We're regulars at the Islander when we're in town. Consistently decent service and food. Decent tap beer selection. Word of caution though. Be sure to clarify options when ordering because our waitress didn't seem to care to. Order an entree with choice of potatoes. "What are my choices?". "Baked, sweet potato fries, French fries.". "I'll take French fries.". Check comes with a $3.99 upcharge for French fries. Excuse me? Live and learn. If you're offering choices and some of the choices involve an upcharge, your should definitely disclose that. Otherwise service was great and the food was decent. read more

The Islander Bar - Inviting atmosphere. - Tacos Near Me - Hessel, Michigan

First thing I noticed was the ambiance this place held. The Islander bar has a fantastic atmosphere with stunning decor inside while maintaining the "local bar" vibe. Everything was clean, well organized, and overall impressive. The service was quick once we entered and grabbed our seat. My girlfriend had a Bone-in buffalo basket. I got the Zuess Gyro with fries which had beef tips inside rather than lamb. Our food came out reasonably quick - less than 10 minutes. It is worth mentioning that the fries came in at an extra $3.95 which I thought to be steep for French fries. When my food had arrived, it did not have the fries I ordered, so I let the waitress know who was very nice and not only took off the extra charge from the fries but also got me an order of the fries. The gyro was delicious, but as a fan of gyros, I'm not sure I'd get it again. There were a lot of bites with the pita, sauce, and veggies rather than the meat. Additionally, any bite I had with meat in it was a mouthful and had trouble chewing at times (due to the size of the beef tips). The pretzel poppers were phenomenal, especially with that spicy ranch. They were almost like fried cheese curds but with pretzel as the breading. My girlfriend said her wings were good and couldn't finish them all. Overall, the price, service, and food are exceptional and I will confidently say that this is one of the best places to eat in the area and I will be coming back again to try some of their other options. read more

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Love being here and all the history of the place just brings memories to life everyday!!! read more

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Finally got around to trying the Islander. We all loved it. Service was phenomenal and she seemed to love her job. Loved the huge TV to watch the Daytona 500. So much to look at on the walls inside. The food was amazing. I got the pulled pork sandwich and my wife got the buffalo chicken wrap. The pulled pork sandwich was amazing, it might have been the best BBQ sauce I've ever had and I loved the cole slaw on top. The buffalo chicken wrap was great, just the right amount of spice. And the homemade chips were so so so good. Can't wait to come back! read more

The Islander Bar - Pulled Pork Sandwich - Tacos Near Me - Hessel, Michigan

Took forever to get our food. Reuben tasted freezer burnt. burger was pretty good, nephew ordered bone in wings server brought boneless took 15 minutes to get the proper wings and had to argue not pay for both wings. wouldn't recommend unless your desperate and ready to pay for over priced food. read more

This bar was so cool! So much history everywhere and notably every little knock knack and picture was free of dust... a very impressive feat! The server was very nice & the smoked whitefish dip was top notch. I also had a "fresh" lemon drop and boy was that ever fresh-- like I paid a kid $5 at heir lemonade stand fresh. Can't wait to go back. read more

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Stopped in for a rest while snowmobiling and enjoyed a yummy hot chocolate! This is one of our favorite places in the summer as well. The walls are full of historic and interesting decor, and everyone is very nice. read more

Such a fun place to visit. Lots of memorabilia on the walls, sports games on several tvs around the restaurant. Boneless wings and fries were good and the chicken Caesar wrap was one of the best I've had. Wait staff were very friendly and service was fast. read more

We Walked from the dock. Found this place by accident. Great food, great beer, great service. Cant wait to go back! read more

The four of us had their gyro special today. It was very good! We sat out on their patio, deck or whatever you call it. Great service from our waitress! She was very friendly! read more

The Islander Bar - Outside seating area. - Tacos Near Me - Hessel, Michigan

We stopped in here for lunch after our travel day. I had the whitefish on the chicken salad. It was excellent and I had them remove the chicken. The service was great and the bar decor was great to explore as well. read more

Dinner last night with the family was very good. Service was fast and friendly. We ordered three salads and I got a hamburger with broccoli cheddar soup. read more

Had the best meal last night. Also get a slice of pie. Absolutely amazing. Such great atmosphere. Our server was attentive and made suggestions. Refilled our drinks a few times. The food was delicious. My hamburger tasted like found meat vs. some frozen block of meat food. The waiter suggested bang bang shrimp and they were amazing. Honestly I could not have been happier. I sat looking at a sign that said homemade pie and the pie was delicious. You can tell when the pie has actual fruit and handmade crust. I celebrate the Islander for such a great meal. read more

