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    Gates Ausable Lodge - Restaurant

    4.7 (54 reviews)
    ModerateAmerican
    Closed 7:00 am - 7:00 pm

    Gates Ausable Lodge - Restaurant Photos

    GATES AUSABLE LODGE - RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Gates Ausable Lodge - Restaurant

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    Hemingway trout - get it
    Bruce K.

    We were up in the north woods with the in-laws . We had been to Gates previously for lunch and said "Hey, let's go for dinner,". I called and Josh was accommodating for a reservation. Gates is a place that makes great food and is low key /non pretentious. Don't dress fancy, don't expect cloth tablecloths or napkins. Do expect solid food. The crew had one vegan and three carnivores. Ryanne and Lexi were great for support and took care of us. We had drinks and a few appetizers as well as entrees. The trout, pork, and steak were great. The vegan salad and pasta were vegan... We finished off with a few desserts and had a great time. The location is remote and beautiful but worth a 40 minute drive.

    Signature Michigan Salad with warm cheesey Friiters and Pecans
    Linda H.

    We love this restaurant and have been going for almost 6 years. A very small intimate restaurant overlooking the Ausable river with a serene view of canoes, river rafters and yes, Anglers fly fishing while dining on today's catch, as well as the special of the day. The food is absolutely amazing. from the Pastry Chefs homemade desserts to the Chefs daily creations. We live and dine most of the time in the Los Angeles and Santa Barbara Wine area. We know awesome food. This rates right with the best! The service has always been excellent and we can't speak highly enough of our wonderful server Ryanne. She has waited on us several times this year and last year. Always a smile and always aiming to serve and please. Make sure you call in advance for your reservation. It's a very small restaurant suggest calling at least 2 to 3 weeks ahead. Sometimes you get lucky 1 week in advance. We are going back again tonight. Highly suggest starting the meal off with their "out of this world" Michigan Salad (field greens, Roasted Pecans, Blue Cheese Fritters with their homemade dressing). The salad with a cup of soup is a meal into itself. The pictures I have posted was their special that day: the Soft Shell Crab plate. They were flown in live that morning and put in the pot minutes before I ate it. Delicious. My husband ordered their fish fry, which is always on the menu for $28. Lightly breaded freah Blue Gill, fries, homemade coleslaw and tarter sauce. Wonderful!!! The special dessert of the day is well named, the Flutter Nutter Cheese Cake; We went crazy nuts over it! It was the Pastry Chefs (the restaurants' owner BTW) unique creation. A very whipped and fluffy peanut butter and chocolate cheese cake. Just heaven! Can't wait for our 5pm reservation for tonight. Stay tuned!

    Ike R.

    Came to this little place. If you drove by it, you would not have any idea that the quality of food is his high as it is. From the pine paneling to the fact that it's attached to a fishing shop don't let that persuade you from trying this great restaurant. The food was outstanding. The service was great. I highly recommend this place.

    Diver Sea Scallops special
    Arley L.

    Cute small restaurant set on the banks of a river. Small family feel to it with great friendly staff who recognize you from the last time you were there. Service is great, drinks and apps came out quick, and the entrees were timed perfectly so nothing overlapped. The food is amazing, the smothered chicken is great, but the special on the diver sea scallops they had was amazing! Full of rich flavor, with a nice slice of pork belly on a squash succotash with a lemon butter. Scallops were cooked perfectly! This was an amazing dish.

    the entrance
    Bridget H.

    Still my favorite restaurant in Grayling area. Excellent food, good price point especially for the quality. Service is always friendly. Small, casual spot. Highly recommend getting a reservation if you're going to go there. I always come here when I'm back in Michigan. The smothered chicken is excellent and their appetizers are also a must try. Deserts are all homemade.

    Yumminess.
    Men K.

    Food is great, staff are friendly, can't beat the view. Best breakfast in the Grayling area.

    Trout Hemingway

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    8 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    Photo of Jim D.
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    7 years ago

    Each time we dine the food just gets better. I recommend trying it for a unique dining experience.

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Outstanding meal, very reasonably priced, great spot on the river. Only one complaint, Clean the damn windows!

