Pulling into the hamlet of Eagle River off of Highway 41 feels like stepping back in time. There’s little there but a collection of simple, historic summer homes, a vintage playground, a turn-of-the-century metal truss footbridge, and one of the U.P.’s best meals. “The Fitz,” as it’s known around the Keweenaw, is equal parts hotel and restaurant—the building itself an unassuming 1950s-era motel. But inside, owner Mike LaMotte and his team are pouring decades-aged whiskey into etched cocktail glasses and plating beef brisket from the on-site smoker. Bonus: Book a room in one of the recently remodeled one-bedroom king suites, and turn dinner into an overnight at this sunset-facing Lake Superior gem.

This white tablecloth dining room on the tip of the Keweenaw is the place to go when the occasion warrants lobster tail, roasted duck with lingonberries, or a tableside martini. The restaurant holds onto its longstanding German roots, with smoked jägerwurst and schnitzel also making appearances on the menu. If dirndl-clad waitresses feels a bit dated, head straight for the bar and sip a German dunkle while watching the Isle Royale ferry return to Copper Harbor. 

Marquette got its start as a working harbor, and the stunning ore dock and related historic buildings still (rightly) dominate the city’s shoreline. As a result, most of the Queen City’s exciting restaurant scene is happening up the hill on Front, Washington, and Third streets. To dine on the water, head slightly south of town to Drífa Brewing, a cooperative brewery that brings in Marquette’s two best food trucks on a regular schedule. Eat carnitas, chorizo, and chicken tacos from Dia de los Tacos, flavors that pair well with Drifa’s Green Ladder American IPA; and on Sunday nights there’s wood-fired pizza from Smelted, which should be ordered with the Lower Harbor lager. The cooperative’s beer garden is some 100 yards from Lake Superior, where visitors can watch freighters and sailboats cruise by.

The porch at Rocks Landing is so close to Crystal Lake that you can hear the waves lapping up against the shoreline while you eat. While this was a privilege that for decades was only enjoyed by guests of Chimney Corners Resort, for whom this building served as a beachside dining hall, it was only a few years ago that the space underwent a major remodel and became a restaurant that is open to the public. Look for dishes inspired by the salted coasts, such as gambas al ajillo or a tuna poke with wakame, edamame and coconut rice.

Owned by husband and wife team Randy and Mari Chamberlain, this award-winning restaurant is one of Leelanau County’s most longstanding gems. The elegant menu changes daily, but includes selections such as Idyll Farms chevre with orange marmalade and fennel taralli or rack of lamb with sauce Robert and garlic confit. Sit in the comfort of Blu’s dining room, which is like an oversized sun porch with glass walls and ceiling, or ask for a table outside. Both have unparalleled views of Lake Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Bay and the Manitou Islands.

Old Mission Peninsula is the spit of land that heads due north out of Traverse City, splitting Grand Traverse Bay into two: East Bay and West Bay. Nestled in a small cove known as Bowers Harbor, looking west over West Bay, is Boathouse restaurant — fittingly named for the sailboats that also call this calm harbor home. Treat yourself to a dozen oysters (the restaurant goes through some 10,000 of them every summer) and one of the 30 Michigan wines on offer, followed by any of the entrees that feature fruits or vegetables from owner’s Doug Kosch’s personal 10-acre farm.   

Located just a stone’s throw from the far eastern end of Lake Charlevoix, Cafe Santé is a locals favorite. Inspired by the classic French brasserie, this Boyne City spot is open all day. The brunch menu includes a croque-madame and a nicoise salad, and a duck French onion soup and whitefish á la meuniére can be found at dinner. Dine inside for a real bistro feel, or outdoors on the patio to see the kids running off their ice cream in Sunset Park next to the lake.

This longstanding anchor of the Harbor Springs dining scene underwent a major renovation in 2016 and is worth revisiting if it’s been awhile. A more casual version of its former self, the nautical redo is fitting for a restaurant just footsteps from some of the most exquisite yachts in all of Lake Michigan. Grab a mint julep to go and sip it in the city’s nearby “social drinking district” (thanks, COVID!) while you wait for a table to open up on Dudley’s Deck. Once seated; order the fish and chips or the pan roasted walleye with tomatoes, capers, and white wine butter; and watch the world (and the Lilly Pulitzer parade) go by.

Halfway between Petoskey and the Mighty Mac—and not far away from the Pellston airport—sits Douglas Lake and the aptly named Douglas Lake Bar and Steakhouse (aka “the DLB”). This rustic log restaurant features two fieldstone fireplaces and a lakeside patio, and is beloved for their wedge salad and steak au poivre. Be sure to hit this woodland gem on a Sunday evening in July or August—when there’s a rotating lineup of live music.

Anyone celebrating a milestone on Mackinac Island knows about Grand Hotel, but don’t overlook Carriage House restaurant at the Hotel Iroquois, located within inches of Lake Huron and the island’s ferry harbor. Walk through the property’s meticulously manicured Victorian-style flower gardens, take in the nightly piano music, ask for a table on the patio, and dine on smoked whitefish cakes while overlooking the historic Round Island lighthouse. Don’t skip dessert. In a region where tourists are known as “fudgies,” it’s fitting that Carriage House restaurant’s ice cream puff pastry with hot fudge is a guest favorite.

Built in 1894 as a private hunting and fishing lodge, the Hack-Ma-Tack Inn is one of the most historic dining rooms in Northern Michigan. Named for the Native American word for the tamarack logs from which it was built, this historic cabin that is decorated with canoes, rowing sculls, and old fishing lures sits on the Cheboygan River near Mullett Lake. Anyone cruising Michigan’s Inland Waterway should tie up at “the Hack,” as it is known to regulars, find a chair near one of the enormous picture windows, order a bottle of the Ruinart Brut Rosé and the slow-roasted prime rib with house-made creamed horseradish, and watch the string of pontoons go by.

Who says million-dollar views have to come with million-dollar meals? In Sault Sainte Marie, known simply as the “Soo,” get a ¾-pound (that is not a typo) hamburger and a chocolate shake from a vintage drive-in that just so happens to hug the St. Marys River. This working passageway connects Lake Superior to Lake Huron by way of the Soo Locks. Eating in a car never looked so good!