This place has a unique charm and a large selection of foods. The staff was friendly and attentive! The main room is full of nicknacks and signs all over the walls. There is a perfect blend of funny signs and classic antiques. People who find themselves in the Islander feel like they're on island time, which is perfect in a place like Hessel. There were so many options of dinner but we just stuck to beer and nachos. It was standard nachos... delicious fresh ingredients and a yummy treat! read more

The Islander Bar - Beef Nachos-- definitely enough for 3-4 people - Tacos Near Me - Hessel, Michigan

Nice place, but the floosie bartender was very rude and the homemade pie is way overpriced. Unfortunately there arent many other options around. read more

Love, love love this place!!!! I am a cheeseburger fanatic and this Bar has the best I've ever had!!! Staff are friendly and food is GREAT!!! This place has "great bones".....See you the next time we are up!!! read more

Service was good and the drinks were very cold. I liked the atmosphere and the restaurant was up to date. Whitefish spread was bomb.com. My wife and I were confused at why the waitress, who I think was the owner, was so standoffish. It's almost like she was missing drama in her life and was trying to create it out of thin air. Just odd. We were on vacation and ordering very simple things. read more

Great food! Great Service, Cook and Bartender where great! A lot of fun and engaging. I have never been to Hessel before and the experience so far has been great. Locals seem nice and friendly. Gonna for-sure be another spot I stop at before I leave. read more

The Islander Bar - Wings, Asian Sauce, Onion Rings, Cocktail - Tacos Near Me - Hessel, Michigan

The food at the Islander is very good! A cozy spot with a great fireplace and view of the thriving downtown of Hessel. My only complaint is that they really need to put something on the walls, they're very plain. Seriously though, the food is great and you won't be disappointed. read more

Food was great but service was not. Next time I'm in town I will definitely return to give it another go, I think the waitress was just having a bad day. Would have spent more money there if the she came back around. Was not asked how the food was or if we needed a drink after the first. read more

Just returned home from a ten day boat trip. This city we go to yearly. Islander Sevice and food best of the trip from the soo to Mac island. The place next door culinary school is the absolute worse. Waitress sold me on the prime rib. $49 price tag. Was the worst ever. $10 for a loaf of bread. Total let down. Islander again hands down the best. read more

Towns five times the size of Hessel would kill to have a bar like this. Hell, I live in San Diego now and wished any of our beach towns had this joint perched a block away from the docks. Too many great memories to count at this spot. read more

Unique, friendly, always great service! Indoor and covered outdoor seating One of my favorite places to be at in the Les Cheneaux Area. read more

I've only been once, but I know that I'll be back. Walking in, it is a warm and cozy bar. Lots of bottles behind the bar, a decent menu and a pool table. The one thing that I could have lived without was the lots of flies. Unfortunately, someone working earlier decided to leave the front door open and lots of tiny visitors made their way in. The server/bartender apologized quickly though so likely just a freak occurrence. In regards to beer and spirits, it did seem like an effort is made to have some local favorites available like Bell's and at least one feature from New Holland's Artisan Spirits line. The menu consists of sandwiches and bar food. I chose the pulled pork sandwich with sweet potato fries. The sandwich was fine, but one thing I did learn about Hessel is that sweet potato fries are not the area's signature dish and it shows. For my first drink I ordered a draft beer, but for the second I went with a wild berry vodka infusion they concocted. The bartender told me they normally serve it with Red Bull, but she was more than happy to accommodate my request to order it on the rocks. It was good, but the infusion was a little too fresh - hopefully it will have a chance to age further and improve the overall flavor. Another negative was they had Fox News on the tvs which isn't my particular cup of tea...although it was on mute and became an almost surreal experience as Nirvana, Led Zepelin and Flobots played over the speakers. I decided to pretend it was just some elaborate display of irony. Not the best bar I've ever been to, but definitely a fun time! read more

Disappointing! We stopped in for lunch and waited more than an hour for our appetizer, which was just guacamole and chips. The guac was bleh. We also added a side of salsa for $2. It was came in a tiny cup (see picture) and tasted like it came out of a jar. NOT worth the money. Very limited selection for a vegetarian (me) but others said the burgers were good, once they were finally delivered. Our server must have been having a bad day because you could tell from the start that our coming there and ordering food was terribly inconvenient for her. Just go for drinks and free popcorn. Then head to Snow's for dinner. read more

The Islander Bar - a fork, knife and a bowl of salsa - Tacos Near Me - Hessel, Michigan

