For Michigan, this was a really relaxing place to come for a night out! I'm from Chicago, so this bar seemed a bit out of place to me because it was SO nice for the area we were in. It definitely gives off west loop/wicker park vibes at this place! It has a really large interior with a large bar and tons of seating space for customers. There's also a huge patio with a handful of fire pits and a lawn for bags (or cornhole as some say). Unfortunately, we weren't able to dive into their beer menu, we were passing through here as a stop on a bachelorette bar crawl. But we did have a few drinks that were reasonably priced as well as made friends with other patrons at the bar. It's a great environment to converse and have a great time. read more

Love this brewery with views of Round Lake! Great food and atmosphere! The only reason, I didn't give it 5 stars is because they serve Pepsi product and not Coca-Cola. Also they were out of steak tips. Popular items might not be available. We will definitely come back again. read more

We loved sitting outside on the patio with a great view of the lake. Quite sunny in the late afternoon/early evening so you'll want a hat or sunglasses. They were out of a couple beers we wanted to try but the food and service were excellent. The burger and chicken sandwich were both delicious as were the curly steak fries. read more

Food came within minutes. Lots of drink options. Beer, wine, cocktails. They sell their own beer and others. Beautiful views right across the lake- indoor and outdoor seating. Friendly staff. read more

Came into the Strand for the live music with Larry Johnson. Was very disappointed by the service. At the beginning of our dinner the server was very attentive but after she dropped our food we never saw her again until we waived down a busser to get her for us. Left with empty waters I asked twice to be filled and waited over 20 minutes for a to go box. As a restaurant manager I can tell the staff is very poorly trained. The food is mediocre at best. Way overpriced for what you get. The only thing that made the experience sub par, is the live music from Larry Johnson who never disappoints. The location and the view of the lake was amazing but the ambiance and location doesn't make up for a terrible dinning experience . read more

The Strand - Breweries Near Me - Dowagiac, Michigan

Dear Strand: You are a restaurant with a great view and super cool decor. I'm sorry to say, but it ends there. The beer is "collaboratively" imported, the food is sad, and there is definitely not enough help. We've been there three times, knowing you have some kinks to work out. Unfortunately, you're still kinked. No joke, the table next to us had their meals finished with a blow torch when your gas line had a problem which closed the kitchen Why would the server ever share that information? Then, I got to watch one of the servers spit his chewing tobacco, I'll assume, over the brick wall. Lovely. If your customers are looking for a cool spot to have a beer from somewhere else...Go! If theyre looking for good food...Go elsewhere! read more

The food outstanding with that said the only reason I gave it a 3 was because of the service from the waitress, we went early at 4 to beat the rush, I think we were the only table for our waitress. Ordered our drinks and appetizers, once drinks were gone and empty we waited and waited. Our waitress was too busy rubbing her boyfriends arm who also worked there hugging him rubbing his hand instead of waiting on her one table. Please note he did not touch her, he is more professional than her. I guess that is why most companies don't allow employees to date one another. Like I said food was delicious but than again service ruins it! A floor supervisor might be a good idea to monitor. read more

Great beer and great view of the lake. Friendly staff. Will go back to try and food as that looked good and people were enjoying their meals

Nice lake town micro brewery. The outdoor seating is a nice combo of sun and shade with a great view of the lake. My disappointment is in the pricing. A half-pound burger with bacon, cheese and avacado came in at $20. Add in the Brussel sprouts instead of fries and that added another $2. In all, a $22 Burger was just not worth it. The side salad checked in at $10, for greens with a few veggies and some cheese. read more

The strand is simply way too loud, on an inconsiderate level. Drink were okay too. Simply average.

The potential of this restaurant could be great. The Strand is located in a lake community with other restaurant/brewery options but definitely room for more. The restaurant has a large patio area with an amazing view of Round Lake. Opened mid summer season with difficulties particularly directed toward service. This has either been fixed or we landed on a good night. Our service was prompt and courteous- absolutely no complaints. Beverages served have a little controversy in itself. Though they bill themselves as a brewery and obviously have the equipment to brew, they do not ... at this time. They do offer locally brewed beers (including an option from Sister Lakes Brewery a mere 500 feet down the road and a local favorite ) and that is a plus. But the food is what brings in a low rating. We tried two sandwiches from the menu, one ok and one a BIG no. First the good, Brisket Dip was very good our only complaint would be the lack of meat on the sandwich (reminiscent of the old Wendy's "where's the beef" ad campaign). The second sandwich was the turkey pesto club. My thoughts when ordering was "what could go wrong with a club sandwich?", answer was bread. The club is the traditional three tiered club with the bread on each layer a piece of Texas Toast (1 inch high and not toasted). The ingredients of sandwich including the pesto aioli were good but lost in a lot of bad bread. Finally the $2 up charge for fries only adds to an already overly priced entree. The Strand is in a community that really wants a restaurant like this to go to but no one will ever want to leave the beach until The Strand improves their food. read more

