Joe's Friendly Tavern — Restaurant in Empire Township

Unlike some of the negative reviews above, I find the service tolerable and even perfectly friendly. I have other issues, however, which I've gleaned after a couple times visiting this restaurant:

The food and presentation is quite drab. Many of their food products seem to be the cheapest possible, e.g., their eggs, which cannot by any means be "farm-raised" as they advertise - unless they mean in the very broadest sense of the term! Twice I have ordered eggs, over-easy and over-medium. They both turned out the same, and both contained far too much runny whites for even an adventurous over-easy egg.

On another visit I ordered cheesecake, and quite unfortunately the dessert tasted exactly like potatoes. Do they keep them in the same refrigerator? In any event, it was very off-putting.

The restaurant cleanliness also leaves much to be desired. An attentive patron will notice that their booth tables have myriad cracks that have been filled over the years with uncleaned crumbs and food debris - it is really quite disgusting, I am sorry to say!

On one occassion I had a burger that I quite liked (being in the mood for a sloppy and greasy piece of American cuisine!), but that was the only gratifying experience I have had here.

Overall, I would recommend going to Joe's if you are stuck in Empire, MI and want the most shameless of American pubfood in its sloppiest form. It is a quaint restaurant with some serious potential, but unfortunately bad ingredients, shabby presentation, and dubious kitchen standards prevent it from being palatable to all but the most obstinate of locals ("'The Friendly' used to be the spot!" they will readily avow) and the hungriest of tourists.

Everyone else will do well to bypass Joe's for the sandwich joint in Empire (Shipwreck), or else - time permitting - turn tail to Glen Arbor, Frankfort, or even...

After a tiring long drive, we were here for dinner today at about 7pm. The staff at first appeared unfriendly and very robotic and reserved. When my brother asked if anything chicken dish available, the quick response was "no we dont have anything chicken". Now not sure what part of the question that server didn't understand but my brother dropped the menu on the table and said "I don't want anything, you guys (me and my son) go ahead and order. I was not happy the way it started, may be the appearance or just how they treat customers came to my mind. However, we ordered for two, later I found chicken wings in the menu and we ordered it for my brother. How come the server missed, that they do have chicken dishes on the menu. I am still giving 4 Starsto this restaurant just because food was fine. We later invited the same server to our table to sit (he was having his dinner at a back table) who then told us about places to see in and around this tourist town. He seemed friendly and I decided to up the rating from 1 Star to 4 Star. A friendly note to the owner: Success of any restaurant depends upon happy customers which could only be achieved how your servers treat...it depends upon Friendlyness, Communication, Attention to detail, Energy, Problem solving and Focus. There was no help offered to us with the menu, no suggestive selling, it was like you have the menu, read it, then order or simply get out. Just because the server joined us at the table and we get to know him in that short 10 minutes talk, may be he was having a bad day; I am giving 4 Stars. Food was delicious, place was cozy, and their brewed draft beer was awesome. This place could do way way better! a bad day; I am giving 4 Stars. Food was delicious, place was cozy, and their brewed draft beer was awesome. This place could do...

I really wanted to love Joe's Friendly Tavern. The name suggests the kind of welcoming, family-friendly spot where you can enjoy a good meal without breaking the bank. Unfortunately, while the atmosphere delivers on that promise, the food and pricing tell a very different story.

Let me start with the positives: the staff was friendly and attentive, and the interior has a warm, inviting vibe that makes you want to settle in and stay awhile. You can tell they've put effort into creating a comfortable environment, and that shows.

However, that's where the good news ends. The pricing at Joe's Friendly Tavern is simply outrageous for what you're getting. Case in point: they charge $23 for a run-of-the-mill chicken sandwich served with tater tots. $23 for what amounted to cafeteria-quality food that you might expect to pay $8-10 for elsewhere.

When even my kids — who rarely get the treat of eating out and are usually thrilled just to be at a restaurant — were disappointed with their meals, you know there's a problem.

What made this particularly frustrating was that this was supposed to be a special outing for our family. The kids were excited, we were looking forward to a fun dining experience, but instead we left feeling like we'd been taken advantage of. There's nothing fun about paying premium prices for subpar food, especially when it's supposed to be a treat for the family.

I understand that restaurants have overhead costs and need to make a profit, but there's a line between fair pricing and price gouging. Joe's Friendly Tavern has crossed that line. You can find better quality food for half the price at countless other establishments.

My 1 Star review is due to the high cost and poor quality of food, and is not a reflection...