My wife and I had been heading back to Ithaca from a work conference and we came along this fantastic restaurant called The Forager. We went in and were met at the door by a friendly waitress that was all smiles and genuinely friendly. Once she found out it was our first trip, she walked us through theor specials and also answered our questions regarding items on the menu. We went with the mushroom crostini as an appetizer, along with the Amish chicken for myself and my wife ordered the chicken bacon amd ranch wrap. We were amazed to say the least we will definitely be back. read more

What a great place! My wife heard about the Forager from a coworker and we've been meaning to try it for quite some time. We made a reservation for a Saturday evening. It t was perfect since we didn't have to wait at all for our table but the place was busy; lots of people were excited to be there. We ordered our drinks and the beet and goat salad to split as an appetizer. It was delicious and huge with loads of goat cheese and tasty pickled beets and zesty arugula. For our meal, I ordered the Pork Schnitzel with squash and zucchini and my wife got the whitefish that was one of the specials. The schnitzel had an incredible mushroom sauce and was cooked perfectly with the right balance of crispy and tender. We had a great time and plan to make the drive there regularly! It's great for a date night or a group or family meal! read more

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Beautiful restaurant inside and out; our server was Perry and he was exactly what you want in a server. He was attentive, made good recommendations and was very energetic. I appreciated him selling us on things. Our food came out pretty fast and the drinks were very good! I got the pulled pork sandwich, came with a side of coleslaw and I would definitely recommend it. Our bruschetta was great and the calamari was pretty good as well. Amish chicken with the mashed potatoes were phenomenal. To finish it all off, the mango cheesecake was very good. I would highly recommend that. Great spot in a small town. read more

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Such an amazing restaurant. Consistently excellent food and service every time we come here. It's a remarkable place in a cool town - well worth the drive, wherever you're coming from! read more

The Forager - Scallops! - Bars Near Me - Howard City, Michigan

Curbside appeal definitely drew us in, such a beautiful building in a quaint area. The inside is just as great with a fireplace, nice bar and lots of seating. Our server was attentive and friendly and food came out quickly. The walleye was so tasty, I really loved the sauce. My husband loved his steak and potatoes as well. We split a side Cesar salad which was very big for a side. Overall great experience and we will definitely be back to try other dishes. read more

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Ordered mushroom crossing and clam chowder to start. Both were good. Yhe Caesar salad was karge enough for 3-4 adults to share. The brined amish chicken, mashed potatoes with gravy, asparagus was great, two large breasts were tasty and moist. The blue gill fish and chips were good, as was the walleye. Nice kids menu, the cheeseburger very good, nice size for a child's menu item. Finished with the snickers cheesecake that was delicious. read more

We took our daughter out for her 49th birthday and she was very impressed with the how nice The Forager looked. Crisp white walls and black posts set the mood. We were greeted by our waitress and seated quickly. The three of us each ordered of the evening specials. I had the Chicken Pot Pie (delightful pastry crust, loaded with chicken, veg and a warm sauce). My husband had the Miller's Amish Chicken which was very tender and delish! My daughter had Black and Blue Pork Chops (medium rare). Again, that was very tender and very tasty. If you're ever in central Michigan, I recommend you check out The Forager. read more

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From the calamari to the shrimp tacos we enjoyed everything we had. Service was attentive and responsive. The restaurant is inside an old restored building and has some neat character. read more

