McRae’s Big River Grille

The half-​price dinner/​drinks special on Wednesdays is unlike anything I’ve ever seen anywhere. Highly recommend the homemade pizza. Friendly service. Comfortable lounge.

We came across this little gem while driving along the river. The wait staff is always friendly and the food is delicious. I have ordered several of the menu items and specials on our many date nights here, I have never been disappointed. I would recommend BRG to anyone looking for a good meal. Keep up the good work.

We were visiting family who live nearby, and they recommended we go here an early dinner.
the view is fantastic! Beautiful scene, right next to the river. The main dining area is large, with plenty of tables/​seating. Since we went early we had no problem getting a table for a large group (10).
The wait staff was fabulous! They took care of us very well. I know it’s not easy to take care of such a large group. The food was great too! They have a large menu, and the dessert tray is to die for! We ordered quite the variety of dinners, and every person was satisfied with their meal.
There was an adorable little ferret or mink or something that kept popping out of the bushes while we were there, it was so fun to watch.
Overall, we had a really nice time. I’d definitely come back if in the area. Great family restaurant.

Great food! Great Staff! Food came out very fast! love coming her me to eat! The murder mystery diner was awesome! The waitress talked to us like we knew her all our lives Would most definitely come here again with friends! Love sitting right by the river

I’m not sure where the other reviewers were eating, but this place deserves a visit from the Public Health Department! When the staff says I would never eat here-​listen!
We were greeted promptly and seated at a table overlooking the water. The beverage menu was soiled with someone else’s food splatters. It was then that my husband pointed out the numerous red carpet runners all over the large dining room. We realized they were to cover the dAted mauve stained carpet from the early 80’s. A dustied, spider-​webbed matching green and mauve valence framed our water view.
We could see the beat up, rusted out legs of the tables below the stained table clothes. These were then further covered over with brown paper-​classy.
Our waitress, Haley, was sweet and courteous. We each ordered a glass of red wine from an unimpressive list. When she brought the overfilled glasses she asked if I would «smell it». Skeptical to play along, I asked why she was asking. She admitted to not knowing much about red wine, but thought it «smelled funny» and wanted me to check. I did and told her she is to trust her olfaction! The wine smelled like vinegar. She proceeded to tell us that their «specialty wines» don’t get used that often, so she has started to write the dates on the bottles so they know how many days or weeks have passed since the bottles were opened. (the restaurant seats at least 150 people and they can’t turn over a bottle of red wine!!!)
We each ordered the surf and turf, a Sunday special. I had the filet and salmon. My husband had the popcorn shrimp and herb chicken. Both came with choice of soup or salad, potato and broccoli. My salmon wAs closer to cardboard it was so overcooked. I asked for med rare filet, but said if the chef has a heavy hand request it rare. She did and it was a perfect med rare. My husbands herb chicken was breaded, fried and smothered in cheese-​disgusting.
Before our departure I needed to use the restroom. In front of me were 2 employees carrying a mop and bucket with grayish water. They entered into the women’s restroom and proceeded to let me in. It was then that they asked which toilet had overflowed. While mopping the floor, one employee said to the other, «I will never eat here… ever!»
Another customer and I walked out… and kept going.

I really enjoy this place. I like the setting and the food. I have noticed that their menu does change at times, depending on the season. They have delicious calamari. I like to order the stuffed shrimp, which isn’t there all the time. That’s the only downfall. So overall, good food and good views.

Love this place, always something going on out in the river, between the huge frighters and beautiful yachts in summer to the ice cutters and beautiful view of the ice, this place is great! Very friendly staff, great food, and get company! Our waitdress jenna was very outgoing and very upbeat we will request her next time we go in! All in all this place is a win win!

Went to Sip and Dip with friends and had a great time & lots of fun at Big River Gille. The appetizers were wonderful. Had lots of fun and laughs. I also was at a Murder Mystery dinner at Big River Gille and had a great time and fun. I think everyone should come and try Big River Gille for a great night out of food and fun.

