HOW have I never reviewed Big Boy! Maybe because it's been a family staple for so long that I don't even actively think about it. We don't have the Boy in Chicago, so it's understood when I come to visit family in the Detroit area we will go at least a couple times! Despite the occasional addition and adaptation, Big Boy still has all my favorites: fish and chips, the Brawny Lad, an array of breakfast options, and of course during strawberry season a lovely selection of desserts (I love the pie!!) It's sad that the number of locations in the area is shrinking. My grandfather used to practically live at the one in Farmington, which has been gone for at least a decade (of course, so has he). :( But for good, consistent, enjoyable food from an iconic restaurant, I will make this my meal stop every time when in MI!
(5)
John P.
Just had dinner at this Big Boy where we have previous had meals before. In the past they have been ok since we only had the Big Boy or Slim Jim. Today I had the soup and salad bar which was below average. The broccoli soup was ok but the cabbage soup which is normally one of my favorites was terrible. It was burnt with black bits through out and very stale with no flavor, normally it a little spicy but not today. I told the waitress twice but the soup stayed on the service tray because she said I was the only one today that had it. I believe it because it tasted old from yesterday or before. The salad bar lacked a lot it did not have the added sides like potato salad or macaroni salad like the many other Big Boy restaurants. My wife had the fried chicken breast that was over cooked on the outside and was not very good when served. I would not recommend this place unless you just want a sandwich.
(2)
Kaiti M.
They used to be good, but the service was awful and the cooks screwed up the most simple things. My grandma ordered a scrammy hammy and it came WITHOUT HAM. I ordered fries well done and they came soggy and limp. They took forever bringing out food out just for it to be lukewarm and WRONG. when we brought it up, they gave us $2 off for the ham. I told them that was not enough, so they gave us $2 more off. Absolutely ridiculous. I will never go back there again.
(1)
Danielle H.
Place is cozy and clean, and give you a glimpse of that past. The building was built in the 50's after all! The waitstaff are all super friendly and the food is delicious. If you want a place to drink coffee, have a nice dinner and read a book/study, it's a great place to come!
(5)
David W.
The worst Big Boy around. Portion sizes are much smaller than those stores which are run properly. The owner takes liberty with ingredients, portion size and quality.
(1)
Melanee R.
Pros: Free (fast) wifi, traditional menu, friendly & attentive staff, quick service, good value. Cons: None that I can really think of. I come here once a month for breakfast and I haven't ever had an issue. This isn't a five star dining extravaganza; it's Big Boy. And I like it for what it is.
(5)
Gary A.
So the restaurant is a great supporter of local community events. From high school booster clubs, local sports teams, theater production companies and many other local groups needing a fund raiser, this restaurant supports their efforts. They are a good local supporter and community leader. They have good pies, ice cream and decent coffee. If I see they are having a fund raiser for something I support, I will stop in and have a piece of pie. And depending on your waiter, the better ones are usually working during the dinner hours, you get good services. There are other issues, but pie and coffee are good.
(2)
Jennifer C.
Great place for families. Excellent service, good salad bar, and definitely kid friendly.
(5)
Theresa L.
While our food was OK, not the best.... old soup and the waitress was very good ......this place was/is DISGUSTING!! It smells old and mildew and dirty. when you walk in the door!! The place was empty , but because we had 5 people, they shoved us in the back overflow room which was DISGUSTING DIRTY!! The tables looked like they hadn't been cleaned all day from breakfast. (it was 6PM) the carpet in that room is smelly,dirty,sticky and just down right GROSS. The floors in the whole place were dirty and sticky!! Clearly no one cares about the appearance of this place. The outside was just as gross as the inside. Really time to redecorate and clean this place up. Not sure how it is still open. Doesn't take much to pull some weeds and empty the trash out side. Pretty sad how whomever is responsible has let this place go as bad as they have!!!! And to add to it..while we were eating we had to listen to one of the workers sitting at a table in that back room near us that was complaining about how sick she was, how she felt like she was going to throw up. So nice to hear while you are eating. The manager ...maybe? keep telling her to go outside for fresh air. Haven't been in here for years...now I remember why and WILL NEVER go again!!
(1)
Mark Z.
This has got to be the dirtiest big-boy I've ever seen. There were dirty tables all around me, food on the floor it looked liked hadn't been swept all day. The place is dusty. The waitress had her hair tied in a ponytail to the let side of her head a little up and was wearing a blue tshirt that was worn out and to big. Have a little respect for your customers and look reasonable. I ordered the steak and shrimp and asked for it medium, obviously the cooks here are a bunch of idiots. Medium is suppose to be a warm pink center, this steak was clearly xtra well done. So much for me to think I can get a decent steak at big boy.
