Michigan Diner (Manning) — Restaurant in Tecumseh

My mother and I visited the establishment for lunch for the first time on May 19th, 2013. I had what the menu described as a Greek salad. My mother had a cheeseburger with sweet potato fries. The restaurant was less than 20% full and we received our food within a reasonable time. Our server was pleasant.

However, my mother and I both agreed we would never go back to the restaurant. Here's why. We had an issue with our meal and spoke to the "boss." Since I asked to speak to a manager and was told that only the boss was there, presumably this meant the owner.

It was a small issue but my $10.99 Greek salad didn't come pre-dressed. Instead it came with a partially filled container of dressing for the customer to add. In my opinion, it wasn't enough to cover the salad but when I asked the waitress for extra she apologetically explained that it would be an extra $0.75 for more!

I eat out regularly at both high and lower end establishments such as the Michigan diner. I have rarely needed more dressing but more importantly I have NEVER been asked to pay extra for it. Since I'm old enough to remember 8-track tapes that's a long time. The "boss" of the restaurant tried to tell me that almost every restaurant does this. You be the judge of his honesty. I wasn't asking for free dressing, just expressing my opinion that it was a bad business decision and explaining that it left a bad impression to half fill a container and then charge a customer for more. I was pleasant and hoped to change the policy.

Unfortunately, I found his attitude to myself and my mother condescending. I found myself in one of those few times in my life where I wondered if I would have been taken more seriously or been treated more respectfully if I had been a man. That's why we won't be visiting the Michigan Diner again.

As an aside, I spoke of my experiences at the restaurant to a group of friends last evening and I learned that a number of others have experienced this--usually only once. If you decide to go be aware that the Michigan Diner apparently also charges $0.99 for extra sour cream. I'm not sure I even disagree with charging extra if the amount provided with your meal is ample (I feel mine was not).

However, the amount charged should be fair. Everyone who has ever worked in wholesale or summered in a restaurant knows how inexpensively restaurants purchase items such as salad dressings and sour creams. For that matter, even I can buy a tub of sour cream or a bottle of Kraft Greek dressing each for $1.99. The salad was fine, but the price and discussion with the owner left such a bad taste in my mouth that my mother or any other members of my family won't be returning to...

This chain gets a consistent 3 in all aspects...

Food is OK but you can make better yourself... 3 Prices are OK but you'd expect slighytly better value for meals straight from the Costco freezer... 3 Atmosphere is OK for a 50s diner but it's all so watered down and fake... 3 Cleanliness is OK but there's piss on the bathroom floor and the garbage is overflowing with paper towels... 3 Staff were nice and personable, but nothing particularly outstanding... 3

In the end, I got fed and wouldn't complain for what I received. It filled me with better food than a McDonald's meal in spite of its similar price (minus any pop) so I guess that's a win. Still, I feel as if you'd have a better time at most other sit down restaurants where they care more about their business and aren't simply showing you the required minimum number of pieces of flair.

I think that the John Wayne poster I saw at one of these diners sums up the experience nicely. It wasn't an original movie poster, or even a movie poster at all... It was just a poster showcasing the actor. 'Member John Wayne? It just seems to say "We want you to think of us as a 50s diner, but there's nothing memorable or ever noteworthy here, nothing actually worth coming back for." Well, if I do come back it'll be out of convenience, not to have a...

Five-Star Experience at the Michigan Diner ❤️ Thanks to Nada!

We had such a great time at the Michigan Diner recently, and want to give a special shoutout to our lovely waitress, Nada. She was absolutely wonderful- warm, welcoming, beautiful, and attentive from the moment we sat down. Her smile alone could brighten anyone's day, and it really set the tone for a relaxed, enjoyable meal. A meal we thoroughly enjoyed . Nada was quick with helpful suggestions from the menu and always seemed to show up just when we needed something, without hovering. Her professionalism and kindness truly elevated the experience. You can tell she genuinely cares about the customers and takes pride in what she does.

The food was great. Classic diner comfort food done right, but honestly, it was Nada who made the visit memorable. Can’t wait to come back!

😊THANK YOU NADA YOU ARE 5...