Michigan is a state located in the upper Midwestern United States, and there are numerous great restaurants within the state for visitors to try out! If you’re visiting the state and are looking for a great place to eat, join Viewcation as we take a look at some of the best restaurants in Michigan.
12 Restaurants in Michigan
Grill House
The Grill House is located in Allegan, and the thing that makes this restaurant stand out is the massive steak that can be found on it’s menu. The Grill House offers a sirloin steak that’s 42 ounces, and diners are certainly going to have a hard time finishing it in one sitting! That massive steak may be what draws the majority of tourists in to the Grill House, but there are numerous more reasonable offerings to be found on the beloved Michigan location’s menu.
Those who don’t like red meat can try out the chicken, and there are also plenty of seafood options on the menu. In contrast to the Grill House’s signature 42-ounce steak, the eatery offers diners the option to split a steak amongst each other so that they’ll have more room to indulge in the sides. Join Viewcation as we take a look at some of the best restaurants in Michigan.
Clara’s on the River
Located in Battle Creek, Clara’s on the River is a restaurant that’s notable for more than just it’s incredible cuisine. The location is actually housed within a historic building. The building that houses Clara’s on the River used to be the Michigan Central Railroad Depot. In honor of being housed within this historic building, Clara’s on the River maintains a railroad theme throughout the eatery. As far as the food goes, the name of the game at Clara’s on the River is comfort food. The eatery is particularly popular with the after-church crowd on Sundays, who order from the brunch menu.
Ocean Prime
If you’re looking for an exquisite seafood experience in Michigan, then there are few options that exceed Ocean Prime, which is located in Troy. The popular seafood restaurant is located not all that far from the city of Detroit. Ocean Prime is a chain, but it’s an incredibly fancy one. There are a few different Ocean Prime locations across the country, and they all stand as some of the most exquisite seafood restaurants in their area.
The prices can be a bit expensive, but the excellent food is worth it for those who have the money to spare. Join Viewcation as we take a look at some of the best restaurants in Michigan.
Salt of the Earth
Salt of the Earth is an eatery with a mission. Some might have inferred from the eatery’s name that Salt of the Earth is a restaurant that aims to take things back to the source. The name of the game at Salt of the Earth is locally sourced ingredients. While locally sourced ingredients are all well and good, Salt of the Earth wouldn’t be able to draw crowds if it’s food wasn’t up to snuff.
Thankfully, the food at Salt of the Earth is some of the best that you can find in Michigan. Salt of the Earth also has a fairly bustling bar, and there may even be live music depending on when you come in. Salt of the Earth is located in Fennville.
Bavarian Inn
The Bavarian Inn is a beloved restaurant that’s located in Frankenmuth. For those that don’t know, Frankenmuth is a Michigan city that’s renowned for its unique Bavarian-style architecture. This Bavarian style and spirit carry over to the city’s most renowned restaurant, which goes by the incredibly appropriate name of the Bavarian Inn. The Bavarian Inn offers extraordinarily hearty meals, and one of its most popular offerings is a chicken dinner big enough to feed a whole family.
Those who like German cuisine will find that they’ve died and gone to heaven once they enter the Bavarian Inn’s doors, and its celebrated chicken dinner is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the authentic German cuisine that this eatery offers. Join Viewcation as we take a look at some of the best restaurants in Michigan.
The Antlers
The Antlers is a restaurant with plenty of great food to offer its diners, but food isn’t the thing that the eatery is best known for. The name of the restaurant stems from the fact that its dining area is decorated with a mind-warping plethora of taxidermy animal heads! There are around 200 taxidermy creatures mounted on the walls of the Antlers, so vegans need not apply.
This collection of taxidermy heads is certainly stunning to the right demographic, though some might feel a bit guilty eating their steak while being stared down by this army of deceased creatures. Regardless, the experience of eating at the Antlers has become quite popular amongst both tourists and locals in the state of Michigan, and the uniquely themed eatery is located in Marie.
Food Dance
Food Dance is a popular joint with plenty of unique offerings all throughout the day. The restaurant has different menus for every meal, and there are plenty of interesting things to try out whenever you show up. Some of the most popular choices at the eatery include its meal of duck and tart cherry, which is one of its dinner offerings. If you’re looking for a slightly upscale restaurant that will allow you to try out something different at any time of the day, you can do little better than Food Dance, which is located in Kalamazoo.
Frita Batidos
Located in Ann Arbor, Frita Batidos is a restaurant with the aim of offering the most authentic Cuban food in the state of Michigan. Frita Batidos easily bests the meager competition in the region, and those looking for a taste of Cuba while vacationing in Michigan will likely find no better option. While this may be faint praise, Frita Batidos doesn’t rest on the laurels of being one of the few Cuban eateries in the state.
Whether you’re experienced with Cuban cuisine or not, you’re liable to find something on the menu at this restaurant that’s both exciting and tasty. Some of the most popular items to order at Frita Batidos are the two items that make up the eatery’s name, with those being fritas and batidos.
Cafe Meli
If Frita Batidos is the place to go in Michigan if you want some Cuban food, then Cafe Meli is the place to go if you want a hearty, American breakfast! Cafe Meli can be found in Portage, and its location just off of I-94 makes it a favorite amongst families traveling across the country that are anxious for a taste of home-style cooking. The portions at Café Meli are huge, so you may have to save some for later.
Tio’s Mexican Cafe
As with Frita Batidos, Tio’s Mexican Cafe is located in Ann Harbor. Tio’s Mexican Cafe offers food that is liable to be a bit more recognizable to the average tourist, including a heaping of nachos that weighs a whopping five pounds. Just like the Grill House’s 42-ounce sirloin steak, this giant nacho platter is something that draws crowds in the door, but it’s certainly not something that everybody orders.
Tio’s Mexican Cafe would arguably be able to rope in crowds just fine without the gimmick of it’s giant nachos, as the restaurant offers up great and authentic Mexican cuisine.
Union Woodshop
Union Woodshop is located in Clarkston, and it serves barbecue cuisine and wood-fired pizzas. Those that have never had a wood-fired pizza with a side of ribs need to try it, though they’ll need to save up some room in their stomachs. Other favorites that can be found at the Union Woodshop include the macaroni and cheese, which is about as homemade as it gets. The breadsticks are also something else, and they’re notably cooked in the same wood-fired oven that cooks the eatery’s pizzas.
Bill’s Steak House
Bill’s Steak House, located in Bronson, is yet another restaurant known for serving up gigantic portions. While a few of the restaurants that we’ve looked at in this article have had a unique special offering diners an incredibly large portion of some specific item, the portions at Bill’s Steak House are simply large in general.
The largest steak that can be found at the restaurant might not meet the standard of the Grill House’s 42-ounce sirloin steak, but this is likely just because Bill’s Steak House doesn’t view large sizes as a gimmick. The largest steak at Bill’s Steak House is its 32-ounce porterhouse, and it’s not that big of a deal when a diner orders it.
Another thing that makes Bill’s Steak House perfect for those who like to overindulge is the fact that the restaurant always seems to have some type of all-you-can-eat special happening. Depending on the day you come in, you may be able to get all-you-can-eat steak, shrimp, different types of fish, or even frog legs!
Michigan might not be the first state that people think of when they think of excellent cuisine, but there are numerous great eateries in the state offering a variety of different dining experiences. Whatever you’re in the mood for, there’s a great restaurant in the state of Michigan that offers it.