Stopped in for a quick lunch with my sister. Service was great, food was amazing. Loved being by the water. Very clean and good vibes. read more

Pak's Backyard - Beer Gardens Near Me - Port Austin, Michigan

See all

Made this lunch stop while in the area with our dog. Great place with excellent food. We loved the loaded pickle fries. We also had the Cajun shrimp basket, angus burger, shrimp tacos, and chicken tenders. All were excellent. Our server was great and we loved the outdoor setting. Totally will come back!! read more

Pak's Backyard - Shrimp tacos - Beer Gardens Near Me - Port Austin, Michigan

Great atmosphere, friendly service and huge portions! Patio was lovely, the fries were amazing and the salad was fresh! read more

Pak's Backyard - Spring mix salad with chicken - Beer Gardens Near Me - Port Austin, Michigan

Nice view on the water, live music, vibe was nice. Inside and outside seating. Waitress was very attentive, nice job to her!! Food is where the 3 star comes In. I know I'm up north and I try to approach places up here accordingly. But food was all very basic. Salad was big, but got chicken and there was very little. Dressing is all cheap bottled stuff. Daughter had a wrap .. it was fine. Fries are battered and think, just not my preference. Drinks were...fine. Bathrooms were dirty, and overall not the cleanest. Decent place to grab a burger, but not a favorite as far as the food goods. 70$ (with tip) for 2 drinks and meals pictured read more

See all

No. This is a no. Be what you are...A Bar. Offer simply bar foods. 4 of us came last night... more effort has been put into esthetic & theme than food. 3 of us had burgers ( only ok) I had the Buffalo Chicken Wrap. I can honestly say I have not had a worst meal out in years. The menu said "chicken cooked to perfection"...it was cold rectangular slabs of what seemed like processed pressed chicken, slapped into a tortilla loosely with lettuce tomatoes & purple onions swimming in sauce ( tasted like simply franks hot sauce...not buffalo flavoring) It was truly awful & $18 of it. Sad & pathetic excuse for a meal... I'm a girl who cleans her plate, could barely eat this. Do better. read more

Pak's backyard is 3 places in one. The backyard is food and drinks. Kayak rentals and shop are attached. And kiddy corner is Pak's garage which is a shop filled with vendors. The backyard is the only lakefront eatery in Port Austin. I'd use it loosely because it's on the canal but you can see the water. The yard is wonderful to spend time in. Games, live music, colorful, hops growing. A lovely atmosphere! Food is pretty good, though they somehow always get my boyfriend's order wrong. He doesn't ask for modifications, just never gets what he orders. Service is good as well. You'll notice many of the staff here also work at other restaurants in town. The inside is small when it rains, so get there early! Parking lot also fills up because Pak's is 3 places in one. Should definitely check out the vendors across the way. Can find some pretty unique items ranging from art to clothing to books to to pillows to crafts to jewelry to bike fixes, and more. I've never tried the kayaking. My parents have their own. read more

Pak's Backyard - Pak's garage. Vendors sell goods here - Beer Gardens Near Me - Port Austin, Michigan

See all

The view is great! The food was very good, we had the shrimp tacos and the shrimp were done perfectly. The beer was cold,very attentive wait staff, give this place a try. read more

A great place to stop in the port Austin area. It's located right at Paks, which is also the launching point for kayak rentals if you're visiting turnip rock. The back of the store opens up into outdoor seating for a beer garden. So after a long day of kayaking you can sit outside and enjoy a few drinks and have some food. It's your run of the mill beer garden type food, but is surprisingly good. We did the pretzel balls just as a snack while we sat outside with views of Lake Huron. read more

Pak's Backyard - Views of the lake from our table - Beer Gardens Near Me - Port Austin, Michigan

Food was average, service was great, location gorgeous so close to Lake Huron. I was disappointed that there wasn't a fish and chips option given the proximity to the lake. They do have a large outdoor seating area with yard games to entertain you or the kids while you wait for food. Actually, food came pretty quickly. They did fancy up the sandwiches by offering the choice of brioche or pretzel buns. I also noticed a couple Cheyboygan beers on the menu but we didn't try them. read more

Pak's Backyard - Grilled chicken sandwich with breaded fries - Beer Gardens Near Me - Port Austin, Michigan

