The interior is so outdated I felt like it was 1994 all over again. There is zero modern ambiance, finesse or romance. The wallpaper is peeling off and the dining areas feel used. The menu feels like the same thing I've seen hundreds of times and the execution is even worse. I had a burger, that's simple right? No, it was flavorless, and totally unimaginative. I was with a large party and saw the buffet food and I got a good look at many other dishes. The food isn't fresh, period, it's obviously frozen and reheated. Nothing is homemade that I can tell. Maybe the carved brisket is the only genuine, fresh food. Oh, a waitress dropped a plate from another table down my mother's back and giggled nervously while saying "i'm so sorry!". Did the manager offer a free meal? Nope! Stay home next Friday night and have a TV dinner. It would taste the same and cost much less.
(1)
Dustin D.
The bar was cool and staff nice but this is the only reason this isn't a 1 Star. I just ordered nachos and after powering through half of them I was so full of grease I was almost sick. Sorry Michael's but never again.
(2)
Dominick L.
Michael's was one of my favorite restaurant in Delaware. We had many, many group parties over the last several years there but times have change! Their salad bar is still the best I have ever seen but the quality of the food has suffered over the past visits. I always love to give my business to a local restaurant than to a chain. Michael's was always my first choice whether we were planning a party or a quiet diner for two. The buffet choices has dwindled down and it seems the choices that are left are low quality. I was disappointed when they removed the crab legs from the buffet but I still went faithfully for other entrees. I really want this place to succeed and hopefully they will read some of the lower rated comments and change what they are doing? On a strip of highway filled with chain restaurants, I really do want to go back to Michael's but have been really disappointed the last few outings ordering from buffet !
(2)
Robert B.
Just returned from dinner at this restaurant after a long day of driving. Unfortunately, I did not read the other reviews on this site before eating here, however, I concur with most of the comments posted. We have been traveling for the past few weeks and this was easily our worst meal! I tried the fish and chips despite having my doubts and they turned out to be the worst that I have had - tasted like pre-packaged fish sticks! My wife fared better with the salad bar which looked reasonable. To me this place is not a sports bar so don't let the name fool you.
(2)
Joe S.
Went for the buffet. I will go again for soup and salad bar only, the hot food buffet wasn't that great. My server Adam was very sweet, though, and made me a very nice Bananas Foster dessert.
(3)
Colin C.
I hadn't been to this place in about 7 years since I relocated from Delaware. Was in town and looking for a place to enjoy brunch with the wife and an old friend so I turned to my old time favorite. It wasn't super packed like I was used to. Back in the day, we would often wait 30 minutes to be seated on a Sunday morning but this time we didn't wait at all. In fact, there were plenty of open tables. But the food was very good just like I remembered it! I'm glad Delaware still has this gem. Even as a true foodie, I highly recommend this spot! Fresh waffles, made to order omelets, a big salad bar, sundae bar, and more. The only thing I miss from the old times was the carving station! Go check it out!
(4)
Craig C.
Foods OK we usually get the buffet but its over priced. We came here a few times and once we had to pay for my 2 year old to eat off our plate. Kinda turned off by that. Well there's a reason you can get right in to this place but drive right down the street and you wait for a table.
(3)
Victoria S.
We were in search of a venue that could accommodate 15 people for breakfast and Michael's breakfast buffet ($15.99 adult/$12.99 kids) seems to be a local favorite. It was extremely crowded being Father's day yet we secured a 1030AM reservation. Once our party was complete, we were seated at 1045 and two waitresses readily took the beverage orders while one provided the salad and dining plates. Ready and primed, we headed to the omlette station before picking up the essential breakfast foods--home fries, bacon, waffles etc. I'm not a fan of buffets but the food was quite decent. Hey, it breakfast and was convenient. There's a salad bar with the fixins' and a chocolate fountain and ice cream bar as well. The stations were constantly being restocked and the clientele appeared content including our party.
(3)
Scott K.
First off let's talk about the good: This place is clean. Very clean. The bathrooms are clean, the mirrors that line the walls make you look twice because you don't know if you're looking at a reflection or a whole other room. It's clean. Spotless. Which is very impressive. Then there's the food. I am going to preface this by saying that I have only been to Michael's for breakfast. If you like bland, tasteless food then this is the place for you. Its not "bad" so much as it is just plain and tasteless. The bacon goes from crispy to crunchy. So why one star? Because it is disgustingly overpriced. Omlettes run in the $8-10 dollar range and come with some diced potatoes and one piece of toast. Yes, ONE piece of toast. Who gives one piece? Michael's does. There are much better options in the area. Just do yourself a favor and avoid this one.
(1)
Matt G.
Visited here while I was down in DE hanging with friends for a weekend, and needed a place to grab a quick bite. Since it was literally across the street from the hotel I was staying at, we braved the unknown and (admittedly lackluster) yelp reviews, and headed over. First off, this place is like one of those fun house mazes on the outside. The main entrance is apparently on the short side of the building (where there's like 6 parking spots), and isn't really too visible. We ended up parking in what we now know to be the back entrance of the restaurant, and barged in through the party room door. Oops. The decor and atmosphere, as others have noted, was decidedly "mid 90's" / "we haven't bothered to renovate", and there didn't seem to be any 'flow' in the restaurant, lots of cramped corridors and walls. Whatever, I'm just here for the food. We were seated fairly promptly, and was informed that shortly they would be opening up the buffet - although at a fairly steep price of $17. Having come in for a quick, preferably cheap bite - I opted for a fairly simple burger. Our waitress was nice enough, although drink refills never happened. The food was... well, it was ok, really. Nothing special, but also not a nightmare-inducing horror that I'd expected, given the reviews. It was decidedly middle of the road, if slightly below average - kind of like eating at a "good" Applebee's. They had one or two craft beers on tap, with the rest being your fairly standard Bud / Coors "I just want to get drunk and don't care about flavor" sort of stuff. All in all, would I be back? Eh, that's a very strong "maybe" - there's a lot of better options in the area, most of which are in the same price range. I guess if it was late and I needed a place to eat near the hotel, I'd stop in for a quick burger, but I don't think I'd add Michael's to any sort of "If I'm in town, go here" list.
