The Cherry Republic
6026 S Lake St, Glen Arbor, MI, 49636
The Cherry Republic Menu
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Address :
6026 S Lake St
Glen Arbor, MI, 49636 - Phone (231) 334-3150
- Website https://www.cherryrepublic.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :8:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Jeremy P.
Just wow.. All I can say. This place is just simply Wow. Food is excellent. The cherry bacon marmalade burger is excellent and full of flavor. Get the black bean and corn salsa side.. Just flavorful and so good. Kids Mac and cheese was very good. Comes with fresh fruit. Hummus and pita was very tasty. Chicken cherry salad sandwich my wife said was very good. All around awesome stuff and we will be back. Don't miss this place for food!!
(5)Leigh S.
I love the Cherry Republic for their atmosphere, their sense of community, their merchandise, and their food. My family has been coming here for years, and it just keeps getting better. I particularly love their scones, their barbeque, their hummus salad and their boomchunka cookies. Everything, though, is delicious. They successfully put a Cherry Republic spin on each of their dishes, making them unique and wonderful. It should also be said that they are great for sending holiday gifts. They package the goods beautifully. Overall, fantastic place and fantastic people.
(5)Barramundi S.
Definitely as good as it gets...I don't give 5 starts but this place deserves it. We went there this past week on a whim since we were visiting the area and needed to feed the family. I'm a fan and will be back.... Clean, excellent but limited menu, reasonable prices and they have one of the prettiest gardens I have ever seen. Definitely try the ants on a log - I never eat celery but they've made me a believer along with their veggie burger. Both excellent choices. Pies are fantastic too along with the kids choices.....Highly recommend this place specially if you have kids in tow (even if you don't make a stop).
(5)Jake N.
This place is awesome! We caved and had the monster ice cream and did not look back! This thing is 6 scoops of ice cream with fresh cookies inside. We had three of their ice creams mixed inside with waffle cone, hot fudge, caramel, and sprinkles on top to make the whole family happy and WOW it was good. I washed it all down with a chocolate Cherry coffee for free thanks to yelp!
(5)Tsyria T.
This is such a cute little shop! They occupy a little plaza consisting of 3 buildings. One is for wine, the middle building has all the cherry treats - cherry salsa, candies, jams, the works! The last building has ice creams and pies. I love that they are so open with the samples. They leave candies and jams and crackers and salsa and chips out for everybody to try before you buy. It's amazing! They also have this service to mail gifts to friends and family. They package things up in a nice box, and you get a free postcard to send a message. I mailed a couple items and the cost is about $7 within the US, per address. If you mail something that may spoil or melt (like chocolate covered items), they charge $14 because they package it with ice and deliver in express mail. The place is kind of pricey, but they are nice gifts and souvenirs! Next door, my boyfriend and I had a slice of pie a la mode. Yum! After we finished, we went back for more ice cream! :D Don't forget to check in for that free cherry chocolate coffee!
(5)Pamela F.
We can't do the Leelanau without our Cherry Republic fix -- cherry jam for the English muffins and a scoop of cherry ice cream for all. This visit I got black cherry ice cream (not too tart, whiff of vanilla, plenty of black cherries with that hand churned cream consistency. Mmmm. We'd popped in the night before for boom chunka chocolate cherry chip cookies the night before hefty with chunks of chocolate. Tried the cherry sorbet, not tart at all. Creamy plain cherry ice cream. Stopped by to taste the cherry wines and artisanal sodas. Pick up a catalogue--we love to send holiday gift boxes to our California family who are always impressed by the presentation: shavings of birch bark nestled in with pine sprays and holly. Lovely shop local experience.
(4)Ronon O.
What a lovely surprise! We stopped for lunch, and the kids grilled cheese and tomato soup was something I wish I could have ordered. However, I did order the goats cheese salad and will have to say it was the BEST salad I have eaten! No question, the best! My husband ordered the pulled pork, and this was also lovely with a dark flavor I couldn't quite identify. I also got the 1/2 and 1/2 cherry lemonade and unsweetened iced tea, delish.
(5)Jim E.
When walking up on the three Cherry Republic Stores you almost feel like your in a Cartoon or this amazing little world/village. They have the Wine Store, Restaurant, and regular souvenir store. I am a huge fan of all the Cherry products in the store and it is a must see. Instead of a 5 rating it got a 4 rating because I found the restaurant bland and lacking quality plus expensive. The Cherry Meatloaf was nothing special when I expected to be "wowed" With that being said go to the village and check out all the great amenities.
(4)Wendy V.
Amazing. They know what they are doing here. The burger with cherry jam sounded odd but I got it anyway and wasn't disappointed. Everything was delicious! Don't miss this gem!!
(5)Katie M.
Holy Yum! Never been and may never be back, but boy was this place good. Will probably order some of this stuff online, if that's an option. Couldn't fly back with these goods. What a gem! Adorable girl selling $1 "cherry lemonade" outside. So cute!
(5)Amy M.
Love the pepper jelly, salsa is yummy, white chocolate peanut butter, chocolate covered cherries....all good things! The cherry tortillas, not so much. But honestly that is the 1 things I have tried here I don't like! This location gets an A-OK because the people working here didn't seem as friendly to me as other locations I have visited. Busy doesn't mean you can't smile! :) But seriously, buy the pepper jelly. Pour over some cream cheese and get out your favorite crackers, pretzels, etc. You are welcome.
(3)Julie W.
Great place to sample cherry products. The staff is friendly. There was even free wine tasting. Of course after sampling these wonderful items we just had to purchase lots to take home. Try the cherry salsa. It's a great blend of heat and sweet!
(5)Mathew O.
What's happening to this treasure? Place looks run down and ice cream is freezer burned. Suggest cleaning and perhaps weeding once in awhile. We love and support the business but place needs some TLC.
(3)Gina M.
Fun place to eat picnic style outside. The chicken salad and burger with cherries was delish and the yelp offer for a free cu of chocolate cherry coffee sealed the deal from so many places in the area to choose from. We brought back some fun food souvenirs from up north. Be sure to ask for the free gift boxing as add some goodies to make the gift uniquely Northern Michigan.
(5)Robin B.
Normally I'm not a fan of walking up to order at counters, however the folks are so friendly here, that you want to talk every single 1 of them. Gluten-free menu items are clearly marked on the menu, and daily specials include fun things like pulled pork tacos. Park here and walk all around town for fun at the art studios, clothes shopping and tourist spots. I recommend the warm goat cheese salad, with cherry honey mustard dressing, loaded with healthy nuts.
(5)Lyndsey A.
One of my favorite places. They allow you to sample everything before you buy it- wine included. They have a cafe and lots of fun activities for all ages. They cherry pit spit competitions are lots of fun. The only reason it's not 5 stars is because it gets too crowded sometimes. Overall- would definitely recommend making a stop here!
(4)Sala W.
As far as I'm concerned going ham on the samples at Cherry Republic is the quintessential up north experience. Even if you are not the biggest fan of cherries- there will be something here for you. Their product line covers everything. Like any other small town up north it dies down a little here in the winter. When I was there this past weekend the Great Hall was closed for renovations as well as the cafe. They had moved a lot of the products to the winery though and the staff was very accommodating. The cherry ginger root beer was great - even in 20 degree weather! It was not overwhelmingly sweet and didn't have that super syrupy artificial taste that a lot of sodas have. Just a warning- the cherry sour patches are addicting. If you have not been, it is a must for you next time you are in Glen Arbor.
(5)Kate H.
There are lots of delicious items on the menu here, but don't miss the simple cherry scones. Buttery melt-in-your-mouth amazingness! Seriously dreamy.
(5)Thomas Y.
One of the best hamburgers I have ever had!
(4)Lee P.
Well let me start with if you love cherries, THIS is your heaven. EVERYTHING is cherry and delicious. We had the cherry lemonade, coffee, chicken salad, pulled pork sandwich and cherry rhubarb pie. I will make this a must stop for any trip in the area.
(5)Josh W.
This place really does need to have a full 5 stars. How does it not? Cherry republic is unreal amazing. Besides the free samples, EVERYTHING they have here is amazing. I'm not even a huge cherry fan but this place does it right. Their cherry wine, cherry soda, cherry cookies, cherry salsa, and cherry candy is all fabulous. If your in Glenn arbor it would be criminal to not come.
(5)Nick Y.
This place used to one of my favorite stops. Service is getting worse and you have to fill their growlers. Even though I brought one of Theirs it didn't have the sticker on it anymore and I was refused a fill up.
(2)Adam Y.
Stopped in for brunch while up in Glen Arbor for a wedding this past summer. I ordered a burrito with cherry salsa. That's when things got good. I started chatting with Cass, who should be mentioned by name as he deserves Yelp celebrity status. The burritos arrived, he offered to refill my coffee then brought us some homemade cookies to take home. While clearing our dishes he then brought over a slice of cherry pie that was exquisite and ice cream on the house. The experience was so good a member of my group brought friends there a few hours later. We could not stop mentioning the Cherry Republic to everyone at the wedding. Before leaving Glen Arbor I had a whole pie and cookies in tow. We had to stop back to share the excellence with others. I've never had a more pleasant and wonderful experience! This place is a MUST!