Group of 5 girlfriends attended Sip and Dip at Big River Grille. We all had a lot of fun. Everyone’s picture came out great! Food was awesome and the staff was very friendly. We will definitely be going back!
A group of 15 of us also went to the murder mystery at Big River Grille about 2 months ago. We all had a blast. It was again a night full of laughter and got times had by all. Very entertaining! The food was delicious that night. It was a prime rib buffet along with an ice cream bar and snacks after the show. You can really tell the manager Doug enjoys his job. He was very attentive and made sure everything ran smooth.
If you haven’t tried Big River Grille… you should! The view of the water is beautiful and food is great

Visited here for a murder mystery dinner. They had an hors d’oeuvres hour afterwards, and I like that they do fun things like that for guests. There was a beautiful view of the frozen river.
They had a prime rub buffet followed by an ice cream sundae bar. I’m not personally a fan of prime rib but I had a burger and fries. The burger was decent and the fries were deliciously seasoned.
The greatest thing about the restaurant is the owner, who you can tell goes above and beyond for his guests. This place is nothing fancy, but it does feel warm and cozy and if I was in the area I would come back again.

We stopped at Big River Grill for the second time on Labor day. We were seated as soon as we walked in the door. The restaurant was very busy, but our waitress was with us in minutes. The food was very good. The river view was awesome. They even had a piano man! All together a great dining experience. Especially considering we had no reservation. I will go back for the seafood and my guy loves the streaks

We drove 45 minutes to eat at the Big River Grill with high expectations. What a sobering experience. We were led to a table near a party that had a child who was not quite ready for prime time. We asked to be sat further down the window. That’s where we sat, and were promptly forgotten about for almost 15 minutes. We had to (finally) ask a busperson if anyone was assigned to our table. After a moment of confusion and shoulder shrugging by the waitstaff we were assigned a server who informed us that she was asked (specifically) to wait on us. Were we supposed to feel bad that we imposed on her? After some confusion about our drink orders, we finally had beverages and ordered our food. The menu has changed. Gone is the Monte Cristo Sandwich which was one of our favorites. The food was so-​so. The place itself is a dive. The carpet and tables are filthy. The bar area is a disgrace and looks like it hasn’t been updated since the Reagan administration. The bathrooms look like something from a roadhouse. There was no hand soap. The TV’s are local HD only — (no cable) and look like they could die at any minute. We found the staff somewhat aloof and ill-​prepared. The piano player never actually plays an entire song. He dishes out 10-​second samples from songs in his catalog. We spent an hour listening to a pianist who sounded like he was warming up. Never… again.

Sorry Bob, but the Big River Grill is really going down hill. The food at best is Mediocre. I have never seen this place so empty on a Holiday. Seven tables on Thanksgiving.

Had a birthday party on April 14^th 2013 at McRaes Big River Grill. They did a fabulous job. The service was stellar, could not have been better. The food was wonderful. Served hot and well proportioned. Great place to have a gathering. Prices are comparable. Thanks to all the staff for making our event perfect.

Visited the «Big River Grille» again (of course, it was because we had a Restau​rant​.Com certificate to use up).
It’s not that this place is so bad… I mean, a «three star» rating means «A-​OK», and this place is OK. They have a decent selection on their menu consisting of some Chicken, Steaks, and Ribs… some Seafood selections and some Pasta dishes as well (oh, and Pizza too). I can’t imagine that anyone would ever walk away from this place thinking «WOW»… that was the best meal I’ve ever had! But… still, it’s usually decent, if not overly exciting.
So… you can get a good meal here (and especially at a good price if you have a Restau​rant​.Com certificate). That’s what I would suggest to you… go to «Restau​rant​.Com» and buy a certificate for this place and THEN try them out.

Every time I have out-​of-​towners visiting my family in Marine City, I insist we go to McRae’s. From the second you sit down, you have food in front of you. Their bread and garlic butter is rockin’, their french onion soup is mouth watering, and their tomato salad is heaven for anyone who likes tomatoes.
Their seafood is excellent as it should be considering they’re planted right on the water. I’ve never had anything here I didn’t love. They have a whitefish smothered in tomatoes and mozzarella cheese that is hands down the best fish I’ve ever had. Everything is just… amazing. Seriously.
The location is great too, particularly if you have out-​of-​town family visiting. For some reason they always get a kick out of sitting right on the water. There’s not a bad seat in the house and the windows are huge so no matter where you sit you can relax and watch freighters go by… if you’re into that.