Bennethum's Northern Inn

Not trying to be dramatic but I’m a foodie and this is TOP 3 places I’ve ever ate!! Service AMAZING, food EVEN BETTER, atmosphere FANTASTIC, overall NO COMPLAINTS. If you’re thinking about eating here stop thinking and go. We’ll be back, it’s a new favorite. We spent $160 not including the tip and received 2 appetizers, a bowl of soup, 2 meals with upgraded sides, 2 desserts and a drink! Worth every penny!

It might be the two pineapple Margaritas I had, but the food here was freaking amazing! We had drinks appetizers, dinner and dessert and not one thing we had was bad! The service was amazing - our server was being trained by another server and they were both awesome!! Highly recommend!!

We love going into Gaylord for dinner and we have two favorites restaurants and Bennethum's is one of them. We love the decor and warm atmosphere, we always have a good server and the very best is the food. As many times as we've been there we never once have has a bad experience! The drinks are great and the food is phenomenal. Every dish is inventive and delicious. You get what you pay for and MORE! If you haven't been yet, what are you waiting for?

Awesome northern Michigan restaurant with all the items you would expect. We ordered the walleye and ribs, with mushroom soup and crab/artichoke dip to start. All was fantastic! Absolutely will return the next time we’re passing through the Gaylord area.

Delicious! Atmosphere is lovely. Food was great. Prices were a bit steep but great service was worth it. It's hard to find a place with such great service these days.

Great restaurant! We've been here 5 times now and it's consistently good with great service! Very homey atmosphere and it's always busy which I like to see! I'll post our dinners from last night, it's a perfect place to go if you want something special!

First time here, and it did NOT dissapoint! Cheese curds were actually listed as a small plate, not an appetizer, but oh, holy hell, am I glad we got them. Hands down, the best breaded and fried cheese food I've ever had in my 41 years of life!! Not even kidding. Golden fried little lumps of the creamiest, most delicious cheese. These are a must. The bread lives up to it's hype, soft and delicious. Be warned, though. It is dusted with a parmesean that gets EVERYWHERE, lol! I had the Jager Schnitzel, husband had the Lake Perch. Both dishes were good portions, lovingly and beautifully plated. Delcious, too. The Chef knows what they are doing and loves their job. We got their EXACTLY at 4 when they open, and people were already filing in. Reservations are strongly recommended! Our waitress was Alecia and she was genuinely warm and attentive, didnt hover and was truly helpful. Food was lightning fast, too. Overall fantastic experience, and we WILL be back!

This was a very pleasant surprise in Gaylord. They have a good wine list and cocktail menu. The food menu is eclectic. I had the Tacos which were very good, I really wanted to try the pork schnitzel. For desert I had the candied almond sundae which was also good if not a little large. Would recommend.

My fiancee and I stumbled upon this restaurant while looking to go out for our anniversary dinner tonight, and it definitely exceeded all of our expectations. Restaurants in northern Michigan seem to generally favor mediocrity and quantity above delivering an amazing dining experience. Bennethum's is an exception to that rule. Almost every single dish was absolutely fantastic, and it was all made better by the excellent server and personalized note awaiting us at our table. The bang bang shrimp was spicy without being overwhelming, and the breading on the shrimp was light and crisp. The wild mushroom bisque was delicious, and had an unexpected but pleasant heat to it. The lobster bisque is the one dish that left something to be desired. It lacked a strong lobster flavor, and some brandy would really liven it up. For main courses, my fiancee ordered the shrimp scampi risotto, which was an absolute show stealer. Gigantic shrimp surrounded a generous portion of creamy, buttery, risotto. It was garnished with spinach and whole cloves of garlic, which were melt in your mouth. I ordered one of the day's specials, a dry aged wagyu bone-in ribeye. It was fall off the bone tender, soaking in zip sauce, and covered with delicious sautéed wild mushrooms. There was also a generous sized portion of fingerling potatoes, with a perfect coating of coarse salt, which made them absolutely to die for. Additionally, broccoli was on the side, and it was absolutely coated in diced garlic, just how I love it! For desert, we had their creme brûlée, which was exceptional. My only complaint was that there wasn't more! Throughout our dinner, we had some of their cocktails. None of them disappointed. Whomever their mixologist is, great job! The coconut martinis and caramel white Russians were outlandishly good! We will DEFINITELY be back on our next trip to northern Michigan.

