jlm_mi

I will be in Saugatuck Saturday, June 25 for an evening wedding, so I'm taking advantage of being there anyway and arriving in the morning to spend the day exploring the town with a few family members.

Any suggestions where we can have a nice, light lunch, preferably with outdoor seating available (and indoor too in case it's too hot or rainy)? We'd be looking for salad and sandwich type food most likely, under $15 per person for lunch. Right downtown would be ideal as we'll already be walking around.

Also, it looks like from maps I'm seeing that we can just walk from downtown Saugatuck over a little bridge to downtown Douglas. Are they really that close together?

Thanks!

jlm_mi

ttt

exiledprincess

jlm_mi, great minds must think alike...I was just in Saugatuck this past week.

Are you staying in one of the B&Bs downtown? Most of them will have menus from the restaurants in town for you to review.

My recommendations: Over at Coral Gables, you can sit boardwalk-side. NOTE: they are in the process of sinking posts for new piers there, but that probably wouldn't interfere with your Saturday luncheon much. (They may even be completed when you are there.)

But my first recommendation would be The Butler. We went there for dinner and sat inside, but they have outdoor tables as well. Excellent cuisine. I don't know the luncheon menu prices but I think they should be in line with your budget. There should be a menu posted outside The Butler, though.

If you wanted a more quirky place for lunch, not in Saugatuck, I'd recommend Crane's Pie Pantry just outside of Fennville. Fennville Winery is very close, but they now have a store in Saugatuck itself--so enjoy!

If you are taking #196 in, you actually pass through Douglas to get to Saugatuck. It's a fair hike if you wanted to walk it, though, from Water Street or thereabouts in Saugatuck.

One thing I thought was quite nice is that if you go to the end of the Douglas downtown district on the main drag (coming from #196)--keep going straight. It goes down a fair incline to a little bay-side area where kayaks can be rented. There is a nice sitting area with a gazebo and a couple of pieces of sculpture there as well, but it's just a lovely bit of quiet as opposed to the crowds in Saugatuck. (Caveat: We went on a Thursday afternoon around 3pm, and it was deserted except for another couple--cannot say how busy on weekends.)

Hope this info helps!

jlm_mi

Thanks! They sound like great suggestions. Unfortunately, I'm not spending the night this trip. Just heading in in the morning and heading home again after the wedding. I'd love to take my husband there for a weekend this fall though, and maybe our dog for some good dunes hiking.

ceg

For lunch, I would also recommend the Mermaid Bar and Grill. They have out door seating on the dock.

jlm_mi

Just wanted to say thanks and follow up with a brief report.

We really only had a few hours to enjoy Saugatuck as I had to drive 3 hours to get there, and the wedding I was there for was at 4:30. But enjoy it we did!

We managed to find street parking right in town, just off Water St. We basically had enough to wander the entire length of Butler St. on both sides, popping into many shops. I was pleasantly surprised at how many of them weren't too high-end. The high-end custom jewelry and art were truly beautiful to look at, but I managed to find a couple of things I could afford to buy as well, so all was good.

We ate lunch at the Butler, out on their deck. The shops were not at all crowded, and we did not have to wait at all to be seated at the Butler at 12:30. I attribute both to the fact that it was 90-degrees + and very humid. Most people were probably swimming or boating.

Lunch was excellent though! The deck has limited offerings, and I was looking for something cold to eat. I tried the chicken salad wrap, which had some spicy seasonings and was very tasty! And although the menu indicated that only 1 free refill came with my diet coke, the waitress happily offered to refill it a third time and didn't charge me for it. My aunt tried the grilled tuna salad. She was not asked how she wanted the tuna cooked, and it arrived very well done (no pink in the middle at all). She was hesitant, but said it was actually quite good, even as done as it was. We all enjoyed our meals!

This very brief trip to Saugatuck has confirmed what I've known all along - I want to take a weekend trip there sometime in the off-season and enjoy all that it has to offer in more depth.

Thanks for all the food suggestions!