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Johnny’s Torch Riviera

3.6 (91 reviews)
Closed • 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM
Updated 1 month ago

Johnny’s Torch Riviera Photos

Business Info

JOHNNY’S TORCH RIVIERA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Good for groups
Good for kids
Happy hour specials

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Recommended Reviews - Johnny’s Torch Riviera

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Reviews With Photos

Lasagna up close
Chris H.

Funnily enough the building reminds me of an old bait and tackle shop. However that being said inside is inviting and a little dark. It divided into a couple of seating areas and a bar. I Ordered the Crab Rangoon Dip ($16) served hot with Wonton Chips. They were excellent. They come out scalding. The chips taste homemade and once the dip cools enough to taste it becomes very addictive. I also ordered the Lasagna ($22). It somehow comes out even hotter than the dip. Yowser, it is a nice thick slab of Lasagna. Once it cooled enough to eat it was delicious. The noodles were delicate and tasty. The sauce was right on and there was plenty of meat inside it. It ended up being too much to complete and I had about half left to enjoy the next day. The service is very friendly and does a great job. Overall a 5 star review. Would I return? Yes, an oasis in the practical middle of nowhere it seems like.

Mozzarella Caprese
Kimberly K.

Mico's is back! What was known for generations as "The Torch" is now Mico's Torch Riviera and it's fabulous! I've been fortunate enough to know the Fortuna family and their long history of serving delicious Italian food to the Traverse City & Torch lake region. Since the Leelanau Peninsula translates to wine country (it doesn't but it should!) we started with a bottle of Black Star Farms Riesling. Some restaurants really mark up the wine but the prices at Mico's were more than reasonable. For starters we ordered the Caprese salad (good but nothing that stood out) and the calamari for an appetizer. I was surprised how much calamari came on the plate. It was delicious too. Lightly breaded and flavorful and enough for a whole group to share. My mother had the chicken Marsala. Their homemade Marsala sauce was excellent. For me though the shining star was the tortellini Norma. The walnuts mixed in the cream sauce added a nice touch to an already wonderful dish. Don't skip dessert either. We got cannolis to go and enjoyed them the next morning with our coffee. Mico's is truly a gem for Torch Lake and I can't wait to go back next summer!

Cioppino. "Fisherman's stew"
Steve Z.

2 of us went here for first time ever. Heard the new owners were great restaurant and entertainment people and it proved to be true. Not sure about some of the negative reviews are about but the food and service here are amazing. Not super polished fine dining service but real people putting in a hard effort with enough skill to make for a great experience. Calamari is some of the best ever. The Fishermen's stew is loaded full of seafood and savory tomato based sauce. Even the side salad had a homemade raspberry vinaigrette that was better than I've had before. The cannoli for desert was just average. The musician during dinner was very entertaining. We will stick around for main show next time. Would have given 4.5 stars this time but not available and 4 was too low.

Whitefish and lasagna
Emily C.

The staff was very friendly and the food was delicious!! Quiet atmosphere with clean restrooms and dining area. Ordered Crab Rangoon dip, Lasagna and a whitefish special. Servings were huge, definitely enough lasagna for two or even three meals.

Veal marsala and fish sandwich
Elisa G.

Somewhere between one and two stars. Service was slow even with our trying to wait patiently in these barely past COVID times, thinking the restaurant was just getting back up and running. My dining companion had the fried fish sandwich which was average at best...I should know since she traded me for my awful meal halfway thru! I had the veal marsala, nasty is the first thought that comes to mind. Bland, gray, lifeless and void of flavor are other adjectives I'd use to describe this ugly mess of a meal they were calling veal. The manager came by and inquired why the meal wasn't satisfactory, but was overly defensive in her attempts to right the situation. Even the complementary cannoli they gave us to make up for the meal was equally boring and flat. I'm sure the place will be mobbed by families coming off the lake (which can't be seen from the restaurant) during the summer but anyone looking for a seriously good meal won't return.

Fantastic dirty martini and a solid tap line.

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3 months ago

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4 years ago

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1 year ago

Food and service is fantastic. ! The Lasagna is the best and don't forget to try the Spaghetti.

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2 years ago

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2 years ago

The only restaurant on the lake. Uninspiring food. Menu could be fresher. Staff was efficient and organized.

