This used to be a wonderful spot for dinner, but it has changed. The food is not consistent and is lacking. They need to step up their game if they want to survive. I am sad to see the decline. read more

Wow. That's kind of a brief review, but a succinct summary of the wonderful meal we had here. We were sent here by the proprietor of our bed and breakfast, who even made our reservations for us. The restaurant has varied seating areas, and we were lead to the lovely and cozy back patio for our meal. The restaurant is very careful in this era of COVID-19, and we were appropriately distanced from the other diners, and the "menu" was provided as a q-scan card. Once we pulled it up and took a look, we were immediately impressed. The locally-sourced ingredients, imaginative menu items, and interesting wines let us know we were in for a treat. I ordered the Otto's farm roasted chicken, with an heirloom tomato and arugula salad with house made bacon vinaigrette and mashers. My husband got the Gorgonzola Pork chop with onion jam, veggies, and mashers. The chicken was perfectly done - moist, tender, the skin crisp and delicious. The combination of tastes was amazingly fresh and satisfying. The chop was equally well prepared and the combination of tastes perfectly balanced. The portion sizes were just right: high quality ingredients and sized to be eaten at that meal, leaving you satisfied, not stuffed. Definitely the best meal we have eaten in a long time. read more

The food was very good but very pricey for what you received I had the roasted chicken and it was a wing and drum Cost was about 28.00 for the entree There were 4 of us each of us had one cocktail and an entree Our bill was 190. After tip read more

There is absolutely nothing negative about this restaurant that I can tell you. We have been coming here for a few years; it is a destination restaurant for us. On Mother's Day just my husband and I drove the hour from our house for a lovely brunch and were not disappointed. Not only did the owner wait on us when his staff was busy but he was attentive, responsive, friendly and enthusiastic about all kinds of food. We started with lovely shrimp cocktail and then my husband ordered the steak sandwich on french bread and I had beef hash with eggs. Both were wonderful. And as my husband tucked into his steak sandwich, the owner, Matt, came over with additional steak, because he wanted to ensure the steak was as "pink" as my husband has requested. He had chatted with us long enough to realize my husband and I were foodies and took personal responsibility for our brunch. Our experience was delightfully memorable - we have always loved this special place -- but now we feel connected to it. If you haven't tried it yet, do not hesitate. Lines will be long but it will be more than worth it. And if you love food, you will be a loyal fan. I wish I'd taken pictures of our food and drinks. Presentation is excellent as well, even on a very busy Mother's Day Sunday. We'll be back and as we usually do, bring our friends. read more

This used to be the best restaurant in the area. It's so disappointing to witness the decline. Sadly, all their best servers and bartenders have moved on. The loss is noticeable. There isn't the same high standard to service and food quality that once existed. I wish them well and hope that this is just a transitional time for them. read more

What a great place! Owner is very attentive and gave us plenty of suggestions for local places to try. He is very nice and the food was excellent here. Definitely recommend to anyone who is looking for a local gem. read more

Been coming here for years with my family - a favorite! I come here every time I come home to my family's lake house in south haven. The service is impeccable - so warm, professional, and knowledgeable! My parents must eat here at least once or twice a week. I live in California and it seems like every time I call my parents in the late afternoon they are on their way to Everyday for dinner. The food is consistently wonderful. They change up the menu regularly while keeping many stables. WE have NEVER had a bad experience here. I love the fish dishes - I have had the tuna many times and highly recommend it. The fresh baked bread is to die for as well. My mom loves the Greek salad - all the salads are quite tasty to be honest. The ambiance is classy, bright, and clean. For a guaranteed fabulous dinning experience definitely check out Everyday! read more

Look here, Saugatuck / Douglas is a fine little seaside town, but don't come here expecting good eats. Buy some art. Buy some antiques. Pack a lunch. We read a quote that said Everyday People Cafe was the "only place for foodies in Saugatuck." But after experiencing the Everyday People Cafe first-hand, I'll respectfully submit that there are NO places for foodies in Saugatuck. (You are all destined to starve, you pompous twits! ) Things seemed to start off well enough. The crowd looked right for a foodie destination. A sea of disposable income and tanned tits. The appetizers were indeed tasty. The Spanish meat & cheese tapas plate, and local cheese plate, were both really good. (In hindsight, the appetizers were good PRECISELY because of the lack of cooking required. Even a dipshit like me...a man who represents a constant threat to burn down his own kitchen....can drizzle honey over cheese and crackers.) All the entrees, however, crashed and burned. Let's start with my lamb chops w/ mint guacamole and white cheddar bacon grits. Sounds lovely, doesn't it? It's awful. The lamb was overcooked, had zero discernable seasoning, and this mint guacamole was like the green thing that crawled off John Cusack's plate in 'Better Off Dead.' As for the grits (....I had forgotten about them until they were discovered mid-meal underneath the green hideous mass of guacamole..."oh, there's the grits!"), they had the shape and consistency of a hockey puck. Burnt, gritty, and hard as rocks. The whole thing was poorly conceived and poorly executed. Other respondents at my table reported equally dismal meals. Overcooked under-seasoned meat with lame vegetables and high school cafeteria quality whipped potatoes appears to be the chef's specialty. One friend was absolutely convinced that he was eating "instant potatoes". I understand that Douglas is a small, seasonal town, and I don't expect miracles, but with all the Chicago money washing ashore, you would think some culinary competence would be possible. Before we ordered, our prancing waiter proudly announced that the main meat courses "haven't changed their recipe in 25 years." Well, 25 years ago, people thought it was acceptable to cook raw poultry in a microwave. Everyday People Cafe: Avoid this cafe, people. Everyday. read more

