BREAKFAST & LUNCH

THE WHISTLE STOP GROCERY

The cutest. Best breakfast sandwiches + best coffee in the area, in our opinion. In the heart of Union Pier and walking distance from many vacation rentals. This is a coffee house (serving OAT MILK!), bakery (with amazing pies), deli, curated bottle shop, and specialty market, all in one.

15700 Red Arrow Highway
Union Pier, MI 49129

COFFEE, BAKERY AND BREAKFAST

LUISA’S CAFE & HARBERT SWEDISH BAKERY

This place opened in 1912 (!!) and still uses original Swedish recipes in their baked goods. Options range from nutritious to indulgent, and they have gluten free options!

13698 Red Arrow Hwy.
Harbert, MI 49115

BREAKFAST & LUNCH

FROEHLICH’S KITCHEN & PANTRY

A full service bar and restaurant, this is a great spot for breakfast, lunch or, on Friday and Saturday, an early dinner. It’s in a historic building in Three Oaks, ten minutes inland from New Buffalo (and right by Journeyman Distillery).

19 North Elm Street,
Three Oaks, MI 49128

THURSDAY 4PM – 8PM

THE NEW BUFFALO FARMERS MARKET

Great way to kick off the weekend if you get in Thursday night – grab some produce for the weekend or a quick and easy dinner at the food truck. Vendor info here.

45 N Whittaker St
New Buffalo, MI 49117

BREAKFAST, BRUNCH, LUNCH & DINNER

BENTWOOD TAVERN

Classic millennial brunch staples like avocado toast and tuna poke by day, then pizza and cocktails by night. On the harbor (located in the Marina Grand Resort).

600 West Water Street
New Buffalo, MI 49117

DINNER & COCKTAILS

TERRACE ROOM

Intimate Italian dining on the harbor, with handmade pasta and amazing cocktails. They’re obsessed with locally sourced ingredients! This is located in the Harbor Grand Hotel.

111 West Water Street
New Buffalo, MI 49117

LUNCH, DINNER & DRINKS

THE STRAY DOG

This is a New Buffalo classic, with views of the harbor and the beach on the rooftop. Very cute and always busy. You may experience a 5-25 minute wait for a table as this is high season, but it’s always fun and worth it!

245 N. Whittaker Street
New Buffalo, MI 49117

LUNCH & DINNER (BURGERS)

REDAMAK’S

Not sure you can say you’ve been to New Buffalo if you haven’t been to Redamak’s. It’s been around since the 70s, serving Velveeta cheese burgers in red plastic baskets (there’s other options, too!) and people are OBSESSED. Guess you’ll have to go see for yourself!

616 East Buffalo St.
New Buffalo, MI 49117

ICE CREAM!

OINK’S

This is a must-visit while in town–it’s the iconic place to get ice cream in Harbor County. The place is also over-the-top decorated in piggy theme, and ice cream aside, is worth the visit to check it out.

227 W Buffalo St,
New Buffalo, MI 49117

LUNCH, DINNER & DRINKS

RED ARROW ROADHOUSE

Traditional American eats in informal, lodge-like digs with pine walls, taxidermy & a full bar.

15710 Red Arrow Hwy.
Union Pier, MI 49129

LUNCH, DINNER & DRINKS

GREENBUSH BREWING CO.

Beer and BBQ! Beyond generous portions of BBQ pork, beef and chicken, they offer sandwiches, pizzas, salads and classic pub apps.  And you know, beer.

5885 Sawyer Rd,
Sawyer, MI 49125

LUNCH, DINNER & DRINKS

BEER CHURCH BREWING CO.

There’s plenty of churches in the area, but one of God’s favorites might be the Beer Church Brewing Co. They serve small batch craft beer and Neapolitan-style pizza, out of what used to be a Civil War era church. There’s a patio, too, and this is right in downtown New Buffalo.

