Michael’s Back Door Restaurant

Reviews

• Aaron T.

  star star star star star 24 May 2026

  There is a parking lot behind the plaza that is free I would suggest parking there as the restaurant entrance is literally a back door, well you can enter from the front but would need to walk to the end of the hallway and walk down a couple flights of stairs to their entrance in the back. There are also street parking in front of the plaza but this is paid street parking.
  
  The restaurant has a bunch of smaller private dining area to host small intimate parties. They also have a room upstairs on the main floor which looks like could hold around 60 people or so which is great for small to medium business gatherings. The main dining hall is downstairs which holds maybe another 120 people and there is a smaller room across the hall that holds another 15 people or so.
  
  We also ordered a bottle of wine which was recommended by our server she said it is from the same town the Michael's are from. The bottle we ordered was the Primitive Monte Tessa Puglia. This wine was wonderful full bodied and smooth.
  
  We ordered the bruschetta and Charcuterie board. The bruschetta was very fresh and tasty and the dish comes with 4 pieces but they are so flexible that they can add extra if needed but of course for a small fee. The charcuterie board is a good size for 2 to 4 people. They also don't have a kids menu but since everything is made from scratch our server said they can make anything and everything off the menu but half portion or side dish size for you. I ordered the soup of the day which was a vegetable soup with curry flavour and I loved it, the portion size was generous. As for my main I ordered their daily special which was a braised boneless beef rib with a medley of vegetables and cauliflower served with au jus. This dis was highly recommended by our server and wow the flavour was out of this world but just slightly salty. My wife ordered their Linguine Fritti Do Mare is a red sauce with a hearty serving of shellfish. Our friends ordered the Capelli D'Angeli and the Pollo. I was told that their dishes were very flavourful and delicious.
  
  We will definitely be back to try more of their food.
  
  Fei Jai out!

• Kerry W.

  star star star star star 21 May 2026

  Went to Micheal's Back Door on a Saturday for dinner around 6:30pm for a friend's birthday. We made reservations in case it would be busy (which it was not too long after we arrived). The restaurant had private rooms on the upper level and the regular dining area on the lower level. There was plenty of paid parking on the street or there was plenty of free parking in the back. The restaurant had a main door out front for the private party or the Back Door for the regular dinners. I have to say...this definitely added the little cute touch to the restaurant's name, "Micheal's Back Door." When seated our waitress was very attentive and friendly. She advised us of the daily specials and offered to provide kids "small" portion for the little girl at our table as there was no kids menu. She also said the chef would be glad to make whatever dish to the little girls liking which was quite thoughtful.
  
  To celebrate we tried the Primitive Monte Tessa Puglia (red Italian wine). We have never tried this wine before so our waitress brought me a little sherry glass with the wine to try, which I thought was very kind of her. She wanted to make sure I could choose something else if I did not like it. However, after trying the wine I found it was spectacular and we ordered the bottle. The wine was not extra dry, full bodied and smooth.
  
  We started with the Bruschetta which came with 4 pieces and was full of flavour and the Charcuterie Board which was beautifully arranged and not too big. It would have been a perfect size for 2 people to share.
  
  For our mains we each ordered our own dishes. I had the Linguine Fritti Do Mare which had a very nice tart taste. The pasta was freshly made and everything right down to the seafood was perfectly cooked. The other dishes were the Capelli D'Angeli, Pollo and the house Braised Beef Daily Special which all looked extremely mouth watering. I was told all the dishes were amazingly delicious and full of flavour. We will definitely be back to try more items from their menu!

• Rachel N.

  star star star star star 21 May 2026

  The service and ambience at Michael's Back Door restaurant is outstanding! We came to celebrate a bachelorette and we wanted a classy, upscale atmosphere, and Michael's Back Door Restaurant provided it fully.We used their private Wine Room, and it was just a beautiful room with lovely decor. We took advantage of getting a 3 coarse dinner option for our group of 12 and the food options we chose from were fantastic. Each coarse had 3 options for each guest to choose from, and they even offered vegan options for paticular guests dietary restrictions. From our given menu, I chose the Capellini with tomato and lobster cream sauce, and the creme caramel for dessert. Both were absolutely exquisite, particularly the Capellini which had succulent lobster pieces mixed throughout. Our server and the manager were both so great, and really went above and beyond to make sure the evening went well. I couldn't be more pleased with the service and I would highly recommend Michael's Back Door Restaurant if you're planning a group event!

