O’Reilly’s Irish Pub
106 Langlade StreetI wasn’t really hungry when I got back to Mackinaw City Wednesday night. My original plan was just to go right from Shepler’s Ferry Docks to get dinner some place in downtown Mackinaw City but I wasn’t really feeling it so I headed back to my hotel for a little bit. Mostly, I wanted to shower and lay down for a few minutes so I did that.
My dining options got more limited the longer I waited.
I still wasn’t super hungry around 8:30 but I knew if I was going to eat, I had to go. There’s not much open late in Mackinaw City and I assumed I’d get hungry around 10:00 when almost everything is closed.
I decided just to hit up a bar for something to eat and there’s still one bar left in Mackinaw City I’ve never been to.
O’Reilly’s Irish Pub is on Langlade Street just north of Central Avenue. I actually parked on the backside of the restaurant which is where Central Avenue because Huron Street as it winds past the ferry docks. There’s an entrance from that side as well and some street parking. Just watch the signs because there is permit only parking on one side of the street and lots in that area belong to Shepler’s. Now that Shepler’s is charging for ALL parking…including day parking, people are trying to find free spots in the city and the city is cracking down as well. So really pay attention to where you’re parking in Mackinaw City.
O’Reilly’s is connected to Dixie Saloon next door and the restaurant is really an extension of Dixie Saloon. I always assumed it was a separate business but it’s really not. They share a kitchen and it looked like you could get most things at O’Reilly’s that you can get at Dixie. There’s also a doorway that connects the two spaces right as you walk in on the Huon Street side of the building.
O’Reilly’s biggest claim to fame is it’s bar. It takes up a large portion of the long, narrow space and it’s said to be the longest Copper Bar in Northern Michigan. Most of the seats were empty so I found a spot I could get a good look at the beer selection and sat down on one of the green bar stools.
There are a few tables and booths in the space but not a lot. The booths are all built ins with high privacy walls. There are some pub tables at one of the space as well and it looked like maybe there was an upstairs but I couldn’t tell for sure. I was just there to grab a quick bite to eat and have a couple of beers.
I noticed right away they had beer on tap from Dixie Saloon next door.
The bartender asked if I wanted a menu and while he was getting that, I asked him for a Hazy Enough IPA. It’s a pretty standard Hazy IPA. Nothing really jumped out but it was really drinkable. I had planned on just having the one…but….
I drank it a little too fast and had nothing left when my food came out so I ordered another.
The menu was a little more pricey than I was expecting. Yeah, I’m traveling on the company dime but I still feel bad when I turn in receipts that higher than I was expecting. I realize getting to travel the way I do is kind of a perk and I don’t like to abuse it.
I actually skipped out on the burgers because I just wasn’t feeling that much food. There was an appetizer for Dixie’s Famous Wings. I decided just to go with that. I had been craving wings anyway and I didn’t feel like battling the crowds at the Keyhole Bar & Grill so I figured I’d give Dixie’s a try.
Dixie’s Famous Wings are jumbo breaded wings that come with either Original Dixie Hot Sauce, Asian Ginger Zinger, Maples Bacon, Tangy BBQ, or Habanero Sweet Heat. I went with the Original Dixie. The wings were a pretty good size and there were eight of them in the basket that came with celery and bleu cheese. The hot sauce wasn’t very hot but it had a really good peppery flavor and just a slight kick of heat when you first bring them to your lips. I’ve never been super wild about breaded wings like this though because the sauce makes them soggy and that’s what happens with these. The flavor is really great and eight wasn’t really enough once I got going. I’m always not hungry until I start eating. In this case, I found something really tasty and wanted more but they’d definitely be better off if they were not breaded.
The cost for the wings and two beers was close to $40 which was way more than I was looking to spend but I will say it was a delicious meal and the beers went down really easy after a couple of days of working on Mackinac Island.
I’m not really sure what the difference is between Dixie Saloon and O’Reilly’s Irish Pub other than the fact that O’Reilly’s seemed much more laid back to me. I haven’t been to Dixie Saloon in 10 years so I should probably put that one back on the list next time I head to the Island for work. In the mean time, this was a great opportunity to try some of the beer I’ve been missing out on and get a quick, tasty bite to eat before heading to bed.
SW Michigan Dining 