(1)
Lynn H.
OMG! I am not a fan of Big Boy restaurants, so when I say this is the WORST, I mean it is literally unredeemable. The service sucks (as in no coffee refills until asked multiple times - on more than one occasion), the place is dirty, and the food is terrible. Because of a family gathering, I end up going here once a year, and it gets worse every year. Take my advice and avoid this place. Dining out doesn't get any worse than this.
(1)
Devin M.
Awesome waitstaff and amazing food!! Just recently did lots of updates to the place and menu! Had a great time and left with my belly happy and full.
(5)
Ashley H.
I've never really gone to Big Boy so I don't know if my review holds true for all of the chain, but eating at WL Big Boy last week was GROSS. The service was good, but the food was terrible. Maybe I'm asking too much from Big Boy, but I thought the salad bar would at least be edible. It was not. Everything looked and tasted expired. Do yourself a favor and go down the street to Leo's.
(1)
Jerry H.
For me, visiting the Big Boy after nearly forty years doing so, has become like "Cheers" where everyone knows your name. The food is consistent, but not fantastic. The waitresses are superb and the atmosphere is comfortable. I can only comment on morning visits as I am a Big Boy breakfast person.
(3)
Denise R.
Has the typical Big Boy food...which is middle of the road fare. Better than a burger joint, not as nice as a steak house. We enjoy it when we eat there. The atmosphere is classic Big Boy...if you expect a bistro environment you are in the wrong place. Waitstaff is always pleasant, too. And we LOVE how they are always helping out someone in the community with a fundraiser night. They always support community events, too. Talk about a contributing member of the community!
(4)
Luke R.
Had errands to run this AM in/around Walled Lake. One store I needed to visit wasn't open till 9am and I also needed to mail a package and the P.O. didn't open till 9am. So with 2hrs to kill, for some weird reason I pulled into the Big Boy parking lot. I Have NEVER been to this location before that I can recall. Although other Big Boy/Elias Bros as a kid I remember a breakfast buffet with my Dad on Friday mornings. My 1st impression walking in was - a crowd of senior citizens were in one corner and maybe a half dozen other customers scattered around. they had Free newspaper or at least I assumed it was free... The Detroit News... a republican rag, but something to look at. the waitress sat me down at a booth and I had a hankering for an Orange Juice. my 2nd mistake I suppose as I think in hindsight. I ordered the breakfast buffet and a water as well. the juice came and I was a bit miffed when the gal had automatically given me a large. The buffet included a hot and cold bar. hot bar had usual stuff - pancakes, biscuits, waffles, 2 types of potato - hard/crunchy and rubbery, overcooked bacon, undercooked sausage links, and eggs that did not quite look or taste like eggs. the cold bar had salad and fruit. I attempted to eat some of the eggs, bacon, and potatoes. then attempted to snag some fruit - cantaloupe, honeydew melon and pineapple. my initial reaction was spot on - eggs that do not quite look or taste like eggs, I can assume they are from powdered mix with God only knows what in them. the bacon was not only overcooked but some pieces had a funky char flavor. the potatoes were rubbery. the honeydew melon had a slightly off smell and tasted like flowers... a sure sign of it being past its time. the cantaloupe was even worse - it smelled sour! i couldn't force myself to eat it. the pineapple was palatable at most and had little or no flavor. I told the waitress about the cantaloupe. and I must give her credit as she went to the back and told the kitchen crew. a mexican looking dude came out picked the cantaloupe out with the honeydew melon and put his nose to the bin and inhaled deeply. then he shook his head and it appeared he threw it in the garbage. I was not far from the view of the kitchen. However less than 10mins later the guy came with another bin of chopped melon/cantaloupe... I have no idea if it was from the same batch or not. I was not going to chance it. The place seemed to fill up with more old white folks. and I soon felt that aside from the Young gals pretending to be waitresses that I was one of the youngest people in the restaurant. When the bill came my suspicions were correct... they gave me a large OJ and charged me $2.09 for it. wtf... Next time if I ever come here I better either ASK specifically for a Small or forgo it completely... Its a real sham what they do to people... If I wanted OJ that bad I could of bought a 1/2 gallon of it for $2 at the local grocery store. 2 stars for the substandard food, the outdated blah atmosphere, and the shoddy business practices.
(2)
Georgiana O.
I have been coming here for so long, I seem to like everyone that works there...Friendly..clean...good service...Modays a must!!! Candian Cheese Soup...primo!!...lol...Slim Jim Addict. Stop in coffee was great...Big Boy Rocks!!
