My wife and I have experienced this place twice. The first time was for Valentines Day dinner and the second was News Years Dinner. Both were in 2018. I'm not sure for the reason for any bad reviews I've read here and I have no reason to be anything but honest in this one but I will say we are kind people that work hard and pleased easily for people that put in their best efforts for us. Both times our food was incredible and a full five stars. I know for the most part that's the most important for people so feel good going in your food will be what you'd hoped for. Just as important the service and people there are beyond five stars. Every staff member that was part of our service made sure we were happy and satisfied with our experience while we were there. They actually remembered us from being there at valentines and who didn't meet us on our valentines visit came to meet us and introduce themselves on our New Years visit. So I'm happy to say I'm glad ringing in 2019 started here. Thanks Torch Lake Cafe for the friendly outstanding service with a great dining experience. My wife and I will be back whenever we have the chance. Have a great 2019. Dean and Patti Spencley read more

We loved the atmosphere of this cafe. Huge covered porch to dine on. Truffle fries were a hit as well as my fish sandwich. The burgers were very good just not cooked as requested much over done. Service was friendly and prompt. Definitely recommend and would return. read more

Very good place to stop and eat. After riding around most of the day wanted a nice Baileys cappuccino and then a Chorizo pizza. Nice place and at the end the band stared for a great ambience. read more

Torch Lake Cafe - Pizza Near Me - Central Lake, Michigan

Great place for lunch... sat at the outside bar with my family and had the best club sandwich ever. Highly recommend read more

Probably one of the neatest restaurants near Torch Lake, Charlevoix and Traverse City! Neat old church restored. Decor spectacular. Old hardwoods and old wooden ceiling. Neat decor. Bar stunning, colorful. Cleanest bathroom ever. Large graphics of Sinatra, Hendrix, Lennon and more memorabilia throughout. Had an Olive Burger and wonderful tea. Can't say enough about how good food was. Service very good too. Loved the place! read more

We always have good food and service here. Good range of items from burgers and sandwiches to fancier cuts of meat and fish. Also, it's lively and fun, and the dining room inside is beautifully done. Service is not always speedy, but what's the rush? The servers are helpful and informed, and not affected at all. We come here all the time and consider ourselves lucky it's down the road. read more

Disappointed that I couldn't be seated outside supposedly over capacity issues, but could be seated inside closer to people? Unfortunately common sense isn't a requirement for their hostesses. read more

We LOVE TLC! Leanna and Ivan are incredible musicians and so welcoming. Our favorites are the charcuterie board, salmon, and ribs. We always leave this establishment happy and full and looking forward to our next visit. read more

The perfect choice for late night drinks & live music. We had the sriracha bourbon wings and they were as good as wings can be- very crispy with a sweet, spicy sauce, but not too much. Leanna was fronting a great cover band with extremely talented musicians. Room for dancing too! The time listed is not correct as it is currently 12:00 am and the doors are still open and the music is still going strong! read more

I have dinned at Torch Lake Cafe a few times and frequently use the Togo window. Recently the people on the phone have a comprehensive grasp on the menu and when I get my food they seem to be very kind and strike up engaging conversation if my food isn't ready, which it usually is done and hot. While the rest of the staff are very nice, the Togo people have struck me in particular, as they go the extra mile. read more

Great service, very personable server. Great craft cocktails. Scottish salmon was excellent! Also had ribs with an upgrade to truffle fries. Large portion with very good sauce and coleslaw. read more

First, biggest impact on the experience was the food. Astronomically phenomenal. It's been so long since I've had food this good. I had the apple brie flatbread because the flavor profile seemed really interesting but it greatly exceeded expectations. My friends and I tried bits of each others orders and everything was so good. Like another realm kind of good. This bourbon sauce is amazing highly recommend. I'm still sitting in the restaurant right now it's just so good. Also, our server Sheldon was friendly and kind and had a wonderful personality. The atmosphere overall was fantastic too. Will definitely be coming back before the end of the trip! read more

Very interesting and eye catching decor. The ribs were literally falling from the bones, the shrimp was perfectly done with a generous portion size. Service was speedy and friendly, also friendly was the check! This will not disappoint. read more

Everything was fantastic and portion sizes were big. We ordered 3 appetizers/shareable plates (meatballs, white fish dip, and brie)...which was more than enough for the 4 of us. Wish we would have known how much food was going to be served before ordering pizza!!! Will definitely go back! read more

Great restaurant with really good food and wonderful staff.

