and they were SO good. Flavorful, a little kick, but not overpowering. My kids both got Cajun-seasoned fries with their meals and they weren't spicy at all, just really good flavor. One had the cheeseburger (which was huge for a kids meal) and the other had mac & cheese. The mac was good, just not my favorite thing on the table -- but that might just be me being picky. My husband ordered the pepperoni and hot honey flatbread and that was a sleeper hit. The sweet heat combo was perfect. Service was great. Drinks stayed filled, food came out in a good rhythm, and we never felt ignored. The vibe inside is what I'd call an upscale diner. Cloth napkins, nice lighting, clean, comfortable. You could do a casual date night or bring your kids like we did and feel fine either way. The only reason it's not 5 stars is the pricing. $17 for a burger without fries feels a little steep, and adding fries for $3 extra adds up fast. Kids meals at $8 felt fair though. They do have happy hour every day, which is a nice touch. read more

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Beautiful bar with fantastic service. We ordered the fish and chips special for $10 each. Incredible deal on Friday. The food was outstanding, perfectly cooked. Our server was wonderful and attentive. I will definitely go back. read more

Dogwoods Kitchen and Bar - Super fresh and delicious side salad - Wine Bars Near Me - Pontiac, Michigan

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No waiting on Father's Day. Nice waitress. Decent service. Pretty extensive menu. I had traditional eggs, Benedict and potatoes, they were yummy. My daughter had a fish sandwich and included two nice pieces of fried fish topped with coleslaw and what looked like really yummy tartar, sauce, and fries. read more

Dogwoods Kitchen and Bar - Original Benedict - Wine Bars Near Me - Pontiac, Michigan

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We enjoyed a wonderful late afternoon meal. The menu was filled with excellent options. The ambience was comfortable, with lots of seating but room to move. We enjoyed an excellent appetizer as well as flatbread, we finished with one of the best tres Leche cakes I've ever had. The Margarita was smooth, not overly sweet, and the wine choice was excellent. Combine all that with fabulous service and our afternoon was a true delight. read more

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Had a great experience at this place good was pretty good . The family and I went to a church conference then decided to get something to eat stopped here and was pleasantly surprised. Nice ambiance nice staff, good food ,Will return . read more

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This was the longer dinner ever. We were a group of 10 people and took 2h to get us food. The server kept disappearing for a long period of time. House salad was vegan. I was able to accommodate the salmon Bowl to make it vegan. It was good for what could be made. They don't really have much vegan options, but if you're smart and the server is knowledgeable you can modify few dishes and make them vegan. read more

Dogwoods Kitchen and Bar - Salmon Bowl, no salmon with sautéed veggies. Vegan. - Wine Bars Near Me - Pontiac, Michigan

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Service was great! Sat at the bar and the bartender made great recommendations was super helpful and answered all of our questions. The menu is quite large and they have great seasonal selections for drinks! Love the room with the fire pits and in the summer it looks like they have a great patio setup. We will definitely be back! read more

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I opted for the chicken wrap and it was very tasty as the meat was well seasoned and very flavorful. read more

Dogwoods Kitchen and Bar - Shawarma Wrap - Wine Bars Near Me - Pontiac, Michigan

Greeted promptly. Great atmosphere for adults and families. Big TV's on the bar area to enjoy sports. Food is excellent. Good variety of items on the menu. The staff is very accommodating with orders or other requests. This is a great place for a burger or a full meal. Plenty of outdoor seating. Plenty of free parking and well lit parking lot. Enjoy this is a great addition to the area!!! read more

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Dogwoods - Sunday Brunch Done Right We stopped in at Dogwoods for a Sunday brunch after church and were pleasantly surprised by the whole experience. From the start, we were greeted warmly and seated quickly. Our server, Kaia, was incredibly pleasant--friendly, informative, and took the time to explain the menu options without rushing us. I had the Creole Omelet, which was excellent--rich, flavorful, and generously filled with crab. Each bite had great depth and seasoning. The rest of the family ordered a mix of brunch favorites: an Egg BLT Bagel, a Churro Waffle, and a Mexican-inspired egg bake dish. Everyone left happy and full. The restaurant has a subtle Mexican flair in both the décor and a few of the menu items, but there's truly something for everyone. The space is clean, comfortable, and clearly well-managed. Service was attentive without being intrusive. Dogwoods also appears to have a great-looking bar setup--we're already looking forward to coming back to try some of their dinner offerings and cocktails. Overall, a fantastic spot for a sit-down brunch with quality food, a pleasant atmosphere, and genuinely good service. Highly recommend! read more