So, to be fair, I am a very choosy Chicago foodie who has certain expectations for what food and service should be like in a restaurant such as this. They weren't bad, but I expected far better. So first - the place doesn't take reservations and that is fine. More power to them. However, they DO allow call-aheads for parties of 6 or more. We had 7 people, called at 5 pm, and got a table for 530. When we arrived, there was a HUGE line of people out the door waiting for the restaurant to open up. We knew if we got in the back of the line, we might be late for our reservation. We walked up to the front and explained our situation to the other patrons. They were angry and insisted that "this place does not take reservations" and thought we were just trying to cut. Obviously the cafe is not to blame for the customers' rudeness, but they should make their policy more clear. We felt so rude jumping in front of the line at 530, but we had to make our reservation time or risk losing it! So we were seated immediately, and I got a half bottle of Laurent Perrier Champagne. The wine service was done professionally, which is always appreciated. We began with appetizers - the calamari and the Spanish tapas plate. The tapas plate did have some great stuff! The olives were juicy and fruity, the blue cheese was sharp and marvelous, we all loved the cured meats, the sardine was surprisingly delicate (who knew?) and the spiced almonds were great as well. The whole affair was a bit salty, but it seemed appropriate given the types of food on the plate. I enjoyed the calamari - I thought it had a wonderfully perfect crisp. It was hot and the breading had great flavor. My boyfriend thought it was too salty (and he does consider himself an expert on calamari....), but it was still a crowd-pleaser. Next I got soup that came with my entree. It was their market vegetable soup. I loved it, but I really enjoy thin, broth-based soups. Someone expecting something more rich and complex ought not to order it. I thought it was fantastic. I should also say that the bread was served very hot and fresh - a nice touch. Sadly, I was underwhelmed by my entree. The filet saltimboca simply did not work for me. It wasn't bad, but it didn't "jump in my mouth" as the name implies. First of all, it was served at too cool a temperature for my liking (maybe because it took time to prepare all 7 entrees, but still). I thought the steak was cooked properly at medium rare, but something was lacking in the quality, the texture - maybe I'm spoiled by Chicago steakhouses. The sauce was uninspiring, and far too salty! The whole dish felt "Americanized," as in overseasoned to appease the general public's palate. I ate all the meat and most of the potatoes, but I didn't feel like it was a special entree - and not worth the price. The vegetables on the side were undercooked and plain - very disappointing. Still, I liked the appetizers so much that I would have given this place a 4.....except for what happened after dinner. When our server went to box up my boyfriend's food, she dropped his plate and her tray, hitting my mother hard in the back. The waitress apologized to the people at the table behind us (who may have gotten some food on or near their table, I'm not sure). But she said nothing to my boyfriend or my mother. At all. She may not have realized that she hit my mother, but she certainly realized that she dropped half of my boyfriend's expensive entree. She ran off to clean up the food and then disappeared. For a very long time. Another server came by to ask us if we wanted dessert. No manager came by, and the incident was not acknowledged. We said no to dessert, then told the other server what had happened and that we hoped something could be adjusted on the bill, since my boyfriend now paid for an entree that he couldn't eat. The waitress, completely lacking apology just said "oh, okay, I will see if we can reduce the bill." Is wanting someone to say "I'm sorry to hear that" too much to ask? Some of us left before my parents paid, but they told me later that a manager did come over to apologize and that my boyfriend's risotto was removed from the bill. Still, I don't think we should wait 15 minutes for an apology, nor should we have to ASK to have a spilled dish taken off the bill. I think this was a serious error in service, and I don't think any of us intend to return as a result. I'm not such a snob that I can't acknowledge when a server is having a bad day, but when something like this happens, the burden is on the restaurant to acknowledge it and take care of it, not on us. Good food for this part of Michigan, but not great compared to real fine restaurants. Service mostly good....unless god forbid a server drops something! read more

