The Paddle Inn isn't bad... we love the Friday all you can eat fish fry. But the Saturday & Sunday breakfast buffet isn't that great. The eggs are usually cold, pancakes are hard & rubbery, French toast is burnt, and the biscuits for the biscuits & gravy are doughy (the sausage gravy is good). We've tried it a few times and the same thing each time. When we were there two weeks ago for the breakfast buffet... we noticed that the pan of eggs & pancakes was sitting on the counter behind the waitress station for 15 minutes getting cold before being put out on the buffet. We've finally decided not to go for the breakfast buffet anymore. read more

What a gem of the north woods! Excellent service and fantastic food. Breakfast is awesome. Don't pay attention to anything negative said about this place. It's top of the line! read more

Wow!! I can't say enough good things about this place. My parents are always raving about the food and service so we had to try..... well now we're hooked too!! The food: selection is huge, the food is delicious and the portions are very generous. Three generations found something different we wanted to try each time and were never disappointed or left hungry. The service and atmosphere: outstanding! The restaurant atmosphere is modern rustic with good music and an excellent staff. It's very clean including the bathrooms. I noticed everyone has their favorite waitress, my family absolutely loves Sherry and she treats them like her family when they come in. The owner makes the desserts from scratch and they do not disappoint! Be prepared to come hungry and leave needing a nap because you're so full and happy! read more

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Roast beef was tough Omlett was just ok Burgers were not as good as they once were. Planning on fish memorial day weekend, it's always(years) been the best around. read more

We ate here on a Saturday. We walked in and sat ourselves . The restaurant was clean and had several other patrons. They had a prime rib for a special and lasagna. I ordered a prime rib medium rare and a salad with a baked potato. The table next to us ordered the same and immediately received her salad and I could hear the customer comment on getting her salad with bacon bits and was delighted. I had to wait awhile longer and did not have the bacon bits on it and matter of fact it really wasn't even a full bowl of salad. When my dinner came, the baked potato was cooked in a microwave and then wrapped in foil. The prime rib was no way medium rare so disappointing and the au juice was extremely salty. My husband ordered the lasagna and it was very good. A nice size. Our waitress came by once and I made the comment of the steak not being how I ordered. She stated she would tell the chef, she never returned, never returned to ask if we wanted refills on drinks . The other waitress for the tables on both sides of us was attentive and made sure they were pleased with everything. The star rating is because of the lasagna not the prime rib dinner or the waitress. read more

The Paddle Inn - Not medium rare - American Near Me - Mio, Michigan

11 hungry Bikers showed up for lunch (no advance notice) we were promptly seated I ordered the Greek Salad. It was delicious. The quantity and quality were 5 stars. I would go back any time. So would the other Bikers. read more

We enjoyed our dinner, I tried the Monte Cristo, and Nick had shrimp. They were busy, but the service was great. We had a chance to visit with the owner. Great stop, we will be back. read more

We stopped in for dinner with some friends last night. The entire experience was very pleasant. We were greeted by a friendly hello when we entered. Our waitress was prompt at getting our orders and the food was delivered reasonably fast although we had arrived about an hour before closing. I had the special which was a pork loin with mashed potatoes and stuffing. It was excellent. The rest of our party ordered a hot roast beef sandwich, Ruben sandwich and macaroni and cheese. All portions were large and flavorful. The dining area was clean as were the washrooms. read more

The Paddle Inn was a great find on our trip north. The service as well as the food were outstanding and definitely warrant another stop.

