Henderson Castle

We happened to have dinner at Henderson Castle on the Saturday after Valentine's Day. To our surprise, they were still serving the fixed menu from Valentine's Day with no changes allowed. The food was so so and quite expensive. In addition the choice of wines was very limited with no wine list available. Lastly, there was some sort of strange music playing too loudly. Sounded like it might have been a radio station but it was definitely not in keeping with the ambience of the restaurant.

I think this restaurant has tremendous potential, but they need to improve in many areas before they could be considered top notch.

Our waiter met us at the door, welcomed us to the Henderson Castle and escorted us to our table. Our table was near a window plus next to the fire place (pleased my wife). Really good food with excellent service. We were not rushed nor did we have to wait an excessive amount of time for our meal. Our waiter was attentive without being pushy.

We booked the reservation to celebrate our birthdays (we are a week apart) and noted this on my reservation. When we met our server, he asked if we were there celebrating anything special...a detail that should have been provided to him beforehand. We did tell him we were there for our birthdays. An hour after we arrived, another couple came in and said they were celebrating a birthday (to a different server); they got offered two glasses of free champagne - we did not. While we were waiting on our appetizer, the landscaper had a leaf blower on the lanai and he spent ~ 15 minutes blowing leaves right outside the window by our table. Our reservation was at 6:15pm. My husband ordered the wet aged steak medium rare; it was RAW inside. So much so, he couldn’t eat it (we DO NOT send food back to the kitchen EVER). Our dogs loved it. The bathroom is located downstairs next to the kitchen where the employees were yelling, cussing and on their phones (we both witnessed this when we each went downstairs). I don’t care about employees cussing but it seems like something you would not want your guests to see, so putting the bathroom by the kitchen is bad if your staff isn’t acutely aware of guests being around. I was a little concerned with the cleanliness of the kitchen based on my quick view of the area (that I could see). The bathroom did not appear very clean either.

While my food was fine, it wasn’t worth what we paid as we have received exceptionally better service and food from other high-end restaurants for less money (Ruth’s Chris). Our server was polite, attentive and helpful. We had no complaints about his service but believe that the service he has been TRAINED to provide is not at the level commensurate with the cost of the food.

I was hoping this could be our new birthday restaurant but I’m afraid we won’t be going back.

We enjoyed our anniversary dinner at the castle! Will definitely return and have already recommended Henderson Castle to others!

I took my husband here for sweetest day. I made a request for a note card for my husband at dinner and not only did they do that but they also laid out rose petals for us which I don’t recall asking for. So sweet.

Our first time at Henderson castle. Food and service was excellent. The next table had a minor mishap. The staff did an excellent job of cleaning up the mess without a fuss or inconvenience to any of the guests. Job well done.

We were sat at a wobbly table. (We moved to the next table over, there was only one other table occupied.) The menus were on tablets and my husband received one with a cracked screen with sharp spots on the surface. The appetizer was delicious (mussels). My husband severely choked on a large piece of plastic that was cooked into his ribeye (by the restaurant owner). After watching him manage to get it dislodged, we both lost our appetites. They heavily discounted the bill, but our anniversary dinner was ruined. The owner never even showed his face, leaving the waiter (who was amazing) to do his best to express HIS regret for our bad experience.

Our evening began with some nonsense about our confirmed OpenTable reservation. After being seated, we enjoyed both his wet aged steak and my scallops. I don't understand why the scallops were breaded. The breading was very light and tasty but; they were pictured naked and the calories were unwanted. My husband is still literally offended by both the concept and execution of the wedge salad. I couldn't disagree with him. I'll comment that the meal's pace was very good. We had time to enjoy a high end evening out with each other, without feeling like we were waiting. This was our first visit with the new owner. The evening was much improved but I sure wish the steaks were flamed rather than flattopped.

We may try breakfast. I like the idea of this business and we did previously enjoy a room.

One last thing for Chef-entrepreneur Moyet. A $60 steak with THOSE front stairs?!!!

