The Golden Bough
Steph’s Experience:
Meal: Bluegill Tacos with side of Potato and Corn Chowder Bill Total: $18.29 (before tip: meal + 1 fried cheesecake + 3 cups of coffee)
Listen. What is this hidden gem in little ol’ Bangor? I drive past this place every day going to and from work and I loved watching the exterior remodel but I was especially pleased with the simple, yet warm, interior. It was inviting and the dark wooden tables seemed custom-made for the space but don’t quote me on that being a fact. It just has a really homey, comforting feeling that I wasn’t entirely expecting in such a small town.
Atmosphere: I would describe it as “dress casual.” We were there during lunch hour and I didn’t feel out of place in leggings and a cropped t-shirt. However, the food was definitely a step above like an Applebee’s or other casual dining experience. I was happy I didn’t have to wear my coat (how many restaurants have you been FREEZING in?!) and was still perfectly comfortable while jazz classics serenaded us. I had to take a potty break before the food came and the bathrooms are single stalled but large enough to accommodate a wheelchair and very clean. Only downside is there isn’t a changing table for changing diapers. You would have to change baby on the floor and…. yeah.
Service: Tashia greeted me and had my water and coffee to me within 5 minutes of me sitting down (should be noted I arrived first and was the only one in the restaurant but I noticed this was pretty consistent with every table that came in). After Richie and Aubree arrived, we ordered and had our food within 15-20 minutes of being seated. After we got our food, we did wait about 30-40 minutes before we were able to order our dessert but it came out pretty quickly.
Food: Let’s discuss this Potato and Corn Chowder, shall we?! I LOVE a good chowder! Reminds me of my mom because she always makes big crockpots of soups in the winter. I have NEVER tasted a chowder with such a full and smoky flavor! My mouth is still watering thinking about it and I’m pretty sure I’m going to dream about it tonight. I may come back to just get a bowl of this on a cold winter’s night. The bluegill tacos were very light and refreshing; a perfect lunch if you aren’t trying to over-stuff yourself but still want to feel satisfied. They were seasoned just enough to where you still got the flavors of the corn and fish without it being too “fishy.”
D-E-S-S-E-R-T: Please do yourself a favor and get the fried cheesecake. I did not expect at all for it to come on a skewer. It comes in Mocha and Oreo flavors. The outer shell is crunchy but the inner is gushy and just… ugh! It’s just sexy. I preferred the Oreo as it wasn’t quite as rich as the Mocha. I feel like the Mocha would have paired well with some vanilla ice cream or something but the Oreo was perfect on it’s own.
Takeaway: Go here. Food is locally sourced and reasonably priced. The owners are locals and you can tell they take pride in their community and what they are doing. I am very excited to see what this restaurant does in the future and any expansions they decide to do!
Richie's Experience
Meal: House Burger (which came with some bomb-ass fries), a Fried Cheesecake, and 3 cups of coffee. Bill Total: $20.41 before my ultra massive tip (you know how I do it).
.......so this Golden Bough spot in Bangor is legit, let me start there. It’s right in the middle of town, and sits nestled between a Mead Hall and a Brewery (sounds like a good time in a small amount of travel, right?) I never had the pleasure of visiting this restaurant in it’s previous lives (it was a BBQ joint just before this, and a home-cooked-meal joint before that), but due to the buzz it’s had for a minute (and a friend of mine swore they had the best burger he’s ever tasted), the ladies and I had to check it out.
I’ll hit you with the vibe of this spot. I have no reference point for how this place looked inside before, but they did a great job of making it feel primo. It’s got a very clean look and feel (without being too upscale), but giving you a sense of quality and care for your experience being at the forefront of their intentions. Like Steph hit on, the temperature was perfect, and it didn’t feel cluttered, or like tables were in each other’s bubbles. It’s a well thought out layout, even down to the color tones of the room and the artwork (which happened to be available for purchase).
The service was on point as well. It wasn’t very busy when we were there (we were actually the first table in there, and by the time we left there were another 3 or 4 tables), but our waitress was very friendly and timely with her visits to our table. The manager/part-owner also came and talked to us while we were looking at the other half of the dining area, and you could feel a sense of pride and excitement of what’s to come from them. I also love how important it is to source everything local, it shows that they want people around them to succeed as well.
