Big Bear Lodge

Our second time at Big Bear Lodge, and it was just as awesome as the first! We went on a Friday around 9 and got seated right away, but even when there’s a wait, their system is great — easy parking and a beeper so you can chill in your car until your table’s ready. The service was super friendly and right on top of things. We never had to wait long for anything. I had the shrimp and grits, and they were perfect — cheesy, creamy, and seasoned just right. The shrimp was cooked perfectly, with the right amount of Cajun spice, and the andouille sausage was tender and flavorful. My boyfriend got the buffalo burger, and the fries were out of this world — crispy and cooked perfectly. The only downside? I ate way too much and couldn’t fit in dessert. Guess we’ll just have to go back!

Very good! I enjoyed the Buffalo meatloaf. The mushroom appetizer was addictive. Maple glazed pork loin chop and honey fried chicken are also a must. We will be back.

We had a party of five in honor of my brother‘s birthday. We haven’t been here in a very long time and we thought it would be nice to come to this place and order dinner for five people. what an absolute disappointment. Three people in the party had the fired pizza which was so horrible, my one daughter only ate half a piece and refused to eat the rest because it tasted absolutely disgusting. My brother had one of their specials. I can’t remember the name. He said he couldn’t even eat it. It was so bad and that’s not like him. He can eat anything. He has ex military and used to eating bad stuff and this stuff was bad. I had the Friday fish fry, which I thought was pretty good, till later that night I was very sick. I will never ever recommend this place or go back. Hopefully, you guys close your doors and shut down for good. I’m very embarrassed to have suggested to my party that we should go there and eat.That will never happen again!

I love Big Bear Lodge. The buffalo meatloaf is unsurpassed, the whitefish is perfect, and always order the salmon dill chowder if it's available. I think Molly is the friendliest and most attentive server I've met. 10/10 experience, will definitely be going back.

I really liked this place as soon as I walked through the door ! The staff was very nice and friendly even though we came in right before closing. Ordered a margherita pizza and it did not disappoint. The restaurant itself made me feel like I had just stepped into the heart of the south with its cabin feel and vintage decor everywhere. Would come here again for the food service and atmosphere 😊

Great place to go with friendly staff and always welcoming to any of our needs. From a party of two, to large family dinners the staff has never let us down. I recommend Big Bear Lodge to anyone that has a chance to go

I have so many photos from eating at this place, but these two are from last night. I ordered the apple stuffed chicken and their winter sangria. I live in Florida but own a business here in Michigan. Every time I come home for work, I make sure to stop here and eat. The food is incredible every single time. I have NEVER had anything less than incredible service there as well. It’s also one of the few places that actually has enough tables to accommodate all of the patrons, so you usually don’t wait long (if at all) for a table. I can’t recommend this place enough!!

1st time here, my wife had ribeye and I had prime rib, both were excellent, as were the sides, bread, and desserts (homemade chocolate chip cookies baked just for you…wow!). Brandy is a phenomenal waitress, friendly, knowledgeable, efficient, and there without hovering. We will be back because it was so good and because there are at least eight other items on the menu we look forward to trying. It is not inexpensive, but it is worth every penny!

Been coming here for a long time, very good food, especially the pork loin and artichoke dip. Also love how everything is wood inside, gives it a cottage feel. Very nice.

This classic wooden cabin restaurant gives up north lodge vibes and is a real treat to visit. The food was excellent. My sangria had tonic water on top, which I didn't like and our server swiftly switched it out for one with sprite which I appreciated! Don't miss this authentic stop when downriver!

Getting around to using my birthday discount meal from the E-Club. You get the percent of your age discounted off of your entree. IMO, the best birthday deal around town. I had a well-seasoned, perfectly cooked filet along with a great baked potato, basket of rolls, and a salad. Outstanding!

