Photo courtesy of New Holland Brewing The Knickerbocker.
BY AMY SHERMAN | asherma2@mlive.com
What is literally cooler than drinking a Michigan beer? Drinking one in an igloo, of course. Lucky us, this popular winter trend is catching on across Michigan.
Last year, just a few places offered this option for semi-outdoor drinking and dining. This year, the number of restaurants, breweries and bars hosting igloos has grown exponentially, which is good for all of us who are ready to embrace winter.
We've compiled a list of great igloos to check out this winter. They are scattered pretty much all over the state, including the Upper Peninsula now. We found a couple of igloos in Marquette at BlackRocks Brewery. Why only there? Most likely because you can just build your own actual igloo to enjoy an icy cold beer in.
So bundle up, grab your friends and head out to experience one of the most unique dining options in Michigan.
******This post was updated with new listings on January 9 2019.******
Know of an igloo that we missed? Let us know by emailing the author at asherma2@mlive.com.
Thornapple Brewing Company in Grand Rapids has just added two igloos to their outdoor patio. There is no charge, and no reservations at this time. Show up, fill it up, and technically it's yours!
6262 28th St
Cascade, Michigan 49546
(616) 288-6907
Bad Brewing in Mason was on our original search for Michigan's Best Brewery in 2013 and we named them "One To Watch" then and they have not disappointed since. They've expanded to their taproom, as well as to their production capabilities, transforming from a tiny little spot with just a 2 1/2 barrel system into a legit brewery. Go visit for a cozy good time, with well crafted beers, and usually a food truck outside providing some good nosh. Now, you can enjoy three igloos out in their beer garden, all winter long.
Each igloos is individually lit and heated, and two can be reserved ahead of time. One is always first come, first served.
Here all the details from their website:
RULES
- Ages 21+ only after 5pm
- No smoking or pets
- Self-serve service (AKA - no table service, order your beer at the bar and bring it to your igloo)
- If the sign says "Open", go on in! If it says, "Closed", the igloo is reserved
RESERVATIONS
- $35, for a 2 hour + 50 min time slot
- Time slots are flexible
- $75 for a 2 hour + 50 min time slot
- Time slots are 12pm-2:50pm, 3pm-5:50pm, 6pm-8:50pm, or 9pm-11:50pm
- Minimum of 8 people
- Maximum of 11 people
- A credit card will be held at the bar during your visit
- Reservations must be made at least 24 hours in advance
- To make a reservation, call 517-676-7664
Bad Brewing Company
440 S Jefferson St
Mason, Michigan 48854
(517) 676-7664
Beer Church Brewing Company is currently under construction, doing a full renovation of their space that should be completed by the end of January. Until then, you can enjoy their hand crafted beers in the igloo, or outside in the beer garden. Just show up, and if there is room in the 10 person igloo, squeeze on in. Or, enjoy the heaters outside on the patio. Stay tuned to what's happening construction wise on their Facebook page.
Beer Church Brewing Company
24 S Whittaker St
New Buffalo, Michigan 49117
(219) 771-0635
Photo courtesy of Hop Lot Brewing Company.
Hoplot Brewing Company in Suttons Bay is one of the original believers when it comes to igloos in Michigan. Owners Drew and Steve Lutke were brainstorming ideas for how to expand their capacity during the winter months, and decided that igloos were the perfect fit for their small brewery.
Steve said "We were doing research on how to make it more exciting in the winter, and stumbled on these. We saw them in Chicago and Detroit. They are Garden Igloos, a European product that has won a design award. Unlike some places, we have a lot of outdoor space we can use, and these turned out to be perfect."
Hop Lot has an incredible outdoor space, with a large fire pit that people enjoy year round. What the owners noticed was that although people might hang outside for a beer, they wouldn't eat out in the cold. Order food inside and it will get delivered to you in the igloo to enjoy.
There are eight igloos to enjoy here at Hop Lot. Step inside one of these little domes and be greeted by twinkly lights, comfy seating for 8, or slightly tight seating for 10, a little heater that looks like a fireplace, and the coziest spot in Michigan to visit with friends.
You can call ahead and reserve your igloo for free, for one hour. Weekdays it is pretty easy to just walk up and enjoy, but they book up quickly on the weekends. Be sure to reserve ahead of time.
Hop Lot is great to visit anytime, they were one of our top picks for Michigan's Best New Brewery in 2016.
If you go:
Hop Lot Brewing Company
658 S West Bay Shore Dr
Suttons Bay, Michigan 49682
(231) 866-4445
Read our original post on the Hop Lot igloos.
If you can eat delectable, hand made, sweet confections that look like this outside in an igloo, why wouldn't you? At Gateaux Patissiere, they have one igloo out on the patio. You can reserve it Tuesday through Thursday for $50, which will cover between 2 to 4 hours. On Friday, Saturday or Sunday, reserve the igloo for $100 for 2 to 4 hours.
