20 Classic Michigan Dishes Every Visitor Should Experience

Michigan’s culinary spirit shines through dishes shaped by its seasons, its people, and its long-standing food traditions.

Comfort plays a starring role, but so does creativity, with recipes passed down through generations finding new life alongside local favorites born in lakeside towns and big cities alike.

Visitors often stumble upon flavors they never knew they needed, each one offering a little window into the state’s culture and character.

1. Detroit-Style Pizza

Born in Motor City’s old steel pans, this square-cut wonder flips tradition on its head with cheese that reaches right to the edges and caramelizes into crispy, golden perfection.

Thick, airy dough gets topped backwards cheese first, then toppings, with sauce ladled on last in racing stripes. That signature crunch? Pure Michigan magic in every bite.

2. Coney Dogs (Detroit or Flint Style)

Greek immigrants gave Michigan this saucy gift, and now two cities battle for bragging rights. Detroit’s version features an all-beef frank smothered in beanless chili, mustard, and onions.

Flint keeps it drier with a heartier meat sauce. Either way, napkins are non-negotiable. This messy masterpiece defines Michigan fast food better than any burger ever could.

3. Pasties (Upper Peninsula Meat Pies)

Cornish miners brought these hefty hand pies to the UP in the 1800s, creating a portable lunch that could survive a shift underground.

Beef, potatoes, rutabaga, and onions get wrapped in flaky pastry, crimped along the edge for easy holding. Purists eat them with butter or ketchup, never gravy. One pasty fills you up like a northern Michigan winter – completely and thoroughly.

4. Traverse City Cherry Pie

Traverse City grows more tart cherries than anywhere else in America, so naturally, their pies are legendary.

That perfect balance of sweet and tangy comes from Montmorency cherries picked at peak ripeness. Topped with lattice crust or crumb topping, each slice captures northern Michigan summers. Skip the à la mode – this ruby-red filling needs no backup dancer.

5. Superman Ice Cream

Nobody agrees on what Superman ice cream actually tastes like, and that’s part of its charm.

Blue, red, and yellow swirls create a flavor somewhere between fruity, vanilla-ish, and pure childhood nostalgia. Found primarily in the Midwest, this electric-colored treat is a Michigan summer rite of passage. One lick transports you straight back to beach days and county fairs.

6. Mackinac Island Fudge

Since the 1880s, Mackinac Island has been Michigan’s fudge capital, where over a dozen shops crank out creamy squares using copper kettles and marble slabs.

Tourists earn the nickname “fudgies” for good reason – resisting these rich, hand-paddled treats is basically impossible. Chocolate, maple walnut, turtle – pick your poison. Just remember: calories don’t count on vacation islands.

7. Wet Burrito (Grand Rapids Staple)

Grand Rapids took the burrito, drowned it in sauce and cheese, then served it with a fork like civilized Midwesterners.

This knife-and-fork situation gets stuffed with seasoned beef or chicken, beans, and rice, then baptized in enchilada sauce. Beltline Bar claims to have invented it back in the ’60s. Messy? Absolutely. Worth the laundry bill? You bet.

8. Olive Burger (Especially in Lansing)

Lansing’s claim to burger fame involves a mayo-olive sauce that sounds weird but tastes like salty, creamy genius.

Green olives get chopped into a special sauce that transforms an ordinary patty into something unexpectedly addictive.

Kewpee’s and Weston’s have been slinging these beauties for decades. First-timers are skeptics. Second-timers are converts. That’s just how olive burgers roll.

9. Whitefish from Lake Superior or Lake Michigan

Fresh from the Great Lakes, whitefish delivers mild, flaky perfection that lets Lake Superior’s clean waters shine through.

Smoked, fried, or grilled, this local catch appears on menus from Marquette to Mackinaw City. The delicate flavor pairs beautifully with lemon and butter without tasting fishy. When it’s this fresh, fancy preparations just get in the way of pure Michigan goodness.

10. Better Made Potato Chips

Since 1930, Better Made has been Detroit’s chip of choice, crunching their way into Michigan hearts one rainbow bag at a time.

These locally-made chips taste somehow saltier, crunchier, and more satisfying than national brands. The BBQ and Sour Cream & Onion flavors have cult followings. Detroiters stock up like they’re preparing for chip-pocalypse. One handful is never, ever enough.

