The Pleasant Lake Pub

Tried this place out with my family and was very impressed. The service was great and everyone was satisfied with their meals, big portions! I ordered the chili Mac which was essentially a giant bowl of chili topped with macaroni and cheese, it was delicious, spicy and a large serving! My family all had leftovers to take home but everything was delicious. This place also has a great selection of Michigan beers and cider available, great place to hit! Really enjoyed it!

Talk about a terrible customer service experience. We have been going to PLP since it had opened. In the past we could only make reservations if you had 5 or more people. Now evidently you can place a reservation for 2 and they call you when your table is ready, which leaves tables open for approximately 20 minutes, while the people are on their way to the restaurant. While others who come in and are forced to wait, even though they are there and get to stare at these tables. When we questioned this, we were greeted with an extremely rude hostess. She proceeded to just keep calling while I was politely trying to get an explanation. The others who were waiting, were also extremely upset and disappointed with the situation. This has left left a bad taste with me on PLP. You lost very good customers tonight we will no longer be recommending the PLP.

Food was average. The staff was slow to take orders, and bring food. Water smelled and tasted nasty.

I believe in supporting local businesses. I keep trying to give this place a chance as I live in the area. Every time I’ve been there I hear the same line. «I’m sorry we are out of that». This ranges from a basic salad dressing (Thousand island) to a main menu dish to desserts. The first couple times I wrote this off to new business hiccups. They have been open long enough they shouldn’t be having these issues. On our last visit we watched our waitress lean against the wall using her phone while our food sat under a heat lamp. This surprised me as the service is usually wonderful. Also on the plus side is the atmosphere. Even on a busy night you can still have a comfortable meal and conversation.
I’ve recommended this restaurant several times to different people. I’m not sure if I can continue to do so as someone has always walked away disappointed.

FYI PLP Is currently closed due to fire. They are renovating and expect to be back soon. Call before heading out to make sure they are open before you make the drive.
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Love this place! They have an excellent mix of upscale and comfort food. Their beer and mixed drink selection is fantastic! I swear the two ladies I’ve had as bartenders are national treasures!
Twice I’ve had friends meet us here when they had to drive over 50 miles to get in and they’ve said it was totally worth it. Two days after the last visit one asked when we’d meet there again!
This place is the full package of great food and great drinks. My only caveat is they are often busy so it may take a bit to get you food, but it is totally worth it. If you are in a hurry though you may not want to hit it at peak hours.

Had lunch there today and had the brisket sandwich. Man was it good! I love their fries. Every time I go there, I come away impressed. The staff is on it and the owner really cares about quality of food and service. Great place to relax and have a good time.

I need to start this review off by telling a story that seems completely unrelated…
The last time I enjoyed pulled pork was at my wedding reception on July 27, 2013. The next night, I ended up at the St Clare Hospital emergency room in Baraboo, Wisconsin, with a bad infection in my leg and a 103 degree fever. It was the first night of my honeymoon in the Wisconsin Dells. The pulled pork never had anything to do with the infection or the fever; however, for some reason the two things were psychologically connected and even thinking about eating pulled pork has made me sick to my stomach for the past two years.
Skip ahead to August 15, 2015. My wife and I are heading out on our first date, without kids in tow, in over a year. We decide to drive to the other side of the county and try someplace new; I’d seen a few people post good reviews of the Pleasant Lake Pub on Facebook and figured it might be worth the drive.
The décor is casual. Guys, you’ll feel just as comfortable in shorts and a t-​shirt as you will in slacks and a nice button down. We showed up at 2:00PM on a Saturday and the place was relatively empty. However, the presence of a hostess stand and a sign with the daily specials out on the patio leads me to believe they probably get pretty busy in the evening.
Our server promptly came over to get our drink order and asked us if we’d ever been there before. When informed this was our first visit, he shared that nothing from the kitchen was microwaved or reheated – their goal was to deliver what amounted to a home cooked meal. We ordered our drinks, an appetizer, and spent a few minutes looking at the lunch menu, which is simple with a limited selection of appetizers, salads, burgers, sandwiches, and entrees. It’s clear that the emphasis is on doing a few things and trying to do them well.
My wife chose to order the PLP Burger, I ordered the Pub Grub, and we ordered a side of mac and cheese to split. This is where the start of the review ties in, both entrees featured pulled pork. You see, I used to love pulled pork. Over the past two years I’ve managed to choke down more than a few pulled pork entrees in hopes that I could break the mental connection between the once heavenly treat and the mental prison it now had me locked in.
Our appetizer arrived in short order, stuffed jalapeño poppers, and they were delicious. Nothing to rave about, but a very solid appetizer and I’d be happy to order them again. After a short wait, or food arrived. My wife’s burger was piled high with beef, pulled pork, onion strings, cheese and pub sauce… a thing of beauty, really. My Pub Grub had a base of waffle fries covered with pulled pork, onion jam, jalapenos, and «crazy cream.»
My first bite of a waffle fry, loaded with fixings, nearly brought tears to my eyes. The bond has been broken. Pulled pork is no longer a gut wrenching menu item to consider. The first taste of their house pulled pork brought a flood of good food memories with it. As the emotional prison walls came tumbling down, my wife allowed me to take a bite of her burger (mind you, all she let me take was one bite and I’m glad she did since she polished the whole thing off poste haste) and it, too, was exceptional; juicy, perfectly cooked, and loaded with flavor profiles that harmonized like the Vienna Boys Choir.
In short, we’ll be going back. I have to try the pulled pork again and there were plenty of menu items that featured it. The only reason I’m giving the Pleasant Lake Pub five stars is because Unilocal won’t let me give them six.

