Despite several previous trips to Empire I had never been to Joe's Friendly Tavern and I feel like…read moreI've been missing out! In many ways this place pleasantly lives up to its billing. It is indeed quite friendly, our server was helpful and efficient and easygoing despite our children. And the menu claims that they are famous for their excellent burgers and you know what? The burger was excellent! A nice old-school very beefy patty with crunchy lettuce and juicy tomato. I was very pleased by the whole experience and would happily come back next time we're in Empire.

Great location in the heart of Empire Village. Nice pop up coffee service during summer months. Can…read morebe not so friendly at times. Very inflexible between breakfast and lunch service. Kitchen does not have a conventional oven and stove which limits menu offerings.

Service was obviously impeccable. The views as well! Our food was delicious. It was perfection,…read morehighly recommend at least once in life :)

We had a late reservation at 8:30. When she asked for our drink order we said we were hungry and…read morealso placed our food order. 1:15 later we got our main course. She comped us two starters as a form of apology, so our bill for the seven of us was $684 versus $715ish. Mains were good. One starter was a bust. The others were okay.

The food selection is excellent. We enjoyed the steamed shrimp and spinach dip for delicious…read moreappetizers. The steaks were excellent and so was the broiled whitefish. Their domestic beer selection was extensive and most were only $3.50. Excellent wine selection including Opus One, Cakebread and Cloudy Bay along with Michigan wines and nice French wines by the glass. The service was very attentive and friendly. Our outdoor seating was exceptionally pleasant and surprisingly bug-free.

For the prices of the food we would have expected better. There was a cherry vinaigrette dressing…read morethat is a super thick barbecue sauce consistency. We asked about that, but didn't get a clear answer. The chicken sandwich had a chicken breast that was half the size of the bun and someone in our party had a burger, but said it was tasteless. The service was excellent, thanks Jen for a nice welcoming smile and great attitude!

Everything is right about this establishment. It has become a bit more pricy than it was.read more

196.00 for 2 with no alcohol or dessert. Worse meal I've ever had here been coming since 80's. And…read moremanager never returned my call. A refund

Made a reservation months in advance and delighted that we took the time. We were greeted by one…read moreof the owners (Susan) as soon as we entered the restaurant. Her warmth and friendliness was matched by the staff who made our dining experience so comfortable. We were promptly seated and received outstanding service. Portions were large and meals come with bread and a house antipasto salad. Our meals were exceptional. My wife had Chicken Saltimbocca and I tried Linguine with Salmon. Chicken was flavorful; salmon was perfect; the pasta was 4 star. The food was so good that we even ventured into a dessert (rare for us). We tried a lemon cake with glaze and VERY fresh strawberries; it was wonderful. A small restaurant that is a gem and well worth it. An outstanding dining experience. Exceptional food; the service and atmosphere were amazing.

Ambiance - intimate, cozy, but also loud Service - had two…read moresteaks ordered medium rare but they were undercooked - sent them back and they came back very burnt on outside, still undercooked but closer (photo) and inedible - sent back again We asked for pasta since they couldnt get the steaks right and thought maybe those meals would be comped but not so much. (Rest of the party was long done by the time we got meals). Asked for the manager but our server (Liz?) said she was the manager and tried to fix it by cooking the steaks more - kinda was uncool to sit while everyone else ate while 2 of our party were waiting. Food : steaks (see above), pesto pasta was good. Heirloom tomato salad was very good but star was tomatoes themselves and presentation was odd with dollop of dressing on each tomato - needed some acidity in the dressing. Chicken saltimbocca was OK but very sweet. Nearby places were closed so we ordered dessert. Tiramisu wasn't very good and peach cake was dry but probably also tainted by the experience. They comped the dessert after we ordered. Bill was over $300 for a crappy experience. Wouldn't recommend. We were here 15 years ago and it was really good and we were looking forward to returning - we live 1600 miles away so it kinda was a big deal to return here over La Becasse. Oh well.

Great local breakfast spot! Highly recommend the omelettes and blueberry pancakes. Great service.read more

I visited this restaurant in Honor, MI on Highway 31 for the first time today. Very confusing…read moresituation as it was not clear where the front door was, it is a long building with two separate large sections of the restaurant that look completely different, not only did no one from the restaurant greet me at the door, but no one even know I was waiting at the front counter for a long time and so I had to go looking for a restaurant employee so that they knew I was even there!!, the outside of the restaurant is very poorly "decorated", they apparently don't care enough to have anyone watching the FRONT DOOR, I had to go walk through the restaurant to find a waitress to know I was there and so I could be seated at a table!, my waitress was friendly, my food was good, prices were expensive, the dining room was clean, my table was gross and sticky, and no music was playing.

My family and I have dined at this vintage restaurant, with UpNorth decor, for over 32 years. The…read morefood has always been decent and service good, too. In these harder times, this restaurant needs more help. College kids were back in school. The tables were kind of greasy. Only two servers, who were very good, were exhausted. We were dining with a 2 year old, who was a little difficult and our kind waitress put in the order for the children right away. Their cheese pizza looked great. Nice call. Our orders came out not too long after, which makes me question, "How do you cook fish in less than 10 minutes, with a fresh vegetable? I ordered the wall eye with pesto and it came with zucchini. Everything was just all right. NOT a hot meal. The mashed potatoes were lukewarm, the fish seemed like it was cooked an hour ago and the zucchini was soggy with oil. The ribs are their best to claim, and were good. However, they also seemed like just warmed up with the BBQ sauce because my son said they were cold and he should have sent them back. There is outside seating but mostly bar counter height chairs so we chose to eat indoors, which was very nice. IF the food was cooked to order, and the food was HOT, and the tables were cleaned properly, it would rate a 5! in my book. However, not this time. I eat here at least 4 times per year, so hopefully next time, it will be better! I pray they do not close this gem on M-22 in downtown Glen Arbor. See you next time!

Just not good. The venue has promise but every experience is even par. I wish this place would…read morechange hands and be a GA powerhouse.

My husband and I have been here twice and it's been perfect both times. We had the chicken and…read morewaffles and the classic boatman's breakfast. The chicken and waffles had a crispy fried egg on top that was so yummy. It also had a bourbon maple syrup that is so yummy and flavorful. The potato's are perfectly crispy and fluffy at the same time. Can't wait to go back!

Great food and service. Engaging staff and great wine list. Try the bread from the appetizer list…read moretoo. Outstanding!

Nice dinner out with my wife. We enjoyed a cozy table with amazing service and equally amazing…read moredishes.

Our table order (2) ribeyes, both cold, another dish pork…read morecold. Halibut was dry. Very over priced for quality of food they say they are not serving

A fun happy hour spot! They were very accommodating - I was alone and with a dog but they made it…read moreso easy! The food was fantastic- I'm still dreaming of the garlic and blue cheese appetizer and the champagne with elder flower liqueur. Heaven on earth!

My friends and I came here during happy hour since we were interested in trying it. We ordered a…read morefew items to share: black olive tapenade, chicken brochette, escargot, and charcuterie and cheese. The black olive tapenade was delicious! The tapenade filled one side of the little bowl, and the sundried tomato was filled the other side. Highly recommend mixing both since they paired well together. Also, it comes with a nice helping of crostinis, and kept providing us with additional fresh ones. The chicken brochette was well cooked, juicy, and well seasoned! The escargot was pretty disappointing despite how delicious it looked. It simply lacked flavor, so it was completely bland. Lastly, the charcuterie board was absolutely delicious. My favorite was the ash goat cheese! The service was unsurprisingly spectacular since they were pretty attentive and welcoming.