Great location & atmosphere. Server, Mandy was great and so were the drinks. Love that the menu prices came down. Food was okay. Brussels sprouts were hands down the best. read more

Impressively average. Service is a 3/10. Extremely slow and mixed up orders. Our brisket sandwiches came without any of the garnishes and one of the entrees showed up 20 minutes after the rest of our table's. Says brewery but only 3 of the beers on the beer list are "from" The Strand and given the visible infrastructure, I am pretty sure they're not actually brewed here. Margarita tastes like sour margarita mix so skip it. Bonus: Two of the three stalls in the bathroom didn't have toilet paper. To top it off, our bill came, it was wrong by $100. Gimmicky nonsense in my opinion, but unfortunately one of the few places to actually go in the area. read more

This review encompasses a few things, some good, some horrible. Good: Atmosphere. Well decorated and in the summer a great view Service. Our server did a good job with a sizable party (~12). Got the drink orders and app and dinner orders in without an issue. The brussel sprouts. Outstanding!!!! I should've just gotten those abs nothing else. Decent beer selection. Local and collaborative. Bad: Brisket sandwich. Either they're pre pulling the brisket and letting it sit in a pan to dry out or it's sitting at the pass for 20 minutes (I suspect the former). Either way, I got a beef jerky sandwich. Not good at all. The au jus they serve with it had so much salt in it that it was inedible. Gotta taste your stuff guys Just terrible. And at $14...... unacceptable. Spinach dip app. Yuck. It was so heavy on the garlic that's all you could taste. So it was bitter and not worth the money. So-so: Mac n cheese. Not great, but not bad Prices. The beef jerky sandwich not withstanding, the prices are a little high but not outrageous. This place really deserves 2.5 stars but I'l round up. Bottom line - I won't go back unless it's just to have a couple drinks and split an order of the brussel sprouts. read more

My friends in the Eau Claire, Michigan area have been raving about The Strand Brewery & Grill in Sister Lakes (Dowagiac, MI). I decided it was time to check it out with some friends for sharing and comparing. The Strand, named for the land bordering a body of water, is massive and impressive, with two large dining areas and an outdoor patio in season. The West-facing side is primarily glass, which makes for awesome sunsets over Round Lake. When it's warm, the giant glass doors roll up for an open-air experience. The outdoor patio is lined with flaming chic fire pits. The owner said the fire pits were like their "OPEN" sign. Their pretty cool. According to an owner I talked to, they are still waiting for the licensing to brew their own and sell it on site. The liquor license they already have lets them have a full bar, wine, and beer from other breweries. A complete bar, is great when you have a group with varied libation demands. Rachel, our server, suggested we try the smoked wings as an appetizer. Good call, Rachel! They had a deep smoky flavor that reminded me of sitting around a campfire eating right off the fire. The dry rub added a little saltiness and a dash of zing, but nothing overpowering. They had no breading, which I love and the meat was tender, juicy and flavorful. They come served with Sweet Garlic Aioli or Sriracha Honey dipping sauces. I overheard a patron at another table exclaim "These wings alone were worth the drive!" As I perused the menu, I noticed that the prices are extremely reasonable...lower than what I expected. No complaints there! I think I only saw one dinner entree over twenty bucks...the smoked ribs. One of their top sellers is the Brisket Dip sandwich, starring their house-smoked brisket. Their smoker gets fired up bright and early every morning, which explains the tenderness of the brisket. The bread was so soft and fresh that it seemed like the bread melted into the cheese instead of the other way around...it was that soft and seemed eager to soak up some au jus. Gooey muenster cheese and caramelized onions snuggled up inside the sandwich. The brisket was so juicy that I didn't use much au jus, but I liked that it wasn't that salty. I would rank the Strand Burger in my top five of all time! It was perfectly cooked to my medium rare request and was topped with thick cut bacon, gruyer cheese, portabella mushrooms. The crispy onions add a nice crunch and the signature aioli sauce takes it too another level. I liked the Strand Burger so much I took my buddy Jerret back there a few days later so I could get another one. Weekdays are great for visiting The Strand as they have daily specials like AUCE Pasta on Mondays and Taco Nights on Thursdays. Friday and Saturdays feature a prime rib or New York strip. I cannot wait to come back when their brewery is up and running. Definitely worth stopping in. read more

