The best Restaurants in Empire ranking of March 2025
17 restaurant menus in Empire, (the ranking and the list of restaurants are based on the number of recommendations received from users in the last month, currently updated)
"Great burger - tried the olive burger! - for lunch after a morning if bike riding and running up and down the dunes. Family friendly. Kids (and..."
DD
"Good experience. Nothing fancy. But the hamburgers were excellent. Staff warm,..."
Phil
"Local restaurant. I like The Friendly, and have been coming here for thirty years. It is a burger/sandwich/beer and frozen margarita place. It isn't..."
James
"A must when traveling in lellanau..."
A.Cullen
"Great burgs, great people, good other stuff. You just have to stop here and chill out for a minute. Way better than going up to Glen..."
Adammmm
"A regular stop up north. We enjoy traveling in the Dunes area, and when we're up there we usually have at least one meal at the Friendly Tavern. We..."
TheEllens
"Best burgers up north -..."
Al Marshall
"Very friendly staff. They say they have the best burgers but we had burgers yesterday so wanted something different. The salad was tasty with lots..."
Liz Lehr
"Overall, we had a good experience here. The staff outside were amazing and friendly, and took good care of us. However, the seating arrangement..."
Mike Partridge
"Possibly one of the best bloody Mary’s ever, vegetarian burger was excellent as well, and the peanut butter pie to die for, definitely stop here..."
Ali Nikola
"My family has been eating breakfast here since I was a boy and they ALWAYS deliver. Service is friendly (like the title) and the food is delicious...."
andrew bueche
"Very busy... food was cold... they remade and comped the whole table meals! The food was definitely 5 star. Try the delishes corn ribs. Truly..."
Carla Jensen
"Food was great, portions are large. Plenty of space between the inside seating and has outdoor seating. Budget $20 a person for adult & $15each kid..."
Linda Hammons
"Fried chicken sandwich with cherry wing sauce looked so good I forgot to take a picture before I started eating it! Staff was friendly and decor was..."
Leah Jay
"Solid place for a meal. Hamburgers are known for being the best in the area and I'd have to agree 100%.
They also had smelt as a side! most likely..."
Dave S
"WOW, Sandwiches Hearty and Local ingredients. We had BLT and Reuben with Turkey pricey be prepared fries..."
brian shipaila
"If you come here don't get anything but the burgers cuz they are simply amazing. It doesn't matter what version you get. You're going to get a good..."
"Delicious food! My husband and I were hungry after a long day so we ordered a tap root beer, beer cheese pretzel bites, grilled cheese, large salad..."
Chelsea Brown
"So glad we found this place. A perfect pit stop to refuel our bodies after spending the day at the Sleeping Bear Dunes. Great beer options on..."
Alyssa Vest
"Awesome homemade Pizza!!!! Crust was amazing!!! Service was totally insane. I didn't have to ask for anything...the waitress seemed to read my..."
scott leach
"Awesome pizzas, great gyros -- spicy chicken pita wrap is AMAZING. Overall the food is great! Even the salads are pretty inspired as well as being..."
Adam Strohl
"We had a great time. Great food, wide selection of local brews, excellent (eccentric) playlist. Only complaints are that the fried pickles, while..."
Kathleen Werden
"This was one of the highlights of our trip to Empire! The drumsticks were a shock! I don't ever want a chicken wing again after having those! The..."
Rebecca Fraker
"Best pizza around the area. If we were closer to empire we would order from their regularly. Service was excellent lots of local brands their, like..."
James Feil
"The food and service was amazing. We split the drumsticks and a Mr. Meaty pizza and one of my kids had a Plain Jane Grilled Cheese. Everyone loved..."
Paul Mazzeno
"Amazing pizza 🍕 ... you can actually see the toppings and cry a little when you drop one (lol)! Crust was perfect, sauce was not overbearing !!..."
Ronda Tousciuk
"Pleasantly surprised by the atmosphere and delicious food. We expected average bar food but we’re impressed with the menu choices. I got a veggie..."
"Serving through a window. Using masks. Making great hot fudge..."
Alexis Halkovic, Ph.D.
"For a roadside diner in a small town, Empire Dairy King is quite good. The weight wasn't very long and the choices for food were extensive. Burgers..."
Albert Joseph
"my guilty pleasure. their milkshakes and chicken fingers are so good! always freshly made and super hot. close to winter park and an easy stop off..."
Mackenzie Ross
"I swing by here every time I pass by coming from Winter Park, and it's always the best way to end a long day in the mountains. It also helps put me..."
Owen Goetz
"Well have to say this is now my stop to eat when leaving Winter Park on US40. Had the half pound buffalo burger loaded with everything the meat it..."
Aaron S.
