V.I. Grill — Restaurant in Suttons Bay Township

It was my first visit to Village Inn Grill with a party for 7 covers for a late breakfast on a Saturday morning. They underpromised and over delivered on time it would take for a table to clear up. 15 minutes became 5. We were promptly seated in a low ceiling area where 6 other tables were occupied by families. The room temp felt uncomfortably warm with so many people in there and no ceiling fans in the area. 90's alternative rock was playing slightly too loud. With all the background chatter it was difficult to hear our cheerless server ask for drink orders.

Drinks were brought promptly by our server who never smiled and seemed a bit overwhelmed by the POS system she was feverishly typing on to gather our order. It took 28 minutes for breakfast to come out. Usual fare of omelets pancakes and waffles. Nothing was exceptional and I guess most of my dissapointment comes from a few locals all recommending, raving even, about the breakfast here and it did not live up to the expectations.

My omelet was especially sad. I ordered an omelet with cheddar, swiss and sausage. If they told me it contained more than 2 little sausage links diced up fine, I would be surprised. Also, I ordered 2 different cheeses, swiss and cheddar, and there could not have been more than an ounce of cheese total in the omelet (See photo). I hate to leave a negative review which is why I even unfolded my omelet and asked the server if there really appeared to be 2 cheeses in it and she told me there sure were. This is not such a big deal but I was charged $10 for about $3 dollars of ingredients. That's including the hashbrowns and toast that came with it. The omelet was bland. Improved with hotsauce. Charging 3 to 4 times the price of ingredient cost is typical of fine dining establishments, not a local casual restaurant. I get the majority of business happens from summer to fall in this area but my expectation for all restaurants is that they should be able to make food as good or even better than you could for yourself at home. After polling the rest of our party, VI grill didn't meet this litmus test. Also, the bathrooms seem to get a lot of use and it seems they may only get cleaned once a day. Anyone can walk off the street and use the restroom the way the entrance is set up. The bathroom unfortunately had the usual wet spots on the floor in front of the urinals so early in the day. They may consider having someone check the bathrooms twice an hour for simple fixes a mop could handle.

On the positive side, the place was exceptionally clean. The tables were not sticky and no strange stains were present on the seats as with other establishments. The decor was rustic and very comfortable and from the view I was able to get of the kitchen, it also looked clean. The staff wore clean uniforms and most appeared happy to be at work. My omelet, despite its miniscule filling and value was cooked perfectly. Nothing is as dissapointing as an overcooked/browned omelet. This one was fluffy, uniform and tender. Had it been seasoned, it would have been much more appealing. Based on the prior reviews, we might have to try lunch or dinner. This may have...

Yum! Burgers are fantastic. We visited twice on our week in the TC area. Both times we had our puppy with us. The patio is great even though dogs are only allowed at the first three tables. On both occasions our waiters were polite and attentive. The only reason a star was left off was for the timing of the food and the lack of customer service on the phone. On both occasions our food arrived cold. The first occasion being worse than the second. Maybe we were just starving both times but it didn't seem to affect the flavor of the burger much but we did have to order new fries. Before arriving we called ahead to check that one of the first three tables was available. Having worked in restaurants I understand answering phones when you're already busy can be frustrating but had we not been really hungry we would likely have found somewhere else to dine. But in the end we were glad to find somewhere we could walk to and bring the dog. And a little something sweet always makes things better. Get the cherry pie it's superb! Chimonski bakery in town must have changed their recipe because their pie tastes just like the covered wagon pies I remember from when...

Fantastic service out of this restaurant, very welcoming, the host offered great feedback on the menu, was attentive, and extremely accommodating! Food was good, recommendation (perch) was fantastic.

Artichoke Dip & Pita Chips: The pita chips were great good mix of cruchy and soft, topped with parmesan. The dip was good, but we did miss a lil spinach in it, as it adds some freshness. It was very creamy.

Chipotle Black Bean Burger: "It was good, said Chipotle but wasn't very spicy, the bun was fantastic, guacamole was a little over powering, fries were average." -gf

Perch Platter: Was recommended by the host, and exactly what I was looking for, cooked very well with a crisp shell and tender fish on the inside. Tartar sauce was was subtle (which I prefer) and added great flavor. Again fries were atypical. COLESLAW was FANTASTIC, which is big to me, but I wish there was more then a tiny cup!

Greatful Dead: (Beverage) recommended by bartender.

Fantastic great summer afternoon drink, slightly fruit and very refreshing.

Cherry Pie:

Cherry pie was good, I didn't eat it right away, so can't...