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : No Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Paid Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Shannon M.
HOW have I never reviewed Big Boy! Maybe because it's been a family staple for so long that I don't even actively think about it. We don't have the Boy in Chicago, so it's understood when I come to visit family in the Detroit area we will go at least a couple times! Despite the occasional addition and adaptation, Big Boy still has all my favorites: fish and chips, the Brawny Lad, an array of breakfast options, and of course during strawberry season a lovely selection of desserts (I love the pie!!) It's sad that the number of locations in the area is shrinking. My grandfather used to practically live at the one in Farmington, which has been gone for at least a decade (of course, so has he). :( But for good, consistent, enjoyable food from an iconic restaurant, I will make this my meal stop every time when in MI!
(5)John P.
Just had dinner at this Big Boy where we have previous had meals before. In the past they have been ok since we only had the Big Boy or Slim Jim. Today I had the soup and salad bar which was below average. The broccoli soup was ok but the cabbage soup which is normally one of my favorites was terrible. It was burnt with black bits through out and very stale with no flavor, normally it a little spicy but not today. I told the waitress twice but the soup stayed on the service tray because she said I was the only one today that had it. I believe it because it tasted old from yesterday or before. The salad bar lacked a lot it did not have the added sides like potato salad or macaroni salad like the many other Big Boy restaurants. My wife had the fried chicken breast that was over cooked on the outside and was not very good when served. I would not recommend this place unless you just want a sandwich.
(2)Kaiti M.
They used to be good, but the service was awful and the cooks screwed up the most simple things. My grandma ordered a scrammy hammy and it came WITHOUT HAM. I ordered fries well done and they came soggy and limp. They took forever bringing out food out just for it to be lukewarm and WRONG. when we brought it up, they gave us $2 off for the ham. I told them that was not enough, so they gave us $2 more off. Absolutely ridiculous. I will never go back there again.
(1)Danielle H.
Place is cozy and clean, and give you a glimpse of that past. The building was built in the 50's after all! The waitstaff are all super friendly and the food is delicious. If you want a place to drink coffee, have a nice dinner and read a book/study, it's a great place to come!
(5)David W.
The worst Big Boy around. Portion sizes are much smaller than those stores which are run properly. The owner takes liberty with ingredients, portion size and quality.
(1)Melanee R.
Pros: Free (fast) wifi, traditional menu, friendly & attentive staff, quick service, good value. Cons: None that I can really think of. I come here once a month for breakfast and I haven't ever had an issue. This isn't a five star dining extravaganza; it's Big Boy. And I like it for what it is.
(5)Gary A.
So the restaurant is a great supporter of local community events. From high school booster clubs, local sports teams, theater production companies and many other local groups needing a fund raiser, this restaurant supports their efforts. They are a good local supporter and community leader. They have good pies, ice cream and decent coffee. If I see they are having a fund raiser for something I support, I will stop in and have a piece of pie. And depending on your waiter, the better ones are usually working during the dinner hours, you get good services. There are other issues, but pie and coffee are good.
(2)Jennifer C.
Great place for families. Excellent service, good salad bar, and definitely kid friendly.
(5)Theresa L.
While our food was OK, not the best.... old soup and the waitress was very good ......this place was/is DISGUSTING!! It smells old and mildew and dirty. when you walk in the door!! The place was empty , but because we had 5 people, they shoved us in the back overflow room which was DISGUSTING DIRTY!! The tables looked like they hadn't been cleaned all day from breakfast. (it was 6PM) the carpet in that room is smelly,dirty,sticky and just down right GROSS. The floors in the whole place were dirty and sticky!! Clearly no one cares about the appearance of this place. The outside was just as gross as the inside. Really time to redecorate and clean this place up. Not sure how it is still open. Doesn't take much to pull some weeds and empty the trash out side. Pretty sad how whomever is responsible has let this place go as bad as they have!!!! And to add to it..while we were eating we had to listen to one of the workers sitting at a table in that back room near us that was complaining about how sick she was, how she felt like she was going to throw up. So nice to hear while you are eating. The manager ...maybe? keep telling her to go outside for fresh air. Haven't been in here for years...now I remember why and WILL NEVER go again!!
(1)Mark Z.
This has got to be the dirtiest big-boy I've ever seen. There were dirty tables all around me, food on the floor it looked liked hadn't been swept all day. The place is dusty. The waitress had her hair tied in a ponytail to the let side of her head a little up and was wearing a blue tshirt that was worn out and to big. Have a little respect for your customers and look reasonable. I ordered the steak and shrimp and asked for it medium, obviously the cooks here are a bunch of idiots. Medium is suppose to be a warm pink center, this steak was clearly xtra well done. So much for me to think I can get a decent steak at big boy.