High expectations, Henderson Castle is owned by a classically trained chef.
Stayed at the Castle and had dinner one night to celebrate My Wife's Birthday.
The food was "O.K.", I did not get what I ordered.

Was hoping to make My Wife's Birthday a special event - it was truly ordinary.

this place is nothing short of extra-ordinary. it's a bit quirky and expensive, but it's a dinner experience you'll never forget.

Food was overpriced and not tasty! Our meals also took forever to make. I wouldn’t go there again!

Unique place to celebrate any occasion and we went to celebrate our 30 year anniversary. My husband ordered steak which is a rare thing for him to do in a restaurant as he is spoiled. His steak was just the way he liked it and very tender. In fact, he enjoyed all of his meal. I had lobster bisque and rack of lamb. These were both delicious as well. There was a lot of food to take home! Our waiter, Seamus was awesome!
This is a hidden treasure you should experience.

The Crab cakes,and lobster bisque were fantastic. But we were very disappointed with the dry aged steaks the flavor was very bland.

Our server was outstanding (Dakkar)! He was fun and personable. The castle was interesting, seating elegant. I would have preferred reproduction period tableware, but that's just me. We ordered raw oysters for an appetizer forgetting the "r" rule, so they left a lot to be desired which we hoped to offset with cocktail sauce. It didn't help (mayo and ketchup I think). Soup was somewhat disappointing, salad wedge was huge with a tasty dressing. I had lobster, my husband rib eye steak. Steak was done to perfection, my lobster a tad chewy, vegetables were perfect. I had crème Brulee for dessert which was excellent. All in all, the castle was lovely, and has great potential. Our server couldn't have been better and I see a great future ahead for him. I would go back again (it's a little over a hour drive for us) but I would order steak! We still had a great evening and a fun experience. I believe I'll take my granddaughter back for tea. Oh, BTW, the violin and cello were too loud for such a small space, possibly because we were sitting right next to them, and we could have easily done without the vocals.

We had a party of 4. The restaurant was quiet and the waitstaff was attentive. We ordered the 2 seafood towers as was recommended for 4 people. The chicken noodle soup tasted like it was from a can. The rolls were the kind that come frozen in a bag and the butter was 4 pats on a plate. I did enjoy my smoked caesar salad. My husband wasn't impressed with the wedge salad but thought his lobster bisque was ok. The seafood took a long time but it was a lot of food so that was understandable. There was 1 dungeness crab split between 2 towers. There was a few lobster tails, some crab legs, oysters, shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams, and crayfish. The food was rubbery and there were way more crayfish and mussels than anything else. The towers were metal and filled with ice. They came out wrapped in towels but everything still got pretty wet. We recieved a plate with 4 scoops of potatoes and a handfull of asparagus. The potatoes were bland. The bill was close to $400. We were expecting that price but the quality was disappointing. Maybe the cooked dishes are much better but that doesn't change the quality of the side dishes. I don't think I will return.

Steaks were great, but everything else including the crab legs were not good, especially considering the prices. Our waiter was nice but not attentive. It felt like we were putting the staff out for asking for things to be take care of. It was not a welcoming experience. The grounds looked terrible which is sad because it has beautiful potential.

The food is delicious and each course is perfectly timed. Lobster bisque is a must. Lobster entree was slightly over cooked, but the Filet Mignon was superb, exactly to medium rare. The Castle has beautiful woodworking throughout, but the curtains need a good dusting. It is a very quiet setting. Service is always perfect. After tip and tax, expect to pay $100 per person.

We ordered ribeyes, and asked for them to be cooked medium. They were more well don5e, dried out and didn't taste well. It was too late in the evening to have them redone as she offered, so she gave us free dessert. Well that wasn't much because you could get free dessert if you filled out a survey. No manager came to talk to us and they offered no money off.

