16 restaurants we desperately miss in Livingston County
LIVINGSTON COUNTY — For the holidays this year, we decided to take a look back. With all the talk about new chains and must-haves, we decided to ask Livingston County residents what old-school restaurants they miss the most.
Here's what they said:
Lil Porky's
Lil Porky's at 1016 E. Sibley St. in Howell was well-known for its pizza buffet. The restaurant closed in 2002 after a slowdown in business led to financial problems and eventual eviction.
Porky's reopened in a gas station in Genoa Township, but the smaller location, called Porky's Hogg Trough, didn't feature the buffet of old. That, too, didn't last. The same gas station later became home to Mikey's Burgers and Fries.
In 2006, Sarah Kurkowski, wife of original owner Johnny, announced Lil Porky's Revenge in partnership with Derrick McCall in Brighton. The restaurant was placed in the former Maria's Deli at 101 Brookside Lane. Brookside Mall is home to Lil' Chef now, but the restaurant is unrelated.
Mr. B's
Mr. B's opened to diners in Howell in 1997, described to the community as a casual place for burgers, ribs, pizza, fish and Mexican dishes. The restaurant filled the former D&C Store at 101 W. Grand River Ave.
The restaurant wasn't unique. It was owned by Mr. B's Restaurant Group, which had 13 restaurants, mostly in Oakland County, as Mr. B's was being prepped in Howell. Another six to seven restaurants were planned that year, adding to Mr. B's locations in Royal Oak, Bloomfield, Clarkston, Novi, Rochester, Southfield and Troy.
The Howell restaurant was sold to Adam Merkel, owner of Diamonds Steak and Seafood, in 2015. Merkel later moved Diamonds into the Mr. B's space and closed the restaurant for good.
Big Boy
Livingston County said goodbye to its last Big Boy in the spring. The Hartland location at 10587 Highland Road shuttered as owners Nick and Jean Shaieb announced their retirement. It had been 41 years.
A location in Brighton at 8510 W. Grand River Ave. — built in 1976 and opened in 1977 — will soon be demolished. That location was owned by franchisees before a 2015 eviction. It was taken over by then-company owner Big Boy Restaurants International and remodeled.
In 2021, Warren-based firm Big Boy Restaurant Group again remodeled to make the space more contemporary and reopened with a new look and menu items. But the business closed in early 2023 with little fanfare.
Howell and Fowlerville were also home to Big Boy locations, but the Fowlerville location shuttered in 2008 and the Howell restaurant at 2222 E. Grand River Ave. de-franchised in 2016.
Yum Yum Tree
Known for its turtle sundaes, old-fashioned malts and sodas, cheesesteak hoagies and ground-round burgers, the Yum Yum Tree at 140 W. Main St. was a Brighton staple until its closure in 2018.
The restaurant opened on Grand River Avenue in 1982 in a former candy store called the Co-Co Tree. The candy shop had a large wooden sign bearing its name, which owners Bert and Sharon Kisak decided to keep for their new business.
And so, partially out of convenience and partially in honor of the 1963 Jack Lemmon movie "Under the Yum Yum Tree" and the song of the same name, the Yum Yum Tree was born.
At first, it sold ice cream and candy and held a video arcade. The candy went first, then the arcade fell by the wayside. When the building sold, Sharon and Bert decided to relocate to the corner of Main Street and West Street.
That building was the site of Brighton's first bank, and the location of a popular ice cream parlor in the 1920s. The trademark train traveling overhead was a last-minute addition to a wooden village lining the walls.
Allison Austin and Eric Wall purchased the restaurant from Bert Kisak in 2012. It closed in 2018.
The Nugget
The Nugget was much beloved in two locations, 1024 E. Grand River Ave. in Brighton and 1202 E. Grand River Ave. in Howell.
The location in Brighton was owned by Denise Malicke from 1796 to 1996 alongside her husband, Jake. Her brother, David, owned the Howell location, which later became home to Mr. D's and, now, Firewood Grill.
Both restaurants, known for down-home cooking and excellent service, suffered fires in their heyday. The restaurant in Howell burned in 1987 when the heating system caught fire, but reopened by 1989 and remained open for several years before converting to Mr. D's, which saw its own challenges with fire.
The restaurant in Brighton burned down in the 1990s, thanks to grease in the ductwork. Condiments were among the only items to escape damage. This reporter couldn't find evidence that location ever reopened.
