Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Grindstone General Store

    3.8 (67 reviews)
    Closed 1:00 pm - 8:00 PM

    Grindstone General Store Photos

    More like Grindstone General Store

    Recommended Reviews - Grindstone General Store

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Outside the general store
    Brandon M.

    They do live up to their claim of having the biggest cones in the thumb. 24 flavors of Stroh's Ice cream and 9 homemade. Competitive prices on the cones not so much on the souvenirs and trinkets. I don't think the waffle cones are made in house but it was fresh and crispy all the same. No indoor seating. Outdoor bench and picnic table seating with most shaded. Limited lot and street parking. NO indoor restrooms or hand washing stations, just an outdoor porta potty. Young, friendly staff that verbally thank you for your tip. I would return if I was in the area.

    Jesse S.

    As per the service the owner can work on his greetings and be a little friendlier. The ice cream is really good, but get of holder of yourself dude when you are in demand expect a lot of customers. Really I mean don't you like money ? It's a touristy place so what do you expect? I do recommend stop here but don't let it ruin your mood when you get here. Theres a lot of things to be thankful for in this world and enjoying ice cream is one of them. I hope the experience here can b come a pleasant one. That's is all. Chief Bluebell ice cream the best ice cream in the country. GOD BLESS TEXAS!

    Isaac A.

    4 stars for the sheer volume of ice cream you get. In terms of a general store, there wasn't much for sale other than a few souvenirs and Saunders cakes. Pay attention when you enter, because that is where the flavor list is for the ice creams. You get an absurd amount of ice cream for just a few dollars. I felt it was better quality than the quick-stop places, but below a lot of the farms such as Gurnsey or Moomers. It was pretty good, though. Only one of my kids was able to finish their small cones and it probably took 30 minutes or so to do it. I grabbed the bear claw flavor and was satisfied. It is a good stop on a hot day and definitely something you will remember afterwards. There isn't a lot of parking, so you will likely end up parking on the side of the road across the street.

    A R.

    This place was dirty, stinky, and not well kept. One of the workers used the outhouse right outside as we were eating. There was no way for him to wash his hands so it was unsanitary. We had no idea the only restroom was the outhouse until after eating and ordering. They also were touching the ice cream when they were putting it in the cup like they've never scooped ice cream before. Overall, big mistake, don't go here. They give a lot of ice cream, but at what cost! Ice cream was okay, nothing special. I would skip. P.S. this is coming from someone not from the thumb, so know I'm telling the truth.

    Yes- they're huge!
    Laurie H.

    If you love ice cream, this place is all about the experience. It's the type of place where memories are made of that special trip you took up north and you'll be talking to others about that biggest helping of ice cream you ever had! Whether it's a cone or cup, it's definitely a heaping helping! They even have some homemade flavors that are very good so why not try something different! Be careful of the size you order because their sizing isn't what you think! Huge, a lot, big, hefty, heaping are not understatements. So don't be surprised at the mound of ice cream you get even in the smallest 'baby' size! More seating could be a plus since we stood outside to eat ours but all in all, they have a great business with plenty of help. The lines in the prime time of summer can sometimes be long with eager adults and children waiting patiently for their choice of delicious flavors, but hey, you're here to hopefully relax and enjoy some 'down' time. So stop in if you're in the area, or heck, take a little while to go off the beaten path and enjoy this place for what it has to offer. You'll leave with some true tales to talk about when you get home!

    2020-07-25. Grindstone General Store. Grindstone, MI. Grindstone serve's Stroh's.
    G I N.

