The Chuckwagon
7400 Main StreetI really enjoy my typically yearly trip to Mackinac Island. I spend a lot of time work but just walking around the Island to and from my job site is a vacation from the daily grind.
I don’t usually eat on Mackinac Island though because we don’t usually stay on the Island. We didn’t this year either. We stayed at our usual Best Western Plus Dockside just down the street from the Shepler’s Ferry.
The first day working on the Island was Tuesday. I took the 10 AM ferry over to the Island to get a head start on some of the things I needed to do. I didn’t actually have to meet my co-worker until 4:00 but I had a lot of things I needed to do without him.
I got my stuff done downtown then headed to the jobsite for the day. It was about noon so it was time for a break. I dropped off my stuff then headed back downtown to grab something to eat.
For years, I’ve been intrigued by a diner on Main Street. It always seemed a little out of place but totally a spot I wanted to eat at.
That out of place little diner is The Chuckwagon. It’s on Main Street to the north of Hoban Street. The narrow red building is tucked in to the tightly packed buildings on Main Street next to the Haunted Theatre.
The restaurant is a diner in every way you would think it would be. It’s a long, narrow space with tables on one site and a lunch counter on the other. I got there right after the lunch rush according to the waitress. I just grabbed a spot at the lunch counter closest to the door. The waitress grabbed a menu and set it down in front of me then grabbed me a Coke from the fountain right behind her.
The menu is what you think it is. They don’t have a big kitchen so everything is done on a flat top or a fryer. I took the ferry over with people who work on the Island but live in the city on Wednesday and Thursday and each morning, I heard three or four people putting in their breakfast order. This is just the kind of place, with the kind of menu, you expect the locals to go to.
I put in an order for the BBQ Bacon Burger and an order of fries. It literally took less than five minutes. I was actually really shocked when the cook brought my burger over. I thought for sure he had the wrong person but there was only one other person in the diner at the time and he brought her burger at the same time.
The BBQ Bacon Burger is a 1/3 lb. burger served on a pretzel bun with cheddar cheese, bacon, lettuce, and tomato. The burger was pretty great. It was a classic diner burger but the pretzel bun gave it more of a gastropub feel. The bacon was super crispy and the BBQ was there but wasn’t a drippy mess. This sandwich is everything you want a diner burger to be. You can taste the well loved griddle used to make it in every bite.
The fries were…also what you expect from a dinner. They were..meh…at best. Frozen fries without much seasoning. There was a bucket of condiments in front of me but I just kind of mindlessly ate them as they were. Nothing wrong with them at all, just boring frozen fries.
My bill for lunch was just over $22 which, for Mackinac Island, seems like a steal.
The Chuckwagon has been a staple on Main Street since the 1950’s and it’s easy to see why. There’s a lot of great places to eat on Mackinac Island but it’s nice to find such a laid back place that still cranks out delicious classic diner food.
SW Michigan Dining 