Northern Trails Grill - Newaygo

I absolutely love this place! It's just a 5-minute drive from my house.

The onion rings we ordered as an appetizer were overcooked and almost burned, so I sent them back. From that point on, it was clear that the staff had an attitude. I ordered a ribeye steak cooked rare, which was marketed as their best cut. However, it arrived over an hour later, and it was tough and gristly—no surprise, considering it was only a quarter of an inch thick. At that thickness, there's no way to properly cook a rare steak; it honestly tasted like raw meat. I've had bad steaks before, but this one was completely inedible. When I sent it back, the waitress didn’t even ask if I wanted to order something else; she simply vanished. Finally, I approached the manager to voice my concerns, and her response was, “Well, we didn’t because it appears nothing will satisfy you.” I was absolutely furious. To make matters worse, they overcharged me for two drinks and the asparagus, which was the only thing they managed to get right. I left the restaurant hungry, with a headache from not eating, and extremely frustrated. I highly recommend avoiding this place at all costs!

I waited quite a while for my food, and it was clear that the restaurant was understaffed. The server was unhelpful and forgot to clear our table. The tables are already small, and having empty plates around didn’t help the situation. Overall, this place has really deteriorated. I won’t be returning.

One of the worst dining experiences I've ever had. I went with my son for the first time, and the restaurant was moderately busy. I started to get worried when it took nearly 15 minutes for my first drink to arrive. After placing our order, it was nearly impossible to get the attention of any waitress unless I chased one down. The appetizers came out burnt and had to be sent back. From there, it only got worse. I ordered a ribeye steak cooked rare, which they claimed was one of their specialties. Over an hour later, it arrived, tough and barely thicker than a quarter of an inch. When ordering it rare, the fat didn't even have a chance to emulsify in a steak this thin, making it feel more like raw meat than anything else. I've had my share of bad steaks, but this one was inedible. I called the waitress back, but she never bothered to ask if I wanted anything else and just vanished. Eventually, I went to speak with the manager about not being asked about a replacement, and their response was, "We didn't approach you because it seems nothing will satisfy you." I was absolutely furious. To top it all off, I was overcharged for two drinks and the only decent dish they managed to serve. I left hungry and with a terrible headache from not eating after drinks. I would highly recommend avoiding this place at all costs!

I had to wait a long time to eat, which was disappointing. The server was rude and there weren't enough tables available. The tables themselves were quite small, and the lack of privacy was uncomfortable. Overall, this place was a letdown. I won't be returning.