Because MCBC HQ is located centrally between the suburbs and Downtown, our club tends to branch out – you’ve seen that we’ve driven far and wide to try the best of the city. It turns out that no matter where we go, there are dozens of other places to try. We always have new recommendations, new restaurants opening, and old favorites to go back to. In that way, MCBC is perpetual. There is no final conclusion. Much like Sisyphus, we climb forever to reach an apex – only to find that we have no choice but to climb all over again.
While this might sound a little too existential for a burger blog, this makes each new venture exciting and worthwhile. Gathering good ever-changing people, sharing our lives and our love for food, and breaking bread together brings us closer, gives us shared experience, and enhances all of our collective knowledge about the best burger, the best bar, the best restaurant.
Many times, an event will come together within a day or two, and we’ll end up with twelve or so people converging on a bar or restaurant without notice. For me, its a whirlwind of texting, calling, and bugging people, as well as doing research, getting ratings together, and taking photos. Luckily, the hard work usually pays off. Even when I eat a terrible burger, I get to spend time with some good people!
Mt. Chalet II was one of our last minute events. I found a break in my schedule and rallied the troops to this Royal Oak/Birmingham border establishment, a few weeks after our trip downtown to Foran’s. You’ll find that people on both sides of the border will claim the restaurant proudly, as somewhat of a strange bridge between the upscale and the dive – neither properly fitting in Royal Oak or Birmingham, but accepting of everyone regardless.
Although we showed up with 11 people, Mt. Chalet was quick to push tables together and accommodate us. Our server Kiswana (“Like you wanna kiss me”) was immediately upbeat, happy to serve us, and loud enough that we could all hear her. She was helped by a couple other servers, but she definitely stood out, and set the stage for a good experience.
The decor in the restaurant isn’t cohesive. It isn’t even not cohesive. It’s a woodsy-feeling, but also regular sports bar, but also a hint of an Applebee’s feel. There is some old stuff on the walls, there are some newer-looking pieces of furniture, and there are some really odd fabric panels hung from the ceiling, presumably for sound dampening. It’s not a place I would go for a fancy cocktail. It’s a place I wouldn’t mind watching a game, but it certainly wouldn’t be my first choice to do so.
this lack of cohesion is good and bad for the bar – it feels like a big bunch of nothing without personality when you go in. However, the staff, service, and food are left to fill that void of atmosphere. They have essentially a blank canvas to make the restaurant anything it wants to be, and I wouldn’t believe you if you told me it has always had the same feel; I’m sure it has gone through several different personalities.
Ordering with 11 people is a confusing process, especially when some folks come in late and have to browse the menu. However, Mt. Chalet did this incredibly well, getting our orders correct and explaining to us our options, even when we were annoying about it.
None of us were dazzled by the beer selection, but any craft beer drinker would be happy here – in addition to their numerous taps, they have a long list of bottles, and you’re not going to be paying crazy prices for them.Expect to see sports bar tap regulars – Miller, Bud Lite, Guinness, and maybe a Sam Adams, but their menu includes some Michigan crafts as well. I got a Short’s beer, which was a little overpriced, but the Labatt Blue was cheap and tastes great with a burger.
The food here is mostly what you would expect from a bar- a Build Your Own Burger section, sandwiches, salads, and fried appetizers, but there are a few curveballs thrown in. Their entrees include a New Orleans Gumbo, a Veggie Stir Fry, and Blackened Mango Mahi – as well as a slider section separate from the burger menu.
The burger breakdown is pretty extensive, and the customization choices will give you what you want. In addition to the ‘classic chalet’ burger, Piedmontese beef is offered here like Redcoat Tavern down the street. Piedmontese beef is a leaner meat that claims to be just as beefy and delicious (I’m still not convinced). Also like Redcoat, their customization options give you thousands of potential combinations.
If you aren’t into red meat, there is a black bean burger and a turkey burger to choose from as well. You’ll be able to order your burger on brioche, an onion roll, or a pretzel roll. There are plenty of topping choices- Some standouts include pico de gallo, roasted red pepper, and thai chili sauce- all providing you a burger you may not be able to get anywhere else. If you’re not feeling creative, their curated burger of the month might be right up your alley.
My Classic Chalet burger on brioche with provolone, caramelized onion, roasted red pepper, and garlic aioli set me back only about ten dollars, and it was a substantial portion, much like you’d expect from a pub burger. I have to note that other club members were not impressed with the price, and the 3.5 value rating we gave to Mt. Chalet is only marginally acceptable.
At Mt. Chalet, The burgers were cooked correctly, and toppings are clearly not an afterthought. They put some thought into the quality of the ingredients. With so many different options for the burgers, going the extra mile is necessary to make sure nobody gets something bad – consistency is key. We didn’t have complaints about the quality of the burgers, nobody’s was strangely over or undercooked (I’m looking at you, Miller’s and Grand Trunk). Ultimately, if you are in need of a burger near 14 mile, you’re not going to be disappointed at Mt. Chalet.
That garlic aioli and Thai chili sauce are worth having for the rest of your meal. The condiments provided with our burgers and sides were incredible with Mt. Chalet’s garlic parmesan fries, which had mixed reviews in themselves. I found that mine were very evenly seasoned, and the garlicky bitterness matched well with the crunch of the fries. Others thought the seasoning was uneven and boring. The sides got a very high rating of 4.2, so the good outweighed the bad.
Mt. Chalet placed highly in our rankings, with a number 6 overall and for the burger itself. That score represents how we felt about Mt. Chalet: we had a pretty good time, and everything was good (or better than good), but we weren’t blown away. There was nothing here to put it over the top, and I couldn’t even tell you what would do that.
Maybe a few more trips there, getting to know the staff, and getting recommendations from locals would clear things up. Maybe Mt. Chalet is just that kind of place – where you have to get to know it intimately to fully appreciate. And frankly, if Mt. Chalet were in my neighborhood, they’d find themselves a new regular.
Ratings:
Burger: 3.99
Service: 4.50
Atmosphere: 3.97
Value: 3.49
Overall Rating: 3.961
Alice – 4/5
Arthur – 5/5
Bob – 4/5
Bonnie – “Kiswana was very nice and attentive. Good burger! The extras add up. Expensive for a bar.“ 4/5
Erik – “Good balance between clean/modern and dive bar. Weird dirty panels in the middle. Fries were evenly coated and garlicky. Great with condiments.” 4.5/5
Jeff –
“Waitress serves so patiently
Tools demand service
Thanks for the delicious food.
My burger drips grease and sauce
Bun disintegrates
My hands are soaked in greatness”4/5
Lauren – “Loved the pretzel bun!“ 4/5
Mark – “My burger was good, I liked the beef. The fries were boring. Beer battered fries aren’t my jam. I got chalet burger, not PIEDMONTESE. It would have been good, but whatever. Fun to hang in Birmingham!“ 3.5/5
Phil – “One time recently I said wood paneling in bars reminds me of Up North. This place has wood paneling, bu it doesn’t remind me of Up North. Paper Lanterns. Commercial glass double doors. A wall full of top shelf liquor. ‘There’s a saw on the wall. That’s woodsy. Oh, and that’s a sword, and a martini painting next to it. Must be why the bros are here?’ There is a lot of bad classic rock here. That’s pretty Up North.” 3/5
Rachel – 4/5
Sala – “Fries were $$ and disproportionately seasoned. Spinach salad was v. good. Free side of sweet chili sauce was delish.” 4/5
Mt. Chalet II
32955 Woodward Avenue, Royal Oak, MI 48073
(248) 549-2929
Motor City Burger Club 
