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    Manitou

    3.8 (130 reviews)
    Closed 4:30 pm - 10:00 PM

    Manitou Photos

    MANITOU ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Manitou

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    Reviews With Photos

    Crab stuffed salmon pinwheel
    Katelyn S.

    A great little restaurant, but overall not worth the price. We stopped in for the early bird special and I'm glad we did because the food was not anything impressive, would have been disappointed paying $30 for the same perch dinner at full price. We also ordered the Delmonico steak on special for $50 and crab stuffed salmon for $24. The fried oyster appetizer was amazing, I highly recommend that! However, the food was average and the bill was outrageous.

    pumpkin cheesecake
    Jay C.

    My family of 4 had a reservation for a Wednesday at 7:30 and were seated after a 10-15 min wait. We had fish and chips, steak, trout, and whitefish (sides of baked potato and carrot bisque), along with one glass of wine, coffee, a slice of key lime and a slice of pumpkin cheesecake. Cost was about $160 without tip. They also charge a fee for using a credit card. I wish the food was better because it was just solidly average and uninspired. Even my son who loves most steak thought the steak was lackluster. Nothing was bad, just average. I may have been more disappointed in the dessert which tasted similar to something out of the supermarket freezer aisle (pie seemed recently and not fully defrosted). Service was good.

    Chris H.

    Located in the middle of basically nowhere. Make sure you make a reservation. The atmosphere is woodsy! I'm pretty sure the converted an old wood cabin/house into the restaurant! The eating area is very compartmized like house were in the past. There is wood everywhere, but it works here creating a warm if dark atmosphere! Lots of older knick knacks on the wall. I ordered the M-22 Grill (Market ($28)). A Sirloin Steak marinated in a sweet and savory sauce. I ordered mine medium with Potatoes au Gratin and a Garden Salad. When I sat down the put a bowl down with some slices of cucumber, celery, radish, and carrots with blue cheese dressing. I normally don't care much for these, however maybe it was the blue cheese but I really enjoyed them. The steak came thinly sliced. It was very tender and excellently tasty! For an affordable steak it was top notch. The salad was excellent too. The Au Gratin potatoes were very good, complex potatoes. There was bread too, that was only okay. A little too hard. I prefer very soft bread! The service was good considering they were getting slammed. One small mistake with the salad dressing, but no big deal. Overall a 5 star review. Would I return? Absolutely! Lastly their parking lot is way too small. People have to park along country highway M22. That seems very dangerous when there's so much land around it.

    Fried Whitefish
    Jake R.

    I have been coming to the Manitou for decades at this point, I think I first visited in 1999? I live out of state now. But made a trip up north again for the 4th. I think it may have been 9 or 10 years between trips but this place is still the same. Amazing. The restaurant is kind of like a converted cabin with some awesome decor, the vibe is immaculate. Tucked into the woods. Everyone is very friendly. It was easy to make a reservation just call at some point that same day and they will work with you to get you in. I have dreams about their fried whitefish, and it did not disappoint. It is just as good as I remember it all these years later. I would happily pay $100, $200 for a plate of it. I don't know what voodoo magic they practice to get it to taste the way it does, but it's crispy on the outside, succulent in the middle, the tartar sauce puts it over the edge. I'm hesitant to even write this review because part of me wants to gatekeep it but anyone who writes less than a 5 star review clearly didn't have the whitefish. If you are looking for something cheap then go get a hotdog at 7-11 or something, I don't know what to tell you. The prices are not outrageous but you get what you pay for. It was $80, $100 with tip for two and some drinks for my girlfriend. You're on vacation, enjoy yourself and get the whitefish.

    Hannah B.

    The staff, cabin atmosphere and food are always wonderful here! Pictured is a basket of skinny dippers (garlic salted potato skins) and craft cocktails.

    Table setting

    Terrible food a service was horrendous. They say fine dining, but use paper, napkins, place is a joke.

    perch dinner with 10 beans

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    2 years ago

    Every meal here has been amazing. Highly recommend reservations in summer. Wish they stayed open longer in winter...

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    3 years ago

    Very disappointed. The fish was just dripping in grease. Will have to think twice about going back.

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    Shipwreck Cafe

    Shipwreck Cafe

    (186 reviews)

    $

    Fantastic sandwich and pizza option if you're headed to or from Sleeping Bear Dunes!…read more We came across Shipwreck Cafe after stopping for gas next door on the way to Sleeping Bear Dunes. We wanted a kid friendly option and came in for the pizza, but ended up being blown away by the massive sandwich menu! Don't be discouraged by the line - it moves FAST!!!! The young people at the register and in the kitchen are efficient and so nice!!! We arrived about half an hour before the sign says pizzas are ready, and the lovely man at the register said "sure!" when we asked if we could order a pizza. The menu has something for everyone - Including plenty of vegetarian options (I think they even had a vegan option). I loved my Griffon, and the meat eaters in our group enjoyed the SS Noronic (a BLT) and the Fitzgerald. Our kids devoured their cheese pizza! They also carry Great Lakes Co Chips, which are some of the best potato chips we've ever had. Our sandwiches were all so inventive with delicious, fresh ingredients, amazing condiments, and the most freshly baked "pretzel rolls" ever. If this place wasn't a vacation stop for us, we'd be back all the time! Our kiddos favorite part, bedsides the pizza, were the tiny plastic swords that came in our sandwiches holding them together. When they each wanted one more sword, we went back inside and the staff inside was so used to kids asking for more tiny swords that their response to "May we have two more swords?" Was "Sure! What colors?!" Very different from what the response would have been where we're from. :) We even came back later in the day for the frozen custard!!! All in all, it was a great experience with great food, great service, plenty of outdoor picnic tables under umbrellas, and something for everyone to eat.

