We have driven past the Dam Site Inn hundreds of times through the years. Saturday evening we decided to give it a go. Wow. Impressed and we will be back. It is homemade deliciousness! The fried chicken is like how grandma used to make it. Oh and the perch...ahhhmazing. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. The buttery homemade noodles, mashed potatoes, coleslaw, chicken gravy...it was all delicious. What made our visit exceptional was our server, Matt. He told us the history, we chatted about concerts! He was so personal and Dam good at his job. We did not have to wait for anything. We will see you soon!! read more

It was an interesting meal. The waiter seemed a little lost most of the time. He failed to explain that the perch was $44, not $31 like the chicken. So that was a surprise when the bill came. The bartender took our order, but then we had to pick the up from the bar. ??? The best part of the evening besides our friends, we the fried chicken. I would recommend just ordering a plate of checked. The sides were not worth it. read more

It was a very large restaurant maybe that's why it took so long for our food to come. They might've been shortstaffed. I don't know. We got 5: 30 menu right away ordered at 5:45 food and not arrive until 6:45 not happy with that! That is why I gave it a three star review . The food was good, but the wait did me in !! read more

Great local establishment offering great food. The Clam Chowder soup was delicious and was a great value. read more

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The atmosphere here is an upscale house feel. Warm and inviting on the inside. However since they removed the Dam years ago the outside view is a little, blah. We ordered the all you can eat Pan Fried Chicken Dinner ($30). This consists of a Salad or Cole slaw, Assorted crackers with butter, Buttermilk biscuits with honey, Buttered Noodles, Buttered Peas, Creamy whipped potatoes, Golden chicken gravy, and of course platter of chicken. Lets start with this warning there is a lot of butter on everything. Lets now go with the positives: the Salad was excellent and the French dressing was perfect. The mashed potatoes were extraordinary, in fact my favorite thing. The noodles were good. The biscuits were good and honey was excellent, I would have preferred yeast rolls, but still above average. Now for the bad: The Chicken was ehh. Supposedly the best chicken in Northern Michigan and made a bunch of lists. However, it was kinda dry and the coating was bland. I've had some truly delicious fried chicken in Frankenmuth and South Haven and this chicken doesn't come even remotely close. Also the crackers and butter is just strange. I don't like peas so I have no opinion on them. The person I was with had an even lesser opinion of the meal. The mashed potatoes and salad should not be the best part of the meal. That all being said the value was excellent. The service was very friendly and happy, just not efficient. The waitress kept forgetting things and maybe waitressing isn't for her. She was very pleasant though. Overall a 3 star review. Would I return? No! Not worth the drive for average chicken. read more

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The chicken & noodles were fantastic today! Everything is great and SO tasty! Sorry to see them close for the winter but hey...they deserve a break! read more

If you want a nostalgic walk back in time, Dam Site Inn hits all the marks. The interior gives sets a retro theme reminiscent of a simpler time of family dining in a nice country setting. The chicken is amazing, lightly coated and crispy. All the sides are freshly prepared. Served family style with all you can eat portions. Service is good and servers are very attentive. One of our favorites and we go every year for dinner. read more

Dam Site Inn - Family style chicken dinner, mashed potatoes, noodles, peas and fresh bisquits. - Seafood Near Me - Pellston, Michigan

I absolutely love the dam site in we go at least once a year and we live locally, my husband works in the summer and it's just busy season so it's very hard to get a night out in summer but we make sure that we at least get one night to go to Dam Site Inn. The amazing chicken dinner is served family style and it's such a good quality and so fresh and last time we went they had a purchase special also so we got chicken and perch- I ate so much. I swear I had to roll home. I was so yummy. I just couldn't stop although I did order dessert to go. this spot is extremely popular so go early. You might even get in line for first seating. They don't actually have two formal seatings but because it is so popular it fills up really quick and then you have to wait so you could get there and get seated right away or get there and wait an hour plan accordingly but if you do get there and there is a wait, just know that it is worth it. Wear your stretchy pants. read more

I used to work hear decades ago. Some things are just as tasty as always. Love the noodles, love the relish tray, love the chocolate mousse cake. The chicken was cooked but the breading was very pale not the golden brown it should be. The breading needed seasoning and was bland. The salads were as great as I remember. But this time I sat near the fireplace and I had an allergic reaction to something in the room my eyes swelled up, my throat began to itch, my nose was running and I felt like I couldn't breath well. We had to rush out and take out food to go. I have since order a to go order which they were happy to put together. The white fish was perfect and all the sides just as good too. read more

