Steak and Ale Restaurants: Are Any Still in Michigan?

Here's a restaurant we used to have in Michigan that nobody has seemed to mention in a while: Steak and Ale.

Boy, the commercials for Steak & Ale made the atmosphere look like a swingin' single place. Male and female flirting, couples coming to dine after a sweaty afternoon, medieval waitress uniforms, dark lighting.....all topped off with flagons of ale, and hearty, juicy, thick steaks.

And now there are no more left in Michigan.....are there?

Steak & Ale was founded as an “upscale experience with lower prices” in 1966 by Norman Brinker in Dallas, Texas.

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As the years went by different acquisitions took place, moving the Steak & Ales from hand-to-hand. There were 113 locations by 1976 when it was purchased by Pillsbury, who also owned the now mostly-defunct Bennigan's. By the 1980s, there were 280 locations.

After being purchased by Metromedia in 1988, they merged with Ponderosa and Bonanza steak houses, which added to their competition as a steak restaurant. Bankruptcy closed all the Steak & Ales in 2008 along with the Bennigan's eateries.

A comeback was initiated in 2015 which with brighter lighting so customers could actually see what they were eating. It hasn't happened yet. I dined at Steak & Ale numerous times and enjoyed it and wouldn't mind seeing it come back.

So, to answer anyone's query, no, there are no more Steak & Ale restaurants left in Michigan. The last two Michigan Steak & Ales to close were in Farmington Hills and Plymouth.