Copper Range Depot Family Restaurant — Restaurant in Houghton

I've lived in the area for a couple years and we hadn't tried the Copper Range and the ambiance and southern-inspired menu looked promising. Unfortunately, a few challenges made our visit on February 23, 2024, less enjoyable than we intended.

There were maybe four tables seated when we arrived. It took about a half hour for us to receive coffee and have our order taken. The server smelled slightly from tobacco which should never happen.

What was most disruptive, however, was a male employee with shoulder length hair who sat in a booth near us doing silverware roll-ups while listening to audio from his phone. Our server was also seated in the booth on her phone when we stood up to pay and leave.

We arrived about a half hour after breakfast ended but still asked if there was anything we could order from the breakfast menu. Our server directed us to three options on the menu and said that it depended on the cook of the day, and that today's was not flexible, and with others we could have chosen from anything on the breakfast menu. We absolutely understand it being past the time for breakfast, but it's not ideal to have inconsistent standards or for a server to share that the cook today just isn't as flexible or eager to take care of people as others.

I would expect a restaurant to have more vegetarian options. There are a variety of burgers but no plant-based patty offered.

After leaving, I realized I ordered a cup of soup I never received.

It's a beautiful building and view. I would like to give Copper Range another chance, but our first experience was deeply...

Tasty food, fabulous service, within its charming historic ambience. However, I felt our experience wasn't extraordiary nor worth five stars because that's what I expect for nearly $70 (including tip) for my husband's delicious but grisle-filled ribreye steak dinner, my yummy spinach salad, and two small $7.50 glasses of wine .

Carolyn's service was first class, she is charming, thoughtful, and attentive. Their chef's meals are equally worthy of high prices. The interior design made it feel like we were eating in a cute tidy museum.

My husband avoids gluten so it was fortunate our server was able to translate a menu that lacked gluten-free guidance. My husband was equally unimpressed with their McDonald's-style packaged salt and peppers and their lack of a steak knife. I felt their approx. 4 oz sized Libby wine glass of Cabernet was no better than a decent red box wine but my husband, who prefers sweeter wines, felt their similarly presented Moscato was among the best ones he had ever enjoyed.

I throughly enjoyed my spinach, walnut, cheese with lemon dressing salad. However, because my husband's dinner included a sweet potato and veggies the tomato bisque he gave me was even more tantalizing than that salad.

Compared to Eagle River's Fitzgeralds (my favorite Keweenaw restaurant) the food is just as yummy and their service/ambience is just as lovely but Fitzgerald's charges around 20% less plus Fitzgerald's lists non-gluten foods and the prices/sizes of its increadible local craft beers. In other words, Copoer Range Depot is a runner up that is still...

The atmosphere is quaint and the staff is friendly. However, the food is where things fall off a bit.

We stopped for an early dinner and selected this location because of the ratings. I wasn't disappointed, but I was not impressed either.

The wait staff were quite attentive and friendly. It's clear that they want to ensure that you feel welcome. So to be clear, I think service was on point and worth the gratuity.

The restrooms and dining area were clean and well kept. The grounds needed some attention as snow was melting and revealing trash. It could be excused as that is happening everywhere.

The food was served and did not seem as though it was made to order. I don't mean that it wasn't assembled when I ordered it, but that it was not cooked to my order, if that makes sense. I say this because the food, while warm it was not hot. The waffle fries had the appearance and taste of some that were made ahead and say in a heat lamp rather than fried when ordered.

In fairness, we visited after the "dinner rush". However, for this style of restaurant I would have expected it to be "short order" style. So the food was satisfactory but not great. The exception, and redeeming item, was the strawberry cake. That was excellent and made this a 3 star stop over a 2 star one.

Again, restaurant staff and appearance was great. Food was not what I expected, but your milage may vary. I might visit again for lunch or breakfast and...