This appears to be highly recommended place in town while staying on budget. Indeed it was! We had a table on the outdoor patio with lakefront view which elevates the entire meal. Our servers were attentive and helpful, however, we had to wait for almost an hour for the food to arrive given their adequately staff. Hubby ordered the Den burger with burger and I had the shrimp ragotoni. I enjoyed the homemade pasta but the entree was a bit heavy with the cream sauce but it does have great flavors. Love they have KBC beers on tap and the blueberry ale was very refreshing. Overall, this is a solid choice in downtown Houghton with lakeside view and good menu options. Do keep in mind that prices are a bit high given it's in the UP. Also, you pay extra for protein in pasta entrees as well as bread in appetizers that's usually included. read more

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We sat on the patio (dog-friendly!) around 5:30pm on a Tuesday evening. The patio overlooks the water, and there's about 6-7 tables total. The server told us the specials for the day, and I remember there being a LOT - almost as much as what was on the regular menu! We almost got the chicken wings special, but we ordered the burrata caprese appetizer and added prosciutto for $4. It was good! For entrees, I ordered the duck breast, which seems to be a staple item from here. I ordered it medium rare and it was definitely medium at best, but still tender. It is not a huge portion, and I would've like the skin crispier, but the meat itself had great flavor. It sits on a bed of parsnip puree with a blood orange reduction (a little too sweet and too much of it on the plate for me) and sauteed spinach. It left me just satisfied enough, but still a bit hungry. My fiancé got the flank steak, which was probably around 8 oz but the menu doesn't list it, with french fries and some sauteed vegetables. He said he was actually pleased with the type, portion, and cook on the vegetables. The french fries are that "old-fashioned" style, which I really like! And the chimichurri sauce was fresh and flavorful. The service was mid - sometimes it was fairly quick and attentive, other times we felt like we were waiting a long time to be tended to. For a more local, seasonal, "farm-to-table"-esque meal, this is probably the closest you will get in Houghton. The front desk at our hotel said she heard this restaurant was pricey/expensive, but I thought it was pretty fair! read more

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Modern and trendy restaurant, especially compared to the other choices in Houghton. I sat at the bar and my server was the bartender. She was very friendly and helpful, even though she was kept quite busy mixing drinks for the other diners. I ordered the Jagerschnitzel with a small side salad. The "small" salad was quite large and very fresh. I can't imagine how big the large salad is! My Jagerschnitzel was good. I would say I would have a lighter breading would have made it even better, but I'd still recommend. Tonight was a " Chamber of Congress" type evening in Houghton. I don't imagine 80 degree nights happen a lot way up here! The great weather brought a lot of people out and about enjoying the river walk and downtown. The restaurant had to limit the number of people seated because they must have been at capacity for their staff. read more

The Den - Outdoor dining overlooking the rive. - Seafood Near Me - Houghton, Michigan

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We went on a nice early fall day for dinner, and the weather was beautiful. I just wish they had something for the bugs, as we wound up with bugs in our cocktails which was off putting. Regardless, we kept the night going lighthearted and thoroughly enjoyed the charcuterie board appetizer we got. Nothing was explained of what was what, so it was a fun guessing game of finding out what we were eating. I ordered the steak special of the night, which was absolutely delightful and cooked just how I like it - medium rare! Served with an au gratin potato and asparagus for sides. read more

The Den - Seafood Near Me - Houghton, Michigan

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Service staff was wonderful. Hostess lied to me about available staff, but the waitress more than made up for that. The elderberry mojito pitchers were great. The almonds on the pasta made me a little cautious, but I won't be anymore. read more

Food was excellent, I had the pork tenderloin with a delicious sauce (I don't remember what it was called) , grilled zucchini. Others had a garden salad that they really enjoyed, another had a Caesar salad, also very good. The weather has been so hot that we weren't thinking of dessert. The service was great, staff friendly despite a broken air conditioner! Nice ambiance, lots of plants and very clean. read more

I haven't been in this space since it was a McDonald's waaaay back in my college days. I think the floor might be the same! It was a cool building then and that continues with two floors of seating and a wall of windows. Plenty of greenery and plants to warm it up a bit. It still has just a slight "diner" feel to it though and it doesn't match the vibe of what I think they are trying to be here. Our meals were ok. We all largely felt that they were overpriced for what they were. The menu pays homage to procuring local ingredients but the food descriptions don't tell you the details which is disappointing. The pesto gnocchi at $25 is especially perplexing. I had the den burger and it was ok. The chips were overdone and the greens on the burger were sad and wilted. The star of the evening was the virgin siren call mocktail - really well done! There aren't a ton of choices for a nicer meal in this area, I know, but the impression I had before coming here was that they are trying to fill that void. I don't think they are quite there. read more