11. Koegel’s Viennas

Flint’s Koegel Meats has been making these natural-casing hot dogs since 1916, and Michiganders take their Viennas seriously.

That satisfying snap when you bite through the casing? That’s quality craftsmanship right there. Grill them, boil them, or throw them in a Coney – Koegel’s delivers every time. Trying to serve a Michigan native any other hot dog is basically an insult to their childhood.

12. Hamtramck Polish Pierogi

Hamtramck’s Polish heritage lives deliciously in these pillowy dumplings stuffed with potato, cheese, sauerkraut, or meat.

Boiled then pan-fried until golden, they arrive topped with caramelized onions and sour cream. Every grandmother has her own recipe, and every family swears theirs are best. During Paczki Day, the pierogi temporarily share the spotlight, but they’re stars year-round in this Detroit enclave.

13. Vernors Ginger Ale-Based Boston Cooler

Despite the name, this Detroit original has nothing to do with Boston – just Vernors ginger ale and vanilla ice cream in perfect harmony.

James Vernor created Michigan’s beloved ginger ale in 1866, making it America’s oldest soda. The Boston Cooler supposedly got its name from Boston Boulevard. Sweet, creamy, and gingery, it’s the ultimate Michigan refreshment. Drink it fast before it melts into delicious soup.

14. Slab-Style Barbecue Ribs (Detroit Tradition)

Detroit’s BBQ scene flies under the radar nationally, but locals know where to find ribs so tender the meat surrenders without a fight.

Cooked low and slow, then slathered in sweet, tangy sauce, these slabs come with white bread for sopping up every drop. It’s messy, finger-licking business. Places like Slows Bar BQ put Detroit on the barbecue map where it rightfully belongs.

15. Lebanese Chicken Shawarma (Dearborn Classic)

Dearborn boasts one of America’s largest Arab populations, making it ground zero for authentic Middle Eastern food.

Chicken shawarma features marinated meat roasted on a vertical spit, sliced thin, and wrapped in pita with garlic sauce, pickles, and tomatoes.

The flavors are bright, garlicky, and absolutely crave-worthy. One bite explains why people drive across the state just to eat here.

16. Paczki (Polish Filled Doughnuts)

Fat Tuesday in Michigan means one thing: paczki pandemonium.

These rich, jam-filled Polish doughnuts are traditionally eaten before Lent, but Michiganders line up around the block regardless of their religious calendar.

Hamtramck bakeries make thousands daily, stuffed with prune, raspberry, custard, or whatever your heart desires. Pronounced “poonch-key,” they’re worth every indulgent calorie. Diet starts tomorrow, obviously.

17. Detroit Corned Beef Sandwiches

Detroit’s Jewish delis have been stacking corned beef sky-high since the early 1900s, and they haven’t skimped on portions yet.

Tender, peppery beef gets piled thick on rye with mustard – no need for fancy additions. Places like Sy’s Deli and Stage Deli became local legends. The sandwich barely fits in your mouth, but that’s never stopped anyone. Detroit does deli right.

18. Smoked Fish Dip from Northern Michigan

Northern Michigan smokehouses turn fresh-caught whitefish into creamy, smoky dip that disappears faster than you can say “pass the crackers.”

Blended with cream cheese, lemon, and herbs, this spread is pure lakeside luxury. Perfect for crackers, bagels, or eating straight from the container when nobody’s watching. Grab some from Carlson’s or any Up North fish market. Your taste buds will thank you profusely.

19. Cider Mill Donuts and Fresh Apple Cider

Fall in Michigan means cider mill pilgrimages for warm donuts dusted in cinnamon sugar and ice-cold fresh-pressed cider.

These cake donuts come off the line still warm, creating the perfect autumn treat. The cider? Crisp, unfiltered, and tasting like pure Michigan apples. Places like Yates and Franklin get packed on October weekends. Go early, expect crowds, and bring a cooler for cider gallons. Worth every minute waiting.

20. Saganaki (Flaming Greek Cheese from Greektown Detroit)

Greektown Detroit serves this dramatic appetizer that arrives at your table literally on fire while servers shout “Opa!”

Kasseri cheese gets pan-fried until golden, then flambéed with brandy or ouzo for theatrical effect. Squeeze lemon over the top and spread it on warm pita. It’s cheesy, tangy, and ridiculously fun. Pegasus Taverna and Astoria Pastry Shop keep this tradition alive with delicious, fiery flair.