Bowdies Chop House

Amazing — two nights in a row — our waitress — Melanie — simply amazing and knows how to suggest, coordinate and make a dinner perfect. Stop for dinner — you won’t be disappointed!

The best steaks in west MI! The service was fantastic as well! Look forward to returning.

We decided to stop by on our first day in town and were told our wait time was a little over an hour. We decided to make a reservation for the following evening. We were super excited to enjoy dining outside. We arrived a bit early and although seats were available we had to wait. The hostess was about to sit us inside but we reminded her that we requested outdoor seating. Chelsea was our awesome server. The drinks were amazing and the Cesar salad is divine. The shrimp bisque is great and done well. We have to say that our server took a good restaurant and experience and made it great. If you have a chance to choose your server, ask for Chelsea.

Jeff took great care of us on a Wednesday night dinner on the patio. The large umbrellas make for very comfortable patio dining. We split a grilled Caesar salad which is plenty for two. She had the filet and I had the Salmon. Both were delicious and sizable portions as well, as the filet is 10 oz. The potato gratin was tasty but very rich. The cocktail and wine list are impressive for a small place. Top notch food and top notch service. I only wish they had one or two more seafood menu items.

Marvelous meal at Bowdies last night — Our first time there. Good wine, good people, good service. And quite a crowd on a pre-​high season, rainy night in Saugatuck! We’ll be back soon.
Great filet, Au gratin potatoes, and beignets served hot with a blueberry compote. Had a terrific time — I highly recommend Bowdies. And plan ahead — Reservations are encouraged. (They’re on Open Table too.)

Looks like a trailer and is a trailer. Very small and cramped. The place possibly seats 24 at tables and 12 at the bar.
Arrived before our reservation time but were seated promptly at a small table 4 feet behind those seated at the bar. Music was romantic and the table set was set elegantly Still felt cramped
Food was unbelievable great! Onion soup sweet and our steaks were prepared as ordered. Our sides of potato gratin and broccoli were so good.
Appears that reservations are required Expensive but worth every penny !

Surprised. Very charming place with soft music not so big so the quality and the attention to customer is quite high.
We have tried the onion soup (delicious) and the huge tomahawk a double size ribeye tasting as well.
Once more surprised to don’t find this amazing restaurant on Unilocal… until now

This was our first visit. The entire Staff was great Melanie our server was above and beyond. The French onion soup, Truffle fries and the Tomahawk steak. We’re the best we had ever had. I was hesitant about the prices. It’s worth every penny. Can’t wait to return

Absolutely one of the best meals I’ve ever had – anywhere. Service perfect. Food perfect. Atmosphere perfect. Run – don’t walk – to this amazing restaurant.

Very good! The atmosphere is warm and inviting, steaks cooked to perfection, very large portions so everything is shareable, it’s a nice place to enjoy a special meal.

We were in town for a fall get away. We had a taste for a nice steak. We called Bowdies at about 4:00pm and asked reservations for 5:30. Only thing left was seating at the bar but we took it.
As soon as we arrived we were promptly seated. Now I understand the reason for reservations… very small. This place was rated one of the to ten in the state of Michigan. We would soon find out. We ordered up a couple of cocktails as soon as we were seated, bartender was right there. Looked over the choice of steaks and soon had our orders in place.
My wife had the filet mignon and I ordered the cowboy bone in ribeye. We shared a grilled Cesar salad and the bacon Brussel sprouts as a side.
We both agree, this meal was outstanding. The steaks were perfect, melt in your mouth with all the grill flavor. The Brussel sprouts were an excellent compliment as a side. Meal and ambience were excellent.
This is a must when visiting Saugatuck. Take the time and make a reservation, you will not be disappointed.

We went here with another couple for dinner on a whim on a Thursday night. I am SO glad that we did. The food was top notch and the drinks were wonderful.
We all got the bone in rib eye which was cooked perfectly. For sides we shared the macaroni and cheese (to die for), the truffle fries (best I have ever had) and the Brussels sprouts (with giant chunks of bacon). The side portions are huge and we were so glad to have leftovers to take with us. Oh, and I can’t forget the bone marrow appetizer… So rich and delicious.
I live in Chicago and have been to many of the steakhouses there. This place rivals any one of those places! But Bowdie’s might have the edge because the prices were so much lower than Chicago!
Thus place is a great addition to Saugatuck. I hope they are here to stay!