(3)
Heather B.
My husband and I stopped in for dinner on a Wednesday night a little before 6pm. We've never been before, but my husband works nearby and we thought we'd try it out. The ambience is lacking. The entire place feels like a time warp back to 1995. It's not dirty, it's just old and outdated. I took a look at the buffet and the cold buffet looked pretty good. The hot buffet didn't look great and it worried me that when I asked the gentleman at the carving station what kind of beef he was carving that he didn't know. We ordered the mini-beef frank sliders and a sausage and ricotta pizza. The mini beef frank sliders were exactly what you would expect. Tiny hotdogs on tiny buns with mustard, ketchup, and a pickle. My husband really likes hot dogs and I don't make them at home so he was pretty excited. The pizza had high and lows. The crust was excellent. They do a brick oven style and it was a really nice texture. There was a sad amount of ricotta on the pizza for one described as sausage and ricotta, one little teaspoon dollop per slice. Those bites that had ricotta were really good, but overall the sauce and sausage were a bit bland. If we lived close enough to order in, I might order a pizza with different toppings for delivery. Our server was nice, not overly obtrusive, and kept our drinks refilled (which I always appreciate). Overall, I would describe Michael's as fine. I probably wouldn't return as there are lots of other options in the area.
(3)
Tony D.
I haven't been here for years, but decided to give it a try to see if anything had changed. This review is for breakfast only. I went here with a couple of friends on Saturday morning 11/22. I had the pancakes, eggs, home fries, and bacon. I have to say everything was excellent. Both of my friends also were very happy with their meals as well. I know it is hard to mess up breakfast, but I have definitely had some bad ones in this area. I would definitely go back
(4)
Heather R.
The absolute worst. Upon entering, the decor should have been our first clue of what was to be expected (or not expected). Everything is harshly outdated from the early '90s and very cramped. My husband and I opted to get the lunch and salad buffet, because the sign out front had seemed so appealing. Never having been here before, we placed our order and got up and went to get our food. I literally walked to the Buffett, plate in hand, then turned right around and walked back to our table. Every tray on the line was either empty or darn near close to being, and did not look appetizing what so ever. I sat back down and opted to just order a bowl of soup. It came out and tasted microwaved.. A Campbell's can from Acme would have tasted better! We had our toddler with us, who managed to eat a sandwich off the kids menu just fine- but get this, her meal was $7.99 and that does NOT include a drink. We found this or after we had gotten our bill and saw the charge, and here's the kicker- WE ORDERED HER A WATER! Since when do we charge for tap water!? So F*@ing ridiculous. Our bill was in the $40s, for a LUNCH, of just two adults and one child, keep in mind all I ordered was a soup and my husband had the lunch buffet which was not at all worth it. He ended up having only 3 small options on his plate. Never going back!!!!!!!! Worst restaurant ever!!!
(1)
Michelle D.
My mom used to love this place so we stopped by today. We arrived at 2:20pm and they take up the hot food from the buffet at 2:30. Since most of it was greasy/breaded she opted for the salad bar. She said the quality of fruits/vegetables was not as great as she remembered. I had the oven baked buffalo wings and they were moist and had really good flavor. When my Cobb salad arrived I was told I could get my own dressing from the salad bar......not rudely, mind you. As if it is common to order from the menu and then hunt and gather your condiments . The lettuce was so wet that I could not eat it. The toppings were great; they just forgot to use the salad spinner. There were 2 other tables in our area and they returned to the buffet repeatedly. Bottom line, if you are not interested in quality food or service but want to graze uninterrupted then this is the place for you.
(2)
Carol P.
Let me start by saying like many others.. The Salad Bar/Buffet is great. It offers a great variety, everything looks fresh, and the good is pretty good. Having said that The staff including management just have a bad attitude. We were there last month with about 20 friends, 5 of which were refused service because they got there at 8:30 and the place closed at 9. Ok, your website says 10 pm. So we thought well everyone has a bad day right. So we went back again this month, this time there were over 30 of us. We all felt that they did not want us there. The staff was rude, between eye rolls and huffs we all knew we were not welcome. Yet there website says the encourage large parties and reservations. If there are two of you it would probably be fine, but I would not recommend this place for a large group.
(2)
Matthew E.
Friendly atmosphere and excellent food at a good price. The place is very clean and the menu has plenty to choose from. The Salmon was great.
(4)
Matt M.
First of all, a place that closes before half time of Sunday night football should not be able to call themselves a sports bar. Second, the food was mediocre at best and really is not that cheap in cost. I went because it was across the parking lot from my hotel and I had a long day of travel. I will be here for two weeks and will not be going back.
(1)
Jason C.
I was staying at a hotel nearby and ordered some delivery. Not only did it show up very quickly, but I was surprised by how good everything was. I had a Prime Rib sub with fries and it was excellent. They had a dipping sauce that was excellent too. The complimentary cheese pizza I was given was excellent as well. I will be ordering from here again for sure.
(4)
Lauren J.
Had breakfast here this morning. Was planning on Old Country Buffet but they had a burst pipe. This restaurant was severely understaffed with only 2 waitresses (one was also the hostess). Food was burned. Sausage was hard as a rock and black on the outside. Bacon was so overcooked it turned to powder in my mouth. Hash browns were have overcooked and half raw. Wheat toast was charred. I mean absolutely black. I let the waitress know and no manager came to speak to me nor was any consolation offered. We won't be returning. Poor food quality.
(1)
Jackie C.