Music way too loud. Impossible to have a conversation. Was to quit at 8pm but continued. Meal and service was so-so. Will not go back for a long time and we live here. Will also not recommend. Go somewhere else. read more

A decent place. Though, gotta say, it's the first time I've been eyeballed by a waiter... What the hell man?! We can easily head outside! Step up to it bro!! WTF?! As for the food: The "Rachel" is a stellar work of art and you needn't go any further than that on the menu. Actually, don't. Rather pricey but one can see they're really trying to make a solid go of it. But if you're going to up your menu and your prices EVERYBODY- your food's quality and service- simply has GOT to be on board! Bring it! Even simple food, if served fast and hot is a culinary masterpiece. But stickin' feathers up your butt doesn't make you a chicken. We'd love to come back for some live music! Maybe a kickin' Country band! LOVE the tables, chairs and art- good work! We'll be coming back. But if that waiter gives me any crap Imma stomp 'em. read more

First time this summer here. I think we had better luck last year. Lovely job on decor. Atmosphere is great, loud but that is to be expected. Too bad the food doesn't match the nice environment. Take that back, ribs were great. Hamburger large and good, fries good also but forget the chicken Parmesan. No flavor with the sauce. Tip: buy Rao marinara and use that. The chicken was good but the cheese wasn't close to melted. My bad choice, avoid it. Pizza OK, chief Pierre in ER much better. I will try again for lunch. This place has great potential just needs to work on the food. I did tell the waitress and she gave us my wine for free. I didn't ask or expect so that was very nice. Service was excellent. I know Northern Michigan has a hard time getting help. Maybe the chief was new. Really if you want to offer Chicken Parm forget your sauce use Rao, worth every cent. read more

This is such a great place to eat. Get the Mooncakes and good luck finishing them and if you do you'll feel like you went to a buffet. Staff is always friendly. If your a coffee lover then you'll love their barista as he is very knowledgeable and has his own unique coffees to delight you with. read more

Torch Lake Cafe - Front entrance - Pizza Near Me - Central Lake, Michigan

Great dinner! Had the salmon with Brussels sprouts and parsnip purée . I was a little apprehensive about the veggies but they were great . How do they make Brussels sprouts taste soooo good?? They made the dinner-I'm hooked!! Great atmosphere and enjoyed the live music. read more

What a mess, the food is lazy, uninspired and insultingly overpriced.... - Guinness was served with not one, but two(!!) fruit flies floating right on top ...the bartender didn't notice? (Also not a proper Guinness pour but that's not the point.) - Chicken wings came out lukewarm with none of the ordered sauces. When asked to return it our server shrugged her shoulders and said "I'll see if we can nuke them for you". - "mushroom flatbread" aka raw mushrooms on a Bouisen cheese soaked, moist cold pita. - Nashville Hot chicken sandwich, the saddest moment of all. Gooey pimento cheese spread dripping down a slimy piece of chicken, whose breading was falling off everywhere. Not crispy, nor hot. Accompanied by the saddest single layer of fries I've ever seen on a plate. - 10000 staff members, seemingly with nothing to do. - WHAT DID I JUST DROP $68.00 on?! read more

Ordered the fish and chips, not good at all. Waiter was weird af and kept staring without asking questions. Coconut shrimp was so greasy and overall experience was extremely off putting. read more

We used to love the cafe and would frequently go in with the 12+ people after a day on the lake. With the prices and obscurity of the new menu... we will never be back. The local customers are what keep places going all winter... I'm sad, I can't imagine any of our local friends going back. Good luck! NOT kid friendly at all. Or picky people friendly. Or old people friendly. Want a quick burger? Nope not here. Eat a pizza with friends and listen to music? Not the cafe anymore! read more

We were visiting northern Michigan on vacation last week and stopped here for lunch on an absolute whim. We were driving past and literally decided to pull in within 10 seconds. Glad we did. Had a great meal. My wife had the Rachael and I had the olive burger. We both had a cider and I got the Brussels sprouts - as I do with every restaurant that offers them. Sandwiches were great, and the Brussels sprouts were outstanding. I've never had them prepared this way, where they are sort of peeled like lettuce and tossed in a salad. They were great and my wife, who doesn't like traditional brussels sprouts in the least, ate several forkfuls. Will definitely swing by on our next time through, now that we know it's there. read more

