It was a Thursday and I was in town (Live 64 miles from Petoskey) for a Doc appointment and a bit of shopping. I had done a bit of research the day before .. looking for restaurants in the area. When I noticed that the Side Door had Prime Rib on special, (Wed-Sat) the decision was made. DISCLAIMER: I had eaten at the Side Door a few years ago (Cilantro Lime Shrimp W/Pasta) Me and my neighbor arrived at about 4:45PM, and were greeted with a warm smile and seated immediately ... we were kinda early for the dinner rush so there was plenty of available seating. (NOTE: When we departed about an hour after we arrived, the place was FULL and a line was forming for a table.) We both ordered the 14oz Black Angus Prime Rib (10oz also available). About the same time that we finished the first beer, dinner was served! Simply one of ... if not Thee best, PR that I have had in several years, across 11 states. My neighbor agreed. Both of us now try to plan our Petoskey trips to coincide with dinner at the Door My ONLY complaint is that the horseradish was weak. Actually, it seemed that it had been washed into submission .. totally without any flavor or "bite". The rest of the meal made up for it. (But I *will* bring some nose-incinerating, sinus-creating horseradish from home on the next planned trip.) Service: Superb. We never had to ask for anything. Drinks were refilled with perfect timing. And always smiling. She is an asset to the establishment. Driving Suggestion: Depending on the season and the time of day, if arriving from the North, it can be nearly impossible to make the left turn into the Side Door. Suggestion: Turn Right into the strip mall (KFC, AT&T, etc) and use the traffic light near the gas station to turn left, back onto the highway then a right into the Side Door Saloon for some of the best dining in the Petoskey area. Ample Parking is available. YMMV read more

The Side Door Saloon - Prime Angus Rib, Mixed Rabbit Food and Baked Idaho - Sports Bars Near Me - Petoskey, Michigan

Two spinach salads $30 with tip divided into 2 don't fill one cereal bowl. Are you kidding me will not be going there anymore. The prices are outrageous. read more

Got a table right away at 5:30 on Tuesday evening. The strawberry spinach salad was nice. My pan seared perch sandwich was somewhat disappointing - two small skinny pieces of fish hidden under sauce and lettuce. Still going with 4 stars because our waitress Mariah was great, grandson enjoyed his salmon, granddaughter liked her veggie quesadillas, and three year old great granddaughter ate her grilled cheese read more

Not a bad place, but I wouldn't say spectacular. Was seated immediately and the service was great. The food was okay. The crab and pepper jack soup was decent. The blackened white fish sandwich was the same. Nothing special. Served w chips and I got the really good dip with it. Ambiance inside is really fun. read more

This is one of the best reasonable price Restuarants in in the Petoskey area. Servers are friendly and quick. There are many good choices on the menu and everything is delicious. read more

Stopped in at Side Door Saloon and *holy jalapeño heaven*--their new **Jalapeño Burger** is **to die for**. I'm not exaggerating when I say this was **hands-down the best burger I've had in over a decade**. Perfectly cooked, juicy, with just the right kick of heat--like a flavor bomb went off and left me speechless (but satisfied). The bun held up like a champ, the toppings were fresh, and that jalapeño zing? Chef's kiss. ‍ If you're a burger lover and you *haven't* tried this yet, you're seriously missing out. Props to the kitchen. I'll be dreaming about that burger until my next visit--and trust me, there *will* be a next visit. read more

Wow!! What a great lunch stop. My Ruski wrap came with chicken salad inside and I'm always wary on the amount of chicken that will actually be inside, but it was packed! I loved it. I wish that there were more side options to choose from rather than just some potato chips I can buy at the store. Our food came quickly and we were seated right away which made up for it tho! read more

The Side Door Saloon - Ruski Wrap - Sports Bars Near Me - Petoskey, Michigan

Food menu is amazing, food was amazing , have been trying to get here for years and it didn't disappoint, I will go back over and over

We had the White Fish. 2 of us had blackened and the 3rd person had it broiled. All were absolutely fabulous!! Came with homemade mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. Service was a little slow but we were not in any hurry to go anywhere. We have been coming here since the last owner bought it and now the new owner. This is well worth the stop. Value for what you receive is terrific!! $$ read more

The Side Door Restaurant has been one of my favorites in Petoskey, Michigan for near 30 years. . The service is exceptional. The cost is most reasonable The quality of the cuisine beyond compare. Coupled with an atmosphere that just leads to a good feeling all around you, highly recommended! read more

The Side Door Saloon - Golden margaritas good to the last drop! - Sports Bars Near Me - Petoskey, Michigan

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This is one of our go-to's in the Petoskey area. A diverse menu with a variety of delicious offerings from salads, burgers steak tacos, seafood and nightly specials including prime rib on Friday and Saturday nites. Casual atmosphere with a friendly and highly efficient staff. Full bar as well. See 'ya there! read more

The food was pretty good but kind off expensive the service was pretty quick so that was awesome! The bathroom was also very clean and the staff was nice I might come here on special occasions. read more