Okay, let’s get to the meat of this review, literally!!!! My homie wasn’t lying, this damn burger is serious!!!! They got the nerve to downplay it and call it the “House Burger”, but when the house it resides in is premium, I guess they’re not technically downplaying. The toppings consisted of sharp white cheddar, roasted garlic aioli, shallot jam, fried leeks, and thick cut bacon on a brioche bun. The leeks were shredded, which made for a unique and awesome texture, and the meat was cooked perfectly (clarification: I ordered a medium cook, and Aubree ordered medium-well. They gave us each other’s burgers, but we didn’t know until we cut into them. Yes, we had to cut into them because they were MASSIVE!!) The fries that accompanied the burger were seasoned in a way I’ve never tasted before, and simply put, they were fantastic. I gotta give it to them for making what appeared to be fresh cut fries stand out, and I will be proud to burn whatever calories I need to to keep them in my life!!
As for dessert, I can do no further justice to describing the fried cheesecake than what Steph has already said. It was unique in presentation, and I never knew I needed this in my life either until I had it. I’m partial to the Oreo one over the mocha, but not due to the taste. The Oreo one had a runnier filling, which made it a little more fun to eat if I’m being honest. They were both delicious, but the kid in me had to play with my dessert. LOL
To wrap this up, Bangor has a gem set right in the middle of it, like a friggin piece of jewelry. The Golden Bough is an awesome addition to the small town, and has set itself apart from the other offerings near and around it. It doesn’t feel too overly classy, but feels as if it’s never going to compromise premium quality and experience. I think Stephanie, Aubree, and I all agree that even the coffee cups and saucers were impressive!! You’d be doing yourself an injustice to not check this place out.
Aubree’s Experience
Meal: House Burger with fries + 3 cups of coffee Total Bill: $14.05 before tip
We had plans to meet Sunday at noon to try the new local restaurant who prides itself on all locally sourced products! We have all been anxiously awaiting trying this place out. I was able to pull right up to curbside parking about 3 cars down from the entrance. Upon entering the room was well lit, the hostess stand was adorably outfitted with a vase of fresh flowers and a smiling face to greet me. I joined my friends at the only occupied table. The hostess was also our server she was prompt to come take my drink order which I got a coffee with half and half and a water. The coffee was served in these adorable cups with a saucer that I reminded me of something I would have found in my grandmother’s china cabinet-only this was even better because we could use them! I am very picky about my coffee. This coffee was strong and the half and half served in a sliver ramekin versus those little disposal cups so the presentation was superb.
I usually eat pretty healthily for the most part-not a lot of junk or red meat, but after a Saturday night of drinking I was in need of some “local nasty”---give me all the grease! I ordered the House Burger cooked medium-well. While we were waiting on our food, a few more tables trickled in, and we walked into the other dining area where one of the owners, Brad, was nice enough to tell us about future renovation plans. Our food arrived, we assessed our plates, and took pictures before preparing to dig in.
I’m a ranch whore, but the kitchen was fresh out so they brought us some garlic aioli to dip our fries in addition to the ketchup. It was pretty good so I wasn’t disappointed. I cut my burger in half and after we got into the first few bites we realized Ritchie’s burger and mine were probably switched since his was med-well and mine was medium as he ordered his. The burger was so juicy and the meat would almost melt in your mouth. You could tell it was fresh, it had a hint of sweetness from the shallot jam, the fried leeks gave it a perfect offset balance, and the bacon with the white cheddar topped it all off. It was savory and delish. I think this burger is one of the top two I have eaten in my lifetime. The only other experience I have had that is comparable would be when I was in Las Vegas and ate at chef Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant BURGER…twice. The fries were seasoned and cooked to perfection-I ate all of my fries! You could even tell the pickle was a “homemade” canned pickle rather than a store-bought kind. Steph let me try her fish tacos and soup, the tacos were nice and light, very good. The potato corn chowder soup was hearty and had a smoky flavor.
For dessert, we ordered two types of deep-fried cheesecake, mocha and Oreo-I only tried the mocha since I dislike Oreos…and yes I know I am one of the only people on the plant who hates Oreos. I have accepted it and moved on. The mocha cheesecake was awesome with our coffee, it was served as four balls on a stick -believe it or not, it had a crispy coating on the outside and a soft, creamy inside. Very rich-I ate one and a half. I took the other half of my burger to go. I ate it for dinner later that night and that was all I ate on Sunday. The bill ended up being $14.05 for my burger and coffee, it was well worth every penny. The Golden Bough exceeded my expectations and I cannot wait to go back and try more of their creations!
VERDICT: FEAST MODE ACTIVATED!!!
The Golden Bough
205 W. Monroe St, Bangor, MI
(269) 427-2525
American fusion bistro featuring fresh, local ingredients
Hours:
Mon 11 am - 7 pm
Tues 11 am - 7 pm
Wed 11 am - 8 pm
Thur 11 am - 8 pm
Fri 11 am - 10 pm
Sat 11 am - 10 pm
Sun 11 am - 7 pm