I can't believe this restaurant has 2 stars. Nothing is ever made fresh at the salad bar and buffet. The food tastes like it has been sitting around for hours and is of very low quality. Whenever I confront the manager, Brenda, and the owner, Carolyn, my constructive criticism is met with hostility. Both women are disrespectful and unpalatable. I have no idea how they are even able to own a restaurant with attitudes like theirs. When I called Carolyn to give censored and constructive criticism about her terrible restaurant, she stated "then don't eat here." I asked her whether she had seen the reviews on yelp and she responded with "Yelp is for losers who have nothing to do with their time." I have been going to Michael's for years and the quality of the food continues to deteriorate. I am basing this off of many experiences, not just one bad one. Also, there is one nasty and evil waitress with the name of "Shell" who needs to be fired immediately; she was very rude and rolled her eyes at me. I would consider this the worst restaurant in all of Delaware and it would definitely make the list for the top 50 worst restaurants in all of America. I have a feeling that the owner, Carolyn, will respond to this saying some crap about how everything I am saying is a lie, (she did this to the past reviewers.) DO NOT BELIEVE HER! I will get down on my hands and knees and beg you to not go to this terrible and awful restaurant.
(1)
Kayleigh P.
This is for Carolyn M (from Michaels), regarding her response to the bad reviews. Why don't you spend time trying to fix the things that are wrong with your restaurant instead of bashing people like Rebecca Z for stating the truth? Read my review here also please... it is almost identical and was written quite a while before Rebecca's. And while you're at it, please understand that I am a small business owner and certainly know the pain of getting a poor FALSE review from a competitor or disgruntled customer... I would rather they come to me and allow me to fix the problem. However, I did try to voice my disappointment with everything and was brushed off, as it seems was Rebecca Z. I don't know her, but it seems we've had similar experiences, from poor service to poor food quality and right down to the forced 18% gratuity, which I don't even think is allowed for parties of less than 6. There are other complaints about the same waitress on here as well. Perhaps you should strive for improvements with our constructive criticism? Just sayin'... Also, I am completely opposed to those people who just give bad reviews all the time. If you search my review history, I have more positive than negative reviews posted. I love to give credit where credit is due. Michael's just doesn't deserve it... and my review was based on many experiences there over several years... not just one bad experience.
(1)
Mark J.
Surprisingly disappointing. Went for a dinner buffet on a Friday night, looked like a Monday night, hardly any people there. Very outdated decor reminded me of a motel. Buffet was very small, there were more options at the salad bar than the dinner buffet. Plate sizes were small so you need to go back many times to fill up, almost makes me feel like some social experiment to eat less. Apart from smoked brisket, very bland buffet options. (Buttered noodles? Really?)
(2)
Eva W.
LISTEN UP PEOPLE! I wish I could stand on the side of 95 and tell every single person to stop at Michael's Restaurant, but I'll use Yelp instead. You don't need to have a stale slice of Sbarro's or a nasty chain-restaurant dinner if you're traveling from NY to DC! Go to Michael's! I am a frequent traveler of the I-95 DC to NY corridor and am so sad I didn't find this place earlier. The restaurant is right on the other side of the DelMemBr. We had a huge pizza, unlimited access to the salad bar, and soft-serve for only $20 for two people! The salad bar was fresh, spotlessly clean, and delicious. Even came with chilled salad plates! We were also very pleasantly surprised by the delicious pizza - cooked in a coal-fired oven, all fresh ingredients. Our server was also spectacular. I think we left a 50% tip (on an admittedly small check). This place really had stand-out service, an impressive menu, and a friendly atmosphere. It is a treasure for when you're just getting on or about to get off the Turnpike.
(5)
Olushola J.
I ate at Michael's for dinner. If you want something different from the Olive Garden and Apple Bees, Michael's is a great alternative. It's cozy environment, tasty food and great service made for an overall pleasurable experience. Adam, the waiter who served our table, was very attentive, friendly and professional. The buffet has a good variety of food and the salad bar, specifically, is enticing. We ordered Chicken Fingers and Chicken Quesadillas as appetizers. For the main entree, we ordered a Large Pizza, which came with salad and dessert. As New Yorkers, we are very picky with our pizzas. I must say that the pizza here was very tasty. I also had the local beer brewed in Delaware, delicious!!! We go to Delaware to visit family pretty often and the next time I go, I will pass Apple Bees, the Olive Garden and Red Lobster and head straight to Michael's!!!!
(4)
Dan J.
I've been going to Michael's periodically for years, mostly because they have BY FAR the best salad bar in the State of Delaware. I say that based on the fact that they have not only have a decent number of items, but good choices of items as well. It's fresh and well maintained. The service is consistently good (I attribute part of that to the fact that there appear to be a lot of long-timers working there). The food can be hit or miss, ranging from very good to mediocre. I regularly have the prime rib, the salmon or the ribs, which are all quite good. However, I have at times been less than impressed with some of the other entrees. Although none have been bad. It's always a good experience at Michael's and I've never gone there and wished I went somewhere else instead. Despite the fact that there are a lot of other choices in the area.
(4)
Edna R.
If you do go , make sure "shell" isn't your waiter !
(1)
Tre R.
My parents love this placce as a date night spot and I always tease them that they don't go anywhere else but I never realized quite how dire it is for them to switch things up until my last visit to Michael's. The menu is a tome of generic restaurant staples with none standing out above any other so I kept it basic and ordered shrimp tacos. Needless to say, or perhaps it's not needless because this restaurant has been at it's current location as long as I can remember, but I was not pleased and will definitely not be returning if I can help it. Those simple, unassembled and mostly bland tacos accompanied by too many condiments (none of which were guacamole or lime slices) sat in my stomach like a brick. Thank God for the two decent gin martinis I had along with them or it would have been mostly unbearable but the quality of the martini was probably more of a testament to the liquor than the bartender. If my parents do insist that we return I'll just get a burger or something and concentrate on the cocktails.
(2)
Keith M.
Friendly staff and the breakfast buffet on Sunday's is the best around. Very family friendly!
(4)
Gary C.