(5)Pat M.
Disappointed by the treatment I received from this store, I'm sad to stay. Thoroughly enjoyed my visit, including chatting with the Bob and the other friendly staff members. Sampled widely, and left with a bag full of food products and a "Life, Liberty, Beaches and Pie" t-shirt. After returning home and laundering the shirt, it shrank dramatically - far more than one would normally expect, and making it unwearable. Mailed the shirt back with a copy of the receipt and an explanatory letter, and requested a replacement. Never heard anything in reply, which seemed to indicate contempt for this customer's experience. The food products were amazing and well worth the purchase price, but my experience in being ignored over a less-than-satisfactory shirt purchase unfortunately negated my initial positive impression.
(2)Holly G.
This may be the most adorable place that I have ever shopped at. It definitely is the more adorable place that I have ever shopped for food products at! The Cherry Republic has thought of every last detail in their products, packaging, and store. I have been a big fan of this place even since my parents brought me some some goodies from here a few years back. When they found out I was heading to this part of Michigan for myself, they insisted that I visit. I already had it on my list. Dried cherries, trail mixes, sodas, cherry salsa, cherry chocolates, everything cherry under the moon pretty much! They even have cherry wine tasting, cherry pit spitting area, and an ice cream parlor/restaurant. I am still dreaming of the cherry butter pecan ice cream I had here. Mmmmm. Also, don't forget they also have cherry pie! One of the best parts of my whole trip to the Mitten.
(5)Christa P.
For the past two summers we have been fortunate enough to go to Crystal Lake, MI to spend time at a cabin and on the lake. We make it a priority to spend a day at the Bear Dunes and then Cherry Republic. We have went into the little gift shop, which is awesome- they put out almost everything for you to try- so you walk around eating all the amazing cherry items! Some of my favorites: Cherry Chiptole Salsa, White Chocolate Covered Cherries, Sour Cherry Candies and all the cherry pepper jellies! Oh yum! After that we always go over and do a wine tasting and normally pick up several bottles. My husband actually propsed and he had a bottle of cherry red wine waiting for us! It was sweet and since has become sort of a celebratory wine! In prior years, we loved the cherry port and ballitoon, but this year we weren't as impressed with the cherry wines. We ended up just picking up the cherry red, which they changed to be a merlot blend this year. Overall its really fun, probably awesome for kids but still super fun for adults.
(4)S S.
I stopped here quickly just to grab a couple bottles of cherry wine, but I loved the place and ended up doing a bit of browsing too. How thoughtful to have a soda tasting area for kids too! As I was drinking my wine that evening, I realized with horror that I forgot to tip the lady serving the samples! Sorry. Will someone reading this please tip her double for me in my honor? Thanks!
(5)Matthew K.
What a great store in Glen Arbor. Shocking tourist prices in the main store, but the store(s) are beautiful, well stocked, and everything looks fresh. Otherwise, this is a great place, just off the main street. Try all the samples, at least :) Their ice cream prices were good, and I ended up getting a triple scoop twice while we stayed in Glen Arbor for the week. All the flavors were good, but be sure you order ice cream that has bits and pieces in it -- generally from a full tub. Otherwise, you might be disappointed to find your mix-in ice cream to be just the base ice cream flavor. I also tried their chocolate malt. It was good (request it more thick or else it's too runny). They use their chocolate cherry as the base, which is fine. It wasn't too sweet for a malt. It was rather small for $5, though. The one I got in Suttons Bay was better, especially for the price. Finally, I got a cherry pie to take home on the weekend. We had it the next day, and it was DELICIOUS. Great crust, great flavor. It wasn't sweet like most pies are. It had a natural flavor, a little tart with the cherries. Wish I got another one to put in the freezer for another time. Not a bad price at 2 for $25, either.
(5)Lisa B.
The place is perfect. 1) delicious food. It make look overwhelming when you look at the menu and see that everything is made with cherries, but I honestly couldn't taste them. All I tasted was awesome. My boyfriend had the meatloaf sandwich (to which he described as the best he's ever had) and I had the CBLT (cherry bacon lettuce tomato) with cherry pasta salad- everything was great! Sadly- no room for deserts, but I'm sure we'll be back for that. The decor is rustic, old fashioned, and adorable. Great outdoor seating! And don't worry- there is even THE North American Official Olympic Sized Pit-Spitting Arena on the property. What more could you want?!
(5)Kevin T.
WOW now thats some good ice Cream we loved it this is a must stop if you go to Sleeping Bear shore they price seems a bit high but when you try it you will know its worth every cent cant wait to go back
(5)Juliana T.
It was worth a visit once. It's all about cherry wine and products. I thought it was quite pricey but I'm still glad I stopped to find out what all the fuss was about. The ice cream I got in the little cafe was delish as was the coffee. That said, I'm personally not a fan of cherry foods but that's my shortcoming. Definitely pause and look around for a quick moment and maybe buy somethings as a souvenir to take home.
(3)Bridget M.
Great experience here. Delicious food in a wonderful family and pet friendly atmosphere. I had the 3 cheese grilled cheese on the cherry bread. So good. The cherry bread was a surprising but delicious sweet / tart against the salty/ savory cheese and bacon. My dad got the pesto pasta which he describes as " very nice". The chicken salad my mother ordered was " very light and tasty, a perfect summer meal." The cornbread also was delicious and very moist. My parents devoured the cherry ice cream and my dog enjoyed the puppy treats that were brought to him by 2 different staff members.
(5)Diane B.
Cute place but don't bother if it's busy, you will never get your food! Most of our party got their food but the rest had to wait for 35 minutes!
(2)Lauren W.
The service is great here. Very pleasant employees always willing to help you find what you need.
(5)mei s.
OMG, I could not believe the sample spread they have here. Places like Harry and David at the outlets always give pitiful portions, this place has big bowls of practically everything they sell. They are so incredibly generous. I'm glad people buy a lot here because the prices are good and they are so nice here. The products are all excellent here as well. We bought a cherry blueberry pie the first night and we totally devoured it and no one really likes pie or cherry pie in our family. So the next day, we took advantage of the buy 2 pie deal! We bought two of the last three pies there. This time we got a cherry crumb pie, that was awesome as well. I love this place. Like my hubbie says, we are a cherry republic family!! The wine and soda place next door was also fun as well as the ice cream parlor, what a great find, off the main road!!
(5)Travis M.
Love this place. Excellent cherry products, many of which are locally sourced and produced. Such a creative store, unique products and you can tell people enjoy working there. Try the wines, and eat all the free samples in store you can handle! The cafe next door also offers some unique cherry themed dishes for lunch and dinner, although I haven't tried dinner here yet. I definitely will sometime soon! Worth a visit absolutely, much better than any of the satellite locations. This is the original!
(5)Juan H.
Cherry Republic is a place, a group, a state of mind, a store, an internet business, all seamlessly woven together. I found them through a friend who said, "You must order stuff", so I did. On my first order I was hooked. First it was for my family, then the extended family, then gifts, then corporate gifts. I'm now a hopeless addict and I hope there is never a 12-step program because it's a fine and happy addiction. The Internet business offers a gazillion cherry products from cherry hot sauce and BBQ sauce to ready to use cherry pie filling, jam and cherry cookies. That's right. Cherry cookies, made with real cherries not the grocery store things that might have had a cherry in the building at the time they were made. Just click away. Chocolate-cherry peanut butter. Get it! Cherry salsa. GET IT! Cherry-Peach salsa - order it by the case! It's that good. To quote an Oklahoma friend, "It will make your tongue slap your brains out!" The CR stores are happy little havens that combine great cherry foods with a bit (okay, a lot) of whimsy. They're fun places to visit, hang out, bring the kids and just enjoy some time away from the insanity of life and the boredom of humdrum foods. The company is a cohesive delivery of an experience of shopping, fun, innovation and good eats. Everything is small batch and tastes like grandma used to make. It's packaged that way too. Customer service is off the charts in a world where the customer is often left out. Not here. They are fun and friendly people and they make that infectious. In the years of buying CR products I have yet to find one that fell short. In fact, they always exceed my expectations and I find I can try new things with wild abandon because I know it will be great. Did I mention the Cherry Salsa? I buy it by the case. I divide my time between Phoenix and San Diego where there is no shortage of salsa but I buy CR cherry salsa by the case. That should tell you something. CR won me over with great products, fair prices, great service and a fun attitude which makes me feel part of The Republic. I wish there were more business I could recommend without qualification or hesitation as I can with Cherry Republic.
(5)Justin C.
This place was tasty and fun. Lots of cherry wine. And lots of sodas. We had a 7 year old with us and she had a blast tasting the sodas and all the samples of cherry products -- chocolates, pie filling, jams, etc. Beware, you will end up buying stuff. There is a cafe and some things to do on property. No fee to enter!
(4)Cathy O.
