Lake Bluff Grille brings new life to Muskegon Country Club

steak and asparagus
Photo: RedWater

Located on a bluff overlooking Muskegon Lake, the fittingly named Lake Bluff Grille will soon serve patrons delicious food, refreshing drinks and to-die-for waterfront views. Set to open in May, the restaurant, located at the Muskegon Country Club, will be open not just to club members, but the public, too. 

RedWater Restaurant Group purchased the Muskegon Country Club last year and has since been working to open a new public restaurant and renovate the existing event venue on the property. Lake Bluff Grille will be RedWater’s 10th restaurant.

“Muskegon Country Club is on a gorgeous piece of property,” said Leanne Stoll, marketing director at RedWater. “The club has a long, established history in the Muskegon community since its opening in 1908 as well as a great group of country club members. These are all important factors for RedWater when acquiring a new club.” 

Golf course, Muskegon Country Club
Golf course, Muskegon Country Club Photo: RedWater

“With our footprint throughout West Michigan, based in Grand Rapids and kind of branching along the lakeshore, the country club just tied in really well,” added Brian Behler, regional manager at RedWater. “The Muskegon Country Club has always been a very hidden gem in Michigan. And now putting that into our portfolio, it was truly a win-win.” 

Lake Bluff Grille has a modern and contemporary interior design with an inviting and warm feel. Renovations included relocating the placement of the restaurant within the building to offer generous space for diners, building a large wrap-around bar at the center of the restaurant, adding a feature wine wall with wine locker storage for guests, and expanding and covering the deck for extended access to outdoor dining.

“The design is very approachable, and the service will be, too,” Behler said. 

“The outdoor patio space will definitely be a huge win for not only the public coming in to dine but also our golf club members,” he added. “It’s a covered patio so you’re not out dining in the blaring sun. It’ll be covered and comfortable with huge views of the bluff. It will be a great place to enjoy cocktails and appetizers or full dinner service.” 

The restaurant’s menu offers New American style cuisine with a wide range of handcrafted appetizers, sandwiches and entrees. The menu also features a guest favorite at RedWater’s restaurants — entrees that are served on 500-degree fire rocks.

“The fire rocks add another fun element to your dining experience,” Stoll said. “Our chefs prepare the dish and start the cooking process then we bring it to you on the rock so you can finish cooking it to your liking. The rock keeps the food nice and hot, and the sizzle and smell make your mouth water!”

“The menu will showcase the best of the best foods from all of our RedWater Restaurants,” Behler added. 

The bar will feature signature cocktails, draft and canned beer, and an expansive wine list. 

Beyond the restaurant 

In addition to debuting the new restaurant, RedWater Restaurant Group is also launching its upgraded Muskegon Country Club event venue. 

The venue seats around 150 people indoors and has added space for weddings and other events on the new, covered deck. The deck will also serve as a space to host meetings and small events outside. A new reception courtyard area off the patio will provide even more outdoor space for events.

“We’re really putting a lot into that space with newer landscaping and fencing to make it feel very private but open to the beautiful views,” Behler said.

Another new element to the country club is the addition of LiveGolf Studios, a state-of-the-art indoor golf simulator facility. The simulators offer access to more than 100 golf courses, various challenge games, multiple practice ranges and arcade games to provide fun for the whole family. Open in the fall and winter months, LiveGolf Studios will be open to the public and available as an add-on service for private events.

LIVEGOLF STUDIOS
LIVEGOLF STUDIOS Photo: RedWater

Stoll and Behler said community response to the new restaurant has been extremely positive. RedWater Restaurant Group is excited to open Lake Bluff Grille to the public very soon. 

“The Muskegon Country Club has an amazing history as one of the first country clubs in Michigan and a lot of people traveled from Chicago to this country club in its early days,” Behler said. “And it’s so exciting for us to bring back an energy to this place. People in the community cannot wait to see the energy come back after so many years and they’re ready for the public to be welcomed back inside, too.”

Lake Bluff Grille
2801 Lakeshore Drive, Muskegon
231-755-3737
lakebluffgrille.com