The Up North Lodge

We stumbled upon this gem after it was recommended to us while wedding venue hunting– and I am so thankful that we did. Jesie put so much love and care into helping us plan our big day, and did about anything she could to help us bring our vision to life! She has a plethora of decor for couples to use, many beautiful backdrops/arches (as if the wooded area isn't beautiful enough), a marquee sign out front, a long lighted fence, and a gorgeous indoor reception space/patio! Just to name a few pros. –A few more pros: Their food is fantastic, they have four cabins available to rent on site, and they have fair prices for all of it! We truly do not have enough good things to say about The Up North Lodge or Jesie. Our perfect day would not have happened if not for her kindness and hard work! Highly recommend to anyone looking to plan their wedding or other event– Or just for a night out!

What a hidden gem! We found Up North Lodge when searching for restaurants near Ishpeming. Beautiful setting, lodge feel, friendly service, great beer and food selection/taste & merch! We were greeted upon entering and felt at home! The beautiful lodge-log restaurant with beautiful grounds was open and airy! We ordered a half rack of ribs, bowl of chili and 2 pints! Highly recommend visiting Jessie and her team! We purchased 2 baseball caps which were stylish and cool PBR like design! They also offer cabin lodging and music on site! Cheers! 🍻

Neat place! First time here and it was nice! Food and beer were great 😁

An awesome place to have a retirement party! on August 16, 2025 I had my retirement party in the dining room, Jamie, Robin and staff did a fantastic job keeping everything running smoothly! It was a wonderful and stress free day! the food was fantastic and I did not worry about a thing! From the bottom of my heart thank you! Lynndee Hanson

I would’ve loved to give 5 stars for service because Monika our waitress was absolutely amazing!! So personable and fun we really enjoyed our evening. The one and only downfall of the place were the hostess’s. One who had seated us and another we seen walking around had RBF and did not greet us except with a “K who’s next?” No smile, no small talk, and when the table she thought was open hadn’t been cleaned she was rude about it. It’s a busy place and we assumed her shift was ending as she had a little backpack on-regardless for our first time here we looked at each other like “oh boy here we go” but we quickly forgot about the rude hostess when we met Monika!! I suggest keeping her around for the long haul and maybe making some adjustments in other staff! Every bite of everything we had was absolutely without a doubt FABULOUS!! Thank you thank you thank you!! My boyfriends birthday was a memorable one <3 we will be back!!!

OMG. You need to go here if your ever in the area. Great food and best Ribs I had in like a hundred year. Food great, service was stupendous ( Thank you Amanda) atmosphere is cabin like. Over all what a great time we had and left feeling like we were important customers Thank you management for being here

We waited nearly 15 minutes at the “please wait to be seated” sign without being acknowledged. Not a soul in sight. The group that was waiting when we arrived eventually left (good call). My husband finally walked in and asked if there was a wait, to which we were told the hostess would be there shortly. It did not appear excessively busy, maybe half full. The waitress was kind enough, however my husband received the wrong food. The food was mediocre and we waited about 25 minutes for our meal. I ordered Cajun chicken three cheese mac and cheese and the chicken was very dry. My husband didn’t even finish his tasteless (wrong) meal, which is very unusual for him. The waitress never returned to be informed that he had received the wrong order, nor were we prepared to wait another 25 minutes. Portion sizes were decent. 15 minutes after we had finished eating, my husband finally got up to ask for the bill because the waited never returned. We were very disappointed. I’ve heard great things about the up north lodge and this fell far below expectations. We won’t be returning.

Jesse and her team are awesome - incredible hospitality! Food and drinks were great. Can’t wait to go back for music on the patio…

Absolutely delicious! I'm shocked this place has bad reviews. We came in the same night as a city event without reservations and they got us right in and the service was fast and wait staff was excellent! The restaurant was clean and we loved the atmosphere. We had the pretzel for a shareable- it was great! My husband got the ribs, 8oz sirloin, and mashed potatoes. He said it was the best steak and ribs he has ever had. I had the chicken fettuccine and it was amazing! Would definitely come back or make the trip if we are ever in the area again!