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Great environment. Wing appetizer was awesome. Unfortunately we were there on an off night. The door to the outside patio was left open by the staff so flys inside were insane. Spent the entire evening shooing flys away from our food. Waitress was new so could not provide any advice on their craft beer. When I asked her for advice an some medium heavy beers, she responded that she did not know. I ordered the brisket sandwich and it was very dry meat. Great view, but they need work on the service and in the kitchen. read more

I'm am updating my review and increasing the stars because it is 5 stars for the area. We ended up eating here again as it is close to an air bnb we stay at for sporting events. It was a Saturday night and we just didn't feel like making the drive into St Joe's and having a wait. Despite The Strand being busy they had plenty of seating. The craft cocktails were much improved from my last visit. I got the spicy ginger apple mule and the loose goose, both are vodka based drinks and were very good. Our food came out fast and hot. I got the notorious strand burger and my husband got the hickory smoked jumbo wings. We got the maple bacon tossed brussel sprouts for an appetizer and pretzel bites. The Gouda cheese beer sauce for the pretzel bites is very good, I used the left over cheese to dip my fries in. The fries are a unique spiral potato type and do not disappoint. Our table was definitely cleared immediately at this visit. I'm happy we tried this place again, I would not hesitate to go back and neither should you. read more

My sister in law and I stopped in for drinks on a Saturday afternoon. I've never been there before so we thought we'd stop. We sat outside, it was a warm but windy day. Got our drinks, my Bloody Mary was tasty. My SIL had a glass of wine. A big gust of wind blew and her glass blew over, spilling a nearly full glass of wine on my lap. Waitress came over, brought napkins even! My jeans were obviously wet. She asked if she wanted another glass, which she brought. Alls good until we got the bill...we were charged for the spilled glass! By that time, our original waitress was gone so we just paid our bill and left. Would I go again, possibly. But not sit out on the patio if it's windy! read more

We came here on a Sunday night and had a lovely evening. They had live music, good drinks, and a kid friendly atmosphere. I had the coconut shrimp and my wife had the brisket tacos. This is HUGE to have something like this in the area, and makes lake life even more amazing. read more

The Strand - Beautiful sunset. - Breweries Near Me - Dowagiac, Michigan

this is my 2nd time being disappointed with the Strand. I phoned in a pickup order. I was told 40 mins. upon arriving I waited an additional 20 minutes for my order. they said my extra sauces weee in the ba,. when I checked they were not. it took them 10 minutes to ring out my order. I asked for my money back and it took an additional 15 mins to rectify my refund. This entire restaurant lacks management and accountability. There is a definite lack of customer concern. my previous experience my family of Sox ordered appetizers and full meals. they tried passing off their best selling 2/3 lbs burger with what looked like a White Castle slider. my sons bbq pulled pork sandwich was all fat. when I asked for a manager, I was approached by a teenage girl who refunded the screwed up orders l, which also took a long time. after giving the strand the benefit of tidbit, I'll never eat here again.!! terrible food and terrible service. read more

Great service great food great drinks ( I'm copy catting the cucumber G&T at home), and great location! Loved sitting outdoors on the patio looking at Round Lake! Wonderful salmon salad and brisket everything! read more

The atmosphere and service 5 stars . Drinks 4 stars food 3 stars. Nothing we ate was great but just Ok. Improve the food and this place will be 5 stars. By the way the view out front is priceless read more

Great service! Great food! Great sunset! Love this place! We will be back for sure. Whatever new management they are under, they are doing a great job. read more

We drove one hour to The Strand for lunch on Sunday, October 10th. We had been there about a month ago & were very pleased with everything. This visit, however, was extremely disappointing. Service was fine, but the food was not terrible. We were a family get-together of ten people. The brisket sandwich was cold & dry, hamburgers undercooked, chicken tempura seemed to be left over & then reheated, as did the rack of ribs. Based on our first visit we thought we had discovered a real gem. Sadly, this was a huge let down. read more

Come for the lakeside view. Food is fine, nothing special. Can be very busy in summer, so call ahead.

