Aspen Restaurant ~ Bar ~ Banquets ~ Catering

The staff here is pretty good and greets you as you walk in. Our waiter was good as well. The inside fits the name of the restaurant as there are a lot of animals on the wall. The food here was pretty good and cooked as ordered. The pretzel bites were some of the best I had in a while. The bread was good with some of the dip they serve it with. The flavor of the burger and lamb chops were good. The fries we well seasoned and crisp. The only issue with the food was how small the burger was. Other things I saw, there were a few stans on the wall, and I did see a gnat flying around near my table.

This was a cool place! I can’t give it a 5 star because we were there for a birthday party so it wasn’t a normal dining experience. But we’re definitely going back for a nice dinner. The food they served at the birthday party was fantastic! I had ribs and my wife had a Michigan salad with chicken. The atmosphere inside is kind of quiet, similar to Longhorn Steakhouse maybe. Definitely worth a try!

Aspen is a special place. I don't drink alcohol, and it's got a lot of "focus" on the drinks (it is a bar) but it's a wonderful, family friendly place to eat. Lots of food choices of various tastes and generous portions. A very patriotic and community supportive establishment also. Just some of the reasons to make Aspen a place you'll go to and back again!

second visit in about 6 years, won't be back. Arrived, place smelled like mildewy dish rags and overpowered cleaning solution that burned my eyes. Ordered perch. The perch was rubbery, too firm, over breaded. I suspect it was previously frozen and definitely not fresh. Fries were excellent, service was average. Certainly a disappointing $62 meal plus tip for two.

We've stopped by before for the bar where we had some Aspen Punch (which did, in fact, pack a punch) and some Chicken Strips and those were a hit, so we decided to stop by again. The Bearclaw Martini was delightful, they really know how to make a great drink. For food we both got the Chicken Asiago, flavors were great, though the dish was a tad oily and a bit on the heavier side, but heated up well and was delicious. The pretzel bites were very well made, a bit sweeter than what I'm used to, which I actually really enjoyed. The bread and butter was absolutely fantastic. Would recommend it, I might stop in on an occasion for a drink at least.

My husband and I were just there for dinner. I loved the walleye and my husband loved his NY strip. So yummy! Our waitress was Korryn and she was great! We will definitely be back!

Everything in this place is home-made! I think this is the best restaurant in Metro Detroit and I love going out to eat at new places. There was a 30 min wait on a Saturday night, but well be worth it. They have a 25% discount for a veterans entree (all/any entree). Nachos appetizer; the salsa is truly delicious and fresh. Coconut shrimp entree; the coconut was not overpowering, with a nice sized piece of crisp shrimp. Bear Claw cheesecake; it was delicious and not overly sweet or rich. It was soft and smooth. Our waiter Nick was wonderful. He was attentive and friendly, very knowledgeable about the menu and the restaurant. We will return soon...

Went here for the first time today to celebrate my sisters birthday with my family. We had a wonderful experience. Food was delicious. Wonderful staff. Our waiter was Billy, he was great! Thank you for a wonderful experience. Definitely will come back!

This place is so cozy! The decor/theme is like a lodge cabin in Aspen, hence the name and was even cuter with the added Christmas decor. My wife and I decided to come here to grab dinner a couple of nights ago. The service from Erica was great, they were busy but attentive throughout the experience. I ordered the Ribeye, which tasted really good. The rice pilaf could have used a bit more seasoning, but the potato blanket below the ribeye soaked up all the juices from the ribeye and tasted amazing. We were full but wanted to try the dessert so we shared the Bear Claw cheesecake, which was well portioned and tasted delicious. Definitely a place we'll come back to!

This is the first time I've been to this restaurant. I did not expect what I had long ago at Garwoods, but I did expect edible. The prime rib was tough. Too tough to cut through with a knife. It did have a good flavor. Salad was fine and so were the garlic mashed potatoes. For such a large place the tables are small and tightly packed. It's definitely more kitschy than Garwoods. And don't get defensive if you ask a customer what they think and they tell you. If you don't care, don't ask. A totally different vibe. I miss the quality.

We had my daughters graduation party there for 40 on June 7, 2025 . The staff was wonderful ,food was awesome . Thank you for making my daughters day Perfect !!

