Are you missing down home? Missing the sites and smells of being down south? It's time for you to come check out the southerner. From walking in the wallpaper will transport you back to walking through your grandma's house to the back kitchen. The lights on the ceiling will remind you of sitting at the kitchen table, snapping beans and swapping stories. When you're done reminiscing, and finally decide to look at the menu, get ready to be transported again into a world of flavor. There's no salt and pepper on the tables, quite frankly because you don't need any, your food is seasoned thoughtfully and creatively. A round of applause for the southerner! read more

The Southerner - Southern Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

See all

They try. They really do. But the food is mediocre at best. The view is good and service is usually fine, though the kitchen can be slow during dinner, but that's to be expected. read more

Finally found a restaurant that nails everything! Service: Welcoming & attentive Food: The hot chicken was perfectly cooked and flavourfull. The potato gratin was the best ever Ambiance: Friendly vibe Drinks : Perfectly made Sazerac (they have an amazing whiskey list) A true hidden gem!! read more

We had a great experience at The Southerner with canal side seating. The two hour wait didn't feel too long because we were able to amble into the town and explore before making our way back. I relaxed on the patio with the old fashioned cocktail, delicious but not cheap at $15. When we were seated we had a friendly waitress give some helpful tips for ordering. Ultimately we decided on 1/2 chicken with biscuit, fries and baked beans and the Mac n' cheese with an addition of fried chicken tenders, coleslaw and corn salad. The chicken had a light crisp batter and was not spicy. You can add Nashville hot for an extra 1-2 dollars. The baked beans had a nice flavor with a Smokey bbq hint. The corn salad had a nice balance of flavors, and the biscuit was sublime. Flakey and delicious with honey butter and without that annoying bicarbonate of soda flavor. The Mac n' cheese was baked and had an adult taste with several sharp cheddars blended in, it was good albeit rich. The fries and coleslaw were just okay. It was a lovely setting and a tasty meal, but heavy. I think my hubby and I both felt quite full and tired after the meal. We had enough for another meal from our leftovers. This is the place in Saugatuck to go if you'd like some good southern cooking, but probably not the go to for a health conscious meal. The next time we come back I would be interested in trying their catfish dish with etouffee. They also have frozen mixed drinks on a rotation which is fun. However, we need to make sure to come early next time because there is almost always a wait. Cheers to the Southerner! read more

See all

My fiancée loves this restaurant and we end up swinging by every time we are on the west side of the state. They offer southern style dishes and sandwiches, and you will have a view of the water while you eat. I lived in Texas for awhile, and this is one of the few places around you can get a good po'boy or fried chicken the southern way. They've also got some beers available you can't usually get up this way. I really only have two complaints. If you're not there when they open, it's swamped. So it's not just us that thinks this place is pretty good! The soda comes is a can and a glass with ice, so you don't get refills like you would from a fountain. read more

The Southerner - Traditional half chicken and Flaky Biscuit - Southern Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

See all

I just love this place! First of all, Saugatuck is my most favorite Michigan town for many reasons. If you are a special person in my life, I will most certainly show you my favorite things and force you to enjoy them With me! Lol Why??? Because life should be lived and spent with those who bring you sunshine. This is actually my 2nd time at the Southerner. If you love fried chicken, and we most certainly do, the southerner is an essential stop on your visit. We love the pimento horseradish spread and the chicken is perfectly cooked every time! The mac'n cheese is divine and the cocktails are fantastic. I love the country decor and the staff are always smiling! It can get quite busy during the summer months, but trust me...you will be in chicken heaven! read more

See all

Started up good originally, definitely has gone downhill over the years. Begged for local people to support them during Covid, then turned on everybody local and became just focused on the money from the tourists. If you wanna play politics with your food, this is the place to do it. read more

Nice location on the river. It's very popular so there is often a wait. The parking lot fills up but you can find other parking within easy walking distance. We were here for brunch today, which is served until 3:00 pm. Today they said they were short staffed, only two servers for the entire restaurant. Service was fairly friendly but a little slow. Our group of four ordered biscuits and mushroom gravy, fish, chicken biscuit sandwich, grits, pimento cheese omelette, twice baked potato gratin, cabbage slaw and potato bread. We all sampled everything. My favorite was the pimento cheese omelette and potato bread with homemade jam. The mushroom gravy was ok, not great. There was a lot of biscuit and not much gravy. We all loved the twice baked potato gratin and grits. None of us cared for the cabbage slaw. It was very vinegary, so much vinegar that you couldn't taste anything else. I would definitely return for the pimento cheese omelette, grits, and twice baked potato gratin. We liked the potato bread with their homemade jam. I would skip the biscuits and mushroom gravy and cabbage slaw. read more