Beautiful A beautiful day on Torch Lake. So nice in fact that some of our friends decided to stay over Sunday. No meal plans and so every other year the choice would be go to Torch Lake Cafe . Not this year, the snobby menu is a turnoff. Plus the snobs don't want people eating a pizza next to their $40 entree, so you can only order it take out. Seriously. So we got pizza from Eastport market. It was good. We are now officially boycotting the cafe until they put back things like they use to be. I would strongly suggest the owners change the name so all know it is a vastly different place. Sad. read more

So six of us came here for lunch, we got here at quarter to noon and they were not very busy. We ordered sandwiches and salads which were priced on the high side. 45 minutes later we are still waiting for our food. They finally bring it and one of us had the Nashville chicken sandwich, luckily she cut it in half it was still raw inside. The manager did discount our lunches to make up for the long wait & the chicken sandwich was replaced with a salad. Everyone felt that the portion sizes were small for the price. Probably will not go back there anytime soon. read more

An unexpected change for the better! Had an incredible meal prepared by chef "Cat" on Friday with my friends. Days later, we are still talking about it. He has partnered with local, family-owned food suppliers to bring in the freshest, in-season ingredients possible. Velvety bisques. Juicy, herbed meats. A rainbow of flavorful produce. Beautiful,complex desserts made with fruit, picked hours before it is served. Nothing off-putting or pretentious; it's just delicious, northern Michigan cuisine for anyone who believes they deserve more than a burger and fries sometimes (although Cat makes those, too). Finally, an amazing fine dining experience (with an incomparable staff) that we don't have to drive to TC or beyond to enjoy. For those who want it to be a local bar or roadhouse, I get it. "To say goodbye is to die a little" (not my quote, but it fits). Keep loving your bar fare, but when you're looking for a meal that is way above expectations: say "goodbye" to the mediocre and "hello" to a seriously delicious and unforgettable eating experience. read more

Seems there has been a change in management and menu. Quality of food great. Portions small. Red and White Salad very small for 13$ and goat cheese was 4 small curls. Did not taste like straight goat cheese. Dessert was tasty but expensive. Hostess was tentative and her affect was flat. I give them only 3 stars due to small portions and cost. Locals will not be able to afford to eat here. Menu is also linited read more

Read my check-in for more. The French toast (our breakfast dessert) was divine--cherry walnut bread baked for them by Stone House Bakery in Traverse City. I ordered the breakfast BLT was sooo good. Again, the bread was wonderful, good texture and chew. They serve Plath bacon which was also delicious. Not too sweet, salty, or smoky, and just the right thickness. I hope I can mail order the bread and the bacon! read more

Torch Lake Cafe - Pizza Near Me - Central Lake, Michigan

Used to be good. Trying way to hard with the menu. They are forgetting they are located right across the street from an IGA. Execution didn't meet creativity. Should have never changed their menu. Great music and space. Over priced and under executed menu. Two tables of patrons tried to warn me as we waited for our table, when I asked them what should order, their response was to turn around and go to a different place. Well they were right. So sad. read more

We were very disappointed!!!! This place went from a friendly place with decent prices to an over priced stuffed shirt. Was surprised to see the menu go from burgers, ribs, fish and meat to a place where you order a to a tiny piece of artwork in an over-sized plate. You pay for a large rimmed plate and not food. Plan to leave hungry, broke or both. The service was great but that does not feed a person. I paid $23 for a tiny plate of chicken and pasta that was the size of a cup of soup. It was basically some rotisserie chicken meat on top of egg noodles with one stalk of asparagus cut up. I could was it do a lot better at home with an instant meal and a lot cheaper. Atmosphere was good but not meant for a high priced meal. Still more of a bistro place with no formal conversation. K read more

Very disappointed. My family and I had to wait over an hour for our food and when it came out it was cold, and half of us didn't even get our sides. Service was terrible. No one in the restaurant had food and everyone looked unhappy and disappointed. When we spoke to the manager about the poor service, she basically told us we were wrong, and the food was perfectly fine. The manager handled the situation very immaturely and was extremely rude. Definitely not returning to this restaurant anytime soon. read more

Yes the food is delicious! Some of the best in the area. Yes the prices are a little higher, but hey you pay for quality! I think this restaurant is doing a fantastic job. read more

