Where to Dine and Drink on Mackinac Island

"Most people know the Island House Hotel, located next to the Mackinac Island Yacht Club, for its white tablecloth restaurant, 1852 Grill Room. This grand, glass-walled dining room overlooks Haldimand Bay. But did you know that behind the hotel is one of Mackinac Island’s best kept secrets, Ice House BBQ? Follow the alleyway on the hotel’s west side. You may feel like you’ve made a wrong turn when you get to some maintenance sheds, but keep going down the brick path and you will round a corner to a peaceful oasis of patio umbrellas and outdoor furniture. Order a copper-mugged mule served on draft, grab a slice from the restaurant’s brand new wood-fired pizza oven, and try your hand at a round of bean toss or yard Jenga." - Stacey Brugeman