Outdoor Dining in Northern Michigan Winters
One of my favorite things about living in Northern Michigan is being able to eat outdoors year-round. There’s quite a few places that offer cozy and aesthetically-pleasing outdoor dining experiences that I go back to over and over again. Here’s a few of my favorites!
Hop Lot Igloos in Sutton’s Bay: I’d say at this point pretty much everyone in Northern Michigan knows about the Hop Lot Igloos. They definitely deserve their new-found fame within the recent years. They have great food, string lights, bonfires you can make s’mores at, tasteful music and drinks, and heated igloos. Bonus if you go after a fresh snowfall when it really looks like a true winter wonderland! I highly recommend making a reservation as this place is always a popular favorite and quite busy.
You can click here to reserve your igloo!
Hop Lot Igloos on a snowy day
Iron Fish Distillery in Thompsonville: I love this place! They have a tasting room, you can do a distillery tour, or you can reserve a heated teepee for drinks and dining. The teepees are awesome and are large enough for you to get up and walk around. This place also has amazing pizza and chili, and every visit is a struggle of which one to get - so I normally get both. It’s close to Crystal Mountain and we love to head there after a chilly afternoon on the slopes. I also would like to give a special shout out and thank you to them as I work at the hospital and during the COVID-19 pandemic when hand sanitizer was hard to come by, they supplied it for us for months ~ we didn’t forget, thank you.
You can click here to reserve your teepee!
Iron Fish Teepee Basecamp
Ethanology in Elk Rapids: another absolute favorite! The only downside is they don’t serve food; however, there’s a really good pizza and sub shop down the street called Jac’s Parlor and the good people at Ethanology have always been cool with us bringing something to eat. The plus side is, while they don’t have food, they are my absolute favorite place to get drinks. They make amazing cocktails with ingredients found all within three miles of the property. If you like banana bread, they have a warm drink this season that tastes exactly like banana bread in a cup! The yurts have wood stoves and are plenty warm and cozy, and they stock each one with games to play!
You can click here to reserve your yurt!
Ethanology yurt village
Stormcloud Brewing in Frankfort: this local brewery has awesome beer, great food, and curling. To participate in the curling you have to sign up for lessons or their league, but even if you aren’t interested in doing it, it’s super fun to watch! Go grab some grub on one of the league days and sit outside by one of the heaters for a good time. You might not see an olympic-level performance, but this place gets a gold medal for fun in my book.
You can click here if you’re interested in curling!
Curling rink at Stormcloud
Little Traverse Inn in Maple City: a well-kept secret just outside of Traverse city is the Little Traverse Inn. They have a little bit everyone with Indian Food, Seafood, and good ole classics like Mac&Cheese. The reason this makes my list for favorite outdoor dining locations is because in the winter time, you can reserve one of the outdoor fish shanties! It’s a very charming little place that will give you that Northern Michigan feel.
You can click here for information on how to reserve.
Little Traverse Inn ice shanties
Hopscotch Brick Oven in Traverse City: a great place right in town for drinks, pizza, and bbq. This place has great food with a great atmosphere. They have outdoor dining in clear huts that allow you to see the beauty of winter while enjoying your meal. They also have an outdoor fire-pit if that’s your kind of thing. It’s easily one of the most Instagram aesthetically-pleasing spots on the list. As far as reservations go, I’m not yet aware of any system other than calling. The phone number is (231)-252-4718. If an online reservation system becomes available, I’ll update the page with a link!
Hopscotch outdoor dining huts
I hope this guide helps you have a great time in Northern Michigan, enjoy winter, and get some great food and drinks! Check back soon for a post on my favorite outdoor dining options in Northern Michigan for summer!
Happy days!
Brooke