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The food was great here, but the ambience inside wasn't anything special. The restaurant is located in a parking lot with other stores, giving minimal views throughout the windows and outside. The drink menu was expansive, but the drinks we received were small for the price listed. read more

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Fun spot, outdoor/indoor seating Chicken tenders were super crispy and flavorful all white meat, great poutine dish with short ribs. We were seated right away and checked on often Elevated cocktails as well. read more

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Fun menu & great food!! We came around lunchtime on a Sunday and it wasn't too busy. It's a cute, comfortable place for brunch, lunch, or dinner! We noticed that the other servers were very attentive, but felt ours was the opposite. Still, we will be back to try more of their menu! We got the Hawaiian flatbread, chicken tenders, and strawberry cheesecake pancakes for dessert! read more

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Absolutely loved our foods. Both sandwiches were delicious. Staff were super friendly, helped pick out what to order and were spot on! Groovy casual spot, chill ambience, can be for a more chill or fancier dinner which is great read more

Dogwoods Kitchen and Bar - Ultimate Chicken Sandwich and Classic Burger - Wine Bars Near Me - Pontiac, Michigan

Honestly - drove all the way up here (1 hr) to hit up a different restaurant on our way to a show at Pine Knob. Then found out the other restaurant was closed because it was the week of Independence Day. Used Yelp to find another highly-rated place nearby - and stumbled upon this gem! For my companions, the smashburgers were great. The braised short rib pasta was excellent. I loved my "special" cheesy burger with amazing presentation (a cup of cheesy bacon sauce on top, that when pulled off coated the whole burger and made it a fork-and-knife affair). The ambiance was great; we sat on the "Garden Patio." Service was very solid as well. I'd love to return and sample more of their menu the next time I'm in the area. read more

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALEXIS! I was pretty hungry, a bit tired, more than thirsty and super glad to find Dogwoods. It's not where you expect to find it yet it's so worth the search! The menu is very diverse and super fresh. I love the local draft beer selection as well, Dogwoods really represents! The restaurant is bright and open, I even saw a person on crutches navigating their way into the restaurant pretty easily. High marks for the layout!! The service and attention was amazing, Alexis helped me find a great beer and a perfect snack to re-fuel me after a day of retail therapy. I enjoyed my stop - rocked out to the playlist - and wanted to share this hidden gem with others! read more

Dogwoods Kitchen and Bar - Love me some ceviche!! - Wine Bars Near Me - Pontiac, Michigan

Great service, good food, lively atmosphere. Love it as a date spot. Needs 85 characters... read more

Great food and even better service from the hostess to the bartender. Would recommend this place even when it was busy they brought the food out quick read more

I had an opportunity to eat here with a group of 11 adults and two children. A great venue for a family gathering and meal. The menu is full of many options to choose from. Many creative entrees, salads,bowls and sandwiches to choose from. Some entrees have a Tex Mex flair to them. My Cobb salad was delicious. The addition of roasted corn and black beans along with fresh hard boiled egg, bacon and blue cheese hit the mark. The service was attentive and did a good job with our group that was seated at two tables in the larger dining room adjacent to the main bar room. I'm looking forward to return and enjoy another meal here in the near future. read more

Dogwoods Kitchen and Bar - Fish and chips entree - Wine Bars Near Me - Pontiac, Michigan

Me and my hiking group went here for brunch. It was about 20-30 of us. Food was good and service was mid. But what was kind of weird is that the menu stated 18% gratuity for large parties, but we were charged 20%. Staff could not provide a consistent explanation or written policy. This felt unfair and unclear. read more

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What a super cute place. The ultimate chicken sandwich was 10/10 and I had the Pinot beans as a side. Delicious drinks !! Service was fast and friendly. Brownie Sundae was delicious!! If ever in the area again we will try again! read more