I have been a few times and have always had a pleasant time. Until last night. The large doors were open and the restaurant was nearly 90 degrees inside. I saw a woman fanning her very flush from the heat baby. People were going to their cars to sit in ac for a minute. I can not believe an establishment would allow their patrons to be this uncomfortable. When the doors opened in came the bugs. We didn't even finish our meal because gnats were landing in it. They have outdoor seating so I don't understand why the inside needed to be 90. If you want to sweat and eat sit outside. The servers were sweating while bringing people their food and making drinks. I enjoy their food and drinks so I'm sad to say if I can't sit relax and enjoy my food in a comfortable atmosphere I will not be back. read more

The food was good, but a little steep in pricing. We absolutely love the modern atmosphere. We enjoyed playing corn hole outside before our meals were ready. My husband absolutely adored the hanging lights. The whole place has a nice contemporary feel to it. The menu is pricy but very well-composed. read more

Great food Loved the outdoor atmosphere. Great service as well. Will definitely be going back.

Great atmosphere! Really neat building and love the outdoor seating. I will say you when you first enter you are not going to be greeted in a friendly manner. The hostess's seemed very annoyed by public in general. Food..they have an amazing Ruben!! I highly recommend the pretzel bites for an appetizer and the side of roasted Brussel sprouts. Service wasn't the best but they were very busy. It was a little disappointing that they were out of a few key items. I felt the prices were a tad high for what they served. I do think the food made up for it though! read more

Food was excellent, service horrible. Very slow in general, but specifically, she forgot our drinks and I had to go to the bar and ask for them. She blamed someone else, saying they were supposed to run them for her. Apparently they were just sitting on the bar and finally came to us watered down and ice half melted. Then, one of the menu items listed came with a salad and fries as sides, and she didn't bring the salad. When I asked, she said "oh that was a typo. We got new menus. You're like the theirs person today that asked for that". She brought out a half assed salad that didn't have half of the ingredients listed on the menu. Despite that, the burnt ends appetizer was amazing, and the pulled pork was excellent too. read more

Service was horrible. We waited 20 minutes before being greeted at the table. Took forever to get food and drinks. Waiter did not appear very apologetic. I'll be spreading the word about how horrible it read more

It was wings and beer. Nothing amazing, but view outside was great. If grading on outside, bump it up to four stars. Food was decent and no complaints. read more

Krystal, our server, helped to make this a great experience from start to finish! As soon as we entered the warm, comfortable environment Krystal welcomed us with a smile and great advice on what to try. Her service was attentive and enjoyable. The food was excellent. Our group of 7 enjoyed the smoked chicken wings and cheese curds for appetizers...both were delicious. We were there on a Thursday (taco night) and loved the tacos. They are not your average taco... but are unique. We had the shrimp taco, brisket taco and chicken tacos...Each was fantastic. The seafood chowder was also spectacular! Enjoyed the Strand burger too. Drinks were excellent as well. If you're looking for a great place to enjoy a night out you can't go wrong with The Strand! read more

Avoid. Just went in and waited ten minutes. No sign of a server. The couple next to us left. Same problem. So, if you want a nice view and no service then this is your place. We popped over to dockside dans and got immediate service. read more

We can tell that The strand has made improvements. Love their beer! so glad they finally have their brewmaster up and running! We are rooting for you and hope you continue to make improvements on the dining menu. The wings were very good and we loved the pretzel bites. The new New England IPA is excellent. A club sandwich would be a nice addition to the menu. read more

Second visit: music is too loud, service is slow and it seems to be getting worse. Food order was messed up, beer order was wrong and a horrible experience. Great venue in need of management read more

This place is great! Setting is perfect, food is excellent, drinks are great! I can't say a bad thing about it and come here often. All the people complaining about weekend carry out- deal with it! read more

New management has really made this place a delightful dining destination! So beautiful!! We all enjoyed our food and the bill was reasonable. Great singer throughout the evening, as well! Can't wait to bring friends! read more

The Strand - Breweries Near Me - Dowagiac, Michigan

Our server Henry was friendly. Wonderful place, great atmosphere! The food is amazing. Only one vegetarian option but quite delicious. Will definitely be back. read more

Unprofessional and uncommunicative management. I had gone in for an interview before a vacation and was told to text when I'd be back to start, I ended up extending my stay (understandable if maybe they didn't want to wait another half a week for me to start) but I received no response. I had turned down other job offers because I had believed that I was coming home to this one. I'd be perfectly fine if it had been communicated to me that they no longer wished to hire me because they needed someone ASAP but it was beyond unprofessional and rude! Also, the chicken alfredo is subpar read more