Garrett&#x27;s Place

My family had a wonderful experience at MJ's Eatery! The service was prompt from the moment we…read morearrived. Every employee we interacted with was friendly, welcoming, and attentive. We ordered the biscuit platter, and it was absolutely delicious. The portion was generous enough for two people to share comfortably, making it a great value as well ($15) Everything was fresh, flavorful, and served quickly. It's always nice to find a place with both great food and great people, and MJ's definitely delivered on both. We'll be back the next time we're at our cottage.

Great spot to grab a quick bite to eat. Very open and clean inside. Service was great, food was…read moreserved quick but hot and the handmade onion rings were 10/10.

French toast and biscuit platter -- yum!

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Bacon and cheese omelet, nice crispy potatoes and raisin toast. Yummm!

Powell's Restaurant

4.2(31 reviews)

0.4 mi

Love this place. Love the service, love the food and also a good little place to shop for Michigan…read moreitems.

excellent food and wonderful service! Such a wonderful family restaurant. 100% recommend. We will…read moredefinitely be back.

Powell’s Restaurant

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The Fox Den Restaurant

3.8(50 reviews)

3.1 mi

I started with a French onion soup. Kristie said it was on the sweeter side. She was right and it…read morewas very good. We had the MI version of surf and turf. Rib eye & Walleye CAB. The fish was pan seared to perfection, the rib eye was cooked excellent. The CAB sauce was very good and complimented the steak and fish very well. We got the sauce on the side. Service by Kristie was excellent. You need to find this place and come here. It off the main drag, but well worth it.

I went to the Fox Den restaurant with my wife and some neighborhood friends. I ordered the prime…read morerib and my wife the spinach artichoke chicken. The prime rib was old and cold. The fat was as white as paper. The meat cold to the touch. I asked the waitress to have it warmed. When it returned it looked much better and was the right temperature and appearance. However, it was terrible. The meat tasted old and had a tinny taste to it. My wife absolutely enjoyed her chicken dish and we enjoyed out meal with friends. When I paid the bill I let the waitress know that the prime rib didn't improve and was terrible. She apologized and gave a small discount on the bill. Unfortunately, this is the second bad prime rib I have gotten at the Fox Den. I am not picky and just want consistency in a restaurant. For over $30 you have a consistent product or don't offer that item. Since you advertise it as a restaurant specialty you should really stand behind the quality a little better. Maybe offer to replace it with a fresh cut. Overall, I am sure we will go there again, just not as often. PS I commented on one of their ads on Facebook and they deleted by comment without a response. Mistakes are made, own it and improve on it.

Shrimp Alfredo Pasta. Made in house!

Foxy Bacon Cheeseburger. Cooked perfectly to temp.

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Pulled Pork Nachos. The pineapple is the perfect kick

Beechwood Cafe

4.8(88 reviews)

15.3 mi

Cute restaurant with really really good fresh food. We…read morewanted some smoothies and they came through. Their portions were big too. Prices were very fair also!

For the area, this is a really nice restaurant. The food was high quality and delicious, the space…read morewas clean with an open and calming floor plan, and the staff were pleasant and welcoming. It was surprisingly busy for a random Saturday in September, and I was actually surprised when the hostess asked if we had a reservation. It took a few minutes to get us seated, and the wait for our food was on the longer side, but a very large table had been seated right before us, so it was understandable. The inside of the restaurant has clearly been thoughtfully updated. The calming teal colors and rustic decor give the space a charming, relaxed feel, and you can tell the owner put a lot of thought into redoing the space. The food was on the pricey side for breakfast, but it was delicious. I had the farmer's plate, and while I wish the plate itself had been a little larger so the food wasn't piled on top of itself, everything tasted great. The kids' portions were surprisingly generous as well. One small detail that I really appreciated as a parent was the bathroom setup. The sinks are low enough for small children to use comfortably, which is something you don't always see in restaurants but makes a big difference when you have little ones with you. Overall, this was a really pleasant experience. There were a couple of small things that could have been better, but the quality of the food, thoughtful atmosphere, friendly staff, and family-friendly touches made this a place I'd happily visit again.

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Mel's Pine Pantry

4.1(39 reviews)

11.6 mi

Great little spot! We've enjoyed breakfast here several times - great service, very friendly! I…read moreneed to go to their fish fry! Happy to support such a great local restaurant!!