Dogwoods Kitchen and Bar - Yummy chicken sandwich - Wine Bars Near Me - Pontiac, Michigan

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We went to Dogwoods before a show. It was good that we had reservations; the restaurant was fairly empty when we walked in, but it was packed by the time we left. We ordered some wings as an appetizer, and those came out quickly. They ran out of iced tea so they had to make a fresh batch, which was fine; I much prefer waiting for fresh than getting old tea immediately. Our meals took a while to come out. I ordered the braised tacos, which were pretty good. Another in our party ordered the filet & he enjoyed it. But my sister ordered the Hawaiian flatbread. What she got was not what was described on the menu: the menu said that it had bell pepper, onion, pineapple, honey glazed pork belly and pickled peppers. What came out was the pork belly, pineapple, onions, TOMATOES (which she hates & which were not mentioned) and JALAPENOS (which she's allergic to and which are not pickled peppers.). There were no bell peppers at all. The other issue is that there is only one stall in the bathroom; at one point, there was actually a line to get in. For a restaurant of this size, that is not sufficient. We would consider coming back, but we will ask more questions about the menu. read more

Dogwoods Kitchen and Bar - Braised Short Rib tacos - Wine Bars Near Me - Pontiac, Michigan

Came to grab a quick bite with a friend. I got the chicken tenders and brussel sprouts Tenders were a bit greasy, but brussel sprouts were good. Staff was kind. Ambience was like part sports bar, part diner. Good for large groups. Big restaurant with lots of seating! read more

We decided on a last minute meet up and chose Dogwood. I arrived first and was simply exhausted. Maybe it is the weather but I felt drained. I was happy to see that my go to pick me up drink was on the menu. Espresso Martinis always work like a charm. This place has a great atmosphere. Not too big. Just cozy enough. Lots of windows. Some great areas for photo ops. Our favorite part of the night was the bartender. Savvy was young and super fun. She truly seemed to love her job. We enjoyed all of her recommendations. She was truly personable and we would go back just to hang with her. It was a super fun yet simple night. Just like we like. The flatbread was delicious and I enjoyed my cocktails! read more

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Wow...I was scrolling through my check-ins and realized I did not write a review yet. Well, here is how our first visit went - we've been back at least 8 times since our initial visit 8 weeks ago! Our favorite time to come is brunch on Sunday's. Hubby likes the Chiliquiales with barbacoa or black & blue burger. I'm a fan of the BLT&E bagel (plus add smoked salmon) or sushi stack. Burgers are good too. Pretty much everything I've had I have really enjoyed. The servers are great - quick to bring refills and even say hi if they are not your server that day! read more

I woke up thinking about brunch. I opened my Facebook page and saw the ad that I shared with this review. I was intrigued because I don't think I've ever seen a Yelp review or anything about this restaurant. Brunch foods are my favorite, so they had me straight away. I logged on to read the Yelp reviews, perused the menu, and decided to drive out to Pontiac. It was well into lunchtime when I arrived. I was impressed with the lunch and dinner menus as well as the cocktail menu. I ordered the shrimp and crab boil pasta and a coco spritz. My meal and cocktail were both outstanding. The pasta was definitely reminiscent of a traditional crab boil with bits of crab, juicy shrimp, smokey sausage, corn, and a savory sauce. The staff were amazing and truly hospitable. The restaurant is huge, great for parties of all sizes. There is a patio for nicer weather. The whole experience was fantastic. I can't wait to go back for brunch and to sample more of the tasty sounding drinks from the cocktail menu. read more

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I came here with my family for my sister's birthday dinner. I called ahead of time for a party of 8 and they said they could accommodate us. So rare nowadays. It was a Thursday night & pretty slow but the place was great. The place was all decorated for Halloween and there was a live musician. We were seated fairly close to him and that's not really my family's vibe so if you don't like that I would recommend sitting on the covered patio or farther back in the restaurant. We ordered three apps -- the calamari, the DW nachos, and the steak tips. All of it was delicious. The calamari portion could have been bigger, but it was so so good. Soon after the food came out & I ordered the creamy bourbon chicken, which I highly recommend. The short ribs were also fantastic. But I think the fam favorite was the zip sauce pasta -- perfectly creamy, not too strong of a zip sauce or mushroom flavor. I would recommend skipping the burger, it was ok but not bad by any means. My fave of the night was the elote flatbread. I would order it as an appetizer next time!! At the end of the meal they brought out a dessert, it was ok honestly. But they brought it out on the house for the birthday girl. Our waitress was so kind and attentive to detail. Another plus for me: they had coke produts!!! Highly recommend this place! read more

