Little busier than i would have expected for a Tuesday, but it was a great experience. Came here to…read moremeet a friend, we enjoyed the food and beer (they have Alaskan amber!!!!!!!!) The hammy slammy reminds me of the turkey O toole from bennigans! People Everywhere to help, and a fabulous roadside pub type of restaurant.

If you find yourself in this neck of the woods, and want to sit down for a casual meal that doesn't…read moreinvolve a drive thru, get the 1/2 lb Super Spikeburger. The standard bun is a brioche - ask for it extra toasted. Then add Grilled Onions, pickles, lettuce, and extra Thousand Island dressing to emulate In-N-Out Burger Animal Style. It's a simple way to elevate & ensure your burger enjoyment. I love modding my order like this. Their waffle fries are seasoned and tasty. Super friendly staff and lots of extra-cold beer on tap exemplify the wholesome Northern Michigan vibe. Lots of TVs and a cozy, not-too-bright environment. I would totally go back.

Mom and pop diner. We have been coming here since I was a kid and now 30 years later I bring my…read morekids. Decent food at decent process, cinnamon roll pancakes are always a hit for our group.

Unfortunately, I didn't take any pictures of the food, probably because it wasn't much to look at…read more I ordered poached eggs, but they came out hard-boiled. The sausage gravy was just okay, but I couldn't eat the eggs. I even cut one open and left a half on the plate so it was obvious the yolk had been cooked solid. The waitress never once asked why I wasn't eating them or if there was anything wrong. What disappointed me even more was the service. She never came back to check on us after the food was delivered. When she finally returned to refill our coffee, she was talking to someone else and looking in another direction, so there wasn't even an opportunity to mention the issue. To top it all off, I accidentally left my white Yeti behind. I went back first thing the next morning, and they told me it wasn't there. It's literally the only place I went that day, so that was pretty disappointing as well. Overall, it wasn't just the food. Mistakes happen. It was the lack of attention and customer service that left the bad impression.

The food was good. I had the molcajete and trio of cheese, guacamole & salsa dip. The service was…read morefast and very friendly. The ambiance is definitely a Mexican family style restaurant. Full bar as well including draft beers, custom margaritas and seating at the bar if you're wanting that. We sat at the table next to the kitchen and the noise didn't affect our normal level of talking and listening.

Warning to vegetarians: Although we were thrilled to see a whole section devoted to us, when my…read moremeal came, it had a chunk of meat in it. I got a whole 15% off. We won't be back. Loud and busy restaurant. You're not greeted when you come in. Drinks were good.

Although I didn't take any pictures of our food, I thought it was still important to shout out this…read morerestaurant for amazing service, the prettiest view, and the most delicious food! We had a group of 6, meaning we got to sample a lot of the menu from meatloaf, smothered chicken, parmesan crusted whitefish, fish fry, and the Sharon and when I say not a single dish disappointed! We also ordered a hot Chocolate cake (10/10 recommend if you want a decadent HOT chocolatey dessert) and peanut butter pie. The restaurant is small, and reservations are required so plan accordingly, but this is such a great place right on the ausable river. They also have several bird feeders and it was so peaceful to watch all the different birds as we sat and enjoyed a wonderful meal.

We were up in the north woods with the in-laws . We had been to Gates previously for lunch and…read moresaid "Hey, let's go for dinner,". I called and Josh was accommodating for a reservation. Gates is a place that makes great food and is low key /non pretentious. Don't dress fancy, don't expect cloth tablecloths or napkins. Do expect solid food. The crew had one vegan and three carnivores. Ryanne and Lexi were great for support and took care of us. We had drinks and a few appetizers as well as entrees. The trout, pork, and steak were great. The vegan salad and pasta were vegan... We finished off with a few desserts and had a great time. The location is remote and beautiful but worth a 40 minute drive.

Who knew Grayling was a dining destination?!? We came here…read moreon a Saturday night. It is rather unassuming from the outside, but nicely decorated on the inside. There were five of us. We were seated in a booth in the front window. Aaliyah was our server, and despite the fact that she spelled her name several times for me I accidentally deleted the post, so I don't know if I have it right. But anyway, you should ask for her. Except for when I'm dining there because I want her to be MY server. They brought bread, which had a variety as well as two types of dipping oil. One was a pesto and I believe the other was a sun-dried tomato and they were both phenomenal. We ate our weight in bread. We had the shrimp fondue appetizer for the table. They were large fried shrimp. Not with much breading just a light coating. And it was served with a Borson cheese dipping sauce that was killer. You can't go wrong. Two of us had fillets two had the crabcakes and I had the cowboy ribeye special. Two of our diners also had a cup of tomato soup and split a wedge salad. See pictures. The wedge salad had an amazing dressing on it and they split it in the kitchen. The tomato soup was very tasty. I would have that again. The crabcakes were excellent without a lot of breading. It had a Romano sauce that had red pepper in it, which is not something I like, but they were very tasty. The crabcakes came with excellent oven roasted potatoes. Very crispy very good. The fillets came with a mixed medley of vegetables and a mashed potato, and my ribeye steak came with grilled asparagus and the mashed potatoes. If I were going to have any complaint it would be that the steaks were just slightly cooked more than I would've liked. Next time I would order rare. We had the carrot cake and the lemon cake for dessert. Carrot cake was good but the lemon cake was out of this world. Absolutely amazing. We also had the chocolate martini which was fabulous. Not too chocolatey and not at all too sweet. As I mentioned, our weight staff were exceptional. Overall, I would say this was fabulous.

Another truly exceptional dining experience at Mimi & Pipi's. This time, we brought friends who had…read morenever been before, and they were absolutely blown away by the food, the service, and the warm, inviting atmosphere. I had the lamb special, and without question, it was the best lamb I've ever had. Every dish was beautifully prepared, and the attention to detail was evident from start to finish. Northern Michigan is incredibly fortunate to have a restaurant of this caliber. Whether you're local or making the drive, Mimi & Pipi's is absolutely worth the trip. It's a dining experience you won't forget.