Great food! Fun atmosphere! I willl definitely come back if I'm ever in this neck of the woods again.

Loved, loved, loved this place! We came for a sleigh ride and dinner - and it did not disappoint! The staff was friendly and the food was amazing! They have a prime rib special on Saturday's and it was amazing!

Up North Lodge the quintessential idea of cute, northern lodge especially during the winter months. Think snow covered lodge. Parking is ample. The restaurant is pretty big, but reservations highly recommended. If you can't get a table, the bar is an option. We made reservations to be on the safe side. The restaurant wasn't busy, but may be understaffed post Covid. Up North Lodge is known for the ribs. Most of my party got the ribs and loved them. The portions are huge!!! Definitely leftovers. Each entree comes with a salad, dinner rolls, and a side with dinner. Lots of side options including Jerry's baked beans made from scratch! The homemade hot chips are not on the menu, but a must! Great side option! I ordered the salmon with a baked potato. The salmon was tasty. You can select your seasonings and how you preferred the fish to be cooked.

Great place for beers and good service. My family and I had a few drinks and the cheese curds, pretzel and munchkin platter. We enjoyed everything and our server was quick and patient with us.

First, very slow to seat and acknowledge we were waiting to be seated per their sign. People coming in afterwards same problem, some turned and walked out. Very, very slow service. They weren't full, so that wasn't the problem....plenty of seating available. Waitress was friendly and polite. Next the pricing on menu was eye-popping. $57 for a steak and then pricing went down. We were there on a 'Taco Tuesday'. A special menu offered, but nothing stood out. We ordered a burger and the coconut shrimp. Salad came with shrimp dinner. Wilted old-appearing Romain lettuce, 2 very thick sliced pieces of carrot, an equally thick slice of cucumber, croutons and couple pieces of red onion. Burger was good, shrimp under cooked and pina cola dipping sauce... ahh, not so great and watery. Like other customers we overheard talking, 'we won't be going back'.

A wonderful surprise in the north woods, located in a town called Gwinn in the UP is an awesome restaurant that welcomes snowmobilers. The bar is large with a great selection of tap beers and the restaurant has plenty of tables. One of the specialties is barbecue ribs that are awesome with a nice sauce that isn't overly spicy. Highly recommend a visit if you are in the area.

Got parents a gift card, they enjoy going here. They had a nice dinner until Up North Lodge did not honor the gift card because they had printed it out and the bar code/number was slightly cut off. A nice couple in their 80's, also embarrassed by the situation ended up paying for the dinner which was supposed to be covered by the gift card. Very disappointed in the lack of flexibility in working out a resolution by Up North Lodge. Will not be purchasing a gift card this year for Christmas.

The atmosphere is what really makes this place! The snowy horse drawn carriage ride through the woods was fun!

We were wandering the back roads on the way from Marquette to Escanaba and stumbled upon this treasure. The log cabin structure is beautiful both out and inside. Luckily it was lunchtime, and a beer sounded great. I had a half-pound black and blue burger and Sally went with a BLT. Both were excellent choices, as well as the tots to accompany. To top it off they had Bell's Two Hearted on draught. We will make a point of stopping again should we pass this way!

Have been here several times and it's great to see the place still busy and doing well. We were with a large group and in fact several groups were there and they were quick to seat us and take our orders. Miley served us and did an outstanding job keeping track of our orders and regularly asked us if everything was good or if we needed anything. We always try to visit here when in the area and they did not disappoint. The food was good and they have a large enough variety to suit most everyone's taste, delivered very timely but not rushed and the service was top notch!! If you're in the area you should stop by!!

