31 Famous Michigan Foods: What Food Is Michigan Known For?

by Sydney Weber

Amazing Michigan Famous Food

Seeking some delicious and famous Michigan foods?

Michigan is an incredibly special place for many reasons—our Upper and Lower Peninsula, Mackinac Island, Detroit, and of course, our four Great Lake neighbors. But another highlight of the state, one you won’t want to miss, is the food and drink.

Michigan food can’t be contained in only one category. We’ve got pasties and ice cream and apples (oh my!). Michigan food culture is special, with unique food products and snack foods ranging from garlic dill pickles to Detroit style pizza.

Read on for some famous Michigan foods, and some that aren’t famous…yet.

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Regional Foods of Michigan: Upper Peninsula

Pasties

Cornish immigrants brought these hearty hand pies to the Upper Peninsula mines where they worked, and Finnish cooks put their own spin on them by adding carrots. Now, the warm and flaky pasties are available all over the state, and nothing says comfort food quite like a piping hot pasty.

The traditional pasty is made with beef (Cubed or shredded? The debate rages on), but chicken, veggie, ham and cheese, pizza, omelet and other versions abound.

Purists will say that they’re only to be served with ketchup, but gravy has been known to accompany a pasty or two. Some even put sour cream on them. Regardless, we recommend Roy’s, Dobber’s, Pasty Central, and Muldoon’s pasties. Other pasties worth mentioning are those at the PastyHaus in Frankenmuth.

Trenary Toast

One of the more underrated Michigan foods, Trenary toast comes from the Upper Peninsula town of Trenary, where Finnish immigrants brought their cinnamon-covered, double-baked toast from across the sea.

Now, there are other flavor options, all still handmade, like tart cherry sugar, cardamom, and chocolate chip. If you can’t make it to the U.P., you’re in luck because they ship, and the toast has a yearlong shelf life. Once you have toast in hand, you can dunk it in coffee or milk, spread jam, butter, or Nutella on it, or eat it as is.

Order your own crispy cinnamon Trenary Toast here.

The Cudighi

This beloved sandwich specialty is primarily found in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. The grilled Cudighi sausage is typically served on a soft Italian-style roll or a crusty baguette. To complement the sausage, the sandwich is often dressed with a medley of toppings and condiments that may include sautéed onions and green peppers, melted cheese (such as mozzarella or provolone), and a tangy tomato sauce or marinara.

Lake Whitefish

Denizens of Michigan have been enjoying lake whitefish for ages. Found throughout the Great Lakes, whitefish is mild and tender and provides more omega-3 than sockeye salmon. You can find it grilled, seared, smoked, in dips, baked, and fried.

Foods of Michigan: Northern Michigan (Lower Peninsula)

Mackinac Island Fudge

When you think Mackinac Island, what comes to mind? Horse-drawn carriages? Biking around the island? The Grand Hotel? I’m confident that Mackinac Island fudge also comes up, because it’s famous on both peninsulas. So creamy and sweet, it’s practically a guarantee you’ll be wanting more.

Craving the deliciousness of creamy Mackinac Fudge? Order it here!

Pickle Pizza

We mentioned pizza when we talked about the scrumptious Detroit-style pizza, but that’s not the only unique pie that Michigan has to offer. If you head north on U.S.-23, you’ll find a pickle pizza in the Tawas City area. Pickle pizza = pickles on a pizza = deliciousness. Seriously, it’s so good.

S’mores Caboose Pizza

If the pickle pizza is not your speed, it’s okay. Go north towards Traverse City, and at the Filling Station Microbrewery you can order a S’more Caboose. It’s got graham crackers, Nutella, and marshmallows toasted golden brown, all on top of a pizza crust. It’s like they took one of the best parts of a campfire and turned it into flatbread. And you don’t even have to fight a raccoon for it.

Make your own Smore’s Pizza with this Smore’s Kit, with everything you need to create your own treat!

Traverse City Cherries

Speaking of Traverse City, it’s time to talk cherries. This area of Michigan is known as the Cherry Capital of the World because it produces 40 percent of the nation’s tart cherries. It’s fitting, then, that Traverse City is home to the National Cherry Festival.

