The Cottage Family Restaurant — Restaurant in Porter Township

If I could give this place a 0 I would! I’m a trucker so I travel from state to state, this restaurant was across the street from the pilot I was parked at for the night, haven’t had home cooking in a while so I decided to give it a try. I walk in and see no one that looks like me (all caucasian) but I’m a loving person so I don’t think nothing of it. I was seated with no words just a hand gesture to come sit. I was NOT TENDED TO like the other patrons of this establishment not once was I asked was everything ok or how was the food. I seen the staff constantly going table to table asking “how’s everything” “would you like rolls” “anything I can get you” not once did anyone including my waitress stop by to see how my service was going. The whole time they were all walking past me! Like as if I didn’t exist!!! Once it was time for my check I was trying to get I had to wait until I put my plates stacked and at the edge of the table for my waitress to just bring my check over! I grabbed my check and went to the register were I waited for an elderly lady to not even ask how my service was or let alone speak at all. Gave her my card and filled out my receipt with a tip of ZERO DOLLARS!!!! And she acted as if I was in the wrong while the whole time I was ignored and not thought of! It’s 2023 to be racist is crazy and also I’m a trans man so maybe that could be the issue as well. I hate to think that I’m a place where I was willing to spend my money I was treated so carelessly and rude. Further more the food was bland and the shrimp was not clean. Even though i was treated with such disgust I still wish for your business to prosper and maybe the next person of color or the LGBT community will be treated with respect...

This review hurts me to change.... I've been a loyal customer for over 10 years. I know most of the waitstaff personally. Originally I loved this place. (I left a really nice review prior but now im editing it due to a recent experience with the owner) I would order take out OR dine in just about every week. Then Covid hit.... we took some time away and when things started to calm down we decided to order take out. This was when masks were still required. Well I ordered take out and walked in to see that not a single soul had a mask on and the cooks wernt even wearing gloves!!!! I asked for my money back and that I no longer wanted my order because they weren't following mandatory guidelines to keep the public safe. At this point I was very disappointed because like I said, I've been going here for years (despite all the complaints I've heard from other people I loved this place.) Anyways, the young maskless lady at the counter told me she didn't know how to do a refund and went back to get the owner. She came out with THE WORST ATTITUDE EVER. She got angry with me for even questioning why they weren't following protocol. Sadly, ill never go back and unfortunately that changed my entire opinion about that place. I've heard other people complain about how gross the kitchen is and how the cooks are dirty and don't take care of things the way they should. I've also been told that a customer had hair in their food on TWO different occasions, which i believe now considering they dont wear any hair nets, gloves or anything like that while cooking. Its truly a disappointment because the servers that have been there forever are so so so amazing and they made it so worth eating there....

Walked in, was told to sit wherever we liked. All of the open tables still had used, stacked dishes and napkins all over them. I selected a table and she again said anywhere you like...at which point I told her they are all dirty. She said yeah which one do you want. She then cleared off and wiped the debris onto the bench......Not a good start.

A second waitress asked what I wanted to drink (water) then walked off...ignoring the rest of my group.

When she returned with water for all of us; I asked what everyone else wanted, she took the other waters and brought their drinks.

Finally she took the orders, strawberry waffles, french toast, steak and eggs, bagel with cream cheese.

Didnt offer up anything - toast types, specials, options- ANYTHING.

Steak was gross, unseasoned, old. Wheat toast tasted like mold. Home fries were mostly burned. Bagel was coated with butter even tho asked for cream cheese. Water tasted like a stale attic.

French toast tasted like egg, that's it.

On the way out people were waiting for a table and the waitress did the same to them...kept rolling her eyes and repeating sit where you want even though the tables were all filthy and covered in dishes.

Should have gone to McDonalds...