Stopped here this past Saturday for a family celebration dinner and was disappointed. Ordered the pretzel as an appetizer, it was average. The sauces served with it was a cheese blend that wasn't smooth it was clunky. The other sauce was a watery overly sweet caramel sauce. The meals ordered were a bbq pulled pork sandwich that was good. The coleslaw tasted sour, like it was sitting out too long or something. The 2 piece cod loin dinner with a "baked potato ". First thing we noticed when the plate was set on the table was it smelled very fishy. It was also very watery and the potato wasn't baked all the way. Half of it was too hard to eat. Other family members had issues with the rice they were served with their meals. It wasn't cooked all the way... al dente, rice shouldn't be crunchy. Once we were done eating only half the plates were taken off the table. As we sat and finished our drinks no one ever came back to get the rest of the plates.

This place always seems to disappoint. Time and time again we go back for more punishment. Yes, the facility is inviting when you pull up. But, that's where it ends. The food is just okay and the service is horrible. They cater to their locals but even that is hard to watch. It's like a broken record time and time again....."we are short staffed once again". The staff isn't afraid to let you know the problems, and it shows in their attitudes and lack of care for customer service. Last night, one of the owners was behind the bar solo with a full house. It was like watching someone March to their own death.

I loved the log cabin build of the Restaurant.. the waitress Dawn was a delight and was very attentive. The food was absolutely wonderful. I had their shrimp alfredo and husband had the mushroom ravioli with oil and garlic.. the best we've had and we are sobby italian food lovers. We were recieved with a smile and with a fare well gratitude. We will be back.. for the Friday Fish fry.

The ribs here are SO worth the drive out. Had them for the first time last night and they blew me away!! Don't forget to get your bib! LOL YUM

Place is a little pricey, but well worth it. We came in around dinner time and luckily had no wait at all, and was greeted politely by the host and sat at our table. The waitress was at our table within a minute or two asking us what we'd like to drink and promptly brought us our beverages. The food was delightful and I can't wait to go back again.

Was going to go for a family birthday, but was waiting in the lobby for over half an hour. The sign up front says "please seat yourself" but if you do that they will kick you out of the table you choose and move you back to the lobby. After half an hour of not being able to talk to anyone that works there at all, the associate came out and shoved the reservation list physically in our face and told us there was no way we could get in for the rest of the night. The place closes at midnight and we were told this at 2:30 pm. On the way out the door the waitress informed the party behind us, which was a similar size that they could be seated right away. I confronted her about this and she told me "tough luck". We left feeling disgusted and insulted and will not be returning back, ever. The ribs are good, but unless you want to be treated like a sub human piece of garbage, stay away. Stay far away. Worst service of any restaurant I have ever been to.

I made reservations for my wife's birthday. Never being here, I expected something nice. When we arrived, we asked if we could sit outside. We were told they were already reserved. We were directed to our table which was in the bar area which was very loud and packed with people. We received our food which was lackluster at best with average to poor service. We left with the outdoor seating still not being used. If you are looking for a special , relaxing and quite night out, this place is not recommended. With COVID-19 still active, I would have expected to be spread out and have more outdoor seating available. Instead, everybody is packed in the bar area. It seemed to me the staff just didn't want to bother with outdoor dinning. Despite the beautiful building, the average food and sitting in the bar area is not worth the trip.

The service from the kitchen has been lacking lately, waited 40 minutes for a chicken wrap and tots and cancelled the order and went elsewhere. Sad to see this happen at a place that used to be so good.