Where to begin, my colleagues and I are in Michigan on business. So I was appointed to finda steak house. So after a quick internet search, I found Bowdies on a top ten list in Michigan.
Well with our last minute reservation we were off to Bowdies. Greeted with smiles from the staff we were ushered in.
Darrin our server was excellent, attentive, and a breath of fresh air, knows the menu and great with suggestions.
We had escargot, pan seared scallops & bone marrow (yes beef bone marrow) for apps all were great.
We had scrumptious boneless filet mignons, salmon & bone in filet mignons all were cooked to perfection.
Crème brûlée & beignets & blueberries for dessert.
The place is small & cozy ideal for intimate dinners and small gatherings, they offer outdoor seating, and enclosed porch seating as well as indoor dining.

Truly a GREAT experience!
First, Darrin was a TERRIFIC server — friendly, personable, and genuinely interested in making our dinner a great experience! And not only us — we also noticed how friendly and personable he was with all the other guests.
We started with a couple of martinis. Well, I started with the MacLaine — a perfectly made drink, but a little on the sweet side for my taste. On the second round, Darrin recommended the Novak — wonderful! So much so that I may have been convinced to have a third!
So, for an appetizer we shared the shrimp cocktail — again, fresh and delicious! And these weren’t run-​of-​the-​mill shrimp — these were nice large shrimp and the cocktail sauce was great, with just enough ‘kick’!
We then both had the grilled Caesar salad — absolutely perfectly executed and amazing flavor!
I ordered the bone-​in filet, and Michael had the filet minon. Both were insane cuts of meat and cooked to absolute perfection! And for ONCE, when the server (Darrin) said the serving plates were 400 degrees, he actually wasn’t kidding! I hate when food is served on a cold plate, and Bowdies knows what they’re doing! Our filets were wonderful — perfect amount of char, and absolutely no additional seasoning needed — PERFECTLY cooked!
We also shared the grilled asparagus — when they say the sides are designed to share, they aren’t kidding — HUGE portions, and so delicious!
Throughout our meal, Darrin was always attentive and expressed genuine interest in us — where we were from, and even sharing his own fondness for Indy — NCAA diving championships, he mentioned.
Once done with dinner, Michael decided to finish-​off with the crème brûlée. I was completely stuffed, so I passed on dessert and had just a bite of Michael’s dessert. Again, DELISH!
We aren’t overly generous with our ratings of restaurants, etc. Bowdies absolutely deserves these five stars! The atmosphere, the food, and the service are top notch! We come to Saugatuck a couple times a year, and we are thrilled to see, and experience, a place like Bowdies! Our only complaint — that we didn’t come in sooner, as opposed to our last night in Saugatuck! Can’t wait to come back!
The quality of food, and the execution of how that food is prepared and delivered, is of utmost importance to making a restaurant successful — however, the service to the customer makes ALL the difference, and Darrin was truly an incredibly gracious person throughout, making us feel welcome, and truly taking pride in how he presented himself and Bowdies!
Take pride Bowdies — you have truly earned five stars, and we wish you the very best of success! Can’t wait to visit you again!
Jim & Michael
Indianapolis, IN

We were looking for a nicer place to celebrate our anniversary with friends and decided to make a reservation. When we arrived, we remembered that Bowdie’s Chop House was under construction the last time we were in Saugatuck, just over a year ago. It was so nice to see this new place bustling with activity on a quiet Tuesday night after the Labor Day weekend — very good sign.
We were surprised by how tiny the dining room was and it was raining so the patio was not an option. I thought the small size added to the charm and we nestled quickly into our four-​top table in a corner with a great view of the bar and cozy fireplace behind it.
They have a nice wine list and a decent martini menu — all with catchy names like «The Sinatra» and «The Martin,» which perfectly complimented the background music that played as we looked over the menu.
The menu is small but offers something for everyone — Salmon and select cuts of meat with the obligatory steakhouse wedge salad and a few other salads. The sides (meant for sharing) are a combination of potatoes and veggies — we landed on the sauteed mushrooms and charred asparagus and enjoyed them both very much. Next time we’ll try the roasted fingerlings and broccoli.
For main courses we had a couple of Cowboy Rib Eyes and a Filet and we thought they were reasonably priced for the size and quality of the meat. My filet was one of the best I’ve ever had — perfectly charred on the outside and tender pink on the inside with a great balance of seasoning and butter. The rib eyes were equally delicious! We capped off our great meal with Crème Brulee and the dessert did not disappoint!
Our delightful meal was complimented by great service from Chelsea who was so pleasant and efficient — we called over the owner, Scott to share our praise. We are thrilled to find this gem of a place in Saugatuck and will look forward to our next visit to Bowdie’s very soon.