There is no marked entrance to this place. After deciding to try it out ( Only a few cars in the lot ), We picked a door and entered. Wrong Door! Banquet entrance. OK, kept walking down the hall to the Host/Hostess station across from an EMPTY BAR at 3:30 PM! A Woman, whom I thought may be the hostess walked right by us as I said "Hello". She mumbled and kept walking. A minute later, a server walked right by us as I said "Hello", She said "Hello" and kept walking. A few minutes later, a Gentleman appeared at the Host Desk and stared at us. I said "Hello, we have never been here before, Do you have a Happy Hour?", He said, " Yes, we have Happy Hour Specials at the Bar", I said "Do you mind if we check out your buffet station, and salad bar?" , he said "Feel Free to". We Check out the Buffet, Dried out Fried Chicken, Dried out Beef at the Carving Station, half empty food trays, and a Woman turning over the Salads at the Salad Bar. We returned to the Host, Being Hungry, we thought we would sit at the bar, and order appetizers, and try their drinks. We took 3 steps from the Host, stood at the bar, Stared at the Host for 2 Min's. No Bartender, No patrons, No "LET ME GET SOMEONE", Not even a "Get Lost!". Just friendly stares at the host. We decided to it was time to leave. SORRY FOLKS, NEVER GOT A CHANCE TO REVIEW, AND I KNOW I WON'T COME BACK! CHEF GARY
(1)
Adam B.
We ordered from the menu, but wasn't any better then the buffet looked.
(2)
Thomas W.
I stopped here for breakfast before the Georgetown--Villanova game--a great game! I had the breakfast special: eggs, toast, hash browns, bacon, sausage, and two pancakes. The food was average, and service friendly. The sausage, and bacon were what I call the Jimmie Dean style. Pancakes and the hash browns were the best part of the breakfast. The restaurant seems to be better set up for buffets. They seem to indicate it is a crab house also. They waitress told me that they have crab legs year round? She did not seem to be that knowledgeable about crabs? Anyway, The food here is very affordable and right off the highway. From reading the reviews perhaps I should have tried the buffet?
(3)
Yingbo W.
I came for the dinner buffet and gorged myself on baby back ribs. There was a good selection of American dishes as well as some fun ethnic foods like chicken marsala. Of course the marsala was not authentic Indian or Pakistani food at all but I liked that they tried adding ethnic food to their menu. Another notable dish was their soup, clam chowder. Every buffet meal comes with a free banana foster for dessert. It smelled and tasted delicious although I would have preferred that they used real ice cream instead of cheap soft serve to top it. Over all, I think this place is definitely worth a visit over Ruby Tuesday's or Applebees when you're craving entrees like barbecue ribs or a chicken salad. It's a good value for all you can eat home-style cooking. I would definitely visit again and hope I don't run into a nasty waitress. The waitress I had was nice.
(4)
mark a.
On a business trip we went there looking for a great salad bar. The Salad bar was above average maybe a 3 out of 5 but the hot dish buffet was absolutely horrendous!!! The food was tough like it had been sitting there from the night before, closer like "road kill", the only thing good was the braised beef, the ribs couldn't be eaten and the dried out stuffed mushrooms almost made me puke. We shoulda stuck with the salad and pizza.
(2)
Jami M.
We stopped here to eat as a half-way point on our way back North from a trip to OBX... tired and hungry, we were looking for a good meal. Our hotel recommended this place and we were pleasantly surprised. The salad bar was fresh and had an excellent selection. My mother ordered the flounder and I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs. Our harshest critic was my 4.5 year old son, and he raved about his pasta! :) He especially loved the sundae bar that was included in his meal. HUGE portions and a great value. Recommend if you are passing through!
(4)
Rebecca Z.
I'd just like to say don't ever, ever, ever, ever, ever go to this place!! Especially don't go there with 5 or more people. We went there for dinner tonight for the first time. The waitress sucked, the food for the most part was bland, out of a can, or box, and the little bit of spinach they had at the salad bar was out so long that it was all wilted and shriveling up. My daughter wouldn't eat her breaded fish because it was disgusting (the child will eat almost any fish, even sushi, she loves it), my other daughter wouldn't eat her ravioli, she said it was because she wasn't hungry, but the child was "starving" until she ate the first bite. My baby got the grilled chicken sliders. The waitress said they had chipotle mayo on them and they would be a little spicy. She likes spicy so we said it was fine. When she got them they were just regular old tiny pieces of chicken on rolls. No sauce, no seasoning, no chipotle mayo, no lettuce, no tomatoes, NOTHING! Just chicken and bun. She took 1 bite and looked at me like I was nuts for giving her such bland crap food. So we get the check and my husband says "what? 18% gratuity?" I said "On 4 people and a baby with $#%&$# food? They are *%&$#*& nuts!" So when the waitress came back I asked her why we were being charged gratuity. She said in their restaurant a party of 5 or over was 18% gratuity automatically. I guess it's the only way the waitresses get paid because they are so rude and the food is so horrible. So on top of $#%& food, and $#%& service, we ended up tipping via gratuity more than the food was worth! I warn you all! Never ever ever ever ever ever eat there. EVER! BTW the waitress didn't even notice that the fish had a greyish color to it, nor did she care that none of my (not picky at all about food kids) wouldn't eat their sorry excuse for food. Also never ever had a waitress ask if we needed anything else the put her finger up for me to hold on like I'm some kind of child when I respond. Being a former waitress I would NEVER EVER EVER do that to a customer. EVER! How rude! I forgot, they also advertise "Brick oven pizza", but it's not. It's a gas oven with a brink surround. Not the same, nowhere near the same flavors. Also, the salad bar was pretty much bare, and when was there was either wilted or starting to crust from sitting out so long. We literally had to pick out piece by piece of the lettuce with the tongs to make ourselves a salad. We asked if we could get some fresh stuff and were told no, it was to late.
(1)
Jaynee L.
My experience may have been unusual, but it turned me off to the restaurant. I got my salad, and then couldn't eat it because I felt ill--I have a chronic illness--the mildly abusive manager--one of the owner's sons--would not allow me to take it home. When I called to complain, their mother answered the phone and she was just nasty. I'm actually an easy person, far from aggressive, and I like to be treated the way I treat others. If you have some kind of problem at Michael's, don't expect them to be helpful.
(1)
Dan S.
My family and I have always enjoyed going to Michaels Restaurant. We have always just ordered the buffet and not from the menu. They have by far the best salad bar I have been to and there are always something for everyone to choose for the main course. I have never had a bad experience or never ever left on an empty stomach.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dessert Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Music : Background Good For Dancing : No Alcohol : Full Bar Happy Hour : Yes Coat Check : No Smoking : Outdoor Area/ Patio Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Dogs Allowed : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
The D.
