Olds El-Bo Inn, Atlanta, MI, Review

It was time for The Undercover Divas to take a road trip to northern Michigan, the heart of Elk Country!  We traveled north on I-75 to our destination, Olds El-Bo Inn.  We were north of Atlanta, and about 35 minutes south of the Mackinac Bridge, all on M33.

Almost there, we passed a jack pine nesting habitat dedicated by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, to the Kirtland's warbler.  The endangered Kirtland's warbler is one of the rarest members of the wood warbler family. It is a bird of unusual interest as it nests in just a few counties in Michigan's northern Lower and Upper peninsulas, and only a few other places on Earth. Its nests are concealed in mixed vegetation of grasses and shrubs below the branches of five to twenty year old jack pine trees.  Male Kirtland's warblers arrive back in Michiganfrom the Bahamasbetween May 3 and May 20, a few days ahead of the females.   The area is on the east side of M33; don’t forget to take a look while driving by.

Just a few minutes past the warblers, we came upon Olds El-Bo Inn.  It was a small, cabin like restaurant, surrounded by miles and miles of forest.  Olds El-Bo Inn is under new ownership with a completely re-vamped menu. It offers wrap sandwiches, daily specials and specialty pizzas. The place has a great atmosphere, open for 4-wheelers and fishermen in the summer and a rest point for snowmobiles in winter months, as it is surrounded by many Michiganoff-road trails. Olds El-Bo Inn also has lots of imported beers, including Guinness, on draught.

It was an extensive menu that had lots of lunch and dinner options.  The salads looked inviting, and they had many home-made dressings available, including blue cheese.  They make just about everything in-house.  One of us ordered a club sandwich on whole wheat, very good.  Another had the daily special, which was a Philly cheese steak melt.  Both came with their delicious home-made chips.  All was excellent.   The service was friendly and the place had a down-home, country feeling.  Overall we had a wonderful lunch experience.  

You will not be disappointed, you will be delighted.  Olds El-Bo Inn is truly a hidden gem in northern Michigan. Open every day at noon, closed Mondays.  Don't miss it! 

The Fruits We Eat

El Charro's, Fraser, MI, Review

We were looking for something different, something Mexican, so The Undercover Divas took a ride on 14 Mile Rd.to El Charro’s, in downtown Fraser.   The place looks great and seems to be very clean, with a nice atmosphere, and the larger dining room of the two has a lovely fireplace.   We were seated by the manager in the first dining room but found it to be boring and uncomfortable, so we moved to the second, which had a much friendlier atmosphere.  We were given the “evil eye” by this manager a few times for moving.  Our waitress, Angela, treated us very well in our new location and was always very accommodating during the meal.  We noticed an outdoor patio for summer dining and wished it was just a little warmer outside.  The bar area also has booths and large fish tanks. 

El Charro's Beef Burritos

After we were seated, the waitress brought over chips and salsa. Chips seemed stale and salsa was unappetizing, so we just passed on it and waited for our dinners.  El Charro’s is known for their soft shelled “puffy” taco, that’s soft and chewy, without being doughy.  Annod said hers were delicious as she had a combination plate of these.  They come in ground beef, chicken and beans. That was worth the trip.  Suse had the Botana, and was surprised at how small they have become since the last time she visited El Charro’s.  I had the burrito dinner, with three ground beef burritos.  It wasn't anything spectacular. 

El Charro's Botana

Be careful when ordering, everything seems to be an added price.  Sour cream and guacamole (which was very good) was an expensive choice.  

There was a time when this place was far above average, but not anymore.  The food seems bland, portions are smaller and the ingredients are not the same quality as in the past. The food is more texmex than it is Mexican.  If you crave the more authentic Mexican food, watch for our review (coming soon) of Mexican town, near Downtown Detroit, for the “real stuff”. 

EL Charro's Puffy Tacos

Prices were too high.  Food was OK but boring, portions keep getting smaller, waitress was friendly and helpful, but overall it wasn't anything to write home about.  The one thing that saved this visit was the "Puffy Taco".

We rated this three DIVAS.

Gina's Cafe, Clinton Township, MI, Review

There’s a place nestled in a strip mall on Harper that caught our attention. The Undercover Divas noticed lots of cars, on many occasions, and decided to investigate. Gina's Cafe was near full, even though it was a weekday morning, service moved quickly and turnover was fast. The cafe has several colorful menus posted on the walls with breakfast, lunch and soup specials. S’mores pancakes and Reese’s pancakes were included on the menu along with Caramel Apple Cappuccino and many daily breakfast and lunch specials. They also have seasonal coffee drinks, plus many flavored syrups to add to your coffee, hot chocolate or iced tea.

Gina's Very Berry Stuffed French Toast

One side of the laminated menu is devoted to breakfast. The other side is for all their signature salads, sandwiches, burgers and soups. There was also a printed single-sheet menu on each table (which included daily specials) and menus hand written on the walls with creative choices.

Gina's in a Strip Mall on Harper 

The soups are homemade from scratch with French onion always available. The salads are varied, fresh, and the size of a platter. Fresh Portabella mushrooms on a chicken wrap is an example of their attention to fresh. All the incredibly delicious and unique menu items are listed in color chalk on boards around the family-friendly diner. Fresh squeezed orange juice is always available.