We stumbled onto this place by accident. It has wonderful food & pleasant servers. Had the stuffed ½ lb burger of the week. The Mac & Cheese was to die for… Homemade with bacon and Parmesan topped. We ordered a small size but would definitely get large next time! Live music with sunny outside patio. We hope to come back again.

Nice get-​a-​way not far from Jackson. Good wine selection and very nice food. Price was comparable to other lake area restaurants and reasonable considering the nice atmosphere and quality of food. Will patronize again.

The atmosphere was great lovely Indoor and outdoor we had smoked wings and a brew. Wings great beer cold. What more can you ask for and bartender was lovely and knew what she was doing. We will be back with friends the menu looked great!!! Fabulous

Great new venue for the area. Usually able to get in a seat within a half an hour. Reasonably priced American plates with modern flare. Great drink menu and rotating tap beers from Michigan only! Offers pizza as a take out and fills growlers for a reasonable price! Clean sports bar atmosphere offers comfort while watching the game mixed with finer dining. Sure to be a main stay in Jackson county.

The food is absolutely amazing. Everything is made there, even the coleslaw. The sides are almost as good as the meal, but the brisket is melt in your mouth delicious. I’d eat it every day. The chicken has a perfectly balanced cherry bbq sauce, and the plp burger is huge and full of flavor. No detail is missed.
The service is very friendly, but if they are busy it can be quite slow. We went for lunch and it was very fast. Ambience is very chill upscale. The mixed drinks are tasty and reasonably strong.
Can’t say enough about this place… Please go and make sure it stays in business!

Ordered a dirty Basterd and received the wrong beer. When we asked the waitress to check on it being the correct beer she argued that «she watched it come out the tap so it was the right beer” — not so. We tried to not make a big deal but wished to have it corrected. It wasn’t until we showed a picture from Google of the expected beer that we did not receive –that the waitress said she would check the keg to make sure it was the correct beer. She «wasn’t able to check the keg» until after she checked us out that she realized that it was a pale ale and not the dirty Basterd. A difference of 3% alcohol content between beers. I have had a good experience prior to this situation; however after this situation I question their validity and customer service.
On another note we ordered appetizers– they were good and came with in a timely manner.

This (new) restaurant was written up in the local paper a few months ago, so we gave it a try tonight.
We found plenty of seating indoors and out, an enjoyable atmosphere, friendly wait staff, and great food! My husband tried the mushroom Swiss burger — huge, well seasoned, and juicy. The house-​made chips on the side were crunchy without being overcooked, and just-​right salty. Surprisingly good. I had the brisket sandwich; what an amazing flavor! Served on a large bun with sweet pickle chips, horseradish sauce and onion marmalade, it qualified as one of the best sandwiches we’ve found here in town.
Don’t pass up the desserts, either. They are made from scratch by a talented local baker. We shared a piece of rich chocolate layer cake with a peanut butter ganache frosting, and a scoop of coffee ice cream on the side. Decadent.
Our only negatives: the tin ceiling indoors created a loud environment when the restaurant was full. And the time from ordering to being served our meal seemed a bit long. Our server Brianna, however, kept us informed. She was chatty and attentive without being overbearing.
Thank you, Pleasant Lake Pub, we’ll be back soon!

After an almost hour wait, it wasn’t what I had hoped. The pountie was excellent! They ran out of a special by 8 pm, which lead me to order the Mac & Cheese. Our food was ready pretty quickly, but the couple behind us who came in right after us still hadn’t received their burgers until after we finished & paid. The Mac & Cheese was bland and the Calzone was not cooked enough on the inside. Glad we tried this place but will not be returning anytime soon.

This place is so not right for the location. I love this place. Nice atmosphere. I like this place. Not a dump like everywhere else out here love this place. Nice staff. Not much more I can say. Pouting is amazing. Guinness gravy is phenomenal.

A much needed addition to the area. Great food and drinks in a cozy, comfortable spot. The atmosphere is upscale with prices mid-​range. An amazing transformation of the little ice cream/​pizza place (dive) it used to be!
Wait staff is a mixed bag of experience with some still learning. The only real negative would be the tables near the bar area where our conversation got «put on hold» during the blenders running every 5 – 10 minutes.
My fingers are crossed this will be a huge success. They have really put in the time and effort before opening. CHEERS!

Great food and atmosphere. We had dinner for my birthday tonight, first time there with two kids. Drinks were tasty, generous portions for meals and I liked that they had crayons and the kids got to pick a prize from the treasure chest. Also, the owners were on site and seem really great. Hope to see it succeed, not many restaurants north of town! Our waiter was really patient and prompt. Looking forward to sitting on the patio when it warms up.

We have been to the Pub and have tried numerous things so far. Everything has been very good!