I cruise M-59 on the regular and had no clue this place was even here. My friend recommended it for lunch, so of course I said yes. Walking in, the place is well decorated as a cabin, which we both liked. It both a casual and slightly nicer feel to it, which we loved. The menu here is well rounded with several different dishes to be offered. I went with the hamburger and my friend went with the fish and chips. We sat in the main dining room which had lots of room and a variety of tables and booths. Since it also doubles as a banquet center, it's perfect for family gatherings, bridal and baby showers, graduation parties and much much more. As a matter of fact, there was a party going on in the banquet room next door! Fortunately, very little of the noise carried over into the dining area which was great. Our server was fabulous and checked in on us regularly. I wish I could remember her name, but we really did enjoy her service. While we were there, the lights kept flickering and we had her turn them down since it was annoying as all get out. We always had our drinks refilled and the food was fabulous. While it's not the cheapest option, the food, ambiance and setting was really nice. We were able to enjoy ourselves, our food and our conversation without feeling rushed or hurried which is always fabulous. Will definitely return in the future for more.

I went here for the first time in a long time and had a good experience. The room had a relaxed vibe, perfect for conversation with an old friend whom I hadn't seen in years. My lake perch was good and crunchy (a little less breading would have improved it). It was accompanied by a small salad and the vegetable of the day (mixed summer squash and zucchini), both done simply and healthfully. I especially like that the restaurant offers small plates at small prices (SP), reduced sizes of many dishes. Our waitress was friendly and attentive without hovering.

Stopped in with a party of six on a Friday around 4:30. The place was moderately busy and had a large baby shower event in the banquet area of the restaurant. Our server was Clint and he was excellent, didn't miss a detail and provided excellent service. The food was the major disappointment on this visit. We have been to Aspen several times and always had decent to really good food. But something has obviously changed. Two out of the six meals were enjoyed and looked good, the coconut chicken and the other was the buffalo chicken wrap. The other was a kids mac and cheese which looked like plain noodles with cheese sprinkled on top but the side fruit bowl was fresh and done well. The major issue was the Prime Rib it was just plain nasty, it was smothered in a food service brown gravy to probably cover up that the actual meat was so tough and grizzly and most likely reheated from what didn't sell the days prior. We literally looked like lumberjacks sawing at wood. The prize if you got to a piece of edible meat was it was pretty much flavorless. It was absolutely the worst prime rib that I've ever had, period. The baked potato that was my side was also not fresh and again was most likely a reheat from leftovers. So disappointing and we should have sent the prime ribs back in hindsight but we didn't want to ruin what was a nice family event.

Today I went to Aspen. Let me tell you the waitress was phenomenal, she was efficient, friendly and amazing at her job! The food was good! My chicken asiago penne pasta had flavor, it was cheesy, it was creamy, it was cooked well, it was very hot when it came out and it was still hot when I put it in my to-go box for leftovers. Everyone I was with enjoyed their food!

Drink prices way too high . My salad was super small , I could pick up the whole salad with two fingers' Never would go back ...

Amazing venue with a great vibe and decor. The food was solid and the staff friendly. Worth a stop! Nothing blew us away.

I was very pleased with the food and service. The atmosphere inside is very inviting. I used to go to this place before they moved the building here when it was located on Lake St Clair. I miss the old boat that was the bar at the Lake location.

AMAZING FOOD. Ive been visiting since it was the old Garwoods. Home cooked food. My nephew was a cook there at one time so I know everything is fresh and fabulous.

The food was great. Loved my salad and my entree. The service was excellent. The ambiance was great especially because there was a very funny birthday party.

Aspen cabinesque. It's roomy and cozy inside. Ordered the fried pickles and spinach artichoke dip. Ordered the top sirloin, New York strip with the upgraded aspen salad, a campfire chicken, a Colorado chicken with an upgraded aspen salad sans bacon, an almond crusted walleye. The fried pickle chips were lightly breaded and quite good. Dip was okay. A more zesty sauce would make it even better, even a chipotle dip. The spinach artichoke dip was so-so. My FIL enjoyed his almond crusted walleye. My Aunt's top sirloin was over cooked, ordered medium, but the second attempt was much better. The New York strip was also slightly over cooked as well for my SIL, but still tasted decent. The Colorado chicken was okay as was the campfire chicken. The fried pickle chips was the best part of the meal for me. Service was good.