    2020-07-25. Grindstone General Store. Grind Stone, MI. So our original plan was to hit up Rybak's, but COVID has them closed for the season. This was supposed to be the end of our day trip of Michigan's Thumbnail before our drive back home. So I decided to check out Grindstone because of their 14 oz scoops, and you can get up to five! We made the short drive from Port Austin to Grind Stone and the General Store is located in a remote area, away from the town. Located on Copeland Rd, there is really nothing around, so if you don't know the place, you won't find it. It's literally down the street from Rybak's Ice Cream, and when we arrived, the place was packed. Cars were parked on the shoulder of the two lane Copeland Rd and people were milling around enjoying their ice cream. Face masks are required for entry as declared by Governor Whitmer and social distancing was enforced. If The General Store was in fact the General Store at one point in time, it has now been reduced to pretty much an Ice Cream parlor and souvenir shop. While in queue, we had a chance to peruse the menu of flavors. The General Store proudly serves Stroh's Ice Cream, a native Detroit business that converted from alcohol to Ice Cream, a transition most never would have guessed possible. I was hoping that they would serve flavors not found in grocery stores in addition to them serving the premium end of Stroh's Ice Cream line. While they did have some unique flavors we haven't seen at Kroger's, nothing caught our eye or our cravings. I wasn't able to ascertain the level of ice cream they were serving, whether it was Stroh's premium line, or grocery chain line, so we decided to play it safe and assume the worse. Don't get me wrong, Stroh's is a local favorite of many, but it just wasn't what we were looking for. I honestly thought it was home made ice cream and from what I read, this place was a hidden gem. It's definitely hidden, but I'm not so sure about the gem part. The venue is great, there are some picnic benches out front and on the side lot adjacent to the building. With nothing special to write home about, we actually ended up not placing an order, and decided to head back to Port Austin and check out the Blue Moon Ice Cream Shoppe because it would be on our way home. I read some pretty good things about The General Store, but I was looking for more, a lot more really. My disappointment is what brings me to go against the grain and give The General Store 2 stars. Since this rating is NOT INDICATIVE of the food quality, rather more my experience, I ask that you take it at face value. In an effort to not damage it's current rating based on my fellow Yelpers, I'm rating this review with 4 stars despite my personal rating of 2 stars. The only other notable was that I was unable to check-in on Yelp while at The General Store, I lost phone signal! Driving back down the street to Rybak's, my signal picked up again, and my pending check-in went through. So if anyone out there is reading this and has a connection to someone who works for AT&T, Grind Stone City has an area for improvement. I'm sure Verizon can hear me, AT&T, can you hear me now? In the meantime, it would also be a nice gesture and convenience if The General Store provided free WiFi for their customers. Who knows, this may also increase the number of reviews they get. If you would like to experience more, come dine-with-me.yelp.com I'd love to have your company... Bon Appétit!

    Unreal big scoops
    Niki B.

    You think you like ice cream? Yeah?? Well the true ice cream lovers are revealed at Grindstone's. Order the baby size and you'll be confronted with a scoop the size of your head. Even the cones are made larger to support the mass of ice cream. The kiddie size is two scoops even bigger than your head, and don't be fooled- the "triple" is actually FIVE scoops. Crazy. The line is super long and it's located in the middle of nowhere, but that's the charm. It's a delicacy and a tradition, and you have to wait in order to earn it. There's unique flavors such as "banana Oreo" and outdoor seating too!

    Sarah H.

    This was, by far, the coolest food stop of our day. We were exploring the thumb and I found this place mentioned on the Pure Michigan site. Located off M-25 on a dirt road, this is a hidden gem as the last store standing from Grindstone City. It features little knickknacks and local artist items for sale, and then there is the ice cream. THE PORTIONS ARE $%^@#* HUGE. We shared a kiddie sized waffle cone and it was plenty for two adults. I asked the young man behind the counter if anyone ever orders a triple and he said "Yeah, about 10-15 a month." Me "DO THEY LIVE TO TELL THE TALE?!?!?!?!:" Him: "Yep." They had some standard flavors and some unique ones, we tried the Sanders Bumpy Cake flavor by Stroh's and it was unbelievable. They also give you the cones in this little plastic thing that stops the ice cream from running down your hand. GENIUS. The parking along the side only had a few spaces, but you can pull off the road across the street. It's about a two hour drive for us from home, but count on us visiting again the next time we are in the area!!!

    2 scoops. Note the size compared to an adult face..
    Amy C.

    They weren't kidding when they advertised themselves as having the biggest ice cream cones in the thumb--it might even have the biggest cones in the entire state. Basically, the smallest size = half a tub of ice cream you find in grocery stores, and the "2 scoops" size = 1 entire tub of ice cream. Their prices were unbeatable for so much ice cream, but I get the feeling that most of it goes to waste, which is unfortunate. Definitely suggest going with the smallest size unless you haven't eaten in 3 days and want to eat something that will keep you full for the next 3 days. They have Dean's ice cream but also a couple options that are made in-house. One of the ones that make themselves uses Bailey's, which is pretty cool, but they ID you so make sure you have your license handy if you want to try it!

    "Baby" size ice cream in a regular cone. It's easily 3 normal scoops.

