Information on Traverse City, Michigan and the surrounding Northwest Michigan area

05/15/2006

Let's do lunch

East meets West at Arizona Steakhouse

by doug davenport
For more restaurant profiles, see our Let's Do Lunch page

Arizona Steakhouse, a new restaurant in 2006 located in Williamsburg, boasts a 30 ft. long, 1,200 gallon fish tank, filled with beautiful tropicals.

Address: 9009 East M-72, Williamsburg (GET MAP)

Cuisine: Lunch and dinner menus with early bird specials from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. A unique blend of traditional steakhouse favorites and Middle Eastern specialties. Top sirloin, Angus beef burgers, barbecue ribs and chicken meet Shish Kabob, Fattoush salad, and Chicken Kafta. Dinner selections also include seafood specials such as Apache Springs Perch, Grand Canyon Salmon, Lobster, Shrimp and Crab Legs.

Prices: Moderate; the early bird menu ranges $6-7 to $12-14.

The dining area is separated from the bar by a 30 ft. long, 1,200 gallon fish tank, filled with beautiful tropicals. Televisions are mounted in corners of the room and in the bar area. Decor is light colored, natural woods with a decidedly Southwest look. A natural stone fireplace adds warmth to the dining room. Our waitress kindly turned off an overhead fan that was too cooling. Seating is comfortable with good spacing between tables. The tableware is very tasteful.

The proprietors, originally from the Middle East, are long time northern Michigan residents. The Steakhouse opened in February 2006, and they anticipate capacity crowds as the summer draws near.

My Selection: Wanting to sample the Middle Eastern food, we opted for the Shish Kabob (Beef Tika) sandwich from the lunch menu (beef kabobs served on pita bread with lettuce, tomato, onion and cauliflower), and the Beef Shish Kabob dinner plate, which is served on rice, curried pickled cabbage and pita bread. We also ordered hot tea, which was served in separate teapots and complemented the meal nicely.