Went there with some local co-workers who had never been here before. One of their daughters said the place "sucked", which was not a great introduction. It's in a strip mall, and has the hybrid look of a diner and a fancy restaurant. I can't really explain it. The lighting was nice and the tables and chairs all new, but it still had a slight diner feel to it. The menu was definitely not diner food, though they did have an array of sandwiches. I had the Cajun chicken at the suggestion of the waiter. It was served with rice and didn't look very fancy, but the chicken was cooked right, fresh and juicy. The rice was also very good. One of my co-workers got a burger and he ate the whole huge thing. Others got salads and pastas and liked it. Next time I will try the bar and catch a game. I think the feel might be different, and I do want to try another dish there. read more

Dined here three times now and love this place a little more each time. Great looking bar area, good atmosphere, friendly service and great food. Brunch menu is only available on the weekend 10 am - 3 pm - highly recommend that you try the brunch menu first but the weekly lunch/dinner menu is good as well. This might be a regular place for me now, so I'll just update my review with a list of menu items: GREAT: Chicken and waffles with the nashville sauce - tender juicy chicken with a nice crunchy breading with nashville sauce that isn't overpowering - sweet with a hint of heat. Salmon bowl - my server recommended to get a side of remoloude but it wasn't necessary because it had a good seasoning and char flavor and very soft and delicate. Huevos Rancheros with chicken - crispy and yum! Big Easy Omelette - they don't skimp on the shrimp and crab here - great flavor. Mimosa mixer - you get a choice of 4 juices! Recommend that you limit your pour and try each one - passion fruit, guava, mango, pineapple. Strawberry was the other flavor that I did not try. Calamari - nice and meaty with a good crisp/crunch Son of Blitzen - splendid! GOOD: Flatbread with buffalo chicken, this could of easily been on my great simply because the crispy/crunchy chicken is so good but may need some cheese and maybe an additional topping(?). The crust has a good texture. NEEDS SOMETHING: Smashburger - somewhat dry, needs some lettuce, tomato and onion. Bun was good along with the fries. Fajita Salad - shrimp was kind if rubbery and not much flavor read more

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Stopped by Dogwoods Kitchen and Bar during a recent trip to Michigan for some friends' wedding and had a great time. Since the whole crew was invited to the wedding, we had to find a restaurant which could accommodate a large party of 11. Thankfully, with a quick call to Dogwoods we had found our place. When we got there, everything was ready to go for us - one huge table with plenty of space and seats. We looked at the menu for a little bit and some people ordered drinks. Everyone who ordered a drink loved their drinks and some had some fun even preparing their drink such as with the "Snatched" cocktail. As for the food, the menu is pretty massive so I had a really hard time making a final decision. Ultimately, I went with the "Big Fish" sandwich with chips. The name is no lie - the sandwich was filled with a massive piece of fried fish, some coleslaw and cheese on a brioche bun. The fish was fried super well - really crispy on the outside, but soft and flaky in the interior. Delicious sandwich! Then for dessert, we decided to get 3 slices of cake to share amongst the 11 of us - carrot cake, chocolate cake, and celebration cake. The slices were $10 but absolutely massive. The 3 pieces more than fed the 11 of us. The carrot cake was by far the best in our collective opinion, followed by the chocolate cake, and then lastly the celebration cake. On top of killer food for reasonable prices, we had an awesome server who was hilarious constantly cracking jokes and even took a photo for us all after asking their boss permission to stand on a chair for a better pic. Great experience and would definitely recommend! read more

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i loved this place! the decor reminded me alot of a coney i threw up in on my 21st birthday! so many memories ! the staff reminds me alot of the girls i went to highschool! so sweet and pretty! its unfortunate, those disgusting attitudes ...but im sure they have been pretty enough their whole lives to get by on mostly just that! they seem content where they are and...isnt there a saying like??? somebody loves company? was it misery? that loves company? what about jealousy??? I overheard the wrong food being delivered to a table....and a server opt to let them eat the wrong dish while their food was waiting hot in the window. i think that is so clever because maybe we would have been able to eat the food right! read more

I came with my mom and there was no wait, lots of menu options + good food, would go again!

