Franks Swissel Inn, Fort Gratiot, Michigan

Friday nights were always homemade pizza or fish when the kids were home unless we were heading out camping. We did a lot of camping when the kids were home. Now the kids have gone we traded the trailer for a boat and most Friday nights we eat out. Some of the very best spots to eat we have discovered through word of mouth or shear luck. Franks Swissel Inn is one of those that was recommended to us years ago. We stopped once and now stop whenever we get a chance!

Franks Swissel Inn

Franks Swissel Inn is located at 4985 24th Avenue in Fort Gratiot, Michigan. The very non-descript building is set back from the road so unless you knew it was there it would be very easy to drive on by. This little place really is a small, locals pub with some of the best food you will taste. It does get quite busy around the dinner hour. If you time your visit for about 7:00 PM the place will be rather full and it is a small place however once seated you can enjoy your meal while waiting for live entertainment featuring local bands. If you stay long enough the Mayor of Lakeshore usually puts in an appearance. He is a really likable bloke!

Walleye Dinner

Franks is known for its large portion sizes especially their famous ribs and there is always a nightly drink special. There is a dinner special each night as well with Friday's being all you can eat perch. The only downside to Franks is as the evening progresses the second hand smoke level increases as their ventilation system isn't the best. However, Michigan is putting through a smoking ban in public places so that will likely change and in fact we did not notice any smoke (something we are both very sensitive to) during our recent visit.

My husband ordered the walleye dinner ($7.95). This is fresh Great Lakes walleye that had been lightly battered and fried. It came with French fries, dinner roll and cole slaw. The portion size of the flakey, tender walleye was generous.

Chicken Dinner

I ordered the chicken dinner ($7.95) which is one of their signature dishes. It features a half of chicken fried to a crispy golden brown. The meal came with French fries, coleslaw and dinner roll. I ordered mashed potatoes in place of the fries and they sent both out at no extra charge so my husband had a few extra fries.

Fried chicken is so easy to make at home. One of my favourite methods is buttermilk fried chicken but there are so many variations of homemade fried chicken that you can have a lot of fun trying various recipes. The key thing with any fried chicken is you want a nice crispy coating with moist, tender and juicy meat inside.