We came here with a small group for a birthday dinner. As always the food was quite good. I had the apple almond chicken and it was nice and moist. Someone else in my party had the minute chicken. The chicken in that dish was also moist but there was a decent amount of oil in it which was a bit overwhelming. The places is really a lot of fun as far as the decor goes. Thinking over the top hunting lodge and you pretty much get the idea. It's a bit questionable for vegetarians, but that's probably not their desired market. The service wasn't great. Our server didn't come by to check on us at all and it took a lot of effort to get drink refills. Perhaps an off night. If you want a decent meaty meal in a pretty interesting setting give it a try.

My husband and I went to Big Bear to celebrate his 62nd birthday. The restaurant was crowded-a good sign. We were seated and given a nice corner booth. We ordered stuffed mushrooms, buffalo meatloaf, and split a huge slab of blueberry lemon cake. We enjoyed our meal and hope to come back!

My family and I came for a birthday dinner. It was great service and food was soooo delicious. I had a Caesar salad for appetizer. The bread was amazing entrée. I had the prime rib with jumbo shrimp. Madison was so wonderful. Will definitely come back again

A roomy yet charming rustic style restaurant. Great service. Huge menu with additional seasonal picks and specials. Fresh, tasty food. Nothing too out there, but solid. We got seated right away. Drinks and a steaming basket of tasty bread were to us in a flash. Our waiter was excellent. Luckily, we had scanned the menu online beforehand because there is a lot to choose from. I picked the artichoke and spinach stuffed chicken breast. It was served over angel hair pasta with a delicious creamy sauce. The chicken was crispy outside, juicy inside. The pasta had fresh pieces of spinach and delicious pieces of artichokes as well. I devoured it happily. My husband misread the menu and thought the crabcakes were a dinner. No worries, he still got them. Hearty and generous, they made a great spring meal. He also loved both sauces. To round it out, he added the marshmallow topped sweet potatoes. I was afraid they would be cloying and way too sweet. Somehow, they managed to avoid that and were fantastic. We ate desserts because we were way too tempted. The Almond Joy bread pudding that was on special was incredible. Coconuty with just the right amount of chocolate, it was decadent with the creme anglaise. My husband had the hot fudge cream puff, which just the sight of made other diners inquire about. One bite took me right back to my Detroit childhood. We will be back.

When we got here this place really looked and felt we were in the U.P. Because it gives off that up north vibe. We put our names at the desk and they said it was a 25 minute wait but within 5-10 mins they had a table for us, for that time being before getting our seats we went to the bar and ordered drinks, this is where I realized I don't like Mules, any kind of Moscow mule concoction. We got to our seats and it was definitely log cabin seating with lots of wood, the atmosphere is amazing! So we sat down, ordered food and waited for all of it to come, I ordered the Lakeside Whitefish with a side salad and a baked potato. The wife ordered The Lodge House Grilled Sirloin Steak, we both had a baked potato as our side item and we also got the Crispy Brussel Sprouts as an appetizer. Our side salads came first and I had a crispy Caesar salad, it was fresh, crispy, crunchy and delicious, the croutons were HUGE! Next came out our Brussel Sprouts and let me tell ya when they said they were crispy they weren't lieing, they were crispy and delicious. The sauce they were glazed in tasted caramel glazed and it was just soaking in it which made them so flavorful. Definitely worth the taste. Next, our main course came to us, the Lake side White fish looked amazing and the added pasta really made it fulfilling. It was very delicious and it wasn't very fishy, the sauce had a creamy taste and the tomatoes were nice and juicy. The wife had the Lodge House Grilled Sirloin Steak and she asked for it Medium Rae but they brought it out way overcooked, it was more like well done. It wasn't that good and had a bit of a leathery taste. I know if we come back I won't be ordering steaks because I hope that's not medium rare to them. By the time we were done eating and drinking we had no more room for the Baked Potato and dessert so we took those to go. All in all the service was great, the food was amazing (as long as you're not getting a steak) and the atmosphere was really cool. This is a place I would love to come back and try the other fish they had on the menu.