The interior is so outdated I felt like it was 1994 all over again. There is zero modern ambiance, finesse or romance. The wallpaper is peeling off and the dining areas feel used. The menu feels like the same thing I've seen hundreds of times and the execution is even worse. I had a burger, that's simple right? No, it was flavorless, and totally unimaginative. I was with a large party and saw the buffet food and I got a good look at many other dishes. The food isn't fresh, period, it's obviously frozen and reheated. Nothing is homemade that I can tell. Maybe the carved brisket is the only genuine, fresh food. Oh, a waitress dropped a plate from another table down my mother's back and giggled nervously while saying "i'm so sorry!". Did the manager offer a free meal? Nope! Stay home next Friday night and have a TV dinner. It would taste the same and cost much less.
(1)Dustin D.
The bar was cool and staff nice but this is the only reason this isn't a 1 Star. I just ordered nachos and after powering through half of them I was so full of grease I was almost sick. Sorry Michael's but never again.
(2)Dominick L.
Michael's was one of my favorite restaurant in Delaware. We had many, many group parties over the last several years there but times have change! Their salad bar is still the best I have ever seen but the quality of the food has suffered over the past visits. I always love to give my business to a local restaurant than to a chain. Michael's was always my first choice whether we were planning a party or a quiet diner for two. The buffet choices has dwindled down and it seems the choices that are left are low quality. I was disappointed when they removed the crab legs from the buffet but I still went faithfully for other entrees. I really want this place to succeed and hopefully they will read some of the lower rated comments and change what they are doing? On a strip of highway filled with chain restaurants, I really do want to go back to Michael's but have been really disappointed the last few outings ordering from buffet !
(2)Robert B.
Just returned from dinner at this restaurant after a long day of driving. Unfortunately, I did not read the other reviews on this site before eating here, however, I concur with most of the comments posted. We have been traveling for the past few weeks and this was easily our worst meal! I tried the fish and chips despite having my doubts and they turned out to be the worst that I have had - tasted like pre-packaged fish sticks! My wife fared better with the salad bar which looked reasonable. To me this place is not a sports bar so don't let the name fool you.
(2)Joe S.
Went for the buffet. I will go again for soup and salad bar only, the hot food buffet wasn't that great. My server Adam was very sweet, though, and made me a very nice Bananas Foster dessert.
(3)Colin C.
I hadn't been to this place in about 7 years since I relocated from Delaware. Was in town and looking for a place to enjoy brunch with the wife and an old friend so I turned to my old time favorite. It wasn't super packed like I was used to. Back in the day, we would often wait 30 minutes to be seated on a Sunday morning but this time we didn't wait at all. In fact, there were plenty of open tables. But the food was very good just like I remembered it! I'm glad Delaware still has this gem. Even as a true foodie, I highly recommend this spot! Fresh waffles, made to order omelets, a big salad bar, sundae bar, and more. The only thing I miss from the old times was the carving station! Go check it out!
(4)Craig C.
Foods OK we usually get the buffet but its over priced. We came here a few times and once we had to pay for my 2 year old to eat off our plate. Kinda turned off by that. Well there's a reason you can get right in to this place but drive right down the street and you wait for a table.
(3)Victoria S.
We were in search of a venue that could accommodate 15 people for breakfast and Michael's breakfast buffet ($15.99 adult/$12.99 kids) seems to be a local favorite. It was extremely crowded being Father's day yet we secured a 1030AM reservation. Once our party was complete, we were seated at 1045 and two waitresses readily took the beverage orders while one provided the salad and dining plates. Ready and primed, we headed to the omlette station before picking up the essential breakfast foods--home fries, bacon, waffles etc. I'm not a fan of buffets but the food was quite decent. Hey, it breakfast and was convenient. There's a salad bar with the fixins' and a chocolate fountain and ice cream bar as well. The stations were constantly being restocked and the clientele appeared content including our party.
(3)Scott K.
First off let's talk about the good: This place is clean. Very clean. The bathrooms are clean, the mirrors that line the walls make you look twice because you don't know if you're looking at a reflection or a whole other room. It's clean. Spotless. Which is very impressive. Then there's the food. I am going to preface this by saying that I have only been to Michael's for breakfast. If you like bland, tasteless food then this is the place for you. Its not "bad" so much as it is just plain and tasteless. The bacon goes from crispy to crunchy. So why one star? Because it is disgustingly overpriced. Omlettes run in the $8-10 dollar range and come with some diced potatoes and one piece of toast. Yes, ONE piece of toast. Who gives one piece? Michael's does. There are much better options in the area. Just do yourself a favor and avoid this one.
(1)Matt G.
Visited here while I was down in DE hanging with friends for a weekend, and needed a place to grab a quick bite. Since it was literally across the street from the hotel I was staying at, we braved the unknown and (admittedly lackluster) yelp reviews, and headed over. First off, this place is like one of those fun house mazes on the outside. The main entrance is apparently on the short side of the building (where there's like 6 parking spots), and isn't really too visible. We ended up parking in what we now know to be the back entrance of the restaurant, and barged in through the party room door. Oops. The decor and atmosphere, as others have noted, was decidedly "mid 90's" / "we haven't bothered to renovate", and there didn't seem to be any 'flow' in the restaurant, lots of cramped corridors and walls. Whatever, I'm just here for the food. We were seated fairly promptly, and was informed that shortly they would be opening up the buffet - although at a fairly steep price of $17. Having come in for a quick, preferably cheap bite - I opted for a fairly simple burger. Our waitress was nice enough, although drink refills never happened. The food was... well, it was ok, really. Nothing special, but also not a nightmare-inducing horror that I'd expected, given the reviews. It was decidedly middle of the road, if slightly below average - kind of like eating at a "good" Applebee's. They had one or two craft beers on tap, with the rest being your fairly standard Bud / Coors "I just want to get drunk and don't care about flavor" sort of stuff. All in all, would I be back? Eh, that's a very strong "maybe" - there's a lot of better options in the area, most of which are in the same price range. I guess if it was late and I needed a place to eat near the hotel, I'd stop in for a quick burger, but I don't think I'd add Michael's to any sort of "If I'm in town, go here" list.