Everything -- and I mean EVERYTHING -- is fantastic here. Shopping is such a pleasant experience with lots of samples and friendly "cherry ambassadors," and you get to walk between the three cottages to see the main sales room, the wine tasting room, and the coffee/ice cream shop/cafe. They have beautiful grounds, too! I always love stopping here.
(5)Kathleen M.
If you Luv cherries this is your place to shop !! They have an ice cream/candy store, a wine an soda tasting place, all made with cherries, an a store with anything you can think of, all made with cherries of course !! Great local place, and they have mail order as well, must go if you in Glen Arbor !!!
(5)Natalie M.
Delicious food all around. Their cafe does a great job at incorporating cherry (but not overdone) into all-American favorites. For the most part, their products are made either in-house or locally by other small businesses. Many creative options and they make great gifts!
(4)Trevor G.
First of all, how is this place out of both red and white wines? That aside, we bought several bottles of cider, and a bottle of their other wine. We found the winery staff to be slightly irritating. They were obviously paying close attention to the older patrons-- many of whom were not purchasing anything. And, we, the younger crowd, were virtually ignored, while buying four bottles of their product. A bit of retraining of the winery staff is in order. Don't assume that, because we are younger, we are just in for free drink and not worth your time.
(3)Daniel A.
I think people writing reviews are writing for all 3 spots located here so I'll do them all. In the cafe the pies with ala mode is delicious. Try any of their cherry pies or better yet, try them all! The staff seem to be mostly college students either coming home or high school students, but they're real friendly. The sandwiches are pretty normal, but the fish tacos are specially good. The store is good to buy some chocolate cherries! Go try out all the free samples, then buy some for gifts. The wine room is interesting, but I wouldn't say it's that great of wine. It's more of a souvenir wine if anything. Overall, this place is a good spot to stop for a lunch and buy some souvenirs, but I wouldn't exactly go out of my way to get there as there are many other places for cherry pies.
(3)Brynn M.
The staff here was simply lovely! They let my husband and I taste the wines right at closing time and gave us great recommendations for things to do in town. And the wine and other cherry products were great too :-)
(4)Chris W.
Excellent food, excellent staff! We were a little confused on how the order process went only because they were in the midst of serving a bus load of high school aged kids, but as soon as they realized we weren't with the group they gave us all the attention we needed. Perfect customer service, generous portions and normal prices.
(5)Kat k.
Free samples may be the best two words in the English language...and Cherry Republic applies this to everything. In fact, I tried every single wine (buy a four pack for 10% off) and then tried all the samples in the store. If you want to try something, they will actually open it in front of you to let you try it. Who does that?? Everything is fantastic tasting so the products sell themselves. Be sure to leave room in the trunk (although their wine now ships to Illinois!)
(5)Johnny T.
Boom! Five big ones. We all know I love bon bons. Eating them prepares me for a life of being kept, lying on a chaise and watching my soaps. We all know I love fruit. Citrus, stone fruit, melons, berries, etc. -- preferably in a juice form but I'll go for the intact original. So, when I discovered a place dedicated to fruit that made bite-sized bon bons of said fruit... I mewed, batted my eyes and was generally pathetic enough to be bestowed with my own bag of bon bons! But, let me back up. Annette J is the queen of Detroit Rock City. She travels far and wide to give Michiganers a premiere Yelp experience. She also knows where to go all over the state -- for anything. Her royal consort is a funny, artistic fellow equipped with solid convo and some pretty rock star local find skills of his own. I am an only child. We've established the players. On one of their many trips through the wilds of the Great Lakes state, they happened upon the cherry version of Bubba from Forrest Gump. Cherry wine. Cherry pie. Cherry jam. Cherry cake. Cherry ice cream. Cherry salsa. CHOCOLATE.COVERED.CHERRIES!!! Hold the phone. Yep, you read right. Chocolate covered cherries from the cherry gurus in the cherry state! Do you know what this means? DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS??? ihadtohavethem. I'd only heard whispers and rumors, but my very soul knew they existed and I *needed* to sup upon them. Lady J and her royal consort, being of gracious heart, decided to grant my wish and give me a bag of chocolate covered cherries with the caveat that once I'd had one, I'd want the entire bag. Oh, happy day! Really? Pour moi? But, surely, I had enough restraint to not eat the entire bag of dark chocolate covered red ripe Michigan cherries in one setting. I mean, c'mon... ... only because my teeth got tired.
(5)Allison F.
I am basically IN LOVE with anything that resides in Glen Arbor, so I felt compelled to comment after reading a few of the negative comments about this place below... I understand that the prices are a bit high, but if you are familiar with NOT ONLY the store but with the town, you must know that it is one of the MOST expensive property tax markets in Michigan. For any of these business owners, I tip my hat to you for taking on the task of paying the rent for your spaces. Now when it comes to this actual store, the food, salsas, candies, wine and beer are ALL fresh and organic. There is nothing artificial about their products HENCE the prices. Though I can always understand people having an issue with something that has an inflated price tag, I go back to pointing out that this is Glen Arbor and the store is full of fresh products! I don't feel that these prices are really that high when taking into consideration the location and the quality. Dark Chocolate covered cherries... THE BEST! If you want the best, there's always a price tag that comes along with it.
(5)Peter M.
They served my son a dangerously undercooked cheeseburger. It was raw inside. I politely asked them for a fully cooked burger. They apologized and made him a new burger which was also undercooked. E. coli is a serious and dangerous problem that can be deadly.
(2)Ellen H.
A bounty of samples, friendly staff, quality products. Frankly, this might be heaven. A definite must do.
(5)Alexis B.
We come here several times a summer, both the Glen Arbor and Traverse City locations, often for "dessert," as we like to call the generous samples in the store. We've dropped enough money here that I don't feel too guilty however. :-) This it the kind of touristy place that you want to resent, but they do their job so well and it really is inviting that we keep coming back. It's a great place to take kids - the restaurant has board games and books and a little playground out back, as well as plenty of kid-friendly food. I wish the menu were a bit bigger and offered a bit more in the way of salads instead of potato chips. Last year they had some amazing whitefish tacos and I've been disappointed not to see them on the menu this year. If I'm trying to be healthy I usually go for the salad plate with hummus and olives, etc., which is quite tasty. It seems like more of the meals used to have something cherry on them? Maybe I'm wrong about that, but I'd love some cherry salsa with the salad plate, and cherry ketchup on the hot dogs. The cherry pie and cherry-themed ice creams are great. I also especially like the unsweetened cherry iced tea - very refreshing! This place is constantly changing and expanding, and I hope they continue to be quirky and local.
(4)Dianne R.
starting with the great chocolate cherry coffee, then the cherry BBQ sauce and salsa, wonderful cherry pie or ice cream, the ultimate cookie called Boomchuka, and chocolate covered cherries, this is a must visit store, cafe and winery. Have been going there for years! And Glen Arbor is such a quaint little town.
(5)Mel G.
If I could live near one of these and work there I would! Such a fun atmosphere with super great staff and everything the cherry fanatic could want. Who knew there was this huge cherry industry in Northern Michigan. Try the Cherry Sangria, it is amazing! I wish we lived closer and we could buy a few bottles. Seriously, I'd be drinking this all the time... maybe its best we don't live nearby then... haha! They have tons of free samples of everything you can imagine made from cherries. Cherry jams, salsas, candies, coffee, dried, coated, BBQ sauce... and the list goes on! Also, its all local. Make sure if you have 4square on your phone to check in to get a free cherry chocolate coffee. The best coffee I've ever had. Smelled just as delicious as it tasted! Can't wait to go back again one day... "Life, Liberty, Beaches and Pie"!
(5)Anuj S.
Great fun to visit. Everything from the ice cream to the bakery to wine and cherry sodas, cherry salsas, cherry jellies and jams, cherry pie, and on and on and on. :-) The best part is you can taste most of these things before you buy. We had a lot of fun at all 3 of the buildings and ended up buying a number of things. Great concept and must-see when you're in Glen Arbor.
(4)John N.
Kind of an eccentric little place with a lot going on. Dog friendly which is nice.
(4)Annette J.