We ended up here because of how Yelp organizes their results. It's not in order of closeness. After a bit of "are you sure we're going the right way?" we arrived. Thank you, Yelp. There's a good selection of drinks available. The Voodoo Ranger Juicy IPA is reasonably priced ($9) for what it is (9.5% ABV). Mixed drinks looked a bit on the high side at first ($10 and up in most cases), but the pour was generous on my wife's Moscow Mule. We came in at 3:30 p.m., but it was still impressive that we got our food very quickly. Our server was friendly and attentive throughout. My wife - who has never ordered anything straight off the menu in her life - got the Strawberry Salmon Salad with steak instead. That combo really works, and I'm sure the salmon would have also been excellent, too. The steak is loaded with flavor, and it has the chew you expect from skirt steak. There's a lot of it, too. The balsamic vinaigrette ties the sweet and the savory together beautifully. I got the shrimp poboy. The sandwich is made with 6 medium-sized shrimp...just right for the bun. The cook must have dressed the shrimp right before serving, because each shrimp is perfectly crispy. The dressing is billed as a "Creole remoulade", which suggests a lot of spice, but there was no heat at all. Fortunately, I saw a bottle of Frank's Hot Sauce on a table; adding a few dashes made it just right. The waffle fries were crispy and so flavorful that they barely needed ketchup. The menu has a number of items that look like they'd be great, too. Judging by our experience here, I have no doubt that a return visit will be just as enjoyable. read more

Dogwoods Kitchen and Bar - This is what happens when you ask for flank steak instead of salmon on the strawberry salmon salad. Fantastic. - Wine Bars Near Me - Pontiac, Michigan

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Their weekend brunch menu caught my eye and our friend treated my hubby and I for a birthday brunch. The restaurant was very nicely decorated and by all appearances, seemed very clean. Our waitress was great, helpful with suggestions, and had a great smile. There were so many items on their brunch menu that I wanted to try! I tried the stuffed French toast and did a side order of home fries. I really enjoyed my meal and would order it again. My hubby ordered the chicken and waffle and thought it was fine. He said the chicken was cooked well and not dry. Came with a side of syrup and a side of fruit compote. Our friend ordered a short rib omelette which came with a side of home fries and a hollandaise sauce. He said half the omelette had nothing in it but the other side did, so ingredients needed to be better distributed. He found the hollandaise sauce lacking flavor compared to others he has had. Both my hubby and our friend thought the potatoes were a bit bland. They appeared to have a lot of seasoning on them but were light in flavor. I myself still thought they were decent. My meal along with my hubby's did not come with any sides. My side of potatoes were $5. Our friend ordered a side of toast which was was around $3 I think. It came buttered but he was not offered any jelly/jam and there was none on the table. Price point was ok. Maybe a bit on the pricey side for portion size and not having any sides but not completely off in left field either. Overall, I really liked my brunch and will definitely be going back to try some other items on their menu as both food and service were enjoyable. Update 6/18/25 Met my friend for lunch. First time trying something off the standard everyday menu. We both got the Ultimate Chicken sandwich. I really enjoyed mine. The grilled chicken had nice flavor and wasn't over cooked. Nice size sandwich with nice toppings. What was really nice was my friend is gluten free and they had a gf bun option for her! The sandwich came with potato chips (fries were extra). The potato chips appear to be made in house, but I wouldn't recommend them. They lacked flavor and seemed over cooked-So maybe splurge on the fries. ‍ Another good experience with our wait staff. I would recommend trying this place, both of my visits have been good. read more

Dogwoods Kitchen and Bar - Ultimate Chicken Sandwich with potato chips. - Wine Bars Near Me - Pontiac, Michigan

