Bennethum's Northern Inn — Restaurant in Bagley Township

My fiancee and I stumbled upon this restaurant while looking to go out for our anniversary dinner tonight, and it definitely exceeded all of our expectations.

Restaurants in northern Michigan seem to generally favor mediocrity and quantity above delivering an amazing dining experience. Bennethum's is an exception to that rule.

Almost every single dish was absolutely fantastic, and it was all made better by the excellent server and personalized note awaiting us at our table.

The bang bang shrimp was spicy without being overwhelming, and the breading on the shrimp was light and crisp.

The wild mushroom bisque was delicious, and had an unexpected but pleasant heat to it.

The lobster bisque is the one dish that left something to be desired. It lacked a strong lobster flavor, and some brandy would really liven it up.

For main courses, my fiancee ordered the shrimp scampi risotto, which was an absolute show stealer. Gigantic shrimp surrounded a generous portion of creamy, buttery, risotto. It was garnished with spinach and whole cloves of garlic, which were melt in your mouth.

I ordered one of the day's specials, a dry aged wagyu bone-in ribeye. It was fall off the bone tender, soaking in zip sauce, and covered with delicious sautéed wild mushrooms. There was also a generous sized portion of fingerling potatoes, with a perfect coating of coarse salt, which made them absolutely to die for. Additionally, broccoli was on the side, and it was absolutely coated in diced garlic, just how I love it!

For desert, we had their creme brûlée, which was exceptional. My only complaint was that there wasn't more!

Throughout our dinner, we had some of their cocktails. None of them disappointed. Whomever their mixologist is, great job! The coconut martinis and caramel white Russians were outlandishly good!

We will DEFINITELY be back on our next trip to...

Very cozy atmosphere with friendly servers. Went there for happy hour to enjoy a light supper. They have a special happy hour menu with lower pricing. Our happy hour plates were for the most part plentiful. My mussels had a nice broth but were overcooked. The coulifower was spicy (good) but mushy (we like firm crispy cauliflower starters). My wife's spicy chicken lettuce wraps were like ground or minced chicken and again mushy and was a small portion. I had a small caeser salad which was very good but I was charged $9.00 when the menu listed it as $7.00. Drinks were half price but wine pour were small so I drank twice as many. I ordered my last one right at the end of happy hour and was charged full price. To end on a positive note my wife thought her mixed drinks were perfectly concocted and a good deal. There are certainly better happy hour values around with their mixed drinks being the stand out. Our light supper came in just under $100.00 before tip. That said it is a very popular place reservations may be...

First time here, and it did NOT dissapoint! Cheese curds were actually listed as a small plate, not an appetizer, but oh, holy hell, am I glad we got them. Hands down, the best breaded and fried cheese food I've ever had in my 41 years of life!! Not even kidding. Golden fried little lumps of the creamiest, most delicious cheese. These are a must. The bread lives up to it's hype, soft and delicious. Be warned, though. It is dusted with a parmesean that gets EVERYWHERE, lol! I had the Jager Schnitzel, husband had the Lake Perch. Both dishes were good portions, lovingly and beautifully plated. Delcious, too. The Chef knows what they are doing and loves their job. We got their EXACTLY at 4 when they open, and people were already filing in. Reservations are strongly recommended! Our waitress was Alecia and she was genuinely warm and attentive, didnt hover and was truly helpful. Food was lightning fast, too. Overall fantastic experience, and we...