A serious steakhouse is definitely a nice addition to Saugatuck. Upscale, sophisticated, but not snotty vibe (hey, it’s still Saugatuck) and professional, attentive service. The patio is attractive and comfortable. Big-​city prices, or at least close. Very well chosen list of wines by the glass (the Ancient Peaks cab, which I found very interesting and more botanical than fruity, pairs well with steak).
The menu is relatively short, and they seem to be focused on doing a small number of things well. Shrimp bisque was delicious, but a small portion (see photo). My Kansas City steak ($ 37.95) was ordered medium but was more medium well. It had decent flavor and was obviously of good quality but had fair bit of chew and grain and didn’t exactly cut like butter. That might be more the characteristic of a strip, though — I’m usually a rib eye man, and will reserve final judgment on this place until I’ve tried that. Wish they offered a nice sea salt and maybe a pepper grinder rather than just generic S&P shakers (which I had to ask for).
The truffled fries were excellent and stayed crispy through the whole meal. Crème brûlée is served in a bouillon cup rather than a shallow ramekin, which gives a higher custard to crust ratio.

My guests and I came here on a quiet night and were immediately surprised by the size of the restaurant. At the most, there were about 7 tables… I could be wrong though. We all agreed the music was fantastic. Definitely the steak house type of vibe. You can’t go wrong with Frank Sinatra. Our waiter, Daren, was super friendly throughout the night. We weren’t starving so we skipped out on an appetizer, but needed to try the Wedge salad and boy are we glad we did. Definitely on my list of the best wedge salads I’ve had! I got the chicken which was really tasty and a big portion. My guests both opted for steaks. One tried the filet and the other went with the ribeye. Both were cooked to perfection and had a nice char. One guest was slightly disappointed that the blue cheese for his steak was a blue cheese dressing, rather than melted crumbles. But it wasn’t the end of the world, the ribeye didn’t need any more added flavor after being wet and dry aged for 29 days. As a side, we shared the truffle fries. I’m a huge fry fan so I of course devoured those. Overall, the food is quite good and the ambiance is very intimate. Definitely a must try if you are in Saugatuck.

I’ve had two great meals at Bowdies Chop House since I’ve been in town. Had an absolutely fantastic burger and a whopper of a bloody mary when I arrived on Friday. Then, last night I had the best steak dinner I’ve had in as long as I can remember — perhaps the best ever.
Kudos to the staff and management as well. We had an 8:30pm reservation but were twice delayed. They kept the kitchen open late to ensure that we were able to grab dinner.
I’m a bit surprised at the couple negative reviews out there. We’ve had only great food and courteous service. Last night there were two large groups in the restaurant, both seemed to be very happy with their experience.
Check out Bowdies, you’ll be glad you did.

Party of 8. 3 of our meals first came out and then no less than 10 – 15 minutes later 4 more came out. Then 5 minutes later the last one. Only cursory apologies, and a mumbled complaint that our part was too large, despite the restaurant being completely full and the large table clearly for a party of 7. We fit with 8. Bizarre.
Not a manager in site to apologize or acknowledge any fault, even when requested. One incorrectly made off the menu drink was comped.
I’m not a complainer, but I was shocked that I was eating slowly (dining manners be damned at Bowdies) and I still ate half my steak before the second set of plates arrived. Finished by the time the last meal was served.
As for the steaks. 2 Kansas City were overcooked by 2 full degrees. Unevenly cooked as well. 3 steaks and one chicken were fine. One pork sent back for still being pink.
Apps were barely TGiF quality.
Lucky are the ones who had a good meal there.

A real steakhouse in Saugatuck! Woohoo!
I live in Saugatuck year-’round and I’ve now eaten at Bowdies on ten or so occasions. I love the chicken (But it’s a STEAKHOUSE!), which is delivered to the restaurant fresh, and is absolutely the best chicken I’ve ever eaten. No exaggeration. I’ve had four different steaks – tonight was the Kansas City – and each one was done perfectly, served piping hot, and was delightful first bite to last. (Steaks are big enough to share unless you’re REALLY famished.) The french fries are amazing; the fingerling potatoes terrific; the sautéed mushrooms yummy; the grilled (only slightly) caesar salad is a delight. Servers are professional and pleasant.
It IS a relatively small place, including the bar. By all means make reservations, especially on the weekends during the summer tourist months. They take reservations via
One more thing: The sullen one-​star rating on Unilocal!was rendered by a patron who ate an entire entrée before complaining. The owner did not charge for the meal, and the customer left a b.s. review, and zero tip for the waitress. So classy.
I am not employed by, or affiliated with Bowdies. Just a very satisfied repeat customer.