So many people have been raving about how great this resturant is, and we decided to try it out. VERY DISAPPOINTED. The service was TERRIBLE. We were completely ignored for almost an hour before getting our drink orders. The food was cold by the time we were served and the wait staff NEVER came to check on us after we got our food. We will NOT be coming back here after this experience. Disappointing, because we've heard lots of good things. UPDATE: I decided to give this place another try and we had a much different experience the second time around. The service is still only OK... hit or miss... James is a great server that we've had when there, but other than him, we've never had anyone that was more than okay. The food is good, but they recently just removed my favorite dish, the chicken and gnocchi from the menu which I was really disappointed about. My boyfriend really liked their pork dish and my dad enjoyed their fresh market fish. Overall, I'm glad that we went back from another try, but still pretty disappointed in the service. For a place that is so hyped up they should have more attentive servers. read more

NOT A GOOD EXPERIENCE FOR PEOPLE OF COLOR This restaurant was highly recommended to me, the reception was a real disappointment. When we walked in, the owner of the restaurant rushed over to the host us, backed us and began muttering furiously. The host stood shocked for a moment and then look as us with a very embarrassed expression on her face. Without asking us where we would like to sit, she took us through front dining room, through the back dining room, all the way to the small table in the back corner of the restaurant (past several open spots). I thought for a second she was going to try to put us outside on the patio, away from all the other guests! I believe had it been warmer, she would have. It is possible that there was some sort of seating issue (needing to give a server more customers or some such), but if that was the case, then the situation was tactlessly handled. My mother and I both felt nastily treated. We decided to leave without eating - it was our vacation, after all, and we didn't want to spend any of it fighting for our personal dignity. Considering the price point of the menu items and it's respectable reputation, I expected much more friendly and professional customer service. read more

Love the Everyday People happy hour. The best margaritas! We ordered the tuna, cheese burger, Spanish tapas board and chicken thighs! All so delicious. I highly recommend the happy hour. read more

NOTE: This review is one given by a woman scorned who tried to eat at this establishment and only dealt with terrible, asinine service: As the boyfriend and I were visiting Saugatuck/Douglas for an October weekend, I had pored over lists of restaurants where we could have our one "special" (read: more expensive and nice) dinner. I was sold on the reviews of Everyday People Café and couldn't wait to try it. We called to make reservations early on the morning we hoped to eat there. No, we were told, they do not take reservations. But, we were told, they are open until 10. Great, we said, we'll come in this evening. After anticipating our dinner all day, we headed out and arrived to the Everyday People Café at 8:30, a perfectly reasonable time to dine. A relatively vapid-looking hostess told us, "Oh, we've taken all the names we can for the evening," and then resumed staring off into space without further explanation. So, they don't take reservations? Fine. They close at 10? Okay. But you have to arrive more than an hour and a half before the hour the restaurant closes in order to acquire a seat for dinner? NO. I've never been to a restaurant that says their hours are such so that the whole staff can clear out when the clock strikes their closing hour. Ridiculous. The Everyday People Café should try either (1) taking reservations, or (2) notifying all of its customers--PARTICULARLY those who call trying to make reservations--that when they say they are open until 10, they ACTUALLY mean that the kitchen closes at 10 and they will stop taking names VERY EARLY in the evening because of said hours. Such disappointing service means I'll not bother trying this place in future visits to the area and will certainly advise my friends of this inane policy and poor service. If YOU must try Everyday People, I advise getting there by at least 4:30 to grab a seat, and good luck! read more

Just as others have written, overpriced, average food. Plates average about $23. Now, if I was in NYC I wouldn't expect to be doted over with service and excellent cuisine at this price (DISCLAIMER: I lived in NYC for 8 years). However, in Douglas, MI at this price point, I would expect a better level of service and quality of cuisine. The waiter argued with me twice, and was gruff and condescending. I got the baby backs which actually were pretty good; 3 stars here. However, the cole slaw was absolutely horrible. Now, I didn't expect mayonaise-based, redneck coleslaw in a place like this, but what was served didn't even resemble any form of coleslaw I've ever seen. And, being from Texas and living in the South as well for many years, I've seen many types of slaw. Furthermore, (yep, there's more), my father-in-law got the steak tenderloin which he ordered cooked medium. Guess what? It came out bloody rare. Amateur night again. This place appears to be one if not the only "foodie/semi-gourmet" type of joints in the area. And, though the presentation of the food was very good, the overall experience was very bland, including the exterior and interior of the restaurant. The one bright spot: our busboy who was probably all of 16 was a sweetheart and actually gave us splendid service. Perhaps the male server there could learn a thing or two from him. read more

We're sad. EPC has been a mainstay for us for years. My husband and I always sit at the bar for dinner and historically the bartenders have been hospitable, friendly, and accommodating. Not tonight. She was cold, indifferent, and we left without ordering the dinner we planned to have at EPC. Not sure we will return unless the level of FRIENDLY service we are accustomed to returns. As an example, Joann rocks! read more