There are two igloos to enjoy at Deadwood Bar and Grill in Northville, but you better move fast if you want to visit them on a weekend in 2019. The igloos are heated, seat 10, and come with a $200 minimum of food and drink ordered. If you are short on hungry and thirsty people, you can order to-go food to supplement your order, and take some of their classic pub fare home with you.
Check out online calendar for availability then call to make a reservation. 2019 weekends are almost full a this time.
https://www.deadwoodbarandgrill.com/blog/2018/11/30/igloo-availability
Deadwood Bar and Grill
18730 Northville Rd
Northville, Michigan 48168
(248) 347-4353
Photo courtesy of BlackRocks Brewing, used with permission.
BlackRocks Brewing in beautiful Marquette might be the perfect spot to enjoy an igloo this winter. They've placed their two igloos out on the front patio of their cute little brew pub for you to enjoy, maybe with a delicious 51K IPA in hand. No reservations needed, just show up and squeeze in if there is space. We can attest to the affability of everyone who visits BlackRocks, remember you are in the U.P. baby!
BlackRocks Brewing
424 N 3rd St
Marquette, Michigan 49855
(906) 273-1333
Arcadia Ales is another brewery that has gotten on the igloo scene, and their river side setting is perfect for enjoying a craft beer, or maybe some of their barbecue brisket this winter. There is one igloo outside, and it is first come, first serve, no additional charge. Plan a visit to the Kalamazoo brewery this winter.
Arcadia Ales
701 E Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo, Michigan 49007
(269) 276-0458
Photo courtesy of Fenton Fire Hall.
The other original igloo spot in Michigan is the Fenton Fire Hall, one of the restaurants from the Union Joints restaurant group. They will have a total of six igloos by next week, three on the roof and three on the patio. You can enjoy food and drink on the patio, but drinks only up on the rooftop.
Fenton Fire Hall's Curt Catallo explained that "Ann Stevenson, our co-owner, is from Minneapolis and when it warms up to 25 degrees there, people are out rollerblading in their short shorts. We knew that folks here would be game for dining with a hint of chill in the air and we were right. We've always thought that if we could give someone a little adventure on a Tuesday night, we should."
Hit up the patio igloos and enjoy some of Michigan's Best French Fries. Idaho Russets are washed, hand cut and soaked overnight in water. Fresh oil is used every day, and they do a perfect first blanch, creating an opaque fry at this point. Chilled quickly, the fries await their next dip, when they'll get cooked for another 2-3 minutes. Then, they are finished with salt. At the Fire Hall, fries come as a side, and are served with Fire Hall mayo, a totally different blend of mayo and Texas style sweet bbq sauce.
You can also experience Michigan's Best Mac and Cheese. Their sister restaurant Clarkston Union came out on top for that search, and they make the same version of their Most Macked Mac & Cheese here. It is truly divine, loaded with cheddar and Pinconning cheeses and topped with a delectable crunchy crusty.
If you go:
201 S Leroy St
Fenton, MI 48430
(810) 936-0442
Photo courtesy of Honcho.
Sister restaurant to Fenton Fire Hall, Honcho is located downtown Clarkston in the cutest spot around. They feature, in their own words, "Latin food that speaks with an Asian accent and lives right here on main street." Whatever you want to call it, this food is good. Their fries were part of our top ten list for Michigan's Best French Fries, since all the Union Joints make their fries perfectly the same. Here at Honcho, try them "Salchipapas" style, with a house smoked hot link, cheese and a fried egg, and not-to-miss "Peruvian chili sauce" on top, with notes of cilantro and lime.
There are four igloos at Honcho and you can eat and drink in them.
"A joint like Honcho has a menu and a vibe that's all about open doors and eating outside," Curt Catallo of Honcho explained. "We hated to see that aspect hibernate, so we surrounded the fire pit with igloos on a whim last year. Needless to say, the response was bananas. This year, we upgraded to custom igloos, if for no other reason to give servers and guests doors instead of zippers."
If you go:
3 E Church St
Clarkston, MI 48346
(248) 707-3793
Photo courtesy of Lumen.
Lumen, located in downtown Detroit, has six igloos to enjoy. They are available on a first come, first serve basis. The igloos hold six to eight people and you can both drink and eat in them. They also feature heaters that look like fireplaces.
If you go:
1903 Grand River
Detroit, Michigan 48226
(313) 626-5005
There are four igloos at Clubhouse BFD, and each one holds 6 to 8 people. You can eat and drink in them, and all are on a first come, first served basis.
If you go:
2265 Crooks Rd
Rochester Hills, Michigan 48309
(248) 289-6093
Outside Coffee Company let us know that their igloos are "heated with a little space heater inside each one. We do not take reservations - they're first come, first served, communal style. We like the idea that folks will share the intimate space with other people in the neighborhood/community. We like people to be mindful of their time in the igloos, since they are a hot commodity however we don't set limits on it. We serve a full menu of specialty coffee, tea, hot cocoa and food.
