Manitou

Food barely acceptable and service poor. Other great places to try so won’t be going back.

I had the fried chicken and must say I was not impressed. Our service left a lot to be desired. I don’t know that I will ever be back. Too many restaurants available who want my business!

Getting scared away from Traverse City by the $ 300 hotels turned out to be a good thing, as this delightful restaurant would be a bit out of my normal northern Michigan radius. And normally, the only way I’d set foot in a restaurant during «early bird» dinner time is by pretending it’s lunch (hat tip to Philip Seymour Hoffman in «The Talented Mr. Ripley.») But the 4:30−6 deals here are excellent, categorized as smaller portions but decent-​sized by my difficult standards.
The waitress was excellent. I take out-​of-​town food seriously, some would say too much so, and she helped narrow down the choices. I had the sauteed perch, which was a good, garlicky preparation that treated these small fish with respect instead of overpowering them with batter. I enjoyed the asparagus and cheese soup and the potatoes au gratin. I’ll get on the blueberry/​raspberry pie bandwagon too. The only flaw was that the iced tea was on the dark side instead of the golden ideal. The décor was very woodsy.

The atmosphere is relaxing and fun. The staff was awesome and the food even better. I would drive past a lot of restaurants to get to the Manitou. I’ll be back as soon as possible. I had the perch dinner with sweet potato fries. It was hard to pick a meal, everything on the menu sounded and looked good.

We have been vacationing in the Sleeping Bear area for the past ten years and would drive by the Manitou and comment about all the cars parked alongside the road, and said it might be worth trying this place given the apparent popularity. As it turns out, we should have kept driving. Last Saturday, our group of 3 arrived at 7:15 and were promptly seated outside,
but no one took our drink order until 7:45. Three dinner rolls appeared around 8:15 followed by a wilted salad and soup which came about 8:30. We were told the kitchen was backed up because of two large parties of 10. Imagine that! Being caught off guard on a Saturday night by a full house! 9:00 rolls around and our dinner was nowhere in sight. Looking at the label on my beer glass that read «Fine Dining since 1979» I began to wonder how many people were still here from that year waiting for their meal. You think management might have offered a round of free drinks while we waited, but that was not to be. At this point we were ready to pay for our drinks and salad and leave, but given the late hour and distance to another restaurant it was not a viable option. The dinner entrees finally arrived at 9:15, but by this time our impatience and disappointment with the service precluded our ability to enjoy the meal. All we wanted to do was eat and get out of there before midnight! By the time the Prime Rib and potato arrived, they had cooled off and sending it back would’ve been as effective as tossing it into the nearby woods and hoping it would come back out the right temperature. We have dined in Frankfort, Glen Arbor and Traverse City for ten years and this is the first bad experience we have had in a local restaurant. Time to start a new dining winning streak, and to ensure the streak will be a long one, we will avoid the Manitou at all costs.

Sorry people, having grown up here I couldn’t wait to have my honeymoon meal at the Manitou. The server, when I saw her, was friendly. The food was a big disappointment. Starting with the brown salad with slimy spinach and ended with finding moldy raspberries in my drink at the very last sip. My husband had the lamb chops, they seemed a little underdone but were tasty. My trout was good so I’ll give them that. No water refills and no ask for any other drink orders throughout the entire meal. When I asked for salt and pepper I was waved at but nothing came. If that made me tacky whatever: I likes me salt and pepper. I promptly left instead of asking for the manager because I was too disappointed to talk or argue with anyone. I called today once I calmed down only to be met with excuses for service and an apology. They did tell me to look them up and have dinner on them should I be in the area again and be willing to give it another try. I’ll stop in when I’m back at the end of August or September and see if they honor this offer. If so, and its good, I will happily review this establishment again and I hope I can say something nice…