"Their shakes and malts are bomb dot com. Ordered the buffalo burger it was pretty good but the double stacked beef burger is better. Fried mushrooms..."
Lauren Landry
"I've been eating here my whole life, my dad and I would always stop on the way back fro. Winter Park. Such a joy to do the same with my kids. The..."
Gregor MacGregor
"A must-stop if you're passing though Empire. Good shakes and simple, cheap food. I like to call when I'm 10 minutes away and pick it up as I pass..."
"Very nice quality Chocolate,and let me tell you, try the gelato it’s amazing .
Can’t wait to try more stuff..."
mario quintero
"Unique chocolate shop. All there chocolate products are very interesting, the golden berries have a wonderful taste covered in chocolate. Michigan..."
Ruben Esquivel
"Delicious! The set up was a bit odd and confusing when we walked in. We weren't sure who was waiting in line for what, but then the staff helped us..."
Jessica “SnowDogs” Hatch
"We got some truffles and some chocolate bars. Both were so delicious! Staff was so polite and..."
Leah Jay
"A small place that produce & sell chocolate 🍫. I tried the Dianne bar & very berry bar. They are tasty but extremely thin given price..."
Sym D
"my partner and I stopped here during our time in Empire, and had a wonderful experience! The chocolate fishes were so good we took turns going back..."
Leeza Abramovich
"I am a BIG fan of this wonderful place. I enjoy having a coffee (espresso with their home made whipped cream on top) and taking a minute for myself..."
Christy Van Esley
"If you like chocolate, stop here. There are so many goodies to choose and the chocolate is so delicious!
Chocolate bars like none you have ever tried..."
Victoria Velting
"Phenomenal place and an absolute stop if you are passing through! They have handmade chocolates and chocolate products as well as gelato and ice..."
Meghan Cavanagh
"Wonderful handmade chocolates. Many unusual and excellent chocolates with herbs, spices, flavors. Highly talented and artistic employees craft their..."
Stan Levenger
"These chocolates were so good. At a bit over $2 a truffle it's expensive! But...it's a quality handmade product so it's worth the indulgence. I loved..."
Betsy Anders
"A wrong turn became a great pit stop! A few bites from the chocolate counter and something hot to sip - staff was welcoming and attentive and the..."
Joshua Pate
"Super, adorable little chocolate shop. Has some really interesting flavor combinations. Bought a coffee chocolate bar and a hazelnut chocolate bar...."
Kelly Sluis
"Super cute chocolate shop. Lots of fun options. The sleeping bear gift box would make a great gift. We also picked up some local..."
Devin Brianne
"Honey prices are fair. Staff is very helpful. Very clean inside. They can't get very busy on a nice day, allow time to stand in..."
Alaska Dan
"The best chocolate I’ve had was in Belgium, and this is the closest I’ve ever had in the States. Bravo to Grocer’s Daughter for the best..."
Marion Friedman
"Super cute store, they will brew you some iced..."
Michelle Bissonette
"This cute little place is great. Hot and cold drinks. And yummy chocolate. Our only bad comment is the parking area. Be Careful if in a low seated..."
"This place really provided a great sub sandwich with a home made sub bun after a long ride to Glen Arbor on my bike! An excellent moist bun filled..."
TM E
"The fastest sandwiches you’ll ever get. The long was pretty long but once you order you’ll get your food within 5 minutes!
I got the Three..."
Amy Hang
"No exaggeration- I ordered the Fitzgerald sac lunch combo (sandwich, chips, & drink $15) and it was the most delicious sandwich I've ever had. The..."
Chelsea Brown
"My husband and I ordered subs. They were nicely warmed and filled with fresh ingredients. The subs were both really filling. The place was clean and..."
Joan Cupp
"Bench seats inside, outdoor picnic tables with umbrellas outside. The one thing we recommend is more kid-friendly breads that’re easier to chew but..."
Laura Bonin
"Wow I was not expecting my lunch to be that tasty.
A wonderful place with quick service and one of if not the only place open within a few mile..."
Doren Tripp
"Passing through here, heading to Sleeping Bear, and we LOVE to find little local places to eat. This place was busy, so we figured it had to be..."
Jessica “SnowDogs” Hatch
"We made it here for lunch. The sandwiches were really good would definitely be interested in trying out their breakfast. The service was also really..."
Tony Apperson
"Every time we run the sleeping bear dune marathon we have to go to Shipwreck Cafe. They have amazing sandwiches. Service is stellar. Sandwiches came..."
Nate Parks
"Awesome little sandwich shop, we make a point of stopping in several times during our yearly vacation in the area. The Fitzgerald sandwiches are..."
Vanessa Klay
"Good lunch stop today at Shipwreck Cafe!