The Den - Den Burger - Seafood Near Me - Houghton, Michigan

No flavor to anything. Extremely mediocre and tasteless. The ribs were dry and overcooked. The lasagna had zero flavor and could have at least had a little meat in it. Definitely a skip...everyone left underwhelmed read more

Great menu, delicious food. Friendly waitstaff and quick service. Modern environment.

Super fast service. Super nice!! Its really pretty inside, it has plants and cool lights. And the food is incredible. Seriously my favorite place to go for every special event!! read more

Not what we anticipated. Went in and requested outside seating on posting outside to enjoy sunny nice weather. Host said no outside seating. Was seated and took awhile to get menu and server. Menu is extremely limited and could not find anything to order. Just left. read more

We have prompt and attentive service and we sat at their new outdoor patio tables and watched the boats and gulls moving about. Only a few vegetarian options but the beet burger and pesto gnocchi were both delicious. read more

The Den - Gnocchi - Seafood Near Me - Houghton, Michigan

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The atmosphere is cute and waitstaff very nice. The booths were not so comfortable as the backs kept moving when you'd sit back or people behind you were sit back - then you get bumped forward. I spilt my drink because I got hit in the back with the booth back. The cocktail was OK. It was too sweet and not shaken long enough, is it was bubbly instead of frothy on the top. I ordered the special of the night: shrimp scampi pasta. The shrimp was cooked perfectly, still super juicy and tender, but the pasta itself had no flavor. It was strange because the shrimp was beautiful but the rest was just bland. I don't ever add salt to a restaurant dish and that time I was adding more and more with every bite. I think it's kind of cool to have a place like this is Houghton but I don't think it lives up to the price or the image it's trying to portray. I won't be returning unfortunately. read more

The Den - Houghton sour - Seafood Near Me - Houghton, Michigan

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This is our first time dining at The Den. What a find! Food, the service and the vibe were all awesome! My husband had the short rib, burger, and fries, both of which were delicious. I had the grilled meatloaf with The Den sauce, mashed potatoes and asparagus. Again, everything was delicious! Our server Peyton was very friendly and attentive. This is a don't miss if you're up this way in the UP! read more

Very good quality good, delicious and just the right amount. Service is professional and the food doesn't take that long. Clean area too. However, I would probably rate the cost $$$ instead of $$ on yelp. read more

The food is so overpriced and not too special for the price, it is a cute restaurant but the prices need to be a bit lower, it's a pretty classy place, workers seem a bit bothered sometimes. read more

Wife and I were in town on vacation and went here twice in the 3 night stay we had. We had our dog with us so got food to go and the employee behind the bar said they have outside seating and we could bring dogs. Food was so good we went back for a second night, if that tells you anything. We will be returning to The Den on our next UP trip. read more

We went in to The Den without a reservation, since it was a rainy Monday. There seemed to be two servers and no hostess around. We waited to be seated but were not even acknowledged for a very long time. One of the servers did come by and said that she would be with us shortly but then nothing while we kept waiting. Think after 10 or so minutes, the other server told us to follow her without any smile or intro. Nonetheless we finally got seated and were handed the short menu. The server was quick to take our order for drinks and food quick and served us pretty quick as well. Our cocktails of Dan Old Fashioned and Hougthon sour were good - balanced and chilled. For appetizer we ordered the forbidden Brussels which looked good on the menu but unfortunately wasn't as good IRL. The sprouts were raw, the apple slices were sparse and the bleu cheese was a tad much. Fortunately our entrees came soon and they were good enough to make us forget about the Brussel sprouts. My Meatloaf was delicious along with the sides. My son enjoyed the Den burger with the tomato jam and my husband mentioned that the schnitzel was perfectly crispy, juicy and flavorful. My other kid had he cheese burger from the kids menu and she said it was fine, we munched on her side of fries which were actually good fries. We were very happy with the entrees and hence ended with a tuxedo cake that was very good. The service honestly, was sufficient barring the wait at the start of the evening. It is a good place for special or date night dinner. read more

