The local waters offer a variety of fish, from walleye and whitefish to lake perch. Michigan is also number two in the country for its variety of agricultural products, so you’re sure to find fresh ingredients on restaurant menus. In addition to the fish, some Michigan specialties include blueberries, cherries, and pasties, so you’ll see these on the menus of the best restaurants, and they should be some of your first selections.

Thank you to Experience Indian River for hosting my stay.

Here are 11 of the best places to eat in Indian River arranged in alphabetical order.

Christopher’s Café

Located in downtown Indian River, Christopher’s Café has been serving meals for more than 75 years. It has stood the test of time as a local favorite for breakfast. The café offers breakfast and lunch daily.

What to Order

With over 61 unique dishes on the menu, you’ll have a difficult time choosing. Christopher’s offers nine versions of their seven-inch fluffy waffles that they make fresh to order. One of my favorites is the cinnamon roll waffle featuring cream cheese frosting, just like a cinnamon roll. If you prefer pancakes or French toast, you won’t be disappointed.

They have nine types of omelets, including a build-your-own one, so you can have it exactly as you like it. I prefer the skillet, and my favorite is the farmer’s skillet with grilled hash browns that they top with ham, green pepper, onions, and cheddar cheese. For a local favorite, try the elk sausage. It will complement any of the breakfast dishes.

At lunch, their salads, especially the chef salad, are Instagram-worthy.

Piper’s Pro Planning: While they’re open seven days a week, 8 AM to 2 PM for breakfast or lunch, go for breakfast on Wednesday for Wacky Waffle Wednesday.

Drost’s Chocolates

Drost’s Chocolates is the perfect place to stop for dessert or a sweet treat. They have hand-made their chocolates and fudge for decades behind the counter on a marble slab. Their candies include truffles, butter cremes, bark, fudge, and several other choices.

Their ice cream shop offers two dozen flavors of ice cream that you can spin into several ice cream treats.

What to Order

Chocolates: In the chocolate category, my favorites are the dark chocolates and anything with Michigan cherries. The dark chocolate cherry bark is a must-try.

Ice Cream: My favorite flavor includes Michigan cherries, but they have a wide variety that is sure to include one of your favorites.

Piper’s Pro Planning: Take home some other Northern Michigan specialties, like the Michigan maple syrup and jams created from hand-picked Northern Michigan fruit.

La Casa de Rosas

Located on the property of the Northland Brewing Company,  La Casa de Rosas is a food truck offering a fresh take on Mexican classics. Order at the window, then take a seat at one of the onsite picnic tables. If the day is perfect for a picnic, grab a meal to go and head over to Burt Lake State Park and dine in one of the picnic areas. While you’re right there, after dinner, go into Northland Brewing Company to enjoy a local craft beer and listen to live music. While the beer was constantly rotating, I had on tap the Bride’s Choice IPA and Mother McClutchey’s Irish Stout.

Make your stop at La Casa de Rosas during the Indian River Night Bazaar. You’ll find a marketplace with many vendors, live music, and a variety of activities. It’s the perfect place to spend a summer evening.

What to Order

Tacos are always a good bet, as they have several proteins that the chef transforms into tacos. If street corn is on the menu, order that. I also loved the Tres Leches cake, which was a dessert special the day I went. The bottom line, you can’t go wrong with anything the chef puts out.

Piper’s Pro Planning: If you have your eye on any of the specials, go early, as they are usually popular and sell out early.

Michael’s Tavern & Steakhouse, A Must-Try Restaurant Near Indian River, Michigan

Situated in a historic 1938 log building transformed into a stunning rustic chic atmosphere, Michael’s Tavern & Steakhouse offers an upscale dining experience perfect for a casual or celebratory dinner with friends. Michael’s is one of my favorite restaurants in the area, and I don’t wait for a special occasion to eat here. They have great food, and it’s a great place to kick back and enjoy the upscale atmosphere with quality food and excellent service.

Michael’s features three sections on the dinner menu—sushi, tavern, and steakhouse. The steakhouse menu features traditional steakhouse offerings like a 72-hour short rib or 28-ounce dry-aged Wagyu ribeye. Complete your meal with one of their shareable sides, like the roasted wild mushrooms or house-cut French fries. The mac n’ cheese is another shareable side, complementing an entrée or order it as an entrée for a complete meal. It features lobster and truffles with five types of cheese—gruyere, fontina, cheddar, asiago, and Parmesan, and then it’s baked to create a plate of comfort food.

For something less indulgent but equally delicious, select from the tavern menu. The Michigan craft beef burger highlights two four-ounce patties covered in melted American cheese. Then, the chef tops it with iceberg lettuce, house-made pickles, burger sauce and serves it on a brioche bun.