Family style chicken dinners Location Decor, ambiance This place is fantastic. We come here every time we are in the area read more

This restaurant never disappoints! It was built, I believe, in the 50s, and it has the most amazing ambience. Our server was so kind and friendly, as well as being attentive. The fried chicken was crispy on the outside and juicy and tender on the inside. The biscuits were a nice size and they came out of the oven, hot and fresh. Surprisingly, most of us were shocked that our favorite thing was the buttered peas, followed by the amazing homemade noodles. It is the perfect old style family dinner, and I would highly recommend it to everybody. read more

Was on bucket list as grandkids live in petoskey and passed by several times a year. Decided to partake and was sorrowfully disappointed. Although the settings etc are well done ... the number of staff on hand and their courtesy warrant no complaints. The expensive ( $100.00 ) for 2 including tip....world famous chicken dinner ( eight pcs ) with 2 tiny biscuits, peas etc was a bitter disappointment. Tasteless chicken that only passed with gravy and plain sides. Obviously would not recommend and wish I could have spoken to the owner on site... Dam Site Inn dinner was a Dam Shame..... read more

Though we did not have our entire family here tonight, this place is nothing but good. The feeling you get from the second you walk in is you are taken back in time to when things were nice, and people cared about the little things. Every year the owners mother carves about 100 pumpkins, she's in the beginning phase, but the pumpkins are spectacular as you will see in my postings. The highlight of the evening I must say was our server Tom. Tom started out here as a busboy, and was promoted to server back in 2020. His brother has worked here, as well as his mother when she was younger. This is a true example of people that care about service, and are proud of what they do, as they should be as they are at the top of their class. The owner is a genuinely warm man and cares so much about his customers, and the people and his operation. Trust me when you go here it's not just a meal it's a memory that will last forever. read more

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Old time - and I mean VERY OLD TIME ambience, decor, service and menu. You like a relish tray? Check. Naugahyde seats & horseshoe bar? Check. Family style all-you-can-eat Sunday chicken dinners ever day? Check. The chicken is what they are known for & our able & affable server told us they go through 800-850 chickens per week!! That speciality includes all of grandma's specialties - homemade biscuits, peas, oodles of noodles, mashed potatoes & gravy - the works! This is a wonderful experience & my wife & I were shocked that when we stood to leave, we had enjoyed a two-hour stay! We will be back, but next time I will try something else. As much as I enjoyed myself, I did find all of the food to be a bit bland. But if you like bland, this is the place for you. And a fascinating history with the same family running the place for 3 generations. Delightful. read more

Probably some of the best fried chicken i have ever had, if not the best. The sides are all great but extremely heavy and buttery. This is not a meal you eat every day though. Fun, cozy throwback atmosphere. Service is solid. read more

A classic throwback to mid-century dinning. The decor, the menu and the ambiance harken back to simpler days. We love the place.

We have been coming here for fifty years nows. The current owners are the third generation and know how to operate a winning formula. While you can't go wrong with their chicken (delicious), don't be afraid to try the rest. Especially the seafood. The whitefish, perch and walleye are always fresh and fantastic. Strangely, they have some of the BEST fried shrimp you will ever taste. Noodles & biscuits made from scratch. It's the most requested restaurant visit at our cottage by both family and guests! read more

Dam Site Inn - Onion Ring Appetizer - Seafood Near Me - Pellston, Michigan

Food was great Wait staff friendly and swift ! A great retro bar and bright dining room for family style dining !

This is an all time favorite of my entire family. We have been coming to the Dam Site Inn for decades and we love it every time. Thank you for continuing the awesome tradition of fine dining and wonderful food in a great location. We will be back soon. read more

Chicken this year was dry and tasteless. The waiter was horrible and rude. Cracker basket????? Expensive for what you get

It will not be possible for you to leave hungry. Enjoyable place to take the family (especially the grandparents ) all you can eat portions with quality, homemade taste. If you are into some retro, nostalgia like I am .. you will appreciate the interior vibe. Some may say it is dated, and that is true, but that's what provides the character of the restaurant. read more

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Wow. Apparently this was one of my grandfathers favorite places & I get it 100%. Met the owner who could not have been nicer, had the chicken & perch and all the fixings! Great everything! The service was incredible and extremely helpful, we had a wonderful gal who guided us perfectly through the night. I love that the place is also a time capsule. The bar and each addition had its own identity but all are cool! If you're in N. Michigan this is the spot to hit! read more

Cool interior, family style food, good service. Good fried chicken in a 50's style vibe. An experience!