Atmosphere was beautiful and that is the only good thing about eating there. Food was SLOW and mediocre. Our order went to another table, they did not tell us about but it we saw it happen. It took another 1/2 hour to remake our food and we were not informed of what was going on. Will not go back

Frozen oysters - over promised, under delivered. The menu depicts a fine dining experience which was a nightmare. No chef. Not good

As a "prime chop house" you have an expectation for a high quality meal for the chop house price. Steaks lacked flavor. Appetizer never came and was removed from bill. One sauce was missing. Salad and dessert were good. Went on a Sunday evening and was disappointed and unlikely to revisit.

The Brie appetizer & Tomato Bisque soup were excellent as was the salad. The Filet Mignon was horrible. Chewy, tough, no flavor not what you expect for $59.00. Told the chef/owner our experience and did not have the entrees removed from the bill. We did receive a bottle of Michigan Cab which was not good either.

I won't be returning. And you should reconsider if thinking of dinning there.

Waits are long due to the setup not a traditional restaurant. Entree was delicious. Staff was very nice but understaffed and not the talent expected for the prices. Expect a long dining experience - gives you a lot of time to enjoy your company though.

Steaks came med rare, even thou ordered med we’ll, and waitress said that happens 9 of 10 Times.

The staff was overly accommodating. Steven was helpful, kind and thoughtful. I would recommend this B & B to everyone. We truly loved it and can't wait to return in the summer.

Stay away. Worst service ever! It was so bad they didn’t even ask us to pay our bill.

My husband & I went for a date night hoping for exceptional service & food in a unique setting. We walked in to someone in a rehearsal dinner party shouting at either a server or manager about customer service. Our host seating us was gracious and apologized and gave us multiple seating options. After seating us we waited for our waitress, the bartender checked on us but did not take our drink order. After a significant wait our waitress arrived, took our drink order & appetizer order (the cocktail shrimp - her recommendation). I ordered the Henderson Castle Chardonnay & my husband the Frank Henderson. Both were decent and as expected. Dinner was ordered next and our wedge salads & lobster bisque arrived together, which was awkwardly placed on the table. Again the salad was average but the lobster bisque was outstanding. Different than what we'd had before & exceptional in flavor. I ordered the Filet with Au Poivre sauce on the side and my husband the Ribeye both dry aged 65 days. Those came after quite a wait & no offer to refill our beverages. When our main course arrived they were definitely something to write home about - they steaks were cooked perfectly to order & exceeded our highest expectations. Unfortunately we can not tell you how the Shrimp cocktail was as it was never brought.
The 2 tables around us seemed to be having issues either getting their questions answered, their drinks brought promptly & another table had their appetizer forgotten as well. I also over heard a woman ask for toilet paper when she used to rest room (at the beginning of our meal), my husband also noted the restroom was out. I thought for sure I'd be safe going at the end of our meal but alas, the restroom was still out of toilet paper.
So to sum up the trip: Steaks were outstanding but the service left a lot to be desired. And NEVER should the public restroom be out of paper products for 2 hours. That leads me to believe it was like that for the entire night.

Great food, great service. Inn staff was very chatty, a little too much so. But waitperson was excellent. I do not like the tablet menus at all. Hard to read in dim light and a little hard to navigate. You have to scroll all the way back to the end to see the wines. Should be more user friendly. Also, tablets should be very clean and not all smudgy and fingrtprinty. Nice overall experience, the bisque was divine and steaks were perfect.

This was seriously the absolute service I have ever experienced! A couple of weeks ago, my husband booked dinner for two on Open Table. A few hours later, an employee left a voice message to inform us that the reservation wasn't available because they were hosting a wedding. My husband called back to reschedule and was on hold for over ten minutes. He hung up and tried calling back later. An employee answered the phone and asked to call him back in a few minutes but never did. A different employee called the next day to inform us that there was nothing they could do about the reservation.The manager apologized and sent us a $35 gift certificate for our troubles.

