A Tasty Chinese Restaurant and other Houghton, MI Restaurant Reviews

Restaurant Name: Hunan Garden

The Hunan Garden is my favorite restaurant in Houghton, and is run by Hung Fu, who was born in Korea, and his wife Mah Lee, who was born in Singapore. Hung Fu, believes in using good quality ingredients, and had owned a restaurant for 17 years before coming to Houghton. Hung Fu received his training as a chef in Korea, Taiwan, Japan, and Singapore, and because 40% of their customers in Houghton are from China, Taiwan, or India, they try to serve more authentic dishes than you sometimes find in American Chinese Restaurants. You will find a reasonably priced and varied menu including complete dinners that come with soup, appetizers, and entrees. Of course you can also purchase your meal al-la-cart, with a number of soups, appetizers, noodle or rice dishes, vegetable dishes, and main dishes featuring chicken, duck, beef, pork, and seafood. Although there is not a full bar, there are a number of beers and wines to choose from. If you would like something sweet after your main meal, you will find a few desserts, such as Banana in flaming Rum and Apple in Flaming Rum. The Hunan Garden is open Monday through Saturday from 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM for lunch and dinner, and closed Sundays.

Favorite Dish: There is so much to choose from, that it is hard to say what is my favorite, but so far I have been very impressed with the Mongolian Beef. I have never really been a Mongolian Beef fan, but it is a favorite of my husbands. I tried some of his the first time we ate at the Hunan, and I fell in love with it. The quality of the meat is excellent, tender, and flavorful, cooked just right. If you like beef, you can’t go wrong with this dish. I had Crispy Shrimp last time I was there, and it was excellent. Many of the dishes are labled as spicy hot, but you can ask to have your dish cooked mild or medium if you prefer.

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Theme: Chinese/Dim Sum
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 906-482-8588
Address: 301 Sheldon Ave.
Directions: In downtown Houghton.
Other Contact: HoughtonHunanGarden@aol.com

Restaurant Name: Gemignani’s Italian Restaurant

Gemignani’s was opened in 1982 by Rudy and Celeste Gemignani. In 1994 their son Tony, and his wife Rose took over the restaurant, continuing to serve hearty Northern-Italian style food. Tony’s traditional red sauce is the same recipe that his grandfather and father taught him to make. The small restaurant has a smoke-free, casual atmosphere. The prices are very reasonable, and the food in excellent. You will find a varied menu featuring pizzas, pastas, and traditional chicken entrees such as Chicken Picatta, Chicken Marsala, Alfredo, and Parmigiana. There are also a variety of raviolis, sandwiches, salads, lasagna, shrimp, and homemade Cannelloni, which is a house specialty. If you choose one of the Classic Italian meals, it will come with a choice of garden or Caesar Salad and an Italian crusty roll. Still hungry after your meal? You can top your dinner off a wonderful piece of pie or tiramisu.

Favorite Dish: My husband has tried a number of items, and has liked everything he has had. Last time we were there he had the Chicken Parmesan and said it was excellent. I am not a vegetarian, but I just love the Eggplant Parmesan. It is delicious! The Ceasar Salad, although not quite traditional, is very good. They use to have a wonderful Shrimp Scampi, but now they only have it as a special every now and then. The shrimp is nicely sautéed in a mixture of garlic butter and olive oil, then served over linguini with a wonderful garlic cream sauce.

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Theme: Italian
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: US$11-20  » Currency Converter
Phone: 906-482-2920
Address: 512 Quincy Street, Hancock, Michigan 49930
Directions: Located in downtown Hancock.
Website: www.gemignani.com

Restaurant Name: The Library

I am recommending the Library with reservation. At one time it was one of the bests, however, the quality was disappointing the last time we ate an evening meal there. The sandwiches are quite good, but my husband’s steak was not as tender as he would like, and a little over cooked. Three of us had the nut-encrusted walleye, and we all thought the somewhat coarsely cut nut coating was too thick, and two of us scraped it off. My son's fish was dry, so the quality of the fish is unreliable. The Library is a restaurant, bar, and microbrewery. This restaurant has been in business since 1967. Here you can find a choice of sandwiches, steaks, seafood dishes, chicken dishes, pastas, pizzas, salads, Mexican choices, two vegetarian choices, appetizers, and desserts. And for you beer drinkers there are in house made beers and ale. Don’t care for alcohol? Try their draft root beer.