Cant vouch a whole lot for the food but staff sure is wonderful. Our friends and I spent a very long time at a big table to watch a game and our waitress was so attentive. We only had appetizers and drinks but she never let our drinks run dry. The soft pretzels and buffalo chicken dip were both delicious. Drinks reasonably priced. Laid back ambience. Less busy and better priced than downtown Petoskey! read more

We love coming to The Side Door and have eaten here for over 25 years! the burgers are absolutely fantastic and a family favorite. I also love the salads--always fresh! The staff is terrific from the bartender to the waitstaff--everyone is friendly, knowledgeable and professional--in a very laid back fun atmospher. read more

This is wish a cute, local haunt. Like a ski lodge and their food is excellent - burgers are particularly good. Solid selection of drinks - a lovely Pinot Grigio with a full pour. Plus their logo has frogs, which is adorable. I also stuck little plastic frogs all over (let's see if they find them). read more

Food was good, service was quick, bartender was friendly. We were treated nicely at the door, staff accommodating when we decided to order dinner at the bar, bartender helpful when trying to decide a new drink to try. The crab soup was good and I really liked the veggie quesadilla. Great first experience- we will be back next time we're in Petoskey. read more

This place is absolutely amazing! Everything on the menu is delicious. The portion size is great. It's reasonable prices with great staff. Our waitress was named "Alayna". She was excellent; outstanding customer service. Always came to check on us if everything was okay, she was quick to serve us our food, and drinks. And definitely knew the menu. And super friendly. The restaurant was super cozy and relaxing environment. There's outdoor sitting which was laid back and also had a big screen to watch television. The inside was also clean and tables were spaced out. Parking lot is always full; definitely needs more room. Definitely will be back! read more

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My boyfriend and I stopped here for lunch the other day on a whim. We had amazing burgers here! The waitress was super nice and the atmosphere is quirky and fun. Only downside is they don't have a fryer so no French fries or other fried foods you'd expect from a bar. Otherwise I would recommend. Decent wine by the glass and a good beer selection too. read more

We eat here whenever in the area. They aren't fancy but provide consistent food. Can't go wrong with the burger and the specials we've had tend to be pretty good. read more

Everything was great here and was such a cute spot!!! TVs did the game, bloody Mary's for anyone needing veggies and vodka. I had the olive burger and that was tasty. Whitefish dip was awesome and we were able to get the crostinis and tortilla chips for dipping!! read more

A great burger tonight for dinner after leaving the Boyne Highland resort looking to support a local business. The olive burger was AMAZING! And the other Bbq burger was delicious as well. Love the side of French onion dip to go with the chips, just .75 cents. The beer on tap was great and the service at the bar was spectacular! Asked for some hot nuts I saw were behind the bar and got them in a nifty martini glass. We will try to make it back for lunch as it was that good and the happy hour options are affordable too! Great space to catch up on sports and just dining inside felt safe. read more

The Side Door Saloon - Kitchen closes and the place closes at 9..since March 2020 bar the specials are good at 3pm! - Sports Bars Near Me - Petoskey, Michigan

As part of our family's annual Burt Lake vacation, we always go to the SDS. Last week, while the service was still very good, the food was very disappointing. Our waiter told us the restaurant is under new ownership, we all think it showed. They also don't have a grill which we all thought was odd. There are many other very good restaurant choices in the area so we probably won't be going back. read more

Good food, atmosphere is great. The place is always packed. Go there before 5p that is when the place starts filling up.

After a long day of driving, we were starving and worn out. We needed something to eat stat, and this one one of the places that was close to our hotel without a wait. We initially tried to go across the parking lot to eat, but there was no where to sit and we didn't want to wait. So, we came here instead. Walking in, the place was packed! We thought "oh great, more waiting." fortunately, since it was the two of us, we were actually seated right away. What a relief! Starvation was setting in. We reviewed the menu and they have a decent selection of items to choose from. I wanted to order the whitefish appetizer dip, but the date doesn't really like fish to much so we passed. We both ended up getting burgers with drinks, and the food here was actually really good. So why only 4 stars? It's going to seem really petty, but the burgers came with chips. We literally each got 3 chips a piece. Barely anything! Plus, I asked if they had onion rings, and they said they don't have a deep fryer? So I guess that means no fries either? Weird that a restaurant wouldn't have a deep fryer. So, chips only i guess. I'm not mad about it, but really. Get a deep fryer please, for the love of God. Overall a really good place to eat with lots of TV's and great service. Overall food was awesome, and our server was top notch. Will be back again when in the area. read more

I really don't want to do a review because all the reviews before mine are "spot on". The olive burger is a must have if you plan to eat here. I thought it was kind of gimmicky and had no idea how good it was. Was pleasantly surprised. They also have a French onion dip that goes with the chips. Aleecia our server had probably too many tables for one server but she handled it like a champ very impressive even had an entire table full of drunk guys who had filthy mouth but she did really well. If I came back I would ask for her by name. read more

The Side Door Saloon - No bun Olive burger add mushrooms & blue cheese!!! Yum! - Sports Bars Near Me - Petoskey, Michigan

