My husband and I went here on a recommendation from a local hotel since we are from southwest Michigan. It was the "the best food by far in the area" according to the man at the desk. My husband and I decided that despite the fact that it's a pricey place we would give it a try since we have yet to be steered wrong by people in other  cities. We got there and it was a cool looking place very "lodge-y" and it had a beautiful view of the river and a nice dock to walk on outside.
However, the menu didn't have a lot of options, which we figured was okay since it was a pricier place the food that they did have must be amazing. We were wrong. My husband ordered the New York Strip and I ordered the Slow Roasted Prime Rib. Mine was completely dull with hardly any flavor. It cost $29. It came with potato wedge steak fries (mediocre at best and still the best part of the meal) and vegetables which were fine.
My husband's NY Strip was HORRIBLE!!! I felt so bad for him after tasting his. It was dry and charred. To be honest it tasted to me more like a overcooked chicken breast than a steak. His meal was also $29. We should have sent our food back, but we just don't like doing that. It was edible, but that's it. This restaurant will be forever placed as the worst restaurant we've eaten at and since it ended up costing us around $80 for the whole thing (food+soda+tip) it is also the most we ever paid for really bad food. We are extremely unhappy and my stomach churns everytime I think about what we paid for that terrible meal. I hope that I can deter you from going. I RARELY give a bad review on anything I'm typically an optimist but if someone could have told me not to go waste my money, I would still have $80 in my pocket that I could put toward good food.
IF YOU WANT TO GO SOMEWHERE YUMMY, go to Pier 33. Delicious burger, probably one of the best I've had. Also Mulligan's downtown is really good with a great atmosphere.
After 22 years of loving the food and atmosphere, and paying ridiculously high prices, my last three experiences where not good with either the food or the wait staff. Â If your looking for high quality food, service, and atmosphere look into Pier 33 or Douglas Lake Steakhouse, both are far superior. Â In my opinion the Hack-Ma-Tack has become " A Hack".
Review Source:The best thing going for Hack-Ma-Tack is its location and large windows that overlook the Cheboygan river near  the mouth at Mullett Lake. The prices are way out of line for the standard Up North Places. They use to be open for lunch years ago and should consider re-opening for lunch. It is a nice place to take a ride on your boat for drinks, these are expensive also, but thats about it. Newbie guests will like the view and you can dock right next to it. Don't pay for an over priced dinner unless you just hit the lotto.
Review Source:I can't say enough good things about the atmosphere. Lovely building, even better view of the dock/riparian respite.
Started with excellent bread. Bread that just kept showing up. Wedge salad was next... It was enough for a meal by itself. Prime rib followed. YUM!
Overpriced to be certain, that's the only reason I didn't rate them 5 stars on this particular meal. Ambiance almost made it worth the extra cash. Almost. Â :)
Let me be the first to say that yes, I am a fan of the Hack-Ma-Tack Inn. Â Always have been and probably always will be. Â However, I have to come clean.
The Hack is a shadow of what it used to be. Â In its heyday, it was a full service hotel, restaurant, and marina with dockside service. Â A true jewel that once embodied a genuine first-class experience. Â The years unfortunately have not been kind to the Hack-Ma-Tack Inn and standards have indeed fallen. Â I love Northern Michigan and the Hack-Ma-Tack epitomizes that feeling with the look and throwback feel of the yesterday's log home lodging. Â Take nothing away, it is visually beautiful and charming. Â You should expect vintage fishing gear, various local taxidermy specimens of fish and game, watercraft and nautical paraphernalia, field stone and log. Â The hotel is no longer in service, you can no longer get dockside service or fuel but the restaurant/bar is still available.
The Hack has traditionally been designated as a fine dining restaurant. Â The pricy menu qualifies it to meet a basic criteria of fine dining. Â Notes aside, it is expensive. Â The wait staff is not in tuxedos nor classically trained but generally adequate in service and neatly dressed. Â I didn't find this to be a problem (rather our server was newer to the craft but very hard working--I can respect that) but it demonstrates inconsistencies at the Hack-Ma-Tack Inn. Â The menu appears to the same from years ago and fails to lack any kind of evolution. Â There is a way to progress without losing a sense of tradition. Â The Hack has not found this. Â
The owners of the Hack-Ma-Tack Inn really need to find their sense of purpose with this place while it still is considered a jewel by most. Â However, the local area is experiencing a gradual rebirth of higher quality dining with the emergence of Pier 33 and Black Mountain Lodge in Cheboygan and the Black Lake Golf Club in Onaway (open to the public.)
