Great Turtle Brewery and Distillery
What is Travelers’ Choice?
Tripadvisor gives a Travelers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.
Great Turtle Brewery and Distillery
Review
About
Travelers' Choice
2024
Who the shell are we? Brand new Brewery and Distillery open in 2020! Serving an extensive menu of grazing options, burgers and handhelds for lunch. Steaks and Seafood abound for dinner. Private label craft beer and spirits all brewed in Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. Outdoor seating available.
Features
CUISINES
American, Bar, Pub
Meal types
Lunch, Dinner, Drinks
PRICE
$$ - $$$
FEATURES
Full Bar
Gift Cards Available
Highchairs Available
Seating
Serves Alcohol
Table Service
Television
Wheelchair Accessible
Does this restaurant accept reservations?
Save this restaurant
Hours
Closed now
• Opens at 11:00 AM
Sunday
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Monday
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Tuesday
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Wednesday
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Thursday
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Friday
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Saturday
11:00 AM - 9:00 PM
Contribute
4.1
167 reviews
Excellent
89
Very good
40
Average
19
Poor
11
Terrible
8
Mydasia Z
2 contributions
Jun 2024 • family
On an island where everything costs an arm and a leg, this place offered great food that's actually worth what you pay for. The food is expensive, but worth it. Our waiter was a joy and one of the best we've had on our trip. The food came out very fast, even though it was very busy.
The Giant Pretzel was soft and fluffy and the dipping sauces complimented it well. The Nashville Hot Chicken Mac and Cheese is SO big - the helping was enough to feed 3 people. The Pineapple and Beef Flatbread was delicious, and made pineapple on pizza actually taste good. The Bacon Beer Cheese Burger was delicious and the onion ring on it was amazing so I bet the actual onion rings as an Appetizer are equally as good. The burger was also cooked exactly the way we asked and the beer cheese was to die for. We also got the draft beer flight, which surprised us immensely. Most breweries in Mackinac City were disappointing, but the beer here was delicious. "No Cars Allowed", "Peeling Happy", and "The Mackinac Peaches" were some of our favorites that we definitely recommend!
Although expensive, if you're willing to spend about $25 per person, the meal will be delicious and you won't be disappointed.
Written June 2, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lisamarie L
Madison954 contributions
Jun 2024 • family
We came here for dinner after a full day of walking and biking and it was pretty good! Our server was very friendly and chatty and service was good, although I felt we had to wait a bit for the check/boxes (this was as they were closing, so it's understandable, and they were still very gracious about it).
The food was pretty good, although not totally outstanding. The spicy shrimp appetizer was fantastic. I got a pretzel crusted whitefish with whiskey cream sauce and it was good although I was hoping for a little more crunchy pretzel flavor - the breading was just a tad bland, although the sauce was quite good. The wild rice/veggie accompaniments were fine but nothing standout. My husband really liked his beef pappardelle (both of us had plenty to take to the hotel and the fish still tasted fresh the next morning). On the other hand, my sister's beef brisket sandwich was so greasy and heavy she couldn't eat most of it, and the fried onions overwhelmed it.
The drinks were good - we enjoyed some of their local brews (the Mackinac summer sour was a great post bike drink) or a specialty cocktail. I really would have enjoyed trying the Painted Turtle cocktail flight but I was way too tired at that point!
Written June 30, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
LoveMiMitten
Clarkston2 contributions
Jun 2023 • family
I never leave reviews, but here I am. The service was average, but the food was FANTASTIC! I’m one of those people that’s rarely impressed by the food at any restaurant, but everything we ordered was very tasty, hot and fresh. This visit was just myself and my two children, and we all know how kids eat. My toddler got the kids Mac n cheese meal, which was just Kraft Mac with fries. My teen ordered the Caesar salad with crispy chicken. She said it was very good. We ordered the Bavarian pretzel to share: the dipping sauces were very tasty! I got the bbq pulled pork flat bread: flatbread with bbq sauce, pulled pork, bacon, pineapple and fresh jalapeño. It was delicious! We will definitely be back!