Accidentally discovered this place a couple of summers ago while exploring Leelanau and boy am I glad I did! What a place! Three separate buildings in the complex all dedicated to the cherry (a finer fruit you could not ask for as far as I am concerned!). The first building is the cafe where you can get some tasty treats to eat in house. A decent sized menu of cherry related sandwiches among others. My favorite is the popular cherry chicken salad. A chicken salad with dill, some celery, and dried cherries on their tasty Cherry Republic bread! I loved this sandwich so much I made sure to take home a loaf of the bread so I can attempt to recreate it the rest of the week for lunch (TIP- if you want some bread be sure to ask the very lovely staff if they have any of the in stock. Just because it's not out doesn't mean they don't have any). Upgrade your sandwich to their version of the combo meal for a cherry drink (all their cherry soda on tap--which I'll get to in a minute!), two cherry sides (cherry baked beans and the cherry cornbread are my faves), and a slice of cherry pie for dessert. Oh boy! The cafe also has a delightful ice cream menu for cherry pie ala mode, cherry sundaes, or cherry root beer floats. Unfortunately we were just too sugared out to take advantage of that this last trip but boy did it all look good! You can also pick up some baked goods to go like mini cherry pies and crumbles, their famous cherry cookies, and other daily treats. Just want a plain old water? That's fine, but you'd better believe they'll be putting a few cherries into it for you! The next complex is their shop filled with a ridiculous amount of free samples. Cherry jams first come to mind and they line the shelves in a huge variety-- sweet dark jams, cherry jelly, cherry pear jam, cherry apple butter, etc etc. Oh lawd! Most have the option for tasting and you should definitely do that. White chocolate cherry peanut butter (a little too sweet for my tastes but still good), cherry honey (as a honey junkie this appealed the most to me this time around so I bought a jar which I have not yet had the pleasure of trying yet--will report back once I get to that), cherry salsa in a variety of flavor levels (original, mild, hot, and now organic chipotle which was my favorite and came home with me). Cherry candies (gummies and otherwise), chocolate covered cherries, cherry granola, cherry pretzels, and your basic dried cherry. Oh my. It's overload in the best way possible. It took me two trips before I narrowed down what I wanted and even now I regret not buying more. Luckily they sell most of their goods online! The third building is their soda and wine tasting shop. As I mentioned before they have a number of sodas that they produce and all are on tap in the cafe and available in the beverage depot for purchase by the cup or by the growler. Last time I visited they also had most (if not all) the flavors in bottles so I bought a 6 pack to take home for special soda occasions. Unfortunately this time they only had three flavors so I made due by getting a True Cherry Cola growler instead. My other favorites--the Cherry Root Bear and the Boom Chugga Lugga Cherry soda came home in bottles. Their wine is also quite lovely. I will fully admit to not being much of a wine connoisseur and I really only like sweet wines so the Cherry Republic was up my alley. We tried a few varieties but my favorite was the sparkling cherry wine. Ask the gracious staff for a little top off of orange juice to see what kind of mimosas are in your future if you take a bottle of this home. You will not be disappointed. The complex itself is really beautiful--with lots of attractive flowers blooming, wooden cabin like architecture, and a bunch of humorous signs all around. Everywhere you look is a delight! Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating make this a welcoming place you want to come to again and again. TIP: If you're buying a gift for someone in the shop be sure to ask them (if they don't offer which the kind staff probably will) if they can package the gifts for you free of charge. I bought my mom some honey and chocolate covered cherries and they put them in a lovely box with stuffing and various tree accouterments like bark and pinecones. So nice!
(5)Jane D.
My husband and I love this place! It's usually our first (and sometimes last too) stop in Glen Arbor! Beautiful both outside and in, it takes you through a cherry experience. Cherry...everything. They got it! And they always have samples, from the cherry salsa to cherry BBQ sauce to cherry soda and wines. Great stop when you are "up north"!
(4)Katrina O.
The food is delicious and I was so happy to have vegetarian options. Try the hummus...they grill the pita and its amazing!
(5)Jacob S.
Decent food, but too pricey for what you get. EVERYTHING has cherries in it. No kidding! Every item on the menu has cherries in it and even the drinks came out with cherries in the bottom, so be prepared.
(3)Kristin E.
Every year for Christmas, I get a box from the happiest place on earth...The Cherry Republic! Thanks, Mom! : ) I'm writing this as I'm eating my dark chocolate covered cherries, of course.. The Cherry Republic is a treasure. Where else can you find cherry salsa, cherry wine, cherry pasta sauce, cherry trail mix, cherry jam, cherry lip balm, cherry coffee, cherry cookies, cherry brownies, cherry salad dressing and much much more in one place? Even if you don't like cherries, you will after a visit here. I promise. This is just one of the gems in Glen Arbor, MI. I've vacationed here with my family for years and it still is my favorite summertime destination.
(5)Krissy R.
Fun atmosphere and helpful, accommodating staff. Yes, I took my 2yr old to the tasting room and the staff was wonderful with him, entertaining him with a tiny cup full of cherry juice that he could sip while mommy and daddy tried some of the wines. The wines were a bit on the sweet side for my taste, but I did purchase a couple bottles just for the novelty. Also greatly appreciated the adjacent store chock full of everything cherry. I happened upon cherry butter, which I can only say is magic in a jar.
(4)Jose T.
Amazing ice cream and Cherry pie
(5)Katie D.
Quite touristy, but one thing was very memorable: their dried cherries. Those were the best: not sugary, no oily, dried just as they should be in all their natural glory. They also have lots of samples. A place to pick up edible mementos for friends and family.
(4)Brooke L.
Cute little storefront, with an imaginative line of local cherry- based products, but relatively expensive and a little kitschy.
(3)Karen S.
No visit to the cherry capital of the world is complete with a stop at Cherry Republic. This is a mecca for all things cherry. They use local cherries to flavor myriad products. One of my personal favorites is the boom chugga lugga soda. The savory condiments are delicious as well, including the barbeque sauce and salsa. The store itself is very decorated in a fun way, with lots of kitschy cherry related décor and jokes.
(5)Alison G.
A quaint little spot, with great service, but I would only eat here for dessert unless you absolutely love cherries. We were not anticipating that they would literally be in every single dish on the menu. The cherry salsa was a good starter and the feta dip (with cherries) was the best thing we had. By the time we got to our dinners we were all cherried out and needless to say will not be having cherries for quite some time.
(3)Brian P.
I was up here a few years ago with a friend. We decided on doing some wine tasting, and this was the first place we stopped. I had no idea what to expect upon looking at the buildings. But it ended up being a highlight of my trip to Northern MI. I was amazed at how many cherry products they had. I didn't think I would like cherry wine. I was very wrong. I ended up buying some of the spiced cherry wine, which I loved and still do love to this day. I also bought my parents a clay wine cooler. My friend was an art major, and told me how you could tell each one was individually thrown as opposed to being mass produced. My parents still use the wine cooler all the time. All the other cherry products were so unique I didn't know where to begin. I sampled everything from the salsa to the chocolate covered cherry's. They make great gift baskets. There is a retail store in Traverse City, and I still get sent the full color catalog. Overall, a great place.
(5)Dea A.
Wow, we loved this place. It is so cute, mixed with kitsch and attitude! The cherry port and cherry cider were great! Most of the wines were also tasty, but the sangria honestly tasted like soap to me (though another person in our group enjoyed it). So you start in the building on the left, which has wine AND soda tasting (for the kids). And then you go to the middle building, which has really cute well designed t-shirts (and "dictator hats" as one lady put it), cherry chocolate, cherry salsa (surprisingly good, but didn't buy any), dried cherries, cherry ... everything. It was honestly, awesome. I can't help it, I loved it. The last building on the right has the cafe, the cherry pie was packed with butter, but the other foods were really overpriced. $10 for this tiny pulled pork sandwich. Overall, I as a non-local money spending yuppie (according to Jenny Z) really enjoyed this place. Note: it is pretty hard to find without good signage, so google map it and follow the directions to a T and you should be OK.
(5)Greg Y.
This place is wicked awesome! Taste some free wine and soda, grab a cherry soda float and relax while people watching. Good Times :)
(5)Ashley S.
Amazing, must visit place! They have everything cherry: salsa, BBQ, jam, chocolates, soda and wine. Wine tasting bar is awesome but even better there is a soda tasting bar so the whole family can get in on the fun! Excellent restaurant as well!
(5)Dee B.
True to my word, less than a year after first visiting, I was back to enjoy The Cherry Republic. I had lunch in their cafe, and shopped in the store. It was actually a bit depressing, though, with it not yet being "season" up here, and with having very few people around. The cherry salsa ROCKS, by the way.
(5)Marc B.
If you had to review all the cherry wineries in the world and rate them against eachother, you'd have a hard time beating the Cherry Republic. Some of the best cherry wines in the great state of Michigan, along with lots of other cherry-related items too. Super-friendly service with lots of fun, tongue-in-cheek cherry subculture. We bought some fine cherry wines and a couple bottles of a Port-like cherry dessert wine.
(5)Denise B.
Cherries here, cherries there, everywhere you look - cherries! The Cherry Republic sounds like a scary tourist attraction, doesn't it? If it weren't done well, that would definitely be the case. But Cherry Republic, luckily, takes a potentially goofy concept and hits a home run. Everything you want is in this store.. cherrified. The cherry salsa was my favorite, but there were all kinds of delights, from covered chocolates to jam to goofy t-shirts. It's really too bad they don't ship to California... but probably a good thing for my wallet. I didn't eat at the Cherry Republic cafe (the samples alone stuffed me full), but I did partake in the wine tasting at the winery next door. The staff was super nice and let us taste everything on the list at no extra cost. We ended up getting a bottle of wine to go with Thanksgiving dinner based on the cherry-licious experience. If you come to Glen Arbor, definitely plan to leave with tons of cherry products and less money than you expected!
(5)Jordan C.
