Aspen Restaurant & Bar

Odd service kept getting better energy from a different waitress asked question about sauces, pause for silence. Might have been better had the waiter knew the menu. Also crappie Moscow mule and warm blue moon. Not beer clean

Mediocre food and service. I attended one of their Mystery Dinners and it was awful — they had people speaking into one microphone they ALL shared (passing it around incessantly) and the «actors» were people that paid to watch the dinner! I was so glad I wasn’t chosen. The microphone also was so quiet you didn’t hear anything. At the end they said «choose 2 people, who do you think committed the crime?» And then it turned out to be 3 people that had done it! So no one got it right?! It was truly bad. Please go somewhere else.

I decided to give Aspen Restaurant one last try. Wife is in Lauderdale Beach, so i was in the mood for a simple New York Strip Steak! I go in, I sit down, I ask to see a real menu, keep the bar menu. First, unwrapped my silverware, fork had food hardened all over it and the waitress“Jessica” didn’t even apologize, just took it back like it is common, and brought me out another fork. I open the page to the steaks, and to my surprise: A 10 oz. NEW YORK STRIP AT A BAR, $ 24.99??? REALLY? I can get a 12 oz. IBP Reserve New York Strip at Louis’ Chop House for $ 23.00??? I can get a Black Angus 9 oz. Filet Mignon at Mr. Paul’s Chop House for $ 33.95! Honestly, my wife and I do not look at prices but when a Sports Bar has a NYS for $ 25.00 it gets your attention and not in a good way! I was blown away, so, ordered my glass of Merlot, and ordered Chicken Parmesan! $ 16.95, Chicken wasn’t hammered down and nice, and thin and crunchy, seasoned with a slice of cheese on top, no marinara sauce on it? Fat crusted chicken breast, seasoned well with cheese on it, angel hair pasta with very little sauce on it. Still cannot believe the price of a new York Strip, REALLY? It’s a Sports Bar. Sad, when we first moved here in 2010, we couldn’t get enough of the place, going down hill at a rapid pace, sort of like Tina’s Tavern, bunch of locals frequent the place, no where you would want to take a date. Sorry…

Normally, I would give the Aspen and good review. The menu has a good variety of choices and the food is usually very good. However, we went there on Mother’s Day and it was terrible. When I called to make reservations, I was not told it was a buffet only. The buffet had mediocre choices (meatballs, pasta, etc.) for what we paid and all of the food was cold. When the manager asked us how our dinner was, we told her that we eat there often and it is usually very good but that the buffet was disappointing. She said we were the only people who had said that and she had a bad attitude towards us and then walked away. This used to be one of my favorite places to go, but that has definitely changed in my opinion along with the other people in our dining party.

I’ve been here a few times and have always had a positive experience. There are plenty of booths and tables to sit at. they have a separate area that has more of a ‘bar’ feel to it. I love when you open the doors the handles are skies. There is a funky, friendly vibe to this place.
Last night I ordered the filet mignon for $ 28.00 (and change). Oh… My…God, it was the best steak I have had in years. A perfect cut, so tender it practically melted in my mouth. Cooked to perfection at medium. I love garlic salt with my steak so they brought me a wonderful little dish of garlic salt, pepper and salt mixed together; loved it! The meal came with a delicious cup of tomato soup, a large sweet potato and a delicious potato pancake. What a fabulous meal. But back to that steak. I had a difficult time eating all of it at once but it was so good I ate the left over meat on my way home in the car… I couldn’t resist, it tasted fabulous cold. Bonus, it was Thursday and ‘ladies night’ so my glass of red wine only cost $ 3.00
The service was excellent, which added to the overall pleasant experience.
I will return for another order of filet mignon. If you are a steak lover like me rush to this place and try the filet mignon.

I’ve never had a bad experience here, nor has the service been bad. I absolutely love the atmosphere in the restaurant because it feels like you’re in a cabin at the top of a mountain and you’re going to have to ski your way down when you want to leave. My reasoning for three stars is simply because the menu is not my kind of food. But I’d recommend that people go here to try the food out for themselves and not bad their opinion of the place off of what I have to say. The drinks here are pretty good, I just don’t consider their food to be my favorite. I definitely wouldn’t avoid going here though. If I had to go, I wouldn’t be upset. There are for sure worse places I could be. Just try it out before you form your own opinion.

Based strictly on the service and drink menu, I would return. You can get $ 6 Jäger Bombs, which ain’t too shabby. They have good beers on tap, including two of the best you can find anywhere: Two Hearted and Norm’s Raggedy Ass.
Oh, and it feels like you’re drinking/​eating in a ski lodge. I felt like Lloyd Christmas — without the suit and chipped tooth — enjoying life to its full capacity. Even the ski handle handles used to exit the bathroom are a great touch.
So… I’m telling you there’s a chance you might like this place.