I have been here on many occasions with great results, but this visit was borderline terrible. Reservations were botched, so 3 of our party left as we couldn't be seated. We waited 15 minutes for a waitress to take a drink order, then after we finally ordered , the drinks were wrong. Ordered food, and sent to the salad bar, but had no dining utensils, so we waited another 15 minutes staring at our salads. Bread showed up next, but no plates, so we ate off of our napkins. Thankfully, the food is still good. I'm not sure if they were understaffed or overwhelmed, but I will think twice before taking the 40 minute drive from Marquette to return for dinner

Food is good. Horrible service. We had reservations for 3:30pm, the hostess even repeated it twice to us that it was, in fact, at 3:30pm. we got there and turns out she had taken the reservations down wrong!! Said we were an half an hour late and that our reservations were at 3:00. This is for a GRADUATION party. so not easily messed up!! The waitress kept telling us how "late" we were and that she is going to try to get us out as soon as possible since we were "late." When they told us, confirmed to us, and took the reservation down wrong! This reservation was for 20 people so a pretty big fuck up. Now we are being rushed to order and leave. go somewhere else if you're planning reservations!!

This is such a cute restaurant and always a popular place to go for some good food and drinks. Their "almost" famous ribs are delicious! On the weekends they have a soup and salad bar that is complimentary with any rib or steak entree. This is close to off road trails and you can't miss the log cabin style coziness. Definitely check this place out!

Came in at 7:30pm with a group of 6. Bar was full, lots of tables were open. We were told it would be a 35minute wait. OK no big deal....grab a drink at the bar. 1 hr and 7 minutes later we were seated. Apparently they were too lazy to push some tables together. We were told they were waiting for the large group to leave so we could have their table. Excuse me? Push some freakin tables together and seat us!!! Un freakin real! I realize it's the UP and if the people working were "snow cows" I could maybe understand but employees were young but apparently super lazy! Food is usually bomb but this was totally unacceptable. Pics to follow.

The price is high for the level of service and food quality. I used to love this place. The last half a dozen times that I was here though were not great. The food was not as it used to be. I ordered a ribeye steak and it was at least half fat (I meant to take a pic but forgot). The waitress told me that it was supposed to be that way. When I explained to her that a ribeye is not supposed to be half fat she relented that it was a pretty bad cut but that that is how they are now (she did get me another steak that was the same). I went to the salad bar and the lettuce was empty. I went to get minestrone soup and it was broth and tomatoes. The servers have been dismissive and inattentive. Unfortunately my wife and I agree that we won't be back.

We are new to the UP. So far, no luck finding a decent place to eat. We were hoping Up North lodge would be different. Unfortunately, it was not. We made the required reservation, why? I have no idea, it wasn't busy. The place looks nice, and has a good view/first impression. We seated ourselves since there was nobody at the door. We were "greeted" by Dawn, who was mostly rude and very argumentative. The food came in a timely manner. Salad was fresh, dressings were clearly store bought. Good roll. We ordered ribeye steaks, not cheap, so I was expecting great quality. For 52.99 (listed as 36.99 online) it better be. The meat was good quality and cooked perfectly, to be fair. However, ZERO seasonings. I ordered the quarter rack ribs with it for what the menu said was 6.00 extra. (charged 8.00 each extra). When I queried Dawn, she pointed to the menu which stated prices may vary). I have never heard of such a thing. She snarled, "we can't print new menus every day"). True, but you can tell the customer up front. Shabby bait and switch. My wife was so excited to get the Bloody Mary burger. It was crap. Burger was mystery meat, bloody Mary no alcohol detected and watery, HUGE disappointment. Total gimmick. Overall, our bill was 200.00 for 3 adults and 2 kids, and nobody left happy. Needless to say, nothing was worth driving out there for. Do yourself a favor, save your money, and eat at home. We won't be back, EVER!!! Total ripoff!!!

The food was decent, however it took a pretty long time and our waitress was aware of that. Instead of offering money off of our bill she only offered desert which no one at the table wanted, but she kept pushing for it which we thought was quite off. Decent all in all, but would not necessarily recommend.

I hadn't been here since the pandemic started, but we were there on Sunday, October 3. Notwithstanding the labor shortage, we had excellent service and the food was, as usual, outstanding. Three of us had the ribs and the fourth had a sirloin steak, and we all raved. We also recommend the cheese curds. This is still my choice for bringing guests from out of the area for a great meal and a great time.