Anthony's
Anthony's Restaurant opened in April 1963 at 900 E. Grand River Ave. The business' name was inspired by owner Victor Spaniola's father, and operated by himself and his wife, Kathleen.
The business began as a walk-up fast food and soft ice cream spot. In 1968, an enclosed front was added. In 1974, a total remodel with sit-down service was completed. Another remodel in 1993 redesigned the space as an upscale fast food restaurant to "capture a more relaxed and pleasant atmosphere."
The restaurant was known for burgers, subs, chicken, fish dinners, hot dogs, soups, sandwiches, salads and ice cream served the old fashioned way, in glass dishes.
In 2004, Steve Brown's Used Cars announced it would expand its business by purchasing and demolishing Anthony's.
The Original Sandwich Shop (AKA The Midget)
The Original Sandwich Shop, better known as The Midget, closed in March 1987 after almost 50 years in business.
The restaurant was adjacent to the Howell Theatre at 319 Grand River Ave. Then-owner Joan Whitney purchased the business from the original owner of the restaurant, Lawrence Dunham. It was best known for burgers, chili and sandwiches.
Dunham gave the restaurant the name "The Midget" because of its size but later renamed it "The Original Sandwich Shop." That name never stuck.
Hartland Pizza
Hartland Pizza, Pasta and Pub — for months the only business left in Hartland Plaza — closed its doors in 2009 with intentions to reopen after building owners demolished and rebuilt the strip mall, which was largely abandoned after Farmer Jack moved out.
The restaurant opened in the early 1980s as a take-out pizzeria. It acquired a tavern license and began serving sit-down dinners in 1983. Larry and Scott Ciofu purchased the restaurant in the 1990s from the previous owners, and continued to serve chicken strips, breadsticks and pizza to regulars.
By 2010, it was clear the restaurant wouldn't reopen after all, due to economic complications.
Old Howell House
Where State Farm Insurance sits on Grand River Avenue, there was once a grocery store, there since the building went up in 1865. It became a restaurant, Old Howell House, after it was purchased by Norm and Barb Pettibone, who sold in 1976 to Dorothy and Wayne Blanchard.
The restaurant sold penny candy, stationary and collectibles, in addition to good food at 107 E. Grand River Ave.
The building became Studio 106, a hair salon, in the late 1980s, then California Beauty Health and Fitness. An auction for all equipment and antique inventory was held in 1987.
Frank's Country Oven
Located at 2835 Old US-23 in Hartland, Frank's Country Oven and Pizzeria was operated by Frank and Elaine Passalacqua. Elaine was a talented cake decorator.
The address is now home to Kenny's Korner, a used car dealer.
Fat Dale's
Dale Millar hit success when he opened Fat Dale's Coney Island in Howell. He broke into the food business by operating his own hot dog cart downtown, then spun his wares into a brick-and-mortar storefront in December 1988 at 208 W. Grand River Ave.
When it was Fat Dale's, the basic coney sold for $1.45, including chili, onions and mustard. For just $1, customers could get the "dog gone," a bun filled with chili, mustard and onions, but no dog.
Other offerings included sandwiches, seafood, salads and homemade bean soup. The restaurant was open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The restaurant cut back hours about nine years later, eliminating dinner service. Fat Dale's became Jack's Coney Island in 1997, after it was sold to John "Jack" Richards, a Brighton resident and former Fat Dale's employee.
It became Midtown Café in 1998, when it was purchased by Dianne Bors, another former employee. By 2001, the restaurant was completely closed and the space vacant.
Two years later, Olga and Lazar Korunovski reopened Olga's Diner and Coney Island there, after previously operating near Walmart and later at 2584 E. Grand River Ave. (today home to Allen K Ryan's) from 1995 to 1999.
Olga's offered a full breakfast menu, soups, hot dogs and sliders. Olga herself was saved in the restaurant in 2007, when she was found blue and unresponsive by Capt. Mike Randall of the Howell Fire Department and Officer Gary Mitts of the Howell Police Department. The duo performed CPR on the 69-year-old woman, who opened her eyes and started breathing on her own.
The restaurant finally became Mark's Midtown Coney in 2009, after several months of renovations by owner Luigi Pecaj, also owner of the building. The restaurant was named after Pecaj's six-year-old son and remains open today, though it took a five-year hiatus when a fire closed the business and COVID-19 delayed reopening.