Had dinner on a Thursday in July, 2015. They do not take reservations for parties under 6, but we were seated in the front (bar) area quickly. The rest of the restaurant was rather full. Cutting to the chase: Would I recommends this place? Very much yes. I read somewhere that the wait staff was either permanent full-timers or high-schoolers, and that is about right. So, you get some very professional and knowledgeable staff who can take themselves a bit too seriously but can appear genuinely friendly as well, and some cute dingbats. Life is about balance, right? Atmosphere is a bit preppy, a bit cottage town, a bit I am wearing old jeans, a t-shirt, no socks and a scruffy beard and my Porsche Carrera is parked out front. Dinner was delicious and fairly priced for the quality. If that is how you judge your eateries then truly, this is a good restaurant. When you eat in enough places you just know very quickly sometimes if a place is good. This place was good. Not fancy, good. They have to fetch the fifth star like I had to fetch my wife's wine at the bar when the waiter forgot it and the barmaid interrogated me about why I was getting my wine from her. Otherwise, very happy and we will return. read more

It was tough to choose a star rating for this restaurant. The food was great. The service was shoddy at best. We weren't told of the specials. Weren't offered refills. When our check came they never picked up the bill. I had to go in. The burger I had was really good. My wife's grilled cheese with an egg was spectacular. They have outside seating which is really nice. This was the only restaurant we tried in Douglas but I feel there has to be a better choice. read more

We managed to get a reservation for later in the night: 8:30. We arrived at the restaurant at 8:35 and our table was not ready. It took them a few minutes but they were able to accommodate our party. Now the reason for the two stars is all on the service. It was 15 minutes before our waitress appeared and she was rather curt and rude. She was inattentive and we also ended up waiting an hour for our meal. We love Douglas but we will be dining at other restaurants in the future. read more

This place is hard to get into. We tried to walk in around 6 but couldn't get room for a large party. Made res for later in the evening. Ambiance is nice. Back patio is adorable. Didn't sit out there but would have loved to!! Like a little oasis. Service was really good. Waitress was attentive and nice. They serve really good bread and give you a choice of oil or butter. Also had olives to start which were yummy and generously portioned. All of the food here is generously sized. I tried a bunch of stuff. Tuna app: Holy crap! BEST seated raw tuna ever. Delightful sauce that had just a little sweetness. Mussels: same thing. Amazing. Creamy garlic sauce. Huge portion. Garlic bread for dipping. Melt in your mouth. A must order. Enough to share 3-4 ways shrimp ceviche: again very tasty but didn't realize how spicy it would be. Also more shrimp than tuna. Would have preferred other way around. Pesto pasta dinner: standard. Good large. Enough for 2. Organic salmon: flavorful but a tad dry. Lemon helped. Polenta with goat cheese: VERY Creamy. Average. Nice consistency Wine list was excellent and had a nice well priced buttery Chardonnay. Would def def come back here! read more

What an out-of-nowhere gem. We stayed in Saugatuck for a long weekend and we had pretty good luck with the food, but Everyday People was the highlight of the whole trip. It's smallish but very hip and classy on the inside. It seems almost out-of-place in Douglas as Douglas has a small town feel to it. Everyday People could easily complete with any big city restaurant but it's cozy and charming enough to be accessible to people who are intimidated by those types of places. The menu is varied and the portions are very large. My date and I got the spanish tapas plate, which is probably meant for 4 people. I was expecting to get a few slivers of serrano ham and I got about 4 ounces of it. But it was great. I ended up getting a "small plate" burger which was a half pound, perfectly cooked, and had homemade relish and onion straws on it. I could only finish half of it. "Small plate" indeed. My date got an artichoke pasta that she said might be the best pasta she's ever had in her life. She's a vegetarian so that's pretty high praise. I tried it and it was as she said. Perfectly salted, cooked al dente and teeming with fresh spring vegetables. The drinks were also outstanding. We both tried a couple different whiskey cocktails which were excellent. She fell in love with their espresso vodka martini and now I have to go find the ingredients to try to recreate it at home. If you only go to one restaurant while you're in Saugatuck/Douglas I'd advise it's this one. read more

If I could I would have given this place all of the stars in the sky! One of the best meals I HAVE EVER HAD! These are the reasons why: 1.) The Food- Everything we had was absolutely fantabulouso. We all agreed that the Grilled garlic bread rounds, pesto hummus, asparagus-Hoffer Farm tomato salad, Dancing Goat Creamery goat cheese, white truffle oil drizzle were the best appetizers we have all ever had. The Eight-ounce Sugar Shack honey-wasabi glaze, kokuho rice, baby arugula-sesame orange vinaigrette was some of the best salmon I have ever had. My friends enjoyed the Pesto Pasta, Pork Chop and Ahi Tuna. All of which I tried and would be happy with as my meal also. 2.) The Service- Our server was super friendly and knew the menu really well. Well worth an hour and fifteen minute wait. I could have waited 3 hours and I still think it would have been worth it. 3.) The Atmosphere- It's nothing special but I like the energy the crowd brings to the space. It's not some quiet fancy smancy high end place that makes you feel like you are eating in a library. They want you to come in and have a great meal and a great time. This is a special place and if it was in Chicago you would never be able to get a table because it is better than most restaurants I have been to in Chicago. In Douglas, Michigian none-the-less...crazy huh? read more