For dinner, I ordered the grilled chicken breast with dill seasoning, and a side of pasta. The chicken was perfectly cooked, seasoned, and looked amazing right down to the grill marks. The side pasta had butter, Parmesan cheese and herbs. It was a great compliment to the chicken. If nothing else, come here to try the ribs (if not a Bloody Mary that comes with half of a burger, onion rings, pickle etc on top). Although the menu hardly changes, the food is always worth it, and the staff always makes you feel at home. The full blog review is at the link below: http://smalltowngirlfoodieworld.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-up-north-lodge.html

Lip smakin ribs! Tough to find a parking spot or get a table in summer but worth the wait.

They have a burgundy pepper steak that is tender and delicious, the ribs are to be rivaled especially for the area, and a very flavorful Cajun Alfredo (which I get with shrimp). The customer service is inconsistent, which is why I'm giving it 4 stars. Sometimes the service is above average, sometimes average.

Went here tonight for our anniversary. Food was amazing, no wait and fast service. My only complaint is that after bringing out dinner our waitress NEVER returned to our table even after my drink was empty. Not too busy, plenty of empty tables. I would say 5 star but I'm going with 4 because the waitress was not on her game.

Never ever had an issue at this place. Whether large group, small group. Just a couple of friends... Heck, going again!!!

This use to be my favorite restaurant but it's sadly gone downhill. My family and I are up visiting and were turned away because it was "too busy". Handled horribly.

I have been here several times and although the ribs are outstanding, in my opinion, and the structure is beautiful that's about all it has going for it. There just always seems to be something that keeps it from getting more than an A-OK review from me. On my most recent trip that way our waitress was slow, a teeny bit rude, and gave off the overall impression that she had better things to do than be our waitress that day. At the end of our meal when we realized there was no way we could finish our ribs, we waited, and waited and waited for our waitress to come back so we could ask for a to go box. We thought maybe she had clocked out for the night she had disappeared for so long. Another knock down for them was being able to see into the kitchen and watch one of the staff (bus boy maybe?) eating his meal on the same surface that the customers foods were sitting on waiting to be delivered. Gross. I don't want to see some grungy dishwasher mowing down on some leftover ribs only inches away from where my plate is sitting. All said, though, their ribs ARE fantastic. That's why I keep going back. They are tender, fall off the bone. The sauce is that perfect sweetness with just a teeny bit of heat, and the overall combine flavors are just delicious. And their Ribs for Two combo for $32.99 is fantastic. Though you used to get the soup and salad bar with it, now you have to pay and extra $3.99 for it, otherwise you do get a side salad with the meal. I think if they could boost up their service, eliminate the kitchen eating...at least where customers can see it, what I don't know won't hurt me... and even improve upon a couple of their other menu items (any time I do not order the ribs, I am dissapointed), I think they would be a top notch restuarant.

Great meal and great service! Recommend highly! Loved the purine. Had a fabulous rib eye, family had pasta and ribs, all great. No complaints from 7ppl

Today my five friends and I attended the Up North Lodge. As residents of Marquette our families always viewed this place as a "treat" whenever we got to go there. All of us were around 22 years of age and because we were "children" we weren't viewed as valued customers after we had to wait almost an hour and twenty minutes for our food. The waitress and the manager told us that our wait was typical for a Friday night. Even after our wait our ribs were not cooked even close to "fall off the bone" quality. I will no longer "treat" my family to a dinner there because for me it is no longer a place I would take my family to.

Consistently great food and service. The ribs are excellent, but the steak might be even better. The steak and ribs covers it all. Great sides and the service has been very good.

RIBS! I had ribs! Love the ribs! Get the ribs...you'll get a bib. Tater tots are awesome BUT they only plate up about 8 of them...for whatever meal you order. Gluten-Free options available but make it very clear if you have allergies.