See all

We were in Saugatuck for the weekend and The Southerner was a must-do! Fun ambience and very nice staff. They don't take reservations, but you can have a few drinks while you wait. We had a big party, so we ended up waiting about 1.5 hours on a Saturday night. We got the large feast and had plenty of food for 8 people. You can split the chicken flavors up to 3 ways and if it's your first time, I would recommend just getting 3 different kinds for a good sampling. We got half Piedmont Dip and half Nashville hot. I was disappointed by the Piedmont. I didn't expect it to have a sweet sauce on it, almost like the sweet and sour sauce you might find at a Chinese food restaurant. The Nashville hot was a little too spicy for me, but everyone else loved it. So there didn't seem to be just a mildly spicy option because the traditional wasn't spicy. My favorite dish was the mac and cheese, by far. It was soooo good. The biscuits with honey butter were great. Would definitely recommend this as a side. The fries, slaw, and beans were good, if you like these types of sides at baseline. And I also really liked my cocktail, the Rosalita! I'm definitely looking forward to coming back. It's a fun spot with solid food. I'll prob get the mac and cheese next time! read more

The Southerner - Menu 7/2022 - Southern Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

See all

My family and I took a trip out to Saugatuck for a long weekend to celebrate my 40th birthday and my aunt's [redacted] birthday. I told my family I had but three requests for the weekend: 1. A good long soak in rental house's hot tub. 2. A trip to the Antiques Pavilion. 3. A fried chicken dinner from The Southerner. We got into town on Friday evening and immediately made #3 happen with a carryout order via their easy to navigate online ordering. A big bucket of fried chicken, biscuits with honey butter, coleslaw, grits, and fries were ready for pick up an hour later. Everything was delicious, as expected. The chicken was crispy and juicy, the fries were delectable and the grits? Oh so creamy! I had read once that bubbly goes particularly well with fried chicken so we also stopped at Isabel's Market to pick up a bottle and I highly recommend the pairing! But we also got some Faygo beverages for a non-alcoholic option as well. While I miss dining there in person the takeout option for a larger group was great! And bonus? Right after eating I could take my food coma and a large glass of bubs to the hot tub to relax. But this summer I'll definitely be back for more chicken and a beautiful riverside dining experience! read more

Yes, we dud it again and will go here fir the best fried chicken that has attitude. Great service. Great flaky biscuits, best crab appetizer. Cole slaw is sparse but delicious. Nice river view from your table whether your on the screened in porch, on the patio or inside dining! Ample parking , read more

See all

I loved the food. It was a chefs kiss! We had the small family meal with chicken tenders and we didn't finish half!! We also had 6 people. 2 grandparents, 2 parents, 2 kids. We had so much fun and so satisfied!! #fingers licked stomachs approved read more

We love the Southerner. Went the summer and again this fall. The food is awesome and drinks are really great too. Highly recommend!

Stitch visited The Southerner in Saugatuck, Michigan and treated himself to a big Southern-style feast--yum yum yum! He tried fried chicken, mac and cheese, fries, sauerkraut, corn, pickles, and a fluffy biscuit. Everything was delicious, but the biscuit and beer-battered fries were the real standouts--crispy, golden, and full of flavor! The fried chicken had a light breading that still brought the crunch, and the sides were comforting and tasty. With cozy vibes and food that made Stitch's ears wiggle with joy, The Southerner is definitely worth a visit when you're hungry for something hearty and homemade read more

The Southerner is on of our favorite places to eat. We frequently make the (short) drive from Holland to eat at this place. The biscuits are the absolute best I've ever eaten and when you slather on the honey butter, be prepared to not care about anything else. The fried chicken is also outstanding and we order the Caesar salad just to get the hush puppy croutons. Seriously, I wish they would offer the hush puppies with honey butter as an appetizer or side. Highly recommend this place! read more

The chicken was incredible and we enjoyed the French fries. Also enjoyed the view of the marina. We will go back! read more

The Southerner - Amazing Nashville Hot chicken biscuit. - Southern Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

See all

We had a nice lunch at the Southerner today. Our service was okay / the bartender was our server and that never seems to be a good combination at a restaurant. We would go back. read more

The Southerner - Chicken and Biscuit - Southern Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

Hands down best restaurant in the Saugatuck/Douglas area. Nondescript building located on the Kalamazoo River with ample seating and great views of the waterfront from all seating areas. Nice outdoor patio to dine at as well. Service was ideal with prompt and courteous service for everything before and during our meal. For an appetizer had the crab puffs which were amazing with a spicy remoulade. For dinner had there signature fried chicken. You can choose no spice (butter) or go with the spicy "Nashville" hot. Chose the Nashville hot and it had the perfect amount of kick for me while still preserving the amazing flavor of the chicken. This was by far best fried chicken have had in Michigan. On the side came with there buttermilk biscuit and honey butter which was to die for. The biscuit was cooked perfectly flaky and soft paired perfectly with the sweet honey butter. Come With your choice of two (2) sides. For sides had the corn salad which I would highly recommend. It was there take on a creamy Cole slaw. The grits were my other side and were above average. Overall, this was my favorite restaurant thus far in Saugatuck area. Highly recommend visiting if you are in the area. read more