My wife and I have enjoyed dinners at EPC more times than we can count! So of course we return time and again because we enjoy this place. The team of servers...Michael, Kevin, James, Shelly, Beth, Stephanie, Kelsey, and more...all exceptional and we know them. I find that they attend to all guests whether vets like us or first time diners here. Michael and team in the kitchen are marvelous. Matt and Michael create a great menu with updates 4 or 5 times per year. The main menu usually features 10 to 12 choices...all excellent and selected to cover a wide range of preferences with fresh ingredients, yes, fresh! I do not like menus that overwhelm you with dozens of choices and you must know that most can not possibly feature fresh food. Good luck with your selection at these places! Now EPC gets a rap from some because this place, especially summer weekends, is crazy busy. Must be so because it has such terrible food and service! EPC is a winner. Tip: stop by at 5:45 or so and talk with your host and ask to put your name on the list for 8:00 and go enjoy Saugatuck and Douglas for a couple hours. Love EPC. read more

Lovely food, nice place, great addition to the west coast of Michigan. Service, on the other hand, was pretty below average and inconsistent for a place trying to establish itself. Really hate it when someone opens a nice little joint like this in a relatively sparse market and not much competition. For a great chef, I don't mind paying a lot (for this area), but I do when they don't bother with good service to go along with it. But maybe they were having an off night, I'd go back and give them a second chance bc the food was quite good. I am a Michigan native and grew up going to Saugatuck and Traverse City and Muskegon and Grand Haven and all the towns on Lake Michigan. When I come back now, I love seeing how these places have developed especially when the rest of Michigan is suffering economically. Especially in the higher end dining options, but mostly those are around Traverse City which is a hell of a drive. So really happy to see Douglas and the galleries, even though it looks like it was all built in the last two years, and happy to see places to eat that value excellent cooking and local food. Because we grew up eating Tastee Freeze and maybe, if we really looked for it, some whitefish. Which you don't usually get that anywhere south of Traverse. We started with the local cheese plate which was really, really, really good - especially the blueberry chutney. Can't say I've ever had blueberries and cheese, and the goat cheese especially was great with local honey drizzled on it and cracked pepper flat bread. They also had gouda and cheddar which were good, but the goat cheese was the star. Also had the duck quesadillas which were delicious if a bit too rich, but with a great smoky salsa. My companion had the salmon and spaetzle, which was fantastic, seasoned well with a really crisp sear on it and the lovely light spaetzle were a nice treat. Also had the beet and spinach salad, with more goat cheese and blueberries. Love the local produce, love the blueberries in everything, loved the clearly talented cooking. But ... had to wait an hour and a half for 2 people. Got seated in their backyard but a pretty snotty hostess who kind of acted like if we were too stupid to not know to come at 5:30 when they opened and put our names on the list, we shouldn't expect anything short of an hour and a half wait. F*&^ you hostess, I don't wait that long in NYC and I only did here bc it was my mom's birthday. Seriously, I almost left bc of her attitude but had talked up this place and it was a special night. The waitress in the backyard was nice enough but so overworked she forgot our cheese plate for almost 45 minutes, then was so harried she didn't have time to tell us what was on it. Which would be ok if we were in a family diner or a Tastee Freeze, but if you're going to do fine dining, do fine dining, tell us about the lovely local cheeses, and give the poor woman a chance to do a really nice job. I think we were there on an super busy night, because when we finally got a table inside the waiter was attentive and knowledgeable. Almost too attentive - the bussers kept trying to take our plates before we were finished. I kept thinking about that poor young women trying to keep the whole backyard full of people happy, and obviously very harried. If they could bus our tables every 5 minutes why they didn't send someone to help her out? For the prices and the wait, and the number of people they shuttled out to the back to wait, they should make it a nicer lounge type area and do better service out there. Would totally recommend to people but with the warning that they should only go if they had all the time in the world and could wait for some pretty spotty service. Would also really love to see places like this go even more local, especially in August which is like the height of Michigan food season. How about local fish!!! Don't know why it is so hard to find fresh-caught local fish next to one of the biggest lakes in the whole world. You rarely see anyplace selling them, except for whitefish up north. If they went in this direction it would make it a truly memorable and special place. read more