5/9/20 Took a drive from Detroit area and were hungry, found this place for carry out and what a diamond in the rough! The staff which answered the phone and delivered food to the car, due to isolation, was very personable and patient while taking our phone order. Sister had a bacon burger which blew away any bar burger, fresh beef patty and toppings. I had taco wrap, which was as large as most restaurants burritos and delicious. Onion rings were hot, crispy and golden. Definitely recommend this place for great food. Unsure about prices as we ordered based on staff's recommendations but you get a lot of food for the money. $$-$$$ maybe? read more

I LOVE the waitresses- super friendly & welcoming! But the food isn't a big hit for me. I always feel pretty crappy after I've had some of their food so I stopped going. And I can never tell when they're open or closed, I hope they can sort out staffing & getting some great food out there. I know the older & "lives here" crowd consistently go to this place and enjoy it, to each their own! read more

I've been a customer here for 22 years and the food is good and the staff is great. I live in the area and the saying is that if you live here and we don't see you at the Paddle Inn, we had better go to your house and make sure you are still alive. Great breakfast choices and and awesome pie! read more

Gosh darn it. As a small business owner, I DO support small business and I know how it feels to receive a less than excellent review. This is why I gave 2 stars instead of 1. We've been coming to the paddle in for years and are bummed to say after today, our 3rd bad experience lately, we won't be going back. Just your run of the mill dissatisfaction really. Service is never good. Breakfast buffet is greasy asf. Soups may be partially homemade but lack complete inspiration, flavorless, lame. Today we went during brunch time (not busy today) and my bacon was limp and almost raw; last time we went the bacon was so over cooked that it was like a fine delicate porcelain doll, it crumbled when you touched it. Not consistent. The Mayonnaise is either extra heavy duty Gordon's salad dressing, or some other cheap disgusting product. The ranch was not homemade, and tasted like fat free Kraft (yuck). The waitress never came back to refill our drinks or check on the food even. We had to go to the register to ask for our check to even pay. With other better choices in Mio, it is a bummer the Paddle Inn has gone the path it has. read more

Stopped in for dinner, fish was just ok burger kinda blah. Bill came, it seemed odd that it came out to an exact dollar amount $35 for 2 lunches. I gave mt credit card without reviewing the initial bill, caught the issue, added up what we ordered to see they rounded the bill up... way up. Overcharged me well beyond what it should be. Brought it to the restaurants attention. No apologies from them, no offer to fix ir. Just a blank stare from the servers and manager to indicate "oh we were caught stealing" ill never return and i implore you not to either. Crooks, scammers and beliw average food quality. Can i do less than 1 star? read more

Star rating could be 5, the Food, Service and Price were in line and reasonable . The Pie for Dessert was Great. Don't Drive By!

We were headed north to Black Lake and decided to stop here for dinner. It had been a long drive & we were ready to get our grub on. We had a large group (4 adults 7 kids) but we found a table right away. Sherry took great care of us. She was very attentive to the kids and very knowledgeable about the menu. All the kids got the chocolate chip pancake. It was huge and of course they were happy! Wife got pancakes & she enjoyed them. My brother in law got the prime rib. He was still talking about how good it was two days later! I got the bacon mac & cheese. I got the small portion (which I still couldn't finish) with garlic bread. The bacon mac & cheese wasn't exactly what I was expecting, but I enjoyed it. To finish off we got a piece of Reece's pie, which was great! This was a great spot! If we are back in the area we will be back! read more

The Paddle Inn - Bacon Mac & cheese - American Near Me - Mio, Michigan

Started coming here about four years ago, getting in two or three times a year. Had breakfasts, dinners, always good. Their weekend breakfast bar makes you want to test the limits of "all you can eat." Omelettes are very good too, and the coffee is better than your average diner's--a welcome contrast to some of PI's competitors. Dinners I've had have been tasty, though the vegetables on the side are out of a can. There is a salad bar, and its fixings for make-your-own salads are always fresh and crisp, but limited. Most of the bar is devoted to prepared salads--pasta, bean, fruit salads and such. Not my thing, but when I'm up here I'll gladly settle for a two or three ingredient green salad if the makings are fresh. Just the other night I ordered the fish and chips. Fish was just about perfect in my book. Mild and tender with crunchy batter that wasn't so heavy that it left some pieces with more breading than fish, which I've run into elsewhere.. Fries were acceptable, and the salad bar made a satisfying (and at least somewhat healthy) complement to the rest of the meal. The things that diners tend to do well--breakfasts, sandwiches, and such--the PI does very well. The things diners often come up short on--vegetables, salad bars--the PI does also. But that still puts it well ahead of the curve, and certainly ahead of neighboring establishments. read more