We came here for our New Years dinner and it was delicious! Hands down the best prime rib and creme brulee we have ever had. We originally went to the " Porter Haus " next door and decided after they screwed us on our wait time to head over to Bennethums and it was perfect. I highly recommend this place. Food was great and our waitress was also great!

I was absolutely blown away by Bennethum's. We started off with some great cocktails (the Midnight Manhattan is fantastic) and meatballs (a special of the evening)that were all perfect. My entrée was the Tomahawk Pork Chop. The BNI Zip Sauce was a wonderful addition to a perfecly cook porkchop, and the crispy french-fried leeks were the perfect combination of crunch and salt to compliment the dish. I can't recommend the food here enough as all 4 of us devoured our food and had a few more happy hour drinks!

I was in the area for work and this place was recommended by the hotel. The food and service were equally amazing. Their happy hour specials are great as well. I look forward to making it back as soon as possible.

We just experienced our new fav restaurant up north. Bennethum’s has it in spades. Classy, casual dining Welcoming rustic decor, tasteful done. Top notch serve Excellent menu Absolutely delicious food Mushroom soup in a bowl big enough for two grown folks. Ribs on point - Salmon tender and delicious. The best asparagus I have ever had. Of course we gonna try the desserts . . . . Yep that Oreo Peanut Butter pie melts in your mouth. Highly recommend Bennethum’s Northern Inn

SO YUMMYYY. The happy hour deals are great and the food is phenomenal. The prime rib is some of the best steak I’ve ever had. Everything we ordered was impressive. I absolutely recommend Bennethum’s. It’s like disney world for my taste buds.

We just did our last "2025 summer date" on the lawn at Bennethum's. Not only was the food and service SPECTACULAR as always, we were impressed that the outdoor flowers were still pristine and beautiful. (We're also honored to be the 1,000th reviewer of the restaurant). We are HUGE fans of Bennethum's. We can't name a close 2nd to them in the Grayling/Gaylord area. We find excuses to celebrate "something... ANYTHING!" to go there. :-)

First place after a couple of trips to north where I could get some walleye and it was great. The mushroom soup was rich but not too rich. The stout on tap was one of best stouts I had in the area. They will get another visit from me.

We ate there this past Friday for our anniversary and went back the next day for happy hour and more of their great calamari. Great, friendly service and an outstanding meal, including dessert. We will surely be back.

The food here is top notch! I am in heaven every time I eat at Bennethums. On the expensive side, but totally worth it. Service is great too.

We were passing through Gaylord after our vacation to the Great Lakes and found Bennethum"s online. Everything was perfect! If we are ever near Gaylord, MI, again, we will definitely return.

Ordered the Porkchop. Very good over all a little too salty for my liking. But out here it's fantastic food! HH was great too, all drink 50% off! The coconut port was tasty.

I will put this restaurant up against any other in northern Michigan. It is fairly expensive but you get what you pay for.

Always good food and service. Best happy hour in Gaylord. Bartenders are terrific. Fried feta salad was back for the month!! Tenderloin was perfect. Perch was very good but get an appetizer also, it's small.

Nice northern find - lots of fresh water fish options - Happy hour Good specialty cocktails The bread is fantastic ! Very nice touches throughout

This restaurant is absolutely a must visit destination. The wine selection is exciting, we found a Malbec that was perfect! For appetizers we had oysters and their Brussel sprouts - which were fantastic!! Our entree was suggested by our waitress Kim - who was very cool - she was right on target!! The walleye was unbelievably fresh and delicious. The pairing of rice, broccoli and fresh micro-herbs was perfect. We will absolutely be back!!!

Had dinner there and it was an awesome experience. The food was so awesome that my taste buds were like jumping in joy and there were festivities in the mouth. Special thanks to Sarah who was waiting on us. She helped a lot with making our choices and her desert recommendation was as lovely as her. The ambience was lovely and a soothing experience. If I am around that place again I know where I should have my dinner. There is no second thought about it.

Love everything about this place, you will be greeted by Rebecca when you walk, she is super nice. Everyone is always so pleasant and everything we’ve ever ordered is fabulous!

Delicious food and drink options very cozy atmosphere. Best restaurant in Gaylord.

I don't write reviews often but this place is noteworthy! They have some of the best food I have had. Most of their stuff is fried but it's not heavy feeling like other fried food I have had. The staff is also amazing.

