The Forager — Restaurant in Reynolds Township

This restaurant has a nice vibe, but should’ve known from the variety of foods on the menu it would disappoint. I do not frequently write reviews unless the place is immaculate! My wife and I have traveled all over to experience some of the best restaurants for the food and idea to improve our restaurant, that said we left upset. A friend had recommended and so we showed up to a 20 minute wait for our drinks. I understand the restaurant business is hurting for staff but this place was less than busy. After getting our drinks, we then decided it would be best to order immediately, I asked the waitress what she believed to be the best for a great taste and experience. She gave us what we now know the most expensive meals that were off the menu. When approaching the food they served, three 3 inch pieces of perch, and fries. My perch over cooked and bland, leaving me to eat just the fries. My wife, four split from over seared scallops and a few green beans and mashed potatoes. I said to my wife not to eat it, but she wanted to be nice and she was hungry after our hour wait. Again I understand shortage of staff. So I was nice and patient. We received the bill to find out the scallops were 42$ and when I spoke to the waitress that I would assume that price at the chop house, or table 14 maybe but these were four small over cooked scallops she proceeded to tell me there’s nothing I can do since my wife had ate them. Which I understand because there are some people looking to get discounted. Believe me I work in the industry. But when I asked to speak to the manager she said yes and disappeared for an hour. After waiting for a long period of time, I was no longer willing to be reasonable and asked for the next person to cash my bill. They apologized and said this isn’t the first time. I’m sorry but it really upset my wife and I and wish you progress in service and in your culinary endeavors. If this was my restaurant and as all my staff know, not every customer is right but we try to make an understanding never let the customer feel distressed or...

This is such a great space and our food was delicious. I wish I could've taken photos, but the hostess sat us in between the kitchen and the restrooms despite having plenty of prime booths and tables available for a Wednesday evening at 6:30 pm. She seemed either inexperienced, utterly confused or just not happy with her job? My husband and I thought we were put in the "bad kids" corner by ourselves. It also seemed to be this small section of the restaurant where no servers were assigned, but after about 7-10 minutes of various servers walking past our table one finally asked if we had been helped. Our server Kyle was terrific and my burger was cooked to the exact temperature I requested, which was medium-rare. The mushroom mix, white cheddar and garlic aioli truly makes this burger special. I my case knife and fork special since I can't do gluten. My husband's French dip was full of tender roast beef on a perfectly baked baguette. I really wish I could've had their truffle fries (I ❤ truffle fries), but I'm gluten sensitive and their fries are unfortunately the battered type 😔 Luckily I don't have any problems with cross contamination from fryers, but why must establishments serve battered and seasoned fries?!?! I'll digress since I'm a French fry purist.

I had a couple glasses of their Sauvignon Blanc while my husband had Moscow mules. They have a full bar, but for some reason they don't have a cocktail menu or maybe the hostess failed to give us one? I think it would've been nice if they offered some signature cocktails. However, I'm thrilled they have a Sauvignon Blanc and a Malbec on their wine menu. Thank you! I would really like to come back, try more of their delicious comfort food and if you find yourself in Howard City would highly recommend (sans the hostess on...

Not sure how this place has any less than 5 stars!

Cleanliness: The restaurant is absolutely clean and beautiful. Saw someone cleaning tables as we were eating- definitely brings comfort knowing they take cleanliness in mind. Restrooms were cleaner than any public restroom I have been in - and I have been to some pretty nice restaurants.

Service: Hostess greeted and sat us instantly. Bar tender acknowledged us on the way out, too! Our waitress was absolutely fabulous and made her rounds constantly. Never had to ask for refills or anything. She took away used plates as we ate and was quick to offer menu suggestions. Amazing service!

The Food: We started with stuffed dates and bison chili. The stuffed dates were amazing- great taste with the right amounts of everything to go with them. Highly recommend. Coconut shrimp was good. The bison chili was so flavorful and not lacking ingredients of any kind... Tons of meat, beans, and other vegetables! The chili was also not overly acidic, either. Ribeye was great... a little pricey at $60, but we considered it a splurge. Walleye was cooked perfectly and tasted amazing. The baked potato was huge and cooked perfectly. Mashed potatoes are home made and have great flavor and texture. The French Dip was hands down the best one I have ever had - the aujus was AMAZING and not overly salty. Truffle fries were great, too!

Overall: I highly recommend visiting The Forager. Great food and great service. Don't complain about prices- things like that you can find out beforehand. If you're looking for something easier on the bank account, look elsewhere. BUT this place has great quality food and it is worth the price.

Sidenote: We shared a brownie sundae for dessert. Best...