Providence Organic Farm, Café & Natural Food Market — Restaurant in Central Lake Township

I am SO incredibly bummed about the experience my family had here yesterday. I’ve been wanting to check out the farm for quite some time now after hearing a few great recommendations and also following them on the Overheard in ER page. We came in yesterday at 5:00P to grab some dinner. We were so excited to try what had looked like totally amazing food! Andrea was so rude to us and instantly made us feel unwelcome. We were not greeted at all, kind of just glared at until I said “hi!” Then of course, she replied hello back. We walked up to order and she explained what menu options were left. Before we could ask a question or order she just rudely said “name??” Just very blatantly not interested in going through the motions (ok, no biggie I get it. My husband and I have both worked in the restaurant industry for over a decade). We ordered, paid etc. While we were waiting, my husband inquired about the lamb share because we’ve been wanting to purchase some local meat and stock up our freezer for winter. Andrea began to tell him that there was a long waitlist, and that MOST people wouldn’t be around in October when it will be available. It was super clear she had assumed we were tourists, and therefore the conversation wasn’t worth her time (I’m not sure why, we were incredibly nice and patient even after being treated pretty shabby). My husband explained we’d be around then and she told him to just email them if we wanted details. Alrighty, noted.

When our food arrived the tacos were incredible. Huge props to the cooks! Some of my favorite Mexican food I’ve had and we’ve tried it all over the US. The tamales were forgotten, again, no biggie. We let her know and when they came out they were cold, like straight out of the fridge cold. Still, I wasn’t frustrated, just came back inside to ask her to warm them up. When I did, she was having a conversation with a friend. I waited for a little while, made eye contact. Nothing. Then, not my style I politely interrupted to let her know. She replied “Are they cold? Or just warm?” For me, this is when my patience was gone. I just paid $30 to have 2 tacos, 2 tamales, and a horchata. You can atleast be nice. I’ve seriously never written a review like this but as a local, trying to support a local business, and wanting to have a good night with my family, this made me so sad. We left feeling just so bummed and feeling like we wasted a night out with our little family (which we don’t get very often).

Sadly, I don’t think I’ll be supporting these guys again. Be nice to people. We know what it’s like to work during tourist season in the restaurant industry. It’s not easy. But don’t make assumptions, and no one deserves to be...

My husband and I had contemplated buying into the CSA for about 4 years now but just never took the plunge for whatever unknown reason. We are big into organics and natural living so this is definitely a good way to go for us! I think the biggest downfall was being able to get my produce as I work week days and can't make it to the farmers market!

This year Ryan and Andrea offered to deliver to Charlevoix Area Hospital for us employees as long as we had enough participation so I knew we had to sign up! We signed up for a medium share for the whole 22 weeks and we have LOVED it!! Right now it is just my husband and I eating most of the foods although my 2.5 year old daughter enjoys her fruits and veggies also! I felt like this amount was slightly more than we could handle weekly, but yet pushed us to do even MORE with fruits and mainly veggies! We definitely didn't want good, organic produce to go to waste so we were definitely coming up with different ways to use our foods! It was definitely do-able though! We rarely wasted any of our produce and we ate a lot more veggies than we had been (even though we were already veggie lovers!). I think our biggest issue was having a newborn at the time so that limited my time to cook and/or freeze/store the produce the best we could have!

We really enjoyed all of the produce we received. It was a wonderful variety and we LOVED getting our box every week - always excited to see what this week would hold! We had trouble getting our payment to go through and Andrea was so kind and patient with us while waiting for it in the beginning. They are just great people and a CSA is so well worth it! Our box of veggies averaged $25 per week and I can say we definitely would have spent over $25 on organic veggies at Meijer had we not bought in!!

We plan to buy in again this coming year for 2014 and I hope to do even more with it! I'm excited to seek out new recipes for all of our veggies and I'm already anticipating getting our first box! :)

Thanks a bunch! I think you've got us...

I've been shopping at Providence Organic Farm & Cafe and Natural Food Market for over four years now, and I can honestly say it has become one of the most cherished parts of my routine. From the moment you walk in, you can feel the passion behind everything they do. Their commitment to providing the freshest, healthiest organic vegetables, fruit, and meat is unmatched — and it's not just about food, it's about nourishing the community.

What truly sets this place apart is the care and integrity behind every product on the shelves. Whether I'm stocking up on seasonal produce or finding responsibly sourced meats, I know I’m bringing home quality I can trust.

And then there's the cafe — an absolute must! Every visit includes what I can only describe as the best cup of coffee I’ve ever had, paired with a pastry that feels like a little gift to myself. It’s the kind of place that feeds your body and uplifts your spirit.

If you haven’t been to Providence, you're genuinely missing out. It’s more than a market and cafe — it’s a place built on values, love, and care for the people it serves. I'm endlessly grateful for what they bring to our community. Thank you, Providence, for doing what you do, and...