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6 years ago

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3 years ago

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5 years ago

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3 years ago

The people are great! We've had several Dinners and always enjoyed the food. Be sure to go hungry the portions are large.

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3 years ago

Anything I've had or guests we've taken to Johnny's has been excellent. Service, food and warm welcome.

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3 years ago

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5 years ago

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5 years ago

Had take-out from there tonight. It was absolutely wonderful. Just like the original on C look am River!!!

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4 years ago

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4 years ago

Pizza is very good! Great place to eat , service was excellent 5 stars for sure.. i'll be back

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6 years ago

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Page 1 of 3

Ask the Community - Johnny’s Torch Riviera

Does anyone know why they changed the restaurant name from Mico's to Johnny's?

In the process of changing ;-) Dominic is moving on to pursue his entertainment career Will keep all post ;-)

Are they open on mondays?

Yes, we open at 11:30

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

Bennethum's Northern Inn

Bennethum's Northern Inn

4.6(267 reviews)
32.8 mi
•$$$

We were visiting a friend's house in Lexington for a girls' weekend, and she made reservations at…read moreBennethum's one night. As we pulled up, the aroma was amazing! And it truly looked like an "up north" restraunt, with the wooden walls, and the white bear near the entrance. This seems lake a place where people know each other and come here frequently; several times, I saw servers greeting customers by name. The complimentary bread they served was delicious. Nobody else in our party wanted the leftovers, so I was the lucky recipient of 3 loaves! I ordered the whitefish on a plank. It was a huge piece of fish served with mashed potatoes and fresh broccoli that was cooked just right; it didn't even need any seasoning. It was big enough that I was satisfied with just half and I took the other half home to enjoy later. We also shared an ice cream sandwich -- coffee ice cream sandwiched between 2 chocolate chip cookies, with some whipped cream on the side. It was good but too sweet. The only negative to me was that the water was well water, an overwhelming taste that, as I suburban dweller, I never got used to.

What a great find! We took my mom and MIL to Bennethum's for Mother's Day. Reservations highly…read morerecommended. We came at 5pm on a Saturday and the restaurant was packed! I mean packed! The bar was full too. Luckily, we had reservations so we were good. We started off with the fried morel mushrooms. Helloooo! These were so delicious. Additionally, we got the whitefish bites and the complimentary bread. So hard not to try everything, but it makes it easier with a bigger party. For dinner, I got the smaller portion of walled eyed. The fish was so fresh! I didn't think I had room for dessert, but we shared a slice of carrot cake. It was worth it! Highly recommend this place for a special occasion. Such a beautiful place! I want to come back and check out the bar wi the husband for a chill night too.

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Bennethum's Northern Inn
Bennethum's Northern Inn
Bennethum's Northern Inn - Cheers!

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Cheers!

Riverwalk Grill - Lemon ricotta pancakes

Riverwalk Grill

2.8(265 reviews)
5.2 mi
•$$

We decided to drive a little way out of town to avoid the Traverse City busy traffic so we went up…read moreto elk Rapids and found this river walk Grill, which looked really nice from the outside. The food was actually fine, but I thought the prices were a little high for what you actually got. I got salmon tacos and they were fine. They had sufficient amount of food inside and the ingredients were good. My friend got the fish sandwich and he said it was fine. My friend got an Arnold Palmer to drink and the total bill with tipping all ended up being $60 which I thought was a little steep for two sandwiches and an Arnold Palmer so I wouldn't come here again because of the price.

Food: my coworkers walleye was good, the cauliflower dried up; my filet was awful!!!! I ordered…read moremedium and it came out rare--but the server never checked. Also it was brown on the top and grey on the bottom. The demi glacé was just cold gravy. They were out of the asparagus it comes with so I got one stalk of broccolini which was limp. It was served on a plate with two huge chips on the rim. My companion asked for unsweetened tea with sugar substitute (diabetic) the server brought a shot of simple syrup from the bar. When asked she said they didn't have sweet'nlow or something similar. The service was horrendous, she just couldn't be bothered to care. With so many good options in this tourist town this was a horrible experience.