The Forager - Calamari - Bars Near Me - Howard City, Michigan

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We came to the Forager for Mother's Day this year and I must say they were pretty amazing! I had the chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy, and broccoli. The chicken was insanely flavorful throughout, the mashed potatoes and gravy were on point and perfectly seasoned, the broccoli was a well cooked after thought lacking any seasoning at all. I finished with the bread pudding which was bread pudding made with banana bread and a rum glaze if I recall correctly. This was so good! It had a nice crust on top and the flavor was natural which I really appreciated. The crostini and bruschetta were well prepared and flavorful. My daughter loved her meatloaf and the apple crisp while very good was pretty standard in flavor but it's 100% a shareable size! My youngest had the kids menu Mac and cheese which is better prepared at home with velveeta shells and cheese. I'm pretty sure we paid a ridiculous price for something so ordinary. Finally there were no vegetarian options at all save for a couple salads. Vegetarians get so tired of their options being so plain and lacking imagination. My son ordered two sides, a baked potato with broccoli. Again the price was precious for something so very cheaply made. Had the Mac and cheese and baked potato been actually prepared with effort, this restaurant could easily pull 5 stars. Come without kids or vegetarians and you'll have a fine dining experience well worth the price. I did make a reservation and upon arriving early found they seated our table so we had to wait for them to prepare a space anyway. Otherwise the service was impeccable, ambiance and cleanliness were on point. read more

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Amazing food amazing atmosphere and staff was amazing, great for any special occasion or date read more

The Forager - Surf and turf:) - Bars Near Me - Howard City, Michigan

I'm always excited to have a meal here ! We stumbled upon this gem heading to our property up north. The portions are HUGE. We had calamari for an appetizer. My husband loved this so much I almost didn't get a picture. They have the best French Onion Soup Crock I've ever had in my entire life. I dream about this soup. My husband had the goat cheese/beet salad. The portion was big enough to feed a family. He said the it was amazing. It has great ambience. The wait staff is also 5 stars every time we stop. My 100 % favorite restaurant 81 miles away from home. I don't believe you could ever have a bad meal or experience here. Run don't walk to The Forager. read more

The Forager - French Onion Soup Crock, side of fries, goat cheese beet salad - Bars Near Me - Howard City, Michigan

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This place has been on the radar for a while. So glad we finally tried it. The atmosphere is super cool inside a 100 year old building. Service was great and the price point were great for the quality and portion size. I had the NY strip it was cooked perfectly medium and had a great char/sear on it. Loaded baked was a tad dry/over done on the outside but the inside was good. Definitely worth the 30 minute drive to experience this place. read more

Every time I come here it's outstanding! The servers are always friendly, warm and welcoming. The restaurant is clean and has a cool atmosphere in an old historic building. The chef goes out of their way to create daily specials that are always top notch. I've never had anything off the menu I that I didn't enjoy. Reservations are encouraged, but walk ins are welcomed! read more

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First of all, the ambience is wonderful. Nice small bar, nice tables, furnishings, nice everything. Very comfortable and inviting. Next - the food. I've only eaten here this one time, but the burger/fries were fantastic. I asked the waitress, Kara, to surprise me with a beer of her choice and she randomly picked the best beer I've ever had - hands down. I was there at lunchtime (around noon on a Saturday) and it was largely empty. An hour later and the place was packed. This is definitely a place everyone around seems to know about. Kara was very attentive and personal and wonderful. While I didn't interact much with the other staff, they were all smiling and busy and I don't have a single negative word for any of them. Great experience and will return for sure. read more

Drove here from Canadian Lakes hoping to find great food and service. The Forager did not disappoint. Our server was new and I forgot his name but he looks like Zeus! He was attentive and prompt. Great Bpurbon selection (yay!). Stuffed dates were delicious. We got the onion soup (cheesy good) and a beet salad (the salad is enough for two), Michigan perch (lightly breaded and fabulous. The truffle fries are amaze balls but I wish they were hotter. Can tell they prob sit in a bin for a few. Worth the drive. Glad we found you!! read more

Just happened to stumble across The Forager looking for a place for lunch on the way to Holland and couldn't have found a better place even if we planned it. The location ambiance service and food were all top notch! Highly recommend stopping by if you're anywhere near it! It'll be worth it!! read more

For the Turner's Anniversary of 54 yrs. The amazing Jessica was spot on. She was phenomenal and perfect for the occasion. She has a sense of humor with a great voice. She even educated me on how to present your check. She quoted "how would you like your check organized"? read more