Written June 14, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
DrSteve93
Springfield140 contributions
Jul 2023 • couples
All week in Mackinac we heard about the Turtle theme to various elements including native lore in how the island was formed. So eating at the Great Turtle became a must. The appetizer was a wonderful Bavarian pretzel followed by a short rib flat bread. My wife had the short rib grilled cheese. All was very good. We even picked up a 10% discount card at a bike shop and got a little off the ticket price. The Merch was fun and humorous.
Written July 7, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
BougieKnight
Akron193 contributions
Aug 2022 • none
Got here for an early lunch. Great server, good beer to sample, great selections on menu. Salads, burgers, chicken, seafood. We had two salads which had fresh greens and generous toppings and some kids meals. Prices were competitive for the island as well.
TIP: During the season showing up a bit early for lunch will cut down on the wait time.
Written September 11, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lolli
Baltimore1 contribution
Aug 2021 • none
Beware of this place if you have food allergies and/or restrictions! Our waitress did not know ingredients of food and tried to bluff her way through. Her English did not seem so good so that might have been part of the problem. Also, ordered. Pinot Grigio, and received a glass of a much sweeter wine. I told the waitress that I did not think the wine could be Pinot Grigio. She obligingly took it away and returned with another glass. I tasted it and decided that if that was their Pinot- I did not want it. I told her that I will just have an iced tea. The bartender came to our table with a bottle of wine and rudely put it in front of me! I realized then that it was a very cheap Pinot. Sells for 5 something a bottle retail. I am not a wine snob by any means but I simply do not want to spend $10 on a glass of wine that I do not like. No one offered any other choices and he left us in quite a huff. At that we asked for our check for our Diet Coke and iced tea and left.
Written August 28, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Plannr
83 contributions
Jun 2021 • family
We had really looked forward to this dinner as my husband loves a hangar steak and not many places have it on the menu. We ordered it medium and we’re served the toughest dryest most well done steak I’d ever had. The server was just like, “oops, sorry.”
Written July 8, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Carolyn
Howell50 contributions
Jun 2023 • family
We were so happy to find Great Turtle Brewery and Distillery for a late lunch. We were hot, tired and hungry with a party of 5 and a small dog. After walking around Main Street and checking with multiple restaurants we were unable to find a restaurant with pasta and vegetarian options. But Great Turtle offered to make two pasta dishes from their dinner menu. They sat us immediately.. The cocktails and beer was good and the live music was especially lovely as we relaxed in the breeze and ate a delicious meal!
Written June 24, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
KAREN S
Niles962 contributions
Aug 2022 • none
I had been wanting to try this place for awhile as I heard alot of good things and good reviews. We had a group of 6 and went for dinner. The whitefish hushpuppies were really good and was something different. We all had flatbreads which were very good and one person had the burger which was huge. A friend tried the flight of cocktails which I thought was a fantastic idea! Good atmosphere and service was good overall.
Written September 2, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Donna B
1 contribution
Jun 2024 • couples
The beet chickpea burger is terribly dry with no flavor. Onion rings are disgusting!
I wish our waitress would have checked back on us so I could have let her know. Instead she came to clear the dishes and when I told her of my disappointment her answer was sorry you should have told me...lol I just did! So many other restaurants I would recommend!!
Written June 17, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bob P
2 contributions
Oct 2021 • none
The service was great. We came in to eat about 8PM for dinner, the wait staff was very attentive.
We had the BBQ chicken flatbread. The chicken was very chewy. We told our server and she took it back to the kitchen for a replacement. She came back after a few minutes and said that the cook stated that it would take about 20to 25 minutes to make a new flatbread. Really?? We paid the bill and gave the server a good tip and left. Food was marginal, cook didnt care.
