AZO Venue, Lounge & Grill — Restaurant in Portage

Austin was a great server and went above and beyond with even offering us a little tour of the place. He even acknowledged the birthday girl but that's where the good experience ends.

We hadn't been to the Beacon Club in something close to 30 years and thought this would be a great place to go for a birthday dinner. Four of us went to our reservation. We were placed at a table that while technically could seat four, the table space itself could really only accommodate two without any extras on the table. Naturally, there were fake candles and flowers, alongside the salt and pepper shakers etc which cluttered things up a bit too much. Nobody could open their menus all the way without hitting the others and when we were done, we had no place to set those menus. Everyone's feet were kicking each other's during dinner. I had to keep the drinks menu stuffed between myself and my chair the whole time.

Anyway, the drinks were mediocre at best. Very bland. I tried an old fashioned (as I do everywhere I go) along with an amaretto sour. Both were quite bland. Others got the margarita and some White Russians. Nobody really complained but nobody was impressed.

The real complaints come with the food. The bread appetizer was so hard that some of us couldn't eat it. The "loaded" fries were literally a pile of wet, unseasoned fries topped with giant chunks of green pepper and a whole slice of bacon covered in cheese. Two of us got lamb chops, others got chicken dishes. Everything was so overcooked. The lamb was like eating a well done steak and the chicken was so dry it was coming off in shreds. We went for broke and figured the crème brûlée must be a hit at a restaurant with this kind of star power but it was also dry and almost curdled? How does one make dry crème brûlée? I don't know.

I get that it's a relatively new endeavor but the food nor the drinks justify the cost in any way. I wouldn't pay more than $10 / dish or $5 / drink here yet our bill was north of $250. This is not what we expected from notable owner and French master chef Francois Moyet. Extremely disappointed. Won't be going back in the foreseeable...

I again visited the A La Ferm on Oct 24th, just to see if this was a one time fluke, or indeed a excellent place to dine. I was really enthralled at my experience. The waiter came and led me to a table overlooking the Kalamazoo Airport, and the green grassy field next door. He gave me his full attention at all times. Later, the chef came out and addressed my need for lower fats in my food. He suggested the corn on the cob in place of the butter laced garlic mashed potatoes. The chef truly was interested in my dinning pleasure, and health needs. Everything that made my experience the previous visit, beyond expectations, was again repeated. The A La Ferme, is truly something I want to experience again. I can't wait for their Thanksgiving dinner. (the following is my first review:) I wanted to experience the A La Ferme before it fully opens. This is the old Beacon Club, and its ambiance is very notable. A La Ferme is in the process of making minor changes to the inside. I was impressed when I walked in. The first person I met was the owner and Chef. He showed me inside to a table. I later moved to a different table with a better view. The General manager sat down with me and introduced herself. She had taken me on a full tour of the establishment, I was impressed. Not only with the facility, but also her professionalism, and pride of her staff. She then took me to another table with a view of the nightlights from the airport. It was lovely, she dimmed the lights and reviewed the dinner offerings of that evening. I ordered a non-alcohol drink, then ordered the Chicken. A meal of Fried Chicken, Air Fried Potatoes, a vegetable melody of squash, onions, and tomatoes. All this and a fresh ear of corn on the cob. This was started with a salad with house made rasberry dresssing. After finishing the meal, I was brought a big slice of vanilla cake with whipped cream. And to topp all that was a cup of excellent espresso. The management and staff were excellent. I foresee a great future for the A La Ferme. I will be there for their...

Have a bunch of older friends who were members of the club years and years ago. The food was good, and the ambiance was not bad at all.

Came in from out of town and was informed it was opened under a new owner and decided to try it. A pleasant surprise....

Was greeted by the manager's daughter and led to a table (mom and husband also). Our server, JaQuan, was pulling double duty as both the bartender and waiter and was attentive to our needs. Went over each item on the menu and several drinks. We all ordered the 4 course meal.

Chicken noodle soup was great. Wide egg noodles, chunks of chicken with vegetables. I actually had to use both a fork and spoon to eat it.

The salad took up the entire plate. A medley of garden vegetables with a lemon vinegar dressing. The bread served with it was quite good.

The meal of chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, and fries (mom got the corn on the cob) was pretty damn good. The actual white meat chicken (2 pieces) were almost as big as the plate...

Dessert was pumpkin pie with whipped cream. Good pie.

The chef, Selina, came out and introduced herself to the table and asked about our enjoyment of the meal. Made a few recommendations on the menu when we come back to visit again. Takes pride in her work.

The only thing that was not enjoyable was the interactions that the JaQuan and the manager had with, I believe, a former member when it was the Beacon Club. The member was rude, foul mouth, and abrasive at best. The manager dealt with his issues and paid for what he had ordered, then calmly asked him to leave due to him being rude to her employees. Nice to see management take care of her people.

Chef came out and walked us around the place, pointing out different items and things about the historic spot. Met the owner and spoke to him for a bit.

Folks, this is not the Beacon club. It is A LA Ferme....