Wow!! Amazing, been here a ton of times and never had the Almond Chicken …amazing. I have been to so many Chinese restaurants in my time and that’s my go to meal, I would say this was the best I ever had! Theresa was our waitress and she made the night!! Was an impromptu stop as we were running errands in Gaylord, what a great time ! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Awesome service, awesome food, great atmosphere. Would definitely return

Visited on 05/23/2025 at 515pm Located just South of Gaylord MI. Very nice casual steakhouse with a excellent wine selection. Good prices and spectacular service. The wine expert was very knowledgeable. Our server was Rita (I think) was excellent. My wife had the 9oz fillet and I had the Shanghai short ribs. Both meals were delicious. We had a Willamette Pinot and a Elizabeth Cab and both were delicious as well. The staff (including the bus staff) are very good at their positions! First time visiting as we were staying in Gaylord and the Fairfield recommend this place. If in the area and you are looking for excellent service, food and prices. I highly recommend.

We enjoyed our meal and the service was excellent. The breaded morel appetizer was very good. Their bread is also delicious.

This restaurant was worth the 1.5 hour drive from Traverse City on Valentines Day. The cocktails were very creative. My husband and I split the short rib poutine as an appetizer and it was incredible. The seasoning on the bread is amazing. I ordered the shrimp scampi risotto - the shrimp were huge and the risotto was cooked perfectly. We had the peanut butter cheesecake for dessert which was creamy and the perfect texture. Theresa was our waitress- she was kind, attentive, and gave great recommendations. I’d highly recommend this restaurant and we will be back when we want to get out of town.

A great find for husband and me as we made our way from downstate MI to Boyne on a Wednesday. Husband was actually looking for another restaurant that he dined at years ago. He couldn't recall the name, but our search led us to Bennethum's and we are so glad. The service was great, we got seated right away and Kim was our server. She was very friendly and welcoming and provided some wonderful menu suggestions, as it was our first visit. There was a nice variety of appetizers on the 1/2 off Happy Hour menu...we ordered 3 (slider, meatballs, shrimp) and wine and was served fresh-baked bread. We ordered wine from the happy hour menu, but we also noted and were very impressed by the extensive wine menu. We weren't hungry enough after that for our own entrees, so we split their signature meatloaf dish. OH MY...EACH DISH was absolutely amazing and delicious...we enjoyed it all equally and would order it all again! Our compliments to the chef! The only disappointing thing about our experience was that we cleaned our plates, our bellies were full and it was time to leave. 🙂

Most delish food, wonderful friendly staff. A must to stop!! It is more expensive but you get your money's worth . Menu is different very special place to go for nice night out or just the family. A definite place we will return too the next time we are in town. Hats off to the owners!!! You have a excellent wait staff, and Chef is top notch!

My wife and I have visited Bennethum's regularly for years, and the service, hospitality, and of the course the food is always amazing. Last night we had an unusual experience: a customer came in half way through our meal and was obviously "full of cheer" and proceeded to make the dining experience (for all involved) a bit uncomfortable. Within minutes the host and servers diffused the situation with professionalism and kindness. Not that we needed one, but this served as a reminder to us why Bennethum's is one of our favorite restaurants in Northern Michigan. If you enjoy great food, wine, cocktails and an atmosphere that is cozy and welcoming, make a reservation because this is the place for you.

Best restaurant for miles. I tried several different items and they were all outstanding. The server was very nice and helpful with questions. Ambience was lakeside resort style and very appropriate across from the lake. I would eat there every day if I could.

OMG! The best meal I’ve had in a LONG time! I seldom order chicken breast, since it is frequently overcooked, but the Chicken Tosca was excellent, as was their Fall Daiquiri drink special & the crab artichoke dip. Left planning how to get back since we don’t live in the area.

The staff was amazing, the food was just ok. It was $69 for the 12oz sirloin steak. It looked like a thin cheap steak from Walmart that approx 1/3 fat. Three prices don't reflect the quality.

Good food but not great service. Every table around us received bread while awaiting their meal but not our table. Waters were not refilled even when completely empty. Server was making unpleasant faces when delivering food to our table. We did bring a school aged child with us so maybe they just don’t like kids. We also were not given enough silverware for our table but luckily another server was able to help after we were looking around for our waitress.