We found this place like 3 years ago and when we first went food and service was great. Within that same season the food and service went down hill. We did not go back until this year when it was recommended. Stated food and service was great. So we gave it another shot, sat at the bar area, food and service was amazing! Floor manager came by to check on us and waiter was very pleasant. So we decided to take some friends, outside was not an option due to staffing, waited about 10 minutes for a table, got drinks quickly, ordered appetizers and they arrived with no small plates, asked for plates and they never came. Queso cheese dip was cold and mostly broken chips. We told the person who delivered it and she said she would pass the message to our server, 10-15 minute go by and we flagged her down again and told her our server had not been by she said I gave her the message not sure why she didn't come by, I'll go tell her again. Waitress came and fixed it. Hot queso with no broken chips. From where we were sitting we could see the kitchen and it looked all backed up and unorganized, many wait staff sitting in the window waiting for food. Finally got our food and it was ok, my flatbread was a bit soggy on the bottom. Kids sliders were a bit burned, ordered a side of asparagus and got 6 spears. Coming up north we know service and quality is hard to find especially coming out of the pandemic but it seemed no one cared. No communication or checkups. This year they hired a contracted service help and first time we went back....amazing, second time was very disappointing. We also tried to order 3 items on the menu and they were out. Not worth the 20 minute drive. They also don't take reservations, taking reservations may help in anticipating how many servers you will need to cover the demand. Had soooo much hope for this place this year.....unfortunately we won't be back. read more

We have driven by many times, always saying we needed to try it sometime. Well today we gave it a shot. Advice to all.....keep driving and living in the fantasy that this is a quaint family restaurant with unique nostalgia of the area with delicious food..... this establishment is a fine example of "you can't judge a restaurant by the exterior". Upon first impressions it is cute, quaint dining room with a stage for the bar band and fun appearing dance floor. We were seated given menus and that's when we should have run. The entree's on the menu are poorly described. There was nothing to paint a picture for my hungry tummy of what delicious fares could await me. After asking the server multiple times for additional descriptions, some kind of sounding decent and others being told that even though it was already 6:15, the dish was not yet available, because they were making it from scratch. We settled on the Salomon and Elk. Presentation, portion (and price) where indeed in-line for a very over priced fine dining restaurant. Taste, texture and everything else left everything to be desired. My fish was way over cooked, the peas that came with it on the side where woody and tasted similar to what I believe cardboard tastes like. My husbands elks was terribly fatty and the tiniest portions I have ever seen. As we started to look around the dining room, we became aware that the decorator must be conflicted as to whether to decorate, retro, modern, vintage, farmhouse, hillbilly country (in a positive light), old world all mixed with 1989 tapestry booth covering. Typically this conglomeration wouldn't really faze me, except when a restaurant is attempting to pull off a high end extravagant menu. When paying high end prices I expect my surroundings to be classy as well. Hope this helps all who may be considering to make the same mistake we did!! read more

Granted it was a busy summer Friday night, but even the burgers were bad. Not going to try it again.

Excellent ambience and modern rustic decor. This place has the potential to be great. The food was above average for the area. Service however, needs work. The hostess was clueless, it took quite some time to get seated with many open tables visible. Our server was absent minded. She had to make several trips back and forth for items forgotten. The place is in desperate need of a manager and could stand to lose the desk in the waiting area, as it takes up a third of an already small space. Looking forward to seeing improvements, will return. read more

Unbelievable. The last time I was there the food was very good. After today I will not be returning. Food was terrible. Fried watermelon Rhine Rediculous prices Nothing good on the dinner menu. read more

I want to like it, I really do. Food was good, nothing unique or out of the ordinary. Waitress was really fast. Took awhile to get drinks, she explained that the bar was backed up. Food was fast. Problem was getting seated. Gave our name, was told 20 minutes. Ok, no issue. At 40 minutes, and after multiple people who came in after us were seated, I asked if they took reservations and that's why others were being seated before us. They said no. He rechecked the list and said he couldn't find us. We were standing next to the stand. They have no system. They look around for the person who's next and then move on. They don't call your name, no paging system. We were taken to our table, no I'm really sorry, no nothing. I wanted to really like it. We live close year round. read more

Had probably the best, most nuanced meal I've eaten in years. Phenomenal from start to finish. (Spring Bisque, Apple Stuffed Pork Shoulder, and Black & White Mousse.) Extremely friendly and attentive staff. And the cocktails. Wow. I highly recommend Summer's Here. Refreshing and well balanced. Things got even better when the music started. Seasoned professionals who love what they do and their passion and talent shine. This place is a real gem and I'm so glad we stopped in. read more