Profile

On the Tunnel of Trees

Vernales sits on M-119 between Petoskey and Harbor Springs — the highway that becomes the Tunnel of Trees as it runs north along Lake Michigan, and one of the most driven scenic roads in the state. Location alone makes this a legitimate destination dinner in a way an address in a strip mall never is.

What it is

The restaurant splits itself in two. There is a Chophouse and Wine Cellar on one side and a sports bar on the other, which is a sensible way to run a room in a resort town where the same building has to serve a special-occasion table in August and a hockey crowd in February.

It is a scratch kitchen, and the menu pairs classic chophouse cuts with Italian-inspired entrees. Vernales advertises itself as having been voted the number one steakhouse in Michigan — that is the restaurant’s own claim, and SteakMap notes it as such rather than endorsing it.

Northern Michigan context

This corner of the state gets genuinely serious about food in season. Harbor Springs and Petoskey fill with summer residents, and the restaurants that survive the winter are the ones good enough to be worth a thirty-minute drive in the snow.

Prices

Vernales publishes its chophouse menu as images rather than machine-readable text, so SteakMap has no verified cuts, weights or prices to quote here. Call ahead if a specific cut is the reason you are going.

Read the guide to the best steakhouses in Michigan.