Been coming here since I was a very young kid and always had to get a few things to bring home. Most everything I've ever had here was wonderful. It's a bit pricey but it's expected with locally custom made products. The staff is always wonderfully friendly and they have no problem letting you indulge on their samples either. There are samples out for every single product, including the delicious wines and drinks! Highly recommended.
(5)Krissy B.
I would go back here in a heartbeat. Great service and amazing cherry dishes. My sister had the chicken cherry chili, and I had the BLT with cherry mayo. It was so delicious! And they cherry pie is to die for! They also have wine tasting and lots of cherry treats for sale in their store. Cherry salsa was awesome.
(5)Garrett P.
I like cherries. I like fresh cherries off the tree. I don't like fruit in my chocolate. I don't like fruit in my wine. I wasn't really keen on the idea of cherries in EVERYTHING. But I was taken here and ended up loving it. We were there in mid January. There was literally no one there except maybe two employees. There were about 10 different samples of things to eat, including fudge, salsa, jams, chocolate covered cherries, etc. All of it was awesome. And then we got some coffee. I would recommend it, especially if you go early in the year and you get the whole place to yourself.
(5)Stephanie P.
I like the Cherry Republic food offerings a lot but this campus was a disappointment. There was only 1 person working in the wine tasting area and she seemed really frazzled as one would expect with so many people visiting. The main building used to have samples out for all the products but I was disappointed to find that many items weren't available to sample including the fudge. The jellies/jams were also all empty jars so there wasn't much among them to try either. No one greeted me when I entered the store or offered to help me find anything. We didn't bother stopping by the cafe having been so disappinted thus far. Overall, I like their products but the visit to this location was not good. My experience last year at the Traverse City location was much better.
(3)Brian O.
Great service.
(5)Jon T.
Was here earlier this year while traversing the Leelanau Peninsula. Quaint little place that has everything from cherry soda to cherry wine to cherry jam to cherry bbq sauce and about another 100 things cherry. Everyone was really nice and happy to make recommendations on what you should purchase. I didn't eat in the cafe but there were a few people hanging out. It's a couple blocks off the beaten path so I have a feeling it's one of those places that people end up at by word of mouth vs. just stumbling upon. So there you go, support the local merchants & check out the what they're doing with one of northern Michigan's favorite fruits.
(4)Edward W.
A must stop while in the area.
(5)Dominique K.
I shopped at the retail store and done mail order from Cherry Republic many times over the years. I love going into the store and sampling some salsa or chocolate covered cherries before loading up my shopping basket, but I've also had consistently great experiences ordering from the catalog (I generally call them up as I order gifts sent to more than one addy at holiday time). The catalogs are cute and humorous, and the Web site is a lot of fun, too. Among our favorite Cherry Republic treats are sour patch candies for me and dark chocolate covered cherries for Tim. The salsas and teas are also very nice. We've tried quite a few different CR products, and it's always fun to see what new things they think of to make with cherries! The store's garden looks lovely in the summer, and you can eat at the CR restaurant on the patio beside the garden in the summer. There is also a counter where you can pick up beverages, cookies, or ice cream to go--I make it a point to get a cherry ice tea to go (unsweetened cherry flavored ice tea with a few tart cherries thrown into the bottom of the glass is my choice here). There is also a CR wine tasting room, although I've yet to try any of the wines.
(4)Sue T.
Awesome cherry samples in store. Of course it makes you buy when you can taste the yummy cherries. Just beware of the other customers who will butt you out of the way to get at the freebies.
(5)Alison M.
I'm so glad we stopped here. Not only is this the headquarters of all things cherry (salsa, bbq sauce, peanut butter), but they also have a nice little winery and a bakery/cafe. We stopped by their tasting room and tried some of the wines (free tastings!). Although these wines are a little fruity for my liking (they all contain some amount of cherry juice), I still walked away with a few bottles-- I highly recommend their sangria! And the lunch was fantastic-- we tried the bbq pork sandwich (with cherry bbq sauce) and a chicken salad sandwich (with dried cherries). Both were delicious-- the bbq had the right amount of spice to balance the sweetness of the cherries. My only regret is not saving room for some cherry pie.
(5)Thomas C.
Excellent food. Would recommend the grilled cheese with bacon and the special dip. I've always loved Cherry Republic, and getting to visit the original was great!
(4)Jim D.
Great place, definitely a must when your in the area. Only negative is the price. You can easily walk out spending a lot more than you expected. But hey, the dog really needed that $13.00 bag of treats. Or maybe we just thought the name was cute and didn't think about the price until the register totaled $50 for a few items. Hey you only live once. Plus I felt bad for leaving her in the car with the windows up (just kidding).
(4)Lesley C.
This is a special place for a memorable little lunch or snack. The cafe was so reasonable and the food was great. One of the best chicken salad sandwiches I've ever had, on bread studded with cherries. The entire menu is cherry-inspired and the fish tacos were another huge hit. The store is full of great cherry products, and you can taste just about everything before you buy. Laid back, charming, rustic, the place screams "lake vacation".
(5)Jennifer T.
Love this place! Wine tasting was awesome and the staff was great!!
(5)Kailua S.
On our summer vacations to the Little Glen Lake, Cherry Republic is a daily afternoon stop for us. Great ice cream and sodas are served at the Cherry Republic!. My favorite is a Coke float with generous scoop of cherry ice cream :-).
(4)Zoran O.
EVERYTHING Cherries!!! NO kidding - Hundreds of items that include cherries. Their sweet and spicy salsa is what gets me back - and of course the beatifiul location. This is on our northwest michigan food tour - with least amount of stars - but still a must stop - beautiful little town and surrounding area - hard NOT to go!
(3)Lisa A.
Perhaps you aren't a fan of Cherries and the thought of going to a place called Cherry Republic isn't your thing. Well let me be the one to tell you..you'll love this place regardless. I recently went to Cherry Republic for their wine tasting. And they'll have some great savory wines for you to try. Tart and sweet and some with a nice mixture of Merlot. I was pleased with everything including the price of the bottles. I enjoyed the free tastings and the service was great.
(4)Lois A.
I can't think of anything made by Cherry Republic that isn't totally awesome. The salsa should have a song written about it. I can just sit and endlessly eat it, in love with every bite. It is perfection. Cherry BBQ sauce, cherry pecan butter, cherry pepper jelly...I want everything.
(5)Pack C.
cherry pie here is the best. they use tart cherries which makes it not too sweet. we also had lunch here which is just ok. I had their signature chicken salad sandwich. there are cherries in the salad and bread. The whole thing is just too sweet for me especially from the bread. I also had their cherries baked bean. there is nothing fancy about it, just a very sweet baked bean. i don't recommend this one
(3)TOMMY o.
we LOVE their catalog & cherries are so good for you GREAT Gift ideas for XMas & they arranged personal mailing preferences for us
(5)sara k.
The only food I've ever eaten is the smorgasbord of free samples (and the treats I've thus been guilted into purchasing). I enjoy everything. But the very special (and rare) days are those that feature a bowl of the cherry chocolate malted milk balls. Oh, oh, ohhhh... Worth the trip just for those balls. (That's what she said.)
(4)JeanMarie M.
Have been going here for years.. Never ceases to be delightful. Everything, even the things you would have never guessed would be good with cherries, is delicious. Very busy during the warm months, and pleasantly deserted in the in-climate weather. Gift boxes from here are my favorite part of the holidays.
(5)Karen B.
It just isn't summer without the Cherry Republic, especially their ice cream. Be brave and try the cherry items like burgers and hot dogs--they really are good. I highly recommend the cherry mustard and any of the chocolate items to take home. The new wine tasting room is good. Some of the wines are a little sweet for my taste. Spend some time wandering the "banana-free" grounds. Sure, it is touristy, but if you are going to do one tourist activity in the area, make it this one. You won't regret it. Don't forget to sign up for their emails and catalogs. They are highly entertaining!
(5)Pontip M.
I love thier Cherry Cola! I think it's bottled by Spreckers. I got some last winter when I came for a visit. I had 2 bottles. this time I got a 6pk of the Cherry Root Beer and Cherry Cola. I cant wait to get them back to Chicago and drink them! I love thier catalog and all of the products. It's the only cherry store I like to visit when I come to TC. I am also a sucker for labels and merchandising and theirs isn't cheesy and I love the bear in thier logo. I think I'm going to have to start ordering from thier catalog inbetween visits!
(5)Jenny z.
I'll admit it - when this place opened I was prepared to dislike it. What can I say? I hate "cutesy" names, I just do. So, while I admire the moxie of the folks who started this place and I like that it is locally owned, I see it as a bit of a shameless tourist trap and shudder every time I drive by it and see flocks of perfectly groomed weekenders in their "up north" togs clamoring over all the charming cherry themed items. I just feel like you need to have a stamp on your forehead that says "fudgie" on it to even walk in here, so I don't anymore. That being said, the quality of the items here is good, if pricey. If you need to send someone a gift that says "Northern Michigan" this is a good place to do it, just be prepared to fight your way through the throngs of BMW SUV driving spending machines hellbent on getting their hands on some cherry salsa.
(3)Heather H.
great wine, great people all around!