Do you know what it's like to have a 17 year old that doesn't have a driver's license? It's a serious pain in the butt, especially when you're stuck driving him around on a Friday night to his joyful, little events. So instead of being grumpy to him about it, I'm going to complain to you, AND I'm going to go eat and drink really well. I have been wanting to come to Dogwoods since it opened a couple of months ago. They teased for months before that on their IG about their beautiful cocktails and their menu so now that I had an opportunity to go. As usual, I was solo because my foodie buddies never like going anywhere I suggest, but hey it was their loss because this was a wonderful experience. Arriving, I was surprised it was part of a strip mall, I guess from previous pics and the images I might have drawn up in my brain I thought it was a stand alone type of building, but really, that is neither here nor there. It's still a lovely façade with an elegant logo. Great first impression walking in, where I was immediately greeted by the hostess and scowled at. Maybe it was because I was by myself on a Friday night and had loser written all over me? Maybe it was because I have a stunning resemblance to the Hunchback of Notre Dame? Maybe it's because I was wearing white before Memorial Day, but whatever the case, she was not happy to see me. She was genuinely relieved when I asked if I could just sit at the bar instead of at the tables with actual humans. Luckily my experience at the bar was much better. My bartender was knowledgeable on the menu, efficient and attentive. She made me a Frisky Business to start: Reposada, mezcal, coconut, lime, and jalapeno. Muy Fantastico! I also pointed out three items on the menu that I was interested in: short ribs poutine, elote flatbread, or the shrimp po' boy. All of them sounded especially delicious, but I had a strong lean towards the flatbread. There was a pizza place in St. Joseph that was making it as their special pie of the month in April, but I just couldn't find the time to drive 3 hours there and back for it. So I my bias was definitely toward the Elote, and she concurred it was an excellent choice. Upon taking the first bite, I will say, damn right it was an excellent choice. What an absolute delight which I enjoyed with a Modelo. The pizza was crisp, had great bite, and tremendous flavor. Absolutely perfect. Best of all, everything was priced reasonably. Looks like I found my Friday night hangout until my son decides to get driving. Excited to try a few more things on the menu. read more

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Lemme just say this: the elote flatbread is life-changing. Truly. Chef's kiss Nashville chicken sandwich is also crazy good. We did brunch takeout the last time we ordered and it will be in the regular Sunday rotation. Service has been 5/5 every time. The cocktail menu is really solid. Highly recommend the margs in particular (clearly). My partner and I are working our way through the menu with each visit. Some of the items have been just okay and I may not order again for the price, but the standout items make it fully worth it. I'm really thankful this place is so close. I'm excited to try everything else on the menu! read more

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Nice looking bar and served a nice blackberry bramble. Can't speak to the food menu. Must say I was confused on the bill. Thought I was charged for 3 drinks. Rather they charged for the alcohol + cocktail ingredients. read more

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Very friendly staff and the food was amazing!! Our waitress was Kya and she was very informative! Huge menu with many options. read more

Dogwoods Kitchen and Bar - Steak Sizzler - Wine Bars Near Me - Pontiac, Michigan

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This restaurant is very good for the area. I never tried it when it was a former business, but I heard good things about this place and wanted to visit. The people working here seemed very nice and were eager to assist us with all needs. The cocktails were very good, I liked the variety. They were also very pretty, especially the coco spritz. I tried their garlic parm chicken tenders with ranch. They were nice with a bit of a crispy. It was a good portion which I could not finish. The seasoned fries were good, nice a crispy, very good in the ranch. I also had the Brussels sprouts which were tossed in a sauce with bacon. They were good but even better when I crisped them up in the oven. The chicken and fries were also great the next day. The carne asada pizza flatbread was flavorful. The salmon bowl was yummy, the fish was cooked well and those beans were really good. We tried their guava and passionfruit lemonades. Those were worth the price since they were refillable. My husband was not as much a fan of the smashburger. He felt it tasted fishy, like it was made on the same grill as the fish dishes and he has a strong aversion to that food which made his experience less pleasant and more apt to pick a different spot. I liked the place, it seems like a fun place to meet friends. They had a private room for a party which they had when we were there. I would like to try their brunch. read more

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