Art’s Tavern

Art’s Tavern is a casual bar-and-grill in downtown Glen Arbor, a gateway town for Sleeping Bear Dunes. It’s a long-running local gathering place and a relaxed meal stop between outdoor days. The tavern offers dine-in and takeout and says it stays open all year.

House-ground burgers and tots are the repeat favorites. The menu also lists cheese curds, whitefish and European perch alongside familiar pub food. Bring cash or a personal check with ID: the tavern does not take cards, and it does not split checks.

Frank Sheridan built a saloon called the Blue Goose here in 1926. After a fatal electrical accident in 1934, his son Art renamed it Art’s Bar; it later became Art’s Tavern. The two dates mark different parts of the same story: the saloon’s start and the beginning of the Art name.

Hundreds of college and sports pennants cover the ceiling, and visitors can bring one to add to the collection. A custom hoist lowers the pool table beneath the floor to make extra seating space, often in summer. Those odd details give the tavern its own feel beyond the familiar burger-and-tots menu.