Nice tiny place with tasty food by Higgins lake - we also had coffee and a root beer float.read more

Burger and Beer Battered Fries

Hickory ham sandwich and Beer Battered Fries

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M55 Pour House

3.1(94 reviews)

1.7 mi

I had the cod sandwich, and it was good. The service and variety of options was fine, and the…read moreplace was clean.

The Pour House has a wonderful Brisket Sandwich. The service is very good. I recommend this Bar…read moreand Grill! The restaurant is very clean and pleasant

No booths, but the standard tables and high-tops are comfortable. Bands on weekends. They were setting up when we were there.

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Love is in the air this Valentine's Day at the Pour House.

Blue Heron Cafe & Bakery

4.5(169 reviews)

34.3 mi

I picked this restaurant from YELP. It is a small place with a bakery. While there the cases were…read moreloaded with good looking cookies. We both ordered breakfast. It was delicious. Coffee and water for drinks. Service was good. We are glad we took a chance.

Nice little diner right in town. Nothing fancy but also not run down. The service was friendly and…read morethe food came out relatively quickly. Grilled sourdough was perfectly crispy on the breakfast sandwich. The sweet and savory combo of bacon and apricot spread was delicious and the two cheeses and apple slices added just a little something extra.

Booth seating

Bakery items

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Soup

The Mulberry Cafe & Herrick House

4.4(143 reviews)

33.2 mi

Herrick House was incredible. Very charming farm house feel with incredibly good sandwich's.read more

We stopped in here for lunch and were pleasantly surprised. This is a historic building with a nice…read morelittle shop inside. We looked around in the shop and the prices were decent. We then sat down outside on the patio for lunch. The service was very good. I ordered the triple berry turkey panini and thought it was very good. It was unique with lots of dried berries and a raspberry creme. My wife ordered the quiche of the day and it came with spinach, goat cheese and ham. Hers also came with a fruit cup and scone. The scone had a nice lemon creme that came with it which was a great touch. She really enjoyed her dish. This is definitely a nice stop if you are in the Clare area.

Mulberry cafe.

Homemade ham and egg quiche , with blueberry biscuit, fruit bowl.

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Burke's Waterfront Restaurant

3.3(178 reviews)

36.9 mi

First time here. Sat outside along the water, in the sun, and nice breeze. Great food and service!…read moreService was excellent actually! Will return

This was on a small lake with outdoor seating and good-sized bar indoors. The menu had many…read morechoices to choose from. The service was alright, and the food came out in a timely manner. The water did taste a little funny just to note. For appetizers, the loaded potato skins ($14.99) and wings with honey BBQ sauce ($14.99) were ordered. The potato skins were filled with Applewood bacon, sweet onions, green peppers, tomatoes, mushrooms, and melted Cheddar Jack cheese. These were very tasty. They were definitely loaded with all of the toppings. I do not recall seeing peppers, onions, and mushrooms on a potato skin before, but they did wonders with the bacon and cheese. The wings were very saucy. There were eight appropriate size wings. They could have been crispier. For an entrée, the Michigan whitefish ($26.99) was ordered. It also came with a side, and I chose the string beans, which were outstanding. They were crispy with plenty of garlic. The whitefish was seasoned with Parmesan crusted spices. The fish was of good size and cooked well. It just lacked seasoning as it needed a little more. Will I go back? Probably.

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Shirley's Cafe

4.3(107 reviews)

44.9 mi

Ate Father's Day breakfast with my dad, son and mom. I ate the "Big Daddy," my boy ate the…read more"Breakfast Burger," my mom ate the Oat Meal, and my dad ate the "Rise-N-Shine." All of us were very pleased with our meals. The Big Daddy was almost too much food, but I managed. My boy said the Breakfast Burger was delicious but messy. My mom said the oatmeal was even delicious, had some maple mixed in with it. My dad enjoyed the Rise-N-Shine, too. The portions were great and the cost was decent. The service was a little slow but they were quite busy. The restaurant was clean but the tables are too large for the room. In my opinion, they could change to square 4-seater have more tables for more customers. The current tables seat 6-7 people but 1/3 of the tables had 2-4 people sitting at them. Definitely worthy of eating at again.

Great little spot! The food was soooo good and comforting!! The service was great also! Seems…read morelike a locals favorite breakfast spot! I was traveling through and had passed by Shirley's a few times and finally stopped! I'm glad I did! I'll definitely be back next time I'm in town! Great food, service & prices!