When it comes to service, it was decent, but when it comes to food, this is the worst slab of ribs I've ever had in my entire life. You can't tell me these weren't a few years old. With a few microwaved red potatoes, please do not waste your time and barbecue experience with this restaurant you will be highly disappointed, but they do have great water and decent ice.

We were surprised when we arrived and saw the decor. It is designed to look like a lodge, with skis as the handles on the doors, taxidermy and other outdoors items all around the place. The menu had a lot of options. Although I was sure that I wanted scallops when we arrived, eventually I was swayed by the campfire chicken. I wish I had realized that the small portion only came with one side, because I had my two sides picked out before I said I wanted the small portion and didn't know how to limit myself at that point. The full portion was very filling. My husband ordered the buffalo chicken wrap with a side of sweet potato fries. He loved it. He wanted to try the carrot cake for dessert and I was going to order the world's smallest sundae but the waiter talked me out of it by pointing out that it was served in a dressing cup (which really would have been fine given how full I was) so I ended up getting the seasonal fruit crisp and didn't regret it for a second. It reminded me of the old McDonald's strawberry sundaes. We will definitely be back, not least of all because the price for our meal was much better than we'd anticipated. Finally, our server was attentive and accurate. We were also spoken to by a manager to see how everything was.

Bit of a wait but was well worth it. Food was delicious. Waitress was very attentive. Really liked the rustic style. Will definitely return!

Food is substandard like US Navy food, service is very poor. Server does not know what shes doing and unfriendly.

The atmosphere is awesome and the servers are nice. A bit slow to help you though. 20-30 minutes in between table visits despite only having 3 or 4 taken tables. Bread is good too. But you guys have been open for 21 years and still don't put any seasoning or butter on the vegetables or food in general? The food is edible but, not trying to sound rude at all here and I apologize, even microwave meals taste much better. My grandparents took us here for Thanksgiving for a couple years in a row and I have always been disappointed. There's no flavors on anything. Even if I add salt and pepper, it's very clear that the vegetables are just boiled and dropped on the plate. The celery seed dressing for the salad is delicious. But I think you guys could really level up if you would just start seasoning the food and putting some love into it. Even the apple fritter just tasted like warmed up apple slices with graham crackers crumbled on top. My salmon dinner was supposed to be "salmon with sun dried tomatoes, basil, scampi butter..." sounds good, right? But it tasted like unflavored salmon with wet pieces of spinach on top and a little hint of lemon. Maybe it's just because we only come on Thanksgiving and the cooks are rushing to get plates out. I do appreciate you guys being open on Thanksgiving and making an accessible way for people who can't cook at home to be able to celebrate with family. My grandparents are getting old and can't cook for us anymore. But I really wish I would have just stayed home-- I would have been much happier with McDonald's.

Our food was great. Alyssa was our waitress and did a wonderful job. We will definitely be back.

We keep going back to try it again after having a bad experience. The food is good. Thats not the problem. The waitress staff in the bar area are useless. We will never be back again. Good Luck. Hope your experience goes well.

Ordered fish and chips to go. When I got home, there was a heavily crusted LARGE piece of fish and fries with slaw. The fries and slaw were good. The piece of fish was so thick with coating that I had to peal it off to eat. The meat was squishy and barely edible.

Food was quick, was it cooked? No, no not at all was the food cooked. I've came here multiple times and they have progressively gotten worse and worse. The server got more pepsi on the table and on my food than in my cup. Very careless, my coat got soaked in steak juice, and not one apology. I will NEVER be coming back. not to mention that my carrots and green beans were FROZEN, yes you heard me right, FROZEN. 2 stars

