J W Filmore's Family Restaurant

My family and I love coming here everytime we visit Petoskey. Staff are super friendly and food is delicious. We miss when they used to be open for dinner time but besides that, it's one of our favorite go-to spots to visit in Petoskey! The fried cheese platter is amazing. I almost always get the crossiant breakfast sandwich, but on our last trip I tried the breakfast skillet and it is my new favorite breakfast item. Best restaurant breakfast I've ever had

J.W. Filmore's isn't bad but it's not the best . I got a pretty decent meal but it was lacking personally no seasonings and rather bland . With that being said if your the type of person that like plain white toast, and egg and a cup of coffee this is the place for you . If your looking for big flavor tho I would keep on moving .

Basic. Found fried egg in my green beans and skin in my meatloaf, the green beans are straight from can and lukewarm with ZERO seasoning. Meatloaf was good,silverware needs scrubbed. Building needs TLC.

Very senior friendly, we had entertainment, the cook was in a rant, yelling & cussing, the food was great!

Ordered a simple breakfast of eggs, toast, American fries and link sausage. Service was slow though to be fair it looked like the servers were stretched thin. My potatoes and sausage were cold and when I informed our waitress she never offered to replace them with properly heated ones.said she would let the kitchen know. How does that help me? Upon paying the bill when asked again how the meal was I got pretty much the same response. Too bad,sorry about that. First and last time going to that place.

Weather made the day. It was cold and windy but a Turkey Ruben "the rachel" was perfect. Also a veggie omelet was tasty too. The waitress was very friendly. Prices where 10 to 15$

Came in alone and 2 other groups came in and were seated a few minutes after me. Ordered and those 2 tables were served first, while mine arrived 5 minutes later. Sausage patties tasted like the frost bitten cardboard box they came in. I ate there before and although it was never a 10, it was a good basic 6. I’m not sure what changed, but I won’t be back.

Stopped here for dinner on a brisk early May evening because of the reviews. This was touted as a ‘locals’ hot spot and the crowd sure seemed the part. The host was a kid and not very affable but we didn’t mind. Our waitress was a pro and got us our food in good time. Food was good — this place is not pretentious and offers reliable diner grub. Everyone was content with their meals: kids Mac n Cheese, a quarter pounder burger (with bacon), a French Dip and Spaghetti with meat sauce. The ‘Red Chili’ was very good - spicy! This is an affordable safe bet.

Pumpkin pancakes - 15/10 Biscuits and gravy - 10 /10 Service - 18/10 Ambience - 6/10 Very much a diner place so some people might not enjoy the "ambience"so much but the food I had was wonderful. Also they were packed but the service was still great. Will definitely be making a special trip back up for those pancakes alone.

To tired to cook dinner after work, so I took the kiddos and Grandma out to dinner. I was craving breakfast and it was delicious. The family left stuffed and happy. Next time I'm taking them up on their special: All you can eat ocean perch and cod. Yummy The parking lot was busy but they had plenty space inside. It was clean and quiet. The waitress was friendly and fast with getting our order to us. Good customer service. The food was great. JW Filmores

J.W. Filmore's has been around a long time. The food is constantly delicious, and well worth the wait. It's a bit slow, but it's just that kind of place. They have two servers for two sections at any given time. So please be patient, and you will be very well treated.

The food was OK and I would leave it at that. The mentality this restaurant has obviously went with is: let's over charge for the food and people will come anyways. The quality just did not meat the price. The only saving grace to the price was the kids menu. $15 plus for everything on a breakfast menu. Remind me to pack bagels on our next vacation. Service was good and waitress was friendly. Can't charge $17 for canned corned beef hash....or maybe you can in the new post Covid world. Restaurant had a clean feel.

This is a wonderful hidden treasure in Petoskey. Best breakfast and fantastic, friendly service! Definitely recommend.

This restaurant has the BEST breakfast, served all day. We were vacationing so we got up late and couldn't find breakfast. An internet search provided no good results. We happened to drive by and lucked out. They were very busy and we had to wait about 30 minutes. This was ok, however the waiting area is poorly organized causing guests to jockey for being the next in line. (The idiot customers ahead of us standing in the wrong spot didn't help, but there was no hostess or manager facilitating.) This was my only gripe. The food! Poached eggs perfectly cooked. Hash browns requested well done were the best I've ever had. Delicious bacon and sausage are locally sourced. Tasty omelet. Good coffee. Sausage gravy and biscuits homemade. It was truly a fantastic breakfast! Our server Michelle was pleasant, personable, and accommodating. Despite a busy, frazzling service time, her personality and service really made our experience stellar. We will come back here next time we visit.

