What to Eat at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MI

I LOVE eating. Not just eating, but fine dining and eating wonderful food! One of my favorite things about Grand Hotel  on Mackinac Island is that they offer endless ways to enjoy a meal. Since there are so many options, it can be confusing, and you certainly don’t want to miss out on an amazing meal, so read on to learn about the different meal combinations available to guests!

Meals are included in every guests stay. Guests either have MAP (Modified American Plans) which includes breakfast and a five course dinner each day, or a FAP (Full American Plan) which includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner in guest’s stays. When staying at the hotel, it’s definitely worthwhile to take advantage of these delicious meal options – why pay for something twice?

Note: Non-guests may also enjoy meals in the Grand Hotel’s dining rooms, but must first pay a $10 entrance fee (which is deductible from the meal cost) and pay the following rates for meals, per person: $30 for breakfast, $47 for the Grand Luncheon Buffet, and $80 for dinner.

Gluten Free, Vegan, and other specialty meals are also available upon request.

Read more about Grand Hotel below

Grand Hotel Bucket List (Quiz)
Woods Restaurant on Mackinac Island
10 Best Places to Grab a Drink at Grand Hotel
Stunning Rooms and Suites at Grand Hotel
12 Things to Know Before Visiting Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MI
What to Wear at the Grand Hotel
10 Reasons to Visit Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MI
A Guide to Dining at Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, MI

Breakfast

Touted as the most important meal of the day, the breakfast spread at Grand Hotel certainly makes me believe this is true! From 7:30-9:30am, guests may select meals from the menu, or dine from the buffet to break their fast, or both! The salmon and caviar bagel shown above was absolutely delectable and found on the menu along with traditional dishes like omelets, quiche, pancakes, stuffed French toast and so much more.

Fruits, granola bars, pastries, eggs, oatmeal, and just about everything else imaginable is available from the buffet. Each table is outfitted with jams, butter pats (stamped with a lovely GH), pastries, and croissants. There is a wide selection of smoothies, fruit juices, coffee drinks and other beverages are also available and included with breakfast. Drinks like Bloody Marys are also available for an additional charge. There’s nothing quite like starting your day with a delicious meal in the main dining hall, gazing out over the Straits of Mackinac as ferries zoom past.

Grand Luncheon Buffet

Between noon and 2pm, the Grand Luncheon Buffet is a delightful culinary display of everything imaginable from meats and vegetables to salads, pastries & deserts, seafood, breads, in a very relaxed and jovial atmosphere. My husband and I greatly enjoy ducking out of the heat to enjoy a lovely lunch in the comfort of the air conditioned hotel.

Afternoon Tea

During my first year studying at the University of Michigan, I lived in the only all girls dormitory on campus, Martha Cook. One of our proud traditions included afternoon tea every Friday, where residents would host friends, family, and other guests in our building’s foyer and lounges, taking turns serving everyone tea or coffee, hors d’oeuvres, light deserts, finger sandwiches and more. The Grand Hotel’s tradition reminded me of my first home away from home, and I will always cherish that.

Afternoon tea is available from 3:30-5:30 (the same time as Martha Cook’s, but Grand Hotel’s is every day, not just Fridays!), and is $40 per person for hotel guests ($40 + $10 admission fee for non-guests). Anything from champagne, tea and other beverages to light deserts and light sandwiches are available while live music plays throughout the halls. It’s definitely an experience to remember!

5 Course Dinner

To dine at Grand Hotel for dinner, there is a dress code for men and women, which you may read about here! Dinner begins in the main dining room at at 6:30pm and the 5-course dinner is unlike any other I’ve had before. Servers help ladies into their chairs and help guests with their napkins, while another server presents the wine menu.

While there, we tried everything from parmesan encrusted whitefish and seafood ravioli to mushroom ravioli, chilled watermelon soup, rolled salads, delicious deserts and so much more. For children, or any guests, there was also a buffet that included sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, and other kid friendly foods.

Other Dining Options

Those with MAP or FAP dining plans may forgo the 5 course dinner in the hotel and instead duck across the street to the Jockey Club where they may also select from a menu with different options several delicious courses.

Woods, another Grand Hotel Restaurant and the Gate House restaurant are other dining options for hotel guests where they can receive $20 credit per person towards their meals. This gave us the opportunity to explore even more dining on the island.

I can honestly say that Grand Hotel’s dining was some of the best food I’ve ever had, and I’ve dined in 5-star eateries around the world! Their staff, the chefs, the sommeliers, the atmosphere, everything just works, and it’s lovely!

Thank you for reading! Stay tuned for more Grand Hotel and Michigan travel posts! If you want to subscribe to my blog so you never miss a post, do so in the sidebar (I won’t spam you or sell your information – ever!)

Safe travels!

xAnnie Fairfax
Follow Me for More: @AnnieFairfax

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