Keyhole Bar & Grill Mackinaw City MI

The Mackinaw Summer Salad has been a great addition to our menu. Mixed greens topped with blueberries, strawberries, walnuts, dried cranberries, red onion and a hard boiled egg. Add some grilled chicken for an additional charge. Served with our homemade raspberry vinegarette dressing. Stop on in and try one, you won't be disappointed. Enjoy the Day!

Heads up if you're heading to Mackinac Island anytime soon. A lot of changes are being made right now. Please leave any negative comments to yourself as they will be removed. We're just here to relay information to make your visit easier. Enjoy the Day!

This piece was gifted to me by life-long local and fellow historian Sam Staffan. For those of you that don't know Sam, he operated an independently owned sign shop in Mackinaw City for decades (he still does some work). Sam is responsible for all of the street signs, Historical Pathway signs, historical plaques and many other (including business) signs you may see around town. This piece is an original cast of the Village logo he used.. Here's some information from Sam:

"When we first created the Mackinaw City logo, we had cast plaques made. Some of them were in aluminum and others were in bronze. I used to have to make the templates to send out to different companies so that they could form the sand cast from it and I still have one master template left."

He gave me some other items as well that I will share throughout the week. Enjoy the Day!

Are ya ready for some football? Lions didn't look too swell last night, but then again, it's only preseason. Check back for game day specials once the regular season kicks off. Enjoy the Day!

Follow us for more rare finds. Kitchen open from 11am-10pm today. Enjoy the Day!

Did you know that you can turn any one of our delicious burgers into a double burger for an additional charge? That's right, 2/3 lb. burgers are available, all you have to do is ask. Enjoy the Day!

Y'all ready for this? While leaving St. Ignace, which is located in Mackinac County, and heading south, we have the original USCG Cutter Mackinaw 83 (Queen of the Great Lakes) along with her love child, the other USCG Cutter Mackinaw docked in Mackinaw City. Photo was taken while crossing over the Straits of Mackinac on the Mackinac Bridge. As you continue to head south on the Mackinac Bridge, on your left, you would eventually see Old Mackinac Point Lighthouse and, on your right, Fort Michilimackinac, along the shores of Mackinaw City. If you were to visit Mackinac Island, you would visit Fort Mackinac. If you were to pronounce all of these properly, they would all be pronounced MackinaW...never MackinaK. Did everyone write that down? Enjoy the Day!

Just got our daily delivery of fresh fish from Big Stone Bay Fishery Inc . Stop on in and get some. Enjoy the Day!

Be advised, you must provide your ID if asked by one of our servers/bartenders when trying to order an adult beverage. We have had some issues lately of people not having them and then being rude to our servers when refused service. Whether you're 21 or 71, please have your ID. Enjoy the Day!

New merchandise. Stop on in and pick yours today. Enjoy the Day!

This is pertaining to service animals. You must identify your pet as a service animal before entering the food service area (indoor and outdoor). It states that if your animal misbehaves, you will be asked to remove the animal from the establishment. Emotional Support Animals are not allowed. Section 6-501.115 of the Michigan Modified Food Code (MMFC) limits the presence of animals in businesses that sell, prepare, or serve food. Please abide by the rules. Enjoy the Day!

Always fun to rehash this memory.

Mackinac haze all in my brain
Lately, things just don't seem the same
Actin' funny but I don't know why
'Scuse me while I kiss the sky

Jimmy Hendrix arriving on Mackinac Island aboard the mighty Huron in September of 1970. He was going to find Hey Joe but he was way down south in Mexico. Photo courtesy of Roger Priebe (admin of the Mackinac Island Dockporters page). Enjoy the Day!

Come see Mary and Adelina in our outdoor seating. Enjoy the Day!

Not sure what I did, but walked into the doctor's office today and this octopus looked like he wanted to fight me. Kitchen open till 10pm tonight. Enjoy the Day!

The mighty Chief Wawatam was put into service on October 18, 1911 in the Straits of Mackinac (she was launched on August 26, 1911). 36 days later, the crew was enjoying a delicious Thanksgiving dinner in the galley. Here's a meal card with what they were served on that day. Enjoy the Day!

Those pesky skeeters. Follow us for more life-changing advice. Enjoy the Day!

It's a hot one out there right now so come on in for some free AC and the cheapest beer in Mackinaw City. Kitchen is open till 10pm tonight. Enjoy the Day!

How many of you realize that the Detroit Lions kicks off their (pre)season in less than 2 weeks? They gave us a little taste of success last season and made some good offseason moves, so let's see if they can carry that over into this season. Went and visited Vern yesterday at the Garlyn Zoo and he said "GOOOOO LIONS". We usually run some gametime specials, so be sure to check back throughout the season for updates. Enjoy the Day!

Who remembers Pallagi's Party Store, which was located on S. Huron Ave. about where the Hamilton Inn now sits? It was owned by Jim Pallagi. Prior to opening the party store, Jim, along with his wife, owned Poor Richard's Bar, what you now know as the Keyhole Bar & Grill. Jim is responsible for changing the name to the Keyhole Bar in 1971. Enjoy the Day!

This calls for 5 minutes in the penalty box. Enjoy the Day!

I went to the doctor today and after running some test, he said my DNA was backwards. I said "AND?". Kitchen open from 11am-10pm today. Stop on in for lunch or dinner, you're always welcome. Enjoy the Day!

Edgar & Belinda Conkling. After seeing the potential the Straits area had to offer, Mr. Conkling started to platte Mackinaw City in 1857. He purchased property here and across the Straits. The Civil War put a hold on his plans as well as the development of the railroad system that was slowly working it's way north. By 1882, two railroad systems (one from the east and one from the west) had both reached Mackinaw City and in 1883, the area was incorporated into a village and registered with the state of Michigan. Mr. Conkling envisioned Mackinaw City as a booming metropolis due to the fur trading industry on the Straits. The word Mackinaw/Mackinac is derived from the Ojibwe word Michinnimakinong (mish-inni-maki-nong) meaning “great connecting sound fault land or place (Straits of Mackinac). Conkling chose the British spelling of Mackinaw to differentiate from Mackinac Island and to make it easier on the postal service. Mr. Conkling also built the first school in Mackinaw City. Just a small one room log building with a tree bark roof. The property where a new school was built (Old School Park) was purchased from Inverness Township for $170 in 1883 (year the village was founded). Conkling had a vision and acted on it based on fur trading...did it turn out how he thought? Probably not as the hunting, fishing and logging industries took over. He never got a chance to see his vision as he passed away in 1881. His wife Belinda passed away 10 years prior to him. They are both buried at Evergreen Memorial Cemetery in Bloomington Illinois. Enjoy the Day!

Stewart J. Cort through the Straits yesterday. Kitchen open till 11pm tonight. Enjoy the Day!

That one time Mackinac Island's anchor chains broke lose and she floated to the west side of the Mackinac Bridge. Enjoy the Day!

Vote: who did it better?

Photo 1: Mary our bartender
Photo 2: Me, after some adult beverages last night.

Click the "Like" button on which one is better. Enjoy the Day!

Got done with work last night and as I was sitting there enjoying a nice cold Pepsi (yeah right), I happened to look up at some of the keys we have hanging above the bar and spotted this key from the Millinac Lodge directly above me. Millinac Lodge was located on US 23 where the Bridge Vista (big indoor water park) now sits. Enjoy the Day!