Douglas Lake Bar: A Destination Restaurant

This summertime hot spot has been greeting visitors since 1917 and feeding them well since 1988

You won’t see any billboards or flashy advertisements for the Douglas Lake Bar & Steakhouse as you make your way to this hidden summer gem 20 minutes south of the Mackinaw Bridge and just six miles west of I-75.

“It is really a destination restaurant,” says front of house manager and head server Sue Kohs, who has worked at the DLB for 28 seasons. “I’ve seen so many families grow up. They come in with their grandparents and then they have kids.”

Long before Koh’s tenure, in the early 1900s, visitors and fishermen would take a 25-passenger steamboat ferry around Douglas Lake. The ferry was operated by the Bryant family who owned the Bryant Hotel on Bentley Point, directly across from the Douglas Lake Hotel (now the DLB), which opened in 1917. The ferry dock was located near the boat ramp next to the DLB, and a public access launch still remains.

The Douglas Lake Hotel survived a fire in 1938, but it wasn’t until 1988 that Harold “Hoot” Rudolph purchased the restaurant and started to offer more high-end dining with a full complimentary wine list and an expanded dinner menu.

“The Rudolph family made it what it is today,” Kohs says. “I think that was Hoot’s big thing: to have that draw out in the middle of nowhere—just really great food and atmosphere. We haven’t done a lot to the building. They did pave the parking lot about eight years ago and added an outdoor bar.”

Bill Duffey has owned the DLB for the past 15 years and lives on nearby Pells Island, which is visible from the restaurant. According to his staff, the owner has taken a more hands-off approach to running the business. Kohs has worked for both owners—Randolph and Duffey—she has enjoyed both bosses, but ultimately credits the staff for making the business a success.

“I don’t care if you’re the dishwasher, you’re a busser, or you work in the pantry. We are like a big family, we couldn’t do it without each other,” she says. “We are like a well-oiled machine that works together for the customer coming in the front door.”

The Ambiance

The almost 100-year old log cabin bar and restaurant is situated on the south end of Douglas Lake and blends into the sleepy, residential lakeside neighborhood. For generations, residents and visitors from afar return each summer for fine dining in an idyllic, laid-back setting.

On a Thursday afternoon in July, families in sun dresses, khaki shorts, and button-up shirts walk hand-in-hand in the middle of a quiet street to the restaurant from nearby homes. The parking lot is empty, except for a few cars, including DLB’s new chef Tom Groenevelt, who is moving his vehicle to a farther location to make room for that night’s expected 200-plus guests.

“Any recommendations?” I asked him as he walked back to the kitchen.

“The steak,” the chef replied, who is a Culinary Institute of America graduate with 47 years of experience. “You have to get the steak.”

(Don’t worry—we’ll get to that.)

Inside the restaurant, the Grateful Dead plays in the background as a slew of staff members make last-minute preparations. The main dining room is laden with wood from the floor to the ceiling, and there are two original stone fireplaces that give the expansive room an up north feel of a bygone pioneer era.

The well-stocked bar is conveniently located near the reception area, softly illuminated by loon-inspired stained glass lights overhead. There is food service at the indoor bar that attracts waiting guests and other patrons who choose wine over dinner.

Many guests request a table near the water on the semi-enclosed porch that faces Douglas Lake. A loon with its loonlets in tow swims past as children play on the beach and a handsome couple sipped cocktails in colorful Adirondack chairs near the water’s edge. Others gather around the restaurant’s new outdoor bar and chat about summer vacation plans while they wait to be seated.

The Drinks

The outdoor bar is DLB’s newest edition. There is no food service at the bar, but it is a perfect sanctuary before and/or after dinner. On Sundays throughout the summer, guests are treated to live music through August.

“It draws a pretty big crowd,” says Ian Davis, who has been a bartender at DLB for the past two seasons. Davis lives on the lake with his family. “Normally, it is just me out here, but on Sundays we have two people.”

Davis is manning the outdoor bar making several frozen drinks. “You caught me at a bad time,” he jokes, as the blender whirls. “I am usually making martinis or Old Fashioneds. We have seating at five, so people typically come out here first for cocktails.”

Today, the DLB has more than 60 different wines on its menu. It is available by the glass ($8 to $20) and bottle ($23 to $249).

“We don’t offer many local wines, but we do have Traverse City Riesling,” Kohs says. “It is a good seller.”

Inside bartender Kerri Langolf has worked at the DLB for the past three seasons. Many customers greet her by name as their hostess escorts them past the bar to their table. Langolf stays busy most of the night pouring glasses of wine and making a variety of drinks, including a blueberry lemon martini. She infuses Gypsy vodka, made in Petoskey, with a variety of fruits to make DLB’s colorful, sweet martinis.

“We’re using local spirits to help promote them,” Kohs says. “Kerri also does a wildberry with blue, black, and strawberries.”

The Dining

Within an hour of opening, the parking lot is full and most guests are enjoying an appetizer with a libation of their choice. Meanwhile, more people continue to file in the front door requesting a table.

As Chef Tom told us, the restaurant is known for its steaks, like the top shelf DLB Steak Au Poivre. (The steak is so tender even the weakest of teeth will be undeterred.) There’s also a New York strip, a ribeye, and an 8-ounce Bistro Steak.

One of the more popular seafood dishes is the Shrimp Lenny—jumbo shrimp stuffed with crab, wrapped in bacon, and topped with hollandaise sauce—which is filling and decadent. Dinners can also try the Blackened Chicken Pasta (complete with fresh Roma tomatoes), the Butternut Squash Ravioli (which can be topped with a protein), and the Ahi Tuna Dinner (seared rare with wasabi and soy sauce).

DLB even has an entirely gluten-free menu, with multiple apps, salads, and mains available. Meanwhile, the kiddos can choose from Petite Filets, Chicken Fritters, Grilled Cheese, Linguini, and more.

Last but not least, dessert is a must at the DLB. The restaurant serves homemade carrot cake, and while the large portion is big enough for two, you will want your own slice. (For those on the fence, it has no nuts or raisins!) Other sweet-tooth options include the Peanut Butter Pie, Ultimate Chocolate Cake, the Crème Brûlée Du Jour, and a Hot Fudge Sundae.

Get it all while the getting’s good: The restaurant holds seasonal hours May through October and is open for a couple of weeks in December for Christmas parties. DLB also throws a New Year’s Eve party.

Find Douglas Lake Bar & Restaurant at 11001 Douglas Lake Rd. in Pellston. (231) 539-8588; douglaslakebarandsteakhouse.com

View On Our Website