Pumpkin, apple, cinnamon – oh my! Fall is here and you know what that means – it’s time to “spice” up your life with, you guessed it, FALL flavors! North, South, East and West, let your taste buds be your tour guide as you explore the variety of Fall flavor and fun throughout the Mt. Pleasant area! Below is the ultimate guide for fall flavors and fun in Central Michigan.
Up North
Head north on Mission road and you will find The Diner, voted #1 in home cooking and friendliest service. This quaint, family-owned staple has plenty of breakfast options and even lets you build your own breakfast!
Head a little further north towards a quaint town called Rosebush, Michigan. Here you will find a Michigan’s Best Diner; Roz’s Diner, only open on weekends. This family-owned and community-driven local favorite was a bank when it opened it 1908; the Bair family refurbished it into a “community gathering space.” This one-of-a-kind diner offers farm fresh ingredients, generous portions and a great atmosphere. Fun fact: Staff washes dishes in the bank vault!
Recommendations: Blueberry pancakes and biscuits and gravy, The Diner; Stuffed Breakfast Wrap, The Eggs Benny and the Mac & Cheese Burger at Roz’s Diner.
Fun: Head a little further north and go off-roading at Snow Snake until November! For more information, click here.
Sweet East
When you think of fall flavors, what comes to mind? Pumpkin and apple of course! Get your fix of pumpkin and apple flavored doughnuts at Papa’s Pumpkin Patch and Ignite Donuts; two iconic staples in the central Michigan area.
Papa’s Pumpkin Patch is at the top of all local’s fall fun list. The farm, founded by retired professors of CMU, offers U-pick fruits and vegetables, freshly made cider and doughnuts, 50 acres of pumpkins and fall season ornaments, hayrides and Halloween fun for everyone!
Ignite Donuts is a newer café in Mt. Pleasant that was started by a Central Michigan University alumni!
Recommendations: Apple cider and apple cider doughnuts, Papa’s Pumpkin Patch; 6 piece donut kit with cinnamon sugar, Ignite Donuts.
Visit Papa’s Pumpkin Patch, any time, to pick pumpkins, enjoy apple- and pumpkin-flavored fall classics and much more!
Papa's Pumpkin Patch
Sweet East
When you think of fall flavors, what comes to mind? Pumpkin and apple of course! Get your fix of pumpkin and apple flavored doughnuts at Papa’s Pumpkin Patch and Ignite Donuts; two iconic staples in the central Michigan area.
Papa’s Pumpkin Patch is at the top of all local’s fall fun list. The farm, founded by retired professors of CMU, offers U-pick fruits and vegetables, freshly made cider and doughnuts, 50 acres of pumpkins and fall season ornaments, hayrides and Halloween fun for everyone!
Ignite Donuts is a newer café in Mt. Pleasant that was started by a Central Michigan University alumni!
Recommendations: Apple cider and apple cider doughnuts, Papa’s Pumpkin Patch; 6 piece donut kit with cinnamon sugar, Ignite Donuts.
Visit Papa’s Pumpkin Patch, any time, to pick pumpkins, enjoy apple- and pumpkin-flavored fall classics and much more!
Papa's Pumpkin Patch
Fall Drink Menus in Downtown Mt. Pleasant
Downtown Mt. Pleasant is home to cafes and juice bars, offering the classic flavors of fall. Enjoy warm (or cold) spiced lattes at Pleasant City Coffee, Ponder Coffee Company and Pure Vitality Juice Bar & Spa. For a healthy twist on fall drinks, try Pure Vitality Juice Bar & Spa’s Pumpkin Spice and Apple Crisp Smoothies.
Recommendations: Oatmeal Latte paired with a famous Ponder waffle, Ponder Coffee Company; Apple Crisp Smoothie, Pure Vitality Juice Bar & Spa; Black coffee and a seasonal crepe, Pleasant City Coffee.
Fun: Experience fall foliage as you stroll down (or up) the GKB Riverwalk Trail; a winding path, taking you through four area parks, along the Chippewa River. Escape the cool air inside Art Reach of Mid-Michigan, home to 100+ Michigan artists’ work and exhibitions in the Morey Family Gallery. If you’re in the Mt. Pleasant area October 31st, trick-or-treat in Downtown Mt. Pleasant, before regular hours, during Pumpkin Promenade.
Ponder Coffee Co.
Pleasant City Coffee
South Bound
Head south on US127 or maybe take a more scenic route down Old Mission Road to the Village of Shepherd. On the main drag lives Shepherd Bar & Restaurant, a local hot spot full of rich history and dedication to great food, service and local brews. Before becoming what it is today, the local tavern started with a woman’s desire to open a beer garden in 1940. Nearly 80 years later, community members and visitors alike flock to the Shepherd Bar & Restaurant for house-made soups, lunch specials, Sunday Brunch and great beer.
New to the area is Silver Spoon Coffee House, the first and only coffee shop in Shepherd! Quickly becoming a local favorite, the Silver Spoon Coffee House offers a variety of coffee drinks including specialty lattes, as well as breakfast, lunch and dessert options.
Recommendations: Sunday Brunch features a spread of A.M. classics at Shepherd Bar & Restaurant; Maple Cream Latte at Silver Spoon Coffee House with famous Shepherd maple syrup and a grilled cinnamon roll with espresso icing!
Fun: In the week leading up to Halloween, witness a display of more than 1,000 jack-o-lanterns in Shepherd, Michigan. If you’re heading to the Mt. Pleasant area from the Greater Detroit area, on your way up stop by Uncle John’s Cider Mill for cider, hayrides and more!
Shepherd Bar & Restaurant
Silver Spoon Coffee House
The Best of the West
On the west side of Mt. Pleasant, you will find two new establishments offering endless flavor combinations in both brews and chews. Indulge in barbecue greatness and handcrafted, seasonal brews at Summit Smokehouse & Tap Room; home to Mountain Town Brewing Company. This full-service American Smokehouse-BBQ serves up the best brisket in town with a great dining atmosphere. Fun fact: beer connoisseurs can peek over the bar to see where some of Mountain Town Brewing Co.’s most famous beers are brewed.
Recommendations: Oktoberfest beer and The Smokin’ J, Summit Smokehouse & Tap Room
Fun: If adventure is what you seek, keep heading west and you’ll run into Isabella County parks and Chippewa Watershed Conservancy preserves where you can view fall foliage, hike, bike, disc golf and explore. Must-sees include: Deerfield Nature Park for hiking and disc golf and Bundy Hill Preserve for hiking Isabella County’s tallest point, Bundy Hill.
Summit Smokehouse & Tap Room
Bundy Hill
On your tour, be sure to enjoy fall foliage in central Michigan; click here for our fall color guide. For fall fun activities and events, check out our events page located on our website. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram – and be sure to use #MeetMtP during your visit!
Featured photo courtesy of Silver Spoon Coffee House in Shepherd, Michigan.
