While Mackinac Island fudge is world famous, the incredible variety of restaurants in the USA’s Best Summer Travel Destination flies a bit under the radar.
Amid the scenic beauty that gives Mackinac Island the Best Picnic Spot in Michigan and the entertaining nightlife that includes the Most Iconic Bar in Michigan, Mackinac Island also has some pretty great places to eat – indoors, outdoors and pet-friendly, too.
Whether you like to sample the world’s flavors or you’re traveling with kids who are picky eaters, you’ll find a Mackinac Island menu to your liking. Here’s a look at some of the many options for grabbing lunch or dinner, from fine dining and family restaurants to delis, diners, coffee shops and more.
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Mackinac Island Resort Dining
Each of Mackinac Island’s two resorts features fantastic fine dining. Chianti ($$$$) at Mission Point Resort offers 5-star service and “farm to ferry” culinary adventures with a five-course prix fixe menu available for dinner only. Grand Hotel’s Dining Room ($$$$) hosts fine dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner with live entertainment nightly and scenic views overlooking the world’s longest porch.
Mission Point is also home to Round Island Kitchen ($$) and Bistro on the Greens ($$), both pet-friendly spots where you can grab something before, during or after your round on the Greens of Mackinac golf putting course. Other options include Boxwood Coffeshop & Café ($), which has provisions for a picnic on the expansive Mission Point lawn, and Strait UP Coffee ($).
Grand Hotel restaurants include establishments both on and off the main resort. The Jockey Club ($$$) along the first hole of The Jewel golf course has Mackinac Island’s only wood-fired grill and specializes in sumptuous seafood and steaks. Woods Restaurant ($$$) up in the island’s interior is known for Bavarian-inspired food, live piano music and the country’s oldest duckpin bowling lane ($$$). The Gate House ($$) cooks its signature MAC Daddy Burger and hosts late night entertainment just down the hill from the hotel.
Grand Hotel also operates a Detroit-style pizzeria called the Mackinac Island Pizza Co. ($), Grand Coffee & Provisions ($) and Sadie’s Ice Cream Parlor ($).
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Downtown Mackinac Island Dining
Indoor and outdoor options for eating – and drinking! – in downtown Mackinac Island are seemingly endless. Right as you step off the ferry dock you have your choice of anything from a quick bite to satisfy your hunger at Chuckwagon ($) or Mighty Mac Hamburgers ($) to spectacular meals with waterfront views and impeccable service at Carriage House ($$$).
The variety of downtown cuisine includes Mexican fare at Amigo Burrito ($), Jamaican influences at Kingston Kitchen ($$), Irish grub at Patrick Doud’s Irish Pub ($$) and a globally-inspired menu at Verde’s Taqueria ($$). You can get pizza downtown at Island Slice ($), Yooper pasties at Millie’s on Main ($$) or burgers and wings at Mustang Lounge ($$), a historic tavern where the locals hang out.
You can start your day downtown with your favorite morning beverage at Good Day Café ($) or Lucky Bean Coffeehouse ($). And there are plenty of spots to savor an adult beverage or two, from Horn’s Gaslight Bar ($$) with Tex-Mex food and dancing, to Mackinac Island’s first craft brewery, Great Turtle Brewing & Distillery ($$). Yankee Rebel Tavern ($$$), an early American-themed pub, and the Pink Pony ($$$), a waterfront watering hole with live entertainment and a famous rum runner, are visitor favorites, too. And at Winchester’s Whiskey & Bourbon Room ($$), you can sip craft cocktails in an atmosphere with a bootlegging saloon vibe.
Downtown is also where you’ll find meals to go at Doud’s Market ($), America’s oldest grocery store. And it’s the only place you’ll find something to eat if you visit Mackinac Island in the winter.
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Dining Along Main Street East of Downtown Mackinac Island
As you venture outside of downtown to the east on Main Street past historic Fort Mackinac and the large greenspace below it called Marquette Park, you’ll find another delightful selection of places to eat – with some of the most scenic views on the entire island.
The fort itself is home to the Fort Mackinac Tea Room ($), which sits high on the bluff with a lovely outdoor setting overlooking the Mackinac Island marina and harbor. A little farther down you’ll come to the Watercolor Café ($), which doubles as a waterfront art studio and gallery.
The historic Harbour View Inn is the setting for Bill’s Grill ($), a favorite outdoor summer spot. Ice House BBQ ($$) is another restaurant with a great patio where you can get their signature smokin’ beef brisket tacos.
Ice House is one of several places to eat that are part of the Island House Hotel family of properties that includes the 1852 Grill Room ($$$), where you can dine to music from a live pianist, Seabiscuit Café ($$), known for fish tacos and whitefish Reuben, and Mary’s Bistro Draught House ($$), which has Mackinac Island’s largest beer selection with 50 taps. Island House offerings also include the downtown staples Pancake House ($), where speedy short-order cooks turn out classic breakfast dishes, and Starbucks ($).
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Mackinac Island Dining on the Go
Sometimes your priority is exploring Mackinac Island, and you just need some fuel along the way. Good thing there are unique spots to grab a bite located all over Mackinac Island.
For example, when you’re strolling the boardwalk or playing around at Windermere Point, the Doghouse ($) is a convenient place to quench your thirst and enjoy the island’s best hot dogs. When you’re visiting the Mackinac Island attractions up at Surrey Hill, you can fill your tummy at The Feed Bag ($). And when you’re halfway around Mackinac Island at British Landing, Cannonball Oasis ($) serves up cold drinks and good food with picnic tables right by the water.
Of course, you can also pick out some packaged meals and snacks from Doud’s Market ($) downtown to take along on whatever adventure you have planned for the day.
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