After a 40-year absence, Mr Mikes has made a triumphant return to Kelowna.

This time the storied burger and steakhouse is at the Ramada by Wyndham hotel across the highway from Orchard Park mall with new owners and a new concept.

Photo credit: Steve MacNaull/NowMedia GroupMr Mikes general manager Paula Bjornson brings out a filet mignon steak and steak sandwich.

The last time there was a Mr Mikes in Kelowna it was downtown on Lawrence Avenue near Bertram Street and it was famous for the Mike burger and its salad bar.

After a 25 year run, it closed in the mid-1980s.

Today's Mr Mikes tags itself as 'steakhouse casual' and it, of course, still has the renowed Mike burger.

Photo credit: Steve MacNaull/NowMedia GroupMr Mikes has a restaurant, lounge and patio.

"Mr Mikes is having a huge resurgence," said Ajay Jhajj, who owns and operates the Ramada and the Mr Mikes at the hotel along with his father, Gurjit Jhajj.

"Each of the 60 franchises in Western Canada is independently owned and operated."

While the steakhouse has been quietly open for a few weeks, the official grand opening was Tuesday with a ribbon cutting by Mayor Tom Dyas followed by lunch for all those who attended.

Photo credits: Steve MacNaull/NowMedia GroupThe filet mignon steak, above, and the steak sandwich, below.

KelownaNow news director Josh Duncan and I were at the grand opening and can rave about the steak sandwich and filet mignon steak we ordered.

Some of the closest other Mr Mikes are Vernon, Merritt and Kamloops.

The Mr Mikes in Kelowna is the first one in a hotel and one of the only to serve breakfast as well as lunch and dinner (and late night for the lounge and sports bar).
 

@kelownanow.com

Mr Mikes is back in Kelowna! We checked out the city’s newest restaurant at a grand opening celebration today and it’s a great spot to eat a meal, grab a drink or watch a game. Check out Steve MacNaull’s story at KelownaNow.com for all the details about the return of Mr Mikes to Kelowna 🥩🍔

♬ Restaurant – RealMusic

"This is a casual steakhouse, family dining and a sports bar," said Jhajj.

"It serves hotel guests, certainly, but it's also enhancing the dining scene for the whole city."

As such, the new Mr. Mikes is becoming destination dining for locals and tourists alike.

Photo credit: Josh Duncan/NowMedia GroupMr Mikes Kelowna had its grand opening Tuesday with Mayor Tom Dyas cutting the ribbon.

"It's an affordable, approachable and quality steakhouse you can bring the whole family to," said Maxine DeHart, the sales manager at the Ramada by Wyndham.

Previously, the restaurant space at the Ramada was a Smitty's for five years and a Perkins for 25 years before that.

DeHart describes Mr Mike as the perfect fit for the space, the hotel and the community and a compliment to Mickie's Pub and liquor store, which is the other food and beverage option at the 135-room Ramada.

The two food and beverage options will also serve the proposed 120-room, 6-storey Marriott Suite Plus to be built beside the Ramada and also owned and operated by the Jhajj's Durali Properties.

By the way, Durali also owns the Tower Ranch and Sunset Ranch golf courses, clubhouses and restaurants and nine other hotels in Salmon Arm, Armstrong, Castlegar and Saskatchewan.

Photo credit: Steve MacNaull/NowMedia GroupGeneral manager Paula Bjornson outside the restaurant, which is in the Ramada by Wyndham hotel across the highway from Orchard Park mall.

Paula Bjornson, who was the food and beverage manager at Sunset Ranch for five years, is the new Mr Mikes general manager.

Kyle Dove, who's opened four Mr Mikes previously, will be staying put as the chef at Mr Mikes Kelowna.

Photo credit: Steve MacNaull/NowMedia GroupThe grand opening crowd had lunch.

A quick look at the Mr Mikes Kelowna menu shows an array of steaks (sirloin, New York, rib eye and filet mignon), of course, that can be customized by cooking side and addition of side dishes.

But, there's also appetizers like breaded pickles and hot lobster dunk, Caesar and kickass chicken salads, ahi tuna poke bowl, mac and cheese, the aforementioned Mike burgers, meatless burgers, fish and chips, tacos and desserts like sticky toffee pudding, New York cheesecake, Uber brownie and Rocky Mountain Madness.

Photo credit: Steve MacNaull/NowMedia GroupThe entrance from the hotel.