Best chicken I've ever had! So juicy and flavorful! The family style dinner was the perfect amount of food for our family; it had 12 pieces of chicken (you could select your flavor; original or 3 different levels of spice) 2 pieces of catfish, 6 biscuits, mac n cheese, and 2 additional sides! Our server was a little slow checking up on us but was very polite and helpful when we had an issue with hair in our food. (Which is why only 4 stars) The outside of the restaurant is a little deceiving for what to expect but don't judge a book by its cover! read more

Everything about this restaurant is fantastic. Service, food, atmosphere, all of it. Can be a bit busy at times so I would recommend giving them a call before deciding to go in. If I could copy and paste this restaurant across the street from my home, I would. read more

Food was perfect. However felt like the experience was tainted with extra charges on bill. We ordered the Dinner for 4-6 at a cost of $130. Reviwed bill after and they charged $133. Also added another $2 for butter ( 6 biscuits included in dinner) and there was a credit card transaction fee. I'm not a fan of hidden fees! read more

Fantastic place. No reservations taken but we went early and sat right down. The back patio is great. Loads of umbrellas to negate the late afternoon sun. We had a couple of drinks which were both done well albeit expensive @ $15 cocktail. The family of four had the family style meal for 4-6. It was all fantastic. It would certainly serve 6 adults! All in all a great experience. I'd come back again. read more

The chicken biscuit sandwich is very good. I highly recommend it along with the pickle spritz if you like champagne. The service was very good and attentive. The ambiance felt like you were in a southern state. read more

The Southerner - The pickle spritz - Southern Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

The food was absolutely delicious! I ordered the fried chicken and enjoyed every bite. It was juicy on the inside with wonderful crispy skin. The biscuits, honey butter, sweet corn salad, french fries, and ranch were all excellent. If you like a smokey flavor to your baked beans then these are for you. My family ordered chicken tenders, chicken sandwich, and mac and cheese and all enjoyed their meals as well. The ambiance on the water was lovely and the Pride decorations were wonderful! read more

The Southerner - Fried chicken and biscuit with butter - Southern Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

If you go to one restaurant in Saugatuck, go here! The food was insanely good, the service was wonderful, and the vibes were just great overall! read more

Just get their Chicken and biscuits. It's what they're best at! The sauces run HOT My son LOVEDDDD kids meal chicken tenders and fries. Great view of boats. Indoor, outdoor, and sacred options read more

The Southerner - Bathroom - Southern Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan

See all

Good selection on the menu and all have been excellent. Will make The Southerner a regular stop,

Husband and I arrived in Saugatuck to visit our friend. After a long flight, we were pretty hungry, so our friend suggested this place. I was a bit overwhelmed because I typically don't eat a big meal after traveling, and what they had to offer was definitely the place to come to with a hearty appetite if you are in Saugatuck. I imagine most who have thrilled themselves with a day of water sports come here for that reason. I ordered the braised roast poor boy, and my husband had the catfish poorboy, and we both loved our sandwiches. The service was excellent, and so was the ambiance, as this place is set near the lake. I would have taken some pictures had we not been so tired and hungry. read more

This is an amazing little spot for some great fried chicken! The chicken is amazing. It's perfectly fried and the meat is so flavorful. Even the chicken breast was not dry and had flavor. It came with 2 sides, we ordered biscuits and corn street salad. The biscuits are super good! Especially with the honey butter. And the corn salad is really good as well. The drinks are a bit pricey but they are strong! And they were pretty big. The ambiance of this restaurant was perfect. With the Mason ball jars, and the furniture, it feels like you are in the south. The location is right on the river, if you are able to get a window seat you'll have an amazing view. I would definitely go back to this place ! And would highly recommend it. But don't be surprised if there's a long wait, it's definitely worth it. read more

See all

I had the shrimp and grits. It was delicious. I had the greens and fries as a side. The fries were fine, the greens were bland. The pot likker was flavorless. The greens need to be braised with bacon , apple cider vinegar and chicken broth. Oi! I'm not even a southerner but I know how to make delicious greens. My hubby had the fried catfish which came with hush puppies: delicious! The coleslaw was very bland. read more