You can check out their seasonal menu here.
If you go:
734 Wealthy St SE
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503-5554
Taylor Huntman from The Back Lot informed us: "Our guests are all welcome to use the one igloo we have on site. We have put a small heater inside to make it a bit more bearable in our northern Michigan weather. Guests are welcome to not only take their beverages with them, but also order food from Happy's Taco Shop (their shipping container is inside our building for the winter) and enjoy their food in the igloo. For now, it is on a first come first serve basis, but come ski season we may change that."
If you go:
425 Michigan St.
Petoskey, Michigan 49770
(231) 881-9933
There are three igloos at Rad Dad's, and you can call ahead to reserve one. Enjoy both food and drink in them throughout the winter.
If you go:
Rad Dad's Tacos and Tequila Bar
470 W. Western Ave. Suite A
Muskegon, Michigan 49440
(231) 766-7669
Born from the remains of a former Hooters, and completely transformed from some incredible interior design, Gran Castor is the newest member of the Union Joints family having opened in August 2018, and is so new that there are no pictures available yet of their two igloos. These are available on a first come first serve basis, just like all their other restaurants.
This spot offers coffee, tequila, tacos, pizza and more, which sounds like it is a stop that will make everyone happy. They also offer the famous Most Macked Mac & Cheese here, so that's worth a stop alone.
If you go:
2950 Rochester Rd
Troy, Michigan 48083
(248) 278-7777
From Fork and Pint:
"Presently we have one igloo up and operating. We wanted to get the first one up and figure out the logistics of operating them as well as customer demand. And let me tell you, it has been a big success. Our customer base loves it. We have two more on order and are hoping to have them up and operating soon. We offer full service in our igloo, both food and drink. We have a small heater in it to help make it comfortable, although we have not had any 10 degree weather yet to test it out on really cold days. Afternoon dining and when the sun is out really make the igloo warm and toasty. We operate on a first come first serve basis and do not take reservations for the igloo at this time."
If you go:
51 N Broadway
Lake Orion, Michigan 48362
(248) 845-4476
I haven't met the three blondes yet, but I just know that we are going to be friends. How? Because they named their igloo THE BLONDOME.
From Carrie, Blonde #2: "We have just one right now and it's set up on our patio with patio furniture and a coffee table, with blankets and a heater. It's first come first served (for free) but due to popular demand, groups can rent/reserve it in two-hour blocks if they want to guarantee a spot. We are happy to serve them dinner and drinks out there or they can just order from the bar and take it out to the Blondome. It's so fun! More info and our reservation page can be found here - www.threeblondesbrewing.com/Blondome
If you go:
1875 Phoenix Street Suite B
South Haven, Michigan 49090
(269) 872-3911
There are two igloos at GCBC, and you can eat and drink in both of them. Six to eight people can cuddle up inside and enjoy heaters that look like fireplaces.
If you go:
575 S Eton St
Birmingham, Michigan 48009
(248) 712-4050
From Table and Tap's Facebook page:
"Due to the overwhelming response about the igloos, and the fact that the next available Saturday is Dec 29, we are not taking phone calls today (December 1) for reservations.
Starting Tuesday morning, each morning (on days we are open) from 9am-12noon we will take reservations. If you call isn't answered in that time, send an email to becca@tableandtap.com with the date and time you want and a phone number to reach you. On a first come first serve basis, If that is available we will call you and finish the reservation process.
We apologize to everyone we couldn't accommodate, and we would like to thank everyone who has been patient and kind as we had no idea you all would be this excited about a winter patio!"
We love where these igloos are located, right in front of the restaurant and across the street from Flint landmark, Capitol Theatre. We also love their craft beer tap list, and the fact that they have some of Michigan's Best Mac and Cheese.
"We are excited to be able to offer an outdoor dining experience right in the heart of downtown Flint! We smoke all of our meats daily, all our sauces are house made and our Mac & Cheese wins awards," Table and Tap told us.
If you go:
555 S Saginaw St
Flint, Michigan 48502
(810) 250-3631
They've got both an igloo and an outdoor tent at this East Bay spot that features craft beer, Scotch whiskey, and wood fired pizzas.
If you go:
Hopscotch Brick Oven and Taproom
2032 U.S. 31
Traverse City, Michigan 49686
(231) 252-4718
We have not heard confirmation from Baynes Apple Valley, but from what we can tell there is at least one igloo on site, and that they are open for the holiday season.
If you go:
5395 Midland Rd
Freeland, Michigan 48623
(989) 695-9139
More ways to embrace our Michigan winter:
Embrace winter and ski for free in Gaylord.
The snuggle is real at these Michigan restaurants.
This ski hill has some of Michigan's Best french fries.
10 fun things to do on a snow day.
Ad Choices