We have gone in to the bar somewhat often which is to say when we feel like having a drink out it is in the rotation. I have eaten there twice, once I remember only because my daughter took me there for my birthday. That I don't remember the meal is probably not good. Easter Sunday was a meal I shall not forget. Due to reasons to long to detail we had to have Easter dinner out. I had the Easter Ham dinner. The ham was cold, the red slim potatoes were just that, two boiled red skin potatoes that were like warm and a side of canned vegetables. The bread was good, I will say that, hot too. I will not comment on the service as the place was packed and I don't think they could have done better. In conclusion, I will not eat there again...I may not drink there again either. Removed wrong photo

Love the food. Pretty avid attendants. BUT no where did I see that the dining area closed at 9 pm. I just see open till 10 pm on everything. Pulled up for dinner at 9:05 and told dining closed only bar/bar menu available. Dumb. Disappointed.

our waitress vanessa was amazing super nice and patient with us ! Great drinks ! wish the lemon drops were bigger

Nice atmosphere, good food, great prices. Separate bar area with tables & dining available. Dining area decent size. Also has 2 rooms available for parties (no extra charge) Fish & chip are great, as are the ribs. Still has lunch menu with lower prices & smaller servings. A lot of restaurants no longer have lunch menus, which I miss. Definitely worth the trip.

I am so disappointed in this restaurant. This could be a 4-5 star place if it wasn't for the terrible service. I literally felt like the poor service was intentionally bad with how the waitress and waiters handle things. We sat down and didn't see anyone for 10 minutes. While we sat there I couldn't help but notice how grotesque these tables are. That weird sticky/grimy feeling like no one had cleaned the table in about 10 years. The overall interior is very drab. Once we got our waiters attention, it was like he was intentionally ordering and bringing us the wrong food/drink things. Moreover he was constantly rude despite us being incredibly polite and patient. I ordered a whiskey drink off their cocktail menu, got a baileys chocolate drink instead. Which honestly was good but cream liqueur drinks aren't my bag. I ordered fish and chips, got their perch dinner instead. Once we were ready to check out, it took 25 minutes to get our bill and leave. We had 2 small kids with us, almost every wait staff knows to get families out as soon as possible cuz.... KIDS. Overall the drink menu items were fairly priced. However the food menu is very overpriced for what you're getting. That said, it was a nicely cooked meal. If it wasn't for the higher than market rate prices and terrible service, I'd probably come back.

We have been to the Aspen several times. I ordered the BBQ platter. Was very disappointed. I couldn't tell what I was eating. The BBQ sauce was not that good and poured over everything. My wife had the fish and was very good. I just wouldn't order the BBQ.

Two years ago we held our daughters Bridal shower here and yesterday we came back and held the couples Baby shower here. As before...IT WAS GREAT! The two staff members serving us NEVER let a glass go unfilled. The food came out in perfect time and was delicious. This space is so warm and perfect for events like this. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE ASPEN!!!!! Thank you Aspen for making this so easy!

Food excellent. Service absolutely wonderful, and Thomas the bus boy did very well cleaning the table.

Such a great restaurant!! Food , ambience & service are all excellent. The Mackinac Island dessert is a must!

Went for an early dinner today at Aspen. I had the frog legs, redskins & a salad with raspberry vinaigrette, hubby had the fish & chips along with a cup of their Cajun ham & veggie soup. The food was fantastic but our server Akisha was the best. She was friendly and attentive without being obnoxious. She even asked if we had a veteran or active military person in our group (my hubby's 'Nam hat may have triggered the question.... ;) ) and gave us the military discount. No pictures.....I didn't even think about snapping a few until we were almost done eating!

They really do have great homemade food at Aspens, definitely 5 starts. On the downside the bar area is very small. I've left and gone elsewhere because I couldn't get a seat. The only other downside is the daytime bartender which I've heard referred to as "crabby. So today 7/23/22 I didn't have a pleasant experience. I ordered fish and one small bite had FOUR bones in it. I don't know Iif the lady is the owner or manager but her reply was "it's not uncommon for fish to have bones." I won't be back regardless of the atmosphere. I find the atmosphere simply charming in the wintertime with with ski lodge these and fireplace!