(5)Brady W.
The best cherry specialty store in this corner of northern Michigan, aka the cherry capitol. The chocolate covered cherries here are magnificent. The cherry salsa is surprisingly good, and has become a favorite of mine over the years. The cherry trail mix, dried cherries, and cherry chocolate chip cookies are all completely addictive. The cherry pie is quite good, although outstanding cherry pie is readily found at roadside shops throughout the region. A wide variety of gift boxes allow you to ship a taste of the cherry capitol to your favorite Michigan ex-pat.
(5)Lien L.
The people who work there are really friendly, and a little nutty but not in a weird way. For some of the more popular items, they offer samples for you to try, which is really nice. The food is a bit over-priced, but hey you're on vacation and where else are you going to get cherry salsa?
(4)Maggie W.
This is the coolest place ever. Everything in the cafe has cherries in it in some way. Everything. And it's yummy. All of the wines are cherry wines. And yummy. Taste them all. Then buy a few bottles because they make great gifts. You can get chardonnay and merlot anywhere. But can you get cherry wine anywhere? I don't know, I've never looked. I got my husband cherry root beer (we were on vacation and he couldn't join us, so I brought a case home) and he really liked it. In addition to the yummy tastes, this is just a really pretty place. Lots of pretty flowers and log cabin looking buildings.
(5)Cass D.
Cherry hot dog anyone? Let's see who can spit a pit the farthest! This place was adorable. I know it's a tourist trap, but I don't care. The grounds and gardens were well kept, the cafe was cute and the wines were wonderful. Great place to take pictures.
(5)Jason M.
The food-side serves up pretty tasty lunch fare, and the desserts (everything cherry) look very appealing. The pulled pork sandwich had barbeque sauce that bordered on sweet overload, but then there was an underlying kick that balanced things out nicely. The lo-cal cherry soda was great (and I know I'm back in Michigan when the cute as a button teenage summer help calls it pop). The store has tons of cherry items and samples abound (especially key when offering a dozen types of jams and jellies).
(5)Jeremy P.
Just wow.. All I can say. This place is just simply Wow. Food is excellent. The cherry bacon marmalade burger is excellent and full of flavor. Get the black bean and corn salsa side.. Just flavorful and so good. Kids Mac and cheese was very good. Comes with fresh fruit. Hummus and pita was very tasty. Chicken cherry salad sandwich my wife said was very good. All around awesome stuff and we will be back. Don't miss this place for food!!
(5)Leigh S.
I love the Cherry Republic for their atmosphere, their sense of community, their merchandise, and their food. My family has been coming here for years, and it just keeps getting better. I particularly love their scones, their barbeque, their hummus salad and their boomchunka cookies. Everything, though, is delicious. They successfully put a Cherry Republic spin on each of their dishes, making them unique and wonderful. It should also be said that they are great for sending holiday gifts. They package the goods beautifully. Overall, fantastic place and fantastic people.
(5)Barramundi S.
Definitely as good as it gets...I don't give 5 starts but this place deserves it. We went there this past week on a whim since we were visiting the area and needed to feed the family. I'm a fan and will be back.... Clean, excellent but limited menu, reasonable prices and they have one of the prettiest gardens I have ever seen. Definitely try the ants on a log - I never eat celery but they've made me a believer along with their veggie burger. Both excellent choices. Pies are fantastic too along with the kids choices.....Highly recommend this place specially if you have kids in tow (even if you don't make a stop).
(5)Jake N.
This place is awesome! We caved and had the monster ice cream and did not look back! This thing is 6 scoops of ice cream with fresh cookies inside. We had three of their ice creams mixed inside with waffle cone, hot fudge, caramel, and sprinkles on top to make the whole family happy and WOW it was good. I washed it all down with a chocolate Cherry coffee for free thanks to yelp!
(5)Tsyria T.
This is such a cute little shop! They occupy a little plaza consisting of 3 buildings. One is for wine, the middle building has all the cherry treats - cherry salsa, candies, jams, the works! The last building has ice creams and pies. I love that they are so open with the samples. They leave candies and jams and crackers and salsa and chips out for everybody to try before you buy. It's amazing! They also have this service to mail gifts to friends and family. They package things up in a nice box, and you get a free postcard to send a message. I mailed a couple items and the cost is about $7 within the US, per address. If you mail something that may spoil or melt (like chocolate covered items), they charge $14 because they package it with ice and deliver in express mail. The place is kind of pricey, but they are nice gifts and souvenirs! Next door, my boyfriend and I had a slice of pie a la mode. Yum! After we finished, we went back for more ice cream! :D Don't forget to check in for that free cherry chocolate coffee!
(5)Pamela F.
We can't do the Leelanau without our Cherry Republic fix -- cherry jam for the English muffins and a scoop of cherry ice cream for all. This visit I got black cherry ice cream (not too tart, whiff of vanilla, plenty of black cherries with that hand churned cream consistency. Mmmm. We'd popped in the night before for boom chunka chocolate cherry chip cookies the night before hefty with chunks of chocolate. Tried the cherry sorbet, not tart at all. Creamy plain cherry ice cream. Stopped by to taste the cherry wines and artisanal sodas. Pick up a catalogue--we love to send holiday gift boxes to our California family who are always impressed by the presentation: shavings of birch bark nestled in with pine sprays and holly. Lovely shop local experience.
(4)Jim E.
When walking up on the three Cherry Republic Stores you almost feel like your in a Cartoon or this amazing little world/village. They have the Wine Store, Restaurant, and regular souvenir store. I am a huge fan of all the Cherry products in the store and it is a must see. Instead of a 5 rating it got a 4 rating because I found the restaurant bland and lacking quality plus expensive. The Cherry Meatloaf was nothing special when I expected to be "wowed" With that being said go to the village and check out all the great amenities.
(4)Wendy V.
Amazing. They know what they are doing here. The burger with cherry jam sounded odd but I got it anyway and wasn't disappointed. Everything was delicious! Don't miss this gem!!
(5)Ronon O.
What a lovely surprise! We stopped for lunch, and the kids grilled cheese and tomato soup was something I wish I could have ordered. However, I did order the goats cheese salad and will have to say it was the BEST salad I have eaten! No question, the best! My husband ordered the pulled pork, and this was also lovely with a dark flavor I couldn't quite identify. I also got the 1/2 and 1/2 cherry lemonade and unsweetened iced tea, delish.
(5)Katie M.
Holy Yum! Never been and may never be back, but boy was this place good. Will probably order some of this stuff online, if that's an option. Couldn't fly back with these goods. What a gem! Adorable girl selling $1 "cherry lemonade" outside. So cute!
(5)Amy M.
Love the pepper jelly, salsa is yummy, white chocolate peanut butter, chocolate covered cherries....all good things! The cherry tortillas, not so much. But honestly that is the 1 things I have tried here I don't like! This location gets an A-OK because the people working here didn't seem as friendly to me as other locations I have visited. Busy doesn't mean you can't smile! :) But seriously, buy the pepper jelly. Pour over some cream cheese and get out your favorite crackers, pretzels, etc. You are welcome.
(3)Julie W.
Great place to sample cherry products. The staff is friendly. There was even free wine tasting. Of course after sampling these wonderful items we just had to purchase lots to take home. Try the cherry salsa. It's a great blend of heat and sweet!
(5)Mathew O.
What's happening to this treasure? Place looks run down and ice cream is freezer burned. Suggest cleaning and perhaps weeding once in awhile. We love and support the business but place needs some TLC.
(3)Robin B.
Normally I'm not a fan of walking up to order at counters, however the folks are so friendly here, that you want to talk every single 1 of them. Gluten-free menu items are clearly marked on the menu, and daily specials include fun things like pulled pork tacos. Park here and walk all around town for fun at the art studios, clothes shopping and tourist spots. I recommend the warm goat cheese salad, with cherry honey mustard dressing, loaded with healthy nuts.
(5)Gina M.
Fun place to eat picnic style outside. The chicken salad and burger with cherries was delish and the yelp offer for a free cu of chocolate cherry coffee sealed the deal from so many places in the area to choose from. We brought back some fun food souvenirs from up north. Be sure to ask for the free gift boxing as add some goodies to make the gift uniquely Northern Michigan.
(5)Lyndsey A.
One of my favorite places. They allow you to sample everything before you buy it- wine included. They have a cafe and lots of fun activities for all ages. They cherry pit spit competitions are lots of fun. The only reason it's not 5 stars is because it gets too crowded sometimes. Overall- would definitely recommend making a stop here!
(4)Sala W.
As far as I'm concerned going ham on the samples at Cherry Republic is the quintessential up north experience. Even if you are not the biggest fan of cherries- there will be something here for you. Their product line covers everything. Like any other small town up north it dies down a little here in the winter. When I was there this past weekend the Great Hall was closed for renovations as well as the cafe. They had moved a lot of the products to the winery though and the staff was very accommodating. The cherry ginger root beer was great - even in 20 degree weather! It was not overwhelmingly sweet and didn't have that super syrupy artificial taste that a lot of sodas have. Just a warning- the cherry sour patches are addicting. If you have not been, it is a must for you next time you are in Glen Arbor.
