The VI Grill
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The VI Grill
We offer fresh fish, natural hand cut steaks, homemade pizza, Black Angus steak burgers, fresh salads, and vegetarian options. We have an extensive wine list with micro beers and 22 draft selections. Dining is available in our Historic tavern, or sit outside on our brick patio by our stone fireplace.

Grill is the oldest, continually operating restaurant in the entire county. With 147 years in operation and a newly remodeled facility, the V.I. Grill maintains an "Up North" atmosphere and provides contemporary twists on classic local fare. Stop in for fresh fish, natural hand cut steaks, homemade pizza, Black Angus steak burgers, fresh salads, and vegetarian options.
Reviews (24)
Joseph H.
Joseph H.
Jan 14, 2022
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SERVICE:3
FOOD QUALITY:4
DRINK QUALITY:N/A
ORDER TIME: 5
AESTHETICS:4
NOISE LEVEL:5
MENU SELECTION:5

OVERALL EXPERIENCE: 4.33

Went to Suttons bay to enjoy the beauty of the small town. It was very magical with the heavy fog. It started to lightly rain so we decided to get some food before driving back to traverse city. We chose this place because of the reviews and availability of the outdoor bar.

The service started out wonderful, but midway through our meal our server at the bar was unhappy, and began arguing with another employee about wanting to leave. Easily a 5 star review if things like
James C.
James C.
Dec 29, 2021
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Great pulled pork sandwiches! Friendly Staff, always a good selection of local beers.
Joanie S.
Joanie S.
Dec 28, 2021
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We always love the VI Grill! The service is outstanding! The entrees and daily specials are delicious! Drinks are top notch! My favorite entree is the avocado chicken wrap!! The VI is one one of our favorite dining places in Suttons Bay!!
Rich Basher
Rich Basher
Nov 02, 2021
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Update: Back with friends. Again, service was good and overall food was better. Upping to 4 but room for improvement.
Service was good. Drinks cold but food was a bit underwhelming. Weinershnitzel was under cooked and sauce a bit too winey tasting. Veggies were spot on and delicious. Wrap was small and fries good. Burger was perfect. Will come back to give another try.
Kimberly Mccoy
Kimberly Mccoy
Nov 01, 2021
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Great food! The fish wasn't as crispy as I had hoped, but all in all this was a great place to eat at! The fries were great, and the salad was super fresh. You could tell all of the food was made fresh right then and there. I recommend sitting outside if the weather is nice. Overall, stop here to eat!
Rocky Rocky
Rocky Rocky
Oct 31, 2021
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Very friendly and welcoming host. Down hill from there. The grilled chicken wrap was served cold ,Which wasn't a deal breaker, but it was bland and was described as having guacamole but had very little and just a tiny bit of chicken, mostly lettuce.our server was odd and barely spoke to us .
Bill J.
Bill J.
Oct 29, 2021
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Great place for lunch. Service is excellent, food is good and people are friendly. This place has stood the test of time. I've always enjoyed coming here.
Julie B.
Julie B.
Oct 24, 2021
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We had delicious food and great service. Brandey was an excellent waitress; very professional, positive, and engaging.
Our food was flavorful and well prepared. Comfortable atmosphere. We would highly recommend this place the next time you're in Leelanau County.
Linda M.
Linda M.
Sep 19, 2021
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Husband really enjoyed the perch platter. I got the Turkey sandwich with slaw and Swiss. It was very dry, the slaw didn't have enough flavor to carry the sandwich for me. Our fries were under cooked, more in the soggy side then the crisp side.
As the dishes went by, the burgers looked great and heard good this from the customers. Definitely something to try next visit.
Chava Bahle
Chava Bahle
Sep 18, 2021
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A wonderful Suttons Bay tradition! Great black burger with Swiss, onions and guac. My husband enjoyed the fried cod. Patio is so nice. Staff is wonderful. Thanks Brittany 😊
Edward K.
Edward K.
Aug 30, 2021
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Stopped in for a quick lunch
Lunch was excellent! We had the California turkey & Pulled pork sandwich. Very tasty, a great atmosphere and service
Suttons Bay is a delightful town and the VI Grill os a wonderful place to lunch and enjoy the surroundings
Amanda L.
Amanda L.
Aug 26, 2021
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If you're in Suttons Bay, I strongly recommend calling ahead to all places. I think everywhere is relatively short staffed and will require a wait, so it's definitely helpful to call ahead and see how long the wait is and/or if they take reservations. My group walked up and down downtown SB to check in on the handful of dinner places that were open on a weekday & VI Grill was the first place after we put our name down that could seat us, so we went.

