Taste of the Countryside: Uncovering Saugatuck's Farm-to-Table Delights

Saugatuck Restaurants – Where Farm-Fresh and Locally-Sourced Ingredients Shine

Saugatuck is bordered by natural beauty on all sides – to the west lies the expansive waters of Lake Michigan, while to the north, south, and east, you’ll find scenic countryside and a bevy of family-owned farms. With plentiful moisture, moderate temperatures during the growing season, and supportive soil, southwestern Michigan has long been a hotspot for growing everything from heirloom vegetables and delicious wine grapes to a wide assortment of fruits like cherries, apples, and berries.

It’s historically known as the “Michigan fruit belt” and became an American Viticultural Area decades ago, a designation given to unique wine-producing regions throughout the country. With so many local farms nearby, Saugatuck restaurants gear their menus around the freshest ingredients and adapt as the seasons shift. 

When you stay at our Saugatuck bed and breakfast, plan to try out these restaurants, indulge your inner foodie, and taste the best of our area’s farm-to-table eats.

Farm-to-Table Options Aplenty, Less Than a Mile Away from the Hotel Saugatuck

Start your culinary adventure by stopping at the Farmhouse Deli and Pantry, which lives up to its name with scratch-made soups, pastries made with local butter, and a menu of creative sandwiches. Since opening in 2013 with just a humble deli case in downtown Douglas – just on the other side of the Kalamazoo River and a mile from our location – they have expanded their offerings over the years, which now includes a full raw juice bar alongside their 15 choices of hot and cold sandwiches. The rosemary ham sandwich comes with locally-made gruyere and greens from Mudlake, a farm outside Saugatuck, while the Belly Buster uses local pork smoked in-house over cherry wood topped with homemade BBQ sauce and slaw. If you’re heading out for an afternoon of paddleboarding on the Kalamazoo River, it’s the perfect spot to stock up on to-go sandwiches before hitting the water.

Just a half-mile away from your Hotel Saugatuck lodging. Everyday People Cafe in Douglas does farm-to-table with a sophisticated touch, dedicated to using the best ingredients and working with family farms while still being affordable. They’ve been featured in the Chicago Tribune and the New York Times, both commending their focus on innovative plates and wide-ranging menus. Start with their tapas dishes, like Greek meatballs or wasabi pea-encrusted ahi, followed by a salad prepared with roasted beets and goat cheese sourced from Evergreen Lane Creamery (just a few miles outside Saugatuck). The main plates are just as enticing, like the steak and frites – made with beef from Snake River Farm and fries seasoned with locally-grown herbs. Chicken ricotta dumplings are another favorite, using Cougle Farms poultry and upping the flavor with leek, shallot, capers, and garlic. 

Weekends feature brunch and all-you-can-drink champagne from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., while Saturday nights liven up with live music on their patio from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Enjoy a delicious meal before strolling along Center Street in downtown Douglas, where you can explore the art galleries, local shops, and finish the evening with a moonlit walk along the shore of Lake Kalamazoo. Note that they are closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

Just a mile away in the opposite direction, the Pennyroyal Cafe and Provisions sits on the Blue Star Highway, where the landscape quickly becomes rural and scenic. You’ll be able to grab a bite whatever time of day you visit, as they are open 8 am - 9 pm every day except for Tuesdays, when they are closed, and Wednesdays when they only serve coffee and pastries. Breakfast options include a croissant Monte Cristo and a farmers scramble made with several locally-grown veggies, followed by a lunch menu with delicious choices like a BLT, a roasted corn and chicken salad, and a house-roasted turkey sandwich. Dinner brings housemade pasta cavatelli, pecan-crumbed locally-caught walleye, and roasted chicken with farm-fresh herbs. Owner and award-winning chef Melissa Corn runs her kitchen with a dedication to local ingredients, sourcing her meat and vegetables from farms like Starflower and Crane Dance – after your meal, browse their Little White Barn on-site, where you can shop for produce and fruit jams from several regional farms. Pennyroyal is along one of the main biking routes through the area, so if you’re heading out for a day of pedaling, stop in for a relaxing meal on their patio mid-ride.

Fennville – Orchards, Wineries, Rolling Farmland, and More Restaurants To Discover

Just 12 miles outside of Saugatuck/Douglas, Fennville is the heart of the region’s agricultural belt, where you’ll find miles and miles of fruit orchards alongside wineries growing distinct wine-grape varietals. For a truly rustic and charming experience, take a day trip to Crane’s Pie Pantry, Restaurant, and Winery. Their restaurant, open seasonally from May through October and closed on Tuesdays, serves comfort food at its best – apple butter gouda toast, orchard salads, country quiches with homemade apple sauce, corned beef brined in cider made on-site, and 14 different sandwiches. The decor inside the restaurant and pie bakery is like stepping back in time, with antiques on the walls and restored wooden tables, and their pies are just as classic. In addition to their cider and wine flights – all made from their apples and grapes for several generations – they also offer pie flights. Why choose from apple, cherry, blueberry, or raspberry-rhubarb pies when you can try them all?! The fall season is quaint and fun at Crane’s, as you can pick apples by the pound fresh from their orchard, take a hay ride, and explore the 20-acre corn maze.

Root Cafe is another farm-to-table gem in Fennville, serving a broad menu of farm-fresh plates from morning until evening. Their breakfast scrambles use whatever local veggies are in season, 12 pizzas feature housemade dough and sauce, and the paninis are a step above – try the turkey cherry panini, made with locally sourced meat, gouda, and cherry chutney made in-house. After your meal, choose from their list of local beers, wines, or cocktails and sip while browsing their neighboring Fernwood 1891 art gallery, showcasing the work of over 40 local artists.

Stay with us, where Saugatuck restaurants embody the best of fresh, local, and farm-to-table flavors!