Boone's Long Lake Inn — Restaurant in Long Lake Township

Eta: next 2 trips were ok, not great. Our steaks tonight were great but mushrooms were overcooked, Both the sauteed mushrooms and the battered. The battered mushrooms I could tell as soon as she sat them down that they were overcooked. Old review: I am actually saddened to change my review of Boones from 5 stars to 2. We have been going to Boones for years and have never had a complaint, the service and food has always been amazing. Last night we called on our way, asking if there was a wait, and we were told no wait for inside. We were seated immediately & order taken within a reasonable time by a pleasant waitress. 15 minutes later, the waitress came back confused that we ordered battered (she called them fried) mushrooms for an appetizer and also sauteed mushrooms without steaks. She said they were the same thing (she was new, not a big deal), 15 minutes after that she came back & thought she had it figured out, that the appetizér was battered not sauteed. Another 15 minutes later finally got our battered mushrooms which were amazing as usual. Another 15 & we got a mini loaf of bread. At this point our kids were getting frustrated/tired, & at the hour mark we still had no food. Over an hour after ordering, we were brought our dinner. Immediately I noticed the 3 plates of mushrooms were very much undercooked & tried one, then asking her to take them back to finish cooking them. I started cutting my son's steak, giving 6-8 bites to my toddler before cutting my son's bigger bites. The first one he put in his mouth he made a face & said it's yucky mom! He LOVES steak and Boones is his favorite, so I tried a piece & pulled it back out of my mouth, it tasted sour. The steak was very light in color, and no seasoning as well. Waitress came back & we told her, she offered to bring them a new steak. My husband tried the cottage fries for the first time, gave me a bite because he couldn't eat them. They were hard & no flavor. Not a huge deal on it's own as he also had a salad, steak & mushrooms. That sometimes happens when you try something new. My steak was great at first then the last bite I took tasted just like my son's, had a strange sour taste to it that ruined it for me. The mushrooms were brought back & they were cooked better like they usually are. So I give up on my steak, open my baked potato to find it was under cooked, but at this point I'm ready to walk out so just say whatever & put sour cream on it. One bite & it was the worst baked potato I've ever had from there. The sour cream tasted bitter/sour in a bad way on top of the potato being hard. Waitress brings my son's new steak & he says it still tastes weird & makes a face so we both tried it & it tasted the same just covered in seasoning/salt this time. I told her to forget it, it's way too late at this point and we just want to go. Granted the waitress was new & they were decently busy, but she poured my husband half a cup of coffee, I had to ask for a refill on my Pepsi, & she took my son's last piece of bread (that was not on the edge of the table, it was in front of my plate), he had hoped to take it home. Waitress took off the cost of the kids' steak & our drinks, & honestly we were so irritated at that point & still had an hour plus drive home & just wanted to leave so we took the parts of steak that we could & mushrooms home with us. I had to ask for the check after we had our food boxed up as well. There's no where else around Like Boones & it's our favorite date place. But sadly it'll be awhile before we will be back. For the price that we paid even after the correction, we were beyond dissapointed. 150$ meal for 2 adults / 2 small children should not need multiple things tasting bad, sent back or not cooked properly, it's just...

Boone’s Long Lake Inn: One of the best places to eat in Michigan.

If you’ve ever dreamed of swimming in a sea of food, Boone’s Long Lake Inn is your promised land. This Traverse City staple is like the Texas of restaurants—everything’s bigger, louder, and unapologetically oversized.

Walking in, you’re immediately greeted by a life-sized taxidermy that doubles as both décor and a warning: You’re entering a carnivore’s paradise. Vegetarians, beware—this is where salad comes in two sizes: “tiny afterthought” or “covered in bacon.”

Ambiance: The “up north lake side cabin” feel is the perfect setting for what you’re going to experience. Also, the place is HUGE. Don’t let the full parking lot fool you. Chances are there won’t be much of a wait to be seated.

Service: The staff are friendly and professional. Very welcoming and will offer you their input on any questions you may have. The bust their ass. So tip them well!!

Food: This is where Boone’s shines—or rather, overwhelms. Plates are the size of hubcaps, and your steak could double as a flotation device. You’ll find yourself asking questions like, “Do I really need a prime rib that weighs more than my dog?” (Spoiler: The answer is always yes). The mashed potatoes are fluffy enough to make a cloud jealous, and the portions are so outrageous you’ll consider registering your leftovers as dependents.

Drinks: The bar is fully stocked, and they’re not stingy on the pours. In fact, by the end of dinner, you might need a designated driver—and possibly a Sherpa to carry your doggie bag. Pair your meal with a local craft beer or a cocktail, but don’t go too hard on the drinks, or you might wake up thinking you dreamt the whole experience. The best part, well at least for me? Cool plastic swords that skewer your garnish perfectly!

Verdict: Dining at Boone’s is less of a meal and more of a lifestyle choice. You don’t just come here to eat; you come to conquer. Whether you’re feeding a family or trying to win a bet, Boone’s Long Lake Inn offers an unforgettable experience—mainly because you’ll still be eating the leftovers a week later.

If I could give one critique it’s this. WARM THE DAMN BUTTER!! The bread is delicious but the butter is a frozen cholesterol cube.

Would I go back? Absolutely. But next time, I’m wearing sweatpants and...

This is a really well reviewed steakhouse establishment. Out of the near 5000 reviews written about it, boasting a 4.3 on Facebook and a 4.5 on Google, not much more can be said about its steak. Knowing this, I decided to try a different approach to my judgment and see how well the chefs would do in other areas.

First let's talk BBQ, a steak is only as good as it's beef, in this case the restaurant uses USDA prime as it's primary meat source, not Angus, not Waigu, but also not locally sourced. In fact, the only locally sourced item on the menu is the white fish. This is well and good and shows the owner and chef don't chase trends on types of meats and uses good cuts like prime for the steak. Is it the top end and deserving of that 60 dollar price tag? Probably? That depends on you, the consumer.

I ordered 3 items for my party, and we were able to share and review what we thought of each item and how well the order came to match our specifications. 1st was the seafood plate with a variety of items to include crab, shrimp, scallops, perch, and calamari. All cooked very well, the crab was disappointing that there were no legs but all claws. Over all great flavor, and according to others, their favorite part of this was the local fish. The 2nd item on our menu was the St. Louis style ribs. Now in a traditional sense when ordering this, one bbq fan would beleive that the ribs would be the longer cut ribs, unlike baby backs, and would be served as a dry rub, these were oven roasted for atleast 4 hours and came out really wet, not a traditional Missouri bbq, right cut of rib, wrong style of cook, no harm done, just not what I was expecting, and ro be honest, this was my favorite dish despite this hiccup. Third was a traditional boone cheese burger with american cheese. This was a very middle of the road burger, nothing spectacular. It was a little dry and unfortunately overcooked, but the flavors still presented well.

Lastly, and as a quick bonus, I loved the coleslaw. It was really nice as a side, not too wet and well seasoned.

Rating: I am giving the food a 4 because of the overcooked burger, but I felt that other items being addressed needed to be said as well, very pleasant overall, and...