Hot tip! If you're ok with eating early get here before they open at 5:30 and you won't have to wait for a table. Any later than that and you'll probably still have to hang tight for seating. I took my family to Saugatuck/Douglas for the first time this past weekend and at 5:25 on Sunday we already saw a line forming out in front. Luckily for us we were ready for dinner at that time so we decided to jump right in. When the doors opened we were seated right away but not even a half hour later folks were waiting at the bar for a table. So in this case the early bird dinner will save you some time. First off: Appetizers. Lucky for me my family is really into food so we always get a couple of appetizers to share. This time around we did the duck confit quesadillas and the crostini. I'd had the crostini before and loved it (toasted garlic bread topped with hummus, heirloom tomatoes, feta cheese and balsamic) but the duck quesadillas were new to me. REALLY good stuff. Filled with duck and local goat cheese and accompanied by a nice spicy chili sauce as well as a lime crème fraiche and guacamole. Yum. It was sort of chilly out that day so I was hankering for some warm comfort food. I decided to go with the chicken and dumplings and it was not quite what I expected. When you think chicken and dumplings you probably picture a creamy sauce or broth, some chicken and noodle like "dumplings" in a bowl. Warm and familiar. But this was much different and I mean that in the best way possible. The ricotta dumplings were more like a pierogie--dough filled with ricotta and fried on both sides. As a Polish gal I was TOTALLY ok with this! The chicken breast came in one piece--juicy and pan fried then laid atop the very delicious and lemon wine sauce and surrounded by fresh local tomatoes and mozzarella. Oh lawd, it was GOOD. Again, not what I was expecting but delicious nonetheless. I would have eaten the whole thing and licked the sauce off the plate if I weren't so full from the appetizers and my starter salad (the garlic basil dressing is fab, btw!). My aunt also got the chicken and dumplings and was equally as impressed. My mom's gorgonzola pork chop was MASSIVE and so very tasty (but you can't go wrong with gorgonzola as far as I'm concerned). My uncle went for the bacon wrapped fish (I am completely blanking on at the kind of fish because I was too full to try any) in a watermelon broth which he said was outstanding. Overall EDPC was a huge hit with the fam and they are already clamoring to go again. Hopefully next time we can save some room for dessert because they rock the ish out of sweets there too. read more

I only stopped in for a snack and tasted the Drunken Shrimp Sambuca and the Beef Carpaccio. The shrimp were cooked well, and I loved the sauce! I'm not sure the puff pastry worked for me in this dish, I'd just assume scrap it and add in 2 more shrimp. The beef carpaccio was well seasoned and there were more than enough accompaniments. The service was good, it was nice to find a restaurant that can keep up with my excessive water consumption. I look forward to returning to taste more of the menu! read more

The smores desert is so good and the marshmallows are homemade! The service was excellent as well! read more

Everyday People Cafe - Smores desert - Diners Near Me - Douglas, Michigan

Any place that offers fantastically seared rare ahi tuna has won me over. In addition to the tuna, we also had the special, which was a white fish called barramundi in a soy ginger sauce -- much richer than the tuna, and really tasty with the sauce. Wine selection was very good, and I appreciated that the suggested wine pairings with dinner were not the most expensive glasses on the menu. I did go ahead and order the suggested wine with the tuna, and though I am not really a white wine drinker, I really did like how it accompanied my meal! We also shared the mussels appetizer, which were in a shallot wine sauce, and they were just incredible. Our waiter was very friendly and engaging, and helpful in ensuring I had no wheat or dairy on my plate. One caveat -- and perhaps this is just us -- we had a bit of a strange experience with the front hosting staff. As we were coming into the restaurant, it appeared that the front staff women were intently looking at us, and even laughing! When we were being seated, it was clear that the woman who stayed behind at the host station was talking about us as we were leaving (as was evident by her constantly looking back at us and smiling/laughing). Not sure what that was about, but it made us both uncomfortable, to the point that we almost left. But, our waiter came over and his friendly attitude (and the delicious-looking menu) compelled us to stay. Not a deal breaker by any means, but definitely a bit of a strange encounter. Despite this, we would definitely come back to the Cafe. Also, wish they accepted American Express. read more

