Manistique Restaurants

Big Boy
(906) 341-6941
Walk up to the door in summer, and you realize this isn't just another chain restaurant. Flowers almost surround the front courtyard, with tables. some play equipment, and a lake view. There's leaded glass on the hardwood doors, and computers for guests' use on the front counter. It and some 2 dozen Michigan Big Boys are wi-fi internet hotspots. A flat-screen TV is in one corner. There's live music on some weekends, especially in summer. Many of the wait staff have been here well over a decade. Local people love the Big Boy. Much of all this is the work of manager Dennis Goldthorp, who sets a high standard.
   The generous weekend buffet includes 3 or 4 dinner entrees (fish, beef, chicken and more) with a big salad bar, all for about $10.
   Of course, there's the usual Big Boy menu. Big breafasts, any time, with optional fresh fruit. Many sandwiches, any time. The chain was based on burgers with a difference (very big and not so big). Many sides, starting with famous onion rings. Unlimited soup, salad, and fresh fruit bar at dinner. Dinner entrees include pot roast, broiled amd fried fish, Italian pastas. Smoke free. Dinner entrees about $10 and up.

Cedar Street Café & Coffeehouse
(906) 341-2469
A contemporary version of a small-town café, the Cedar Street Café has very good food. It has become quite a diverse gathering spot since opening in fall, 2008. The Café has an open look with big windows, exposed brick walls, a tin ceiling. There's no fussy décor—rather, changing featured artists on the walls. A WiFi internet room is in the back. The menu, starting with good coffee and coffee drinks, is limited and evolving. Breakfast (currently beginning at 9 a.m.) includes basics like eggs and toast (or croissant), a breakfast burrito, and also special items like elaborate French toast. Most popular of all is the 3-egg omelet with Swiss cheese and ham ($7). Lunch brings soup, a chef's salad, fresh gyros, chicken and Greek wraps, and other sandwiches.
   "Everybody's lunchtime favorite is the grilled Cuban panini" with meats, cheese, and garlicky cheese spread grilled together," says owner Carla Cheuvront. Wednesday at dinnertime it's Mexican night. A Chicagoan formerly in IBM sales, she "fell in love with Manistique." After a bout with cancer (which led her to from-scratch cooking), she was looking to do something different—initially just a coffeehouse. She plunged into renovating the 1897 building.
   In the back of her mind, Carla says, she's guided by experiences in around-the-world travels and in her parents' native Germany to create an American version of the convivial, unpretentiously tasteful cafés she has enjoyed around the world.

Marley's Bar and Grill
(906) 341-8297
125 years old, Marley's is a Manistique institution, reaching its annual peak on St. Patrick's Day when customers go through 60 lbs. of beef briskets. Local people often recommend Marley's. It started out in 1894 as a tavern from logging days. The long, narrow bar is original. But now it's much more of a convivial restaurant known for sandwiches, homemade soups, giant hot dogs, and ribs. The celebrated signature sandwich is a boiled burger ($3.85) on homemade bun, served, like all sandwiches here, on a pie tin. The Greek chicken pita ($6) is another favorite. Baby-back ribs ($13/half rack) star at dinner. Noodles with homemade Alfredo sauce, salads, chili, subs, clam chowder on Friday—there's something for everyone, says Mary Lou Hoffman, formerly an automotive engineer. She bought Marley's in 2001 when she saw the handwriting on the wall in the automotive business. There are lots of video games, and kids' items on the menu. Kids can stay after 9 p.m. with parents, of course.

Upper Crust Café & Bookstore
(906) 341-2253
This pleasant deli/café/bookstore has lots of natural light. The menu consists of soup, salad, over 30 sandwiches ($5-$7), and specialty desserts like Dutch apple pie. Outdoor tables look out on the Manistique River. Dinners on summer Saturdays are "phenomenal," says one area resident. Dinners are from 5 to 8. No reservations.

Three Mile Supper Club
(906) 341-8048
An area innkeeper regularly recommends Three Mile Supper Club for its varied and consistently tasty fare: fresh fish, steaks, chicken, pasta, and shrimp and other seafood, prepared by the owner-chef. Cajun seasonings can spice things up. Fresh whitefish ($15) is huge; there's a "Three Mile Island" tub on one fishing tug, reserved for the best-looking fish. Steaks range from $14 to $22. Prime rib is on Saturday. Friday features all-you-can-eat fish for $10 to $11. Entrées include homemade soup and either a salad bar with homemade ingredients or the very popular spinach salad with hot bacon dressing.
   This place has long catered to both summer people and locals. Service is folksy and friendly. The vintage knotty pine interior goes back to when the supper club was a dance destination. No reservations. Come early, especially on weekends.

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