Michaels Restaurant - Highland (IL)

3 /5 Daisy Register: The entree just wasn’t edible. It was chicken cordon bleu, one of the specials, and it was so bad. The pasta it was sitting on was mushy and not fresh and coated with too much of an unpleasant tomato sauce. The chicken was definitely frozen and pre-packaged from some food service, not fresh at all. So dry, more like cardboard. Basically school cafeteria food. I mean, look at it. I’m posting a picture. The appetizer was alright, and I loved the atmosphere. I just really wish the main course would’ve been edible. Dessert was okay, decent. The piano player was the best part! We had been here for Valentine’s Day, and it was fine. I don’t know what happened to this place.

5 /5 Kat Soren: Really great salads, steaks and desserts. Classic old school atmosphere. Friendly service!

1 /5 Cara Kriz: We sent our food back and left. The service was great and we felt bad about the poor food quality. The crab cakes werent fully cooked and strangely plated over sautéed onions and green peppers. The ribeye wasnt a ribeye and the meat had no flavor itself instead it had a salty gravy sauce. The scorpion salmon was overcooked and dry and the sautéed spinach had a metallic taste. The kind of taste where you end up with food poisoning. Even the baked potatoes tasted off. We have never sent food back and left a restaurant without a meal. They still charged us for it and we did pay the entire $110 bill though.

3 /5 Dave Young: I dont like leaving this review because theres a whole lot to like about this place, but I felt it was a hard miss because of the food. For as expensive as it is to eat here, it just wasnt anything memorable or "have to have again" compared to the other options for Italian in this area. The service was very good, the location is nice, and the staff are all friendly so theres lots to like here. I recommend going here to give them your business because theyre definitely worth a shot, but I just wasnt impressed with what I came there for - the food. Read this as a subjective review because of that.

4 /5 Garon Power: I wish it was better. It could be better. It should better. Michaels has the potential to be as good as the prices and ambiance indicate it should be. Im a bit of an outsider, a visitor to the area, so my opinion is not that of a locals. That said, you may not agree. The food was okay...ish... Yes, it was tasty. Yes, I ate it. But it wasnt on par with my expectations when I walked into the place. The building exudes history. From the hand forged iron handle you pull to enter the restaurant to the beautiful fireplace and photos on the wall, this restaurant has so much potential. The staff were great. The service was on time and professional. The decore and structure and plates and silverware and the baby grand piano and the beams and ... Well, lets just say the food could be, no should be better. Everything else demands it. I dont like leaving less than 5-star reviews. I want my contributions to be positive, but this less than 5 star review will hopefully encourage Michaels the take back their place as a 5 star restaurant and charge even more for their steak. I would pay more if it were better. Cooked to order. Able to cut easily with a sharp knife. And, deliciously tender.