    See all

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1
    Photo of Jesse S.
    29
    176
    885

    3 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 1
    Love this 6
    Oh no 2

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of A R.
    1
    29
    45

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Great ice cream, very responsible prices. Friendly service. We stop every time we go to Port Austin.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Make it a point to stop and have a scoop, or two, or three. Absolutely delish. Our tummies are happy!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of G I N.
    41
    460
    7408

    6 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Niki B.
    4999
    1819
    17612

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Amy C.
    642
    337
    2696

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Mae B.
    0
    385
    264

    7 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Justin W.
    3
    175
    69

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lisa B.
    28
    30
    4

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Patches O.
    3
    408
    1939

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    I had the a superman. Loved that it was a original Superman mmmmm. Ice cream are really big. Go for the baby if you don't want to waste.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jon H.
    28
    14
    19

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Grindstone General Store

    Review Highlights - Grindstone General Store

    Order the baby size and you'll be confronted with a scoop the size of your head.

    Mentioned in 5 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Zilwaukee Bridge - Heading home after catering after 2 days at a yoga retreat

    Zilwaukee Bridge

    4.2(5 reviews)
    64.0 mi

    A bit of a boring one, the Zilwaukee Bridge carries I-75 and US-23 over the Saginaw River and…read moreconnects Zilwaukee with Zilwaukee Township. I was not able to get a photograph of the bridge as as super aggressive driver showed up and nearly caused an accident. The bridge opened to traffic in 1987 and has been plagued with problems. Some related to poor construction, some due to unexpected weather and some due to circumstances beyond anyone's control. Its construction ran massively over budget and was extremely delayed. The bridge carries four lanes in each direction with breakdown lanes on both sides. As it's an interstate, there is no pedestrian or bicycle lane. There is no toll to cross the bridge. [Review 17946 overall - 348 in Michigan - 1467 of 2022.]

    My review short and sweet like this bridge ride. This landmark is a high-level concrete bridge…read morewhich spans the Saginaw River in Zilwaukee, Michigan. It is located 5 miles north of Saginaw, Michigan when traveling on south and/or northbound I-75. I remember as a teenager when traveling up north with my parents to our cottage on a lake near Lewiston... either in the Spring, Summer and Fall months, there were times we had to wait in line with other vehicles for the drawbridge to open up to let freighters pass under and then after the bridge would close so traffic could move on their way. Usually our wait time could be up to 15 minutes or less depending on the time of day and the "flow" of traffic on the river! :) Such a great memory before the remodeling of this bridge. Currently, a vehicle keeps on cruising up and over the bridge driving 75 m.p.h. on 75 with cool views out your passenger window on the right of the Saginaw River. Facts: Construction started: 1979 Height: 125 feet Clearance Below: 120 feet Total Length: 8,000 Longest Span: 392 feet It opened: December 23, 1987 ( In time for Christmas) Construction End: September 19, 1988 At times during the day or early morning hours one can see fisherman on the shores fishing for carp, crappie, largemouth bass, northern pike, smallmouth bass, walleye, perch and sunfish.

    Photos
    Zilwaukee Bridge - Heading to a yoga retreat I cater every year!!

    Heading to a yoga retreat I cater every year!!

    Zilwaukee Bridge - Welcome to Zilwaukee!

    Welcome to Zilwaukee!

    Zilwaukee Bridge - I hate driving over this thing by myself!

    See all

    I hate driving over this thing by myself!

    Port Crescent State Park - Sunset 8:16pm 8/27/2022

    Port Crescent State Park

    4.1(20 reviews)
    9.6 mi

    I went here for a quick day hike after kayaking to Turnip Rock. There's actually two trailheads-…read moreone official one with campgrounds and bathrooms, and one with a bridge over the river. I parked at the trailhead with the bridge, which does not have any amenities. If you're nervous about trying to find it, it's right next to the Dark Sky Lodge and Tavern so you can plug that into your navigation system. It's also well marked with a small gravel lot. When I went, the trailhead lot was full so I parked at a grassy lot across the street. The trail runs though the beach and forest ecosystem and it's pretty well maintained and well marked. It's impossible to get lost. As you go near the beach there's plenty of offshoot trails leading to the beach. Just watch out for ticks!

    Absolutely breathtaking shoreline!…read more The only reason I didn't give 5 stars was because we only noticed one trash receptacle during our trip, and it wasn't near the parking lot but instead was appropriately placed next to a (closed) pavilion. It was overflowing, and I'll give them a pass because of the pandemic, but I was disappointed by the lack of trash cans and only one (closed) bathroom. The dunes were great though! A nice adventure and great place for a picnic! Also, heads up, there are signs that clearly state no glass or animals on the beach but plenty of people brought their dogs. Thankfully we saw owners cleaning up after their pups.

    Photos
    Port Crescent State Park
    Port Crescent State Park
    Port Crescent State Park

    See all

    Grindstone General Store - icecream - Updated May 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...