So this little tiki bar/pub is located at Port Austin Kayak and Bike rentals, and due to covid, they only have outdoor seating - which was fine with me. What other restaurant can you walk up to the hostess stand in a wet swimsuit, carrying a kayak paddle and get a table? Not many, haha.. After my seven mile kayak trip to Turnip Rock, I was hungry. And thirsty. So I ordered up a fruity tropical concoction, and a big bacon cheeseburger. Both were perfect and hit the spot. I noticed other reviews mentioning their covid practices, which were good, but I'm appalled at how many customers (and people in general in this area of Michigan) don't wear a mask, even though there are signs saying masks are required. PAK isn't enforcing this. Their staff all have masks, but the clientele? Nope. I did - I managed to pack a mask, because I'm not a selfish covidiot like the majority of tourists up here. Also make sure to check out the store at PAK - they have clothes and shoes and outdoor gear. I bought a really nice pair of sandals there last year. read more

Pak's Backyard - Checked Turnip Rock off my bucket list! Cheers! - Beer Gardens Near Me - Port Austin, Michigan

See all

For the beer and outside sitting only. The food sucks. The staff was really good. In our group no one cares for the food. read more

Pak's Backyard - tables and chairs outside - Beer Gardens Near Me - Port Austin, Michigan

Really love the kid friendly atmosphere at Pak's but quite disappointed that they do not offer non alcoholic pina colada daiquiris etc... for kids or adults that do not want to consume alcohol read more

Pak's Backyard - a woman sitting at a picnic table - Beer Gardens Near Me - Port Austin, Michigan

Beautiful outdoor seating and you can move the umbrellas for an even nicer setting. The menu is limited but what we ordered was very good! We ordered the pretzel balls (small order) to share and these are delicious. Just the right amount of salt with a chewy interior and dunked in the cheese sauce...yummy. I ordered the cheeseburger with side salad. The salad was good and not just lettuce. The cheeseburger however was the best! The char on this burger was sooooo good! Hubby ordered the chicken powerhouse sandwich with upgraded beer battered fries.  He agreed that the char on his sandwich made it! I could have definitely foregone the salad for the beer battered fries...those were very good. Service was friendly and we were seated right away. Our server took our drink order quickly but never rushed the meal. Parking could get hanky when it's busy but we ride our bikes here so no worries. For our meals, plus 5 beers, it was around $75 and it was definitely someplace I'd come again. read more

A great place to sit outside and enjoy a drink! The food isn't anything special but the views of the lake and the drinks make this a good place to go. read more

We were here last year and thought the food was good but the atmosphere is really what we came back for. 2 of us came in tonight. Ordered food and drinks - 2 brats with fries and shrimp tacos with a bag of chips. We waited about an hour and a half for our food after we ordered. The waitress gave us a free beer for our wait. The food should have been out way sooner than this and I'm honestly nervous about coming back. I don't know if we will return. Our food was good. Not amazing and definitely not worth the wait of an hour and a half. The waitress' excuse was that the grill was shut off and had to be turned back on... ok. read more

Pak's Backyard - Brat and fries - Beer Gardens Near Me - Port Austin, Michigan

See all

Very friendly staff that was super nice to my pup! They got her a water bowl and umbrella read more

Pak's Backyard - So nice they brought my pup a dog bowl - Beer Gardens Near Me - Port Austin, Michigan

After being shotdown at another outdoor eatery that wasn't dog-friendly, we were welcomed with open arms at Paks! Super cool, chill outdoor space on the marina. The staff was very accommodating and very attentive. We started the meal with some local brews and loaded potato wedges. The wedges were really flavorful. I had the fish tacos, which were really good and had a kick. They (and almost every dish) came with a side of pasta salad and chips. My little one enjoyed his chicken tenders, and the rest had burgers chicken clubs that were delicious! We finished our meal with ice cream sandwiches that were just so-so. The rest of the meal and the service made this more than a 5 star experience! read more

Solid food and friendly service. For a "beer garden" the draught menu is weak - but the outdoor setup makes up for it. Staff was 100% wearing face coverings - great job! Great signage related to state guidelines and COVID. Super job PAK! read more

Pak's Backyard - Great view with a relaxed atmosphere. #chill - Beer Gardens Near Me - Port Austin, Michigan

Wonderful service very attentive waitress. Their food was awesome. We had cheeseburgers chicken burgers french fries and crispy chips. Entertainment a lot of good entertainment for kids and adults. Connect Four and corn hole while you wait for your food. Interesting concept you share a picnic table with other people. A great time to meet new friends. read more

