Karl G.

"Unforgettable, that's what you are ...." ... the mellow sounds of crooner Nat King Cole & daughter Natalie wafted across the spacious dining room as I looked across my table (adorn with a real linen tablecloth/napkins, fine(er) china, et ...), over my plate of a custom made omelet, cheese blintzes, herb roasted chicken, fresh veggies and out to the panoramic view of Lac St. Claire, I think I had a "moment" ... it was really spectacular, IMO ... sunny day, freighter coming across the shipping channel, a smattering of fishing boats, ducks and a few other assorted waterfowl swimming/flying among the marsh reeds poking through the water ... it was almost like being in a Robert Frost poem/dinner theatre or something, ;). I don't get some of the low ratings and honestly think they're more a reflection on society as a whole than what you're gonna' find at a Gino's Sunday Brunch, IMHO. It is a bit reminiscent of days past, but that can be a good thing & it's a quality dining experience for a variety of patrons, IMO. You're not gonna' find a better, true "brunch" on any given Sunday (NFL reference) for the price than at Gino's, ;). Only one place in SE Michigan compares, and it's also by the waterfront (so maybe I'm partial to waterfronts or something), but I'll still choose Gino's if push comes to shove, :). ... " ... and forevermore, that's how you'll stay" ... Two thumbs up!

Erica W.

Easter brunch was absolutely horrible. We will never go back, and we know of another table thay said the same thing They pushed two round tables together and put 16 chairs at it, that meant four of the chairs were almost unusable. Luckily we had children we could put in those seats and one of the adults didn't show up. A few years back they had a omlete and carving stations. This year they barely had anything and what they did have was drowing in sauces. The salad bar was mostly dressings, three kinds of cheese and maybe 5 other toppings to choose from. Our server came by maybe three times, this wasn't her fault she had way too many tables, all of which had at least 8 people at them. We constantly had to ask for water, oh and I forgot. 6 out of the 16 glasses were so dirty, it was if they were not washed. It is sad, they have a great location on the water but have just let the place go.

Cosimo D.