(3)Heather B.
My husband and I stopped in for dinner on a Wednesday night a little before 6pm. We've never been before, but my husband works nearby and we thought we'd try it out. The ambience is lacking. The entire place feels like a time warp back to 1995. It's not dirty, it's just old and outdated. I took a look at the buffet and the cold buffet looked pretty good. The hot buffet didn't look great and it worried me that when I asked the gentleman at the carving station what kind of beef he was carving that he didn't know. We ordered the mini-beef frank sliders and a sausage and ricotta pizza. The mini beef frank sliders were exactly what you would expect. Tiny hotdogs on tiny buns with mustard, ketchup, and a pickle. My husband really likes hot dogs and I don't make them at home so he was pretty excited. The pizza had high and lows. The crust was excellent. They do a brick oven style and it was a really nice texture. There was a sad amount of ricotta on the pizza for one described as sausage and ricotta, one little teaspoon dollop per slice. Those bites that had ricotta were really good, but overall the sauce and sausage were a bit bland. If we lived close enough to order in, I might order a pizza with different toppings for delivery. Our server was nice, not overly obtrusive, and kept our drinks refilled (which I always appreciate). Overall, I would describe Michael's as fine. I probably wouldn't return as there are lots of other options in the area.
(3)Tony D.
I haven't been here for years, but decided to give it a try to see if anything had changed. This review is for breakfast only. I went here with a couple of friends on Saturday morning 11/22. I had the pancakes, eggs, home fries, and bacon. I have to say everything was excellent. Both of my friends also were very happy with their meals as well. I know it is hard to mess up breakfast, but I have definitely had some bad ones in this area. I would definitely go back
(4)Heather R.
The absolute worst. Upon entering, the decor should have been our first clue of what was to be expected (or not expected). Everything is harshly outdated from the early '90s and very cramped. My husband and I opted to get the lunch and salad buffet, because the sign out front had seemed so appealing. Never having been here before, we placed our order and got up and went to get our food. I literally walked to the Buffett, plate in hand, then turned right around and walked back to our table. Every tray on the line was either empty or darn near close to being, and did not look appetizing what so ever. I sat back down and opted to just order a bowl of soup. It came out and tasted microwaved.. A Campbell's can from Acme would have tasted better! We had our toddler with us, who managed to eat a sandwich off the kids menu just fine- but get this, her meal was $7.99 and that does NOT include a drink. We found this or after we had gotten our bill and saw the charge, and here's the kicker- WE ORDERED HER A WATER! Since when do we charge for tap water!? So F*@ing ridiculous. Our bill was in the $40s, for a LUNCH, of just two adults and one child, keep in mind all I ordered was a soup and my husband had the lunch buffet which was not at all worth it. He ended up having only 3 small options on his plate. Never going back!!!!!!!! Worst restaurant ever!!!
(1)Michelle D.
My mom used to love this place so we stopped by today. We arrived at 2:20pm and they take up the hot food from the buffet at 2:30. Since most of it was greasy/breaded she opted for the salad bar. She said the quality of fruits/vegetables was not as great as she remembered. I had the oven baked buffalo wings and they were moist and had really good flavor. When my Cobb salad arrived I was told I could get my own dressing from the salad bar......not rudely, mind you. As if it is common to order from the menu and then hunt and gather your condiments . The lettuce was so wet that I could not eat it. The toppings were great; they just forgot to use the salad spinner. There were 2 other tables in our area and they returned to the buffet repeatedly. Bottom line, if you are not interested in quality food or service but want to graze uninterrupted then this is the place for you.
(2)Carol P.
Let me start by saying like many others.. The Salad Bar/Buffet is great. It offers a great variety, everything looks fresh, and the good is pretty good. Having said that The staff including management just have a bad attitude. We were there last month with about 20 friends, 5 of which were refused service because they got there at 8:30 and the place closed at 9. Ok, your website says 10 pm. So we thought well everyone has a bad day right. So we went back again this month, this time there were over 30 of us. We all felt that they did not want us there. The staff was rude, between eye rolls and huffs we all knew we were not welcome. Yet there website says the encourage large parties and reservations. If there are two of you it would probably be fine, but I would not recommend this place for a large group.
(2)Matthew E.
Friendly atmosphere and excellent food at a good price. The place is very clean and the menu has plenty to choose from. The Salmon was great.
(4)Matt M.
First of all, a place that closes before half time of Sunday night football should not be able to call themselves a sports bar. Second, the food was mediocre at best and really is not that cheap in cost. I went because it was across the parking lot from my hotel and I had a long day of travel. I will be here for two weeks and will not be going back.
(1)Jason C.
I was staying at a hotel nearby and ordered some delivery. Not only did it show up very quickly, but I was surprised by how good everything was. I had a Prime Rib sub with fries and it was excellent. They had a dipping sauce that was excellent too. The complimentary cheese pizza I was given was excellent as well. I will be ordering from here again for sure.
(4)Lauren J.
Had breakfast here this morning. Was planning on Old Country Buffet but they had a burst pipe. This restaurant was severely understaffed with only 2 waitresses (one was also the hostess). Food was burned. Sausage was hard as a rock and black on the outside. Bacon was so overcooked it turned to powder in my mouth. Hash browns were have overcooked and half raw. Wheat toast was charred. I mean absolutely black. I let the waitress know and no manager came to speak to me nor was any consolation offered. We won't be returning. Poor food quality.
(1)Jackie C.