24 S Whittaker St,
New Buffalo, MI 49117

COFFEE, COCKTAILS & FOOD

GATHER ALL DAY

This spot comes from the group behind Whistle Stop Grocery, and is expected to open in Winter 2022 so it should be open by our big weekend! We can’t wait to try it based on initial reviews.

gatherallday.com
Harbert, MI

LUNCH, DINNER & DRINKS

RIVER ST. JOE

Almost listed this as an activity because, while it’s 30 minutes away from New Buffalo, it is a beautiful experience! It’s a gorgeous farm, brewery and restaurant all in one. We haven’t been yet but friends from South Bend drive up here regularly because the menu is that good.

15475 Walton Road
Buchanan, MI, 49107

DINNER & DRINKS

SUSAN’S IN SAWYER

This is another one on our bucket list, but WOW the menu looks incredible! It’s located in an old building, beautifully designed in a beachy mid-century theme, and there’s also a patio. It’s walk-in only, but if there’s a wait you can have a drink while you wait!

5851 Sawyer Road
Sawyer, MI 49125

CONCERT ON SATURDAY

BILLY JOEL AT NOTRE DAME

You’re in for a treat – if you want to keep the party rolling (after our epic beach day), Billy Joel kindly came to town the day after our wedding (Saturday, June 25) to put on a show at Notre Dame Stadium. Tickets are still available!

Other local performances may become available closer to the date at The Acorn Theatre.

HIKE, PICNIC & BEACH HANGS

WARREN DUNES STATE PARK

This is a must-see while in the area. You can climb sand dunes and have views overlooking the lake–looks like an ocean, though sometimes you can see Chicago across the way. For a fun 4-mile hike, the Mt. Randall Loop is popular and takes you through a forest and beach dunes. You can also just park in the parking lot and go straight to lounging at the beach 🙂

CHILL

YOGA AT DANCING FEET

The local yoga spot usually has classes at do-able times Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings. All the teachers are vaccinated, too. Check out their schedule closer to the date to book a class.

If you’re looking to take your chill to the next level, here’s the three spas in town:

• Evolve Spa
• New Buffalo Spa
• The Revive Spa

CYCLING & BEACH CRUISERS

BIKE AROUND TOWN

Red Arrow Ride is a bike rental spot in Union Pier offering a range of bikes, whether you just want one to cruise around the neighborhood or go on a sweet cycling adventure. Their website has a detailed map on the best roads to take. They also rent paddleboards!

FARM VISITS

U-PICK BLUEBERRIES

Michigan is obsessed with blueberries, and the season runs from early July through August. Our date is close to that, so it’s worth calling one of the farms listed on this New Buffalo Blueberry Picking Guide to see if they’re open. So tasty!

DRINK

WINE ADVENTURES

Of the 21 wineries in the Lake Michigan Shore wine region, nine of them are within about 20 minutes of New Buffalo. You can book an official wine tour through Fruitful Vine Tours or Harbor County Adventures, or just visit a couple while you have free time. This guide is the perfect list of the ones closest to New Buffalo!

CHARTERS & RENTALS

GET ON THE WATER

There’s a few companies offering sailing excursions, fishing boat charters, and jet ski rentals, so if you’re keen to spend a day or half day on the water, here’s some options:

• New Buffalo Sailing
• Michigan Fishing Charter
• Boat & Jet Ski Rental

BEACH DAY

CHILL AT THE BEACH

Probably the most popular thing to do in New Buffalo / Union Pier is to just chill at the beautiful Lake Michigan beaches. Once again, New Buffalo explored comes in clutch with a beach guide, and if your accommodation doesn’t have what you need, you can get beach rentals from Outpost Sports (New Buffalo) or Red Arrow Ride (Union Pier).

KAYAK OR SUP

PADDLE THE GALIEN RIVER

The Galien River is part of the Galien River County Park, and you can paddle through the gorgeous Lake Michigan marshes, and experience a totally different wetland ecosystem compared to the beaches everyone goes to. Rent paddleboards or kayaks through Third Coast Paddling (right in town!) and you’ll be on the water right away.