(5)Kate H.
There are lots of delicious items on the menu here, but don't miss the simple cherry scones. Buttery melt-in-your-mouth amazingness! Seriously dreamy.
(5)Lee P.
Well let me start with if you love cherries, THIS is your heaven. EVERYTHING is cherry and delicious. We had the cherry lemonade, coffee, chicken salad, pulled pork sandwich and cherry rhubarb pie. I will make this a must stop for any trip in the area.
(5)Thomas Y.
One of the best hamburgers I have ever had!
(4)Josh W.
This place really does need to have a full 5 stars. How does it not? Cherry republic is unreal amazing. Besides the free samples, EVERYTHING they have here is amazing. I'm not even a huge cherry fan but this place does it right. Their cherry wine, cherry soda, cherry cookies, cherry salsa, and cherry candy is all fabulous. If your in Glenn arbor it would be criminal to not come.
(5)Nick Y.
This place used to one of my favorite stops. Service is getting worse and you have to fill their growlers. Even though I brought one of Theirs it didn't have the sticker on it anymore and I was refused a fill up.
(2)Adam Y.
Stopped in for brunch while up in Glen Arbor for a wedding this past summer. I ordered a burrito with cherry salsa. That's when things got good. I started chatting with Cass, who should be mentioned by name as he deserves Yelp celebrity status. The burritos arrived, he offered to refill my coffee then brought us some homemade cookies to take home. While clearing our dishes he then brought over a slice of cherry pie that was exquisite and ice cream on the house. The experience was so good a member of my group brought friends there a few hours later. We could not stop mentioning the Cherry Republic to everyone at the wedding. Before leaving Glen Arbor I had a whole pie and cookies in tow. We had to stop back to share the excellence with others. I've never had a more pleasant and wonderful experience! This place is a MUST!
(5)Pat M.
Disappointed by the treatment I received from this store, I'm sad to stay. Thoroughly enjoyed my visit, including chatting with the Bob and the other friendly staff members. Sampled widely, and left with a bag full of food products and a "Life, Liberty, Beaches and Pie" t-shirt. After returning home and laundering the shirt, it shrank dramatically - far more than one would normally expect, and making it unwearable. Mailed the shirt back with a copy of the receipt and an explanatory letter, and requested a replacement. Never heard anything in reply, which seemed to indicate contempt for this customer's experience. The food products were amazing and well worth the purchase price, but my experience in being ignored over a less-than-satisfactory shirt purchase unfortunately negated my initial positive impression.
(2)Holly G.
This may be the most adorable place that I have ever shopped at. It definitely is the more adorable place that I have ever shopped for food products at! The Cherry Republic has thought of every last detail in their products, packaging, and store. I have been a big fan of this place even since my parents brought me some some goodies from here a few years back. When they found out I was heading to this part of Michigan for myself, they insisted that I visit. I already had it on my list. Dried cherries, trail mixes, sodas, cherry salsa, cherry chocolates, everything cherry under the moon pretty much! They even have cherry wine tasting, cherry pit spitting area, and an ice cream parlor/restaurant. I am still dreaming of the cherry butter pecan ice cream I had here. Mmmmm. Also, don't forget they also have cherry pie! One of the best parts of my whole trip to the Mitten.
(5)Christa P.
For the past two summers we have been fortunate enough to go to Crystal Lake, MI to spend time at a cabin and on the lake. We make it a priority to spend a day at the Bear Dunes and then Cherry Republic. We have went into the little gift shop, which is awesome- they put out almost everything for you to try- so you walk around eating all the amazing cherry items! Some of my favorites: Cherry Chiptole Salsa, White Chocolate Covered Cherries, Sour Cherry Candies and all the cherry pepper jellies! Oh yum! After that we always go over and do a wine tasting and normally pick up several bottles. My husband actually propsed and he had a bottle of cherry red wine waiting for us! It was sweet and since has become sort of a celebratory wine! In prior years, we loved the cherry port and ballitoon, but this year we weren't as impressed with the cherry wines. We ended up just picking up the cherry red, which they changed to be a merlot blend this year. Overall its really fun, probably awesome for kids but still super fun for adults.
(4)Bridget M.
Great experience here. Delicious food in a wonderful family and pet friendly atmosphere. I had the 3 cheese grilled cheese on the cherry bread. So good. The cherry bread was a surprising but delicious sweet / tart against the salty/ savory cheese and bacon. My dad got the pesto pasta which he describes as " very nice". The chicken salad my mother ordered was " very light and tasty, a perfect summer meal." The cornbread also was delicious and very moist. My parents devoured the cherry ice cream and my dog enjoyed the puppy treats that were brought to him by 2 different staff members.
(5)Matthew K.
What a great store in Glen Arbor. Shocking tourist prices in the main store, but the store(s) are beautiful, well stocked, and everything looks fresh. Otherwise, this is a great place, just off the main street. Try all the samples, at least :) Their ice cream prices were good, and I ended up getting a triple scoop twice while we stayed in Glen Arbor for the week. All the flavors were good, but be sure you order ice cream that has bits and pieces in it -- generally from a full tub. Otherwise, you might be disappointed to find your mix-in ice cream to be just the base ice cream flavor. I also tried their chocolate malt. It was good (request it more thick or else it's too runny). They use their chocolate cherry as the base, which is fine. It wasn't too sweet for a malt. It was rather small for $5, though. The one I got in Suttons Bay was better, especially for the price. Finally, I got a cherry pie to take home on the weekend. We had it the next day, and it was DELICIOUS. Great crust, great flavor. It wasn't sweet like most pies are. It had a natural flavor, a little tart with the cherries. Wish I got another one to put in the freezer for another time. Not a bad price at 2 for $25, either.
(5)S S.
I stopped here quickly just to grab a couple bottles of cherry wine, but I loved the place and ended up doing a bit of browsing too. How thoughtful to have a soda tasting area for kids too! As I was drinking my wine that evening, I realized with horror that I forgot to tip the lady serving the samples! Sorry. Will someone reading this please tip her double for me in my honor? Thanks!
(5)Lisa B.
The place is perfect. 1) delicious food. It make look overwhelming when you look at the menu and see that everything is made with cherries, but I honestly couldn't taste them. All I tasted was awesome. My boyfriend had the meatloaf sandwich (to which he described as the best he's ever had) and I had the CBLT (cherry bacon lettuce tomato) with cherry pasta salad- everything was great! Sadly- no room for deserts, but I'm sure we'll be back for that. The decor is rustic, old fashioned, and adorable. Great outdoor seating! And don't worry- there is even THE North American Official Olympic Sized Pit-Spitting Arena on the property. What more could you want?!
(5)Kevin T.
WOW now thats some good ice Cream we loved it this is a must stop if you go to Sleeping Bear shore they price seems a bit high but when you try it you will know its worth every cent cant wait to go back
(5)Juliana T.
It was worth a visit once. It's all about cherry wine and products. I thought it was quite pricey but I'm still glad I stopped to find out what all the fuss was about. The ice cream I got in the little cafe was delish as was the coffee. That said, I'm personally not a fan of cherry foods but that's my shortcoming. Definitely pause and look around for a quick moment and maybe buy somethings as a souvenir to take home.
(3)Diane B.
Cute place but don't bother if it's busy, you will never get your food! Most of our party got their food but the rest had to wait for 35 minutes!
(2)Lauren W.
The service is great here. Very pleasant employees always willing to help you find what you need.
(5)mei s.
OMG, I could not believe the sample spread they have here. Places like Harry and David at the outlets always give pitiful portions, this place has big bowls of practically everything they sell. They are so incredibly generous. I'm glad people buy a lot here because the prices are good and they are so nice here. The products are all excellent here as well. We bought a cherry blueberry pie the first night and we totally devoured it and no one really likes pie or cherry pie in our family. So the next day, we took advantage of the buy 2 pie deal! We bought two of the last three pies there. This time we got a cherry crumb pie, that was awesome as well. I love this place. Like my hubbie says, we are a cherry republic family!! The wine and soda place next door was also fun as well as the ice cream parlor, what a great find, off the main road!!
(5)Travis M.
Love this place. Excellent cherry products, many of which are locally sourced and produced. Such a creative store, unique products and you can tell people enjoy working there. Try the wines, and eat all the free samples in store you can handle! The cafe next door also offers some unique cherry themed dishes for lunch and dinner, although I haven't tried dinner here yet. I definitely will sometime soon! Worth a visit absolutely, much better than any of the satellite locations. This is the original!
(5)Natalie M.
Delicious food all around. Their cafe does a great job at incorporating cherry (but not overdone) into all-American favorites. For the most part, their products are made either in-house or locally by other small businesses. Many creative options and they make great gifts!
(4)Trevor G.