There aren't a whole lot of breakfast options on this strip, but the paddle in is pretty darn good. The only reason I 4-starred instead of 5 is because of the long wait. They have a breakfast buffet that is decent, all things considered. Eggs, biscuits and gravy, sausages, fruit. I went with a large group and decided to opt for a fresh breakfast rather than the buffet everyone else got. From ordering to getting my food it was 40 minutes :( I felt terrible as everyone else at my table had already finished eating and were waiting for me. However! Once my breakfast came it was so freaking delicious! I recognize the restaurant was busy and so the wait didn't hamper my experience that much. I definitely would go back! read more

Went here twice and I just did not enjoy my food too much. First time was bland with out of the can vegetables and the salad bar looked very sad. The second time was even worse. My friends thought it was ok. I say give it a shot, but it definitely doesn't seem like there is passion and soul put into the recipes or cooking. read more

Darn! Another one bites the dust. My husband and I used to always hit up the Paddle Inn on our way out of town. It's been a little over a year and I understand they are under new ownership. We could tell. The interior decor was new and fresh. The waitstaff was ok for that post lunch lull. But the food was terrible! I had an extremely thick cup of mushroom dumpling soup...absolutely not homemade. And a very confusing chicken sandwich. The chicken breast was the size of a elongated hockey puck and tasted like cilantro (!?!), the bun was burnt to a crisp in one side and a soggy mess on the other. How? The lettuce was wilted, brown and dirty....or the burnt bun left some dust on it..either way, inedible. We won't be back. It's a shame. Hire new cooks!!! read more

The waitress was really nice, the food was just okay! We had breakfast not sure I would come back. Next time we are in the area I will try someplace else read more

Kinda of disappointed on this past visit, no cheese on the salad bar & when asked was told there would be a charge to get cheese for the salad. Questioned waitress of why wasn't there cheese, her reply was the "owners choose what's on the bar and they chose not to have cheese" The waitress seemed like she really didn't want to have that conversation. So with that being said if we dine here again we'll make sure to bring our own cheese. read more

In November of 2020 when this business and many other local businesses were being battered by the pandemic I was doing what I could to help by ordering take outs, etc. The Paddle Inn seemed to be having all kinds of troubles and offered gift certificates as a way to raise some cash and survive until they could re-open. As a locally owned business I felt I could trust them and bought a $100 certificate. I did not rush out to redeem it when they re-opened because I thought they needed some time to get back on their feet. Today I happened across the certificate and noticed they had written "expires 11/20/21" on it. I had missed that when I bought it. I called and asked if they would still honor it and was informed they would not. When I expressed that I thought that kick in the teeth was some thanks for years of patronage and trying to help them when they were down the lady on the phone accused me of "yelling" at her. I feel like they essentially stole $100 from me when I was trying to help them. When local businesses complain about people not supporting them this is an example of why. They repay your trust and business with actions like this. UPDATE: I knew I'd recalled the State of Michigan doing something about scams like this. I'll be contacting the State to enforce this law: Mich. Comp. Laws §445.903g A person engaged in the retail sale of goods or services shall not sell a gift certificate to a consumer that expires within a period of less than five years. read more

I should know better than to order fish on a Thursday... but the last time I had the perch dinner it was so good that I have been wanting it again ever since. Well, it was very disappointing this time. The fish was not firm and the coating was dripping in grease. They serve the fillets on a bed of lettuce, but what was needed this time was a bed of paper towels. Still, I've many very good meals here and will not let one semi-bad experience keep me from returning. read more

Showed up bright and early when they opened and let's just say you all are warned! Don't get the buffet because for one, the yellow lights above the buffet ensure you can't actually see what you are scooping up in that gigantic spoon and two when you do scoop all the food is cold and disgusting! I have nothing good to say about this place because even after ordering biscuits and gravy because the troff was a bust the biscuits were burnt and gravy was salty! Never again! read more