It's a beautiful Friday night in Douglas, Mi. The sun is shining and we've just come from the gorgeous town of Saugatuck. My wife has heard good things about the Everyday People Café. We're treating ourselves tonight, as we have a baby sitter and theatre tickets for later on. We arrive before the restaurant opens, and lucky we do. There's already a line of people waiting to get in! The café has a following as well as a reputation! A very promising sign. The doors open and the eager diners are seated by staff. There is a bar on the left when you enter and high tops and low tables were taken into the room beyond the bar on the left, a kind of conservatory. I overhear someone saying this is the original part of the café. It's light and airy, light colors and lots of sunlight coming through big windows. It is old in a little tacky kind of way and there is paint peeling from the ceiling. Original is fine, I like that they have kept it but an update and a lick of paint wouldn't go amiss, it's a very 80's room. Our server is lovely, very calm, even with a fly landing on him constantly as he explains the menu, he swats it away in a subtle fashion trying not to give the game away he's bothered by it's buzzing annoyance, and communicates very well. The menu has an interesting selection of entrees, small plates, mains and sandwiches, all specific dishes, all with a little flair. After perusing the menu we go for a selection entrees and small plates to get a taste of as many dishes as we can. We order the mussels, burrata, ahi-tuna and the farm board. Our server asks what order do we want them in and we go with his suggestion, mussels first, then burrata, then tuna and farm board. We order drinks and are brought some beautiful warm bread to kick off the meal. The mussels arrive; the first thing you notice is the aroma. The broth they are swimming in is delicious. The burrata takes the biscuit though. The mozzarella is from a local farm, it's light and creamy and fantastic. The star of the dish however, is the bacon vinaigrette. The tomatoes are beautiful and it also comes with greens. But it's the vinaigrette that ties it all together and accentuates the other elements of the dish. It's a wonderful dish, but the mozzarella is almost too rich and creamy, by the last bite I've had enough. The ahi tuna is a delight. Flash seared to perfection but the sesame crust is what makes it shine. The farm board is a selection of local cheeses and sausages. One of the sausages is to neither our liking, the cheeses are fantastic. The goat cheese on the board is gobbled down by my wife. We smell and see a wonderful dessert on the table beside us and enquire when we're asked. It's a fancy smore, with a giant marshmallow on top, cooked in front of you with a torch, with peanut butter ice cream. We also order a strawberry balsamic sorbet. Both are delicious. The smore isn't heavy, and all the elements are delicious, as is the sorbet. Both are hits and a wonderful way to end the meal. The prices aren't cheap, but the dishes are worth the prices you pay. The food is excellent. We've made the burrata with the bacon vinaigrette at home already (and a pretty good effort, we came close!) If your visiting Douglas, this place is a must. There's a good reason there's a line down the street of eager diners waiting to get in. I'll be on that line again... read more

If you're looking for fine dining, culture and a good time in this area - this is THE choice to make. The first time I was in Saugatuck, we were told about Everyday People Cafe, but didn't want to drive from our Bed & Breakfast and chose to walk. I learned several months later that this was a HUGE mistake. We stopped here after a work convention in Grand Rapids. It was quite the drive from Chicago to GP, but worth the stop to this restaurant! EPC is minutes off the expressway and very easy to find. It's cozy and intimate, but not a small building so at least they can house a good amount of guests. I just loved it here. STARTERS - We loved ours, but they all looked fan-freaking-tastic. Got a board of cheese and meats, and the mussels. All were flavorful and DEElicious. ENTREES - I ordered the beef tenderloin. They lost me for just a bit here. I ordered my steak medium plus and it was pretty bloody. I improvised though: ate around the edges, brought home the rest and had yummy leftovers. A must stop if you're anywhere in the area! Call ahead though, they get busy. read more

Easily the best restaurant in all of Saugatuck and Douglas. We went there twice for dinner during our stay because everything on the menu looks sooo good. Don't let the outside fool you. It's not a "cafe". The food and service rival some of the best upscale restaurants in Chicago. Their salad that comes with dinner entree is AMAZING with sweet balsamic vinaigrette. Prepare for a long wait even on weekdays if you come around 6:30pm-7:00pm. They have outdoor seating so bring a light jacket / outer shirt in case it gets windy in the evening. There is a small parking lot in the back, just make sure to park in the public spaces. read more

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We went back a year later. Not as good. In 2013, this place was great. In 2014, it was good. Not great but good. Menu selections not as creative, execution not as successful. I had a pork chop with gorgonzola on it, with beef carpaccio to start, and a Greek salad on the side. I would go back. But I wonder if the chef has changed. read more

This place was great! Right outside of beautiful Saugatuck Michigan on grand haven! Super friendly wait staff, pretty decor and a great fresh and local menu. I started with the drunken shrimp. It was excellent. 3 large shrimp on a bed of puff pastry with a rich almost sweet sauce poured on top. Definitely a must. My sister ordered the burrata. It was very good, however maybe too much seasoning on the focaccia. The warm rolls they give you are also very good. I then had the chicken gnochetti pasta. It was very good. A nice lemony flavor with the added artichoke hearts. Quite a large portion. I can usually eat everything on my plate, but with this one, I had to take some to go. My sister ordered the flame at your table peanut butter chocolate s'mores. I actually didn't care for the one. It was very pretty to see the waitress flame the marshmallow, but when I had it bite, it was just too much. Way too sweet and rich. I like chocolate, but this was overload. read more

Everyday People Cafe - Diners Near Me - Douglas, Michigan

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This is a great restaurant! There was a long wait when we got there but we were able to be seated on the patio and we ordered some appetizers. Yum. I highly recommend the Drunken Shrimp Sambuca. I do realize that the preceding sentence is exactly the same as the only other review for this place but it is true, try it! After we were seated our waitress was very attentive but did not hover, which is nice. The only thing nicer was the delicious food she delivered later. My two friends had the salmon and both loved it! I had the fillet and it was amazing! My only complaint with this place was the amount of dressing on my salad so be sure to ask for yours on the side! The bill without drinks was around 27 a person. read more