• Alex G.

  star star star star_border star_border 15 May 2026

  It's too bad we can't give half-stars, because the Yelp rating is right on the money.
  
  It's not often that I visit Clarkson to eat at a high-end joint, but when I do, it's usually for special occasions or big dinners with friends. While Solstice is my go-to place in town, I couldn't say no to a family bash for my aunt's 40th birthday at Michael's Back Door, often held up as the "best kept not-so-secret" in the village. Everyone's tried it at least once, from local patrons to politicians, and the restaurant has been a mainstay within the community for nearly four decades, so they're clearly doing something right.
  
  Maybe it was an off night, but I came away feeling underwhelmed, and that's from someone who was jonesing to visit this place for years.
  
  Things got off to a strange start when I and two other members of our party entered the restaurant and confirmed our reservation for a 5 p.m. start. When we told the man at the front desk (who I think was the floor manager) that two members of our party had cancelled at the last minute, he had an odd look of disdain on his face that almost veered into outright annoyance, and he disappeared for the most of the night. Luckily, our server, a charming fellow with a fancy tie, was much better served and was friendly and chatty.
  
  Our group had missed the 2018 summer Taste of Clarkson event by a week, so I settled for the strozzapreti ($22), which is S-shaped pasta with sausage, rapini and caramelized onions. While the pasta had bursts of flavour from the combination of items, I couldn't help but feel that it desperately needed a sauce to set it off. Compared with the penne ($22) that my mother ordered, which was drowning in cream vodka sauce, I felt like I'd been a bit gypped. Maybe it was by design. Reports from the other party members' dishes (including Branzino [seared bass], roasted chicken and veal scallopini) seemed to be solid, if not excellent, across the board.
  
  I was disappointed in particular by two things:
  
  1) The servers don't adequately tell you (or act cagey) about what the prices for their daily specials are. They tell you WHAT the items are, and confirm with you if you want to order the items, but it seems more like they're trying to upsell the diner on items with hidden costs than accurately stating it upfront. My mother and brother went for an order of Burrata cheese (admittedly, part of a special batch which was flown in and arrived in the city just a day before), only to find out that the small portion cost $25 an order as the bills were being sorted out. Not communicated upfront.
  
  2) At the end of the night, despite being gracious and friendly with my aunt regarding the cutting of the birthday cake, a second server who brought out slices suddenly turned around and got a bit abrupt/snippy when we asked her to split the bill, claiming she couldn't do it and was busy with other tables before walking off. Luckily, our original friendly server stepped in and handled it, no problem.
  
  I don't know - I love the ambiance, how private the restaurant feels and some of the service, but I found myself disappointed in several respects by the food. Even the bread felt a bit lackluster - what, is Solstice the only joint in town that not only pushes fresh bread (no rock-hard piece), but churns it out without the customer even asking? We couldn't even eat half the bread here because the bread was getting stale.
  
  Maybe I need another visit to check it out further, but I'm middle of the road on this one. Might be worth a visit during a special promotion, but not worth going out of your way here otherwise. Compared to Michael's, the staff at Solstice dote on my group each time we visit, and I always feel like a king there.
  
  Tonight, I just felt like we were getting pushed out the door as quick as possible.

• B V.

  star star_border star_border star_border star_border 13 May 2026

  Went to this place tonight for a big family celebration. After hearing about this restaurant for years, thought it couldn't fail. WRONG!!!!!!!! Absolutely the most disappointing meal in the West End for a long time. Shame on you for calling yourselves an Italian restaurant.
  Food was old, stale, regurgitated bag food. Couldn't have been more broken hearted. There is no chef in the kitchen. Confused minions are flapping around faking it. Very very bad.
  Will spread the word about this mess immediately.
  The only saving grace was the lovely service and attention we received from our waiter, Jacques/Jack???
  Please don't go to this place.