This was one of the best meals that we've had in a really long time. It was such a nice surprise. We were starving after a long day of exploring. We had just been to the Saugatuck Dunes and were searching for a good restaurant. We were so lucky to find The Southerner. We came at the perfect time. We were seated within 5 minutes and were lucky enough to sit on the porch. It was around sunset so the views on the water were spectacular. Now the good stuff... the food. We love fried chicken and it was by far one of the best we've ever had. I am so glad that I chose the sandwich on a biscuit option. The best part of it was that there was butter slathered all over the biscuit. It tasted like honey butter and made the sandwich melt in my mouth. The biscuit was so flaky. My husband and I loved the fried chicken. It was so moist, tender, juicy and flavorful. Unfortunately, I was not a fan of the street corn. It didn't have much flavor. Wish we lived closer. We'll be dreaming of this meal for a long time. Definitely go check them out. You'll love it. read more

All Staff friendly and helpful. We both had the fish dish that came with what they called an etouffe sauce with shrimp and crawfish. It seemed more like a creole sauce to me but regardless it was delicious. Catfish Robert. It comes with a biscuit or other sides. A pleasant spot on an inlet of Lake Michigan. We were lucky with the weather and sat in the screened in patio. read more

See all

Went for carry out. Great chicken, some of the best we have had ever. Great service at the bar. Had a great conversation with locals while waiting for my carry out. Tip: Bring a baby as a conversation starter read more

Didn't take any pics (whoops!), but we both really enjoyed our meal here. PRO TIP: GET ON THE WAITLIST BEFORE ARRIVING. They don't accept reservations and you WILL wait for a table, so just get on the virtual waitlist. Okay? Okay. We had the chicken and the shrimp and grits. Both solid, but the chicken was the winner. As far as sides go, the biscuits are where it's at. I could have eaten a dozen. We also had the corn salad (yummy) and the fries (not just an afterthought- they're worth ordering). A touch on the pricier side (~$30/person) for more casual themed food, but for waterfront in a resort town, it's to be expected. read more

We tried this place for the first time on Father's Day and will not be returning. It wasn't busy. But service was extremely slow. To get drinks, to take order and to actually get the food. I guess they are known for their chicken but we didn't order as the table next to us ordered it and it looks so extremely burnt. The chicken sandwich at the other table next to us was two chicken tenders on a bun. They weren't impressed with it. So we decided on the crab/lobster poor boy. Which looked and tasted like watered down tuna salad. We also ordered the shrimp and grits. Which was under cooked grits and frozen thawed unseasoned shrimp. The dish has zero flavor. Asked for hot sauce and was charged $2.00 for hot sauce without being told there would be a charge for hot sauce. The food left much to be desired. We were sat at an inside table and were constantly swatting flies around and there were a lot of them swarming in the room. Ambiance - dirty, sticky tables, flies everywhere. Will not be returning The 1 star is for their bun which was the only good part of the meal read more

Well, my friends and i wont be back. We had a big party come in. They were not LGBTQ+ friendly to us. And being the community - they were very prejudice. 9 of us also got food poisoning from the food. Just a bad experience all around and it sucks we were treated poorly especially when it was a recommendation from our air bnb. Dont eat here. read more

Drive over an hour to have dinner here with a group of friends. The chicken was delicious. All the sides (mac&cheese, greens, biscuit) were just ok. However, we mistakenly left our credit card. We called the next day and arranged with a manager to have our pastor pick it up in a couple days. When we called the day of to confirm the pick up, we spoke to the director of operations, Mark. Mark decided to override the managers decision and not release the card. Ok cool, but when trying to ask for clarification, Mark then told my fiancé to go "F himself" without provocation. When I called to speak to the owner, Matt to inform him of the unprofessionalism, Mark called back pretending to be Matt and again was a complete jerk and said he shredded the credit card. Worst customer service I have ever experienced in my life!!! I can't believe that is who they have running the establishment. I wouldn't spend another dime here. They need to get anger management for Mark asap! read more

Poor service waited over hour and half for food. Will not never come back. Server was rude when when ask where our food was. read more

This restaurant had a great rating but didn't deliver. As a fan of southern food, I had a high expectations; however, the reality was disappointing. The portions were large and our waitress was friendly. Sadly the food itself was another story. The beans and Mac n cheese were not tasty, but the worst part was the chicken which should have been the star of the meal. It was overcooked and dry with the exception being the breast because it was thicker. The location also was disappointing. The sun glare was intense and they had to raise the umbrellas which totally blocked the view. The worst part is the price which was way too expensive for chicken. read more

Honestly, as a southerner, the food here is good but not blow your mind like back home. BUT. The biscuit and the honey butter is AMAZING. I'd go back to Saugatuck just for the biscuits. Also, they mean business when they say the chicken is spicy. I got Nashville hot and it was serious and tasty. I know good food takes time but service is so slow here so go before you get hungry. Also of note, it's quite loud. Their dining room echos quite a bit. This is my second time within a year and it was loud last time too. read more

The Southerner - Nashville hot strips on mac and cheese - Southern Near Me - Saugatuck, Michigan