We definitely want to go back. The service was great. They were helpful with suggestions for us as first time visitors. The ambiance is great, very cozy. Only drawback is the hours. We wanted to take friends there for lunch on Saturday and found out the my open up at 3p.

Went there for birthday dinner and to say I am truly disappointed is a understatement . Over a hour wait to receive food and all table around us received their food . Mgmt is a huge joke . There was an issue in the kitchen . No apologies no offer for discount due to problems . She seem not interested. Ruined entire experience. Need to go to mgmt training in taking care of customer . Again disappointing to write this review but you ruined a persons dinner and that wasn't even done right and didn't want to send back because how long would that take . Side note the waitress said see doesn't know what is going on in the kitchen . She was great . Mgmt response horrible !!!

Big Bear Lodge is my favorite place to eat when visiting family in Brownstown Twp, Michigan! I always order the same entree, Honey Maple Salmon. As its name suggests, the decor is a rustic country log cabin lodge. The service is always courteous and efficient. If ordering/picking up carry-out, there is a corner of the bar area with a sign designating the area to do so. If dining in, I highly recommend making a reservation in advance as this place is popular and for good reason in my opinion.

We had dinner there yesterday (2/23/23). We ordered one Whitefish dinner and the deep fried Northern Pike. Both were excellent, cooked to perfection. The service was great and very professional, we received our food and drinks in minutes. The decor and atmosphere of this place is fantastic. You actually feel like you're up north! We will be going back soon.

I have eaten here since it opened in 2001 since I worked 16 years just west of it and lived in a city about 10 miles south. The service and the quality of the food kept me and all of my coworkers coming back again and again. Even my picky ex husband could find a few things to eat. EBS laughed when I used this place as a bribe to get Tom to do something to help me out while EBS were dating. Too bad EBS never got to enjoy it also. My dinning Meetup group told me that the food, service, and the decor was worth the drive thru lots of road work from northern Detroit suburbs. Most had a hard time deciding on what to order and what they ordered were enjoyed. The service was great even with the place packed. Being packed it was a little loud but that is not the norm. For those who are not familiar with Metro Detroit residents love affair with the "up North" of Michigan might not under that the decor reflections the old decor of cabins in the woods. It seems anyone born before 1970 seemed to wish they lived up there and many even retired up there. That notion has always been loss on me, but I do enjoy seeing it anyway. Glad I could finally get back and hope it will not be another 5 years for the next visit.

I'll just give the highlights - More Bad than Good unfortunately Good - Atmosphere, nice menu choices. Most meals were OK or good. Bad - Spinach appetizer had a nice taste but was barely warm. Would have good if it was hot. A salad with chicken was ordered and the chicken was literally Pink on the inside -not done at all which can make you ill. The person who ordered it was afraid to eat it as it looked way undercooked. They ate the salad and left the chicken. Was too embarrassed to say anything because an elderly couple was paying for and would have been embarrassed after picking this place. A drink that comes in a martini glass was ordered - It was just over half full. Not even 2/3's. I didn't expect it to be to the rim but barely over half full - wow. especially for the price. Our server was just going through the motions but we felt like we were bothering her just ordering and being there. My parents who are elderly and I haven't seen in a while and they were very excited to have me with them for my birthday. They exclaimed to the server that it was my birthday and she looked at me without smiling and said 'OK'. My parents were not fishing for any freebies but simply very happy to have me with them and speaking their minds out loud! It would have been nice to have a smile and have them say something like 'Happy birthday' or 'thanks for being here on your birthday'. I come from a customer service background so these things go through my mind! My family is looking for a place to celebrate a birthday & holiday party and we had high hopes for place but wont go back.

Immaculate eatery that takes you from Trenton Michigan to the ambience of wild Alaska. Absolutely stunning. The food is excellent although a bit pricey. Very good service.