Michigan cherries are well-represented all over the state (and nation—they ship!) thanks to Cherry Republic, a store specializing in cherry-related foods. They’ve got cherry barbecue sauce, chocolate covered cherries, cherry syrup, cherry tea, cherry pop and more.

Traverse City dried cherries are great in salads and for baking. Order some here.

If you head north from Traverse City to Leland, wander through the historic Fishtown district. If you want to take on what has to be the most unique of the drinks from Michigan, order a Chubby Mary at the Cove Restaurant.

A play on the Bloody Mary, the Chubby Mary is a tomato-based cocktail (with a virgin version available) that comes with an entire smoked chub. The drink itself is smoky and salty and something to write home about.

Distinctly Detroit Michigan Foods

Coney Island Hot Dogs

Though the words “coney dog” might suggest New York’s Coney Island, it’s quite possible that south east Michigan is actually the origin point of the famed coney island hot dogs. After all, there are some parts of Vermont and even New York where a coney dog is referred to as a Michigan. Plus, the Detroit Historical Society has an article on it.

Anyways, Michigan, thanks to Greek immigrants, has been serving up coney dogs since at least 1914. Todoroff’s Original Coney Island in Jackson, as well as American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island in Detroit, are longtime providers of this beanless-chili-and-yellow-mustard-and-diced-onions-covered frank.

Faygo Pop

Like many Michigan foods, we owe the existence of Faygo to immigrants, specifically, a pair of brothers who were Russian bakers. Inspired by frostings, they began making pop, adding more and more flavors over the years. The 1960s brought us the beloved Red Pop, when the pre-existing Strawberry Pop got a name change.

Today, there are more than 50 flavors, and their Creme Soda remains one of the best I’ve ever had. This fruit drink in Michigan has fans across the country: it’s not just Michigan famous. Pick up a Faygo beverage the next time you’re in the supermarket and you’ll know why!

Longing for Faygo Red Pop? Order some here!

Vernors

Michigan’s favorite ginger ale (and the country’s oldest producer of the beverage) is Vernors, through and through. Created on Woodward Ave in the 1860s, this drink has long been a Michigan special. Add some vanilla ice cream and a straw and you’ve got yourself a Boston Cooler.

Craving a gingery Vernor’s soda? Order some here.

Better Made Potato Chips

Founded by two friends in 1930 in Detroit, Michigan, Better Made has been making better potato chips in flavors like Honey BBQ, Sour Cream and Onion, and Lightly Salted. Nor should we ignore their Rainbow Chips, which come from special potatoes that have enough sugar to caramelize during production.

For more Michigan-made snack chips, try Traverse City-based Great Lakes Potato Chip Co., which offers flavors like Buffalo Wing, Parmesan Ranch, and Michigan Cherry BBQ.

Want to try Detroit’s own Better Made Potato Chips and see for yourself? Order them here.

Detroit Style Pizza

New York- and Chicago-style are not the only pizzas out there. Enter the Detroit style pizza: baked in a deep rectangular pan, it has a thick crust. Legend has it the pans they’re cooked in were originally spare-parts containers from the automotive industry.

We can’t confirm that, but we can confirm that the cheese, laid on from end to end, gives every edge a toasty, cheesy topping that is (cue Robert Palmer imitation) simply irresistible. In some versions the sauce and toppings have switched places—toppings under the cheese, sauce on top.

No matter where you get it (we recommend Buddy’s), Detroit style pizza is a Michigan special. The rest of the country is missing out.

Mores Food in Michigan: Distinctly Popular Michigan Foods

There are some iconic foods of the Great Lakes State that we just can’t sort into geographical regions. They’re too tasty to be contained.

Biggby Coffee

Founded and headquartered in East Lansing, Biggby Coffee has been caffeinating the Mitten since 1995. They’ve got the traditional café favorites alongside things like the Black, White and Red All Over Freeze, which has chocolate, strawberry and white chocolate in it. Biggby has a special place in my heart for being the rare coffee franchise that offers more than two types of tea latte.

