The Manitou

This place is a gem! Started with the whitefish appetizer, it was so good I ordered one to take home. Perch dinner was the best I had in a long time! It was perfectly prepared and not overcooked. The Northwoods salad with the cherry vinaigrette was delicious. Finished off with some key lime pie. Manitou did not disappoint.

We had a delicious experience at the Manitou.

After a day of sightseeing and adventure on the coast, we decided we would like to have a fish dinner and did a Google search for whitefish dinner near me, and The Manitou came up. We drove to the restaurant, having never been before, and the parking lot was packed. Cars were lined up down the road. We made a quick call because the restaurant does accept reservations to see if they could get us in. We arrived on a Wednesday night at 8 pm.

They said they could take our party of 5 immediately! This was a great surprise.

The atmosphere was exactly what we were searching for. Something that screamed Northern Michigan fishing lodge. It was perfect as we were showing friends from New Hampshire all the Michigan charm.

They had lots of fish options, and we opted for the Walleye, Whitefish, and Perch dinners. We also had the oyster appetizers. Everything was so delicious. We were really pleased with the choices and the service.

Thanks for a great meal!

The food was exceptional: hot, fresh, flavorful, crisp, as it should be everywhere but almost never is. The fried whitefish was sooo good. Try the whipped squash side, it will make you sigh with delight.

Great local restaurant- and don't let the smallish looking exterior fool you, there is plenty of room inside and in the summer, outdoor seating. The food for my family of six was delicious and the staff was great even though it was very busy when we were there. The parking situation is terrible though, they really need to add many parking spots so you don't have to park along the street. Other than that, it's a wonderful place.

Lived in TC eight years and this was our first visit. Great woodsy bar area and really nice outdoor eating area. They have regular and early bird menus. Great variety of dishes. Our food was very good as was the service. Tourist pricing, but the food and dining experience doesn't let you down. I don't mind paying a little more if the dining experience is great as it is here.

We were so glad that we tried this restaurant. We always take my elderly parents out for their birthdays and chose the Manitou this year. Our goal is to go where none of us have ever been and it won’t be our last time back here. The food and the service was absolutely outstanding. We called on our way to the restaurant and it happened to be Iron Man weekend so they were very busy. We made a reservation while on our way there, and they gladly served us cocktails outside while we waited. Our table was ready long before our scheduled reservation which was a pleasant surprise. The menu and wine list are very nice. There is truly something for everyone. I would highly recommend the fish selections on the menu it was all cooked perfectly. The spinach salad was really great also. Thank you for a wonderful dining experience.

What a gem!! Food was amazing and service was above and beyond without being annoying. Loved the vibe — low-key place with phenomenal fish. Sports bar vibes yet upscale dining. The Trawler was recommended and left me very impressed. Super cute outdoor seating area as well

Located in the middle of basically nowhere. Make sure you make a reservation. The atmosphere is woodsy! I'm pretty sure the converted an old wood cabin/house into the restaurant! The eating area is very compartmized like house were in the past. There is wood everywhere, but it works here creating a warm if dark atmosphere! Lots of older knick knacks on the wall.

I ordered the M-22 Grill (Market ($28)). A Sirloin Steak marinated in a sweet and savory sauce. I ordered mine medium with Potatoes au Gratin and a Garden Salad. When I sat down the put a bowl down with some slices of cucumber, celery, radish, and carrots with blue cheese dressing. I normally don't care much for these, however maybe it was the blue cheese but I really enjoyed them. The steak came thinly sliced. It was very tender and excellently tasty! For an affordable steak it was top notch. The salad was excellent too. The Au Gratin potatoes were very good, complex potatoes. There was bread too, that was only okay. A little too hard. I prefer very soft bread!

The service was good considering they were getting slammed. One small mistake with the salad dressing, but no big deal.

Overall a 5 star review. Would I return? Absolutely!

Lastly their parking lot is way too small. People have to park along country highway M22. That seems very dangerous when there's so much land around it.

Pretty consistent good food. We have been here hundreds of times over the past decade. 90% of the time its really good. BUT we were in last week for Lobster Fest and I had the lightly beer battered walleye....could have been the BEST walleye EVER. The batter was crispy and delicious but not heavy or greasy. OMG (we have also had good luck with the Nutty trout in the past). Even though the weather was not great, they had a little fire going out front where we had our pre-dinner cocktails!

We ate at your restaurant a couple days ago during a busy Thursday evening. We got seated at 8:45. It was well worth the 45 minute wait! The food and service were outstanding! I loved the side spinach salad that came with my perch. The perch was amazing. Two others ordered walleye and loved it and the coconut shrimp was great too. We will be back and I highly recommend this restaurant.

This is a truly special place. The staff have an endearing way of making you feel like you’re part of the family. The small town vibe paired with food worthy of a five star restaurant in the city provides an unmatched experience that you will not find anywhere else.

We had a dinner party of 10 for 4:30 Sat. We arrived at 4:15 and were the first table sat upon opening. We were located on the patio, and at least 3-4 other tables were sat around us. It took forever, to take our drink/appetizer order. We ordered a dozen oysters and got 3 crackers. In the meantime the 6 top behind us were already finishing their salads and main entrées were delivering. We had not even placed our dinner order yet. It was over a hour before we even got our salads. When our food came out I one of our guests plate was incorrect, it was to be whitefish and he got perch. The waitress said sorry that's what I wrote down. There was no attempt to make it right till I said something and she said I can try. She then came back and said sorry kitchen is slammed I can offer you dessert. The service was just off. Food was great we come here often however this time we're disappointed as we're our guests.

We love the Manitou. Our daughter is now 38…have been going since she was 3 months old. The food is always excellent, especially the broiled white fish and the blueberry raspberry pie! It is incredibly pleasant to sit outside there during the summer with all the flowers, sunshine, food and wine…

3 friends on an out of town adventure happened upon this fantastic restaurant....stopped and made a reservation (recommended)....had the best perch, whitefish, & potato augratin. Levi gave us superb service. varied menu unlike other eateries and a drink menu equally unique. do not miss this northern gem !!!

Wonderful experience and dinner. The food was excellent and the service was just amazing. We will come back sooner than later and loved our experience. Jenna was a 5 star experience!

Consistency is difficult, they always pull it off with perfection. Friendly staff and owners, genuine up north food variety that won’t disappoint, excellent drinks. Our favorite place hands down.

WOW! Wonderful experience & dinner as our last night in the Dunes area!
Suggestion for reservations as they are very busy at the dinner hours. Great seafood and service!

My husband and I had a delicious dinner here. The staff was very friendly and inviting. We had the skinny dippers for an appetizer, which I wasn't to fond of but my husband was. For dinner we had the perch. That was delicious, we chose it to be served with beer batter and deep fried. Dinner entrees come with your choice of soup,salad, or steamed veggies. And your choice of potato, fries, baked, or cheesy Au Grantin.

After 16 years of marriage, my wife and I finally found The Manitou! My wife ordered the Duck. She said it was the best Duck she has had in 22 years! I had Fish and Chips. 7 huge pieces of lightly beer battered cod, fried to perfection. For the "chips", I had sweet potato fries. (Hidden tip, ask for the lemon/garlic aioli sauce they make in house to dip the fries in.) Hands down the best sweet potato fries I have ever had! Our waitress was super nice and helpful with everything we needed. She was knowledgeable and quick to offer suggestions when we asked.They have outdoor seating, so bring your dog. We did!

Great Alaskan King Crab! The Coconut Shrimp and onion rings were a great appetizer and the hot fudge sundae was a great end! Service was great