The staff were working super hard to get sandwiches out quick, and were very friendly.
I loved my vegetarian..."
Angelika R
"Food was very good. Cuban sandwich was super. Chocolate chip cherry cookie was dynamite! They gave us the wrong soup but it was still good. Take..."
Jim E Johnson
"What a great stop! I'm glad we stopped when passing through. This small cafe has the best sandwiches and soup. We ordered the chicken club..."
Chris Barlow
"Great little cafe with yummy sandwiches! Lots of reading about ships that wrecked in Lake Michigan! Good service and friendly atmosphere. Seating..."
Donna Lange
"Great little sandwich spot in Empire! Doesn't look like much, but creative selection of tasty sandwiches- SS Nordonic and Rouse Simmons were..."
Mike M (RideLocalDreamGlobal)
"Really enjoyed the rouse Simmons sandwich after hiking around the dunes. Was pretty good! Pretzel bread is really good, roast beef had great flavor..."
Jacqueline Matia
"Ordered one of their sandwiches that was on a pretzel bun, asked if it was hard? The young man said it wasn't as hard as I thought it was, fair..."
Larry Johnson
"Locally family owned. Fantastic homemade sandwiches using fresh ingredients. All the various dressings used are homemade also.
The place does not..."
"I worked here in 2015 as my first summer job and set me on course for a successful journey. My responsibilities were scooping ice cream, making..."
andrew bueche
"Such a fantastic little shop! We stopped to grab a sandwich after hiking and seeing the dunes all morning. Very impressed! We did not try the ice..."
Amy N Banet
"Great ice cream in waffle cones! Friendly staff member took our order. Only taking off 1 star for "cash only" venue. ATM across the street worked,..."
The Jacksonville Baby Company
"Adorable atmosphere! Fast service and great local products such as Ashby's Ice Cream & Leelanau Coffee! They make their waffle cones fresh, and you..."
Lyzz Petrie
"Wow- Fantastic fresh sandwiches, cappuccino just like Italy. Ice cream looks amazing with the sweet smell of sugar cones. A hidden secret not to..."
terese ireland
"Great place great people. We make a point to stop every time we are up in Empire, for a coffee, lunch or icecream. Just love..."
Paul Turner
"It was an amazing experience! Our server was friendly, interactive, and told us the history of the cafe. If you are looking for fantastic food and a..."
Adelaide Phelps
"This place was fantastic. Good ice cream, good food, cash only wasn't a problem since the prices weren't bad either. I had the best experience with..."
Kyle Jeffers
"Great flavors and a nice facility! Great place for a snack close to Empire Beach. This is a..."
Jason McDonald
"Very nice small place for ice cream and hot chocolate. They were quick to fix the hot chocolate and add extra flavor on request. We got into trouble..."
"Cozy coffee shop with amazing food! You have to try the green chile on basically anything! Best spot to stop on the way to or from the..."
Giovanni Rider
"Lovely atmosphere. The egg and sausage sandwich on English muffin was amazing! Food did take a bit long but worth it. The chai latte is so good..."
Jose Vieitez
"A solid contender for the best breakfast burrito ever made. Go..."
Zach Goins
"Best breakfast burrito I have had in the..."
Anthony Monaco
"New coffee shop that is clean and easily accessible. They have a strong selection of coffees. I have them 4 stars though because I'm hungry for..."
Leanne Goff
"Cute cozy coffee shop, that also serves food, muffins, and smoothies. The vanilla chai tea is the best I’ve ever had!! I really appreciated that..."
Maegan Eller
"Please stop here!!!! This place is so so cute and the atmosphere is awesome. The couple who runs it were super sweet, let us grab a magazine to find..."
Nikki Lanhart
"Great spot to grab a drink while cruising through. Or, hang out for an hour or two. Awesome staff and delicious drinks and..."
"So glad we stopped here after visiting the dunes. The food was made fresh to order and was delicious. The space is shared with an ice cream and..."
Nick Wilcox
"Pretty nice place to get ice cream or quick food. You can watch them make the waffle cones, which are quite tasty. I didn't have the food at that..."
Matthew Westra
"Very nice place to visit. We went on our way of road trip. It has sandwiches, Shawarma, Philly, Salads, Nice Ice Cream varieties. Coffee and cakes,..."
Anthony Nadar
"CASH ONLY. Hours that show on here may be different. It said closed but Tiffany's was open for ice cream. Waffle cones are made fresh. Good ice..."
Chelsea Brown
"Lovely casual lunch spot with fresh made sandwiches at the right price. Outdoor seating and Cornhole available. Great customer service: happily..."
Hannah Melton
"Cute, quaint cafe in downtown Empire. They serve sandwiches, coffee, and ice cream. We stopped for the ice cream. All Michigan creameries. They make..."