Everyone needs to check this place out!! I know it's a trek from Grand Rapids but it's absolutely worth it. Their food is extremely fresh, delicious, and high quality. Also, the portion sizes are so large! Honestly, the food looked so good that my whole family didn't think to take a picture because we wanted to just dig in. We had a large family gathering at the back of the restaurant and we each ordered something different and loved everything we ate!! I ordered the beet and goat cheese salad and my husband ordered the pork schnitzel. So fresh and the taste was incredible. The service was excellent and the ambiance is so nice; I would call it modern rustic. There is plenty of parking in the back of the restaurant which is nice. Again I know it's far from Grand Rapids but I really think it's worth it to go check it out. The food is so incredibly delicious!! It's a surprising gem. I'll take pictures next time I go. read more

I visit my family in Grand Rapids every year. My favorite place to have dinner is Forager! The Great Lake Walleye dinner is my favorite, my mom had the pork schnitzel - oh my was that delicious! Also my brother enjoyed the meatloaf. Step back - we enjoyed the mushroom cristinis and the calamari. Both starters were outstanding, loaded with fresh flavors and presentation, beautiful. Our server Bryan was impressive with the amount of helpful information he provided regarding each dish. Since we were celebrating my birthday we all decided to share the bread pudding- warm and ooey gooey -OH MY! The perfect way to end our dinner together. read more

The Forager - Street view of Forager door - Bars Near Me - Howard City, Michigan

Tonight was simply spot on! Excellent special, Caesar salad with anchovies was fantastic and the steak special was perfectly prepared! Our waiter was fun and engaging. The oysters as an app was a special treat! We will be back soon! Don't miss the real espresso martini for dessert! read more

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I had the beet and goat cheese salad and my husband had the steak with a brandy peppercorn sauce and a side salad. The steak was one of the best he has had in a restaurant and the salad was so good and the honey truffle dressing complimented it well. We will definitely be back read more

We have been returning based on previous good food (and service). Our last visit was not even close to past experiences. Two of our party ordered Fish and Chips because was so good last visit-- greasy and fishy this time on both orders- different coating which did not have the flavor of past experiences. Brushetta appetizer is usually phenomenal, but was soggy this time. Apple crisp was also disappointing - seemed like canned apples with some ice cream on it - not the same as the many desserts we've enjoyed in past visits. New chef? Service was good as usual read more

The food here is good although the truffle fries at our last visit were disappointing (could barely taste the truffle oil on the fries). However, the name, The Forager, is puzzling as they do not serve anything that you might expect based on the name. There are no morels, ramps or nettles in the Spring, wild green salads or watercress pesto in the summer, and the "wild mushrooms" one might expect in the Fall are nothing more that routine ones you can get year round in any grocery store. In fact, their menu changes little throughout the year. So why do I give four stars? While they are a step below fine dining, it is the best place in the area and they have a friendly staff. read more

Had a Birthday celebration at the Forager this evening. We had the private room in the back and it worked out perfectly! Brian was our server and handle the large group fantastically. We all ordered different meals and the kitchen had no issue the service was perfectly timed. Everyone one enjoyed their meals. A few items we got were the special which was white fish with shrimp the pork chops, which are always a crowd, pleaser the beet salad, and for dessert almost everybody, ordered the brownie sundae, which was phenomenal! We enjoyed the forger every time we go and will be back! Great to know they can accommodate a larger party! read more

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Stopped here for dinner and had no idea I was going to have King Crab legs for dinner! I was skeptical since this is in a very small town but I have to say they were delicious! As an appetizer I had a soup I never heard of which was a twist on the French Onion soup which had cheddar, croutons and tomato basil. The service was attentive and friendly. The restaurant itself is very well kept and has an outside area. Definitely would come back and not be afraid to order their featured dishes. read more