Good drinks. Very friendly staff. I only ordered soup which was great but must say the beet salad looked beautiful and I overheard a guest say it was delicious. read more

So we showed up and they lost our reservation that we had reserved 2 months ago. The hostess, I didn't catch her name, somehow fit us back in during graduation week, the food was amazing. They ran out of one of the dessert we ordered and the waiter was super apologetic and discounted the other dessert. Overall a great experience and the staff was super accommodating! read more

My son and I visited here today and it was absolutely delicious! He ordered the Den Burger and I ordered the Steak w/ the chimichurri. The steak was so tender and the chimichurri was so savory! My son gave the place a 9/10 haha will definitely go again when we return. read more

The water pitcher and glass were on point. The food was mid. The Alc was mid. The most notable thing about the burger was the charred flavor as the five types of meat really just blended together and didn't produce a memorable distinct flavor. Sorry if I seem like a hater I just live next to a meat shop that sell wagyu and eat that multiple times a week. Wagyu with literally no seasoning has been a more memorable taste to my palette than this burger and i guess I'm just disappointed. read more

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Service, ambiance, and a distant, distant 3rd, the food. The restaurant front drew us in; the smoked-glass greenhouse-like front looked somewhat upscale, so we decided to try. Restaurant was about 1/3 full. The inside decor was late 80s style, and pretty meh. Our server was fantastic; bubbly, and friendly. The service was fairly fast. Our family would have been better off spending the $4 per person and dining at one of the MTU dining facilities. I ordered their $37 strip steak, and I would have been better off ordering and eating a mukluk. This cut of beef was the toughest, driest, most flavorless piece of shoe leather I've had; to note is that I ordered this beef medium-rare. My wife ordered the beet burger. The adjective most descriptive of the beet patty would be 'dry'. A slathering of mayonnaise would have helped, but it was served without condiment. Eww. Totes gross. Don't eat here. Take $75 out of your wallet, crumple up the bills, and set them on fire. That'll be more satisfying than the dinner you'd get there. read more

This spot really surprised me!! On a day trip to Houghton, we discovered the Den by a recommendation from a local. So glad we did-- the food turned out to be one of the highlights of our trip! First, when you walk in, the restaurant itself is sooo beautiful and hip. The style of the interior gave me modern great gatsby vibes. Absolutely loved the decor and finishes! So unexpected for the location. We ordered the spinach artichoke dip for an appetizer, which was excellent! I got the scallops and my boyfriend got the duck. The scallops we agreed were the star of the show. Both dishes were beautifully presented which I appreciate! My scallops came over a parsnip purée and sautéed veggies with some mysterious red oil that tasted bomb. All the flavors together were seriously incredible! Definitely one of those meals I wish I could re-eat. Highly recommend this spot and will certainly return if I'm ever in the area again! read more

The Den - two plates of food on a table - Seafood Near Me - Houghton, Michigan

We enjoyed our dinner this evening at The Den. Old Fashioned with brandy (just like in our home state of WI) was delicious and had a sprig of Rosemary that our server lit when she served it. Imparted a Smokey flavor to the cocktail. My husband had the Asian chicken sandwich and although he had to remove the kimchi slaw (too spicy for his taste) he said the sandwich was delicious. My salmon was perfectly cooked as was the asparagus. Great dinner and evening. read more

The Den - Old Fashioned and Light beer - Seafood Near Me - Houghton, Michigan

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I was SO EXCITED to try this place, but ended up being totally bummed out. Their menu was totally different from what's posted on their website! They have completely removed all of their small plates, which was the entire reason I wanted to come here. We ended up getting a a drink and a charcuterie board, since we had already been seated. They no longer have the affordable separate boards (one cheese and one meat) that are on their website; now it's just one large board with everything on it. The board was good but sorely missed some type of spread like a mustard or honey. My review may have been higher (almost definitely would have been, actually) if I didn't know anything about the place before I walked in. But as it was, I felt kind of duped. I'm not sure if I would return next time I'm in the area. read more

Great food and service. Came here 3 years ago and did not like it. This time service was great .and food really good. Had lamb chops with mushrooms. The lamb chops were the size of frogs legs but good. Could have served with mint jelly. The beast burger was a beast and delicious. read more

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Actually called to confirm that they were pet-friendly and they said yes! Had to go thru 4 different people and was showing them the number I called and a young lady said that she took the call and didn't understand that I asked if they were dog friendly! read more