The atmosphere of this higher level restaurant reflects the Upper Peninsula and lakes of Mi. We love the food and atmosphere. The place our family gravitates to for celebrations and gatherings.

Great food and awesome service. A little pricey, but it is worth it. Great atmosphere too. Very warm, homey feeling there.

First time coming here was passing through and we found this place. Glad we did it had an awesome ambience with camping, wildlife, rustic items all over. Very cool lodge feel for a being close to a city. I went with a couple friends and we all got something slightly different but everything we ate was delicious. If I'm back on this side of town would definitely come back. They also had a good drink specials.

Let me start off with this, as soon as I got to the restaurant it was very cute and nice. It was very clean and organized. They had a great amount of tables, the food was great and how I exactly wanted it. I ordered a medium well sirloin steak with mashed potatoes and it was perfect, I completely recommend it. The service was very amazing too, very nice, respectable and organized. It's a very nice place and I really recommend it.

This is one of the best chicken dishes I have ever had! The fried Mac and cheese bites were a great sized and very hole made tasting. The service was excellent. 100% going back. I

Round pine tree beam construction, 1960s camping décor, a couple of wood burning fireplaces, a menu that includes wild game and healthy choices; all help create a wonderful dining experience that feels like you're off the beaten path somewhere in Northern Michigan.

We've been fans of BBL for years, but our last visit has encouraged us to find a new go-to place. We walked in at 6 pm on a Monday to see plenty of open tables, but were told there would be a wait. Okay, no idea why there would be a wait, but we are hungry and I'm craving buffalo meatloaf, so we sit at the bar on the right side since there was no room on the left (next to where the waitstaff gets the drinks. I had waved at the bartender to let her know we were sitting on the right side of the bar. She walks past us to grab things, and goes back to the other side a couple times. After about ten minutes she comes to take our drink order, it takes another ten minutes to bring the drinks to us. Meanwhile, the folks sitting on the left side of the bar, her comfort zone apparently, cash out and leave. The other two people, who came in after us, are sitting there are eating. I flag her down again to come take our food order and she says, "oh yeah, be right there." She continues to putz around doing god knows what else. After sitting there for 40 minutes, she hasn't come back to take our order, my husband is mad and we're still starving, so we left. I know businesses will say they are shorthanded or whatever to cover up poor service, but this was not from understaffing. It's a shame, we've always enjoyed the cozy atmosphere in the restaurant, but we can deal with carry out if I ever have a buffalo meatloaf craving.

Everything at Big Bear Lodge was on point! The decor makes the experience feel so cozy -- like dining in a warm cabin. I love that you can appreciate all the small design choices as you wait & eat. We ordered the Margherita pizza which had fresh tomatoes, balsamic glaze and basil as toppings. I'm not sure what I was expecting initially, but the pizza was incredible! It went beyond what I could've imagined. I ordered a Moscow mule to drink and it was pretty standard but good. Service was notable. Our server checked in with us often and was very friendly. I will definitely come back in the future!

It was a happy occasion that brought us here; our daughter gave birth to a healthy baby boy at the nearby hospital, so since we'd been up several hours, it was time to re-charge. Big Bear Lodge is a themed, non-chain restaurant in the downriver area that makes you feel like you're at Disney World. The Wilderness Lodge, to be specific. And, I'm perfectly okay with that. Let's go through the Big 3: Food Quality: I have a feeling that everything on the menu is satisfying. My pasta dish was nicely prepared, featuring a large portion size. I was pleasantly surprised. Ambience: As I mentioned, prepare for a themed experience. Even the plates have the Big Bear Lodge logo on them. That's a nice touch. T-shirts and other gear are available for purchase. Service: Our server was an experienced, delightful woman who never disappeared and didn't let my glass run dry. The only thing keeping this review from being four or five stars was a fairly significant mistake she made. We were assured that the bun on our son's bison burger had no sesame seeds (he has a severe food allergy to sesame seeds). When his food arrived, there couldn't have been any more sesame seeds on the bun - as if the bun itself was made from them instead of flour and yeast. We caught it in time, but a glaring error like that can result in the deployment of an Epinephrine Auto-Injector (epipen), which we didn't have with us, followed by what would have been a trip to the emergency room. They had no substitutes, other then plain bread, so he ate it as a meat-only type of thing. So anyway, great food. Nice atmosphere. Just that one potentially life-threatening mistake.

