Frisch's Big Boy — Restaurant in Liberty Township

We visited this Frisch's a second time on February 23, 2024. Sorry to say, I did not find the experience to be as good as the previous September.. Everything was pretty much the same quality as before, except, sorry to say, the food.

We ordered the seafood buffet and were really looking forward to it. First, let me say there were some standout exceptions: the clam chowder was hot, delicious, and flavorful. Also, the fried shrimp was very good, crunchy, not greasy and was tasty.

The issue was all the other main food. I had a small piece of the baked fish and it was good, so went back for another. Sorry to say I couldn't fish it. It was dry and pasty and did not taste as good as my first small piece. The fried fish, 2 kinds, were a little "tough", not crispy at all, and not very flavorful. The fried green tomatoes were limp and greasy and bitter. I did not even try the clam tots, because they looked black and overdone. The macaroni and cheese did have a pretty good flavor, but was too dry for my taste. The green beans did not have much flavor and tasted like they were sitting in water, which actually, they were; and the corn tasted kind of "old", not fresh at all.

Our initial visit for the breakfast buffet was so good, we expected a lot more this time, but were disappointed. So, because of lack of consistency in food quality, which is a pretty major point, I am re-rating my food to 3 stars, and lower my total.

I haven't been to a Frisch's Big Boy in quite a while -- mostly because the last time I visited, the experience was pretty bad: service, food, and very stripped-down decor; kind of looked and felt like eating in a warehouse.

Today was an entirely different experience! First of all, walking in, we were greeted warmly and taken to our seats. The last time I visited a Frisch's, we had to order at the counter. The environment was comfortable and relaxing; no over-the-top decorations, but inviting. I also want to make sure I give a shout-out to our waitress, Whitney. She was very friendly and personable, and gave us great service.

My husband and I both opted for the breakfast buffet -- glad to see it is back! Frisch's has really upped its game. There were just enough choices to make it worthwhile. The scramble eggs were fluffy and tasty. No hard, tasteless cardboard eggs like I usually experience at a breakfast bar. Also of note was the crispy bacon; this bacon was delicious and perfectly cooked/crisp. If it's one thing I hate it is fatty, limp, uncooked bacon (well, I don't "hate" it, because, after all, it is BACON!). But this bacon was absolutely delicious. Also of note were the link sausages. They were very tasty, nicely browned, and not the underdone, pink inside, pale little guys that seem so prevalent. I also enjoyed a couple of the chicken nuggets, that really put others to shame. Very flavorful and crisp outside, soft and juicy inside, and not greasy. Dip them in the breakfast gravy! Mmmmmm. (another thing I hate is that thick, wallpaper pasty gravy -- this was a good consistency and tasty). Also good were the sauteed apples. Not too sweet and the juice itself was not thick, but more like the inside of an apple pie. The apples were nicely tart. My husband ordered orange juice, which was good, and not too watered down as you see often. I had coffee. Equally good.

While we only had the breakfast bar, I couldn't help but notice the brunch bar options next to the breakfast selections. I feel I must say a word about that. The food looked wonderfully fresh, colorful, crisp, vibrant, appetizing, and not like it had been sitting there for a couple hours. Nicely done.

All in all, we hadn't planned to go here, but since moving to Monroe and driving past a couple times, we noticed the outside being very attractive, and said we needed to give it a try. Good decision. Once upon a time, Frisch's seemed to be in the depths of despair. Happy to say it has been resurrected! Thanks, Frisch's, for putting quality, service, and the customer first. Much...

As a rule, I do not eat at Frischs. I've had so many bad experiences, and I only rarely give in to requests by my clients to eat there if given a choice of somewhere else. The orders seem to always be wrong, or the food has been unappetizing. But we were meeting someone today, and this seemed the best centrally located place.

Surprisingly good food today. I ordered the chili spaghetti...a weird choice for me, but it was actually quite good, and a good fit for the weather. My friend had the soup and salad bar, which one can get a free grilled cheese with right now, so a good deal.

Good amount of snow last night. No salt near or around the handicapped parking spots. Unfortunate parking layout, so we parked on that side of the building and made our way to the opposite side where the entrance is...with our canes...it was quite slippery.

Seated immediately. Told us we could go out the door near the handicapped parking if we wished. We decided to do that to skip most the snowy/icy sidewalks. The restaurant was exceptionally cold. We put our coats back on to eat. Maybe others were going out of that door, and letting the cold in?

The restaurant was clean. But it was also sparsely occupied. Between the weather and Covid, I guess it is really tough for these folks. They've been around 75 years, so if you like Frischs, maybe show them some love.

The girl who seated us (Amber), was also our waitress, and she had it going on. She was really on top of her work and took excellent care of us and all of the neighboring tables. She also bussed all the tables, brought out the food, and asked if we needed anything additional. She even took my payme nt at the table. Super pleasant and made this dining experience FAR better than any I have had at other Frischs in the tri-state area.

I would have given 5 stars today if the manager had cleared the snow or at least thrown out some salt. I know they are short staffed, but the salt should be one of the first things they do. A LOT of older folks frequent Frischs, and someone falling would be a really...

PROS: Good for everyday dining. Atmosphere inside is usually relaxed, cozy, and family friendly. Has a diner type menu. Some family favorites include the Texas toast grilled cheese, the Big Boy burger, or the Buddy Boy sandwich (hot ham). The chili, which is similar to Steak n' Shake's, is good either in a bowl or on their chili spaghetti. And if you are a soda fan, you can order cherry or vanilla flavoring for any soda on the menu, just be sure to stir your drink before diving in as the flavoring is added by hand and tends to settle in the bottom of the glass.

They also have a weekend breakfast buffet, but be aware it is very popular with the church crowd, so it gets very busy on Sundays.

CONS: The drive through service is usually slower than typical fast food joints, and the fries are always soggy, limp, and frequently cold. (You can just order a cup of chili or onion rings with your meal instead.) Also, if you ask for extra tartar sauce, DO NOT pull away from the window until you check the bag for it--they forget to give it to you at least 70% of the time.

Speaking of pulling away from the window, know that this particular location does frequently ask drive-thru patrons to 'pull forward and wait' for them to bring your food out if any part of your order is not ready.

UPDATED: the service here just gets slower and slower... It's become ridiculous. And the food is getting worse, almost always cold, the fries are always undercooked, and they never give the sauce you asked for in...