It’s no secret that Detroit’s dining and culinary scene is out of this world, with many of the city’s nearby suburbs slaying the food game, too. But don’t knock the many restaurants, bakeries, and grab-and-go spots in Michigan that may require you to rack up some mileage to get there. Whether you’re en route to a vacation home, heading to a far-away family visit, or just in the mood to make a special trip to see what all the fuss is about, these Michigan restaurants are worth the drive.

The Toasted Pickle 112 Washington Ave., Grand Haven; 616-414-7990; thetoastedpickle.com While small in size, the Toasted Pickle’s expansive menu makes it worth the fight for a table. Only two blocks from the water, the Toasted Pickle is a refuge for beachgoers and families — though its locally sourced ingredients and fresh takes on classic items make it a worthy stop for any sandwich lover. Stay safe with a classic sandwich, soup, or salad, or take a risk with one of the Toasted Pickle’s reimagined masterpieces like the Green Goddess Grilled Cheese (which you may have seen on the Cooking Channel) or the Italian Bomber. Also, make sure to opt for the truffle fries, one of the shop’s specialities (really, though, the whole menu is a specialty). Photo via The Toasted Pickle/Facebook
The Green Well 924 Cherry St. S.E., Grand Rapids; 616-808-3566; thegreenwell.com The Green Well bills itself as an American gastropub serving “honest fayre” with a local flair. That translates into excellent, seasonally driven cuisine built with ingredients from awesome local producers. Its building is LEED-certified, and it offers a fine selection of beer, wine, and craft cocktails. Check out the Michigan Turkey (all-natural local turkey, sweet potatoes, creamy coleslaw, smoked bacon, white cheddar, tomato vinaigrette, grilled Field and Fire sourdough) or the Seafood escabeche tacos (Lake Superior whitefish, tiger shrimp, and blue crab escabeche with pickled radish and onion, spicy sour cream, citrus slaw, cilantro, guacamole, Green Well fire-roasted salsa and Champion Chips). Photo via The Green Well/Facebook
The cottage 472 Munson Ave., Traverse City; 231-947-9261; cottagecafetc.com Come to tour the coastal city, then unwind in this laid-back cafe, which is so lowkey its name doesn’t even have capitalized letters. Start out with mozzarella sticks or onion rings, then enjoy an entree from its eclectic selection of sandwiches, or its all-day breakfast menu. This mom-and-pop-style cafe has all the comforts of home, without the nagging parents. Photo via The cottage/Facebook
Palms Krystal Bar and Grill 1535 Pine Grove Ave., Port Huron; 810-985-9838; palmskrystal.com Good fried chicken is a rarity this far north of the Mason-Dixon, and sometimes you’ve got to drive to get it. Port Huron’s Palms Krystal Bar and Grill offers Grandma Fay’s Chicken and Waffles (two pieces of chicken in a rough, homemade Belgian waffle, butter, maple syrup, and creamy coleslaw) and, if you aren’t in the market for bird, the Ultimate Bacon Burger (ground Angus beef, Smith’s Applewood smoked bacon, cheddar, jumbo onion ring, mayo, lettuce, tomato, pickle, toasted brioche bun, and a side of BBQ sauce). Get it to go and take it for a picnic at any of Port Huron’s awesome waterfront state parks. Photo via Palms Krystal Bar Chicken in the Rough/Facebook
Mountain Town Station 506 W. Broadway St., Mt. Pleasant; 989-775-2337; mountaintown.com Mountain Town Station Restaurant & Brew Pub is a retired Mount Pleasant train depot given a new life and facelift. Though officially branded a steakhouse, daily specials like create-your-own pasta on Mondays and tacos and tequila on Tuesdays, paired with expansive vegetarian and gluten-free menus, allow Mountain Town to cater to a wide audience. Anything with “brisket” in the name (mac and cheese or nachos, to name a few) is a solid choice, in addition to its Wednesday sushi menu or broad meat selection any day of the week. After the meal, peek into the attached winery or brewery. Photo via Google Maps
Marine City Fish Company 240 S. Water St., Marine City; 810-765-5477; marinecityfishcompany.com With memorabilia-lined walls and an eclectic menu, Marine City’s namesake fish company mirrors its city’s charm and character. Located near the banks of the St. Clair River, lunch or dinner at Marine City Fish Company should be the last stop on an exploration through the city. The menu has (obviously) a wide selection of fish, in addition to meats, pastas, and sandwiches, with simplified options for children. Make sure to try the homemade chips and check out the patio if it’s warm, or try the dessert menu inside and enjoy the home-like aesthetic on colder days. Photo via Marine City Fish Company/Facebook