Pak's Backyard - Backyard photo. - Beer Gardens Near Me - Port Austin, Michigan

Cool spot. Outdoor and pet friendly. Good craft beer available. Food just ok. Hostess sat 3 of us with our dog at table with 2 chairs and walked away. Saw other guests treated similar. Our server was good though. Just ok food. read more

Pulled pork nachos were quality, both in terms of the pulled pork itself and the general arrangement with cheese, peppers, onion, tomatoes. The fish tacos were truly atrocious-- a muddled mess of "cajun" seasoned cabbage and some fish that I'm not even convinced was cooked, given that it was neither pan seared, fried, nor itself seasoned, thereby ending up a sloppy afterthought buried on the bottom of the taco. No garnishes beyond a bag of chips, because why diversify the color palette of a meal that is white, light brown, and medium brown? Cabbage and some weak fish. Got it. Server was nice but a bit befuddled and understandably stressed on a busy weekend. Beer selection is lousy for how expansive it is. And not cheap, either, but you pay for the view if you're sitting out on the deck. read more

Will drive a few hours just to come to this gem of a place! Love it! Hope they reopen again soon!

Decent food, good beer selection and fabulous view. Right next to the kayak rental place. I would have loved to try this on a weekend afternoon. I have to imagine it is hopping! They have ladder golf! read more

Pak's Backyard - When in Port Austin... - Beer Gardens Near Me - Port Austin, Michigan

Food was standard. Cool place but they need to hire waitresses that don't have an attitude. Young and rude.

WORST. FOOD. EVER! Don't waste your money! On Saturday evening, we ordered the pretzel bites appetizer which came with a very small cup of luke warm cheese that had zero taste and looked like it had been sitting around for a long while. Then came our "well done" hamburgers that were raw and cold in the middle and came on an ice cold pretzel bun. And not to mention we had to pay $1 extra for onions and another $1 for one small piece of cheese. Simply awful. They should be ashamed to serve food this bad. We will never be back. There are NO decent places to eat in Port Austin. None. Zero. And there hasn't been for years! read more

I'm being generous with giving this place one star. The food was absolutely atrocious. My boyfriend and I got the nachos and cheese burgers. Literally the WORST nachos I've ever had. Sloppy poorly chopped and not fresh toppings thrown on chips from a bag. Sloppy hamburger meat which was completely unseasoned also adorned the plate. Major regrets. We debated getting the pretzels but to be honest I can't say those would have been much better. It took over 20 minutes for a waitress to even come to our table to get our drink order, and the place wasn't even that busy. The burger was also a huge disappointment. A pathetic "pretzel" bun (again) from a bag, not toasted or buttered at all, tossed on top of some sloppy mushy tomatoes and a piece of sad white onion. Again the meat was not seasoned AT ALL. Also, they were out of the fish tacos which was what I originally wanted. And they were also out of the only beer I wanted. The only positive about this place is the atmosphere. Absolutely beautiful. Would 100% return but ONLY for a beer and to take in the beautiful view. read more

See all

Unlike the 1884 bank in the same city, the PAK took the mask wearing very seriously. Sat outside and had the shrimp tacos which were good. Wife had the Pak burger which she said she loved. Good food reasonably priced. Will be back. read more

Huge fan of this place! Awesome atmosphere, food, drinks and service. If you go on a holiday come a little early to ensure outdoor seating! Live band was good and it wasn't too loud so you can still carry a conversation with those at your table. read more

Pak's Backyard - Enjoying the backyard - Beer Gardens Near Me - Port Austin, Michigan

Enjoyed our food and our service, glad i looked this place up on Yelp. Godo selection of beer and a handful of eats, nothing fancy just good tasting meals. The only complaint is that it was 95 degrees outside and no central air, call me spoiled but i don't like sweating profusely while I'm trying to enjoy a meal. They had the door and back sliding doorwall open. Just letting more warm air in. Nor did i care for the guy who sat next to us that kept getting up every 10 minutes to go to the bathroom that smelled like he suffered from swampass for at least three weeks. The burger was decent, the pretzel bun tasted great, just fell apart in the pieces it was shaped. Dirty blonde on draft was good, and the nachos were also good. I'm really picky about meat, but i enjoyed the meat on the nachos. Decor is nice and beachy and the prices are really reasonable for being in a resort town. Beer was $5.00 for a 12 oz. Plastic cup, ehhh. Also got to enjoy Russia beat Spain in the World Cup Qualifiers, win win baby read more

See all

This place is so cute! Good service, food and views. It's even dog friendly in the back yard outdoor area.