What to Order

While it is a traditional steakhouse, the dishes have new, bold flavors. For an appetizer, we had the whipped feta board that included honey-whipped feta, roasted herb olives, and Fustini’s 18-year balsamic, served with sea salt crackers to scoop up the dip-like topping.

While I was surprised to find an extensive sushi menu with over a dozen options in what I think of as remote Northern Michigan, it was done better than many big-city sushi places. I don’t often eat sushi, but I found several from the wide selection that appealed to me, including the veggie roll, the tempura whitefish roll, and the Philly roll. You’ll also find the more traditional options like the California roll and the black dragon roll.

They also cater to those who want vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free options. For example, one vegan option was the tagliatelle, which was a house-made vegan pasta that included spinach, mushroom, asparagus, pickled red onion, tomato, and roasted red pepper coulis.

All steaks come a la carte, where you add enhancers like Bordelaise sauce and mushrooms, as well as shareable sides such as garlic mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus.

Piper’s Pro Planning: Michael’s Tavern & Steakhouse opens for dinner Tuesday through Saturday.

The Greenside Grille

Situated inside the Indian River Golf Club, The Greenside Grille is the nineteenth hole for lunch after a round of morning golf. Their deck features stunning views of the greens. Their family-friendly atmosphere also makes it a great place for the whole family to meet for dinner after playing a late afternoon round of golf.

What to Order

If you’re looking to sample some fish from the Great Lakes, like whitefish or walleye, you’ll find several options on the menu. For example, the Great Lakes planked whitefish dinner features fresh whitefish broiled with house-made citrus butter topped with fresh herbs. Roasted whipped potatoes accompany the dish. Another Great Lakes fish option is the sautéed walleye filet, which the chef pan sears and serves with an artichoke and lemon caper butter sauce.

If you don’t like fish, they offer a prime rib dinner special on Saturday nights. Their standard dinner menu also offers a variety of other protein options, like pork, chicken, and steak.

Vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free diners won’t have any trouble finding something to meet their needs. For example, their vegan tacos feature three flour tortillas in an order, lightly spread with roasted red pepper hummus. Then, they fill it with cool, crispy slaw and include an array of seasonal grilled vegetables, including peppers, onions, mushrooms, and squash.

Some great lunch selections include fish tacos or a sandwich. The restaurant arguably serves the best Reuben sandwich in the area.

Piper’s Pro Planning: The restaurant welcomes everyone.

The Station at 310

In 1882, the Michigan Central Railroad built the Indian River train depot. Today, more than 140 years later, the depot is The Station at 310, a bar and restaurant focusing on BBQ-style meals. You’ll be right on track when you stop at the depot for tasty treats. As the author of the book Secret Michigan, I loved their secret menu, which turns out to be their weekly specials. You’ll find seasonal specialties and holiday-themed dishes.

What to Order

The homemade brisket chili is worthy of mention. This chili isn’t spicy but full of flavor, featuring smoked brisket, ground beef, beans, and stewed tomatoes. The dish comes garnished with shredded Colby cheese, diced onions, and sour cream for an award-winning take on the dish.

Some dishes, like the smoked wings, are over-the-top bar food, smoked in-house, while others, like the BBQ Plate under the Full Steam Ahead section of the menu. This section lists a variety of entrées. The BBQ Plate has brisket tips, pulled pork, hush puppies with the BBQ entrée, green apple slaw, macaroni and cheese, and a slice of Texas Toast.

Piper’s Pro Planning: Each menu item has a cash price and a credit card price. Pay with cash and save.

Thirsty Sturgeon

Located on the banks of the Sturgeon River, the Thirsty Sturgeon’s patio showcases views of the river. They serve lunch and dinner in a casual, family-friendly atmosphere. The local restaurant chooses Michigan ingredients whenever possible, where they prepare fresh food daily, including baking their house-made bread.

What to Order

For a starter, I always get the smoked whitefish pâté and have never been disappointed. 

They smoke their pork in-house, so be sure to try one of the dishes featuring the flavorful meat. It begins with pork shoulder seasoned with a house-made dry rub. They slowly smoke and grill the meat in their tangy Carolina sauce. Then, they stack it on an artisan brioche bun and top it with coleslaw. The pulled pork schmeer and pulled pork tacos are other smoked pulled pork favorites.

Piper’s Pro Planning: Tuesdays are an All-U-Can-Eat Pizza bar when you dine in. The pizza bar starts at 4:00 PM.

Pin this to your favorite Michigan Restaurant Board.

Vivio’s

Vivio’s sits in a Northwoods cabin that dates back to 1939. Serving Italian-American old favorites in a building full of local history, you’ll have a great time in this Northern Michigan restaurant. Red and white checkered tablecloths bring the Italian vibe, while the northern Michigan taxidermy animals and log cabin décor remind you that you’re up north.