Gina's Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise Sauce

Gina's Luncheon Special - the Blue Burger

For our first-time visit, food was excellent. The stuffed Very Berry French Toast was very good and the other dishes coming out of the kitchen looked equally appetizing. The Eggs Benedict with Hollandaise sauce was a winner.

Lots of Chalkboard Menus at Gina's

Friendly people, fast and cheerful waitresses, fresh, appetizing dishes and a full house makes this place an excellent choice. Prices were a tad higher but well worth it. They open at 7:30 am and close at 3 pm so don't come for dinner. Closed Mondays.  (Tele:  586-790-2911.)  They are located between 15 Mile Rd. and 16 Mile Rd. on Harper in Clinton Township. Gina’s is a great place for a delicious breakfast, anytime.

We rated this four DIVAS.

Andary's Bar & Grill, Eastpointe, MI, Review

The Undercover Divas were in Eastpointe for a new experience.  We stopped at Andary’s for an early dinner.  Andary’s is located on Gratiot, north of Nine Mile Rd.   They are family owned with a second location on Hall Rd. in Clinton Township.  Breakfast is served every morning, seven days a week, starting at 6am and available all day.  Word is they have the best breakfast menu in town.  

The menu is extensive for any palate and favorable for those watching their waist, wallet or both. Specials are all homemade and change daily.  They have an excellent value menu as well.

We were met at the door and seated by a cheerful hostess, and our server, Michelle, met us at the table with everything we needed to get started, menus, ice water, breadbasket, and a smile.  Service throughout the meal was awesome, with Michelle and other servers checking on us often.  They were all very friendly and attentive.

My meal was cooked to perfection, and with the ample servings typical for this type of restaurant, I was able to 'take some home' for another meal the next day.  I had the pork chops with baked, perfectly seasoned, redskin potatoes and what tasted like homemade applesauce.  Gini was happy with her chicken salad sandwich on rye bread, and a side Greek salad.  The salad had huge hunks of feta cheese, her favorite.  Suse had the cod, which Michelle said was dipped in their own signature batter.  Included with her dinner was a side salad with homemade blue cheese dressing, that she really enjoyed.  Kevin, the manager, visited our table after we received our food to make sure we were happy with everything, which we always appreciate.   Andary’s is all booths, informal, family friendly, and lots of windows for outside light to come through.  It has recently been renovated and looks wonderful. Food was delicious and portions were large and very reasonably priced.  

Service is awesome, friendly and attentive, and specials are homemade and change daily.   If you are in the area, be sure to give them a try.  

Andary's Pork Chop's with Apple Sauce

Andary's Cod and Baked Redskins 

Andary's Chicken Salad & Greek Salad

We rated this four DIVAS..

 

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Michigan Agrictulture Infographic

Cool infographic showing Michigan Agriculture

Michigan Agriculture - From the Undercover Divas

Michigan Restaurants | Under the Radar | Pure Michigan

IHop, Roseville, MI, Review

IHOP, Roseville, MI

The Undercover Divas were looking for an adventure.  We haven't been to an IHOP for many years, it just wasn't under our radar. It was a good day to explore.  Gini suggested we try something different, how about IHOP! We had heard it was a brand new menu and wanted to check it out. 

The place was packed, and there was a line for a table. But it moved quickly and wasn't an inconvenience. Their new menu truly stresses the "House of Pancakes" theme. Our food was exceptionally good. Annod's Fit and Lean breakfast was a winner, with whole grain pancakes, turkey bacon and a side of scrambled eggs (egg whites). She had never tried egg white eggs before but found them to be tasty and perfectly seasoned.  Gini's western omelette looked really good and my 2-2-2 breakfast hit the spot. We were all pleased with our choices.  

Our server, Donni, was very pleasant and made sure we had everything we needed. Jennifer, the Assistant Manager, was always smiling and checking to see that everyone was happy. They both made the dining out experience a good one. This IHop is hard to find, unless you are exiting the I94 freeway. It is located on Little Mack, just north of 13 Mile Rd. and east of Gratiot. It's a good place to take the kids with an excellent kids menu. We will be back soon.

IHOP Fit & Lean Breakfast

IHOP 2-2-2 Breakfast

IHOP Western Omelet

We rated this four DIVAS.

The Undercover Divas - Reviewers

Welcome to our blog.  We are The Undercover Divas.  We are longtime friends who will conduct secret reviews of restaurants, casinos, hotels, bars, shopping, and everything in between. Although based in Michigan, we love to travel.  We want to make a difference so we are happy to commit our experiences in an online format.  We report on the quality of services, both in retail and the food industry, and have an interest in the decor, tidiness, cleanliness and quality of the services provided.  

We are willing to try anything and everything we come across, visit establishments that are new or refreshed, no matter how strange or foreign they may seem.  We will record our impressions as descriptively and honestly as we can.  A tremendous zest for life and the willingness to take many adventures and risks make us the perfect team to report on our findings.

Please feel free to use the comment section of each review to give us your thoughts.  

The Undercover Divas