We ate three times at your place and I had forgot about how noisy the place is there is nothing in the ceiling to soak up all the noise and there always seems to be a table of noisy customers. That's ok but there should be a room just for that. And the next thing the front windows really need some shades in the sun is too much for the customers. It's nice one can see the deer but there should be some kind of window dressing. But I must add the ribs were to die for. Very pleased with the food. But the waitress brought the bill and did't say she would pick it up so we went up front only to be told no the waitress takes it.

This beautiful cabin in the woods has the best ribs in town and many homemade sides that are delicious! Also, they have 20 beers on tap, with the majority being local Michigan craft brews. This log cabin has giant windows throughout, and a fireplace within, so that you can sit by the fire and watch the snow fly and the deer play in the field. If you haven't already experienced this treasure, I would highly recommend checking it out! You will not regret it.

It truly is a diamond in the rough. You may be saying o its to far to go to, but if you pass you are missing out on an experience. Been there several times for their fish fry and ribs. Both times were very impressed. The alchol is cheap like every where else out there. The reason it lost a star is due to where it is. It was literally an hour drive from Ishpeming to get there. That is the only negative.

The ribs are absolutely ridiculous good. Very nice place and worth the trip! Staff was very attentive and I definitely will be back. Good beer selection and full bar.

The waitress was rude. We went with a group of 6 & not once did she check back after bringing our food to see if we needed drinks or anything. Forget giving us enough silverware, we had to grab some from the table next to us. Our ketchup bottle was also empty and she ignored us when we attempted to contact her. Won't be back for awhile

If you're ever in Gwinn, MI in the U.P., you gotta make it over to Up North Lodge. Aside from the staff who were all fantastic, the food was great. The Lodge is a beautiful log building set in the woods. You can't beat the location! We rode snowmobiles over here (tip...10% off your bill if you come by sled!). This is a sled-friendly spot for sure. I had the "almost" world famous ribs, a half a slab was equal to a competitors full slab, and they were excellent. My crew had burgers and loved them-get the grilled onions. Tons of sides, I had tater tots. It looks like summertime would be amazing at the Lodge, huge outdoor deck and beer garden. Get on your sled and get over to the UP North Lodge!

Waited an hour and a half for our mediocre over priced food. Was told the kitchen lost our order, they gave us 10% off and two pieces of cheesecake we did not really want. We own a place on Big Shag and we will drive the extra miles to not eat here again.

Such a great family establishment. I love taking my son and husband there for family date night. They have great food and a great atmosphere. May be a little bit out in the middle of nowhere but well worth the drive!

Not a fan of this joint. I go about once every three months because someone inevitably wants to try their ribs. I'm not a fan of their ribs at all (I'd rather have Stucko's in Marquette), and I'm DEFINITELY not a fan of their service, their fish fry or their prices. In short, I avoid them as much as possible. It's not that it's bad food, per say, but for what you pay you should get more or higher quality. And sometimes it downright takes forever to get served, let alone to get your food out in a timely manner.

Ok, so we should have gotten the ribs, but we weren't in the mood for that so we got some kind of white fish -- figured it would be good since we were not far from a huge lake. The fish filets were very small and over-cooked. Pretty much everything that we ordered looked and tasted like it came off a Sysco or GFS truck. Such a let down because this place was out-of-the-way and looked like a real lodge...it seemed to attract big-city people like us who were on vacation. Will not be going back here again unless it's for ribs and/or drinks.

I have been a frequent Customer for the past few years and the food has been pretty good not always consistent, but good. After Last night I feel I need to complain. We ordered food to eat there and also a "to go order" for my Kids at home. They forgot items in both meals and I called and they did not seem to care, I explained to them that this has happened in the past multiple times, and Last night unfortunately I did not check my order. I also explained that I am a regular and still no offer to comp the items that I did not receive. The lack of understanding or wanting to make it right was wrong. I will never go there again.