Although dining there may require over an hour’s wait, you probably won’t mind as it’s all part of the experience. While they offer a covered patio to appreciate a pre-dinner cocktail, most families plan to spend time at the playground to let the kiddos burn off steam while the parents keep a watchful eye and enjoy a glass of wine.

What to Order

While my husband gobbled up the lasagna, I had the Vivio’s Special, a traditional Italian crust covered in mozzarella cheese, pepperoni, mushrooms, green peppers, and bacon. Go ahead and add onions or anchovies for no additional charge.

In addition to traditional lasagna, they offer a vegetarian version, layering the pasta with ricotta, mozzarella, zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, and tomato sauce. Combine a pasta meal with crispy antipasti salad and warm house-made yeast rolls. Be sure to save room for one of their specialty desserts. I particularly liked the traditional Italian tiramisu.

For those looking for a fish dinner from the Great Lakes, Vivio’s-style whitefish is a good choice. First, the chef bakes it in lemon juice and water and then tops it with tomatoes and onions for a tasty entrée. Then, they serve it with veggies and a choice of sides.

Piper’s Pro Planning: They don’t take reservations. So, if you don’t want to wait in line, call for carry-out that you can enjoy at home or in one of the local picnic areas.

Wildwood Coffee Company

Wildwood Coffee Company has a pleasant atmosphere where you can enjoy a cuppa Joe while getting some work done. The area in the back with a sofa and comfortable chairs is a great place to catch up with some friends over a mid-morning pastry treat and a coffee.

While you’re there, check out their branded merchandise and get a package of coffee to brew at home, which will hold you over until your next visit.

They’re open Monday through Saturday, 7 AM to 4 PM, so if you want to grab a cup and go, their quick service will have you on your way in no time.

What to Order

For a savory option, order the avocado toast. If you don’t drink coffee, try a smoothie in your favorite flavor.

Piper’s Pro Planning: Start at H&L Dairy Mart and buy a scoop of your favorite ice cream flavor in a cup. Then, walk quickly to Wildwood Coffee and have their baristas add two shots of espresso for the absolute best Affogato in the world!

The Wigwam

The Wigwam offers over 25 beers on tap, many of which are Michigan craft beers. They’re also developing their wine list, all of which complements their over-the-top bar food. You’ll also have great experiences at the Wigwam, including live music until 11:00 PM on Friday and Saturday and Poker on Sundays at 4:30 PM and 7:00 PM.

What to Order

We started with a sharable of beef sirloin bites, where they toss the meat in a skillet with your choice of Cajun, salt and pepper, Jamaican jerk, or teriyaki seasonings. Pita bread and horseradish sour cream accompany the dish, which is almost hearty enough for an entrée.

They also have some of the best pizza topped with lots of cheese. The pizza starts with hand-stretched dough, then they layer on their house-made sauce, Grande Mozzarella cheese, and finally finish with fresh toppings. We ordered the Wigwam Special, which included pepperoni, ham, red onion, green pepper, and gourmet mushrooms as toppings. Oh, and did I mention the cheese? The cheese pull was phenomenal!

Piper’s Pro Planning: While their regular menu has a few south-of-the-border items, like tortas and birria tacos, go on Taco Tuesday, where you’ll find a complete variety of tacos at a reasonable price.

Wilson’s Rivers Edge

Wilson’s Rivers Edge is a family-friendly restaurant that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner with soups and pies made from scratch. You won’t walk away hungry from their all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet. A meal here is an excellent option if you’re traveling with the grandkids.

Their menu has a wide variety of offerings. On the classic sandwich menu, they have everything from a hot turkey sandwich to the classic BLT. For a heartier dish, the baskets come in various fish, seafood, and chicken selections.

My favorite homemade pies here are the cherry and coconut cream. You can’t go to Michigan without having a slice of cherry pie.

What to Order

The Big Bad John Burger is a best seller. They start with two beef patties cooked to order with melted Swiss and American cheese on top. Then, they top it all with lettuce, tomato, and Thousand Island dressing. A kosher pickle spear and chips accompany the burgers, but you can add onion rings or fries for an additional charge.

If you have a craving for Thanksgiving dinner in the middle of summer, Wilson’s is where you’ll want to go. It has turkey, mashed potatoes, and house-made dressing covered in house-made gravy and served with a side of cranberry relish.

Overall, no matter if you’re eating breakfast, lunch, or dinner at Wilson’s, the clearly marked best sellers and house specialties are a sure thing.

Piper’s Pro Planning: Wilson’s make the soups and pies from scratch. I suggest you buy a whole pie and a quart of soup to take home. If the family is on vacation, this will give a break to the cook.