It's a standard issue bar/classic American food location, nothing all that special or remarkable about it. I didn't even take
Shannon K.
Shannon K.
Aug 23, 2021
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Drove up to Suttons Bay and stopped here for lunch. Do yourself a favor and order some Popcorn Perch. Sooo good, not minced or fake, actual perch fillet battered and fried. Very delicious. I got the au jus burger and it was fabulous. Smothered in Swiss and topped with crispy onion strings with a side of au jus dipping juice. Really yummy. Sweet potato fries were very tasty. Husband got the regular burger - lettuce, tomato, cheddar, and onion strings - and he said it was fantastic. Sat outside and had a wonderful lunch.
Peter P.
Peter P.
Aug 17, 2021
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Recently was in Traverse City, MI and decided to return to the VI Grill in Suttons Bay (about 15 miles from T). Great decision. We had 2 amazing late lunch meals at VI!!! Their Whitefish platter (with amazing fries and cole slaw) was incredible! Tasty and very generous portions! We retuned the following day and ordered their crab cake special and a Whitefish platter. I had to snap a pic on our second visit. Highly recommend sitting outside. Amazing on a gorgeous Michigan summer afternoon!!! The food was wonderful. Amazing
Lauren A.
Lauren A.
Aug 05, 2021
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Service was horrible and food was mediocre. There are so many great restaurants in the area, don't waste your time here.
David F.
David F.
Jul 09, 2021
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My wife and I lunched here. We sat inside as the patio was a bit chilly today. We each got hamburgers. I can't recall when my wife last finished a burger, but she ate every bite. We both thought these were the best hamburgers we.have ever had. There were other tempting items on the menu as well. Service was friendly ans efficient. The indoor restaurant was attractively decorated and quite comfortable. It's very popular end for good reason.
Maddy O.
Maddy O.
Jun 20, 2021
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I love this place! The waitstaff was so kind and helpful, especially Becky. The perch dinner and the Oreo dessert (maybe called mud pie?) were so delicious. We went twice in one day and we will be back!!
Rob L.
Rob L.
Jun 19, 2021
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I had the french onion burger and an draft IPA. The food was delicious. After a second IPA my wife enjoyed spending some money and I didn't care. Ladies take the hubby here and get him an IPA and keep it coming. Them tell him how much fun you will have shopping. Also get some ice cream down the street.
Dave S.
Dave S.
Jun 19, 2021
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This is such a great spot in lovely Suttons Bay! Amazing staff, delicious food, and the location is perfect. Also our food came out so fast we were stunned. We will definitely be back!
Alicia H.
Alicia H.
Jun 13, 2021
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Great spot in Suttons Bay. Indoor and indoor seating options. Best whitefish sandwich (IMO) in the area. We love to get the salsa trio and perch popcorn appetizers. My dad, who is very particular, said the pork sandwich was incredible.

Leelanau lemonade and the great Gil dead are great summer cocktails.
Julia N.
Julia N.
Oct 24, 2020
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Loved the food, service, setting and atmosphere. Ask for Becky, she was an awesome waitress. The burger was fixed perfect, the fries were what I expected. My husband loved the full rack of ribs. He ate them all! Definitely a place to return to on our next visit.
Mark K.
Mark K.
Aug 08, 2020
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Back up in northern pure Michigan and had to try this place again. Local lake perch is a treat when fresh and prepared properly. It's unique to the his part of the country. Most perch is ocean perch. A completely different animal - lol. Anyway VI delivered. Perch was fresh as could be. Light, flaky white fish in a very light batter. Often times the batter is too heavy but not here. Service was outstanding. Our server - Emma - was on her game. Efficient and friendly. And she loved our pup so that's always a plus.
Brendan Schafer
Brendan Schafer
Jul 14, 2020
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Fantastic service out of this restaurant, very welcoming, the host offered great feedback on the menu, was attentive, and extremely accommodating! Food was good, recommendation (perch) was fantastic.
Artichoke Dip & Pita Chips:
The pita chips were great good mix of cruchy and soft, topped with parmesan. The dip was good, but we did miss a lil spinach in it, as it adds some freshness. It was very creamy.
Chipotle Black Bean Burger:
"It was good, said Chipotle but wasn't very spicy, the bun was fantastic, guacamole was a little over powering, fries were average." -gf
Perch Platter:
Was recommended
Scott W.
Scott W.
Jun 23, 2019
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We heard good things about this restaurant so we stopped by on our way to leelanau State park.

We had already eaten at the hotel so we didn't need much. We wanted a breakfast we could share. We ordered the avocado omelette which came with hash browns and toast. While ordering my wife and I were discussing what type of toast to order because I like rye and she likes raisen. Our waitress said she would bring out both types with our order (awesome!).

There was more than enough food for the two of us and everything was fresh and tasty.
I wish I was back there now getting some more!

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