The Boulevard Lounge has been serving Midland since 1959 and has received Readers Choice Awards for ‘Best Burger, Chili, and Bartender. Located at 316 S. Saginaw Rd. their menu suits genres ranging from popular American Bar & Grill fare to Breakfast and Seafood, with carry out and dining in options and a full-service bar.
Proprietor Scott Dexter was born and raised in Midland and has been involved with the establishment since 1969, which is when it moved to its current location. As a lifelong Midlander he feels one of the keys to the Boulevard’s longevity centers upon its ‘open-door’ policy. “This is everybody’s bar and establishment”, he reflects, “whether you were a white shirt or a blue collar, we cultivate a Family atmosphere with a definitely focus on Sports, although our food business is substantial.”
When asked what he feels truly distinguishes ‘the Bully’, Scott points to the generational flow of serving multiple generations of patrons. “A lot of the families that come here today were introduced to the Boulevard back when they were kids, so they feel comfortable.”
In terms of ‘signature’ items, Scott notes, “We’re best known for our burgers. We go through 200 pounds of ground chuck every other day, which is freshly padded. Back in the early ‘60s my Dad decided to focus on one particular food item to make us famous for something, and it was our burger that got branded, even though we have strong demand for all of our menu items.”
Back in 1995 Scott decided to bring out three different menus for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner, which since then he finds people tend to gravitate towards their seafood and steak offerings. “We have a big demand for fish, whether it’s perch, walleye, or cod, as well as our steaks. We prepare the fish in a very light dry batter to keep cholesterol counts down,” and consistently receive compliments about the quality.”
Clam dinners, seafood, shrimp, perch, Steak & Shrimp, and Seafood Platters are available, all ranging in price from $8.24 to $12.24 for the seafood platter. Plus you can get an excellent 12 oz. Prime Rib for only $11.20.
As a Sports themed establishment, Scott doesn’t believe in showing favorites. “We try to make it fair for everyone and show an equal amount of golf, basketball, and football, to keep it balanced,” he notes.
“We see a lot of new and old faces, but I would estimate about 85 percent of our customer base keeps coming back,” concludes Scott. “I don’t believe in tampering with success, so we’ll keep running the same program as we always have. This is a very competitive economy and it can be challenging when you have hamburger alley up and down the road.”
With a seating capacity of 208, parties can reserve tables for special occasions for anywhere from 18 to 25 people.
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Nov 18, 2010
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