We were a large group that stopped in prior to a wedding. The staff were very attentive and were able to split our tickets easily. Our group had appetizers sandwiches and salads and everyone loved their food. read more

The atmosphere here is campy and woodsy. It is also loud. It doesn't take much to make a loud murmur. That doesn't mean I didn't like it, because I enjoyed myself a lot. I had read that they were consistently voted in top 5 for Northwest Michigan. I ordered a BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger. It was cooked PERFECTLY! It was an excellent piece of beef! The bacon was excellent and bbq sauce was tasty. The bun was tasty, but not overpowering. The only thing is the burger looked small. Somehow it was deceiving and very filling. The person I was with had the regular burger and agreed on all points. The service was friendly and competent. Overall 5 stars. Would I return? Yes Yes Yes Yes, hmmmm Yes! Lastly the don't serve anything Deep Fried, so NO fries or onion rings. Just chips. read more

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We showed up with a party of 18. They were great and the food was very good! The homemade french onion dip was delicious and you can add it on any item that comes with chips. I had the turkey club on pretzel bread, was great and I would order it again. read more

The Side Door Saloon - Turkey club on pretzel bread - Sports Bars Near Me - Petoskey, Michigan

The atmosphere was typical for a sports bar -- nice, welcoming. The service was fast and efficient, but not particularly friendly. We had been told that the potato chips with French onion dip were "to die for" so we ordered that for $6. it was literally a couple little 2 ounce cups of that sour cream and Lipton onion soup that you probably have had in the holidays a thousand times and a small pile of ruffles potato chips or some offbrand similar thing. I had the Ruski chicken salad and there were positives and negatives. on the positive side, it appeared that the sandwich was made with care. There was no fat, gristle, or bone in the salad itself (an immediate turn off that will result in my throwing the whole meal away). Unfortunately, despite the care it was very odd. It was described as chicken salad with cherries and some pineapple... But was just sweet. I couldn't identify the sauce in the salad, it honestly taste like whipping cream rather than mayonnaise. The sandwich was screaming for something savory to really set it apart. also, the Ryebread was so firmly toasted that it literally skinned the roof of my mouth. To add insult to injury it was very VERY bland. I tried to add salt and pepper, but it did no good. The only side that was offered with this (without an up charge) was another pile of crinkle, cut potato chips. as much as I would like to say that I recommend this restaurant, I thought it was overpriced, and the food just had no taste no flavor. read more

Visited here for takeout and I really enjoyed it! Was in the mood for a simple burger, so I ordered the side door. It was delicious! Burger was cooked to my liking, very juicy, and flavorful. Staff was friendly on the phone and for pickup. Parking easy as well. I will definitely be coming back again to try other menu items :) read more

First time (and last time) patrons at the Side Door Cafe. Enjoyed Brooke, our server and had seen on their website that Happy Hour included $2 discounts on draft beer. Brooke asked if we'd like 16 or 20 ounce beers and we replied 20 ounce. Apparantly the fine print must be that only the 16 ounce beers are discounted. I'm all about the principle of Buyer Beware, but feel its disingenuous to charge people the same price for one 20 ounce draft beer for the same price as what two 16 ounce Happy Hour beers would cost. Decent burger for me, but my wife was not impressed with her Reuben (much better at Jax in Charlevoix). Anyway, ya'll got us on our first visit. Fool Me Once, Shame On Me. read more

I had a cheeseburger. The Big Daddy. It was delicious, a really good burger. Service was great. A must if in Petoskey!

Our service was great. It was a busy night so we had to wait a little bit but that is absolutely not a negative. The food was really good. The soup I ordered. Definitely could've used a little more seasoning but again, not anything that would keep me from going back. read more

I love this place!! Such great food and amazing service. I always look forward to coming here and it never disappoints. All the staff are very nice and serves you right away. The food comes out very quickly as well. I also love the look of the restaurant it's got so many cool decorations! I would 1000% recommend this place! read more

Love the atmosphere. The soups gets 5 stars. The service 5 stars. The main food was average, needed seasoning . Not cheap, $56.00 for 2 soups, 2 entrees and 2 sodas. Give it a try. read more

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Great food and service. We had a guys golf trip for 12. We split up to 3 tables and everyone was very happy with the prime rib special that evening read more

I love the Side Door. The patio is open and its even better as a relaxing dinner spot. Great food with good prices. The atmosphere inside is like a cozy welcoming lodge year round and in the summer the patio provides a fresh, but quiet and private eating area. I personally Don't care for the Olive burger but I Have never ordered anything bad and because they are a small kitchen They make each order with care. read more

The Side Door Saloon - a plate of food and a glass of beer - Sports Bars Near Me - Petoskey, Michigan

Great local "joint". Our golf group were the only non/locals. Burgers, wraps, sandwiches. Real deal bar & grill.

Great food, great service at a reasonable price. Love the patio. If we ever get back through will definitely stop for dinner or lunch.

Atmosphere is friendly & staff are nice. Food is overpriced. Steak was expensive and tasted mediocre. I have no problem paying for an expensive steak. As long as it's a flavorful good cut. This was not. read more