A Guide to Local Gastropubs in Saint Ignace, Michigan

Saint Ignace, Michigan stands at a major crossroads at the base of the Upper Peninsula. Heading North or crossing east to west across the Upper Peninsula, you'll discover the trail winds through our humble city. St Ignace also serves as one of two spots where passenger ferries journey to Mackinac Island, Michigan. For hundreds of years, we've hosted tourists, voyageurs, trappers, and seasonal workers in our little community. Call it Gastropub, Roadside Tavern, Gasthaus, or Public Tavern, the landlords and ladies learned centuries ago that good food brings in a steady clientele. Let me introduce you to three standouts in our community: Timmy Lee's Pub, the Driftwood Sports Bar, and the Village Inn. Rest assured, I've got almost three decades of experience in these places (as well as their counterparts in the United Kingdom, where the term Gastropub originates) and they've never let me down.

Timmy Lee's Pub

Let's start out at Timmy Lee's. Traveling North, once you cross the Mackinac Bridge and head west along old US2, you'll find Timmy Lee's just a short distance past the less exciting spurt of fast food joints on the west end of town. The history of this place is well-established, emerging from the old Miller's Camp roadhouse of days gone by. Timmy Lee's is regularly crowded with locals, regulars, and annual tourists and residents who mark the place as part of their migration back to the North Country. The setting is just gorgeous...beautiful knotty pine interior with an impressive bar (you can always slide into the dining room for something more private or intimate.) I like the fact that you get a glass of white wine in a decent sized goblet, and regular happy hour specials include $5 pitchers on Thursdays, and well drinks at $2 on Wednesdays. Check out their website for what's current, but the Friday Nite Fish Fry with a combination of Perch and Whitefish can't be beat.

I can drink at home without driving to the other side of town, but I just love the great food in this place. They do a great job with burgers, but offer a wide range of dinners including locally caught freshwater fish, barbecued ribs, whitefish and perch, steaks, pasta, and prime rib special on Saturday. Try out the whitefish pate appetizer, made at Manley's Smoked Fish, another perennial Saint Ignace favorite! The cheeseburger dinner is massive and my husband and I love the onion rings, too. I think it's neat how Timmy Lee's highlights local vendors like the Pines, Manley's and even tell you where they get their stonework...right on the menu!

The Driftwood Sports Bar and Restaurant

Whether you are coming or going to Mackinac Island, need a place to hang your hat for an hour or over the weekend, celebrating an important milestone, hosting a company end-of-season dinner, walking through town on the riverfront boardwalk in St Ignace, or hoping to cheer on your favorite sports team, The Driftwood is the place in the Straits to fill all your needs. Believe it or not, I've done all of these things save renting a room in the attached motel! It's actually a fairly unassuming place if you're just driving by, but the Driftwood is a vital part of our community, the tourist community, and the seasonal tourist/employee/resident community as well. It's one of the few places here where you'll find a band playing and it's an exciting spot for watching sports. I'm partial to the place as its signature "Michigan State Burger" reinforces the fact that you see the MSU Spartan Banner flying out front. In the summer months, sitting on their patio watching the world go by (and Mackinac Island Star Line and Shepler's ferries come and go) just can't be beat. When my Quality Wild Rice distributer is in town, this is our first choice for dinner, because he and I just love their planked whitefish and my husband craves a burger. He tries all of them, appropriately named to match local interest. Believe it or not, the big one is two thirds of a pound of meat, the Knute Rockney burger. My favorite semi-regular special is their pan-fried walleye, and our son just loves the pizza and pasta selection. When Vince worked for Star Line Ferry service, the owner hosted the end-of-season farewell party at the Driftwood and the place was jam-packed.

The Village Inn of Saint Ignace

One of the first places my husband took me, back when we were just dating, was the Old State Bar of Saint Ignace, which eventually evolved into the Village Inn. I also was the "chain's" frequent customer on Mackinac Island, back when I worked at The Grand Hotel and enjoyed the amazing, world class strawberry daiquiris. More recently, at the regional airport in Pellston, I spent a few hours happily sipping wine at their branch just south of the Mighty Mackinac Bridge. The owners and managers work hard to offer an impressive wine list, and I did my first St. Ignace area wine tasting series right at the "new" Village Inn, just after they changed names. My husband has teased me for well over a decade, because to him, The State Bar will always be the State Bar, and it was a shot and a beer for a buck (Chuck Coveyou's draw) that kept us in that joint for so much of our younger lives. Chuck always had great food, and the Village Inn expanded on those humble, but rock-solid beginnings. There's a breakfast buffet in season, and I'll never forget the first Mother's Day dinner when our son took me out on his own. Redesigning the bar area quite some time ago, the place still retains its ambiance for "quaffing a few pints," yet there's booths for more secluded dining. There's a back room I've been in for wine classes, private parties, and even a small political rally. You can bank on good food and good times at "The V.I." as us Yoopers and Yooper Wannabes call it -- and don't miss their pizza, either. It's some of the best in town.

Miscellaneous Information

In closing, I'd like to add that all three places have ample parking and are located on the main road through the City of St Ignace. Timmy Lee's also offers shuttle service Wednesday through Saturday and there's taxi services to all patrons who imbibe "a wee bit too many pints" during their venture into the world of gastropub dining. All locations are within walking distance of reasonably priced overnight lodging; in fact, the Driftwood and the Village Inn both offer rooms right on the premises. I'd like to add a personal thank you to each venue mentioned here for many years of great food, happy times, and wonderful service. You've kept me (and countless others) coming back for more...