We tried to stop here for dinner tonight and a sign on the door said they decided to close today at 2:00. So you may want to call ahead.

This is one of those places that has probably been here forever. The food is great and reasonably priced. I got the breakfast skillet and it was delicious. Huge portions! It seems to be an older crowd and is certainly not fancy but I really liked it.

Was told by everyone in town that this was the place to eat. Was not disappointed!! Ate breakfast food. Good portions, and fair pricing!! Waitress did a great job.

There was a metal piece in my aunts burger and the kid that worked there got involved for no reason and the metal was from a grinder for knives and they made the kid do everything do not recommend but the kid was very nice

Good food and warm atmosphere. Food came out really fast which was nice but felt the food was a little colder than a fresh skillet. Price was too high for the quality of food but the experience was great. Because of the price point Id give a 3 out of 5

I honestly hate doing bad reviews but I feel I must , came in today as a family of 5 , my sonsa burger was burnt , sent it back he got a new on that smelled off and still burnt just not as bad , the 3 that had French fries were way over done , borderline burnt . Children's chicken stripes over cooked . And now off to me I had all the fish you can eat for the day , I had it baked , paprika overload, dry and no flavor something you could get in a nursing home. The server suggested I get it deep fried , ok so I go 2 pieces, it was ok but soaked in greese. Asked for more and holey Toledo it was slimey, tainted. Oh and now my son that got the burger is sick . I'd give it 0 if I could . Absolutely disgusting.

Stopped in for lunch here. Was shocked at the price increases. I know that many resstaurants are raising prices. I have a hard time paying $15+ for an omelet. Everything on the menu went up.

This was our first time eating dinner here. It was so good. The food portions are very large, the kids menu was perfect for our children and their sundae was amazing. If you are a family like us, you can eat breakfast all day! The food menu is a wide variety, and the prices in Northern Michigan are outstanding. The staff were super friendly. Our server was so good, and kind. You must try this resturant. I'm not sure why the resturant has mixed reviews. I would suggest you come in and try it out yourself before reading bad reviews. I normally look at the reviews before eating anywhere, and I didn't and I hope I change other minds to try to eat at Filmore's. Am Hidden Gem.

Went in on a Wednesday at 5 pm. Immediately seated. Pleasant staff, clean environment, decent menu selection, reasonable prices- ESPECIALLY in tourist country. Couldn't be happier with the service and food! The prime rib was a terrific value for $20. A purist might not be over the top with it, because it was grilled, but the flavor was exceptional and very tender, and not buried in au jus. The French dip was tender and generous. Definitely a go to for a value meal in a tourist heaven. Don't miss it. Worth a stop

I have eaten here different times when in town. Once I ordered fish. It dripped with grease. Once I had meatloaf.. Yuck! The other day I decided to try it again and order country fried steak. Since it's always prefab I figured they couldn't screw it up. Country fried steak is beef and they put sausage gravy on it. I asked for American friend potatoes and they were worst. They had added a lot of seasoning to them and they were fried in old grease.. It was obvious no matter how much seasoning they added. Waitress was slow, but nice.

So I read all the other reviews kept all that in mind while I ordered and looked over the menu. My waitress was fast polite accurate and refills flowed in like a stream the fresh unsweetened tea was really good. The peach tea too. I ordered the liver and onions with a side of hash my wife ordered skillet breakfast it was hot steamy fresh layered in flavor and came with three mini pancakes that were fluffy and delicious. We sat ordered and within 15 min our food was here at the table and we promptly ate in almost didn't take photos it was deffinately worth experiencing on my own it seems locals come here alot so it should show they know the food is good and the locals were friendly and not rude and didn't make us feel un welcomed at all. If your in Michigan swing by and give it a try you won't be disappointed.

Food is was really good. Waitress was polite and fast. Was a little slow to get seated.

Breakfast was perfect. Eggs were over medium, whites done yokes runny the way they are supposed to be . They give you a pot of coffee so you don't have to wait for the server. Service was prompt and very reasonable , especially for Petoskey.