Rebecca Bledsoe
"This place is really neat! A made to order sandwiches/salads eatery with tasty bottled beverages on one side, and ice creamery and cafe on the..."
Bryan Karazsia
"This place has the best sandwiches! We love picking up lunch for a day at the..."
Beth Lopez
"Nice place to get ice cream. Staff is helpful and polite. My favorite ice cream was the Jacked Up Tennessee..."
Dave Johnson
"Very nice place with good ice..."
Abby V
"Cute little restaurant in little town area not far from Sleeping Bear Dunes. Food was good though selection limited. Ice cream parlor attached with..."
Matt Weiss
"Just got coffee, and both the coffee and the service were..."
Alan Lewis
"Stopped in for ice cream and coffee! Wonderful service, very kind owner, and delicious ice cream! Loved the unique and fun atmosphere of their..."
Zach VanHoosear
"We had Ice Cream at Tiffany's and it was amazing! Be sure to bring cash, but there is an ATM across the..."
Jack Noble
"Small but very good place for coffee, ice cream and sandwich.
They only take cash..."
Arvind Mishra
"Very cute place, good sandwiches, try the homemade waffle ice cream cup and... the staff is lovely..."
Kenza ADEÏDA
"We had sandwiches and wraps. They were all delicious and good portions. Had a strop streusel. It was freshly made and..."
Angela Gard
"Great food!!! All the sandwiches are delicious. My wife usually never eats a full sandwich; she ate it all. Servers are very nice!!!
Highly..."
"I’ve been coming to this general area for 14 years. Food from The Manor has always been great, and always a pleasurable experience. The owner,..."
Sabrina Saxton
"The service is awesome and very friendly! It does need some tlc, the manor leaves one wondering about the beauty that ir was in earlier days. Cross..."
Fabiola Arauz
"Very friendly staff, beautiful dining area inside. We had the duck and the meatloaf and both were delicious. Nice local wine list too. And a nice..."
afasmack
"We went for lunch (The Manor is currently open for lunch on Fridays and Saturdays). The broccoli quiche was the best I have ever tasted! Skillfully..."
Linda Hickok
"Had a very nice dinner with family. Not as busy as we expected, which was a welcome surprise for us. Staff was very..."
Charita Petrina
"Our food was great! Neat building enjoyed eating on the front..."
Walter Gettle
"Great food. Excellent Service. A hidden gem in Glen..."
"I’ve been coming to this general area for 14 years. Food from The Manor has always been great, and always a pleasurable experience. The owner,..."
Sabrina Saxton
"The service is awesome and very friendly! It does need some tlc, the manor leaves one wondering about the beauty that ir was in earlier days. Cross..."
Fabiola Arauz
"Very friendly staff, beautiful dining area inside. We had the duck and the meatloaf and both were delicious. Nice local wine list too. And a nice..."
afasmack
"We went for lunch (The Manor is currently open for lunch on Fridays and Saturdays). The broccoli quiche was the best I have ever tasted! Skillfully..."
Linda Hickok
"Had a very nice dinner with family. Not as busy as we expected, which was a welcome surprise for us. Staff was very..."
Charita Petrina
"Our food was great! Neat building enjoyed eating on the front..."
Walter Gettle
"Great food. Excellent Service. A hidden gem in Glen..."
"Great breakfasts. The 1860 is open at 4am! Great breakfast! Steak and eggs were amazing as well as the breakfast burrito. Stop in on your way to..."
Jenstar574
"Best...Steak...Ever. The new owners are doing a great thing! On Saturday nights it is $.99 per oz for the most tender, melt-in-your-mouth steaks!..."
Jenn
"Stopped during my drive from skiing in the mountains to the Denver airport. I thought it’d be GREAT home cooking breakfast. The place was..."
Hugh McCopeland
"Only thing open when we passed by this lil town and it was great! Nice service and nice menu. Cool art for sale..."
Kim Lopez
"Great service and delicious food in the midst of a pandemic. Gluten free waffle option for one of our party made it seem extra welcoming! There were..."
Kimberly Kanigel Winner
"I love this place! How could you not? Nestled in the cute little town of Georgetown...I've been coming here for years. I've not once had a..."
Kacy Lopez
"The food is so good here. The waffles were great and presented perfectly. Will be my go to Georgetown breakfast..."
Edy Coyote
"Really enjoyed my late lunch at this iconic restaurant! Sat outdoors in their lovely garden section with awesome mountain views. (Covid safe, they..."
Rebecca Hunter
"After taking my two young-adult children up Mt. Bierstadt, their first 14er, we were hungry for some lunch and chose this place. We're all vegetarian..."
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