Mary's Fabulous Chicken and Fish
Mary's Fabulous Chicken and Fish opened in 1981 and was a quick favorite in Howell at 2429 E. Grand River Ave. Eric Wolf, owner and manager, was known as the "chicken guru."
Wolf worked at other fried chicken restaurants before deciding he could do it better, opening the restaurant and naming it after his great-grandmother. The menu expanded to include walleye, cod, grilled chicken and macaroni and cheese, among other items.
The restaurant closed for about a year before reopening under the ownership of Dennis Hellweg in 2016.
Alas, the restaurant was auctioned off in August 2023, after quietly closing its doors several months earlier.
Silverman's
"The three longest books I've ever read: 'War and Peace,' 'Moby Dick' and the menu at Silverman's Deli and Restaurant." — Buddy Moorehouse, 1986.
Silverman's opened not long before that column came out, and offered more than 400 menu items to customers at 1101 E. Grand River Ave. — the former Potpourri Restaurant.
The eatery was part of a nine-restaurant chain in Michigan founded by Bob Silverman in Westland. The restaurant in Howell was owned by Sherry and Jerry Vassel, in addition to Silverman.
The eatery was known for all-you-can-eat specials from liver and onions to fish and chips to beef tips and noodles. Upon opening, the restaurant was also in-service 24 hours a day.
By 1996, the restaurant was owned by Brad Hayosh. By 1998, it was gone, replaced by Grecian Towers, which featured many of the same items as Silverman's, minus the movie star-themed names.
The restaurant became Brunner's, owned by Angelo and Jeannine Karagiorgos, after extensive renovations in 2002, named by taking letters from breakfast, lunch and dinner. It closed in 2006, then returned after Holiday Grill opened and closed in the spot in 2010.
Brunner's later moved into the de-franchised Big Boy (which became Mourad's Grill) after the business was sold to Cathy and Don Russell, who renamed it Brunner's on the River in 2018.
That business became Copper River in 2020 at 2222 E. Grand River Ave. — a more contemporary dining option. That restaurant closed not long after, but manager and chef duo Joe Matley and Chris Landells opened Griffs Grill, a food truck that now has a permanent home at 1009 E. Grand River Ave.
That's only a few buildings away from the original Silverman's, which most recently held Amazing Poolz.
Bennigan's
When Bennigan's filed for bankruptcy in 2008, locals worried that'd be the end of the Holland location. But all Michigan restaurants remained open despite the news.
The 6,600-square-foot restaurant opened at 3950 E. Grand River Ave. in March 2004. The casual restaurant brand was known for Irish-American hospitality, an extensive menu of American food, and its tavern.
But it closed and was demolished in 2015, not long before the old Prairie House restaurant nearby was demolished to make way for Red Olive. The site is now home to Panera Bread.
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Prairie House, as a bonus aside, was known for top-of-the-line hot roast beef sandwiches, homemade mashed potatoes and fruit pies. That restaurant was operated by Candice Turpin, Susan Darke, Judy LaForge and Joyce Wetzel, all sisters who lovingly duplicated their mother's recipes.
Coney Joe's
Joseph Axtin, the original Coney Joe, opened this hot dog joint on the northwest corner of W. Grand River Ave. and Main Street in 1972.
Kimberly Axtin-Bredow later purchased the restaurant from her father's estate after he died in 1994. She ran the business for 22 years before listing the building and the business for $485,000 in 2016. It officially closed on May 10, 2019, the anniversary of the day her father opened it.
Grille in the Ville
Grille in the Ville was known for scratch-made food, with burgers, seafood, soups and sauces. Owners Steve Kresse and Bill McConnell had plenty of local restaurant experience. Kresse opened Diamonds in Howell in 1983 before selling in 2010, and McConnell worked at The Brighton House for 33 years.
The eatery opened in 2012 and lasted until 2020, shortly after the pandemic shuttered indoor dining. The building at 115 E. Grand River Ave. is now home to Good Deeds Coffee Bar.
— This article was written with help from hundreds of hungry locals and The Livingston Daily archives. Cassandra Lybrink is the local editor of The Livingston Daily. Contact her at clybrink@livingstondaily.com. Follow her on Twitter @CassLybrink.
This article originally appeared on Livingston Daily: 16 restaurants we desperately miss in Livingston County