Order your own original Biggby Coffee K-Cups here.

Michigan Blueberries.

Did you know Michigan is one of the top blueberry-producing states in the country? It’s not surprising when we learn that blueberries like sandy soils that drain well—with four Great Lakes and miles of sandy beaches, Michigan is a haven for these plants. There are u-pick farms from Tawas to Howell, from Traverse City to Paw Paw. And in mid-August, when blueberry season is in full swing, stop by the National Blueberry Festival in South Haven, located on the shores of Lake Michigan.

Try some Brownwood Farms Michigan Blueberry Preserves at home – order here.

Everything Apple-Related

Fall in Michigan is incredible for so many reasons. We’ve got the stunning foilage, the corn mazes, and of course, the apples. The state is liberally sprinkled with orchards, and you can pick your own Michigan apples at many of them. Check out some of our favorite places here. Plus, there’s the opportunity to have apple cider fresh from the cider mill. I suggest a warm cinnamon sugar donut to go with it—especially if the donut is from Yate’s in Rochester or Country Mill in Charlotte.

Kellogg’s Cereal

Battle Creek in West Michigan isn’t called Cereal City for nothing. Of all the famous food in Michigan, this must be the one that’s best-known around the world. Kellogg’s Corn Flakes were born in 1894 thanks to the work of the Kellogg brothers. Kellogg’s grew with time, and so did their offerings: we’ve got the Battle Creek brothers to thank for Rice Krispies and Frosted Flakes. Kellogg’s cereal even went to the moon. #WestMichiganFTW.

Feeling nostalgic? Try a variety pack of Kelloggs cereals.

Olive Burgers

Lansing isn’t just the state capital, it’s also the Olive Burger Capital of the World. This Michigan favorite dates to the 1920s, in Weston’s Kewpee Sandwich Shoppe.

June 2023 saw Michigan’s first Olive Burger Festival, where the state legislature presented the festival organizers with a special tribute in recognition of this piece of culinary culture and the Michigan restaurants that serve it. Speaking of, check out Joe-Lee’s Crosswinds Café, which won the people’s choice for “Best Olive Burger” at the festival, or Hard Knocks Food Truck, the judges’ choice.

Pickled Bologna

This seems to be a well-kept secret, this Michigan special. My sources tell me it’s hard to find even in Indiana and Ohio. But people are looking, thanks to the spiced vinegar used in the pickling brine, and the slight smokiness that has tasters coming back for more.

Strawberries

For more Michigan fruit, try fresh-picked strawberries in June. It can feel like a treasure hunt, lifting up the leaves to discover deep red berries. These sun-warmed gems are sweet and make for incredible snacks. They add fantastic flavor to salads, desserts, and more.

Superman Ice Cream

Called Michigan’s favorite ice cream flavor, this red, yellow, and blue confection is a Midwest masterpiece. Superman ice cream was created by a Detroit brewery during Prohibition. What flavor each color represents can be a little different from creamery to creamery.

Red might be cherry or Red Pop (more on that when we get to Detroit), while blue is most likely to be Blue Moon, which can taste a little like almonds Yellow is typically vanilla, though some places will mix it up and do lemon. It’s super, man.

Did You Know? It’s possible that Blue Moon ice cream was invented in Ludington.

More Michigan Ice Cream:

• Hudsonville Ice Cream
• Mooville Ice Cream
• Mackinaw Island Creamery
• Ashby’s Sterling Ice Cream

Michi-Gummie

It sounds a little weird to say, “food is Michigan”, but when you’re eating Michi-Gummies, Michigan is food. Chewy goodies shaped like the Upper and Lower Peninsulas come in a multitude of flavors. Sour versions are available, as well as Michi-Cinnamons and Michi-Minis, which are cinnamon candies and hard, crunchy candies, respectively.

Order your own Michi Gummies here.

Bell’s Brewery

From Kalamazoo comes Bell’s Brewery products, including Oberon Ale, which is so popular that people celebrate its annual release. The summer-only brew debuted in 1992, one of a long line of innovative beers, ales, and stouts—Bell’s was making craft beer before it was popular, and it shows. Check out these other noteworthy Michigan breweries in our Ultimate Guide to Michigan breweries.