My advice for the Hack is as follows:
1) Â Reinvest, reinvest, reinvest! Â The Hack-Ma-Tack Inn's river location is superb and gets incredible boat traffic that far supersedes its hidden road traffic. Â Fix up the boat dock and offer dockside service again for happy hour or for a limited time. Â
2) Â Interior make over. Â Like I said, there is a way to update the place without losing the rustic appeal. Â Maybe thin the kitch just a touch.
3) Â Menu make over. Â If your 99 year old grandma is still alive, she could probably recite the menu verbatim. Â It's ok to be pricy but if you can't justify it, you"re just overpriced. Â The owners should explore the many local meat, dairy and produce selections regionally available to them. Â After all, the bulk of the Hack's season is the summer, so take advantage of it. Â This place exhubes the Michigan feel, so go the distance.
4) Â Know your seasons. Â Offer an off-season menu and pricing for the post Labor Day crowd. Â After all, the summer crowd is gone, it's mostly locals and weekenders, and you are open until October. Â We went there for cocktails last week (post Labor Day) and there were only six people, besides us, in the dining area.
5) Â Offer drink specials. Â Make me want to spend money by offering me something besides, "here's the menu, here's the bar, these are the prices." Â Get us excited, feature Michigan made spirits, Michigan made wine and Michigan made beer. Â Lie to me and just get me excited. Â Instead of selling me, I sold you them and just ordered a Coke.
6) Â Properly train the staff. Â While I have never had bad service at the Hack-Ma-Tack Inn, I have never experienced fine dining service either. Â The staff should know something about the wine list, be able to offer suggestions, have eaten the food and offer honest recommendations on demand. Â Teach them to properly up-sell sides, drinks, etc. to increase sales. Â This takes time but pays dividends when the effort is invested. Â Customers are happier, servers make more and are happier (hopefully) and the owners make more. Â Everyone wins.
7)Try the cutting edge. Â Everyone has high speed Internet these days either at home or on their phone. Â Take advantage of that. Â The website should have the day's menu, up coming features and perhaps even something like a reward or coupon for coming to the website. Â Also, the Hack's last significant review came in 1986 that they tout. Â It's time to step and let the world know you are still here.
Gordon Ramsey, where are you? Â The Hack needs you. Â At it's current pace, I can't see it surviving too many more summers without a better plan. Â What the owners need to know is that they have the reputation and history already on their side. Â Take the ball and run with it in the forward direction. Â With the right vision and effort, the Hack-Ma-Tack Inn could easily restore itself to five stars.
The Hack-Ma-Tack Inn is a little hidden gem along the inland waterway of northern Michigan, and I am glad we found it! We saw it on our way up the river in the morning, and made sure we were back in time for dinner!
The menu was pricier than the Traverse Magazine blurb led me to believe, but it's common to pay extra at a place you can boat to. The menu had something for everyone in our party of 8, and while most of the cuisine had been described by others as "standard" it was very tasty. I highly recommend the Hack-Ma-Tack to anyone in or around Cheboygan.
The first star is for the service at Hack-Ma-Tack. Â They know what they are doing here. Â The second star is for the drinks: Excellent. Â The third star is to give them props for doing their thing, despite the passage of time, and surviving. Â This really isn't my kind of place - I feel the decor needs major updating (those vinyl tablecloths and the big wooden chairs -oy!) and the menu could benefit from a facelift, too. Â But they're sticking to it and people keep coming. Â The food, to me, is solid, but standard fare, nothing to keep me coming back. Â Just prepare for old-school upscale cabin-chic and you may just enjoy a unique dining experience on the Inland Waterway.
Review Source:When up north in Michigan, it's not always easy to find a fine dining restaurant. Â This place off the beaten path (located off a gravel road) is a fantastic locale which features the best prime rib, lobster and ribeye I've ever had. Â In addition, they make some excellent (strong) cocktails.
The ambience is very log-cabin-esque -- not stuffy but cozy. Â The views of the river and woods are beautiful. Â The service is always outstanding.
Yes, it's a little expensive, but where else are you going to go for this kind of food within a 90 mile radius?
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