It's so sad to see how this once great staple from my childhood has changed, and not for the good. I rarely get to spend time with my girlfriend, and when I do I like to show her a good time. Taking her here was anything but. I'll start with the "dinner" food. The calamari was cooked properly, but unbelievably bland. It was as if the cook looked at the salt and pepper, and decided to let them lounge on the couch instead of putting them to work. You know what else didn't work? The promise over the phone. I called before we left to be sure that they had tripe. Growing up, this was by far my favorite dish at Gino's. But when I arrived, there was no tripe to be had. Regardless of what was promised via phone 30 minutes earlier, my mouth was in for a disappointment. Later, one of the cooks told me that the had a cooler problem and had to throw things out earlier in the week. My though? If you had days to restock, and you only run that dish every last Sunday of every month, then restock the motherfucker. But whatever, I was sure that something would make up for it. Guess what? The meatballs, which could have been good if they were actually hot, were barely warm. If the dish ain't ready bro, keep it in the kitchen like a 40's movie would a woman in a full dress and heels. Neither that depiction of misogyny, nor the meatballs, were right on any level. Cook they bastardize another Italian dish? You bet. The corkscrew pasta was over cooked and hardly warm as well. The noodles were as limp as Nathan Lane's dick at a female strip bar. And the sauce? Was it Ragu or Prego? We may never know for sure. The only things that were decent were the mussels and roasted chicken, which, surprisingly enough, stayed moist. On to breakfast dishes. The potatoes were under cooked and too hard. No big surprise once I'd figured out how uninspired the cooks are here. The biscuits were actually well cooked and fluffy, leaving no doubt in my mind that they are store bought and warmed as needed. Is there anything that can help give this place a star? Well...yes. The omelette guy (who also ran the carving station) is awesome. Just enough personality to be interesting, without being over the top. And his cooking skills? The omelette and waffles were fantastic, but the best are his crepes. If those crepes were women my girlfriend would be jealous of all the attention I gave those bitches. I went down on them all afternoon long and kept wanting more! Did things get any better? Take a guess homie. I used to come as a kid and we'd dress up. The line was out the door, filled with people in their Sunday best, fresh from church. Today, I was overdressed in jeans, a button down and ball cap. How did I know I'd be ok? Because the last time I came (roughly a year ago), the decline in personal appearance in Gino's guests had already begun, but I had no idea how horrible it has become. It looked liked the Walmart clothing line exploded over the spattering of white trash people that were in attendance. I truly couldn't decide if I was at a restaurant, or the receiving line of Honey Boo Boo's future wedding. Seriously, the people there looked like a failed attempt by the wrong sort of people dressing up for their last day of work as a landscaper AFTER coming home from a 10 hour shift in a grease factory. There were so many rednecks there in cut-off shorts and sleeveless t-shirts, I half expected Col. Sanders to walk out from the kitchen to claim his progeny with a bucket of fried chicken and the proper amount of contempt one holds for individuals such as these. You know what else didn't help? The annoying, attention-seeking early teen, dancing her chubby body in front of me. Wearing a tight purple t-shirt/short combo, she looked like Grimace from McDonald's (a place I am sure she is overly familiar with). It was disgusting and yet, somehow welcoming-if only to distract me from the unceremonious parade of misery surrounding me. Another highlight was the plate my girl grabbed that was caked with...cake. All over the bottom of the dish. Cool. Also, when did they stop clearing plates? Attached is a pic AFTER I'd been up a few times. Were they waiting for the entire table to be filled with dirty dishes before taking them away? I mean, I'd hate to interrupt the servers from the 3 other tables in the joint and talking behind the dessert line, but come on. At least the table full of the Golden Girls seemed to enjoy it. Rose and Blanch were whoring themselves for those incredibly small shrimp that you had to peel yourself. The also seemed to enjoy the stir fry as well, but then again, their taste buds died long ago, just as my hopes for this once spectacular place did.

Tricia H.

Came here for a birthday brunch (mine) Food was really good. Drinks were really weak - we ordered Mimosas and Bloody Mary's. Service was not great. Lot of waiting for extras not at the buffet and the bill. And the lounge singer. Oh my. A guy in jeans and a polo sings elevator music to you as you feast. So weird. When I first got there I thought it was Karaoke. But - the food was really good. I would be back for that - but not for any sort of special occasion as I was semi embarrassed by the place.

Tiffany M.

Out of all the bars on Jefferson I have to say I like this one the most the food is actually very good for bar food and they always have drink specials during the summer they have a huge outdoor seating area with lots of tables and space and of course light up palm trees. And if I remember right there is a car inside the building... Neat little spot tucked back to checkout. It's great for a group of friends to go to because there's actually a lot of room. I never felt like this place was overcrowded.

Harper V.

My sisters and I had brunch there Sunday and it was nowhere near busy (lots of empty tables), so I would think the customer service could have been better. It was a buffet style brunch with a great diversity of food -- fish/calamari/mussells to sausages/sirloin/pasta/vegetables and a good salad bar, and huge dessert table, and omelets made on the spot. Great view of lake and marsh. That was the best part. We had to ask that our table be wiped, the coffee was tepid and the pot was filthy so we asked for another pot and coffee was warm but not hot. We sent back a dirty glass (some orange stuff on it) and a dirty fork. We ordered a bloody mary, tequila sunrise, and a mimosa (and the last two were "meh." The waitress disappeared for at least a half-hour until we asked a busboy to find her for us. The place looked a little worn. The experience just wasn't good. I won't be back.

Neil Y.