TONS of food, one person can probably order the unlimited chicken meal and it would be enough for 4 people. Everything tasted great. Lemonade is a must get, it's sparkling. read more

Dam Site Inn - Biscuits and honey - Seafood Near Me - Pellston, Michigan

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There's nothing like the Dam Site Inn. It's a throwback to a different era, so if you go here, you need to respect that. The most AMAZING mid-century bar you will ever see. Cocktails are strong and affordable. The fried chicken and fried perch are quite possibly the best in Northern Michigan, possibly the entire Midwest. There is nothing like the experience here - it's like a family dinner with bottomless bowls of homemade noodles, spring peas, mashed potatoes, and gravy. If you're there on a weekend, you might be able to buy some homemade jam and honey from the Amish residents that set up a stall in the parking lot. I cherish the Dam Site Inn and hope you do too! read more

We found Dam Site Inn on Yelp when searching for a restaurant that serves fried chicken. It is an example of "hidden gem " The signage for the restaurant is not easy to see but we found it. Initially we were not sure what we were getting into but what a pleasant surprise. Dan Site Inn has an old fashion elegance feel to it. We were seated promptly and given our water. Niki our waitress arrived soon after and took our drink orders. We told Niki about wanting fried chicken and she explained that this place serves the best pan fried chicken she has ever had, so we all ordered it. The meal is served family style. Our salads were nice and fresh and all had house made dressings on them. After our salads were eaten we were brought warms plates for our meals. Bowls and platters of food arrived and what a platter full of yummy looking fried chicken. The chicken is delicious. We ate till we were full and then were brought warm hand towels to wipe off with. Niki was so attentive and made sure we were content and didn't need anything. What a wonderful meal and we finished it off with fresh made Angel food cake with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. We will definitely be back here to the "Dam Site Inn" when we are in the area. read more

The food was excellent great atmosphere. Our waitress Doreen was a wonderful we had 18 of us and she waited on all of us and she did a great job. Highly recommend this place. Very cool inside also. read more

Old timing it for sure but such a gem. It's comforting to know some things are sticking with what they know best. We come here a few times a year with large family groups and are never disappointed. The chicken and perch dinners are our favorites. This is old school but so charming. Hope it stays around for a long time. read more

I can't even begin...I was so disappointed in the whole experience. We have been coming to the restaurant for over 30 years for family gatherings. The food was served in smaller bowls and smaller plates WHY? The only piece of chicken I ate was a thigh which the meat was a gray color and it tasted like it was leftover from someone else s plate. I can say we will not be coming back ever to a restaurant that serves an outrageous price for a horrible chicken dinner. read more

The food was marginal. The service was awful. Took my family a for Father's Day meal and I should have said something when the waiter, Matt, just dropped my dads plate on the table. He reached across my plate to fill my child's water several times. Plopped lemon in my ice tea with his hands and didn't even bring tongs for the chicken. Took straws out of my kids drinks and just stuck it in the new pop glass. Overall it was a chore for him to wait on us. I know the restaurant has been known for a special venue, but when it's closed down for the winter season---- Paint the baseboards. And the tile ceiling is falling down. So many more things I could say but this sums it up. read more

I was expecting great things from this restaurant based on feedback from a friend. Unfortunately I was not impressed. Their specialty is all you can eat chicken dinners served family style. We stood in line just prior to their opening for the evening at 5:00 PM (it was an early dinner for my group). Seeing a line was a promising sign. We were seated relatively promptly, and were greeted by our server within a few minutes. After ordering our dinner we sat and waited for almost 45 minutes watching several tables around us eat their dinner. Remember, we were one of the first customers that evening and we all arrived at the same time, and basically all ordered the same meal. There was no excuse for the extreme difference in times between various groups being served. The server brought us a basket of plastic wrapped crackers and some butter. This was supposed to hold you over for the 45 minutes until you got your meal. When the food arrived it was hot and plentiful. The chicken was OK, but a little on the dry side. The mashed potatoes were of the instant variety, and the chicken gravy was obviously from a can. The homemade noodles were the best thing on the table. One of the house specialties is homemade biscuits and honey. There were three of us at the table and the server brought us a basket with 3 biscuits. These are roughly 1.5 inches in diameter. Towards the end of our meal the server came back and asked us if we wanted more chicken. Remember this is all you can eat. I said yes please, just one piece of breast meat since I have not tried it yet. The server explained to me that a wing is white meat and I could just eat that. I said no, I want to try a breast. She brought the table a single piece of breast meat in a bowl. I guess the amount of chicken they bring you initially is all you can eat per the management... I normally do not write reviews, and usually never negative. My main issues with this restaurant are there service, quality of food and pricing. This is a northern Michigan restaurant charging large city prices. The all you can eat dinner is $30 and a bottle of beer is $8. This is a very expensive chicken dinner though it did not taste like one. read more