The Dining Room

Kids meal

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Applewood smoked turkey

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John L.

7 years ago

We ate here a lot. Decent food, decent prices. Unfortunately, being a very small place, you have to plan tables, and the amount of people appropriately. We had a party of 6 and they have only one table that accommodates a party of 6. No problem, we can split. They offered to do that, but proceeded to give tables away to other parties that arrived after us. Don't know if there is just no communication, or what. The people working that day seemed to not care whatsoever. We walked out. read more

George L.

Elite 21

126

1201

2 years ago

Houghton Lake Mike. We miss him tremendously. We come to Garrett's place like a widow on the widows walk waiting for her sailor to come home. We will always come to Garrett's. read more

Jason H.

11 years ago

Foods pretty good here. We get breakfast more often than dinner or lunch but it's all pretty good. Never had a problem here and we always leave satisfied. read more

Tonidave G.

3 years ago

We allways go to Garrett's when in houghton lake area. Great food. That's our last name so why wouldn't we go there

Chris K.

8 years ago

This place does a good job with services and the food is always good. I would tell people to give this place a try .

Julia H.

168

9 years ago

I come here for the food but especially Maddy Stevens. She's such a hot Bae that has so many waitressing skills

Jim A.

4 years ago

Been going here for years. Food is great, service is great. Small town restaurant with friendly staff

Shelly S.

10 years ago

Fantastic Home ade Sloppy Joes every Wednesday- Check It Out- Fantastic!

Garrett's Place - breakfast_brunch - Updated September 2026

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Shaker's

3.0

(102 reviews)

Even though it was crowded, the staff tried their best to keep food and refreshments flowing. The…read morerush in getting food out into the dining room was obvious as the bowl containing my spaghetti order was splashed with sauce. Small thing, but it shows that the kitchen was more interested in pushing food out than preserving good presentation. The surcharge for using a credit card was a turn-off. If you already claim the fee as a business expense, why punish the customer with another charge?

Service was outstanding. Very tentative staff. Food was good. All day breakfast is a plus!…read more I had the patty melt on rye and my wife had the biscuits and gravy. Family dinner charm.

Randy’s Family Restaurant

3.5

(39 reviews)

Eaten here multiple times. Servers are nice. Nice, casual environment. Pancakes are great, fresh…read more Breakfast, lunch, and dinner- all good.

The broasted chicken was crispy and moist. Not sure what spice it had...maybe thyme...it was…read moreoverwhelming to me. That made it much less enjoyable to me, but my mom didn't hesitate to finish hers! The scratch made mashed potatoes were terrific!!! And the gravy for the potatoes was delicious too. I ordered takeout and it was ready in 30 min. I'm pretty sure that cooked the chicken to order.

Mac's Place

3.8

(55 reviews)

Big parking lot, easy in and out, friendly, fast servers, decent food and food options. We didn't…read morefeel like out -of-towners, we felt welcome and appreciated.

Food was good, service not so much. This is disappointing as a local who has never had a bad…read moreexperience. However, after being seated took 15-20 minutes to be waited on, though saw people who were just seated being waited on right away. Husband went without a refill on his drink the whole meal.

The Harvest Grill

4.8

(34 reviews)

Small cafe style spot in West Branch MI. Very clean and sparse decoration, but very tasteful and…read morenice. The service was friendly and fairly fast. The breads are homemade and great along with the jams. I had an omelette, poor kid lost my order, but quickly reordered and all was fresh and VERY hot. McD's coffee has nothing compared to the heat of this places coffee. Good brew Good food Give it a shot.

Wonderful breakfast spot. Clean and simple dining room. Second time there and was just as good as…read morethe first. Highly recommend the Farmers Omelette with sourdough bread and homemade blackberry jam, delicious. As with the first visit I was not able to escape without buying some baked goods to go. They bake all their own breads, cookies, turnovers and other items. Service was great and the owner took the time to check on us. Highly recommend if you are around West Branch.

L J 'S Kilkare Family Restaraunt

3.8

(53 reviews)

My cottage is right next door to this place and it's been a godsend for years on end. I had the cod…read morebasket recently and it was incredible. Friendly bartenders and always some sort of character hanging out at the bar. I hope they redo their menu with no AI photos soon though. They're kind of unsettling and don't do the food justice.

