The Arch Steakhouse and Tavern — Restaurant in Midland

A Culinary Adventure: From Shirley Temples to Steak Snafus

Gather 'round, friends, for a tale of taste, temperament, and a dash of dry humor. My recent dining escapade was an unforgettable mix of highs and lows. Picture this: A welcoming ambiance, a server with an engaging international flair, and me, eager to treat myself and a dear chef friend from Austria. Our mood was as effervescent as the Shirley Temple I ordered—Ontario style, of course, with Sprite, Grenadine, and orange juice. Alas, the delivery of my Temple was a bit...templed, with unexpected execution and an overabundance of ice. I graciously offered a humble lesson in glass-portion symphony, but the second rendition still missed the mark. Determined to sip and savor undeterred, I let it slide.

Next came the calamari, which is notoriously tricky to perfect. Yet, much to our delight, their rendition was commendably crispy, earning them a gold star in our seafood-loving hearts. Then came my entrée: Gulf Shrimp & Steak, or as I like to call it, the Arches Special. The shrimp aced the texture test but bombed the salt portfolio—it was like the chef had a vendetta against blood pressure. Still, it was palatable enough for me to soldier through.

Vegetables on the plate were seasoned superbly, presenting a vibrant medley that danced on the palate, just enough to make one forgive the slightly exaggerated lemon zest in the potatoes. My friend handed it a pass, but I rather enjoyed the tangy surprise.

Now, onto the pièce de résistance—or not. The maple bacon-wrapped steak was a curious character in our culinary narrative. In my humble opinion, it seemed a misguided marriage on the plate. Steak purists like myself prefer our prime cuts to shine solo, unhindered by sweet distractions. I bravely voiced my dissatisfaction, yet the shrimp massacre was ultimately overshadowed by the unfortunate union of maple bacon and beef.

The grand finale featured an unexpected twist: The owner herself swept onto the scene as I prepared to pay my dues. She bestowed upon me a narrative of her establishment’s illustrious tenure, with a side serving of machismo-infused jest about my choice of drink. I chuckled—a Shirley Temple suits any man who values flavor over convention. Despite her thinly veiled skepticism, I assured her my intention was not to evade the bill, but rather to acknowledge our delightful server and his global gastronomical wisdom with a well-deserved gratuity.

In sum, my friend and I sought sustenance and critique, navigated some shark-infested dishes, and emerged with full bellies and spirited humor. As a fellow business owner who appreciates culinary candor, I believe in the value of feedback, whether bitter or sweet. I'll be returning for Ribfest, ready to rally more mouths and minds to the cause. Bon appétit, and cheers to future adventures with fewer hiccups and...

Went to dine with The Arch and can say, we were a bit disappointed from our previous experiences. To start, it was a hot day and their air conditioning did not even feel like it was working, so I mentioned it to our server who stated, it was on and working. To me, there is nothing worse than dining and the temperature in the dining room is making me perspire. We then had our bread and salad, that came as part of our steak dinners. I had the market salad and there was one cherry tomato and one slice of cucumber. The rest was all lettuce. When they brought our basket of bread (there were two small pieces??) Though the bread was delightful, we asked for more and felt a bit uncomfortable doing so. The steak we had was impeccable and the roasted potatoes and vegetables were perfect. Quite a pricey meal to say the least.......(one beer and one coke), do dessert and no appetizer. $150 including tip. Not sure if we will go back. We have been several times, but there are other places to consider that are not quite as expensive and you can dine in comfort and not be sweating through your...

My husband took me to The Arch to celebrate my birthday on July 30th. We heard it was the best steakhouse in Midland and comparable to The Keg. My husband’s steak was cooked to perfection - he had the filet mignon. I had the Delmonico steak. I asked for med.-rare but it was a thin cut of meat so it was more on the well side. If you don’t like the taste of seared meat, I suggest you don’t order it. I wanted to mention it to the waiter but he did not check back in with us for a long time. My husband requested the deep fried shrimp and got grilled. Had to wait quite a while to tell the waiter about the wrong order. Once the waiter checked in with us he gladly replaced the shrimp pretty quickly. The vegetables were great but we did not like the roasted potatoes. To us they tasted like canned potatoes and lacked flavour. The caesar salad was very good, however, we asked to upgrade the regular salad to Caesar salad and were charged an extra $7.00 each. We were shocked. It was a very expensive dinner. They do give you a complimentary coconut cake for...