My wife & I went by Big Mike’s this afternoon after we got out of the movie. It was just a little after 4 pm so we figured we wouldn’t have to wait for a table and would get better than average service because they were less crowded.
We were right on the no crowd, but wrong on having to wait on a table. We walked in and there was no one at the cash register stand to welcome you and get you a table. Finally after about a 10 minute wait, one of the waitresses came up and showed us to a table. Then a waiter came by in a few minutes and got our drink order. In the meantime, another waitress came by and started taking our drink order (again) and food order. My wife ordered the 8 oz Fillet ($17.95 ouch) and I ordered the 10 oz Ribeye ($12.95). Both of us opted for the salad bar. She had the mushrooms as a side item and I had fries.
The salad bar was a disappointment. Very poorly laid out and displayed, not to mention a meager selection of items. The salad bowls were the cheap wooden type that is a sort of patchwork of wood. All in all the salad bar rated about a 6 out of 10.
The meal arrived in good time and the first thing I noticed was that my steak was hanging off the edge of the platter, not because it was that big but because the cook didn’t care how it landed on the platter. There was lots of extra grease and marinade on the plate as well. Not very appetizing looking. The fries were the crinkle cut type which is the cheapest there is. My wife’s steak was presented better and her mushrooms were swimming in a bowl with onions having been cooked with them. Not my idea of sautéed mushrooms. Both the steaks had been drenched in whatever concoction of cooking marinade that they use which primarily consists of Liquid Smoke. Rating out of 10 on the meat was 7 (it was tender), fries 5, mushrooms 6
The place itself is very drab inside with no piazza. When they were putting the place together they opted for the cheapest chairs available which are neither comfortable nor appealing in a want to be steak house. Also, the steak knives appeared to fugitives from a sawmill landslide. Beverages were served in the cheap plastic glasses at a $1.25 each. There was no background music playing so kitchen noises and the hired help group gropes could be heard more distinctly in the dining area. Ambiance and décor gets a 6.
My total bill came to a shade under $36.00 and with the tip kicked it over $40.00. A lot of money for a mediocre meal.
Overall rating applied in a generous manner would be a 7 out of 10.
In my opinion for the same money there are a number of better choices available such as Logans, Texas Roadhouse, O’Bryans, and Legends.
Prediction: Unless things change drastically the life span of the reincarnated Big Mike’s will be short lived. I just hope he didn’t sign a long term lease.