I can't believe this restaurant has 2 stars. Nothing is ever made fresh at the salad bar and buffet. The food tastes like it has been sitting around for hours and is of very low quality. Whenever I confront the manager, Brenda, and the owner, Carolyn, my constructive criticism is met with hostility. Both women are disrespectful and unpalatable. I have no idea how they are even able to own a restaurant with attitudes like theirs. When I called Carolyn to give censored and constructive criticism about her terrible restaurant, she stated "then don't eat here." I asked her whether she had seen the reviews on yelp and she responded with "Yelp is for losers who have nothing to do with their time." I have been going to Michael's for years and the quality of the food continues to deteriorate. I am basing this off of many experiences, not just one bad one. Also, there is one nasty and evil waitress with the name of "Shell" who needs to be fired immediately; she was very rude and rolled her eyes at me. I would consider this the worst restaurant in all of Delaware and it would definitely make the list for the top 50 worst restaurants in all of America. I have a feeling that the owner, Carolyn, will respond to this saying some crap about how everything I am saying is a lie, (she did this to the past reviewers.) DO NOT BELIEVE HER! I will get down on my hands and knees and beg you to not go to this terrible and awful restaurant.
(1)Kayleigh P.
This is for Carolyn M (from Michaels), regarding her response to the bad reviews. Why don't you spend time trying to fix the things that are wrong with your restaurant instead of bashing people like Rebecca Z for stating the truth? Read my review here also please... it is almost identical and was written quite a while before Rebecca's. And while you're at it, please understand that I am a small business owner and certainly know the pain of getting a poor FALSE review from a competitor or disgruntled customer... I would rather they come to me and allow me to fix the problem. However, I did try to voice my disappointment with everything and was brushed off, as it seems was Rebecca Z. I don't know her, but it seems we've had similar experiences, from poor service to poor food quality and right down to the forced 18% gratuity, which I don't even think is allowed for parties of less than 6. There are other complaints about the same waitress on here as well. Perhaps you should strive for improvements with our constructive criticism? Just sayin'... Also, I am completely opposed to those people who just give bad reviews all the time. If you search my review history, I have more positive than negative reviews posted. I love to give credit where credit is due. Michael's just doesn't deserve it... and my review was based on many experiences there over several years... not just one bad experience.
(1)Mark J.
Surprisingly disappointing. Went for a dinner buffet on a Friday night, looked like a Monday night, hardly any people there. Very outdated decor reminded me of a motel. Buffet was very small, there were more options at the salad bar than the dinner buffet. Plate sizes were small so you need to go back many times to fill up, almost makes me feel like some social experiment to eat less. Apart from smoked brisket, very bland buffet options. (Buttered noodles? Really?)
(2)Eva W.
LISTEN UP PEOPLE! I wish I could stand on the side of 95 and tell every single person to stop at Michael's Restaurant, but I'll use Yelp instead. You don't need to have a stale slice of Sbarro's or a nasty chain-restaurant dinner if you're traveling from NY to DC! Go to Michael's! I am a frequent traveler of the I-95 DC to NY corridor and am so sad I didn't find this place earlier. The restaurant is right on the other side of the DelMemBr. We had a huge pizza, unlimited access to the salad bar, and soft-serve for only $20 for two people! The salad bar was fresh, spotlessly clean, and delicious. Even came with chilled salad plates! We were also very pleasantly surprised by the delicious pizza - cooked in a coal-fired oven, all fresh ingredients. Our server was also spectacular. I think we left a 50% tip (on an admittedly small check). This place really had stand-out service, an impressive menu, and a friendly atmosphere. It is a treasure for when you're just getting on or about to get off the Turnpike.
(5)Olushola J.
I ate at Michael's for dinner. If you want something different from the Olive Garden and Apple Bees, Michael's is a great alternative. It's cozy environment, tasty food and great service made for an overall pleasurable experience. Adam, the waiter who served our table, was very attentive, friendly and professional. The buffet has a good variety of food and the salad bar, specifically, is enticing. We ordered Chicken Fingers and Chicken Quesadillas as appetizers. For the main entree, we ordered a Large Pizza, which came with salad and dessert. As New Yorkers, we are very picky with our pizzas. I must say that the pizza here was very tasty. I also had the local beer brewed in Delaware, delicious!!! We go to Delaware to visit family pretty often and the next time I go, I will pass Apple Bees, the Olive Garden and Red Lobster and head straight to Michael's!!!!
(4)Dan J.
I've been going to Michael's periodically for years, mostly because they have BY FAR the best salad bar in the State of Delaware. I say that based on the fact that they have not only have a decent number of items, but good choices of items as well. It's fresh and well maintained. The service is consistently good (I attribute part of that to the fact that there appear to be a lot of long-timers working there). The food can be hit or miss, ranging from very good to mediocre. I regularly have the prime rib, the salmon or the ribs, which are all quite good. However, I have at times been less than impressed with some of the other entrees. Although none have been bad. It's always a good experience at Michael's and I've never gone there and wished I went somewhere else instead. Despite the fact that there are a lot of other choices in the area.
(4)Edna R.
If you do go , make sure "shell" isn't your waiter !
(1)Tre R.
My parents love this placce as a date night spot and I always tease them that they don't go anywhere else but I never realized quite how dire it is for them to switch things up until my last visit to Michael's. The menu is a tome of generic restaurant staples with none standing out above any other so I kept it basic and ordered shrimp tacos. Needless to say, or perhaps it's not needless because this restaurant has been at it's current location as long as I can remember, but I was not pleased and will definitely not be returning if I can help it. Those simple, unassembled and mostly bland tacos accompanied by too many condiments (none of which were guacamole or lime slices) sat in my stomach like a brick. Thank God for the two decent gin martinis I had along with them or it would have been mostly unbearable but the quality of the martini was probably more of a testament to the liquor than the bartender. If my parents do insist that we return I'll just get a burger or something and concentrate on the cocktails.
(2)Keith M.
Friendly staff and the breakfast buffet on Sunday's is the best around. Very family friendly!
(4)Gary C.