(1)Lynn H.
OMG! I am not a fan of Big Boy restaurants, so when I say this is the WORST, I mean it is literally unredeemable. The service sucks (as in no coffee refills until asked multiple times - on more than one occasion), the place is dirty, and the food is terrible. Because of a family gathering, I end up going here once a year, and it gets worse every year. Take my advice and avoid this place. Dining out doesn't get any worse than this.
(1)Devin M.
Awesome waitstaff and amazing food!! Just recently did lots of updates to the place and menu! Had a great time and left with my belly happy and full.
(5)Ashley H.
I've never really gone to Big Boy so I don't know if my review holds true for all of the chain, but eating at WL Big Boy last week was GROSS. The service was good, but the food was terrible. Maybe I'm asking too much from Big Boy, but I thought the salad bar would at least be edible. It was not. Everything looked and tasted expired. Do yourself a favor and go down the street to Leo's.
(1)Jerry H.
For me, visiting the Big Boy after nearly forty years doing so, has become like "Cheers" where everyone knows your name. The food is consistent, but not fantastic. The waitresses are superb and the atmosphere is comfortable. I can only comment on morning visits as I am a Big Boy breakfast person.
(3)Denise R.
Has the typical Big Boy food...which is middle of the road fare. Better than a burger joint, not as nice as a steak house. We enjoy it when we eat there. The atmosphere is classic Big Boy...if you expect a bistro environment you are in the wrong place. Waitstaff is always pleasant, too. And we LOVE how they are always helping out someone in the community with a fundraiser night. They always support community events, too. Talk about a contributing member of the community!
(4)Luke R.
Had errands to run this AM in/around Walled Lake. One store I needed to visit wasn't open till 9am and I also needed to mail a package and the P.O. didn't open till 9am. So with 2hrs to kill, for some weird reason I pulled into the Big Boy parking lot. I Have NEVER been to this location before that I can recall. Although other Big Boy/Elias Bros as a kid I remember a breakfast buffet with my Dad on Friday mornings. My 1st impression walking in was - a crowd of senior citizens were in one corner and maybe a half dozen other customers scattered around. they had Free newspaper or at least I assumed it was free... The Detroit News... a republican rag, but something to look at. the waitress sat me down at a booth and I had a hankering for an Orange Juice. my 2nd mistake I suppose as I think in hindsight. I ordered the breakfast buffet and a water as well. the juice came and I was a bit miffed when the gal had automatically given me a large. The buffet included a hot and cold bar. hot bar had usual stuff - pancakes, biscuits, waffles, 2 types of potato - hard/crunchy and rubbery, overcooked bacon, undercooked sausage links, and eggs that did not quite look or taste like eggs. the cold bar had salad and fruit. I attempted to eat some of the eggs, bacon, and potatoes. then attempted to snag some fruit - cantaloupe, honeydew melon and pineapple. my initial reaction was spot on - eggs that do not quite look or taste like eggs, I can assume they are from powdered mix with God only knows what in them. the bacon was not only overcooked but some pieces had a funky char flavor. the potatoes were rubbery. the honeydew melon had a slightly off smell and tasted like flowers... a sure sign of it being past its time. the cantaloupe was even worse - it smelled sour! i couldn't force myself to eat it. the pineapple was palatable at most and had little or no flavor. I told the waitress about the cantaloupe. and I must give her credit as she went to the back and told the kitchen crew. a mexican looking dude came out picked the cantaloupe out with the honeydew melon and put his nose to the bin and inhaled deeply. then he shook his head and it appeared he threw it in the garbage. I was not far from the view of the kitchen. However less than 10mins later the guy came with another bin of chopped melon/cantaloupe... I have no idea if it was from the same batch or not. I was not going to chance it. The place seemed to fill up with more old white folks. and I soon felt that aside from the Young gals pretending to be waitresses that I was one of the youngest people in the restaurant. When the bill came my suspicions were correct... they gave me a large OJ and charged me $2.09 for it. wtf... Next time if I ever come here I better either ASK specifically for a Small or forgo it completely... Its a real sham what they do to people... If I wanted OJ that bad I could of bought a 1/2 gallon of it for $2 at the local grocery store. 2 stars for the substandard food, the outdated blah atmosphere, and the shoddy business practices.
(2)Georgiana O.
I have been coming here for so long, I seem to like everyone that works there...Friendly..clean...good service...Modays a must!!! Candian Cheese Soup...primo!!...lol...Slim Jim Addict. Stop in coffee was great...Big Boy Rocks!!
(4)