My husband and I had dinner with another couple. Our server seemed to be in a hurry, though it was a slow evening due to snowy weather. I asked the server if the salmon was farm raised or wild caught. She told me it was...wild caught. When I got the entree, the salmon was cooked well, but was very bland. I seriously doubt it was wild caught. The rice that came with it was undercooked and “crunchy”. Very disappointing.More
We had a lovely dinner at Vernales with our friendly waiter, Jerry. He was part of the fun of our experience in addition to getting seated right away and having a delicious meal. Would recommend to couples and families. It has a nice relaxing vibe...in an attractive setting.More
A steak joint located just north of Petoskey on the way to Harbor Springs. Inside it seems to be divided between a dining room and a sports bar area. The dining room wasn't open so we got seated in sports bar area. That was okay...though because it was Saturday and College football was on. Like a lot of sports bars the lighting was kinda low. However the atmosphere was cozy. I ordered the Denver Steak ($47), which is an American Wagyu steak, it also came with Truffled Mashed Potatoes. I also ordered the Cream Corn ($7). I almost ordered the Japanese A5 Wagyu steak ($93). I ordered the Denver Steak medium. It was good, but not great. The steak was a little tough. I think of Wagyu as melt in your mouth, not chew chew chew. It had a good meat flavor, however I've had better for much less. Heck I've cooked better. The mashed potatoes were very good and cream corn was excellent. The person I was with ordered the NY Strip ($40), also served with mashed potatoes. She also got a side salad ($5). She got her steak medium rare and stated it was tender and very good. Also the side salad was a good portion size and fresh. The service was very good. Served with a smile and efficient. Overall a 3 star review. Would I return? Probably. I'm disappointed because I went hear because it made a list of top 10 places in Michigan for a steak and it didn't come close to my expectations. However everything else was good and I liked the atmosphere. Lastly just a heads up your bill will have 2 totals on it. A cash price and a credit card price with 3.5% added on.More
This was recommended by a friend as a dinner spot when we were traveling through. I was so disappointed first by the rudeness of the hostess when I politely requested a table change! Both her unwillingness to move us to a less crowded table and...her antagonistic tone were unacceptable. Added to that, my meal was awful. I would never recommend it. The positives were that our server was excellent and my husband liked his meal.More
Someone set up a dinner for 12, I thought the pizza would be good, it was undercooked and a white-based pizza was drowned in a basaltic sauce, no. I saw a newspaper article on the wall heading out calling it the best steakhouse in MI,...so another try solo next night. Undersized, grisly tough tasteless New York - usually the way to test a steak place. $3.50 for a 20 cc cup of Bernaise was extra! Mashed potatoes served by an ice cream scoop was laughable. The wine list was excellent with two-for-two great values. Restaurant gets * ** for including the wine listMore
Food was good and our waiter was outstanding. The blonde hostess, on the other hand, was a stark raving bio**ch! She was rude on the phone with us, rude at the door, and rude on the phone with others while we waited. She exudes “go...away” vibes and is doing this place a disservice.More
We stopped in for a light lunch, ended up having a couple appetizers instead. The Bruchetta was so tough you couldn't cut it or bite through it. They made a second plate, but it was the same way. The bartender stated "Sometimes that's the way...it comes out". It remained uneaten. The mussels were so full of garlic we were afraid to eat them. It was a question of whether that's the way they are supposed to be or are they trying to cover the flavor of the mussels. At any rate, we used to go there about once per month but about a year ago we had a couple of bad experiences, so we gave it a break. Decided to try it again to see if they had corrected their food problems, but it seems they just got worse. We won't be back.More
We had a party of 10 celebrating a birthday for dinner. Didn't really expect this place to have a feel of a sports bar/pub when we walked in based on the menu. The service was very good. However, the food did not meet expectations for...the prices. We shared two appetizers, Mussels and Brussel Sprouts. They were the better dishes for the night. We had people order the fish/chips, baby back ribs, fish sandwich, spicy spaghetti and Denver Wagyu. I managed to try everything and the spicy seafood spaghetti was very good. Everything else was ok but the Devner Wagyu was a big disappointment. Being a steakhouse, expected more. My steak was way over cooked.More
We visited on a Sunday evening, and it was busy, we waited about 15 minutes for a table, which was fine. The ambiance of this place is confusing, the menu and the prices don’t match the decor. Is this an Italian restaurant? Mexican? Steakhouse? It...needs a focus. The prices are high and the decor/atmosphere is loud and pub-like. Giant TVs everywhere, no tablecloths, and many bar signs. For a place that offers a $100 steak, it should strive to be a bit more upscale. The food we had was ok. Salads were ok, fettuccini and chicken ok, eggplant napoleon ok, burgers and Mac and cheese, all ok. Nothing stand out. Our bill was $150 for 4 people, with no cocktails, only soda. The service was efficient and friendly, and she was apologetic because it was so loud! That is really our biggest complaint..the noise. There was a big group sitting at the next table. Not the fault of the restaurant per se, but I would not recommend the bar area room at all.More
When we made the reservation, my wife mentioned that we were celebrating our anniversary. (#32!- She’s now eligible for Sainthood!) They seated us at a table in front of the “fireplace”-(artificial) which added a nice touch of ambience. The food and the service were both...excellent and they even provided us with a complimentary dessert with “Happy Anniversary” written in yummy chocolate and raspberry syrups to compliment the cannolis. A most excellent meal and evening! Thank you Vernales!!More
We booked at Vernales to celebrate an engagement! They greeted us with enthusiasm and put us in a lovely room, perfect table and a fireplace! We had a wonderful meal and at the end, to our surprise, they brought out a beautiful desert plate personalized...for the engagement with wonderful treats,it was such a special surprise to end the night on!More
If you visit this area, you must go to Vernales for dinner. Great staff and even better food! The wine selection is one of the best I have encountered.
My daughter and I ate here on a Monday night during our Tunnel of Trees trip. The food was amazing. She had the perch and chips and I had the surf and turf. Both meals were outstanding!! The steak and lobster were cooked absolutely perfectly!!!...Our waitress was Megan and she was one of the best waitresses I've had in a very long time. She made several wine suggestions, which turned out perfect. She was friendly and always had a smile on her face.More
I had heard good things about this restaurant but I just didn’t love it. It is very expensive and the food and ambiance are just OK.
Great bar. Friendly service. House wines are drinkable. Solid skills making mixed drinks. Worth a stop for a nightcap