Written November 12, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Andrea M
73 contributions
Jun 2024 • couples
We just got off the ferry and it was one of the first restaurants we saw so we are there. Food was decent - many people around us had plate of sandwiches and fries - but I ordered a flat bread instead. The margarita flatbread had lovely flavor I just wish the bread was crispy. My husband had the fish & chips - it was huge, enough for 2 and he wished the fish batter was crispy. Service was kind and efficient.
If we went back I’d try a sandwich next.
Written June 20, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
D H
Jackson428 contributions
Jun 2021 • none
Our group was so excited to finally have a brewery to try on the Island! The End.
Then they saw the beer selection 3.8% ABU? What a disappointment! Well at least the spirits and the Painted Turtle Flight the ladies ordered was not a disappointment and that was awesome. My husband ordered a flight of beers that contained all other Michigan Beers and another member of our party ordered the Pedal Fast IPA and said that to him it was horrible and he took about 2 sips and he switched to water.
While we were waiting for our food to come, my husband and I went to go to the store so we could get a Tag A Brew and a Pint Glass. We had seen it when we were walking in. So we end up outside at the door. It was locked. The girl inside comes to the door and tells us to go around to the stairs. Which we did and it brought us back inside to our table so we finally came in to the store through an unmarked door and she tells us, the store is closed, after making us walk all the way around. She did let us buy what we came for luckily, but how weird.
So back at our table, where we actually can’t carry on a conversation with the person next to you because the lady singing is so unnecessarily loud it’s ridiculous, we are still waiting for our food. Our waiter was great, but the rest of the service was a little on the slower side and it wasn’t really busy when we were there.
Our food finely arrives. My husband and I are splitting the whitefish dinner. It looks amazing! Well it stops at looks. As we cut into the fish, it’s mushy and kind of soupy inside. However, others got the brisket sandwich and the whitefish dip and they said that it was delicious. When we showed our waiter our fish, he immediately apologized, asked if we wanted something else and took it off of our bill. We had a ferry to catch, so we didn’t get anything else. The manager came over and spoke to us as well about our meal and apologized. It’s a hit or miss place. It’s a tourist thing…. They expect you in once and done. I can’t see a lot of repeat business here.
Written June 16, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
GlobeTrotting691596
92 contributions
Aug 2020 • none
Although we had reservations and our server was excellent, the food was not properly cooked. My husband ordered the fish and fries and I ordered the steak. Luckily our both our meals came with a side salad as that was the only thing that we ended up eating here. Our meals were cold and my steak, which I ordered medium was well done. The wait time for the meals to be redone was exceptionally long too. Other guests came in and left during our visit and we still didn't have our re-cooked meat yet. Unfortunately, the second attempt was worse than the first, with my husband's fish luke-warm and blah tasting and my steak ever more well-done. The fries on the 2nd attempt were warm; however, they are not what I would rate as good fries. We won't try the place again as there are so many other great places on the island to eat at. I had a flank steak at the Round Island Bar and it was cheaper there and cooked to perfection. Two hours later we ended up at Horn's Bar for dinner and the food and service were excellent. Our dining experience at Horn's Bar was so good that we returned here the next evening for late night nachos and music.
Written August 18, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Cindy B
Dixon7 contributions
Oct 2020 • none
We waited an hour to get in. While we waited we went to a bar across the street Mary’s Bistro. We got the text our table was ready my husband stayed to pay our bar bill, I hurried across to get our table. I took my drink with me which was almost gone. The hostess was very nice and sat me down never saying anything about my drink. But she also knew we waited an hour and tried to sit at there bar only to be turned away because to busy. After sitting there 10 min at least the waiter came up and asked me where I got that drink from and I replied across the street he immediately grabbed it off the table and threw is out with saying anything. If he would of politely said that wasn’t aloud in here I would’ve been fine. We immediately walked out. I have never been treated so rudely. I used to waitress and I would’ve never treated anyone so poorly. I really hope they know they have someone working for them that I would never trust handling my food.
Written October 3, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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