If you’re looking for ambiance and a really good sense of regional specialties, look no further than the Manitou. Wood paneled interior, an assortment of mounted fish, deer heads, antlers, and extraneous other (there’s a bear. Did I mention the bear?) makes it feel like a cozy, intimate setting although they’re capable of seating groups and serving more people than you’d expect.
Service is spectacular. Waitresses are friendly and knowledgeable. When you ask them for suggestions, you don’t get defaulted to the most expensive item on the menu, which is a big plus. Drink service is spectacular — they have a bar in one of the rooms (where you can sit and drink) and they’ve got a variety of drinks on their list that my friends and I enjoyed. The wine list is a collection of familiar «safe» options and some more local wines. While I’m not a beer drinker, the one in our party was satisfied with the offerings.
I really enjoy the food here. Many of the fish options are clearly great lakes options. The fish fry is spectacular. Trout, perch, and whitefish are all Lake Michigan originated and amazingly fresh. If seafood isn’t your style, the chicken is one of the write-​home-​about options. (It’s odd. Chicken normally seems relegated to a menu position of «need one bland chicken entrée to satisfy picky eaters, and little attention is given to it after that’s present.) It’s well cooked, flavorful, and comes with amazing sides. The M22 (sirloin) is fantastic and probably one of my favorite things on the menu.
Tip: Order the onion rings. You won’t regret it. Crispy, crunchy, and delicious without being overly greasy.
We have a house on Crystal Lake and spend summers here. I’ve been coming to the Manitou for many years and, based off of my recent visit, will continue to make it a must-​do on every trip.

Very good dinner and good service. I had the broiled cod. They were very accommodating for food sensitivities.

Last night of an amazing golf trip with friends. Outstanding diinner. Food quality superlative, staff — Alex — attentive and engaging. Amazing that in such a rural location there is such a diverse and quality menu.

We have eaten here three times this summer. The lake Perch is to die for !!! Of course we can’t get lake perch in Vegas, where we live most of the year. We drive from Ludington, so it’s 1.5 hours, but the food is worth the drive !!! We have never had a bad meal here !!! Very consistent and always great service !!! The desserts are great, and the wine selection, while small is full of great choices !!! I don’t think Whitefish at 22.00 is to much either !!! This includes a salad and potato !!! Can’t wait till next Summer !!!

Sit outside if you can. Our server knew the drink menu really well and offered us samples of local beers before we ordered. Later she came to the table to let us know that the kitchen was backed up and offered to bring out some of our sides in advance. Try the trout with pecans topping. The fish fry special was fine but a bit greasy (it’s fried so I should be surprised. The baked and then deep fried duck was tough and I wouldn’t order it again. Would visit again.

This place looks warm and homey — the perfect place to stop for dinner and drinks! It’s like eating at a log cabin in the north woods. My husband ordered a Maker’s mark old fashioned off of their extensive cocktail menu and really enjoyed it. You got an extraordinary amount of food for your money. We got the onion rings (which are hard to mess up) and and the potato skins for an app. The skins were crispy and incredible! With your entrée you get a soup or salad. I order the portobello mushroom bisque — yum! The rest of my party really enjoyed their salads. I ordered the sautéed perch for my meal and was disappointed, it seemed more fried, and just wasn’t what I expected. However, my husband loved his pork chops and the whitefish looked good. A great place to come for dinner when visiting the area.

It was fantastic!!! They had such fresh fish that i had to order another plate just to take home. The service is incredibly fast. If you ever come here you wont be disappointed.

My memories of this place were from a decade ago, so when my elderly Aunt wanted to go there I was not looking forward to it. How wrong I was.
Wonderful food, pleasant setting, efficient staff. It was so good I went two days later with some local friends!
The «early bird» prices from 4:30PM — 6:00PM are about ½ the regular prices, with smaller portions, but PLENTY of food for a normal appetite.
The white fish — the trout — even the Delmonico Steak were all excellent.

