The Dining Room at Clearbrook was voted "Best Place To Impress Out-of-Town Guests" and "Best Wine list" along the entire lakeshore by the readers of LAKE Magazine, July 2005. And ... The Grill Room was the #1 choice as "Best Family Dining". Clearbrook Golf Club again won as the most popular golf club on this Lake Michigan shoreline as "Best Country Club" and "Best Golf Course".Thank-you to the readers of LAKE, and to our wonderful guests!

And then from SHORE Magazine, The Grill Room won as "BEST CASUAL RESTAURANT" for 2007 along the lake shore. "Thanks" to SHORE and its readers! The Dining Room was also a nominee for "Restaurant Of The Year" in FINE DINING for 2004 by Grand Rapids Magazine, according to their January, 2005 issue. Although the final award stayed in Grand Rapids, Clearbrook was honored to be included in the magazine's selection of the top sixteen fine dining restaurants in West Michigan. And its only selection in any catagory from the Saugatuck/Douglas area! "Thanks" to GR Mag!

Celebrate Traditions | Downplay Trendiness | Cultivate Refinement | The Dining Room

When we first bought Clearbrook in late 1984, our early attempt to fill a culinary gap in Saugatuck was indeed validated by the loyalty of so many of those early guests, many of whom we still see. As the years progressed, and many more guests frequented our restaurant, the changing competitive environment lead us to examine our roots, clarify our brand of dining at Clearbrook, and define exactly what distinguishes us from the rest. At The Dining Room at Clearbrook, we think we know.

Let’s start out by admitting that we’re old in both senses of the word ... not young and not new. How does this make Clearbrook better? Experience for one. Our management team of five has logged over 120 years of hospitality service at places like Grand Hotel of Mackinac Island, Naples, Atlanta, Washington D.C., Cleveland, and Chicago. This maturity is reflected in the Clearbrook "style" of food, drinks, service, and ambience … our "Genuine Hospitality".

As for not being new, it’s true. We’re in our third decade of serving you in a facility that defies time. One look can tell you we’re traditional, certainly not trendy. Our classic foods and recipes are updated every month with contemporary methods and ingredients, but we’re not new. This works by keeping us refined, elegant, tasteful, and warm … but not new. Our service includes starting with an amuse bouche, and clearing your palate with a house-made sorbet intermezzo before your primary dish. Your drinks are served from silver trays and individually carafe poured. Our French Press coffees include five choices of sweeteners. These classic techniques of yesteryear are presented now to remind us of the slower pace our parents and grandparents enjoyed. And they’re not new.

And about our steaks. They taste great because they’re great beef, but everyone tries to buy great beef. Our secret also lies in the ageing, the trimming, and the seasoning. We just do a better job with them. We think you’ll agree. We want you to say that was the best steak you ever had, and many of you do!

And lastly, about our gardens that surround your view from our huge windows. They feature the beautiful flowers that are cut to enjoy on your table, the edible floral and herb garnishes on your plates, and also many of the very herbs and vegetables used in our vegetable intensive first courses and entrees. For years now, those we don't grow we've quietly bought mostly from local growers who employ sustainable farming methods that utilize entirely natural products in their care and nurture. Our talented Chef, Jeff Kudrna, is a regular patron at our area farm markets.

If you need more evidence, make note of our display wine cellar off the foyer, where our commitment to perfecting fine dining is again obvious through a sizable and diverse selection of properly handled and stored vintages and varieties from throughout the world. To the extent that WINE SPECTATOR Magazine has recognized Clearbrook with its Award of Excellence in 2006, '07, '08, '09. Even our selection of liquors, Ports, and after-entree beverages is intended to say to you that we care about your experience here.

We believe we must earn our reputation with every plate served. We will not rest until you do. We trust you'll enjoy ... or tell us so we can improve the next time. In fact, please see the generous comments from some of our guests under "Testimonials" here on this site. Thanks for considering The Dining Room at Clearbrook ... where tradition is celebrated, trends are downplayed, and refinement is intentionally cultivated.

"No other seasonal site we know of in the region combines the expertise of an experienced staff with our club-like, refined dining atmosphere, and excellent views over our incredible gardens where we grow some of our own products. Every table has a great view. Guests in The Dining Room at Clearbrook experience a return to gracious dining, and that's unique to our casual lakeshore area. With our wine dinners and talented cooking, we've never had this much fun with food and wine." And that's why Clearbrook is renowned.

Now in its twenty-fifth year of fine dining, The Dining Room at Clearbrook is traditional yet current and upscale. The innovative fare features menus that are created new every month, offering the best and freshest from local West Michigan farms, entirely house-made into "contemporary classic cuisine" by Executive Chef Jeff Kudrna. Its eclectic infleuences from the American Southwest, Asia, and French/Continental classics are tastefully noticible. Especially known for hand-cut steaks, The Dining Room offers its "melt-in-your-mouth" Griddled Canadian Walleye, American Lamb Chops or NZ Rack of Lamb, and a host of specialties such as Breast of Duck or Ahi Tuna that make each evening's menu unique, always including an "all vegetable" selection that is unrivaled. Also present each year is the popular "Green Plate Special" priced from $20.

And new in 2004 was something very old. Originally from the formal dining room of a West Michigan lumber baron, Clearbrook obtained a rare treasure. Parties of four to six may now request seating at the Berkey and Gay Suite, a handcarved dining set including China and Buffet, inlayed with eleven different walnut varieties, crafted in Grand Rapids in 1906. You'll be seated and served like royalty!

In 2009, The Dining Room serves Friday & Saturday nights in Summer from 5:30 'til 9:00, and then in DECEMBER. It is normally closed following Valentine's Day until mid-May. The Mother's Day Buffet accepts bookings generally three weeks ahead, seating from 10:30 until 3 pm.

And yes, appropriate attire, ie: collared shirts for men, is required ... with Jeans, Tee's, Sweats, Sneakers, and Tanks discouraged.