C & J’s Family Restaurant is a comfortable, informal eatery nestled in the heart of Howard City, Michigan, located within the Glass America complex. Known for its warm, inviting, country “mom and pop” joint atmosphere, this hidden gem marries a friendly diner experience with unexpectedly beautiful food presentation and gourmet-quality meals. Whether you are a local regular or a traveler passing through town off Old 131, C & J’s is highly celebrated for its extensive, flavorful menu that spans everything from robust breakfasts to specialty dinner options like their famous table-top grill.
Essential Information
| Detail | Information |
| Address | 603 Ensley St, Howard City, MI 49329, United States |
| Phone | +1 231-648-6372 |
| Website/Socials | Facebook Official Page |
| Maps Link | Google Maps Listing |
Operating Hours
| Day | Active Hours |
| Monday | 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Tuesday | 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Wednesday | 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Thursday | 7:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Friday | 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM |
| Saturday | 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM |
| Sunday | 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM |
Service, Accessibility, and Amenities
| Feature Category | Offerings & Policies |
| Service Options | Dine-in, Takeout, Delivery, Catering, All-you-can-eat options |
| Accessibility | Wheelchair accessible entrance, parking lot, restroom, and seating |
| Atmosphere & Seating | Casual, cozy, quiet, family-friendly, group-friendly, indoor dining area, booth seating, counter seating, outdoor patio/terrace |
| Amenities | Onsite bar, restrooms, free Wi-Fi, high chairs, kids’ menu |
| Parking | Free parking lot, free street parking, usually plenty of parking |
| Accepted Payments | Credit cards, debit cards, NFC mobile payments |
Why Visit? Key Highlights
- Gourmet Quality Comfort Food: Guests are consistently blown away by the home-cooked quality, with highlights such as the interactive table-top grill experience that keeps an assortment of ribs, steaks, chicken, and seafood hot right at your table.
- Generous Portions & Great Value: The serving sizes are notoriously large without compromising on taste, making it an excellent value for families and big groups.
- Standout Side Dishes: The restaurant boasts some of the best hand-dipped, light, and crispy onion rings in the area, along with phenomenal homemade haystack onions and crispy french fries.
- Breakfast Anytime: Visitors love the flexibility of ordering breakfast choices during regular lunch hours.
- Delectable Homemade Desserts: Their bakery lineup features highly praised options, including an incredible homemade peanut butter pie, coconut cream pie, and warm bread pudding served with ice cream and caramel sauce.
- Friendly Community Vibe: The management and staff are known for providing attentive hospitality, often greeting regulars by name and going the extra mile to ensure a pleasant dining experience.
Menu and Product Catalog
Appetizers
| Item Name | Description |
| Sampler Platter | Two potato skins, two mozzarella sticks, two hand battered chicken tenders, with battered onion rings |
| Wings | Bone-in wings or boneless, with your choice of sauce |
| Mozzarella Sticks | Served with marinara |
| Hand Battered Mushrooms | Crispy, golden-fried whole mushrooms |
| Hand Battered Onion Rings | Available in full or half portions |
| Jalapeno Poppers | Breaded jalapenos stuffed with cheese |
| Loaded Tots | Bacon, cheese, chives and ranch |
| Chips & Salsa | Served with homemade salsa (option to add queso available) |
| Deep Fried Pickle Wraps | A customer favorite served with homemade ranch |
| Stuffed Potato Skins | Filled with cheese and bits of bacon, topped with sour cream and chives |
| French Fries | Golden and crispy (options to add cheese, chili, or bacon available) |
| Sweet Potato Fries | Crispy sweet potato wedges |
| Pretzel Bites | Served with beer cheese or white queso |
| Cheesy Bread Sticks | Thick, savory breadsticks smothered in melted cheese |
Salads
| Item Name | Description |
| Chef’s Salad | Romaine lettuce with ham, turkey, & bacon, with hard boiled eggs, tomatoes, cheese & croutons |
| Taco Salad | Romaine lettuce, seasoned beef, shredded cheese, tomatoes, onions in a tortilla bowl |
| Caesar Salad | Romaine lettuce, shaved Parmesan cheese and croutons (option to add grilled chicken or shrimp) |
| Tossed Salad | Romaine lettuce, tomato, onion and shredded cheese |
| Southwest Salad | Grilled or crispy chicken w/ cheddar cheese, tomato, red onion, corn & bean salsa, avocado, crispy tortilla strips w/ chipotle ranch |