This was an ok place for breakfast, the placemat menus really didn't explain what the meal was so we had to ask , took some time lol. The prices were a bit high but it is a tourist town so thats expected. The silverware was not very clean but every place we ate in the area had the same issue. Would we go there again? Sure

I live in the Upper Peninsula but frequent Petoskey as my doctors are there. Filmore's is the restaurant we always come to. My boys (ages 9 and 11) love to come here and their favorite thing is their cheese curds. The staff is friendly and the food comes out quick even if the restaurant is busy. Everything that I have tried has been great. I would recommend them to anyone looking for good comfort food.

The have good food. I always order a skillet. Not sure what the age of their employees are but they are not friendly. In the past years they had an older waitresses working and you received excellent service. Our young waitress just slammed our food on the table and did not came back to ask how our food was. Than all you hear are the young kids that are employed here just acting like young kids goofing around.

Great Breakfast! Eggs were done perfectly, blueberry pancakes were full of blueberries, hubby had biscuits and gravy and had a plate full of gravy. Waitress, Cammy, was top notch!Comfort Breakfast

Friendly efficient staff. Good food. Stopped for breakfast and we weren't disappointed.

Staff is unbelievable even now, being way understaffed! Never have to wait unless just for a table to be available because they are full. Food has been good every single time. And I go there A LOT..Pepsi right away, order shortly after, food right away, always hot, the check's on the table right when you're done. And often ask me if I want a drink to go.... ! All while being friendly. How is that possible?

If your looking for the comfort breakfast this is the place. It's where the locals go and the food is great. Skillets and omelets are awesome. Servers are friendly.

Place is phenomenal. Drove in from Detroit on the circle tour and was pleasantly surprised. Will definitely return every time I'm in town.

My wife's and my food was served cold. She ordered all you can eat perch and I ordered the chicken dinner. Her fish was cold and tasteless and my mashed potatoes and corn was almost ice cold.. There was plenty of staff on hand and it was not very busy. The waitress never came back so the wife could not get a 2nd helping of the so-called all you can eat perch dinner.

Finally found a restaurant that makes a kick ass Philly Cheese steak sandwich. Actually all the food was great here. Now I gotta see if they can deliver, I'm only 4 hours south of here, shouldn't be a problem

Stopped in for breakfast this morning after staying the night in Petoskey. Not highly impressed. The staff was less than friendly, our waitress kept walking away from us as we were trying to talk to her, and the food was nothing to write home about. After clearing our plates, our waitress came back to bring our bill and just slapped it down on the table and walked away. She didn't ask us how our food was or if we needed/wanted anything else. We went to the cashier to pay and had to wait while the cashier and the lady in front of us just chatted about nothing while a line of people piled up behind us. Next time we are in Petoskey we will find a different place to eat.

I can only give it a 3 Star. Would like to give it a 2.25 Star. Waitresses are good and most are friendly. The coffee is great What I don't understand is how can their portions be that bad !! When your table orders food and most of us get the same thing and same side dishes ( E.G pancakes) special ones and regular cakes, the special cakes comes to the table nice size but then the regular cakes comes and they are barely big enough for 4 bites. And That is 3 cakes per dish. And it only takes 4 bites to eat all the pancakes on that plate! And other food proportions are not the same also. Now I'm not a pig but portions are horrible here. I don't think the cooks knows the difference in that field. We go there once a week and I'm thinking I might just only go once a month from now on.

Your average family diner. Given that they were the only family diner in this region, it made the food seem better than it is. We all had omelette and pancakes, both came pretty cold, but didn't want to make a fuss about it. Given that it's the only reputable place in petoskey, I would come back but just with low expectations.

Great people work here. Friendly and welcoming. It is a diner after all...we aren't coming here because it's exquisite. It is a damn shame it doesnt pop up in google maps when searching for breakfast. Damn paid ads! Either way. Good food, decent space, nice folks. Perfect spot for a bite in the morning.

On vacation and very hungry. Drove by and placed looked busy which is a good sign. Great food. Got the PeeWee and it was delicious. Great place with great food

I'd like to say this place was a tad overpriced with my burger at $10.99. However, it was the Monster Burger (not on the online menu) with two meat patties, dripping in cheese, bacon, lettuce, onion, pickles, and A FRIED EGG on a pretzel bun (fries on the side). That was A-MAZING. Our kids ordered pancakes and burger for $2.99. The burger plate was the largest kids' meal I've ever seen. We spent about five minutes trying to figure out whether my girlfriend accidentally got the kids' meal and vice versa but such was not the case. Altogether, it was roughly $40 for the four of us including tip. Great deal and really good food!!

