Thanksgiving Dinner at The Redwood Steakhouse & Saloon, Lewiston, Michigan - REVIEW

Over the river and through the woods, in search of … a turkey roasting in the oven, stuffing, potatoes and gravy, veggies, the smell of cloves and cinnamon, and lots of pumpkin pie. The DIVAS traveled to our favorite Thanksgiving gathering, to be with friends and family, to share a meal and to consider all that we have to be thankful for in our lives. We journeyed to Lewiston, MI, for our annual visit to the Redwood Steakhouse & Saloon, where they put on what we consider the BEST Thanksgiving buffet ever.

A road trip on Thanksgiving Day is special. You head off knowing the only things that are open are gas stations and diners, which creates this unique quiet we rarely experience in our fast-paced world. It does a soul good to give thanks and contemplate all those reasons we have to be grateful. Our travels took us to Lewiston, Michigan, located in Northern Lower Michigan, about 100 miles south of the Mackinaw Bridge.

Thanksgiving is also a time to eat … a lot! Turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, cranberry sauce, rolls and butter, and lots more. The Redwood Steakhouse & Saloon, known for their Steaks and daily specials, go all out on Thanksgiving with a buffet that can't be beat.

We travel here every year for the turkey and fixings ($15.99). Included is their nightly salad bar with their home-made salad dressings, all the salad fixings, peel and eat shrimp, and their many home made pasta dishes. They also bake their own bread, corn muffins and biscuits on site.

Their Thanksgiving buffet also included a large selection of pies and assorted desserts. We really thought we had no room left for dessert, but couldn't pass up a piece of pumpkin pie. The cobbler looked really good, too. Thanksgiving dinner isn't complete unless you end your feast on a sweet note, and we did!!

The Redwood Steak House opens daily at 4:30 p.m. with Early Bird specials (Sunday thru Thursday) until 6 p.m. Thursday and Saturday are their Roast Prime Rib specials ($17.99). The Redwood Steak House first opened 50 years ago and is located in Lewiston, Michigan, on the corner of County Roads 489 and 612, at one of the cities only stoplights. The address is 4965 Salling Ave. (Country Road #612). The restaurant was bought by Rob Chapman in 1980, and Mr. Chapman expanded the dining room to a capacity for 150. On this Thanksgiving day, it was near capacity all day, beginning at 1 p.m.

We highly recommend the Thanksgiving Buffet at the Redwood Steak House. The everyday menu is good stuff, too! They do have live entertainment during the summer and fall months. For more information, they can be reached at 989-786-4600.   

The Engine House Restaurant (Mt. Clemens) and the Michigan Transit Museum - REVIEW

The Undercover Divas traveled to the outer reaches of downtown Mt. Clemens to a converted firehouse, now The Engine House restaurant, looking for a new dining experience. Housed in an antique red brick building near the train tracks, The Engine House is located just east of Groesbeck, on Cass Ave. at Floral Ave., and caught our eye. The outside of the building has a very appealing look, resembling a working firehouse, with the main entrance and parking in the rear. To enter the restaurant, we needed to walk through an outdoor patio that we would love to enjoy in warmer weather.

 The inside is very welcoming and has a local pub feel. It is located by the railroad tracks and when a train goes by and the engineer blows the train whistle, there are free jello shots for all! The Engine House caters to the many fans of the Detroit sports scene. Large projection screens and numerous plasma and flat screen TVs are everywhere.

The menu had lots of appetizers, salads, sandwiches and entrees. There were many pizza options but we decided to pass for a daily special. I had the Cheddar Chicken Bacon rollup ($7.95) which was grilled chicken and bacon, stuffed with cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato and ranch. I ordered it deluxe ($2.95) with coleslaw and onion rings. The meal was exceptional. 

The other Diva ordered off the menu and had the daily special, baked 6-cheese Lasagna ($8.95) with grilled, Parmesan cheese bread. It was all delicious.

Tuesday is (dine in) half off pizza day. We had heard that their pizza is some of the best pizza around. Wednesday is Italian night and Saturday there is a $6 special- your choice of a burger or a Slim Jim with a 16 oz domestic draft. Their specialty pizza choices are many, and each sells for $10.95 (small) and $15.95 (large). Cheesy bread sticks (that looked and smelled delicious as orders passed our table) for $7.95.

The building has been around since the early 1900s. It was first a grocery and meat market. The Engine House opened in 2007 by two Detroit firefighters. This new bar was completely restored inside and out. The interior is home to an extensive collection of unique firefighter décor, artwork and memorabilia.

It is a unique restaurant with good, reasonably priced food. Servers are very upbeat and friendly and prices are fair, making it a great place to stop in for a meal or a drink. Open seven days, 11am - 2am. They are located at 309 Cass Ave. in Mt. Clemens, Michigan. From pizza to steaks and sandwiches, and many different daily specials, it's the perfect place to come and enjoy friendships.

Special Attention: Across the street on Grand Ave. is the Michigan Transit Museum, formerly the home of the Grand Trunk Western Railroad Depot. Named a Michigan State Historic Site and on the National Register of Historic Places, this one story Italianate structure opened in 1859. This was when GTWR opened their Port Huron to Detroit line, traveling through Mt. Clemens. The interior has been transformed into a museum, complete with a waiting area and a re-created ticket office. The railroad once hired 12 year old Thomas Edison as a newsboy and candy salesman on the Port Huron to Detroit run. There is memorabilia everywhere to look at and volunteers are available to answer your questions.