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Lawsuit against Henderson Castle brings attention to health inspection reports

On top of a snowy hill, a large castle-like structure sits among grape vines. The building is brick and has turrets with ornate details.
Anna Spidel
/
WMUK
Henderson Castle is pictured on a snowy day in December 2025.

A lawsuit has been filed against Kalamazoo Bed & Breakfast and dining venue Henderson Castle alleging retaliation for a negative review.

Henderson Castle is a bed and breakfast and steakhouse that also hosts special events. It was build in 1895 by Frank Henderson, owner of prominent Kalamazoo regalia maker Henderson-Ames Company.

It’s being sued by a man named James Adams, who alleges the business retaliated against him after he left a one-star review claiming he found a “caterpillar or worm” in his broccoli while eating there.

The suit alleges Henderson Castle employees located the plaintiff’s workplace and left negative reviews directed at him and his business as retaliation for his negative review.

Amid discussion of the lawsuit, social media posters shared Henderson Castle’s most recent health inspection report.

According to the report from an inspection on May 6, the venue had morel mushrooms in the kitchen which came from an unspecified location and were not picked by a verified mushroom identification expert.

The report contained seven total violations, including mold observed on food, and improperly stored food. A follow-up inspection days later found all the violations had been corrected.

Henderson castle did not respond to WMUK's request for comment.

Anna Spidel is a news reporter for WMUK covering general news and housing. Anna hails from Dexter, Michigan and received her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism from Michigan State University in 2022. She started her public radio career with member station Michigan Public as an assistant producer on Stateside, and later joined KBIA News in Columbia, Missouri as a health reporter. During her time with KBIA, Anna also taught at the University of Missouri School of Journalism as an adjunct instructor and contributed to Midwest regional health reporting collaborative Side Effects Public Media.
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