    Tony hole in the wall place in a tiny town serving fresh delicious sandwiches, salads, wraps and…read morefrozen custard. Don't let the humble exterior fool you and don't be discouraged by the line (it moves fast). This place is top notch. We got there around noon on a busy August Friday and there were maybe 15 people ahead of us. The guy at the counter takes your order and gives you a buzzer to notify you when to come back inside to grab your food. It's pretty small inside but there are a ton of picnic tables in the grassy areas outside. I got the -"three brothers" which was basically an Italian sub with a lot of fresh prosciutto, salami and ham, juicy tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, lots of bell peppers and Italian dressing-delicious! My wife loved the chicken salad wrap (with cherries of course) and couldn't finish it-did I mention the sandwiches are HUGE and a great value. Our order was ready in about 5-10 minutes. The also sell chips and bottled drinks or go next door to the gas station and get a fountain drink. Super friendly and wonderful, high quality food. Definitely recommended

    Trattoria Funistrada

    Trattoria Funistrada

    (94 reviews)

    $$

    I was able to eat here on a Monday since my flight that was supposed to leave got canceled so I had…read morean extra day to spend in Michigan since my friend's family managed to add me to their reservation. This restaurant is definitely on the smaller side but it has such the cutest charm! I ordered the Salmon Piccata with a side of Caesar salad, and pasta with oil, garlic, and butter. The Salmon Piccata was perfectly cooked; however, I wish it had a tad more seasoning (maybe a tad more salt or simply lemon juice) since I truly had to rely on the capers for any acidity. The Caesar salad has to be one of the best I've ever had--it honestly had the punch of lemony boquerones. If you truly love anchovies, I highly recommend ordering it with some extra anchovies! Lastly, the pasta was just as expected, but it was still delicious! Pro tip if you order the salmon piccata: dip the pasta in the lemon and white wine sauce--you'll thank me later!

    What a special place in what feels like the middle of no where. A house on a street that is inside…read morea cozy, lovely restaurant. Even in the middle of winter, reservations were needed. Upon entering they will take your coats ( if you have them) service was great The ambience is low key, an intimate feeling. Selection of dishes check boxes for classic Italian. I love how you can choose your side pasta and kind of sauce with the entrée. That is a special touch worth going just for that. You are charged for sharing but they offer side and salad with the extra charge. Not unreasonable in my opinion. The bread brought out was delicious. Felt the marinara was a little salty for the eggplant But certainly not inedible. A nearby table had ordered mussels and the smell did carry over to us so a sensitivity to that could be an issue . Dessert The Tiramisu was fabulous. I actually liked the texture as you could taste every component. Usually soggy lady fingers which can taste great but here they kept their structure I felt making it stand out . Wonderful flavors. Parking is one way and could be icy in the lot. Well lit though. Worth the drive!

    Blu - Amuse-bouche

    Blu

    (118 reviews)

    $$$

    We had a fantastic dinner at this small upscale spot while in town for a visit. With its elegant…read moresetting and abundant windows featuring Lake Michigan views, it makes for a memorable evening. The daily menu was crammed with the best local foods and in August when we visited that meant cherries, luscious vine ripened tomatoes, blueberries and more. In fact I hard a hard time narrowing down even the 4 salads as they all sounded fantastic as did the 10 appetizers. In the end we opted to share some things starting with the light crab "puffs" (really golf-ball-sized crab/rice cakes) which were delicious although a bit light on the accompanying sauce. Next we savored the small summer salad made with juicy dark purple tomatoes, fresh basil and slivers of mozzarella. Our entree was the pecan crusted white fish that was also nicely prepared. Note they add a somewhat outrageous charge for a split plate-around $16, so our fish ended up costing $66! For dessert we chose the turtle sundae festooned with crunchy toasted pecans and a house made caramel sauce. There's a nice wine list too. Service here was top notch with constantly filled water glasses and a very professional staff. I was really pleased and surprised to find a restaurant of this quality located in a tiny vacation hamlet. Highly recommended

    We wanted to book one fancy dinner while in the Leelanau/GA/Leland/TC area - and I'm so glad this…read morewas our pick!! While we love great food, we are not "foodies" who do well with super modern/unique takes on classics - and after perusing many menus of different restaurants in the area, we felt like Blu was the right mix of fancy but delicious and classic and we were not disappointed! Pro tip: book a reservation and look when sunset is - we did the 8pm seating with the sun setting around 9-9:30 and if was amazing. They have see through blinds, but raise them up for the sunset and many people walk out to go take a picture on the beach right outside! It's a small intimate restaurant, so in general booking a reservation is advised. The gnocchi was amazing and so flavorful with sun dried tomatoes and succulent shrimp. My spouse got the lamb and really enjoyed the garlic and sauce Robert- and was so happy that it wasn't traditional mint sauce with lamb. The scallops were extremely rich with the asparagus risotto. We did split a crème brûlée which was just okay (maybe a bit too eggy in the texture?) , but they do use real vanilla bean and overall we were stuffed at that point. They have an extensive wine list, cocktail list, and mocktail list which I appreciated as a lady on her baby moon trip :) best Shirley temple I've ever had with real homemade grenadine made from real cherries! Staff is attentive, kind, and always checking to make sure you're taken care of. Overall, yes it's pricey, but for the delicious food, view, overall fanciness - I think it's justified and worth it for a special occasion! We would love to come back in the future.

    Manitou - bars - Updated May 2026

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