Solid place for a good meal. Prices and portions are also a good value. Came here for my dad's birthday dinner. We did not make reservations but went early around 4p or so. By 6p the place was packed and there was a wait! The restaurant has a cute theme with decor of a ski lodge and warm cozy cabin. I noticed the restaurant had a lot of events like a murder mystery dinner and a medium was coming for a night. Lots of different areas for seating. Our waiter was friendly and attentive. He gave us our space when we needed it but also made suggestions and was honest. For instance, when my mom asked about a certain entrée and if it was good - he was honest and said it isn't always the best and suggested she get something else. So this was appreciated! Bread and butter are complimentary and the menu is vast but not overwhelming. I went with the Traverse City Pecan Salmon and wow! It was very good - not overcooked and the pecan along with the sauce was delicious and not too sweet. Steaks were also ordered and they were cooked as ordered. My only complaint was the French Onion Soup - it lacked flavor and tasted like I was drinking onion water. But besides the soup - everything else was very good!

Food is great! Scott the Chef and Owner goes out of his way to see to it you leave as a satisfied returning customer! Outside patio that recently opened is real nice and comfortable on a warm summer's night! Nice neighborhood hangout, or nice place to take a date for an evening, either one fits the ticket! Keep up the great work Scott Pinter!

Aspen is a very friendly environment and the wait staff where great we where seated immediately with fast and prompt service

Ended up at Aspen on Saturday night, seated immediately. The new outdoor space is really nice! Burgers and salads were both decent, no complaints about the food. Our server was prompt and polite. One thing about Aspen that has the power to undo all of the positive points I mentioned is the incessant, blaring, godawful country music. Consider changing it up to reach all of your customers, most people can only stomach a little country at a time.

I took my family if 5 out for my birthday here on a Wednesday night. The people and food were great. Hubby got a burger, medium rare and it was cooked perfectly. I feel so many times a restaurant is afraid to give you a rare burger. One of my daughters got the special, fried shrimp. It was an incredible value and tasted delicious. Very generous portions. I ordered Chicken of the Angels and yes it was spectacular! The lemon sauce on the pasta was amazing. They had a very large party come in after we were seated and they did a great job attending to them and us. This place knows how to keep great service going even in these times! We will be back!

Rachel is outstanding! What a perfect addition to this establishment. The Caesar salad was perfect! Good poor on the drinks. Friendly owner, nice staff, clean, great service!!!

Recent wedding shower booked here. Wonderful service. Beautiful room. Good food. This is a great place to host a party. Most accommodating of any venue I've ever worked with.Manager Scott took care of a glitch for us. Brenda our wait person was extraordinary. Host that set up and organized the event was also very thorough and helpful. Highly recommend !

The food was equal to that of dive bar food. Service was best it could be, sadly it was like everything else at this establishment, zero excitement with heavy regrets of not going somewhere else. If it wasn't for the ski's on the doors, I would swear I was at a Applebee's.

Been passing this place for years and had never been in to give them a try. Finally go around to doing so and it was worth it! Aspen can hold a lot of people, so you have a pretty good chance of getting seated no matter what time you go in. I got their Ultimate Bacon Cheeseburger and it was very good. I was torn between getting that and the Shrimp Lobster Mac & Cheese, maybe next time if I stop in again, that's what I will get. I think they had a pretty good beer selection too. I had gotten a craft beer when I went in and it was a pretty tough decision trying to get something that I haven't had before.