Wrong review posted for wrong restaurant.

a lady friend who happens to be a chef and restaurant owner herself suggested we go try this place so we stooped in for a late lunch Sunday afternoon. The entry was welcoming It was a log cabin with that ski lodge feel. We were greeted politely and seated in the dining room. The décor is great, obviously someone had spent some money putting it together. I gave a one star rating since the place looked so good. The waitress came over and took a drink order. When I asked what the specialty of the house was she had no idea, then looked at the menu to try and find something to not look stupid. The service was horrible and the food was not really any better. The seafood bisque was tomato base with a flavor and taste like it was right out of a can. The aspen chips were not bad so no problem yet. I ordered the hunters plate with venison and wild boar sausage over top of potato pancakes. My lady friend had perch and baked potato. I am an avid outdoorsman, have hunted deer and wild boar and had sausage made from both. The wild boar was ok, had a bit of a bite to it, which I like but was not certain it was wild boar. The venison had no flavor at all so who really knows what that was. The potato pancake was the best part of my meal. I noticed the look of the perch filets across the table and they looked like frozen filets right out of the box from a local grocery. When I asked how they were she said they were flat pre breaded and not good at all. The potato was cold (not as in not hot… but cold). My water glass was never filled even though it was half empty before my meal arrived and empty shortly thereafter.
Oh well, so we figured another place with a good idea, well financed but really no clue how to serve customers and prepare food. Too bad! The bill cam and I noticed my entre was $ 20.99 and I thought it was $ 18.50 in the menu. I asked the hostess if I could see a menu and it was actually $ 18.99. When I brought this to the attention of the waitress she said oh let me find out why. She cam back and told me my mac and chees was an extra dollar. But when I ordered I was told it was included. So, I said Ok where is the other dollar? She again disappeared for a while and came back and said it was additional $ 2 but never offered to resolve the situation. To sum it up, the staff has no product knowledge, ability to resolve discrepancies and the food is low rate crap from a wholesale provider. Don’t waste your time at this place.

First experience… Awesome… so I tried a second and brought a party of six for a birthday dinner. Wow…180 degrees in the wrong direction. Ordered a chicken dish with a baked potato… broccoli stone cold, had to ask twice for butter and sour cream. Chicken was ok… once you unburied it from the freezing cold artichokes and tomatoes… which was strange since it was resting on hot chicken… My husband ordered meatloaf and it was unrecognizable as such and funky tasting.
Others ordered sandwiches and they were fine. I would recommend sticking with the «bar type» food and desserts. I previous had the cherry salmon which was so good but my dinner date knew the owner so maybe that makes all the difference.

We went for lunch and really liked it. We got seated right away, our server was friendly, ice tea is fresh brewed and she was quick with the refills. I got the Prime Dip. Soup, salad, & fries were extra. I passed because the person I was with was getting a Rib Basket that included fries so we just shared. My sandwich was huge! It was really tasty, and the cheese was perfectly melted. The person I was with loved the rib basket and it was a generous portion– fries were served hot. My biggest complaint is we didn’t have time for dessert. I want to go back for the Bear Claw Cheesecake. They use a lot of MI products which is a plus for me.

Long time customer. Good food. Everything I’ve tried there has been good. Wish they’d change it up and add a few more selections to the bar food menu. It’s a nice place to go and enjoy some drinks in the bar or a meal in the restaurant area. They have a large area if you want to reserve it for family or business occasions. Good location on M-​59. The rustic interior is something different that adds to the warm atmosphere. A fireplace in the bar adds some coziness on cold days and nights.

Very disappointed with the Aspen restaurant. Ordered the «potato sleds» for an appetizer and we never received them. Rex (our waiter) was not on the ball tonight what so ever. I am so glad that I had an entertainment coupon. What a shame, first time trying this place and it will be our last time. Sorry Rex and Aspen restaurant.

My family and I really like this place. Every day they have a great special. And on Mondays, military and retirees receive a discount off their entrée. My mom loves the perch dish. I like their chicken. Their soups are hot and flavorful. We have been there a lot and will be returning. It has a fun Aspen Ski Lodge interior décor.

