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A Quest for A Great Bar Burger in Michigan’s Upper Thumb
A couple of years ago, our ThumbWind blog published a post that rattled the establishment in Caseville by stating that one of Michigan’s best cheeseburger came from the Hitching Post in Elkton. At that time, the locally famous burger chef, “Jewels,” made a cheeseburger so tasty that local golfers defected from golfing at Century Oaks (which is close to Hitching Post) to Scenic Golf Club when she started cooking and tending bar at Scenic. Those were gentler and tender times. We miss Jewels and wish her well. We went on a quest to keep a lookout for Michigan’s Best Cheeseburger we could find in the Upper Thumb.
This morning, after hitting the Farmers Market in Port Austin and White Church Gallery in Grindstone City, we stopped by Shelley’s Bar. What an incredible stop. OK… I admit that the outside needs a bit more curb appeal. But stepping into this roadside tavern, you can tell that the locals love this place. They had just finished a breakfast run and were shifting to lunch when we came in.
Clean, comfortable, and friendly are the first thoughts that came to mind as we settled in. The pub has an open floor plan and is well lit without being overbearing. Our server came in within a minute, and we ordered an ice-cold Molson draft. “So cold your teeth ached.”, one of us noted. The highlights of the lunch were their excellent “Turkey Reuben, while the sage diner among us ordered a cheeseburger medium with mustard and pickles.
Shelley’s is Cheery, Clean and Comfortable
Our cheeseburger connoisseur flagged down our server and asked to speak to the manager as we were leaving. Jackie came over and, with a quizzed look, asked if everything was OK. Our seasoned cheeseburger snob stated…. “this is the best I’ve had all week. It’s excellent” No small feat has this guy is known as a regular at the world-famous Councils in Bradenton, Florida. Jackie was gracious and explained that they get a special grind from a local shop near Bad Axe. She credited the team in the kitchen as where all the magic happens.
So we have a new Michigan Best Cheeseburger in Huron County tagged as coming from Shelley’s Bar in Grindstone City. Their ice-cold beer and fresh-cut fries round out a great experience. It’s also evident that Shelly’s supports local charities and sports teams around the Upper Thumb. So ThumbWind will be back from time to time to ensure that they are the Best of the Upper Thumb.
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Yes, better than Caseville. 2 days ago I enjoyed this excellent burger. They offer many choices of toppings. You can get ghost pepper cheese on that burger! My only suggestion is a choice that almost no one anywhere offers: a whole grain bun that has some substance and flavor. Good luck finding that. A secondary substitute would be a pretzel bun. The grind coming from McDonalds grocery in Bad Axe is coming to an end. McDonalds is closing after 65 years. 🙁
The staff was remarkably friendly.
That sounds pretty good. Your right on the McDonalds Food and Family loss. I wonder where they can get it next.
In Huron County getting good meat is much easier than getting good bread. The only place I know is the PA Farmers Market (seasonally). Hamburger buns that are not soft white edible burger holders are in my experience, non-existent. My wife makes them but does not sell them. If you discover some commercially available, please post it on your website.
TMR