We're stopping over in Saugatuck/Douglas on our way to Detroit from Chicago. After eating "everyday" food the last few meals we decided that a splurge dinner was in order so we decided to try Everyday People in downtown Douglas. The restaurant has a fairly casual look. We arrived around 6:00 on a Wednesday night only to find that a party of 17 had walked in right before us! Even splitting them up, that used up the available tables and we were facing a longish wait, but the hostess said we could be served immediately at either of the bars (one in the front dining room, one in the back room). We went to the back room and settled into the bar. The cheerful young woman behind the bar was a regular whirling dervish -- shaking cocktails, uncorking wine, washing glasses and finding time to also be our server, and a very gracious one, too! We split an order of the mussels for a starter -- sweet P.E.I. mussels in a flavorful broth with slices of garlic bread to mop up some of the broth. A nice house salad in a gorgonzola cream dressing followed. My BF ordered the salmon -- it was a generous portion, well-grilled until it was crispy on the outside and garnished with a shower of slivered fried onions. I ordered the Wagyu sirloin, rare. It came covered in a melange of tomato and corn, resting on a bed of mashed potatoes. This was my first adventure with Wagyu beef and it was a surprising mixture of tender and tough! Sirloin is a chewy cut, in any case, and that was the case in this instance. The trade-off is that it's very flavorful, and this generous serving certainly tasted good. We washed it all down with several local draft beers -- I had a brewed-in-Saugatuck amber and my BF had the Holy Moses summer wheat beer. For dessert we shared a terrific tart-sweet mixed berry crisp that was a perfect summery finish to a fine meal. Based on this experience I'd definitely return. Service was good, portions and prices were great, and the ambiance is pleasant. Our entire bill came to $86 -- very reasonable for everything we had! Recommended! read more

We begin with a cup of the soup du jour, a tomato boursin. It does not disappoint. Creamy, with some stray lumps of tomato, and bright sweet cheese intermingled. The seasoning is done with a light touch and I have difficulty identifying what few flecks I see. Maybe fennel? Regardless, it is a nice soup and a perfect way to start the meal. My ceviche arrives in an oversized oyster shell, piled high with what I think are pea shoots but turn out to be asparagus bits, cut on the diagonal. The shrimp have been split in halves, presumably to better "cook" them in the lime juice. The scallops are tender and flake apart easily. I take a few tentative bites... I love it! The lime gives it a brightness, while the pickled red onion and asparagus reflect a playful preparation. Slices of red apple and avocado seem crazy at first, but the taste is amazing. It's a dish that's just plain fun to eat. Lastly, we order the local organic cheese plate. When it arrives, our server plops it on the table and says, "This is goat cheese, this is cheddar..." She makes to leave and I ask her where each of the cheeses is sourced. She rattles off a couple local farms, without indicating which is which, then leaves. For shame! If you serve a local organic cheese, you better be prepared to explain it sufficiently. Don't take my word for it. See what my better half has to say on our site (linked in my profile)! read more

the best eggs benedict in my life!!! a superb brunch!! thank you. read more

Yay, I am a major fan of this place. I spend much of my summer in saugatuck/douglas and this place constantly delivers really really good food. My family and I have been coming here for a really long time..like 2003. Never a bad meal. Never ever a bad drink and never ever ever bad service. Extremely attentive, friendly staff. Love love love! can't wait to get back here. read more

LOVE this place. The bread is warm and fresh every time, and EVERY dish is an explosion of taste in my mouth. Wine list is great. Service is up there too. They have an amazing shrimp sambuca, pesto penne, crabcake, mussel dish, and both ahi tuna dishes. Ok, actually I have loved everything I have ever ordered here. My Italian father said the carpaccio is the very best he has ever tasted- and that is saying a lot. The one negative is the menu really hasn't changed much in the last two years. You get what you pay for. It is not cheap but COMPLETELY reasonable. For a bottle of wine, and my aunt, mother, daughter and myself the bill was just under $100 before tip. For a meal that by Chicago standards would have EASILY cost (and been worth) $250. LOVE. THIS. PLACE. read more

Excellent food. Ambivalent service. Tapas platter was delicious with a variety of complimentary flavors. Grilled salmon on chive "dumpling" (really spatzle) was fantastic. Partner loved the pork chop and risotto. Lovely interior. A bit of a wait and they don't take reservations for parties under 6. The evening would have been fantastic, except for a bartender on his first day and our MIA socialite of a waiter who was too busy with the customers he knew to spend time with those he was actually responsible for. read more

If you are ANYWHERE near Saugatuck/Douglas go here. It's AMAZING. I wish they would open up next to my house in Chicago. We ate dinner here twice in our four day stay-that's how much my husband and I loved it! Nice staff, yummy appetizers, amazing entree choices (even for us vegetarians) and too good wine selection. Even on weeknights its bustling, but we didn't mind the wait. Oh-and get the S'mores dessert. Its soooooo good. I'm still dreaming about it! read more