Small town Michigan restaurants

SPRING

The Cove, located in Leland, serves a signature "Chubby Mary" - a bloody mary with an entire smoked fish in it

20 small town Michigan restaurants worth a drive

Major Michigan cities like Detroit and Grand Rapids might be known for their rapidly growing dining and craft beer options, but Michigan’s small towns have a lot to offer, too.

n Palms Krystal Bar and Grill

1535 Pine Grove Ave., Port Huron; 810-985-9838; palmskrystal.com The last existing restaurant in a chain formerly known as Chicken in the Rough that was founded in 1936 and once boasted nearly 300 locations, this spot is known for its former namesake’s eponymous dish: the Chicken in the Rough, or half a fried chicken, shoestring potatoes, and a biscuit with honey.

n Catch 22 Bistro

2430 Point Tremble Rd., Algonac; 810-794-4844; catch22bistro.net The family-owned restaurant serves salads, pastas, sandwiches, burgers, and more.

n The Cove

11 W. River St., Leland; 231-256-9834; thecoveleland.com The Cove overlooks Lake Michigan and the Manitou Islands in Leland’s Historic Fishtown. Their motto is “fresh fish, cold beer,” but they also serve a drink called a “Chubby Mary” — a bloody mary with a smoked chub fish in it.

n Dark Horse Brewing

Company

511 S. Kalamazoo Ave., Marshall; 269-781-9940; darkhorsebrewery.com A microbrewery and taproom whose unique suds will leave you wanting a whole barrel. They also serve food to go with your beer.

n Donckers

137 W. Washington St., Marquette; 906-226-6110; donckersonline.com Along with chocolates and caramels, Donckers specializes in natural, local, and organic ingredients in all of their scratch-made dishes. They also make ice cream, malt shakes, and pulled sodas. President Barack Obama once stopped by.

n Food Dance

401 E. Michigan Ave.,

Kalamazoo; 269-382-1888; fooddance.net Operating since 1994, Food Dance specializes in made-from-scratch meals made with sustainable food practies.

n Fuzzy’s Restaurant

1924 Court St., Saginaw; 989-790-1719; fuzzysicecreamanddinner.com This classic family diner is known for its folded sandwiches, its Famous Johnny’s Rice Pudding, and 32 flavors of Mooney’s Ice Cream. No wonder President Joe Biden is a fan.

n Lynwood Bar

596 Busha Hwy., Marysville; 810-364-8114; lynwoodbargrill.com This family-owned restaurant not only serves great food, but they also have a full bar, a jukebox, and a pool table.

n MaMang

300 W. First St., Flint; 810-510-0049 This Vietnamese noodle bar is located inside the Flint Farmers’ Market.

n Smoke Street

424 N. Main St., Milford; 248-529-6464; smokestreetmilford.com This barbecue spot is known for smoking its meats in-house for up to 12 hours, as well as its assortment of six sauces and 15 rotating draft beers.

n Steis’s Village Inn

5523 Main St., Lexington; 810-359-5090 This spot located o of Lake Huron has become a favorite of locals and visitors alike for its handmade pizza.

n Taste

402 Phoenix St., South Haven; 269-637-0010; tastesouthhaven.com This love-driven restaurant is owned by couple Chef Joel and Heidi Gesiakowski, known for their unique dishes and martinis.

n Tecumseh Brewing Company

128 W. Chicago Blvd., Tecumseh; 517-815-1726; tecumsehbrewingco.com This downtown spot is known for its inventive beers, which use unique ingredients like peanut butter, goji berry, co ee, and more.

n Jose’s Authentic Mexican

Restaurant

209 Petoskey St., Petoskey; 231-348-3299 Established in 2005, this family-owned restaurant is known for its homemade Mexican dishes.

n Salt of the Earth

114 E. Main St., Fennville; 269-561-7258; saltoftheearthfennville.com This rustic, farm-to-table spot serves up seasonal American cuisine made from scratch. During the colder months, its known as a live music venue, featuring roots, Americana, bluegrass, and blues.

n Bistro on the Boulevard

521 Lake Blvd., St. Joseph; 269-983-6600; bistroontheboulevard.com This upscale bistro is located inside of The Boulevard Inn, overlooking Lake Michigan. The restaurant uses local ingredients in many of its dishes and o ers gluten free and vegan options, too.

n Tivoli’s Pizza

68287 E. Main St., Richmond; 586-727-2242 For more than 30 years, Tivoli’s has served up a number of di erent pizzas, including both Detroit-style and Chicago-style.

n Whiskeys on the Water

2903 Biddle Ave., Wyandotte; 734-720-9738; whiskeysonthewaterwyandotte.com This Wyandotte restaurant serves quality American-style food, and is also known for its whiskey and cocktail selection.

n The Cabin

930 W. Broomfield St.,

Mount Pleasant; 989-779-9167; cabinmp.com Ask any student at Central Michigan University where to find the best pizza and they’ll most likely say “The Cabin.” While the pizza is good, the drink specials are better. $3 shots and karaoke? Yes, please.

n The Wicked Sister

716 Ashmun St., Sault Ste. Marie; 906-259-1086; wickedsistersault.com Located in U.P., this family-oriented restaurant has burgers, salads, starters, desserts, sandwiches, and even an entire gluten-free menu.