Ok so you are arriving to the island and upon docking at one end you see a burst of pink patio umbrellas. This my friends is the Pink Pony. A restaurant located inside the Chippewa Hotel.

They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. One of the things I love about this restaurant are the variety of options to eat at. Meaning you have the outdoor patio with and upper and lower level. Inside there are 2 spots as well- one off the lobby of the Chippewa with a more modern appeal then another side with a cozy bar feeling. Behind the main bar is a small stage that has almost daily entertainment- while the patio will host acoustic music too.

My personal favorite place to eat is outside on the lower patio. Either under the pink umbrella or in the bar with a sign I adore.

The whitefish options at this restaurant are incredible. Basically on the island any of the whitefish is good. They boast a wide variety of drink specials and beers. Always be sure to look at the name tag of the server/ bartender. Why? It says where they are from. A lot are working for college break or others come from islands that it’s not peak season there so they rotate. I love asking them (if they aren’t too busy ) how they came to work on the island. Some work a couple of places while living there in season. It is a different life on the island and they take it all in.

They recently added a shop for goodies to remember this place. It was small and has expanded. I love getting small trinkets or cups from this shop. Located at the end of the Chippewa or you can get to it from inside the lobby.

Now you may notice a huge tub by the outside patio- along with many lounge chairs. You have to be a guest of either the Chippewa or Lilac Tree to use the Hot tub- But if you want to sit at some of the chairs around it to soak up the sun, wait for table, watch ferries come in or just listen to the music 🎶 you are welcome to use them.

I think why I love this place so much is you truly feel the island here. Meaning the crystal blue waters are insane. You hear so much of what’s happening from the seagulls to the ferries. I just love 💕 it.

Pink Pony/Chippewa have a variety of benches out front that are great to sit and eat ice cream on. It’s at the tail end of main st heading east to where the traffic starts to thin out so more exploring can happen. It is also right next to the to tourism bureau info center.

Like all places on the island- peak times to eat happen. They have a hostess inside and out to let you know the wait time. So just remember that ahead of time. A text system is offered if you have a wait- no reservations can be made. All entertainment is listed as well on their website. COVID restrictions are lifting more each week so that means they can have more music too.

Be sure to follow them in social media for extra fun content. The website pinkponymackinac.com is extremely informative too. I’ll share the menu so you have an idea! But rest assured this place is one to visit.