Dark Sky Lodge & Tavern

Loved, loved, loved the garlic pasta! Amazing!
However, the times listed they are open is not accurate, we drove from Port Huron last Sunday and it was closed. 🤤 I was SO looking forward to that delicious pasta!
We were going to drive up again this past Saturday, but couldn't get an answer on my cell phone by calling the resturant or motel.🤷‍♀. If they are closed for the season, it should be listed, and ANY changes in their hours should be updated...daily!

Stopped by and had brunch with my wife. First time visiting and we shared the fried egg sandwich and shrimp and grits. Both dishes were excellent and worthy to lick the plate. Staff was friendly and attentive. Will visit again to try the dinner menu. Excellent and great value.

Stayed 2 nights at Dark Sky Lodge. They have turned this old road side motel into a gem. Very nice rooms, extremely clean and nice decor. Only 5 rooms so it is a quaint, quiet motel. The pool area is awesome and you pretty much have it to yourself. Temp on pool was 84degrees, very nice. Hiking trails in Crescent State Park are walking distance. Definitely will be back, price was very reasonable. Ate at the restaurant and it was very good, BBQ shrimp was excellent! There was also a one man band on the patio that was very entertaining. Loved our stay.

Port Austin is our favorite family trip. Second time staying here at Dark Sky and loved it. Swam in the heated pool, hiked, walked to the beach, ate delicious food while listening to live music one night Karaoke the next(so fun)! Enjoyed the star gazing at night. Exhausted every night and thankful to a soft cozy bed.

This place is a hidden gem. We flew in from Oregon not expecting much and we're happily surprised when we checked in. The rooms were very clean and updated with all sorts of fun amenities. I'm talking about eno hammocks to take to the beach. New binoculars. Water proof bags for cell phones and.....a really sick pool out back with New lounge chairs and hammocks to lounge in. The beach is waking distance down a little path with a fun bridge to cross. The owner is very hands on and very helpful and friendly. I'm looking for a reason to come back as soon as possible. Almost forgot to mention how delicious the food is. 6 out of 5 stars. There are only 5 rooms so book one while you can!!!

A real gem, everything was excellent, the food was incredible, prepared fresh and the cocktails were awesome. Our room was perfect. Thank you everyone that made this place happen! Can't wait to return again very soon. I wish you all the best.

We came out from Port Crescent st. Park to do some putt putt and wanted dinner first. This was the first spot we saw and I'm glad we tried it. Wait staff was very friendly and quick. Food was amazing!!! I ordered a pasta dish. Omg. So good! We also got the fishbowl drink. Very good as well! Highly recommende!

Meals were delicious. I had the angel hair pasta, my husband had the ham and cheese, we shared the arugula salad with apples. Service was great, very friendly and efficient!

The food was excellent! I got the Carolina sandwich and the pork was just smoky enough and not dry at all! The Mac and cheese on the side was also really good! My boyfriend got the pulled chicken sandwich and he couldn’t stop talking about how good the chicken was.

Fun atmosphere, friendly staff, good service, great food. Can’t wait to see what the future has in store for Dark Sky!

I'm really glad this restaurant opened up. I've ordered take out twice in the past month, and both times were good, tasty experiences. The staff was friendly, food was hot. The only thing that could make the meal better would be some pickles on the side. The cole slaw was a bit bitter for my liking, but still decent.
Hoping Dark Sky Tavern will continue to add to the menu, but the current offerings are delicious.

Husband and I stopped in for some carry out and a quick cocktail
I had a moon walk (house cocktail) it was delicious.
We ordered the ribs, brisket, and pulled chicken they were all delicious. However the baked beans, and red potato salad were outstanding. Friendly staff, good atmosphere.

Food was delicious…. Get the white balsamic Brussel sprouts they are so good! The farro salad is also very fresh.

I was nervous to try based on previous reviews. I'm so happy we took a chance on this restaurant! New menu, EXCELLENT FOOD, GREAT PRICE! Service beats all the other restaurants!

We were on a family vacation in Port Austin and decided to try the new bbq restaurant in the area, and glad we did. We came in with a group of 13 people and they set up some tables and umbrellas for us quickly. I had the brisket sandwich and it was delicious. The bark on the brisket was really flavorful.The sauce set it off nicely with a light touch of horseradish. It came with two sides, I chose the beans and potato salad and both were good. My husband ordered the brisket nachos and enjoyed them.
Our party enjoyed dinner so much that we returned on thursday. My husband and I shared a full slab of ribs with two sides and corn bread. We really enjoyed them. I like mine dry and husband used BBQ sauce with his. We look forward to returning on our next trip to the thumb.

Quite probably the best brisket we’ve ever had at a restaurant! The sides were also great (house-made potato salad and corn fritters), and a very nice beer selection. The servers and chef were very friendly and attentive. We’ll keep coming back every time we’re in the area!

The old Buccaneer Den is now the new and beautiful Dark Sky Lodge and Tavern! The new family who bought the place are great, hard working people and have done a lot of incredible things for the community! The aesthetic of the restaurant is super cute and outdoorsy themed! They also have an outdoor patio where you can sit and enjoy the sun or shade! Pups are welcome on the patio! The food is BBQ and it is all SO YUMMY!! It’s a must see place, AMAZING addition to Port Austin!!🤩🤩

I took my aunt there for a day trip. We stopped in to enjoy a refreshing beverage; the staff was extremely friendly and very informative. The smells of the BBQ were amazing. I will definitely visit again and will recommend for future visits. The rooms were very clean and inviting.

We stayed in Port Austin for a week and wanted to try the new Dark Sky restaurant. We went on Monday in a big group. We loved the appetizers. I thoroughly enjoyed the corn fritters, my son and daughter loved the ends (my daughter said, those are worth writing about!). My daughter also got the nachos with pulled pork as her main course and ate every bite right away, really enjoying them. My son had the meat plate and I had the brisket sandwich (gluten free bun - very happy about that). We were both loving the brisket. My son also liked the pulled chicken and pork, but especially the pork.

We were there all week and the kids wanted to go back the next day but it is closed Tues and Wed, so we had to wait until Thursday. No one in our group on Monday had the ribs, so we made that a priority this time, even though my so was obsessed with the brisket. I don’t go out of my way for ribs, but this was one of my favorite meals of all time. I am a Yankee without a lot of rib intel, but I understand these are Texas style ribs, with a dry rub. You can put BBQ sauce in them there if you like, but I found them perfect as is. Everyone around the table loved them.

The servers both days were great, and they did a great job for celiac discussions (one of my kids is celiac). They can’t guarantee no cross contamination but the menu is very flexible and we didn’t have any issues.

I also loved the cornbread, by the way.

We also wanted to combine the meal with a hike into Port Crescent from right there but timing didn’t work out this week.

Overall, this spot is a great addition to Port Austin and Port Crescent!

My family experienced thoughtful and prompt service recently on a busy weekend evening. The food we ate was wonderful: specifically, the corn bread fritters with Maple butter, ribs, and smoked lentils.Well not accustomed to the dry barbecue style of the ribs, the restaurant keep delicious barbecue sauce on the table for those of us who favor familiar tastes and textures.While smoked lentils sound as boring as your worst bean soup memory, the flavor of these lentils was distinctly maple-y.

This place is truly a gem. Everything was wonderful! From the room, to the pool, the view and the food, wonderful! Definately rooting for Chef Claire and the Dark Sky Lodge! Thank you for the hospitality!