Editor Pick
The Place to Be in Grand Marais
- November 14, 2008
- Rated 5 of 5 by
callen60 from Ozarks, Missouri
Eating options in Grand Marais seem even more constrained than lodging options. Of course, that’s to be expected in a town of 350. My favorite UP guides, the Hunts, recommended two places: the West Bay Diner and the Lake Superior Brewing Company.
We picked the latter for dinner, and weren’t disappointed. It’s a ramshackle building that stretches back off its original street entrance through two or more additions. In fact, it looks like two establishments from the outside, but it’s only one, and can only be entered from the front. The first room is full of original woodwork and an impressive bar. Equally impressive was the crowd gathered there: it was no wonder the streets were empty.
After a short wait, we followed our hostess to the very back room, where through a plate glass window we saw the tanks for the distinctly home-brew-like on-site brewing system. There wasn’t a lot of atmosphere in the small, functional room, but there was a big screen TV with my Detroit Tigers playing; chances to watch the Bengals are few and far between these days. (Unfortunately, they and perpetual pitching prospect Jeremy Bonderman got shellacked).
My kids went for home-brewed root beer; I insisted on an installment of Dad tax and agreed with them that it was darned good. My wife and I waited on a few mugs of the stronger stuff, and toasted our survival through the near out-of-gas-in-the-wilderness experience from the morning. I gladly raised a pale ale to our survival, gladly downed it, and gladly ordered another. I also sampled the made-on-site cream soda, which I can never pass up. All the beverages went well with the Pepperoni and Greek pizzas, which were terrific. We also had a whitefish basket (a mandatory UP order), and it was fresh, hot and came with outstanding fries.
At the next table over was another family with three kids, about five years younger than ours. We struck up a conversation with them, and compared notes on our UP vacations, which were proceeding in opposite directions. That was completely in keeping with the spirit of the place, which was full of pleasant, noisy conversation.
From journal Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore