Your 2025 Spring Restaurant Guide: Where to Eat Up North

Seven eateries packed with spring flavors

This spring’s restaurant guide will take you around northern Michigan and around the world with Indian, Thai, Italian, and Mexican cuisine, plus a classic American steakhouse. We’ve also found lighter eats for breakfast and lunch focused on allergen-free, locally-sourced, and good-for-you (and the soul) bites from smoothies to salads to sandwiches.

Some of these spots are in their first year of operation, while others are celebrating 15 or 50 (!) years in the business. Best of all, you’ll see a few familiar names, as local chefs and restaurant owners branch out into new endeavors. Cheers to these culinary creators who make dining Up North a treat!

Indian Spice

Cadillac

The origin of Cadillac’s Indian Spice took shape in the tiny kitchen at NJ’s Grocery in Lake Leelanau, managed by Indian Spice founder Sam Chugh and owned by his brother Raj. NJ’s is a go-to mini supermarket—operating in the same location since 1918—supplying the staples and the extras for local and seasonal residents. But it was Chugh’s sister Rosie, using the cooking skills she learned from her mother, who took over the kitchen, selling freshly-made Indian take-out under the name India’s Kitchen.

That success inspired the new restaurant. In a tight and pricey real estate market, Chugh and nephew Paul Singh found a space in Cadillac which fit the bill. The site began life as a Bonanza Steakhouse, and then a Ponderosa, before it became Cast Iron Kitchen in 2021, closing in 2024.

On the Menu
Chugh and his siblings grew up in India’s northwest Punjab province, known for its distinctive flavors influenced by the region’s farming and agriculture products, including rice, wheat, and dairy products. Punjabi cuisine is rich and creamy, with a focus on butter, cream, fresh yogurt, and paneer, or soft cheese, all of which inform the restaurant’s menu.

The menu is like a trip to the subcontinent, showcasing the deep history and culture of India through its cuisine. Meat eaters will love the just-short-of-a-dozen entrees, including these current big sellers: Chicken Tikka Masala, yogurt-marinated chicken in a creamy, colorful spiced sauce; Chicken Korma, a sweet, rich, yogurt-based curry with warm spice flavors; and Vindaloo, with curry paste and chilis featuring chicken or lamb.

Likewise, vegetarians have an equal number of entrees from which to choose. Two of the most popular are the Dal Makhani, a creamy, buttery combination of lentils, kidney beans, and spices, and the Kadhi Pakora, fritters served in a creamy yogurt sauce, served with rice or naan.

Patrons can expect the menu to offer the full experience with the opportunity to try roti, naan, and paratha, all Indian flatbreads, each with its own distinctive flavor and texture. And don’t miss the Cumin Rice, a deeply flavorful side that goes with everything on the menu.

Find Indian Spice at 621 South Mitchell St., Cadillac. (231) 468-2171; theindianspicerestaurant.com

Water Bearer Coffee

Traverse City

When Azure Klug took over Traverse City’s Rough Pony in February 2024 and rebranded it as Water Bearer Coffee, she wasn’t just changing the name—she was embracing a vision, one that blends her love for coffee, community, and creativity into a welcoming, quirky space for locals and visitors alike.

Water Bearer Coffee isn’t just a place to grab a coffee to go—it’s an experience. Inspired by tarot and zodiac themes, the café has a cozy, mystical atmosphere, complete with a new zodiac mural by local artist Heather Spooner.

On the Menu
Water Bearer Coffee serves up a menu full of thoughtfully crafted drinks and dishes.

When it comes to beverages, The Banana Split and PB Power are favorites from the smoothie menu. The Chai Latte features homemade cardamom syrup and house-made chai, while the Magic Hour Juice offers a blend of orange, turmeric, lemon, and ginger. And if you need a caffeine boost, opt for the Shakerato, a refreshing shot of espresso shaken with ice and cardamom syrup, creating a cold, frothy, 4-ounce floral-pine delight.

The food choices are just as varied. The Egg and Cheese Sandwich is a classic from the Rough Pony menu featuring a folded egg, melted havarti, and saucy sauce on a toasted country pullman loaf or a Bubbie’s Bagel.

Burritos are also popular, whether it’s the OG Burrito—a staple for regulars made with pintos, folded egg, verde, white onion, feta, sour cream, broken chips, cilantro, and homemade cilantro lime cream sauce—or the Smutty Burrito, a unique twist on a classic wrapped in a tortilla with cheddar cheese, tangy jalapeño crema, tater tots, egg, and bacon (or tempeh bacon).

For Klug’s personal favorite, try the Bougie Toast. You’ll get avocado, jammy egg, everything seasoning, pickled onion, chili oil and micro greens on toasted whole wheat pullman loaf.

Find Water Bearer Coffee at 144 Hall St Suite #100 in Traverse City. (231) 252-2442; waterbearercoffee.square.site

Thai Cafe

Traverse City

Tucked in a small shopping center near the shores of Grand Traverse Bay, Thai Cafe has served as a staple of Asian cuisine in Traverse City for 15 years.

“There’s not a lot of variety of Asian food in this town,” co-owner Vilai Yang says. “I think we bring a different culture and a variety of Asian food. I think people appreciate that.”

While seating is limited to 14 right now—most of their business is carryout—Yang hopes to add more tables in the future. Open six days a week (closed on Mondays), Thai Cafe does brisk business during the traditional lunch and dinner hours, both in-dining and carryout.

On the Menu
When you take a look at the menu, you may feel overwhelmed—in a good way. Thai Cafe offers 22 appetizers, soups, and salads and nearly 40 mains, with customizable proteins (chicken, tofu, beef, pork, shrimp, and roast duck) and spice levels (mild, mild+, medium, medium+, hot, and extra hot).

The Chinese-American dishes at Thai Cafe include Orange Chicken, Sesame Chicken, Mongolian Beef, egg rolls, Wonton Soup, and Crab Rangoon. The Thai selection includes spring rolls, lettuce wraps and a variety of noodle soups, salads, and variations of fried rice.

Yang recommends the Pad Thai, one of the best-known traditional Thai dishes and a popular street food in that country. For the unfamiliar, the dish consists of sauteed rice noodles, onions, eggs, scallions, and bean sprouts and is topped with crushed peanuts and lime.

Variations include Pad Kee Maw, also known as “drunken noodle” and Yellow Curry Pad Thai, in which the noodles are simmered in “our house special creamy coconut sauce along with yellow curry.”

Yang says the most popular dishes are the vegetable and chicken spring rolls, the fried rice options (with variations that include infusion of basil, yellow curry, red curry, and pineapple), anything with red curry, Pad Thai, and Peanut Curry Pad Thai. The latter varies from traditional Pad Thai with a house-made creamy coconut sauce along with peanut butter and red curry.

Find Thai Cafe is in Campus Plaza, 1219 E. Front St. in Traverse City. (231) 642-5166; tcthaicafe.com

BeeSmooth/The Buzz Café

Manistee

A conscious effort to provide healthy, flavorful food is what drives BeeSmooth Café, Manistee’s light, bright, and eclectic eatery. BeeSmooth is the dream of Natasha Partridge, and she’s growing that dream with a new name—The Buzz Café and Bakery—and a new location.

The Buzz Café and Bakery will be a “more intimate setting,” Partridge explains, “with counter access and guest wifi.” Outdoor tables, in season, will increase seating to around 25, about half of the current BeeSmooth site, but with a grab and go deli, as well as table service, Partridge is confident The Buzz Café will handle the numbers with aplomb.

On the Menu
There is something for everyone at BeeSmooth/soon to be Buzz. All day breakfast includes combos of eggs, meats, potatoes, pancakes, or waffles, regular and GF. For something different, order the Shakshuka Eggs, two fried eggs on a rich tomato base with seasoned chickpeas, feta, kale, and a side of pita. Or try a breakfast Busy Bee Bowl, with interesting flavor variations like Biscuits & Gravy Bowl, Southwest Bowl, and Chorizo Bowl. We like the Sweet Potato Bowl, with a sweet potato base and your choice of sweet and fruity (with flax, chia, peanut butter, and maple syrup) or savory (with kale, quinoa, crispy chickpeas, avocado, soft boiled egg, and side of tahini dressing).

House-made sandwiches, salads, and soups are flavorful and creative. Go for the Bee A Brie, with grilled brie, special mayo, Granny Smith apple, red onion, bacon, and turkey; or the Salmon Sub, made with lightly blackened salmon on a buttered bun with garlic aioli, spring mix, and mango slaw. Vegans will love the Chickpea Quinoa Patty or the Coconut Turmeric Curry, featuring veggies in sweet and savory curry sauce served over quinoa. (Add shrimp or chicken if so desired.)

An array of baked goods—cakes, pies, breads, muffins, and cookies—are both traditionally made and made allergen-free for those with dietary restrictions. For example, the delicious Honeycomb Cakes are always gluten-free. And look for vegan muffins and pie every week.

Find BeeSmooth Café at 215 Arthur St. Manistee (and the future Buzz Café and Bakery at 390 River Street). (231) 299-1144; beesmoothcafe.com

Mode’s Bum Steer

Traverse City

On April 7, 1975, Bob and Anita Mode opened a bar and restaurant that was to bear their name. A half century later, Mode’s Bum Steer is still going strong, with their daughter Skylar now running the enterprise. That makes it the longest-running family-owned restaurant in Traverse City.

And it looks the part. Walk in the door and you are immediately transported back in time to…the 60s? The mid-70s? Surely no later than that, as the low-slung, comfy swivel dining chairs, the deep reds and greens, the wood accents, low lighting, and Tiffany-style lamps conjure up a feeling of days gone by.

On the Menu
The time travel extends to the bar, not only in its throwback look, but in its customers’ preferences. Bartender Terri “Trixie” Cunningham, a veteran of 25 years, says the resurgence of classic cocktails across the country is reflected at Mode’s—though the question is whether they were ever really out of favor.

“We are definitely known for our Old Fashioneds and martinis. We have this way of serving our martinis in a little sidecar that everyone loves,” she says.

Since the outset, Mode’s has been a steakhouse, and that’s still the case. The menu boasts six different cuts of steak, seven if you count the six-ounce New York strip (prepared two ways) on the “Lighter Side” menu.

Lighter Side apparently stands simply in contrast to the rest of the menu, which is heavy on meat: Beyond the bevy of steaks, there’s the prime rib, rack of lamb, chicken, duck, and pork alongside eight choices of seafood, plus traditional appetizers like shrimp cocktail and wings, and even a Polish sausage platter.

Through it all, Mode’s has maintained a following locally, as well as welcoming visitors. “Mode’s is still here,” Skylar says proudly.

Still here, still a business, still with the same family after 50 years. That makes it still a tradition.

Find Mode’s Bum Steer at 125 E State St. in Traverse City. (231) 947-9832; modesbumsteer.com

Nittolo’s Little Italy

Traverse City

Craving a pizza or a hearty bowl of pasta? You’re in luck: Nittolo’s Little Italy, from restaurateur Eric Nittolo, is slated to open downtown in the Warehouse District in this spring, pending licensing and approvals.

The new spot was built out in the space where Cut & Run used to be, next to The Tasting Room on the ground floor of the Breakwater building. Nittolo, who runs the eponymous (and popular) Nittolo’s Seafood & Pizza in Lake Leelanau, has a two-fold premise: to bring the taste of Italy to Traverse City, and to offer great value.

By offering a similar menu as the Nittolo’s location in Lake Leelanau but in smaller quantities, Nittolo’s Little Italy will be able to maintain high quality meals while charging customers less.

On the Menu
“This isn’t French refined style; it’s good home cooking Italian,” says Nittolo.

Appetizers include Heirloom Tomato Bruschetta ($9.99), with smoked tomato mostarda, balsamic, and burrata; the Truffle Fries ($9.99), complete with parmesan and truffle aioli; and the Prosciutto di Parma ($19.99), a meat and cheese board perfect for sharing. You’ll also find mussels, calamari, crab cakes, and shrimp scampi on the small plates side, all for under $10.

Entrees run the range from pasta classics like Gnocchi, Tortellini, Risotto, and Carbonara to Lobster Fettuccine Alfredo, complete with jumbo shrimp, lobster claw meat, and tomato basil fettuccine. Pescatarians will opt for the Frutti di Mare or the Alaskan Halibut, while carnivores can choose from Filet Mignon and Lobster and chicken three ways (Chicken Parmesan, Chicken Piccata, and Chicken Marsala).

And then, of course, there are the famous Nittolo’s pizzas, 14 of them, plus cheese bread. Pizzas range from $15.99 for a Classic Cheese to $19.99 (think: Margherita, Smoked Brisket BBQ, Jersey White) to $25.99 for specialities like the Forest Morel (garlic butter, morel blend, truffle oil, raclette, asparagus, and cippolinis) or Torta di Nitollo (bufala mozzarella, cherry bomb tomatoes, prosciutto, arugula, and pomodorino).

Find Nittolo’s Little Italy at 155 Garland St #101 in Traverse City. nittolostc.com

El Maguey

Cadillac

Cadillac already has a wealth of Mexican restaurants, so how does one succeed in what appears to be a saturated market? It’s all about authenticity and family heritage, according to Dusty Rodriguez, manager of Cadillac’s El Maguey and member of the family who owns the eatery.

“The food sets us apart,” she says. The family hails from Michoacán, a state in the central west of Mexico on the Pacific coast.

Michoacán cuisine emphasizes traditional techniques, such as slow cooking, combined with fresh authentic ingredients, using corn, beans, chiles, tomatoes, tomatillos, and avocados. The 16th century Spanish occupation influenced indigenous foods by introducing garlic and herbs, livestock including beef and pigs, and dairy products, yielding today’s flavor combinations that are both balanced and layered.

On the Menu
While this super-sized menu has all of the south-of-the-border favorites, plus plenty for the Americanized palate, start by taking a look at the authentic and unique entrees and sides straight from Michoacán. Try the Carnitas, the Mexican version of pulled pork (and a generational favorite of the Rodriguez family), slow cooked and then gently crisped, served with rice, beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, and choice of corn or flour tortillas.

Al Pastor, sweet and spicy rotisserie-cooked marinated pork slices, is another Michoacán specialty, and teams up with carnitas and chorizo in El Maguey’s enchiladas, quesadillas, burritos, or tacos. We also recommend the Birria Con Consume, marinated beef, slow-cooked in a peppery broth, served shredded with corn tacos. (Birria is native to Jalisco, a neighboring state of Michoacán.)

The Burrito Michoacán, a big favorite, is a protein blast with steak, chicken, and chorizo, a tomatillo sauce and cheese dip, topped with a skewer of shrimp, and served with rice, lettuce, pico de gallo, and sour cream. For an intense traditional side, try the Chile Toreados, blistered jalapeño or serrano chiles finished with salt and sometimes a squeeze of lemon or lime.

While El Maguey does not focus on wine, it does offer a satisfying collection of beers and spirits. Enjoy Modelo Special and Dos Equis lager on tap, plus 10 varieties of bottled beer including Corona, Sol, and Pacifico. Tequilas, including La Siete Leguas, Komos, Hornitos, Patron, and Jalisco are on offer, plus more.

Find El Maguey at 1700 S Mitchell St. in Cadillac. (231) 444-6118

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