MaMang 300 W. First Ave., Flint; 810-510-0049; facebook.com/MaMangFlint Billed as Flint’s only southeast Asian eatery serving “Vietnamese cuisine and Taiwanese treats inside the Flint Farmers Market,” MaMang is the product of chef Tony Vu, a master at fusing traditional and contemporary approaches from around the world. His offerings include dishes like the crispy Peking duck tacos with a sweet and sour pineapple salsa, or bun thit nuong with grilled lemongrass, caramel pork, spring rolls, cucumber, cilantro, shiso, Asian mint over vermicelli rice noodles, and a Vietnamese vinaigrette. But he’s best known for his Texas Smoked Brisket Pho — a 20-hour post oak smoked brisket to match a 20-hour bone broth. Vu’s professional cooking career launched with a food truck in 2014 following extensive trips to Vietnam and Peru. He now holds down a permanent spot at the Flint Farmers Market, from which he sources around 75 percent of the ingredients he uses during the summer months. Look for his recently opened spot in Traverse City. Photo via MaMang/Facebook
Grand River Brewery 117 W. Louis Glick Hwy., Jackson; 517-962-2427; grandriverbrewery.com> Grand River Brewery is Jackson’s gathering spot: a completely renovated 85-year-old building with a comprehensive menu and daily specials. The brewery is rooted in social justice, and was originally created to be a focal point of urban rebirth for the embattled city. Grand River’s appetizer list makes the first course hard to skip, and its main courses range from Heart Attack Mac to Veggie Tacos. It also features an expansive menu of pizza and handhelds, not to mention the substantial dessert and brunch menus or taplist. Photo via Grand River Brewery/Facebook
El Azteco 225 Ann St., East Lansing; 517-351-9111 | 1016 W. Saginaw St., Lansing; 517-485-4589 elazteco.net El Azteco’s food is as rich as its history. The owner, born and raised in New Mexico, came to Lansing in pursuit of a master’s degree, but dropped out with the dream of opening a Mexican restaurant instead. He borrowed $10,000 and opened a restaurant in the basement of a building in 1976. In 1992, because of El Azteco’s popularity, the owner moved his restaurant to its current location on Ann Street, where it has both a large indoor seating and rooftop deck space. The menu, inspired by the dishes of Sonora, Mexico, is full of traditional Mexican staples like tacos, burritos, and fajitas — though it is known for its Topopo Salad, a towering mountain of tomatoes, cheddar, lettuce, guacamole, chicken, and more layered on top of the restaurant’s handmade tortilla chips. There is also a variety of Mexican beers and drinks available, a highlight being the many different types of award-winning margaritas. Photo via Google Maps
Donckers 137 W. Washington St., Marquette; 906-226-6110; donckersonline.com A homemade candy store, soda fountain, and restaurant that offers frozen treats like the T-Rex Sundae (zanzibar, sea salt caramel ice cream, chocolate and caramel sauce, chocolate rocks, Oreo crumbles, real whipped cream, and Donckers chocolate dust) and solid plates like the Scarecrow Sandwich (turkey, bacon, roasted red peppers, smoked gouda, and avocado spread on your choice of white, wheat, rye, or house focaccia bread). Without a doubt, Donckers is one of the most fun places on this list. Photo via Donckers/Facebook
Fischer’s Happy Hour Tavern 7100 N. Manitou Trail, Northport; 231-386-9923; fischershappyhourtavern.com Fischer’s Happy Hour Tavern is a meaty restaurant known for its broasted chicken, but maybe even better known for its martinis. The third-generation tavern is tucked away in the wilderness between Northport and Leland, and is a boozy, dark spot that reminds one of what “up north” was like before it turned into a full-fledged tourist destination. But it’s also not behind the times and keeps an excellent craft beer selection and well-rounded menu. Photo via Google Maps
Jose’s Authentic Mexican Restaurant 309 Petoskey St., Petoskey; 231-348-3299; facebook.com/jJosespetoskey Outstate towns aren’t necessarily known for their Mexican fare, but Jose’s offers some of the best tacos around. Beyond those, try the Mexican pizza (thin and crispy crust, beans, cheese, tomato, cilantro, sour cream, and salsa; with the option to add steak, pork, chicken, chorizo, or barbacoa) and shrimp cocktail (shrimp, cocktail sauce, onion, cilantro, jalapeno peppers, avocado, and lime juice). Photo via Google Maps
Fuzzy’s Restaurant 1924 Court St., Saginaw; 989-790-1719; fuzzysicecreamanddiner.com The housemade bread in the folded sandwiches is what people drive across county lines to get at. The sandwiches consist of different meats stuffed into the bread that’s accompanied by lettuce, tomatoes, onions, mayonnaise, and mozzarella. Fuzzy’s is also a favorite visit because it offers a soda fountain and ice cream parlor. Photo via Google Maps