Favorite Dish: I love the homemade Jack Daniels Chocolate Chocolate ice cream for the cost of $2.50. Be aware, however, instead of the typical creamy ice cream texture, this in house made ice cream has a light, almost icy texture.

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Theme: Other
Comparison: about average

Phone: (906)-487-5882
Address: 62 N. Isle Royal, Houghton Michigan 49931
Directions: If heading west through downtown, Isle Royal is the street before you get to the movie theatre. Turn right and head down the hill where you will find a city parking lot. The restaurant is on the left as you head down hill toward the waterway.

Restaurant Name: North Shore Grill & The Thirsty Fish Pub

The North Shore Grill & Pub is located seven floors up at the top of the Best Western Inn, with many of the tables offering a wonderful view of the Keweenaw Waterway. There are also banquet and meeting rooms if you wish to plan a special event. The restaurant has the most gourmet offerings in the area, and serves a variety of different dishes, including steaks, prime rib, fish, seafood, lamb, duck, pork, and pastas. Although they advertise that their main theme is American, you will also find a number of International and Caribbean offerings on the menu. The North Shore also offers a daily chef’s selection of wild game. Last time we were there for dinner, however, we were very disappointed. I had a Wild Mushroom Ravioli which was described has having a rich cream cheese and mushroom filling in black pepper pasta, topped with a sun-dried tomato cream sauce. It sounded great, but was very bland, and the mushrooms were minced so tiny you could hardly find them. My husband had a 12 oz. Ribeye Steak with sauce Robert. It was poorly cut, thick on one side and thin on the other, so that it was impossible to have it uniformly cooked. My husband also said that it was a poor quality. They use to have an excellent prime-rib, but have unfortunately taken it off their menu.

Within the restaurant you will find the Thirsty Fish Pub, which also serves food. If you choose to eat in the pub, you will find a smaller, and less expensive menu to choose from. We have had a good lunch here, but all we ordered was the Booyah and sweet potato fries. We would go here again for this light lunch.

The restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Monday through Saturday, and breakfast on Sundays.

For samples of their menus, see the web page listed below.

I have rated this restaurant as most expensive because it is the most expensive restaurant in the area. Compared to restaurants in larger cities, however, this would be rated average for a restaurant with this type of menu.

Favorite Dish: I always get the Booyah as my soup choice, or as part of a lunch meal. This is a delicious game stew. I also enjoy the sweet potato fried. Once I had elk, which was their chef’s selection of wild game for the day, and it was delicious, but this is not a regular choice on the menu.

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Theme: Other
Comparison: most expensive

Phone: (906)-482-4882
Address: 820 Shelden Avenue, Houghton, Michigan 49931
Directions: On the east end of downtown Houghton, at the top of the Best Western Franklin Square Inn.
Website: http://www.northshoregrill.com/index.php

Restaurant Name: Victoria’s Kitchen

Victoria’s Kitchen, is open for breakfast and lunch. The prices are very reasonable, and the varied menu will offer you items from America, as well as Greek and Lebanese. The breakfast menu is served all day, and you will find many different types of omelets such as Lebanese, Fiesta, Greek, Fruity surprise, Garden, Western, and six others. You will also have a choice of eggs, pancakes, French toast, and stuffed French toast. They have a Finnish pancake, which is quite different from any Finish pancake I have had in Finnish restaurants. This one is a custard like cake. There are also a number of baked goods and lighter fare such as yogurt, which is made fresh daily.

For lunch you will find homemade soups; 17 types of sandwiches, both traditional American choices, and unusual ones such as Lebanese style burgers, which are a home made sausage patty, onion, tomato, and hummus served in a pita bread or on a whole wheat roll. There are also about 11 types of Fatays, which have the fillings baked inside a homemade crust, including the traditional U.P. pasty. Victoria’s also offers a variety of salads. For entrees you may wish to have a Falafil, Gyros, Greek Salad, Middle East meat combination plate, as well as meatless combos such as taboule and hummus, or stuffed pita bread.

The restaurant also offers a menu for small children.


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Theme: Other
Comparison: least expensive
Prices: less than US$10  » Currency Converter
Phone: 906-482-8650
Address: 518 Shelden Avenue, Houghton, MI 49931
Directions: In the downtown area.