This place was great. You can come by boat as we did and dock at the Hessel Public dock for free for up to 3 hours. Just a quick walk about a half block down the road and you are here. Our waitress was really friendly and seemed genuinely happy to have us there. We had the chicken quesadilla and the pike fish tacos. Both were very good and I had a side of fresh made guacamole. We were here in the afternoon but she said they sometimes have bands or bingo. Great old time decor too. read more

The pretzel buns on the burgers help, but the meat itself could use a little more attention. Appetizers are good (I'm a sucker for fried green beans) and the beer good. Love the ambience, servers are friendly. They do live entertainment, but I'm not a late nighter. This could be an amazing bar if they improved the food. I hope they do...we'll be back because it's around the corner, but I'd rather eat a burger at home or Snow's. read more

Christmas Eve, and no place to eat dinner. Driving around came upon a cute place called Island Bar. We are new in town and hungry, so we tried it out. Food was great, people friendly, waitstaff wonderful and great atmosphere. I will come back again. I recommend this to everyone looking for a diamond in the ruff. read more

I come for the food, not the drinks or bar, so my review is limited to the food. The limited and never changing menu is alright, as long as you like fried food. Other that a burger, all the main dishes are fried. The salads are actually pretty decent, but nothing special. Service depends upon the time and who is working. Most of the bartender/servers are friendly, and if you don't mind the sometimes raucous atmosphere, or often being the only one eating, it's not a bad option in the Cedarville/Hessel area. read more

I live very close to this bar. I love the bar, the decor is fantastic. Greg does a great job on decorating. Try the Michigan Salad. It's absolutely the best salad and dressing ever!! Fish tacos are good too. It's all good. You will love it all... read more

Since we came over to Hessel by boat from Lasalle Island, I guess I am an Islander. For 26 years now even. Having said that, this bar is a solid little joint appropriate to its name. We haven't ordered food there but they always look like good solid burgers and bar fare being served. The atmosphere is warm with old outboards, chochkies and boating decor on the walls. Plenty of cedar and light wood decor and furniture probably harvested from trees down the road. The beer signs and mirrors even are backed with pictures of The Edmund Fitzgerald and other classic huge Ore boats. And the drinks are served with a very local flare..you know , like that you are nothing special but yet they make you feel kind of special.. *sigh* I love the U.P. A great Les Cheneaux establishment read more

What a wonderful place with a good cozy, warm atmosphere! Went here last winter time and was very pleased with our food and friendly service. Tried to go back this past weekend but it was not open the day we went. We will try again! The area is lovely! read more

The best bar in the area. IMO. Food was ok. The atmosphere was fun and the servers were too. Save yourself the hassle and go here if you need a drink and or food. The Cedarville bars can't compete. read more

Took forever to get a beer while 3 bartenders stood at the other end of the bar and chatted with customers. When we finally got waited on, bartender told us it would be 45-60 mins for food. The place is less than half full and this is the height of your tourist season. Really? Popcorn tasted like it was 3 days old. Definitely pass next time. read more

The pretzel ham & cheese is AMAZING!

This bar is our favorite bar, ANYWHERE. Have been going to the area for my whole life, and this is our favorite spot. The food used to be okay, but we went more for the atmosphere and the people. Always a great time. If you haven't been in the last year, you need to add this to your stops, for sure. The new menu is AWESOME! We try something different each time we go, and haven't been disappointed yet. The flat breads are amazing, the taco salad delish, and my favorite so far is the pulled pork sandwich. YUM! The only negative is that they are sometimes a bit understaffed, but we are usually not in any hurry. Be sure to stop and experience this treasure in downtown Hessel. read more

We are year round locals and the Islander is our "go to" place when eating out.The food is always top notch,as is the staff.Warm,friendly atmosphere also. The menu varies just enough to keep things interesting,while keeping the tried,true and awesome stand byes like Michigan cherry salad and the absolute BEST char broiled burgers around! It's a wonderful part of our community!!! read more

Great place for a younger crowd, but you do see your share of oldies that should probably hit the streets and spare the creep factor. They used to have a gal working there that made the place a much "cleaner" environment. Not too sure where she went but I know I can speak for a lot of people when I say she is missed. The wait staff have gotten sleazy looking over the past year, which I can do without too. When one person leaves it can really bring a place down if they don't pay attention to who they put there. read more

We stopped in on a weekday night in May and the bartender was also our cook! He was very friendly and the food tasted great. I will definitely be back for the fish tacos!! We had a couple local brewed beers on tap as well. Everything about the place was relaxed, comfortable, clean, with a local feel. read more

Best Bloody Mary Ever!!! Can't wait to be up there next week. Always a stop with all our cousins on Cousins Weekend!