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    11 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    10 years ago

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    18 years ago

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    Page 2 of 2

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    Paddle Hard Brewing - Wings bone in

    Paddle Hard Brewing

    4.1(332 reviews)
    6.9 mi
    $$

    Excellent brewery/restaurant in Grayling…read more I've eaten here twice in a seven year span and the beer, food, and service are still great. Latest visit was last week and we were going to arrive right around kitchen closing (9:30pm). Called in an order and they held it for us/let us eat inside and grab beers. Appreciated that greatly after a long drive. A handful of plant based options like tacos, bowls, and pita sandwiches. I ordered tacos and the pita and both were yummy. Beers are solid and they have other breweries too. Plus cider. The seating options are plentiful (long bar, small and large tables). They can accommodate large groups. The decor is cool inside too. Will absolutely keep coming here when I find myself up north.

    I'm so glad we randomly stopped at Paddle Hard Brewing on our way to the UP. Located on a cute main…read morestreet in Grayling, we were seated right away at the bar although the place was pretty busy. Nate ordered a beer and I got the peach raspberry mule, which was delicious - fruity and sweet, but with a bit of a kick from the ginger beer. We decided to split the feta and spinach pizza, but everything on the menu sounded delicious. They also have tacos, paninis, starters, salads, mac and cheese, and a kids menu. The bartenders helping us were super friendly and polite. Our pizza came out super quickly and it was so good. It had a ton of feta, and the veggies were fresh. I loved this pizza and would definitely come back for more in the future. I didn't love the ranch (I think it was just Hidden Valley), but it's still an easy 5 stars for me!

    Photos
    Paddle Hard Brewing - Bar area of Paddle Hard Brewing.

    Bar area of Paddle Hard Brewing.

    Paddle Hard Brewing - Wings bone in

    Wings bone in

    Paddle Hard Brewing - Lobster ravioli

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    Lobster ravioli

    The Lazy Toaster - Breakfast menu

    The Lazy Toaster

    4.2(57 reviews)
    60.2 mi

    It pains me to leave a mere two-star review but I couldn't find much to like here. The quaint…read moreambience, friendly service (we were one of the first guests to arrive on a Friday morning mid-May) and fresh brewed decaf were the highlights. The food, which is most important, was a big disappointment. I am a cinnamon roll connoisseur and was so excited to try the rolls that past Yelpers raved about. They were out of caramel today so we ordered the grilled roll with pecans and homemade buttercream frosting. It looked dry and tasted even drier. Barely warm, flourey and tasteless. The frosting was the best part. The menu of choices looks wonderful and diverse for a small cafe. I was delighted to see shrimp and grits. The skillet was very small, the food was hot (a plus) but it was heavy on the grits, which lacked flavor and space on shrimp (only 4), sausage and sauce. I ate the toppings with half the grits and left the rest. My husband ordered the hoagie sandwich with hash browns. His comment was "a lot of bread and minimal filling" with "luke warm" hash browns that were more spongy than crispy. It's hard to go wrong with breakfast, but somehow Lazy Toaster has missed the mark. The concept is fun, the menu is great, yet the recipes and preparation could use some major improvements. The tab ($41 for two) was not bad, but was high for the quality. We liked the decor yet felt the cleanliness was lacking (sticky floors and no paper towels in the bathroom). A breakfast place in East Tawas is a plus; I hope this cafe commits to some improvements and stays around.

    Excellent breakfast joint located on Newman St in Downtown Tawas. For my first meal here I ended…read moreup getting a made to order ommelett that well made with excellent taste and with generous amounts of my chosen fresh ingredients on the inside. Accompanying hash browns were equally well made and tasty where just the right amount of grease/butter was used to make my food (no greasy food here!). This all too often is an issue you see with these small breakfast centric restaurants up north that I was so pleased not to see here at the Lazy Toaster. Relative to the restaurant and staff, Lazy Toaster has a nice comfortable rustic "Up north" feel to it which I enjoyed where the staff was super friendly with great follow up throughout the meal and and where they are definately on top of their game when it comes to Coffee top-offs. Nice! Overall, this is definately one of the better breakfast spots in the greater Tawas/Oscoda/Harrisville area and is now on my short list of go to restaurants in the area.

    Photos
    The Lazy Toaster - Chocolate chip cinnamon roll and mostly gone bacon.

    Chocolate chip cinnamon roll and mostly gone bacon.

    The Lazy Toaster - Bacado omelette

    Bacado omelette

    The Lazy Toaster

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    Gates Ausable Lodge - Restaurant - tradamerican - Updated September 2026

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