Drift Shoreside Beer Garden — Restaurant in Bay City

Really disappointed, just don't lie, it's pretty simple. My son and myself have wanted to try these smash burgers like u wouldn't believe, but now TWO Saturdays in a row I have raced home from work and driven us to drift to get burgers from the food truck, three Saturdays In a row their Facebook post has said the same thing..." and smashed food truck will be slanging food/burgers till MIDNIGHT". The first Saturday we drove there we got there at 10:40pm and the food truck was completely closed and man at the door said they had closed up early, then tonight we got there just before 11pm and again food truck is completely dark and closed, there was a group of people standing out front of the bar that saw me walk up and look pissed/disappointed, they go "were u hoping for burgers?" I said " yeah this is 2nd Saturday in a row where their own Facebook page/post ONLY says that they will be serving the smashed burgers till midnight but I've gotten here both times more than an hour before that and they're closed down" multiple girls say the same thing " oh no hun, that's totally wrong, cuz i feel like they're usually closed down by like 8-9pm"....SO then MAYBE the Facebook page/post should say that the food truck will only serve smashed burgers till 8 or 9pm, WHY though does it continue to ONLY say specifically that JUST LIKE EVERY SATURDAY WE WILL BE SLANGIN SMASH BURGERS TILL MIDNIGHT?? this is a lie, potential customers and fans should be able to trust/believe/count on the words that said business continues to post to their own page, and if they are NOT going to be open till midnight then stop saying they are or maybe clarify that on Saturdays THEY ARE NOT going to be slanging burgers till midnight. All it takes is to make an honest post instead of a dishonest post. Like just say " hey we want to sell/serve smashed burgers till midnight but there is every chance we will close and stop serving burgers HOURS before midnight so if u cant get here before 8pm then call and check before u make the drive here to drift with the soul purpose of trying and buying a smashed burger because our REPEATED SATURDAY POST THAT HAS SAID WE WILL SERVE BURGERS TILL MIDNIGHT IS FALSE. see,...

Pros: Great vibe, neat “open” concept, beautifully renovated, awesome outdoor deck, nice selection of food trucks.

Cons: Consistently poor service (on several occasions), no outdoor bar area, limited parking, overall lack of structure and organization.

I’m sharing this review because I WANT to see Drift thrive and become what it deserves to be; an exciting new venue for friends and family to gather together and enjoy the beauty of Bay City.

I visited with a group of 4 on a Friday night. It was very busy. Checked in at the host stand — 30 minute wait. We were okay with that because we wanted to check out the foot trucks. Took our food inside to eat after being seated in a “partitioned” area. We had to snake our way through a maze of tables, chairs, and other patrons. Very cramped and chaotic. We waited 20+ minutes for a server to take our drink order. Nobody acknowledged us or asked if we had been taken care of. Because of this, we were confused as to how the ordering process worked—head up to the bar ourselves or wait for a server to assist us? We flagged down a server and asked if someone could take our drink order. She seemed confused and mingled with other servers who appeared equally confused. Waited 10 more minutes and decided this wasn’t worth our time. Decided to head outside to check out the outdoor deck and dock before we left. The deck area is very nice but fairly small. Outdoor deck seating is extremely limited besides picnic tables on the side of the building. We were surprised that there wasn’t an outdoor bar...maybe it will become available later? If Drift wants to succeed, they NEED to consider arranging an outdoor bar to take care of guests outside and to take some strain off the indoor bar staff.

Constructive criticism is key here. This place has such great potential. If structured correctly, it could be a local hit like The Little Fleet in Traverse City. Overall, I would visit again but would definitely seat myself next time and head straight to the bar to order drinks...otherwise, it seems you won’t...

The door to Drift opened LOUDLY, announcing a new customer. Payton, ever the attentive server, rushed over with her usual sunny smile. But this customer was different. Towering over her, with iridescent skin and eyes that shimmered like distant galaxies, was clearly an alien. Panic rippled through the diner, but Payton kept her cool. "Welcome to Drift! Can I get you something to drink?" she asked, unfazed.

The alien, who introduced himself as Zorp, was on a mission. His planet, Xylos, was on the brink of war, and the fate of his people rested on his evaluation of Earth's dominant species. He'd been to other restaurants, other countries, but everywhere he went, he encountered hostility and fear. Payton, however, treated him with genuine kindness. She patiently explained the menu, offered recommendations, and even shared a joke about Earth's strange obsession with ketchup.

Zorp was touched. It wasn't just the food (though he admitted the apple pie was surprisingly delightful), but Payton's warmth and acceptance that moved him. He saw in her a reflection of humanity's potential for compassion and understanding. When it was time for Zorp to leave, he shook Payton's hand, his eyes filled with gratitude. Back on Xylos, Zorp delivered his report. He spoke of Earth's flaws, but he emphasized the kindness he found in one server at a small diner. His words swayed the Xylos council. War was averted, and Earth was spared, all thanks to Payton, the best darn server...