Old school supper club. Hidden gem. Relish tray! All You can eat Fried chicken was out of this world! Homemade noodles to die for. They accommodated 17 of us last minute and stayed open late for our group. Thank you so much for a memorable meal. read more

We are generally easy to please but our visit to The Dam Site Inn was the most disappointing dinner we have had in a very long time! It had been so hyped up and we were so looking forward to it after driving by for years. I realize it was their first day open for the season but while the female waitress were hustling the young man we had appeared to not care if he was there. After we got our food we never saw him again until he was waiting on the people seated behind us no we had to grab him quick before he walked away to have some of our items refilled. The chicken was also on the dry side and really didn't have any taste to i. We got one each little bitty biscuit. The coleslaw, homemade noodles and gravy was good. Peas and potatoes nothing special. We won't be back and thankfully we checked it out before taking friends. Totally over priced!! We will stick with the places in the area we know are good and also those local to our home that serve amazing family style chicken and ham dinners for much less!!!! read more

This place is amazing! It felt like going back in time, in the most amazing way. The service was not rushed and our plates were not on top of each other-refreshing and a nice pace. We felt very relaxed and at ease to just enjoy our meal and conversation. The fried chicken was very good, the sides were also very good- the spring peas were the best I've had in a restaurant. Going out is so expensive these days, I felt they did such a great job in every way-it was worth every penny. Please don't ever change! read more

Great dining experience! We got there right at 5pm because we had a group and there was a lineup at the door! Very socially distanced though. We got seated quickly. Tables are spaced apart. We did the family chicken dinner and it was fabulous! Highly recommend! Our server, Brandy, was fabulous and patient with the kids! read more

Even with the staffing shortage that every restaurant has, service was prompt. We had a 10 person party, every drink was exactly what we ordered, food was outstanding, best chicken we've ever had. Entire staff was attentive, friendly and accommodating, never had to ask for a refill. Been coming for 30 years, the quality of food has never wavered and stayed at the top of their game. read more

I have been going to the Dam Site Inn since I was a child. The service is always great and the food is delicious. They are known for their fried chicken, which is perfection, but everything we have tried has been excellent. Last night I brought my children here for the first time. The waiter went out of his way to make sure they were taken care, bringing peaches and drinks in kid friendly cups. It was so appreciated. Thank you for making our day even better. It was awesome being able to share a piece of my childhood with the next generation. read more

Good service, great chicken, amazing mashed potatoes, and the buttered noodles were great 10/10

Saw this on "Under the Radar" on PBS, and drove 200 miles on a Sunday expecting the best chicken in the world. I'll never be back. What a disappointment. Got there when they opened. First to order, even....And the chicken was ALL DRIED OUT. I reordered and it was the same. The others diner's chicken looked just as bad. 2 dinners and a coffee for $50? How about never again?! No wonder I love KFC. There's one in Alma and another in Houghton Lake (this one keeps the chicken full, too!) with a delicious all-u-can eat for 7.99. I work too hard to throw my money away. read more

Walk through the door and instantly time travel to a 60's cocktail lounge-An untouched study in an era's decor. Sputnik chandeliers, iconic white molded tables and chairs, padded vinyl walls and curved bar. Insider info, the owner of the bar also had a business manufacturing vinyl upholstery fabric for automobiles. Hence the use of it on the bar (no bruised knees while cozying up with your drink) and the walls. Be sure to get up close and personal with the covered wall. From a distance,it appears to be a gold brocade but apon an intimate inspection, it reveals itself as an atomic patterned metallic vinyl. My pick is to enjoy a cocktail in the bar and channel your inner Mad Man/Woman. read more

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