Rustic cabin exterior, homey interior — like a cross between your grandmother’s house and Gaston’s beer hall (?) from Beauty and he Beast — there’s seriously a mounted bear coming out of the wall, ready to pounce. Really adds to the ambiance.
All our drinks were good — Mojitos, Manhattans, beer, and a basic gin and seltzer. Not only did the bartenders make great (and strong) drinks, but they had excellent beer on tap. We were very happy. And saucy, I’m sure.
The four of us ordered two walleye specials, the duck, and the trout. The duck was huge, and came with both rice and potatoes, which was unconventional but not disappointing. The potatoes au gratin were delicious — not greasy or overly cheesy. The perfect au gratin potatoes. The pecan-​encrusted trout was perfect. Huge piece of fish with a fantastic texture — loved the crunchiness of the outside, and the inside was moist and really flavorful. My only complaint with my dinner was that the amount of walleye served for the special was pitiful. Really tiny piece of fish, and it definitely looked alone and sad on the plate next to the potatoes. Of course, it tasted wonderful, but for the price ($ 26 or $ 27), it definitely was not worth it. My appetite as not sated. I wish I would have ordered the trout for sure.
We all got dessert — two of their famous blueberry/​raspberry pies, the frozen peanut butter pie, and the key lime pie. Everyone else loved their pies, but I hated mine. It was lukewarm and oozing all over the place, like it hadn’t been properly cooled. It was unappetizing to look at, and I only had a couple bites because I really didn’t like it at all.
Despite a few negatives, we really had a great time at Manitou. I’ll definitely visit again the next time we are in Michigan — but during the summer only, because it’s a seasonal restaurant.

Server was very unknowledgable of food and described it as baseball park food. Drinks while absurdly strong were over priced. The desert we had was decent…

If you want fine dining big city style, keep driving. If you want solid, good food in a fun, casual atmosphere, enjoy yourself. Been to a Wisconsin supper club? This is it, only with better food. If you’re not health conscious, start with an order of Skinny Dippers. Most soups are very good. House salad with dried cherries and cherry vinaigrette is classic. Fish is great. They will broil, pan fry, deep fry, etc. even if not on the menu. So are the lamb chops. One of the best wine lists for a place like this you’ll ever find: while not deep, it is broad with a great range of choices. And save room for the pie. My fav is blueberry/​raspberry pie; ask and they’ll warm it so the the a la mode melts all over it.

I’ve been coming here with my family since I was a baby; 1994! We stay at a cottage nearby in Frankfort every summer. Food is always outstanding. My top three favorites and recommendations are the broiled whitefish, the sautéed lake perch, and the duck. You really can’t go wrong with any of the menu choices. Not too crazy about the frog legs; too chewy for me. And the blueberry raspberry pie is a MUST for dessert. So delicious!!! Great location on Scenic Hwy tucked back in the trees and just a short drive from Point Betsie. However, my family is not impressed with the owner. 20 years loyal customers and he has never so much as acknowledged us in any way.

Been going here since the early 1980’s. My uncle has a summer place not far from the Manitou. This is perhaps my favorite restaurant of all time. It is expensive, it can be very very crowded… you get what you pay /​wait for. The perch dinner is amazing. I’ve never had a bad meal there. The staff is friendly and informative. This is the perfect place for a good, expensive, treat yourself and significant other kinda meal.

Manitou is one of the nicer places to get a meal in the neighborhood. We sat on the patio, which was pretty empty. Inside, it was packed, and there was a wait. Reservations are a must for a summer weekend night.
As for the food, I had the cheddar+asparagus soup, which was good. The black bean burrito was also pretty tasty, with a much appreciated spiciness. It probably would have benefited from some sour cream or avocado. At any other restaurant, it also would have cost about half of what it does here. The trout got very good reviews, as did the wedge salad. The provided breadbasket was quite good, and at the beginning of the meal they give you some carrots, cucumber, celery, and radish to nosh on.
The wine list was ok, with a handful of Michigan whites, and a few malbecs (pretty good). Service was great.
I’d come back.