I came here for the first time in August for a bridal shower in the back banquet room. It seemed like a pleasant enough place for a bridal shower, and the room in which the event was held was cute, though a bit a tight squeeze once everyone was seated.
The room was definitely cute and from the outside it seemed big enough (which it likely was, considering the number of tables pulled together), however, the way the room and tables were arranged seemed awkward and difficult to sit comfortably while eating and watching the bride open gifts and everything, let alone take any decent pictures. I wound up with a major tension headache and neck strain due to leaning in an uncomfortable fashion for about three hours. That was a bummer. The way the banquet room was set up also made it nearly impossible to follow any conversation at our incredibly long table. The layout definitely could have been improved.
Despite the slightly cramped quarters and the fact that the party got started a bit late, service was prompt and courteous and once everyone had ordered, the meals began coming out of the kitchen pretty quickly. There were no holdups on anyone’s order or refills and I don’t believe anyone sent their meal back to the kitchen asking for it to be remade.
As for the food, my salad was a specially created concoction, tweaked substantially from the original menu item to accommodate a food allergy, which I thought was really nice. Apparently, it had been discussed before I even arrived, so that was a good thing. As for the fish and chips, the fish was pretty good, seasoned just right, but the fries fell kind of flat.
I don’t know about the bar, so I can’t comment on that aspect, but some of the cocktails that I saw coming out of there looked pretty amazing. I think I’d like to try one of those martinis that I managed to get a glimpse of the next time around…

My daughter brought me here for my birthday. It seemed nice at first but the service was bad and the food was worse. I ordered a sprite and the waiter brang me 3 at once, in hot glasses from the dishwasher to boot. Then when our food arrived my daughter had coconut chicken. .burnt on the outside and raw inside. I ordered the campfire chkn and it was unappealing to say the least. I would not return to eat here again.

Came here for lunch with my dad who had high praise for their ribs. They did not disappoint. Their baby back rib basket was awesome. I was not expecting this place to have such meaty, fall off the bone ribs but these were exactly that. It has made me question my general lack of rib ordering at restaurants.
Along with the salt & peppered fries, it was the perfect amount of food for lunch. They also provided a warm bread basket once you are seated which I always appreciate. They also had a solid beer menu of local MI brews so all in all I was very happy (and a bit surprised) with how much I enjoyed the lunch from here.
Couldn’t give it a full 5 just based on the décor and environment being a bit dated but the food itself was a 5.

This is a great restaurant. The salad dressings are homemade. The soups are wonderful. A great place to go late as they stay open longer than most restaurants.
Reasonable prices also.

Never more excited than when we found this place. Great place to watch the game, grab a quick bite and catch up with friends. Their bar menu, especially during happy hour or a Detroit sporting event, is inexpensive but the portions and quality is FANTASTIC. Favorites include the chicken tenders, wings, fried pickles and daily specials! I actually ordered off the real menu the last time we were here and was not surprised that it was great too.
The other great thing about this place is their beer menu. First, they have definitely jumped on the local craft beer bandwagon and I for one couldn’t be more pumped. If you’re not in the mood for a craft beer, domestic drafts are usually $ 5 a pitcher. We have walked out of there some nights with a $ 20 tab between the two of us and couldn’t be happier!

Will not be back. If I could give this place no stars I would.
Started off great. Host was nice and friendly and even checked to see if any tables were available in the bar where my family of 3 wanted to sit. Since there wasn’t any available we sat in the dinning area and planned on ordering the bar food.
—15 minutes goes by since being seated—
Nothing. No help. No drinks. No acknowledgement. Mind you there is waitresses, waiters, bussers nearby. Not very busy I may add.
Finally a waiter helps us, probably since he probably heard we were gonna leave since he only walked past us countless times already.
He apparently wasn’t supposed to be our server but he decided he was going to help us. Okay. Perfect! This night is going to turn around for the better. Not to mention he said he has been waitering since 1976!
WRONG!
Took nearly 10 minutes for waters. Another 30 minutes after getting waters to get our food. In between this time out water glasses were empty.
Once our food arrived nobody came by to check on us (shocker!) and we still needed water.
Our waiter came by finally, again probably over hearing my Mom mention the bill, and gives us water.
A manager came by to apologize for the bad service explaining that the waitress had the table and she’s new. Okay if she was new she should have a trainer with her with experience. She tried giving us a gift certificate for next visit. By this point my mother was in tears. She has been here on numerous occasions for mystery dinners, retirement parties and just out to eat and have never experienced this bad of experience before. My Mom made it clear that we won’t be back and that she just wanted to pay the bill and leave.
Of course nobody else came to check on us again. The waiter and manager were gossiping about our experience as we exited the building.
We got in our car and almost to end of driveway when the waiter was chasing us down trying to give us the gift certificate that we didn’t accept.
Especially on a Friday night managers should come around to tables to check on customers. I counted over 20
times that a member of the Aspen walked past our table. Nobody deserves to be treated that way. I don’t know what we did to deserve that treatment.