There is no marked entrance to this place. After deciding to try it out ( Only a few cars in the lot ), We picked a door and entered. Wrong Door! Banquet entrance. OK, kept walking down the hall to the Host/Hostess station across from an EMPTY BAR at 3:30 PM! A Woman, whom I thought may be the hostess walked right by us as I said "Hello". She mumbled and kept walking. A minute later, a server walked right by us as I said "Hello", She said "Hello" and kept walking. A few minutes later, a Gentleman appeared at the Host Desk and stared at us. I said "Hello, we have never been here before, Do you have a Happy Hour?", He said, " Yes, we have Happy Hour Specials at the Bar", I said "Do you mind if we check out your buffet station, and salad bar?" , he said "Feel Free to". We Check out the Buffet, Dried out Fried Chicken, Dried out Beef at the Carving Station, half empty food trays, and a Woman turning over the Salads at the Salad Bar. We returned to the Host, Being Hungry, we thought we would sit at the bar, and order appetizers, and try their drinks. We took 3 steps from the Host, stood at the bar, Stared at the Host for 2 Min's. No Bartender, No patrons, No "LET ME GET SOMEONE", Not even a "Get Lost!". Just friendly stares at the host. We decided to it was time to leave. SORRY FOLKS, NEVER GOT A CHANCE TO REVIEW, AND I KNOW I WON'T COME BACK! CHEF GARY
(1)Adam B.
We ordered from the menu, but wasn't any better then the buffet looked.
(2)Thomas W.
I stopped here for breakfast before the Georgetown--Villanova game--a great game! I had the breakfast special: eggs, toast, hash browns, bacon, sausage, and two pancakes. The food was average, and service friendly. The sausage, and bacon were what I call the Jimmie Dean style. Pancakes and the hash browns were the best part of the breakfast. The restaurant seems to be better set up for buffets. They seem to indicate it is a crab house also. They waitress told me that they have crab legs year round? She did not seem to be that knowledgeable about crabs? Anyway, The food here is very affordable and right off the highway. From reading the reviews perhaps I should have tried the buffet?
(3)Yingbo W.
I came for the dinner buffet and gorged myself on baby back ribs. There was a good selection of American dishes as well as some fun ethnic foods like chicken marsala. Of course the marsala was not authentic Indian or Pakistani food at all but I liked that they tried adding ethnic food to their menu. Another notable dish was their soup, clam chowder. Every buffet meal comes with a free banana foster for dessert. It smelled and tasted delicious although I would have preferred that they used real ice cream instead of cheap soft serve to top it. Over all, I think this place is definitely worth a visit over Ruby Tuesday's or Applebees when you're craving entrees like barbecue ribs or a chicken salad. It's a good value for all you can eat home-style cooking. I would definitely visit again and hope I don't run into a nasty waitress. The waitress I had was nice.
(4)mark a.
On a business trip we went there looking for a great salad bar. The Salad bar was above average maybe a 3 out of 5 but the hot dish buffet was absolutely horrendous!!! The food was tough like it had been sitting there from the night before, closer like "road kill", the only thing good was the braised beef, the ribs couldn't be eaten and the dried out stuffed mushrooms almost made me puke. We shoulda stuck with the salad and pizza.
(2)Jami M.
We stopped here to eat as a half-way point on our way back North from a trip to OBX... tired and hungry, we were looking for a good meal. Our hotel recommended this place and we were pleasantly surprised. The salad bar was fresh and had an excellent selection. My mother ordered the flounder and I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs. Our harshest critic was my 4.5 year old son, and he raved about his pasta! :) He especially loved the sundae bar that was included in his meal. HUGE portions and a great value. Recommend if you are passing through!
(4)Rebecca Z.
I'd just like to say don't ever, ever, ever, ever, ever go to this place!! Especially don't go there with 5 or more people. We went there for dinner tonight for the first time. The waitress sucked, the food for the most part was bland, out of a can, or box, and the little bit of spinach they had at the salad bar was out so long that it was all wilted and shriveling up. My daughter wouldn't eat her breaded fish because it was disgusting (the child will eat almost any fish, even sushi, she loves it), my other daughter wouldn't eat her ravioli, she said it was because she wasn't hungry, but the child was "starving" until she ate the first bite. My baby got the grilled chicken sliders. The waitress said they had chipotle mayo on them and they would be a little spicy. She likes spicy so we said it was fine. When she got them they were just regular old tiny pieces of chicken on rolls. No sauce, no seasoning, no chipotle mayo, no lettuce, no tomatoes, NOTHING! Just chicken and bun. She took 1 bite and looked at me like I was nuts for giving her such bland crap food. So we get the check and my husband says "what? 18% gratuity?" I said "On 4 people and a baby with $#%&$# food? They are *%&$#*& nuts!" So when the waitress came back I asked her why we were being charged gratuity. She said in their restaurant a party of 5 or over was 18% gratuity automatically. I guess it's the only way the waitresses get paid because they are so rude and the food is so horrible. So on top of $#%& food, and $#%& service, we ended up tipping via gratuity more than the food was worth! I warn you all! Never ever ever ever ever ever eat there. EVER! BTW the waitress didn't even notice that the fish had a greyish color to it, nor did she care that none of my (not picky at all about food kids) wouldn't eat their sorry excuse for food. Also never ever had a waitress ask if we needed anything else the put her finger up for me to hold on like I'm some kind of child when I respond. Being a former waitress I would NEVER EVER EVER do that to a customer. EVER! How rude! I forgot, they also advertise "Brick oven pizza", but it's not. It's a gas oven with a brink surround. Not the same, nowhere near the same flavors. Also, the salad bar was pretty much bare, and when was there was either wilted or starting to crust from sitting out so long. We literally had to pick out piece by piece of the lettuce with the tongs to make ourselves a salad. We asked if we could get some fresh stuff and were told no, it was to late.
(1)Jaynee L.
My experience may have been unusual, but it turned me off to the restaurant. I got my salad, and then couldn't eat it because I felt ill--I have a chronic illness--the mildly abusive manager--one of the owner's sons--would not allow me to take it home. When I called to complain, their mother answered the phone and she was just nasty. I'm actually an easy person, far from aggressive, and I like to be treated the way I treat others. If you have some kind of problem at Michael's, don't expect them to be helpful.
(1)Dan S.
My family and I have always enjoyed going to Michaels Restaurant. We have always just ordered the buffet and not from the menu. They have by far the best salad bar I have been to and there are always something for everyone to choose for the main course. I have never had a bad experience or never ever left on an empty stomach.
(5)