| Buffalo Chicken Salad | Crispy chicken tossed in buffalo sauce on a bed of lettuce, with bacon bits, tomatoes, red onions & bleu cheese crumbles |
| Michigan Cherry Salad | Romaine lettuce, tomato, cherries, red onions, bacon bits, feta cheese, candied pecans and chicken |
Hot Soups & Sides
| Item Name | Description |
| Homemade Soup of the Day | Fresh daily selections available by the bowl or cup |
| Homemade Chili | Rich, flavorful chili available by the bowl or cup |
| Bread Bowl of Soup | Any of our daily soups or chili served in a fresh hot sourdough bread bowl |
| Standard Sides | Baked Potato, Mashed Potato, French Fries, Tater Tots, Hash Brown, American Fries, Cottage Cheese, Coleslaw, Applesauce, Vegetable |
Sandwiches & Wraps
| Item Name | Description |
| BBQ Pulled Pork | Smoked pulled pork with homemade BBQ sauce |
| BLT | Bacon, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on toasted bread |
| Chicken Avocado Melt | Grilled chicken, avocado, lettuce, tomatoes, Swiss cheese, with chipotle mayonnaise |
| Grilled Cheese | The classic done right, grilled bread smothered with American cheese |
| Grilled Ham & Cheese | Grilled bread smothered with American cheese and grilled ham |
| Patty Melt | All beef patty, Swiss cheese, grilled onions on grilled rye bread served with thousand island dressing |
| Triple Decker Club Sandwich | Ham, turkey, bacon, Swiss and American cheese, lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise |
| Hot Sandwiches | Your choice of roast beef, ground steak, pork, turkey, or meatloaf; served with mashed potatoes and smothered with gravy |
| Chicken Breast Sandwich | Grilled or crispy served deluxe on a grilled bun |
| Fish Sandwich | Hand battered fish, romaine lettuce, tomato, and tartar sauce |
| French Dip | Shaved prime rib, on a soft sub bun with Swiss cheese, served with au jus |
| Reuben | Thin sliced corned beef, Swiss cheese, tangy sauerkraut on grilled rye served with thousand island dressing |
| Hawaiian Chicken Sandwich | Crispy or grilled, tossed in our house made plantation buffalo sauce, candied bacon, pepper jack cheese, red onion, grilled pineapple served deluxe |
| Buffalo Chicken Wrap | Crispy or grilled, w/ lettuce, bleu cheese crumbles, tomato, cheese, ranch & buffalo sauce |
| Chicken Wrap Crispy or Grilled | Lettuce, cheese, tomato, ranch or honey mustard |
| Cherry Chicken Wrap | Crispy or grilled, lettuce, tomato, dried cherries, bacon, red onion, feta cheese, raspberry vinaigrette |
| Chicken Bacon Ranch | Crispy or Grilled Chicken, lettuce, cheese, tomato, bacon, ranch |
Burgers
| Item Name | Description |
| Third Pound Burger | All hand pattied steak burger with your choice of toppings (option to add cheese) |
| Bacon Cheese Burger | Loaded with bacon and your choice of toppings |
| Mushroom Swiss Burger | Smothered in sautéed mushrooms and Swiss cheese |
| Olive Burger Deluxe | Swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, and savory olive sauce on both sides of the bun |
| Big John | Half pound steak burger, grilled onions, romaine lettuce, tomatoes, and special sauce served on a soft sub bun |
| Hawaiian | All beef steak burger, grilled pineapple, Swiss cheese and teriyaki sauce |
| Tiger Burger | Shaved ham, cheese, horse radish mayo |
| Butte Burger | Candied bacon, sweet horse radish, pickles, cheese, lettuce, tomato, red onions and house sauce |
| BBQ Pit Burger | Pulled pork, ham, smoked gouda, bacon jam, haystack onion, candied bacon and BBQ sauce |
| Taz Burger | Caramelized onions, mushrooms, candied bacon, bottle cap jalapenos, pepper jack cheese, lettuce and spicy mayo |
| Muenster Heights Burger | Double patty, ham, bacon, lettuce, tomato, muenster cheese and haystack onions, on grilled texas toast |
| Paradise Burger | Swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, lettuce, mayo and tomato |
Dinners & Pasta
| Item Name | Description |
| BBQ Ribs | St Louis style pork ribs basted with our homemade BBQ sauce (Full or Half rack) |
| Chopped Steak | Half pound chopped steak served with sautéed mushrooms |
| 1 Lb. Ham Steak Dinner | Generous portion of thick-cut, savory ham steak |
| Liver & Onions | Tender grilled beef liver, smothered with sautéed onions |
| Country Fried Steak | Breaded steak with mashed potatoes, topped with country gravy |
| 10oz. New York Strip | Prime cut steak grilled to perfection (options to add sautéed mushrooms or onions) |
| Ribeye Steak | Prime cut steak grilled to perfection (options to add sautéed mushrooms or onions) |
| Homemade Chicken Strips | Hand battered with your choice of dipping sauce |
| Homemade Meatloaf | Savory comfort-style meatloaf recipe smothered in gravy |
| Fettuccine Alfredo | Fettuccine tossed with a rich creamy alfredo and choice of broccoli or spinach (option to add chicken or shrimp) |
