Look, I’m not saying you need to move to Michigan to experience good food.
But I am saying that if you haven’t tried at least half of these dishes, you’re missing out on some serious culinary history.
Okay, full disclosure, you may find some of this stuff weird at first glance, but don’t judge them until you get a taste!
Michigan’s food scene is a bizarre mix of immigrant traditions, industrial ingenuity, and whatever happens when someone says, “Yeah, let’s put olives on a burger.”
Here are 12 things you absolutely need to eat if you’re going to understand this state.
1. Detroit-Style Pizza
Let’s start with the obvious one. Detroit-style pizza is basically what happens when you bake pizza in rectangular automotive drip pans—because of course, that’s where we started.
The cheese goes all the way to the edges and caramelizes into these crispy, crunchy corners that are legitimately addictive.
The sauce goes on top, which confuses people from literally everywhere else, but trust me on this.
Places like Buddy’s have been doing this since the 1940s, and yeah, it really is better than whatever pizza you’re used to.
2. Coney Dogs
A Coney dog is not just a hot dog with chili. It’s an all-beef hot dog with a specific kind of beanless chili, diced white onions, and yellow mustard in a steamed bun.
Greeks and Macedonians brought this to Detroit in the early 1900s, and now you can’t walk through the city without stumbling into a Coney Island.
American Coney Island and Lafayette Coney Island sit right next to each other downtown, and locals will fight you over which one is better.
Even Anthony Bourdain stopped at Duly’s Place for a second Coney when he visited, so that should tell you something.
3. Pasties
Head up to the Upper Peninsula, and you’ll see pasty signs everywhere.
These meat pies came over with Cornish miners in the 1800s and became the ultimate portable lunch—beef, potato, onion, and rutabaga wrapped in pastry.
They’re not fancy, but they’re filling and warm, which is exactly what you need when it’s negative ten outside.
Every place claims theirs is the most authentic, but honestly, they’re all pretty similar. Just pick one and commit.
4. Superman Ice Cream
This is the thing that confuses everyone who didn’t grow up here. Superman ice cream is bright red, blue, and yellow, and the flavor is… well, nobody really knows.
The blue part is usually something called Blue Moon, which tastes vaguely like Froot Loops milk mixed with mystery.
The red might be strawberry or cherry, and the yellow is lemon, vanilla, or banana, depending on who’s making it.
It was invented during Prohibition when breweries had to pivot to ice cream, and despite the colors, it actually predates the Superman comic character.
If you want the real deal, look for Hudsonville’s “Super Scoop” or hit up a local ice cream parlor. And yes, your tongue will turn colors.
5. Boston Cooler
Despite the name, this has nothing to do with Boston. It’s a Detroit thing—Vernors ginger ale blended with vanilla ice cream.
Vernors itself is a Michigan institution, created by a pharmacist who left his ginger experiment aging in oak barrels when he went off to the Civil War.
When he came back, boom—Detroit’s signature soda.
The Boston Cooler supposedly got its name from the Boston-Edison neighborhood in Detroit, though the origin story gets fuzzy.
Vernors even released a limited-edition Boston Cooler-flavored soda in summer 2025 if you can’t be bothered to make it yourself.
6. Wet Burrito
This is just a regular burrito until you smother it in red chili sauce and melted cheese. The Beltline Bar in Grand Rapids claims to have invented it in 1966.
Now, you’ll find wet burritos at Mexican restaurants across the state. It’s messy, it’s heavy, and it’s exactly what hangover food should be.
7. Cudighi
If you’re in the western Upper Peninsula and haven’t tried cudighi, you haven’t really been there.
This spicy Italian sausage came over with Italian immigrants who worked the iron mines, and it’s seasoned with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.
Not what you’d expect from Italian sausage, but somehow it works.
It’s served on a long roll with mozzarella, tomato sauce, and sometimes mustard and onions.
8. Frankenmuth Chicken Dinners
Go to Frankenmuth and prepare to eat until you physically cannot move.
Zehnder’s and Bavarian Inn serve family-style chicken dinners that include fried chicken, buttered noodles, mashed potatoes, dressing, and about seventeen other sides, all bottomless.
It’s German-inspired but with Midwestern portions, which means you’re leaving with leftovers no matter what.
The two restaurants have been in friendly competition for over a century, and locals have strong opinions about which is better.
9. Mackinac Island Fudge
Yes, it’s touristy. Yes, the island is packed with “fudgies” (that’s what we call tourists, and yes, it’s slightly derogatory).
But the fudge really is that good.
Watching them make it on marble cooling tables is part of the experience, and if you time it right in the late afternoon, you can get it slightly warm.
Classic chocolate-walnut is the move, though they’ve got about a hundred other flavors if you’re feeling adventurous.
10. Whitefish
Lake Superior whitefish is one of those things where if you know, you know. This mild, flaky fish shows up all over the Upper Peninsula, whether it’s smoked, fried, or baked.
Peterson’s Fish Market in Hancock and Thill’s Fish House in Marquette are solid spots.
You can also find smoked whitefish dip at delis and fish markets, which is perfect for picnics or just eating directly from the container because nobody’s judging.
11. Olive Burger
This is polarizing, and I get it—not everyone wants olives on their burger.
But hear me out.
It’s a burger with a mayo-olive spread that’s salty and briny and somehow makes the whole thing work.
Flint claims to have invented it, but Lansing has embraced it so hard that they threw the first Olive Burger Festival in 2023 and now call themselves “The Olive Burger Capital of the World.”
If you hate olives, skip this one. If you’re on the fence, give it a shot—you might surprise yourself.
12. Pączki
Every year on Fat Tuesday, bakeries in Michigan (especially in Hamtramck) sell out of pączki by mid-morning.
These Polish doughnuts are richer and denser than regular doughnuts, usually filled with fruit jam or custard and dusted with powdered sugar.
Prune, raspberry, and rose hip are traditional fillings. They’re only around for a limited time, so if you see them, grab them.
Taste Michigan’s Unique, No-Frills Flavors
Michigan food isn’t trying to be fancy or complicated.
Most of it came from people figuring out how to feed themselves cheaply and efficiently—miners, factory workers, immigrants trying to recreate home.
What’s left is a collection of dishes that are unpretentious, filling, and weirdly specific to this state.
You might not love all of them, but you should at least try them before deciding Michigan doesn’t have good food.
Because trust me, we do—it’s just not always what you’d expect.
Featured image credit: @spinpizza via Instagram