One Lot, Two Choices

Two not-so-easy-to-decide-which dining choices.

Welcome to North Muskegon’s “hobo” options where, the website says, you’ll find food and drinks “at prices even a hobo can afford.”

My choice, pretty much determined by a non-existent flip of a coin, was Hobo’s Tavern.

I’ll be returning, but next time choosing The Handsome Hobo.

A recent Friday evening – a dark, snowy evening – surprised me with a full parking lot. I’d thought the weather would keep potential diners at home, but hey, this is Michigan. We opened the restaurant door to warmth from the fireplace, sounds of laughter, and an immediate greeting from the staff.

Owner Hobart Thrasher Jr. – Bo to just about everyone – grew up in a local restaurant family. He opened the tavern first, in 2006. The Handsome Hobo Pizzeria followed near the end of 2012.
Tavern chef/kitchen manager Travis Bailey, who’s been with Hobo’s 10 years, characterized both restaurants as casual. I dined at the tavern but also did a walk-through of Handsome’s with Bailey at the end of the evening.

There’s more beer on tap at the Tavern, he told me. And cocktails. “We have a lot of martinis that are popular,” Bailey said. There’s a special one each month.

The Tavern offers a main menu, a kids’ menu, a gluten-free menu and a dessert menu. “We sell a crazy amount of perch,” Bailey continued. Ribs and steak are also popular. We opted for perch and ribs.

But we started with an appetizer suggestion, the Southwest egg rolls. Slit open and arranged like an eight-point star, they come with a bit of a kick.

The perch and ribs were both delicious. But then, because I just have to have dessert so I can write about it, out came the Oreo crust peanut butter pie. Ho boy. Whipped peanut butter and fresh whipped cream, with tiny chocolate chips, so the pie is rather tall. Ummmmm. My daughter had just one word: “Fantastic.”

Special lunch features Monday-Friday offer items not found on the menu. Happy hour, with reduced drink and appetizer prices, are 2-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

The ambience, pub-like with booths as well as tables both high and regular. The walls, vintage Muskegon items. The bar, welcoming.

Hobo’s has been a winner, more than once, of Best Restaurant, People’s Choice, and Best Dessert at Taste of Muskegon.

Next door is The Handsome Hobo. Quieter than the Tavern, more open with designated areas big enough for groups that can be closed off with curtains. There’s also a table with long arms jutting out from a firepit.

It has a 16-bottle wine tap system and wine school once a month, on a Monday evening when the restaurant is closed. The chosen wines complement the dinner.

The Handsome started as a pizzeria, and it still specializes in pizza. Both thin-crust and deep-dish. Along with pasta, soups, salads, more. It does not repeat the Tavern’s menu.

The ambiance, a bit of an artsy vibe. I was drawn to a wall area with several typewriters. Not photos, not wallpaper, but actual typewriters. Impressive.

In warm months there’s an outdoor patio. Its faux palm tree remains all year; right now it’s covered with snow.

Both restaurants produce regulars. Server Nicole Koenig has been with Hobo’s for 17½ years because, she said, it feels like family. “We see lots of people several times a week,” she said. “We see some of our customers every day.”

Hobo’s Tavern
1411 Whitehall Road
Muskegon, MI 49445
(231) 719-0247
hobostavern.com

The Handsome Hobo
Restaurant & Bar
1437 Whitehall Road
Muskegon, MI 49445
(231) 719-0123
handsomehobopizzeria.com