Visiting in town and found this place. Great atmosphere, well trained staff, good selection of craft beers, pleasant music. We definitely are glad we came here for dinner. read more

The Den - The Den Burger, my husband loves. - Seafood Near Me - Houghton, Michigan

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We just had a great evening at The Den! 10 of us in a private setting, comfortable, timely service by Gracen, and of course, great food! I had Thai chicken, topped off with blueberry bread pudding. Definitely one of the top restaurants up here. Highly recommended. read more

Food was gross. Mac and cheese was KRAFT mac and cheese and chicken wings were dry. Bartenders shirt was half unbuttons

New York Strip Steak was ordered medium, but inside was still frozen and absolutely not enjoyable! For $30 Steak it is a unfair... read more

The Den didn't disappoint. The atmosphere is great. Our waitress was pleasant & knowledgeable. The food was phenomenal! He had the taco special & I had the salmon. We shared a Cesar salad & bread pudding. I was delightfully surprised! read more

Waited a very long time for very sub par, cold, and worst of all... pricey food. It was a Wednesday night in September, couldn't imagine visiting during the busy season. Train wreck... tourists, please avoid read more

Not gonna lie didn't have the big expectations going into this place but I'll tell you what we got a steak and burger to go and I was delectable not sure if that's the right word but sounds good enough I'm a big boy and know a good burger and that had to be a top 3 for me even after it sat it's almost gone which actually makes me sad read more

We were pleasantly surprised by this establishment. It being Friday, we had the fish fry. My wife had the breaded fish, I had the pan-fried. The breaded fish was quite good although a little bit bland. The fries were excellent, though. My pan-fried fish was cooked excellently and the salad served with it was fresh and very good. Our waitress was attentive and very professional. Amusingly enough, she apologized for serving us water in the "wrong" glasses - apparently they had 2 very large parties being served at the same time, which took up all their water glasses! Yet our glasses held water, so it wasn't a big deal to us at all. The dining room was clean and attractive. All in all, this establishment is worth the visit. When you're in the Houghton area, make it a point to stop by. It's worth it. read more

I've wanted to stop in at The Den for awhile, so a last minute dinner date was the perfect time. The whole building has a very modern feel that you don't see much in Downtown Houghton. We were seated promptly and our waitress gave us the run down in the daily specials as we haven't been there before. We both ordered drinks from the drink menu and the spinach dip for an appetizer. These items all came out rather quickly and were excellent. I ordered the duck for my main course, a house specialty and my husband ordered the pork belly nachos, one of the daily specials. Our main course came out rather quick as well and both meals were extremely delicious! The food and service was top notch and we'll definitely be back! read more

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I had the vegetarian beet burger...honestly it was so bad I took 2 bites and threw it away. Which rarely happens, I don't like wasting food. I appreciate the creativity, I really do but the execution was terrible. The patty was falling apart, the goat cheese made the texture even more mushy, the only thing I liked were the buns and pickled onions. I hope they create a new solid veggie burger, maybe add grains or beans to a firmer beet mixture? Instead of a mushy patty, try to make one that holds firm and keep the beets, but leave them as chunks in a different base mix or something. The fries were good though. read more

The Den - Beet vegetarian burger - Seafood Near Me - Houghton, Michigan

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We loved this restaurant. We wanted to eat outside due to COVID and they had lovely tables out back with a view of the river and Bridge. The hostess and waitress were friendly and helpful. The food was fabulous. I had the meatloaf wrapped in bacon, mashed potatoes and brussel sprouts. My husband had the den burger and he loved it along with the homemade chips. Highly recommend. read more

Very average restaurant for how fancy the menu seemed and how pricey some items were for Houghton. We ordered the Cheese Plate (pictured), Spinach and Artichoke Dip, and the Den burger. For how fancy the burger seemed in the description, the taste was almost exactly like a Whopper. The flavors of the jam and aioli were overpowered by lettuce and tomato which were the only flavors that really came through. A real bummer! The chips, however, were very tasty! The cheese tray, for $10, came with only THREE crackers, one of which was a Ritz cracker, and we were a little bummed by that especially as a plate we ordered to share. It was certainly a challenge to find a way to split three crackers among the table. I guess you're expected to also order the bread plate for an additional $4? The spinach and artichoke dip was very tasty, but we ran out of bread fast and left a lot of the dip behind. Overall the food was good, but I think there are kinks to work out still! read more

The Den - Seafood Near Me - Houghton, Michigan