The food is okay and the service is fine. If you need a place to go last minute, I wouldn't mind going there.

The food and service was excellent. I had the prime rib, absolutely the best I've had. My wife had the white fish and it was superb. Prime Rib

The food was great! We started out with the Mexican dip. It had great flavor, but I probably wouldn't order again because it didn't have enough items in it. I was expecting some spice with the jalapeños and there wasn't any. The onion soup was flavorful with a good amount of cheese! It wasn't too salty either, but it could have had more onions. The tomato basil soup was good too. The 10oz steak was cooked perfectly. They even asked me to cut into it when it was delivered to me... perfect medium rare I had the bleu cheese crust, which was alright. I would have preferred the bleu cheese not cooked. The BBQ combo platter was delicious. The ribs fell off the bone. The salmon salad was huge and had great flavor and toppings. I will definitely be back.

Love this restaurant. Amazing atmosphere. I've never been disappointed in the quality of the food, tastes amazing, lots of uniqie options on the menu. Service is always good.

I'm visiting my sister from New York and I really wanted a good steak dinner! We had excellent summer cocktails, peachy beach and Big Mama. Then artichoke spinach dip. I was not disappointed. The dinner was EXCELLENT. My sister had prime rib and I had boneless rib eye, we both had the cauliflower au gratin and salad! My sister commented it was outstanding and would recommend Big Bear Lodge to everyone! We loved it and it is our new favorite place!

Amazing place with a backwoods atmosphere. Food is Michigan based flair. Pizza is awesome. Have not had a bad meal there. All the waitstaff is highly knowledgeable and accommodating for all your needs.

i ordered a carry out in person. A margarita pizza and I made them aware I was a vegetarian and if they could clean the pizza cutter. When I got home, there was bacon on it. when I spoke to the manager,Ashley, she said to bring the pizza back in order to refund it. So, I need to drive 15 miles to return a pizza they screwed up, in order to get my money back? Needless to say, they lost a regular customer. What motivated me to write this review was her rude attitude.

What a find! A group of us tried Big Bear Lodge last December; a Flat Rock local recommended it to us. We were seated in a room they call the "Den"--it was cozy and welcoming, had a working fireplace, and smelled wonderful. (Nope, it wasn't some spray from a can. Those are icky. This was real.) The food was delicious and service was excellent. Yesterday I had a business errand in Sylvania, OH and wasn't able to drive myself. As a thank-you to my friend I wanted to buy lunch. After three false starts in Sylvania (lots of website creative photography, but in person, no thanks) we looked at each other and said, "Big Bear". It added an extra 30 minutes to our trip home and was worth it. The atmosphere is still great, the food still excellent, and the waitstaff friendly and attentive. I had the Apple Almond Stuffed Chicken and it was delicious. Portions are very generous. It's getting harder to find a restaurant that just serves nice food in a welcoming atmosphere with great service--and doesn't break the bank. Big Bear Lodge has a birthday special and I have a birthday coming up. Our group is going to drive 40 minutes longer than we need to because it's worth it. I'm looking forward to it!

Even as hard as it is to get employees, their service is as good as ever. We were there on a Friday and it was packed. Got seated in about half an hour. The staff was very attentive always checking back to see if we needed drinks, bread or anything else. Their fish fry the best anywhere!!! Cold water Canadian Northern Pike! Not to be beat anywhere at any price. The log cabin look has the feel of Northern Michigan. Most unique look in Southeast Michigan.

