Michigan’s Best Local Eats: Beautiful lake view, great food await at Jerry’s Pub & Restaurant

IRISH HILLS MI – At Jerry’s Pub & Restaurant, patrons are encouraged to come to the lake and eat, drink, rock and roll.

It all started in 1978, when Jerry Andonian was flipping through The Detroit News and found an ad about a bar for sale in the Irish Hills. When he came to visit, he saw potential in the pub that’s nestled on the shore of Wamplers Lake.

So, he jumped on the opportunity to create a destination, Andonian said.

“I walked out and saw 400 feet of lake frontage, and that was the selling point. I made an offer right then and there,” Andonian said.

Through the years, Jerry and his wife Jan worked on the restaurant to make it what it is today, and now all of his kids, Lisa Luebke, and BJ, Sue and Michelle Andonian, run it with him.

The restaurant is known for being a destination for not only in Irish Hills area, but throughout Jackson County. People love to come sit outside on the deck to enjoy the lake, to sing “Jerryaoke” or to just spend time with one another, Andonian said.

“It’s not fancy. We cater to all different groups,” Jerry said.

Besides its location and classic features, the food and the drinks drive people to Jerry’s, BJ Andonian said. People can find a range of typical lake-pub food. Including fish, pizza, sandwiches and salads.

Popular on the menu is the lake perch, which is lightly dusted and deep fried, served with tartar sauce and a lemon wedge. The chicken and steak kabob are also a hit among customers, along with the crab cakes, BJ Andonian said, adding that people also travel from all over for the “best dam clam chowder.”

Jerry’s Pub & Restaurant, 650 Egan Highway on Wamplers Lake, is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. The kitchen closes at 9 p.m.

More information can be found on Jerry’s Pub & Restaurant’s website.

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