110 W. Central AvenueWorld’s Best Burger. That’s quite a claim. I hope you can back that up.
My second night in Mackinaw City was a long one. I got back on the ferry from Mackinac Island at 8:00 after working up at the Grand Hotel most of the day. There’s not a lot of good food options in Mackinaw City that are open past 9:00 PM so I had been saving the one I knew of for the day I got back to the mainland pretty late.
I typically stay at the Best Western Dockside when I travel to Mackinac Island for work. The hotel is close enough to Shepler’s Ferry that I can walk in the morning so I don’t have to pay to park my car at the dock.
I headed back to the hotel after getting off the ferry to drop my stuff off then grabbed my car to go grab a burger.
I picked Bridgeview Diner this night for a couple of reasons. They’re open until 11:00 and they have a sign out front claiming to be the “Home of the World’s Best Burger.”
Bridgeview Diner is just outside of downtown Mackinaw City on Central Avenue. The restaurant is just past the overpass for I-75 and, as the name implies, within view of the Mackinac Bridge. If the large sign out front doesn’t catch your attention, the red and yellow paint scheme definitely will.
The restaurant is a pretty classic small diner. It wants to have the feel of a classic 50’s diner but it’s pretty clearly built to feel that way. It’s not an old diner car like you picture when you picture a 50’s diner but more of a small building built specifically for this kind of restaurant.
I walked in about 8:45 on a Tuesday night. The open signs were off but there were cars in the parking lot. When I came through the door, a guy told me to sit anywhere I’d like and he’d be right over.
There is a small lunch counter right inside the door overlooking the small, diner style kitchen. There was a lot of “stuff” on the counter so it really wasn’t feasible to sit there. It looked like it was being used more for storage than as a seating option.
I grabbed a seat at one of the tables in the small dining room area. It’s a simple dining room. Nothing too fancy.
There are retro tin signs hanging on the walls to carry through the illusion of a classic diner.
There’s also a pretty big outdoor area if you don’t want to sit inside. There are picnic tables on a large porch right outside the front door. You kind of have to walk through this area to get inside.
The menu was already on the table when I sat down. It’s not very big. They’re mostly a burger place. There is a Beyond Burger for non beef eaters and some deep fried baskets if that’s your thing.
If you’re claiming to have the “World’s Best Burger” you should know you’re always going to draw me in.
I picked the Bacon Blue Cheeseburger. This sandwich is exactly what it sounds. Burger, baconbleu cheese, lettuce, tomato, and pickles. The patty is fresh hamburger grilled and pressed on a seasoned flat top. The patty is topped with crispy bacon, bleu cheese crumbles and all the veggies I didn’t really need. The burger is super juicy and has a little bit of a salty crust on it from the griddle. World’s Best Burger? Probably not, but it’s still a damn good burger. I have to admit, I was surprised. I really expected nothing but the sandwich exactly the kind of burger I like.
I decided to do some Waffle Fries with Cheese. These large waffle fries were cooked to order then covered in some canned nacho cheese. The cooked popped the paper boat of fries in to the microwave for a few seconds just to make the cheese a little gooey-er. The fries are pretty simple but were delicious. The addition of the cheese was definitely a worthy addition.
My cost for this meal was right around $18 before tip.
I like Bridgeview Diner. It’s a little bit hidden if you’re not paying attention despite being just outside of downtown Mackinaw City. I’ve always been a guy who likes quick, simple, and delicious. Sometimes sitting at a bar by myself is just too much. I was tired, hungry, and I still had work to do before heading to bed. I got a delicious meal and got it pretty quickly at Bridgeview Diner.