Lunch was terrible, tuna melt was bad and Philly Cheese steak had a cheese sauce? Floors were filthy and I wonder what the kitchen was like

Excellent diner with great prices, friendly and efficient service, and great food. Spacious, comfortable and clean booths and tables with free Wi-Fi. Very accommodating.

Best breakfast in Petosky. The service and food are great! The pumpkin cheesecake pancakes are out of this world. Good biscuits and gravy, too.

Instant mash potatoes, frozen cheese curds, barbecue sauce on meatloaf. If I could give negative stars I would.

This restaurant is a diner, but it looks a bit more upscale than it really is on the website. It is a straight up, churn-out-the-food-diner, complete with cash register. When we walked in the place was 3/4 full and bustling, which pleased us. However, The fish they were cooking was soooooo fishy, we almost turned back. We were hungry, we aren't familiar with Petoskey, it was 7:15 PM, so we stayed. Our waitress was lovely, efficient, pleasant, and knowledgeable. I loved her. We were at the large round table near the restrooms, so the restroom traffic was weird. The food was fine. Cheap. Hot. I don't think you should expect Gordon Ramsay to be pleased, but he wouldn't shut it down either.

Not that great of a place to eat. My husband had the turkey dinner. Said turkey tasted like it had been reheated several times. Coleslaw was terrible. I had eggs that were overcooked. Pancakes that were dry and bacon that was undercooked. Won't be coming back.

Basic fare, nothing great, nothing bad. A bit higher prices for this style of food, but then again it is Petoskey. They need to pay attention to the littlest things, there were a couple of napkins on the floor. Waitstaff walked over them for 10 minutes until the manager picked them up and threw them out.

Well if you like instant potatoes that are dried out, stove top stuffing with no taste, burned texas toast two paper thin pieces of turkey this is the place to go. The service was ok, but the food was terrible. The hamburgers are frozen patties with no flavor and the fries just had no flavor. When talking to the manager he said the potatoes are one of the best sellers. Wow how scary that people want instant potatoes and not homemade. I would never go back. BEWARE.

The sign out front says it all: "Breakfast Done Right". Second clue: In the middle of a long, hard thunderstorm, there were a lot of cars in the parking lot at 9:00 am on a workday. Third clue: Not many open seats in a large dining area and there was a large breakfast meeting going on in the back. Extensive breakfast menu with many omelet choices, skillet breakfasts, selection of pancakes and several specials. I ordered biscuits and gravy, two eggs up and blindfolded and extra crispy bacon. The waitress asked if I understood the gravy had lots of sausage in it. I said " That's the way I like it". Good coffee with selection of half and half and flavored creamers including my favorite, Hazelnut. Eggs were done just right served with "breaking bacon". The biscuits were okay which was fine because the sausage gravy was the best I've tasted north of the Mason-Dixon Line. This restaurant has been here for years and I'm sorry I haven't tried it before.

I have really good memories about this place, and it holds a sentimental place in my heart. I will say though that I am truly writing this review because of ONE server. She has short bobbed brown hair, and is the most rude women in the waitressing business I have ever come across. And this isn't because she is having one bad day, it's all the time. I am deeply saddened by this because she is the only reason I do not come more often. I used to come with my grandmother and her elderly friends ever couple weeks to discuss life, but these memories are tainted with a reoccurring terrible experience with this female server.

Wow, fantastic breakfast experience. Great attention to detail (butter packets were soft, etc). The breakfast food was first rate and came and came to us very shortly after our order. I'm coming here whenever I'm in the area.

Horrible service filthy dirty the absolute bottom of the barrel food quality I've ever tasted for sure . Please send the health department here not to mention they screwed up two of the three meals at the table

We were seated and given coffee cups but never any coffee, nobody ever came back to our table so we ended up leaving! Place was old, funky smell...go someplace else!

Breakfast at JW's is as good as it gets. The eggs are always cooked perfect, they have the best breakfast meats, and when Shawn is cooking the hashbrowns are golden brown & delicious. The head busboy John really runs a tight ship. Can't wait to go back!

The prime rib was horrible. The au jus was poured all over it, killing any flavor of the meat and the texture of the meat was like it was steamed all day. I got through half of it before I could eat no more. It was...disturbing. The fried cheese app was really good...I don't have muc have much else to say about this place. Please stop using canned vegetables and premade food. I can buy that myself and stick in the microwave. You have a restuarant...cook.