The view is five stars and everything else is a solid three stars. I have never been here for a wedding or gala affair but only for the Sunday brunch. It runs around $20 but truth be told, that's what the price should be. You get an omelet station, sweets table, carving table, seafood and meat selections and a potato and veggie selections. The salad bar is also included. It isn't spectacular but I know of at least three other places at this price point that far worse. What's good: The salad bar. What can I say, it was decent, well stocked and they have incredible ranch dressing. The omelet station. Normally, I could care less about this but I call it like I see it and it was a damn good omelet. Not so much: The desserts. These are factory made and it shows. The meats. They were all cold. I like hot food. The service. Very kind but severely understaffed. You get entertained by a suited Italian fellow that actually has a decent voice. I dare say he's the owner or at least related to Gino some how because he deals with issues regarding the staff while he is singing. Amazing multi-tasking! It's only a few dollars more than a Big Boy weekend buffet. Give it a try and hit me up on Yelp with your thoughts.

Rebecca B.

This place has incredible potential. I love the location with the amazing water view. But it's as if the owner and workers don't care about anything. I was here with a group of about 10 people on a Friday night for dinner, cocktails, and fun. I arrived about 7:30 and immediately went to the ladies room. Much to my dismay, the stall I selected was completely out of tp..nice. Thankfully I had a couple tissues in my purse. The indoor dining/bar area is really big, but it looks like they're missing a bunch of tables. There were vast open spaces that the standing people could have been sitting. The DJ stopped early, not sure why..the dancing was just getting started. Our waitress was slow and forgetful. We had to ask numerous times where she was, remind her we asked for water, and track her down for more drinks.. She messed up our order, so my boyfriend offered to buy the extra wings she brought out so she wouldn't get in trouble. I had a burger which was good. We paid our bill, but it seemed more expensive than we expected, but whatever. After eating, we went outside to enjoy the fresh air. There was a crappy band playing, hence the missing DJ. There is a big round structure that one would think is a bar, with stools all around. One of the waitresses explained they have no plumbing so it can be used as a bar. Seems like really poor planning. There's a little building off to the side where you'll find the outdoor restrooms. If you keep walking around the building, you'll find the makeshift outdoor bar. This little shack had the only nice and friendly worker I could find, btw, she makes a great margarita! So after being outside for quite sometime and we're about ready to leave, our waitress comes running out from inside and tracks us down to tell us we owe her more money for the wings. We already felt we paid more than enough, unfortunately didn't keep the copy of the receipt with the order details. After her ranting about how we promised and she'll have to pay for them, we threw money at her to make her go away. She was carrying on about what a terrible place it is and how the dock is falling apart, etc. Thanks for the earful.. NOT!! Maybe it was an off night, dunno. I may give it another chance just for the opportunity to sit by the water, but not anytime soon...

Dawn J.

2005 I got married there it was a husband and wife ownership the husband was fantastic the wife ruined my wedding! I paid a lot of money for my wedding over $10,000 she was telling my guest they could only bring back to the table two drinks at a time... each table set 10 people my family would carry drinks back for the table NOT them selfs, she was even telling my guest children they could only have one soda at a time. The husband ha, told me we had the place till 1am no problem the wife started clearing the tables at 10:30pm, the food I believe she tried to taree down before my guest all ate! I paid for the top bar she try cutting my guest off, my family kept coming up to me telling me she (wife) did this she did that. My wedding was RUINED. While taking photos she was rude to my photographer while we tried to take group pictures, he also is friend at the wedding as a guest. the owner Frank was a nice man but his Wife took my $$$$$$ and my wedding memories and distoryed my day! I will never get my money back or my big day, I will never be able to forgive her or forget!

kelsey n.

I would NEVER have another event at Gino's. I wish I had read the reviews on yelp/Facebook etc. ahead of time because I am definitely not the first one to experience how rude and controlling the manager, Gina, can be. To sum things up, Gina seemed really nice when we first started planning our event. However, the night of the event, she pulled myself and 3 others out of our own party to tell us she thought our guests were drinking too fast from the open bar (she must not understand what an open bar is). As if that wasn't rude enough, she actually came into the party at the end of the night and was yelling at our guests, saying nasty things and kicking everyone out the minute our event ended. To top things off, she stayed in the room while a few of us gathered our decorations and yelled at me until I cried. It was really an unbelievable experience. She clearly doesn't understand how to act professional and I am so disappointed that my memory of my high school reunion is Gina and not seeing all my former classmates.