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Riverwalk Grill - Dining room

Dining room

Riverwalk Grill - Whitefish

Whitefish

Riverwalk Grill - Salmon tacos

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Salmon tacos

Apache Trout Grill - Perch Reuben sandwich with sweet potato fries

Apache Trout Grill

3.7(821 reviews)
15.9 mi
•$$$

Incredible food, some of the best I've ever had in Northern Michigan (or anywhere, for that…read morematter). My gf's halibut and risotto was a real highlight, as was the lobster bisque. The halibut was very well seasoned and perfectly cooked, and the risotto was a great accompaniment. My fried perch was, as expected, not as good as the halibut, but still quite above average. The prices were higher than a "regular" sit down, but I felt it was a good value compared to a place like Artisan at Delamar or the restaurants at Grand Traverse Resort (we paid about $85 + tip for the halibut, perch, 1 lobster bisque, and a soda) The location is certainly one of the main draws here, as the restaurant is located right on the water, with a great view of the west bay. We were very happy to get a table with a good view of the water, but it seems like the vast majority of tables also have a good view, aside from the bar seating. The decoration and furniture was tasteful and cute -- not quite fancy, white tablecloth vibes, but much more elevated than your average taxidermy-infested northern Michigan dinner spot (ahem, Nonna Lisa's in Mackinaw...) The service was one thing we encountered that I felt was less than completely perfect. Strangely, it seemed like our waiter was a bit overwhelmed or something, despite the moderate crowd, and forgot to bring our soup until about 2 or 3 minutes before the entree came out, and then did not bring the ciabatta bread until after the entree. We also did not get our Coke until after the entrees came out, which I thought was a bit weird for a place as nice as this. But, I know things like that tend to happen in food service, so I don't hold it against them. It was also nice that the manager came to chat with us about TC and our hometown. Overall, we loved this place, and my girlfriend is begging me to come back. We would love to make this place a tradition!

This was once of the best amazing places to have ever served a lobster tail as promised. I would…read morehave been satisfied at one tail, but when the two tails were brought to my table I gasped in delight. The Caribbean tail was extraordinary delightful with a savoring taste one would desire. I ordered the surf and turf modified with risotto instead of vegetables with a six once filet topped off with two nice sized tails. The Grand Travers Bay topped off the scenic view with the taste of every bite as my wife and I topped off the special occasion with an exceptional view. The manager Andrew, bartenders John and Grace, with Mattie accommodating the evening with a table next to a picturesque window view. You will definitely not be disappointed coming in with an expectation set low but walking out with a one of a kind experience

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Apache Trout Grill
Apache Trout Grill - Chocolate covered strawberries

Chocolate covered strawberries

Apache Trout Grill - Outside patio on the water

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Outside patio on the water

The Argonne House - Mussles

The Argonne House

4.2(77 reviews)
33.5 mi

Perfect Anniversary Dinner! My husband and I visited last night and had a perfect dinner and…read moreexperience. Our servers were fabulous, the environment was low-key and comfortable, and the entire place was sparkling clean. We ordered the filet with the blue cheese sauce and the grilled jumbo shrimp with wild rice. Both entrees were amazing. For dessert we split the warm oatmeal caramel cookie skillet topped with vanilla ice cream; if fall in Northern Michigan had a taste it would have been this dessert! Thank you, Argonne House: we will be back!

Never at a loss for praising The Argonne House! Last night we celebrated my kid brother's birthday…read morewith a lovely table for 6. Cocktails & wines were promptly served followed by their fresh cut slaw and delicious baskets of warm bread. Now our entrees were placed with the waitress and by some error in the pickup line in the kitchen, I received a larger serving of the fried shrimp dinner. Well the other guys at the table suffered when I refused to share the unexpected bounty! Finished the lot with just enough cocktail sauce - perfect finale. As the check was presented, the staff gathered to sing the birthday tune to little brother, who hide his face in embarrassment. Lastly they brought out a decadent Ice Cream concoction which was attached by a pack of Wolves. Love the feel of their bar, main room and banquet space. Call for reservations as they fill up nightly & make sure you are prompt

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The Argonne House
The Argonne House - Shrimp with risotto

Shrimp with risotto

The Argonne House - Long Island Anniversary Toast to Us

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Long Island Anniversary Toast to Us

Johnny’s Torch Riviera - seafood - Updated November 2026

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