Houghton Lake is not known for its fine dining, that being said I live here and Kilkare is a great…read moreplace to eat. From giant burgers to crab legs and Prime rib. Folks rave about the potato soup, I like the French Onion soup.

The Hearth

3.6

(36 reviews)

Food was good last time we ate here, although our salads came missing the chicken and it took 20…read moreminutes+ to bring it. Tried to go back today but it's reservations only. Not sure if this is every Friday or just Labor Day weekend.

We had a party of 7 with a reservation and they were ready for us on time. This place was…read morerecommended for a "nicer" bday dinner in the area. Our food was good overall and the waiter was nice but a little gruff. New York strip was too rare for "rare", but good taste. Waiter did not check back on the steak status which we typically appreciate when steak is ordered. My chicken Marsala fettuccini was good. Chicken sandwiches were good. We were disappointed that they had a full bar but didn't stock ciders, nor could they make a red sangria. What? I really wanted a sangria on my bday, but no luck. We stopped for ice cream and Buzz Balls at Larry's on the way back to Elk Lake. Ambience was typical family dining, definitely nothing fancy. I expected slightly more of a classy establishment on a golf course. This may be the "nicest" you can get in the middle-of-nowhere MI.

East Bay Grille

4.8

(14 reviews)

2019 New Year's Eve dinner was amazing! Chris was spot on all night with perfect service! We had…read morean amazing table by the window! They brought back a classic tonight with their breaded halibut with a caper sauce. It was perfect! I had fillet Oscar! My son had a new dish which was Ny Strip with sautéed shallots and goat cheese! Everything was perfect. Thanks again for a great night!!!! Great job tonight on Mew Years Eve! Chefs menu was fantastic! Our Fillets were cooked perfectly and the crab on top was cut up crab let meat! It was so amazing! Our sons NY strip was cooked perfectly! This is our fourth New Years in a row coming here! Thank you to the whole team!!!! Happy New year!! It was We come here three to four times a year. Tonight's meal was spot on with the other times we've been here. We started with the duck appetizer and it was fantastic! We then had salads and soup! Their French onion is fantastic! I had surf n turf and the fillet was cooked perfect medium rare and the lobster tails was the most tender I've ever had. My wife's crab cakes were delicious with a very good sauce on the side. My son had the ny strip and it was cooked perfectly! Service was great and the wine is a great value!!! Can't wait to come back!!

While we were fully prepared to dress up and go to a sports bar for dinner during our girls weekend…read morein Houghton Lake, East Bay Grille gave our group a better option. We made a reservation for 13 on a Saturday and they were ready and waiting for us. The table was prepared and two servers greeted us. The restaurant, located inside of the Springbrook Inn, is a bit difficult to describe. Comfortable with some kitsch, a bit of an upscale family restaurant with a reasonable wine list (also reasonable pricing). The menu is not extensive but hits all of the main American items: steak, seafood, pasta, soup and salad. All of the mains were served with mixed vegetables (zucchini, onion, pepper or sans pepper for me as requested) and a potato (which included rice in the category). We did have two vegetarians in the group and the grill was not very vegetarian friendly. They did offer a stuffed red pepper, which luckily both ordered and enjoyed. The rest of the group had a large variety: cajun pasta, steaks, shrimp, perch and my order of ribs. The cajun pasta had a good flavor and was not at all spicy (this could be a good or bad thing depending on your preferences). The only complaint was that only a lone shrimp was found in the dish (the menu did say shrimp, which while suggesting a plural, was not). Overall everyone enjoyed their meal. I had the ribs as was a bit disappointed. The meat was tender but severely over sauced. I also found the sauce to be average. I did really like the sauteed veggies. I would not agree with the other reviews that the food is outstanding. I felt it was good to above average, depending on the item. The service was five stars. Both servers were friendly and engaging, refilling promptly and were responsive in their check ins. My four stars are based on an overall good experience and the service certainly orchestrated this.

Albatross19 Social House

4.0

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Excellent service Excellent food…read more Cleanliness Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating Unique, very tasty, owner inspired cocktails, Anyone claiming to have the "Best hamber" in town has not met this classic burger. The combination of shirt rib and brisket is a HOME RUN! The poke bowl was unexpectedly awesome. Only unexpectedly because the nearest ocean is a couple of thousand miles away

Omg this place has such a great vacation ambiance. It is different and fresh and has unique options…read morethat you don't normally find in this area. Food was so delicious. We will be back!

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