Irene W.

We had our 45th High School Reunion there recently and I thought it was all just great! The view of the Lake was "Pure Michigan", the food was delicious, the bartender sweet and patient! I loved all the free amenities in the Ladies Room too! A wonderful experience and I would highly recommend it to anyone planning a special event!

Thomas B.

Came for Easter 2012 brunch. Food is good. Buffet is replenished timely and everything is quite edible. No complaints there at all. The seating conditions are horrible. The dining area is packed so tight that chairs are right up against each other. We originally had reserved space for a party of 11 and they allotted us 1 table. Thankfully only 9 of us showed, and we were still cramped. The chairs were cheap, plastic folding chairs. The service staff was good and attended our table satisfactorily. I will return here, but not for another holiday brunch.

Lonny B.

Went for Sunday Brunch yesterday for the first time, though I've known of this place for a while. I have to say, I was expecting more, for the price of about $19.00. They did have the usual bacon, sausage, waffles, french toast, a guy making omeltes, who I supposed would have made me scrambled eggs if I would have thought of it, because they didn't have any on the buffet. Also typical pieces of chicken, some italian sausage and peppers, rice, corn, roast beef they sliced, and the seafood, fish and shrimp and of course salad. The desert table was good. All in all it was not bad, just thought there would be more choices, just seems like for $19.00, it was a little steep. And it cost extra for any drinks, except coffee.

Tony S.

3.5 Stars This review is based only on the Sunday brunch: This place has been around for awhile, when I was a kid I had my first frog legs and kiddy coctail here and they were delicious, even as a kid I remember the waitress was so nice. The brunch is good for a date after church, it is semi-casual buffet w/ beef carver, pasta, frog legs, various dishes found in a wedding reception or wake ( that's what they do there) Attire for Sunday Brunch: We were greeted at the door by a manager or owner who wore a suit, the waitstaff informal but some of the other helpers looked like they just got out of bed, maybe they worked late for a wedding reception. Most people were dressed casual, a few semi-casual. In a way the somewhat informal/ formal mix of the place made it easy not to get stressed about what you wore. Pros: The view: beautiful panoramic view of the lake, variety of dishes, pasta, braised potatoes, many different dishes, deserts, entertainment (Sinatra like crooner when I was there last year) You can get a feel for the facility if you are considering a reception there. Pleasant service and hospitality. They have a Tiki bar in the warmer months for outdoors. At a wake I was at here the pasta was excellent. Like a reviewer mentioned before you can take a walk out by the lake after a meal, this is a major plus for a date. A big benefit of the brunch is it gives you an idea of what you can expect from a reception or wake from Gino's but I have to mention the food quality was higher at the wake than it was at the brunch. Cons: Some things in state of disrepair like parking lot and ceiling. Frog legs not as good as they used to be. No Au Jus for Prime Rib. Smelt (meh) Someone mentioned to me they are looking to update the place. Check it out.

Chris T.

Two Words: Sunday Brunch. Belgian waffles, omlettes, sausage, bacon, crepes, hash browns, all made fresh right in front of you by a chef (he's even wearing a chef hat) and this is just the breakfast table. They have mussels, shrimp, and one of my favorites, frog legs. Yes, frog legs. They are delicious, fried, and fun to eat. DONT knock it till you try it! Pasta, veal, and tripe, just to name a few other items. It is buffet style so you get up and grab whatever you want. This is the place to go on Sunday. But get there early because it ends at 3. (I generally like to sleep in until about 1 or 2 on Sunday's so I miss this more than I make it) I dont care or know what the price is - they could charge 30 bucks for this and I would pay it - because it's worth it. Last time I went they had a guy singing Sinatra - he even passed me the mic and I finished "Luck Be a Lady". The nice old lady servers loved me after that :) It is probably best to go in the Spring/Summer time because after brunch (or in between plates) you can go for a little walk outside on the wrap around terrace/balcony that over looks lake St. Clair. This place is a gem. Take your mom there on Sunday. You will both be happy :)