We're fans of Port Austin Kayak. Looked like a nice view, but couldn't stay to order because there was no shade in the outdoor eating area. The umbrellas couldn't be opened, because it was too windy that day, so my older parents didn't want to stay. We're out-of-towners, so we'll try again next time. read more

Nice little quaint place right off the water in port Austin. Great place to get a beer and a burger on a sunny day in Michigan. While the menu isn't anything unique, although it would have been nice to see some local farm fresh ingredients on the menu, it's still a nice place to get something to eat before going to the beach or kayaking. We did have a hard time eating our entire meal though because of the amount of wasps in the area haha. read more

Pak's Backyard is a must check out kind of place! We have been here several times and it is consistently impressive. The service is kind, knowledgeable and speedy! Nick was awesome! I had the Mediterranean Salad, so fresh! Yummy! read more

Standard bar food that was just okay, but great outdoor ambiance and they took social distancing and safety very seriously. Totally dog-friendly, too! read more

I echo the previous post about how well Pak's Backyard has implemented the COVID regulations in their operation. What ate here twice this week, and the food was excellent. Their operation was moved out to a beautIful patio overlooking the river and lake, the staff was all masked, and obviously attentive to social distancing, etc. It was very hot yesterday but the table umbrellas and breeze off the lake made it delightful. read more

Pak's has really stepped up their game as they have gotten busier. This summer they started having live music on the patio which is an awesome addition to the location. The food is reasonably good and they have a great selection of beers and cocktails. So happy to have an awesome outdoor place to hang out. read more

Pak's Backyard - Beer Gardens Near Me - Port Austin, Michigan

Very excited to be a first time visitor to this place. It was just two of us and we were seated immediately. Then.....crickets. We saw a lot of waitresses standing around, ones walking by us, serving other tables, but no one even recognized us at all. Okay, okay, I understand that it may be early in the season and you may be training some waitresses, but could one of the waitresses that walked around said something like "sorry for the wait, we're doing training and we're running a little slow?" or maybe even "HELLO"?!?!?!? We waited for over 10 minutes and still nothing - so we left (the girl at the exit did tell us to have a nice day - so I guess there's that ) and went to another establishment in town and had great food and service!! read more

This is a fun friendly place. We were there on a Sunday and they had great live music. While the menu was limited, the food was really good. I got the fish tacos and my husband got the shrimp tacos. Both had healthy servings and the seafood wasn't deep fried, which we really appreciate. Shrimp skewers were yummy too. Nice big community tables, game boards and a wonderful view of the water. The reason why we gave them a 5 is they gave us very cheap plastic silverware and they had a limited beer selection for a beer garden. Great place for young and old. read more

Pak's Backyard - Beer Gardens Near Me - Port Austin, Michigan

See all

The food is delicious...I had the Cobb Salad. Everyone at our table was very pleased with their meals. Their servers are the best. You couldn't ask for a better view. PAK Backyard is a must stop while in Port Austin...as well as the Dark Sky Lodge! read more

Before I get in to the review, let me preface this by saying I'd be happy to go back. Pak's has a really great atmosphere. It's a small cafe style place next to a rental shop, and even though they serve their beer in a plastic cup, if you're looking for a place to just stop by and have a casual cup, it isn't bad. We were out hunting ice cream on Sunday, but the place in Grindstone was super busy so we came back and instead of ice cream decided on Beer. yay for us! The place isn't big and it was busy, yet we found seats outside. We decided to sit inside instead, as we didn't have any table space. We ordered drinks and the nachos. The beer was fine. I had a two hearted ale, which was fresh tapped. Unfortunately it was served in a plastic cup, so you can't expect it to be cold. It's pretty disappointing to see a place with BEER in the title and get your beer in a plastic cup. The big downer for me were the nachos. I don't expect much, but for 8 bucks I expect more than round tortillas out of a bag with cheese sauce and a handful of toppings. When I say this was a small order, I wish I had taken a picture but I'm just not the type to sit at meal and whip out my camera. But bad. Tasted okay and edible, but just really nothing to write home about. So, if you're here you can stop and have a beer, but just remember - you're in Port Austin so you get what you get. read more