20+ Michigan Restaurants Locals Recommend To Out-Of-State Visitors

Living in the 11th-largest state in the US is a double-edged sword. Its size provides nearly boundless places to visit, things to see, and, most importantly, tons of different foods to try. It can be intimidating trying to decide where to eat on date night, and we live here.

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But now put yourself in the shoes of someone who is just passing through. Things become even more daunting when you have only a limited time and cannot afford to waste your time eating bad food. That's why today, I'm going to do my part to try and give some great options from the people who eat there the most: locals. 

These recommendations were garnered from an unlikely source, but the context of this data makes it that much more valuable.

TikTok Influencers Seek Restaurant Advice

At the beginning of 2026, British TikTok duo Josh and Jase surprised all of Michigan when they showed up in Grand Haven in the middle of winter to explore the state for a month. Their arrival sent much of the state into a frenzy as Josh and Jase Mania overtook everyone's Facebook feeds and more as the pair made their way around the state before ending in Detroit.

READ MORE: Grand Rapids Locals Name Their Most Romantic Restaurants

The pair was interviewed by everyone from the mayor of Mackinac Island to Governor Whitmer herself. As they returned to England, people were practically begging them to come back to Michigan in the summer, when the state wasn't covered in snow and summer businesses and lake life were in full swing.

So on Jase's personal page, he posed a simple question:

If I were to revisit Michigan...which restaurants do I HAVE to try?

And there were nearly 7,000 comments on the post, all of them recommending their small-town restaurants. So, I sifted through all the comments and found that these 20 restaurants were mentioned the most. I did add a few to make sure that most regions of the state had at least one restaurant highlighted, but that didn't happen everywhere.

Tony's Restaurant/Tony's I-75 in Birch Run, the home of the Original One Pound BLT, was the most popular recommendation among all the comments. So, Josh and Jase, if you see this, you're welcome. I did the dirty work for you.

Either way, these are great options for anyone, whether you're from out of state or a Michigander looking for some more niche restaurants.