This Bavarian-Style Michigan City Serves Up Some Serious Comfort Food

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In the heart of the Midwest is a small city with European flair. Frankenmuth, located about 100 miles north of Detroit, is known as "Michigan's Little Bavaria." True to its nickname, this place showcases iconic German foods, drinks, architecture, and culture.

For folks who want a stateside sample of Bavarian cuisine, businesses like Kern's Sausages have specialized in crafting traditional foods in Frankenmuth for decades. It offers 32 kinds of German sausages, including such classics as bratwurst and thick, garlicky knackwurst. Additionally, customers can stock up on cheeses, baked goods, and other products straight from Germany. The city's Prost Wine Bar & Charcuterie serves a German Heritage meat-and-cheese board that comes with summer sausage, Black Forest schinken (a type of cured and seasoned ham), butterkäse (a semi-soft cheese), caraway seed and beer mustard, and sauerkraut. Prost also sells classic apps like Bavarian pretzels.

Zehnder's Restaurant is known for its fried chicken and other Bavarian bites. Open since 1856, the eatery offers a Family Style Feast Dinner. Here you can dine on an all-you-can-eat menu which includes fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, buttered egg noodles, and a seasonal veggie. Diners can also add Bavarian sausages to their feast. Frankenmuth's Bavarian Inn Restaurant is another staple for big portions and traditional German dishes such as wiener schnitzel. Ultimately, it wouldn't be a German-inspired locale without a plethora of beers, and Frankenmuth Brewery delivers. Among its offerings are the Little Bavaria Pilsner, Munich Style Dunkel (a dark, malty larger), and a fruity German-style wheat beer, called The Hef.

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In Michigan's Little Bavaria, special occasions like Oktoberfest and Christmas are honored in German fashion. Frankenmuth's multi-day Oktoberfest celebration is the first outside of Germany to be sanctioned by Munich. It's also the first to receive an export of Munich's Hofbräuhaus beer, which has been the official sponsor of the event since 1997. The festival happens every year in the city, boasting comfort food concessions alongside beer on tap. On the menu are Kern's brats and sausages, pulled pork, frankfurters, chicken tenders, and chili cheese fries — just to name a few things. Additionally, attendees can get Bavarian Inn pretzels and gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches. And just like at German Oktoberfest events, customers can buy beer by the pitcher.

The city is also home to ChristKindlMarkt, an annual open-air Christmas market. More than 80 local vendors show up to sell their wares. One of the more unique offerings is a German red wine called glühwein that is served warm. A type of mulled wine, glühwein contains spices like cinnamon, cloves, and citrus. The drink is a big part of Christmas culture in Germany. Besides wine, ChristKindlMarkt houses concession vendors selling sausages and soups alongside baked goods, candies, hot cocoa, and roasted nuts.