Luna Kai is an outdoor patio and tiki bar located at Gino's Surf along the shore of Lake St. Clair. Every Friday and Saturday night is a luau at Luna Kai. A live band or DJ plays music for people of all ages on the dance floor. The mood is set by the beautiful view of boats on the water and a tiki bar decked out with colored lights. Partyers sport Hawaiian shirts, a look I normally would not endorse. However, a Hawaiian shirt seems to be the norm at Luna Kai-- on middle-age men at least. It's a bit cheesy with the fake palm trees, but everyone has such a good time they don't seem to care about the cheese factor.

Jennifer M.

This is my absolute FAVORITE brunch spot. It is sooo nice. They have a ton of food options. They have a whole seafood table, salad, breakfast, etc. It is $18.95 for one adult, but well worth it! My boyfriend usually eats 3 or 4 plates because he loves it so much!

Annemarie R.

Very bland food. We are required to go to this venue for a sports banquet year after year. Last year they ran out of food and did nothing to replenish the buffet. Dishes are not cleared in a timely manner. Poor food and poor service are standards at this place.

Rebel H.

Great view with lousy food, the Sunday brunch was less than edible for my daughter. I found it pretty good, I was pretty hungry. So with semi warm food and dirty silverware. Give it a 4 out of ten.

Michaela N.

Got the car washed and got all dressed up for Easter and my legs were covered in mud before I even got to the building. The parking lot is a big lawsuit waiting to happen. Worst Holiday service. Actually I should say lack of service. Our waitress came by once to ask if we wanted drinks (when we only had 2 people sitting at our table- the rest hadn't arrived yet) and came back an hour after we got there to give us the check. We paid $24 a person, for 20 people... And she only wanted us to sit there for an hour even though we reserved the table for 2 hours. We made sure to hang around until the 2 hour mark after we heard her make a comment (while she was only standing at the next table over) to the bus boy that we were taking too long. The plates and glasses were all dirty, the first plate my brother picked up still had someone's food stuck on the bottom and when he set his plate on the table cloth he realized that the whole bottom of the plate was purple. Been going to Gino's for Easter for 4 years and we will never be going there again. Also there used to be live music, now they have a small radio that you can hear static and a little bit of music playing. It's just sitting on the stage and you can only hear when you walk right next to it.

Joe R.

This was my first time back to Gino's Surf since I moved from the area 8 years ago. I have to tell you... I really miss this place. The food was great, the atmosphere was great, the wait staff was great, the rest rooms were clean and had hot water & soap. Where else can you go and have a premium brunch like they have at Gino's Surf? I HIGHLY RECCOMEND GINO'S SURF SUNDAY BRUNCH TO EVERYONE!

Meghan B.

Went as a guest to a wedding reception at Gino's. I was pleasantly surprised at how nice it was inside. Large open area with 2 bars, one was open bar & the other cash bar with the high end liquors. The Dj was on a stage in the corner & buffet set up on the dance floor. Large outside deck on the water was very nice, we took some group pictures & lit sparklers. The food was buffet style & surprisingly good. The fish & roast beef were really good, mashed potatoes were great, the salad-basic & the pasta/tomato sauce mixture was very poor (tasteless). The servers were young, friendly, kids who worked hard at clearing out empty plates & glasses efficiently. The older lady bartenders, not so enthusiastic. The outside of the building isn't appealing. It's also connected to a tiki bar- Luna Kai. We stopped over for a drink or two & a dance just to check it out. It was busy & fun. **Also the bathrooms at Gino's were clean. :)