Star rating based on one of a kind mom/pop family restaurants Yum!! Fresh and hearty homemade goodness. Hubby got the baked chicken special which came with lovely home mashed spuds, real gravy, dressing(ok, not my moms), a spot of cranberry sauce (love that, with all poultry...) and a trip to the salad bar (very fresh). I got a perfectly grilled patty melt...more well done than I would've liked, but very, very tasty. 9 homemade pies on the menu...HAD to try it, because after all, it is pie. Good stop on the way home from a perfect up north Michigan weekend. Do it. read more

Great soup and sandwich !!!

Had the breakfast and dinner on the same day. Bacon is how bacon should be cooked, to order!! Liver and onions best I had. Believe mash potatoes are real as well. Was sorry to have to leave Mio as I could have eaten here every day. Looking forward to next week to help winterize sisters place. Will be doing, breakfast, lunch and dinner here got two days. Can't wait to have the liver & onions again!!! Keep up the good work. You have a great restaurant and a great chef that knows what they're doing. See ya next week!! read more

Great family spot. Great friendly service.. Very clean.. large potions.. good food.. I had an omelette and the plate was full, almost over flowing. Staffed appropriately even though I arrived the gap between breakfast and lunch.. right in M 33 with fast service excellent stop on my trip thru.. read more

I'm from the Metro Detroit area, and there are a ton of breakfast places in our area, but none compare to the Paddle Inn. My family and I visit every time we vacation in the area. The food is fantastic, the staff is friendly, and the prices are more than reasonable. Let me suggest their biscuits and gravy if you plan to check it out. Oh my word are they delicious! We've been bringing our friends with us on camping trips for several years now and they are just as happy with the food and service as we are! Now that we have property in the area I don't foresee giving up our favorite breakfast place anytime soon. read more

Great food great service beautifully redecorated inside. Excited for outside patio seating to be completed.

Stinko. We were served scorched Mushroom Dumpling soup. Cold Lasagna and a big serving of unfriendly by the "Auntie" of the homecoming king who never asked how the meal was or even said thanks for coming. Will never come back to this place. Thumbs Down!!! read more

We stopped in for breakfast. The food was yummy and warm. No complaints. Our waitress Hanna was nice, helpful, and attentive.

Food was great For a sm place it had a good Salad bar with a variety of salads I had mushroom dumpling soup And it was delicious ! Homemade! My fiancé had the salad bar too and A patty melt He said that was very Was tasty and cooked just right Staff very friendly read more

Very good atmosphere waitresses are polite and attentive . Best food in town homemade pies are heaven. Go try them out!!

If I was posting for the food I would give it 3 stars as the hamburgers are amazing. The deluxe nachos were lacking. The reason it only gets 1 star is, having traveled the world over, I have never had a ruder waitress. Not only was she incredibly rude to my husband, eating was disturbed by her rudeness to other guests. read more

A great option for lunch that's pretty cheap are their poppers. It's a side, but for me it's an entire meal. Call about 20 minutes ahead and they'll make some for you.$6.99, and it comes with fantastic mint jelly. Their dine in options are also excellent. read more

Always good food and great service and we are not locals. Locals there are always friendly. The breakfast bar is always stocked and delish! read more

Definitely an Up North place with good solid home cooked meals and specials. No alcohol, friendly service. Great pies! Wife had a seasonal salad, impressed with the quantity of fresh fruits vegetables and candied nuts. I enjoyed a small steak with redskins. Salad bar just very basic. The lasagna special looked awesome (but not on my diet)! Would be 3 star in any place larger but much better than average for the area. read more

Bought a cabin last fall out by fairveiw and stop here on every sunday on the home. Everything ive ordered from the menu has been really good. I love the breakfast bar it goes until 2:00 pm. Great place to eat i highly recommend it....... read more