Fun fact: Bell’s Brewery started out brewing beer in soup pots. Sadly, if you take a tour of their main brewery in Comstock, you’ll not find soup pot-brewing anymore.

The Wet Burrito

As if Grand Rapids didn’t offer enough coolness to merit a visit, it turns out they’re also home to one of Michigan’s more unexpected famous dishes. Even though we’re closer to Canada than to Mexico, the wet burrito is a Michigan thing.

Word on the street is that this burrito, which is smothered in chile sauce and cheese, was born at the Beltline Bar on 28th Street in Grand Rapids. It’s well-known enough to have make-at-home versions and a bullet point on the Wikipedia entry for “burritos”.

If you want to try the original, head over to the Beltline Bar, where they offer 11 different versions, including gluten-free ones.

The Monster Shake

In the small town of Plainwell in southwest Michigan, there lies a monster. If you’re feeling brave you can take it on at Dean’s, a beloved local ice cream shop. Many flavors are available, though my personal favorite is a classic malt vanilla. Any way you order it, it’s 32 ounces of milkshake. Tag-teaming the monster is recommended, for your own safety. Afterwards, you can stroll along Plainwell’s charming river walk, towards downtown or the old paper mill.

Caseville Cheeseburgers

Okay, so you can get a cheeseburger just about anywhere. But can you get a cheeseburger while listening to Jimmy Buffett tribute bands and participating in frog jumping contests just about anywhere?

Nope. Enter Caseville: home of the Cheeseburger in Caseville Festival, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. Inspired by Jimmy Buffett and his song “Cheeseburger in Paradise”, this 10-day festival at the tip of the Thumb is one you won’t want to miss.

Vlasic Pickles

These crunchy, tasty, nationally known pickles have an interesting origin story: in a Detroit creamery.
The cheesemaker’s son added Polish pickles to the company offerings, and they took off on stork’s wings. Now Vlasic pickles can be found on shelves across the nation, but they’re still made with Michigan-grown cucumbers that were pickled in Imlay City, Michigan.

For more pickled deliciousness, check out: Detroit’s McClure’s, or Au Gres’ own Freakin’ Pickles, which are now available across the state. Recently Freakin’ Pickles were at the Berrien Springs Pickle Festival. Because in Michigan, if it’s a food, we probably have a festival for it.

Craving the taste of a Vlasic Pickle? Order them here.

Frankenmuth Chicken

Winner winner, chicken dinner. Two Frankenmuth hotels—Zehnder’s and what is today the Frankenmuth Bavarian Inn Restaurant—have been serving fresh, crispy, tender, delicious fried chicken dinners for decades. These Michigan restaurants are family favorites for their hearty meals, cozy German atmosphere, and friendly service.

While the chicken is amazing, it’s not the only star of the show. The mashed potatoes, buttered egg noodles (with a crispy topping that is 10/10), homemade bread, cranberry relish, and their top-notch chicken noodle soup also deserve their day in the sun. There’s ice cream for dessert if you can fit it in your stomach after all that.

Zingerman’s Deli

Zingerman’s website describes themselves as an “Ann Arbor institution”, and we couldn’t agree more. From sandwiches to smoked and peppered meat to some of the best bread in Southeast Michigan, Zingerman’s is not to be missed. Don’t forget about the pastry case, either.

Did you know that Michigan State University’s MSU Extension Centers supports community food systems throughout the state of Michigan by promoting the use of Michigan-grown foods?

Recreate the taste of Zingerman’s classic in your own home. Order the cookbook here.

The Hummer Cocktail

This popular drink, known as the first “boozy milkshake,” originated at the Bayview Yacht Club. A tasty mix of rum, Kahlua and vanilla ice cream, it dates back to 1960.

About the Author-
Sydney Weber is a Feature Writer for mymichiganbeach.com and a graduate of Indiana University. She grew up in the Detroit and Lansing areas and spent many weekends going down side streets to see what’s what. Sydney loves finding little gems of places wherever she goes.