Our server was fantastic, such a sweet person. Food was okay, just okay. Wine selection was decent (mostly domestics/Grocery store varieties). Cocktails - definitely not very good. If you like mixes/sugary drinks, you might like them, but definitely a miss for us. Ambiance - nice, rustic, lodge-y. Seems like a local favorite, but just definitely not for me. Overall, probably not going to make a return visit anytime soon.

Service was ok, but she kept saying sorry. However, she was correct... food was bland, steak chewy, cocktails too sweet. Sent steak back received another less chewy one. Here's the kicker... charged more for the filet, no discount for the inconvenience waiting 20 minutes for it while my husband choked down his bland chicken. That's not it! A woman who appeared to be a manager walked over while we were waiting on our check/card to come back... me assuming she was checking on how the meal was or apologize. Stupid me... she wanted to take one of our tables. Never again... ever... $120 later.

I've eaten here 3 times since moving to the city of flatrock and have never been happy here. The food is vary expensive for hardly anything and it's not good. The workers are vary friendly though. Go to Kate's instead. Owner gives off Joo Dee vibes. She is rude and downs her workers. She acts as if she is a queen, and treats her kind workers like peasants.

Definitely my new favorite lunch spot in Flat Rock. First time coming in towards noon and it was busy. The server was really nice and cleaned a table immediately for us to sit down at . We came in for drinks and seen that they had thermos drinks with liquor included. I had the hot cocoa with kahlua, my friend had the cozy cup. The sandwich and burger options were quite big and the soups were really food. I had the backpack stack sandwich and the avocado / bacon were really good. I believe our server, and waitress was Libby. She did a excellent job juggling. I'll be happy to come back and try out the other drinks as well.

Super good food, speedy service every time I come in, a bit expensive though for what you get. I really like their pizza and the plate of warm cookies for dessert. I do come here often though because of how good the food is. Never been disappointed by anything I've ordered here.

Love the food, wish they served chocolate cake for 2 with ice cream but it's good without it too

Food, great. Service, excellent. Ambiance, nice. Try buffalo meatloaf. Ribs great also.

Love it. Nice having this place to escape to, everytime we go I feel like we're on vacation. food is always homemade and delicious.

I have eaten here many times and always had a tasty meal. I just wish they could expand their menu a little more or offer more daily specials.

The food is amazing. The drinks are outstanding. The atmosphere is wonderful I love this place.

Service was great, food was terrific! Coming back this week-end. Like being "Up North" Downriver.

true lodge. staff was amazing. Food was great. They accommodated us and were very patient with my phone calls full of questions. Thank you for making our ending to a very long sad day better. The Powell's

Fantastic food! Service was great and there was little to no wait when we visited. I'm still thinking about the bread.... So good!

Best restaurant in the area. Every time my family goes out to eat in this area, this is where we always come.

Have been dining at this establishment for years and have never been disappointed. Excellent salmon dishes and also love the buffalo meatloaf. Always clean and orderly. Soups are great.

Our first time here, made a reservation and we were seated immediately. Props to the hostess who had us planned to sit at a high top but once she noticed my huge baby bump sat us at a regular table. I didn't even have to ask which made me feel way more comfortable. I asked the waitress what her favorite menu items were and she gave plenty of info without just trying to sell us on the expensive items. I believe our waitress was Brandy, she was amazing! She knew exactly how to read social ques and how much time to really give before checking back on us. She wasn't table side too much or too little. Just perfect! I had the whitefish and it was light and delicious. The flavor was there and I wasn't uncomfortably full afterwards. My husband got the minute chicken which he said was too buttery for his taste, but I tried his and thought it was delicious. The manager on duty was hands on. I watched her checking on multiple tables and even came to see how we were doing, that was when she wasn't helping bus tables or helping the servers. This place is a half hour away from us, but I'll definitely be coming back again and recommending it to others!