Fast forward to yesterday: We visited to redeem our gift certificate. Our food didn't arrive until an hour into our service; we were the first and only customers in the dining room at the time, and what did arrive was soup (which was cold), wedge salads and bread. We still waited another twenty or so minutes for our entrees. My husband ordered his steak well done only to discover a blonde hair in he steak (the waiter observed this as he watched my husband cut into his steak). The steak was also very rubbery and the fat wasn't well-trimmed. We clearly expected a better quality steak for the price! The manager offered to prepare his steak again and offered half off our order, so my husband agreed to have the meal prepared again, thus waiting even longer. When the server brought his steak back, it was dripping blood! Had there been pink, my husband would have eaten it even though he ordered it well done; however, the steak wasn't even medium--it was rare. At that point, my husband said he was no longer hungry and we asked for the bill. The server did apologize again, while the manager quickly retreated to another table. We paid the remaining balance of the bill and left. No one said a word or apologized as we left. Needless to say, we will never, ever, ever be back!

The waiter made us uncomfortable. We ordered an appetizer and when our dinner arrive it hadn't come out yet. I asked and he said it was coming. We finished our dinner and waited another 30 minutes until our appetizer appeared. We then finished that and wait 40 minutes for some service. There were 3 couples in the whole restaurant and the server was no where to be seen. We finally went and found him and asked for service. We were going to get dessert but it had already been 2 hours + and we were afraid it would take another hour for the dessert. The food was good - very pricey but good but unfortunately everything else spoiled it for us.

What a gorgeous place, inside and out. We were greeted right away by a very nice gentleman. We did the 11 course tasting course & I don't think any one of us was disappointed with any of it.

It was nice to be able to say you have dined here! Nice story, however not somewhere i would eat again. The sorbet was the best thing i had from the 11 course meal. The bread was warm and crusty which is a plus. Lobster bisque was nice my date ate the whold bowl and that was his first time having it. Was a great birthday celebration for him.

We celebrated my daughter's 25 birthday at the Castle and it was a memorable experience. From the time we walked into the front door you treated us like VIP's and that was so special to my daughter. Franklin was a gracious host and Micheal was an awesome waiter with a vibrarant and professional personality.

The food was fantastic and I really appreciated the special touch of the Birthday Cake. We will be return guests, and I have told several friends about our Kalamazoo Gem.

Thanks

Very nice. Would recommend to everyone as it is a one of a kind experience. Limited menu. Pricey but worth it.

We'll to start off they served sparkling water and we had to ask for tap water. The pork tenderloins were the size of a half dollar and you get two with a round scoop of potatoes. The flounder was a 3x3 piece and super mushy and it's flavor was bland with a scoop of rice. The steak was ok and a good size. If you pay the extra 9.99 and get the lobster tail its 2 inches wide and 5 inches long. There were crumbs under the white linens from a previous meal. We got a bottle of Henderson wine 32.00 and it was ok. All in all...we will not be back. The castle is not taken care of, it's dirty and there is not proud ownership or well management of the castle which is sad because it's a great part of Kalamazoo history.

The food was fabulous! Our waiter (squirrel) was a lot of fun.

We went here because of the Groupon for the 11-course meal for 4. We thought it would be a good deal to try somewhere new and different. What we found was bland and average-at-best food, subpar service, and an added-in 18% gratuity for a group of 4. Now I am normally a very good tipper, but it also depends on the service. The fact that they add in the gratuity on the actual amount of the bill before the Groupon is taken off meant our not-so-great waitress got a $65 for basically doing nothing. The food was much worse than I would expect for somewhere that normally charges $70/person for their 11-course menu, which is actually about 8 courses. We will never go back and will advise friends to avoid as well.

Great building and location. Delicious food. Inattentive staff at times.

We celebrated our Anniversary here and we had the 11 course meal, which was fantastic. Our Waiter was always attentive to our needs and was a great waiter. We hope to come back on another anniversary and enjoy what they have to offer.

I made reservations and four of us went to Henderson Castle for lunch for the first time. I order the pork tenderloin dinner; the fresh green beans were cold, and the pork and mash potatoes were heated up left overs. (bone dry) We mentioned the problem to the waitress, and she stated she would advise the owner/chef. He must have had something else on his mine, because we saw him several times in the restaurant but he never spoke. I guess there is a reason for us being the only four customers in the restaurant.