| Baked Spaghetti | Classically baked pasta with rich marinara and melted cheese |
| Garlic Shrimp or Chicken Pasta | Tomato, spinach in a white wine sauce |
| Homemade Mac-N-Cheese “The Grown Up” | Rich cheese sauce pasta (options to add pulled pork or crispy haystack onions & BBQ sauce) |
| Shrimp & Lobster Pasta | Cavatappi pasta loaded w/ basil shrimp & lobster, tomato, spinach, mushrooms in a creamy sweet seafood sauce |
| Bayou Pasta | Shrimp, chicken, sliced sausage, tomato, spinach, bell pepper in a creamy bayou sauce |
Seafood
| Item Name | Description |
| Frog Legs | Hand battered and fried to absolute perfection |
| Lake Perch | Beautiful hand battered local perch |
| Walleye | Deep fried, pan-fried, or blackened walleye |
| Grilled Shrimp Dinner | Three skewers grilled with your choice of sauce |
| Coconut Shrimp | Coconut coated deep fried shrimp |
| Fish Dinner | Hand battered, deep fried Alaskan Pollock fillets |
| Breaded Popcorn Shrimp Basket | Deep fried breaded bite-sized shrimp |
South of the Border
| Item Name | Description |
| Chips and Cheese Deluxe | Nacho chips loaded with seasoned ground beef, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions |
| Chips and Cheese (Plain) | Classic crispy tortilla chips topped with melted cheese |
| Quesadilla | Grilled flour tortilla stuffed with shredded cheese, green peppers, onions, and tomatoes (Choice of Chicken or Steak) |
| Enchiladas | Three corn tortillas with ranchero sauce & melted cheese and diced onions served with side of refried beans (Choice of Beef or Chicken) |
| Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadilla | Tomato and green onion with house chipotle ranch |
| Tacos | Three soft tacos filled with seasoned ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, and cheese |
| Wet Burrito | Seasoned ground beef and refried beans rolled in a flour tortilla and topped with our homemade burrito sauce, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, onions (All-meat or Chicken options available) |
| Fajitas | Sautéed onions and peppers with fajita sauce served with lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and flour shells (Choice of Chicken, Steak, or Shrimp) |
| Pulled Pork Nachos | Topped w/ queso sauce, tomato, jalapeno, green onions, haystacks & bbq sauce |
Subs
| Item Name | Description |
| Pizza Sub | Pizza sauce, ham, pepperoni, mozzarella cheese, mushrooms |
| Ham Sub | Sliced ham, mozzarella cheese, onions & mayonnaise |
| Philly Cheese Sub | Roast beef, mozzarella cheese, green peppers, onions & mayonnaise |
| Meatball Sub | Meatballs, sliced and topped with house sauce & mozzarella cheese |
| Club Sub | Bacon, turkey, ham, lettuce, tomato, mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise |
| Vegetarian Sub | Spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, green peppers, black olives, mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise |
| Chicken Bacon Ranch Sub | Grilled chicken, crisp bacon, lettuce, tomato, mozzarella cheese and our homemade ranch dressing |
| BLT Sub | Crisp bacon, lettuce, tomato, mozzarella cheese, mayonnaise |
| Italian Sub | Ham, hard salami, pepperoni, onion, lettuce, tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, Italian dressing |
| Bistecca Sub | Shaved Italian style prime rib, w/ balsamic tomatoes, onions, black olives, mozzarella, bell pepper, baked in pizza dough |
Specialty & Custom Pizza
| Item Name / Style | Available Sizes & Toppings |
| Create Your Own Pizza | Regular Crust or Gluten-Free Cauliflower Crust (10″ only). Sizes: 12″, 14″, 16″ |
| Sauces | House red sauce, Buffalo, Garlic White, Ranch, BBQ |
| Toppings | Ground Beef, Bacon, Pepperoni, Sausage, Ham, Kalua pork, Meatballs, Jalapeno peppers, Mushrooms, Tomatoes, Lettuce, Green peppers, Green olives, Black olives, Onions, Banana peppers, Pineapple |
| Chicken Bacon Ranch (House Special) | House ranch, grilled chicken, crispy bacon, mozzarella and cheese |
| Deluxe (House Special) | Ham, pepperoni, mushrooms, onions, green olives, sausage, green peppers, extra cheese |
| Meat Lovers (House Special) | Sausage, ground beef, ham, bacon, pepperoni |
| BBQ Chicken Pizza (House Special) | BBQ Sauce, chicken, bacon, onions and cheese |
| Buffalo Chicken (Specialty Pizza) | Mild buffalo sauce, grilled chicken, onions, mozzarella cheese & ranch dressing |
| Alfredo Chicken (Specialty Pizza) | Alfredo sauce, chicken, crispy bacon, onions, spinach, mushrooms |
| Taco Pizza (Specialty Pizza) | Refried beans as sauce, ground beef, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, black olives & cheddar & mozzarella cheese |
| Hawaiian Pork (Specialty Pizza) | BBQ Sauce, garlic, pineapple, onions, kalua pork, cheese and crispy fried onions |