Panel Room

Had the deep fried mushrooms as an appetizer --real mushrooms dipped in a light batter; very delicious! I had the lake perch. Perch was very good. Their tartar sauce has a sweet taste that I couldn't adjust to, but the fishy itself was great. Had French fries with it and a cup of sweet pepper crab soup. The soup was delicious! They serve it every Friday. The fries were perfect! My husband ordered the hot beef sandwich. He was expecting more sliced roast beef rather than shredded pot roast so he was not as happy but they took his sandwich off the bill--he only ate 2 bites.

HUGE DISAPPOINTMENT!!!! HUGE

Salad bar wasn't great.

Chicken was mushy - yes mushy

Meatloaf was checked too full of green peppers.

Servers were very friendly & attentive

No return trip anytime soon.

I had a chicken Philly and it was really good. 2 chicken breasts on a hoagie with veggies. Very good food.
They were put of the fried chicken and we were told about 15 minutes after ordering. The entire visit was 2 hours. Luckily my boss was with me or she may have thought I was skipping out on work. There was a very bad smell in the building. Grease trap or sewage maybe? I smelled it on my clothes the rest of the day. My boss said her water tasted like the smell. Ill probably eat here again but probably take out and call to make sure the orders ready. I forgot to get a pic but the sandwich was 4.5 stars.

I've been waiting an hour for an omelette. The place is half empty now. Seems like the only game in town but I'd keep driving.

If I die of starvation I hope it isn't in this crappy restaurant.

I'm not going to raise the average star rating with this review - the panel room is a divey, dated and somewhat dingy place, recommended to us by a neighbor for their seafood buffet.

I have to say the buffet had a ton of seafood items - if it swam it was in there! We might have gone too late so our food was way past its peak. The service was friendly enough and the buffet super affordable but not my cup of tea...or should I say "sea."

Well. If you're desperate... and the long drive between Chicago and Battle Creek Michigan might kill you of boredom, the Panel room, with no paneling in it (disappointment), is pretty average. Not that I was expecting amazing food, but they didn't even do diner food really well. I had "Hamburger Bowtie" soup and a double cheeseburger. Both were fairly lame and the cheese on my burger wasn't even melted. And it had green olives on it, the attempt at some flair didn't outweigh that it was super average. There was a gross salad bar, too.

Service was great and people were super nice, but keep driving past this one in Hartford, MI.

This place doesn't look like much, but the food is hot and the portions are reasonable and the prices are good. The staff was friendly and efficient. Also, it's really clean. The tables aren't sticky and the bathrooms are well kept. Not a bad roadside resting point between Chicago and Detroit.

This is a great place. Good menu, super affordable, lots of room in the dining room, and extremely friendly servers.I have only ever had breakfast food here, but I am looking forward to trying lunch and dinner. I hear they have fabulous pizza. Located just off 94, if you're buzzing by, I'd recommend it for a bite and a smile.

We've been to the Panel Room many times in the past both for breakfast and for lunch, but never posted a review. (We have a vacation home nearby.)

Four of us went there for lunch and had delicious meals and great service. Three of us had the buffet and thought it was excellent. The fourth person had biscuits and gravy and thought it was very good. Salad bar had very fresh and tasty salads and ingredients. Both soups served were excellent!!! Their broasted chicken was about the best I've ever eaten--nicely seasoned and very moist. Their macaroni and cheese and their green beans with bacon and onions were also delicious. Great place to go for delicious food and great service at a reasonable price. We'll definitely be back again.

We loved the service and food we ordered -- the pepper crab soup of the day was creamy and cheesy and tasted great, ham and cheese sandwich and club sandwiches on texas toast were done to perfection, and the hand dipped onion rings actually melt in your mouth. We'll be back!

If the name Panel Room evokes images of walnut walls and fireplaces, just reset your expectations -- this is a low-key, family-friendly diner with friendly service and affordable good food.