Butter Crust Bakery 6181 Dixie Hwy., Bridgeport; 989-777-3680; facebook.com/Butter-Crust-Bakery Don’t underestimate this nondescript bakery in Bridgeport (near Saginaw) especially if you’re on the road with a sweet tooth. A contender for MLive’s search for the best doughnut in Michigan, this humble bakeshop uses quality ingredients to make a dizzying array of classic baked goods, including custom cakes, cookies, and, did we mention donuts? According to customer reviews, many of Butter Crust Bakery’s customers make frequent special trips to their shop just to stock up on their freshly made doughnuts. Photo via GoogleMaps
Turks Tavern 11139 Cleveland St., Nunica; 616-837-7096; turkstavern.com This Nunica-based eatery is one of the oldest eateries in Ottawa County and is considered one of the most iconic restaurants in Michigan. Since being established in 1933, shortly after the end of prohibition, Turks Tavern pivoted into a pool and dance hall before becoming a quaint, Instagramable, and eclectic bar and restaurant. Turks has remained locally owned and operated, boasting their 80-year-old liver paste and 60-year-old pork chop recipes, with a commitment to making handmade dishes, and frequent menu updates to keep things fresh. Photo via Turks Tavern/Facebook
Schuler’s Restaurant and Pub 115 S. Eagle St., Marshall; 269-781-0600; schulersrestaurant.com This family-founded, -owned, and -operated (well, that is until 2019 when ownership was passed to a non-Schuler but a Schuler devotee) 100-year-old eatery in Marshall features signature dishes like prime rib, whitefish, barbecued meatballs, onion soup, and complimentary homemade crackers and cheese spread. Per the website, Schueler’s has expanded its comfort food-centric menu to accommodate vegetarian diets, as well as gluten-free options. Photo via Schuler’s Restaurant and Pub/Facebook
Tecumseh Bread & Pastry 115 S. Evans St., Tecumseh; 517-301-4664; tecumsehbakery.com Voted one of the top 100 bakeries in the U.S. by Food & Wine magazine, Tecumseh Bread & Pastry is serious about dough. Established in 2016 by Arlo Brandl, this artisan bakery has become a staple of this small town and a must-stop shop for road trippers. Thanks to its delectable menu of sweet and savory croissants, as well as baked goods such as cinnamon coffee cake, muffins, scones, cookies, tarts, and cakes. But don’t forget about the bread — the menu gas baguette, Italian, multigrain, Lithuanian Rye, cheddar sourdough, cinnamon raisin sourdough, pretzel, and organic miche. Tecumseh Bread & Pastry also offers weekly bread and pastry specials. Photo via Tecumseh Bread & Pastry (Tecumseh, MI)/Facebook
Gustafson’s Smoked Fish Inc. 4467 US-2, Moran; 906-292-5424; gustafsonssmokedfish.com Don’t let this little shack fool you. You may not be able to make reservations or even eat inside, but Gustafson’s Smoked Fish Inc. in the Upper Peninsula has been smoking fresh Great Lakes-caught fish for more than 40 years. This humble smoke shack behind a gas station just 25-miles west of the Mackinac Bridge is the perfect road trip stop, so as long as you don’t mind the smell of fish wafting through your car, and offers smoked whitefish, trout, salmon, and fish dips, as well as a variety of beef jerky.Photo via Gustafson’s Smoked Fish Inc./Facebook
Gurney’s Harbor Bottle Shop 215 E. Main St., Harbor Springs; 231-526-5472; /gurneysbottleshop.com OK — so this liquor store in Harbor Springs may only offer three sandwiches, none of which come with tomatoes so don’t even ask (their no tomato policy is enforced an account of soggy bread), but you’ll have a hard time picking just one. Though you can build your own, their menu offers the Train Wreck, with ham, turkey, salami, roast beef, cheese, and fixings; the Veggie, which features green peppers, cucumbers, mild peppers, lettuce, onion, and cheese; and the Therman, which has the in-house made chicken salad and salami. Those who know, know to go nuts with condiments, like Gurney’s Deli Sauce, which is a blend of horseradish, mayo, garlic, and spices. Oh, and there’s wine. Lots of wine. Photo via Butter Crust Bakery, Bridgeport/Facebook
9 Bean Rows 9000 E. Duck Lake Rd., Suttons Bay; 231-271-6658; 9beanrows.com Just north of Traverse City is 9 Bean Rows, a small farmstead and artisan bakery and cafe with a wood-fired pizza oven, specializing in seasonal, just-picked, no-spray produce, and fresh bread. For $5, you can score a croissant breakfast sandwich complete with local, free-range eggs, and raclette. They’ve got grab-and-go items and produce, too, as well as wood-fired pizzas that come in Margherita, fennel, pepperoni and cheese, artichoke, salty meat, mushroom, and raclette varieties. Photo via 9 Bean Rows/Facebook

Have something to share?

SEND US A NEWS TIP

Since 1980, Metro Times has been Detroit’s premier alternative source for news, arts, culture, music, film, food, fashion and more from a liberal point of view.