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This place is a gem if you want to take a little road trip! We sat in the bar at a high top and had great service. The staff all seemed to work well with each other and were all super friendly and helpful. It was clean and the decor and atmosphere were spot on for the historical building. Our food was amazing! We will definitely be back. read more

The Forager - Bison Meatloaf and Walleye with baked potato we both had asparagus. - Bars Near Me - Howard City, Michigan

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Very nice place, nice interior and great, beautiful antique bar area! My friend, a local, me from outta town, took me there on afternoon and we had a light lunch, which was fantastic, quickly and politely served. I stopped in by myself two more times afterwards for lunch again, and each time there were minor issues with the meals, but quickly amended by the staff in the end. The lunch cooks may need some more training on timing and done temperatures of cooking, but overall, I'm looking forward to coming for an relaxed evening meal. The menu is inviting with a variety of yummy sounding dishes I look forward trying when I'm in the area! read more

Generous portions. Attentive wait staff. Older building with a lot of character. Check out their weekly specials.

This place is where to go. Amazing atmosphere, great food and great service as well. My husband and I ordered the pork shank which was amazing. My 5 year old ordered the bluegill and cleaned his whole plate then asked for more . Our waitress was attentive without being pushy and was kind and well informed of the menu. The atmosphere was nice and the restaurant was clean. Will definitely return. read more

I'm an actually forager and I went out of my way to come here because the online presence suggests a farm-to-table, locally sourced, ecologically minded restaurant. I was very disappointed in this regard. The menu is uncreative, trendy New American food: very meat-and-dairy forward, Caesar salad, calamari, steak, bacon... The drink selections are similarly basic. There is just nothing uniquely Michigan going on here, and I'm suspicious of their sustainability claims. Faroe Islands (denmark) Salmon when the are salmon in the Great Lakes and Michigan fishermen to support? No thanks. Blue crab crab cakes? The Atlantic ocean is 800 miles away. Also, pricey. And the dusty taxidermy? Not cool. If you're going to use the environment in your branding, show some respect and walk your talk! I ordered the bluegill fish and chips, because bluegill are actually local, and it was fine. The cole slaw was cole slaw. The french fries were french fries...The staff were super friendly and the service was efficient. No complaints in that department. read more

I visited for the first time last night and I was SO impressed! We arrived around 5pm (on a Wednesday) and I was not expecting it to be as busy as it was - the bar was full but tables open. They did such a great job renovating this place! The outside is classy and clean looking and the inside matches! Very well decorated, clean, lots of space btw tables. We started with a bottle of wine, because they are half off on Wednesdays, calamari and bruschetta. The calamari was delicious - loved the peppers with it and the sauce was unique and complimented so well. The bruschetta was fresh and had just the right amount of balsamic. I actually dipped some of the toast in the calamari sauce - so good. I had a hard time deciding but ended up with the Beat & Goat Cheese Salad with shrimp because the truffle honey vinaigrette sold me - I'm a sucker for anything truffle. When I tell you that this was a giant salad, I mean that. I literally only could eat a third of it (that might have also had something to do with the copious amount of calamari I ate...). It was SO GOOD. The dressing was everything I hoped for, the walnuts and gold raisins were a nice addition. Right amount of goat cheese (I also love goat cheese so you can never overdue it for me) and the addition of the shrimp was a good call. Seriously, one of the top 5 salads that I have ever had. I am not kidding when I say I ate the leftovers for breakfast. I ordered the pork chops to go for my husband, my Mom said they were phenomenal and she recommends them to everyone, and he concurred. The kids hamburger and grilled cheese were up to expectation - nothing fancy. Other orders at the table were the Walleye, Walley and Shrimp special, and the roasted half chicken - it all looked amazing and they said it was great. Everyone but me ordered dessert and based on what I saw and was told, I missed out big time. I left thoroughly impressed and already looking forward to going back! read more