Tip: Check in here on yelp, and you'll get a free kids meal. I have to say, I was nervous about coming here because all I saw was either 1 or 5 star reviews, and with my luck, I usually get the bad experience. Well not this time folks! A large group of us, ~17 at any given time, met here at 6:30 on a Thursday for my buddy's surprise birthday. The place was jammin' packed when I got there, had to park at the Dentist office in the back. But our table was front and center as soon as you walked in. Sat down and ordered drinks, a tall beer for hubby, and an Old Fashion for me. My drink was strong, but good. Well worth the $4.50. We didn't have a cake, so we thought sticking some birthday candles in some crab cakes would be a good idea, our server Rick met our wishes and came out w/ lit candles for the birthday boy. Unfortunately, the crab cakes were not good, like 1 star not good. They were fishy, cold, and had a tinny taste to them. We sent them back, and fortunately that was the only downside to our meals. The appetizer platter was decent, but not delicious. The spinach artichoke dip tasted like sour cream, the tato skins were a bit hard, and the quesadillas a bit dry, but the ribs were scrumptious. I ordered the Thursday special, New York Strip w/ potatoes & vegetable for $9.99, which I may add I only knew about from their website, there was no advertising their specials on the menu or the books they leave on the table. Hubby ordered the plank Salmon. Considering our party was at least 15 people eating, we only waited about 10 minutes before our soups and salads came out, and only another 20 after that before our meals. All our meals were hot and delicious. My steak was perfectly cooked! That never happens to me, ever! Medium rare either comes too rare, or too done, but this steak was perfect, and delicious! I'm not a fan of potatoes, so I tried to substitute them, but no subs on daily specials. I get that. Hubby's salmon had like a pumpkin puree on top of it. I didn't care for it, but he really enjoyed it. Rounded out the night w/ a Mackinac Bridge dessert, which was FAB-U-LOUS! I requested Rick to bring out 6 or so spoons because I knew everyone would want a taste, and they did! I was so big, it could definitely be shared by 2-4 people, no problem. And a great price of $4.99! Lastly, the infamous Donna visited our table to see how things were. I was leery because I read such bad things written about her, well she was a doll, very amiable, friendly and easy to talk to. I could definitely see myself eating here again. Note: 1 star off because of the crab cakes AND the toilet seats in the women's bathroom. I understand this place is older and has a certain Je ne sais quoi, but having old toilet seats that are stained, have cigarette burns and cut marks all over them just cheapens it for me.

Went for an early V day date night (Sunday) and there is one word to describe our visit and meal...AWESOME. My better half ordered the Loaded Mac and Cheese which was awesome but it not traditional Mac and Cheese in anyway but it was great. I ordered the Cottage Meatloaf which is like a beef Wellington, wow, wow, wow, stunning with the garlic mashed potatoes. The server was amazing. Her name is Layla and she was attentive, well versed, polite, and personable. Definitely a huge asset to the operation. The only negative was the Moscow Mule ordered by my better half wasn't in a traditional copper cup and tasted watered down. All in all, an awesome experience and we loved the country feel and decor. We will be back.

I love this place, great food and great service. My wife and I went here for New Year's Eve with another couple and our server was great and the food was outstanding. I had the potato crusted snapper and it was amazing! The ambiance is awesome too. Definitely coming back again.

This photo is of my prime dip sandwich top notch my mother had the aspen salad top notch ,my dads prime rib how ever was not to his liking he wanted it medium well but more rare, the medium, unfortunately they got that wrong had to sent to back, me and my mother dad finish Donna the manager gave him half off on the prime rib, my dad didn't complain. And he stated to Donna the manger he wasn't upset. He stated the he's gonna come back and so will I I'm hopefull to try more of this fine establishment.

This is the exact description of this appetizer, copied from Aspens own menu... "$12.99Lodge Portabella Grilled portabella mushroom topped with a blend of gulf shrimp, garlic, artichoke hearts and mushrooms. Topped with crumbled bleu cheese. Served with Aspen chips." Now see pic for actual dish... If this wasn't a carry out we would've sent this back. Based on the description on the menu, we were expecting a large portabella mushroom topped with all of those yummy ingredients...Instead we got a type of NACHO platter with 6 SLICES (seriously, 6 slices) of portabella...why call it the "Lodge Portabella" if the portabella is the smallest part of the dish?!?! Added on like a garnish. It was also soaked in some type of sauce, turning the house made chips to soggy mush. Shrimp may be from the Gulf, but their smaller than cocktail shrimp. The "extra" chopped mushrooms seemed to be canned. Yuck and yuck. Please just take this off the menu if you can't fulfill your description.

Service was excellent. I recommend this restaurant only for the bar food. Chicken Strips and Fried Fish are. Delicious. Ribs have too much sauce. Chicken Parmesan is way too dry and you can't cut it with a knife. Monk Fish Special did not have a good flavor. The food was cold and Sunday was a busy night so the wait was very long. Prime Rib was sold out but overall the Food was disappointing.

We went here for Thanksgiving. The food was mediocre but the seating was terrible. We were placed in a large undecorated room with ugly large tables, despite just being the two people. what a disappointing depressing way to spend the holiday.