The Forager - Calamari - January 2023 - Bars Near Me - Howard City, Michigan

We stopped at The Forager with no expectations except hopefully a decent lunch. Boy were we wrong. The Forager is so many levels above decent. Our meals were fantastic! The Forager is in a historic building that seems to have been carefully preserved while adding modern "niceties". For example, it was nearly 90 degrees out but it was nice and cool inside. Our first challenge was what to order. While all the main dishes looked great, (I stared as servers delivered various plates to nearby tables) we were there for lunch. I ordered the BBQ pork sandwich and my wife had the beet and goat cheese salad. The pork sandwich was a generous portion of pork with a tasty cherry bbq sauce. Excellent fries accompanied my sandwich. I'm surprised I got a picture because I usually dive in to my meal the moment it's delivered. This was so good I will have trouble selecting something different from their excellent menu the next time I visit. My wife's salad was huge. In addition to the beets, she loved the candied walnuts and honey vinaigrette dressing. Nadine was a great server-made good suggestions and always kept my drink full. I love a surprise and finding The Forager was a great one. read more

The Forager - BBQ Pork Sandwich - Bars Near Me - Howard City, Michigan

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The Forager was recommended to us by the inn we were staying at, and we enjoyed it so much, we went back two nights in a row! It was by far the nicest restaurant in the area; people dressed nicer and it wasn't another bar & grill which is mostly what's around. The first night we had the roasted chicken, broccoli, and mashed potatoes with gravy. We also got a side of the coleslaw. The chicken was delicious, the gravy rivaled my mama's, and it was so nice to have a vegetable. Coleslaw was nicely dressed and seasoned, also delicious. The second night we made a reservation and were seated right away. We started with the french onion soup, which was absolutely delicious. Then we split the alfredo with chicken. So so good! Super cheesy and hit the spot. Such a great way to end vacation. We also had Brian both nights as our waiter and he was quick, attentive, and personable. The first night he managed a larger party of 15 and us, so we were impressed. If you're anywhere within this restaurant, it's a must try! read more

The Forager - Roasted chicken dinner and side of coleslaw. - Bars Near Me - Howard City, Michigan

Overall tasty food and good service. We got the blackened taco and meatloaf with mashed potatoes. Staff were very reasonable and very nice and hospitable. read more

Outstanding food and service!! The ambiance was great. Wings and pork shanks were to die for.

The fact that I live about ten mins a away gives me the chance to visit often. This isn't a good old boy place. It is a place that has some of the best food you'll ever eat. Quality dinning isn't cheap but here you get what you pay for. I'd give double the five stars if could it's that. read more

Our food was excellent. No problem seating 8 people and a baby. Huge portions, especially the salads. I had the salmon Caesar salad special and loved it. The fillet mignon was cooked perfectly. Our server Casey was the cherry on top, we loved her!!! read more

Worth the drive from Grand Rapids, this is a cozy, classy place to dine! Wonderful cocktails and friendly service. I have loved anything I've tried from the menu. Walleye, meatloaf, dessert. read more

The Forager - Walleye - Bars Near Me - Howard City, Michigan

This place has been on my radar for awhile. We stopped by on our way up north and this place did not disappoint! Love the curb appeal of this restaurant. It was cozy and chic inside with an old world feel. Our waitress, Jessica was amazing. I started with the French onion soup, it was delicious. Love the Gruyère cheese that was browned to perfection. Yum! I did not finish simply because I wanted to sample more. My husband and I split the beet and goat cheese salad. It was good, and the portions are huge. This salad could easily be split between 4 people. Finally I had the blue gill po' boy. I absolutely love the local appropriation of this classic and definitely appreciate this twist when reflecting on the name of the restaurant. All in all, everyone enjoyed their food and for 4 of us to eat with a beer it only cost $75 plus tip. Definitely think this restaurant will need to become our tradition as we travel north. We will be back. read more

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called , had reservations, cheated the menu prior to only get there and they are out of our dish. Back up dish, also out! not a happy experience. read more