First of all, how is this place out of both red and white wines? That aside, we bought several bottles of cider, and a bottle of their other wine. We found the winery staff to be slightly irritating. They were obviously paying close attention to the older patrons-- many of whom were not purchasing anything. And, we, the younger crowd, were virtually ignored, while buying four bottles of their product. A bit of retraining of the winery staff is in order. Don't assume that, because we are younger, we are just in for free drink and not worth your time.
(3)Kat k.
Free samples may be the best two words in the English language...and Cherry Republic applies this to everything. In fact, I tried every single wine (buy a four pack for 10% off) and then tried all the samples in the store. If you want to try something, they will actually open it in front of you to let you try it. Who does that?? Everything is fantastic tasting so the products sell themselves. Be sure to leave room in the trunk (although their wine now ships to Illinois!)
(5)Juan H.
Cherry Republic is a place, a group, a state of mind, a store, an internet business, all seamlessly woven together. I found them through a friend who said, "You must order stuff", so I did. On my first order I was hooked. First it was for my family, then the extended family, then gifts, then corporate gifts. I'm now a hopeless addict and I hope there is never a 12-step program because it's a fine and happy addiction. The Internet business offers a gazillion cherry products from cherry hot sauce and BBQ sauce to ready to use cherry pie filling, jam and cherry cookies. That's right. Cherry cookies, made with real cherries not the grocery store things that might have had a cherry in the building at the time they were made. Just click away. Chocolate-cherry peanut butter. Get it! Cherry salsa. GET IT! Cherry-Peach salsa - order it by the case! It's that good. To quote an Oklahoma friend, "It will make your tongue slap your brains out!" The CR stores are happy little havens that combine great cherry foods with a bit (okay, a lot) of whimsy. They're fun places to visit, hang out, bring the kids and just enjoy some time away from the insanity of life and the boredom of humdrum foods. The company is a cohesive delivery of an experience of shopping, fun, innovation and good eats. Everything is small batch and tastes like grandma used to make. It's packaged that way too. Customer service is off the charts in a world where the customer is often left out. Not here. They are fun and friendly people and they make that infectious. In the years of buying CR products I have yet to find one that fell short. In fact, they always exceed my expectations and I find I can try new things with wild abandon because I know it will be great. Did I mention the Cherry Salsa? I buy it by the case. I divide my time between Phoenix and San Diego where there is no shortage of salsa but I buy CR cherry salsa by the case. That should tell you something. CR won me over with great products, fair prices, great service and a fun attitude which makes me feel part of The Republic. I wish there were more business I could recommend without qualification or hesitation as I can with Cherry Republic.
(5)Justin C.
This place was tasty and fun. Lots of cherry wine. And lots of sodas. We had a 7 year old with us and she had a blast tasting the sodas and all the samples of cherry products -- chocolates, pie filling, jams, etc. Beware, you will end up buying stuff. There is a cafe and some things to do on property. No fee to enter!
(4)Cathy O.
Everything -- and I mean EVERYTHING -- is fantastic here. Shopping is such a pleasant experience with lots of samples and friendly "cherry ambassadors," and you get to walk between the three cottages to see the main sales room, the wine tasting room, and the coffee/ice cream shop/cafe. They have beautiful grounds, too! I always love stopping here.
(5)Kathleen M.
If you Luv cherries this is your place to shop !! They have an ice cream/candy store, a wine an soda tasting place, all made with cherries, an a store with anything you can think of, all made with cherries of course !! Great local place, and they have mail order as well, must go if you in Glen Arbor !!!
(5)Daniel A.
I think people writing reviews are writing for all 3 spots located here so I'll do them all. In the cafe the pies with ala mode is delicious. Try any of their cherry pies or better yet, try them all! The staff seem to be mostly college students either coming home or high school students, but they're real friendly. The sandwiches are pretty normal, but the fish tacos are specially good. The store is good to buy some chocolate cherries! Go try out all the free samples, then buy some for gifts. The wine room is interesting, but I wouldn't say it's that great of wine. It's more of a souvenir wine if anything. Overall, this place is a good spot to stop for a lunch and buy some souvenirs, but I wouldn't exactly go out of my way to get there as there are many other places for cherry pies.
(3)Brynn M.
The staff here was simply lovely! They let my husband and I taste the wines right at closing time and gave us great recommendations for things to do in town. And the wine and other cherry products were great too :-)
(4)Chris W.
Excellent food, excellent staff! We were a little confused on how the order process went only because they were in the midst of serving a bus load of high school aged kids, but as soon as they realized we weren't with the group they gave us all the attention we needed. Perfect customer service, generous portions and normal prices.
(5)Johnny T.
Boom! Five big ones. We all know I love bon bons. Eating them prepares me for a life of being kept, lying on a chaise and watching my soaps. We all know I love fruit. Citrus, stone fruit, melons, berries, etc. -- preferably in a juice form but I'll go for the intact original. So, when I discovered a place dedicated to fruit that made bite-sized bon bons of said fruit... I mewed, batted my eyes and was generally pathetic enough to be bestowed with my own bag of bon bons! But, let me back up. Annette J is the queen of Detroit Rock City. She travels far and wide to give Michiganers a premiere Yelp experience. She also knows where to go all over the state -- for anything. Her royal consort is a funny, artistic fellow equipped with solid convo and some pretty rock star local find skills of his own. I am an only child. We've established the players. On one of their many trips through the wilds of the Great Lakes state, they happened upon the cherry version of Bubba from Forrest Gump. Cherry wine. Cherry pie. Cherry jam. Cherry cake. Cherry ice cream. Cherry salsa. CHOCOLATE.COVERED.CHERRIES!!! Hold the phone. Yep, you read right. Chocolate covered cherries from the cherry gurus in the cherry state! Do you know what this means? DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS??? ihadtohavethem. I'd only heard whispers and rumors, but my very soul knew they existed and I *needed* to sup upon them. Lady J and her royal consort, being of gracious heart, decided to grant my wish and give me a bag of chocolate covered cherries with the caveat that once I'd had one, I'd want the entire bag. Oh, happy day! Really? Pour moi? But, surely, I had enough restraint to not eat the entire bag of dark chocolate covered red ripe Michigan cherries in one setting. I mean, c'mon... ... only because my teeth got tired.
(5)Allison F.
I am basically IN LOVE with anything that resides in Glen Arbor, so I felt compelled to comment after reading a few of the negative comments about this place below... I understand that the prices are a bit high, but if you are familiar with NOT ONLY the store but with the town, you must know that it is one of the MOST expensive property tax markets in Michigan. For any of these business owners, I tip my hat to you for taking on the task of paying the rent for your spaces. Now when it comes to this actual store, the food, salsas, candies, wine and beer are ALL fresh and organic. There is nothing artificial about their products HENCE the prices. Though I can always understand people having an issue with something that has an inflated price tag, I go back to pointing out that this is Glen Arbor and the store is full of fresh products! I don't feel that these prices are really that high when taking into consideration the location and the quality. Dark Chocolate covered cherries... THE BEST! If you want the best, there's always a price tag that comes along with it.
(5)Peter M.
They served my son a dangerously undercooked cheeseburger. It was raw inside. I politely asked them for a fully cooked burger. They apologized and made him a new burger which was also undercooked. E. coli is a serious and dangerous problem that can be deadly.
(2)Ellen H.
A bounty of samples, friendly staff, quality products. Frankly, this might be heaven. A definite must do.
(5)Alexis B.
We come here several times a summer, both the Glen Arbor and Traverse City locations, often for "dessert," as we like to call the generous samples in the store. We've dropped enough money here that I don't feel too guilty however. :-) This it the kind of touristy place that you want to resent, but they do their job so well and it really is inviting that we keep coming back. It's a great place to take kids - the restaurant has board games and books and a little playground out back, as well as plenty of kid-friendly food. I wish the menu were a bit bigger and offered a bit more in the way of salads instead of potato chips. Last year they had some amazing whitefish tacos and I've been disappointed not to see them on the menu this year. If I'm trying to be healthy I usually go for the salad plate with hummus and olives, etc., which is quite tasty. It seems like more of the meals used to have something cherry on them? Maybe I'm wrong about that, but I'd love some cherry salsa with the salad plate, and cherry ketchup on the hot dogs. The cherry pie and cherry-themed ice creams are great. I also especially like the unsweetened cherry iced tea - very refreshing! This place is constantly changing and expanding, and I hope they continue to be quirky and local.
(4)Mel G.
If I could live near one of these and work there I would! Such a fun atmosphere with super great staff and everything the cherry fanatic could want. Who knew there was this huge cherry industry in Northern Michigan. Try the Cherry Sangria, it is amazing! I wish we lived closer and we could buy a few bottles. Seriously, I'd be drinking this all the time... maybe its best we don't live nearby then... haha! They have tons of free samples of everything you can imagine made from cherries. Cherry jams, salsas, candies, coffee, dried, coated, BBQ sauce... and the list goes on! Also, its all local. Make sure if you have 4square on your phone to check in to get a free cherry chocolate coffee. The best coffee I've ever had. Smelled just as delicious as it tasted! Can't wait to go back again one day... "Life, Liberty, Beaches and Pie"!
(5)Dianne R.
starting with the great chocolate cherry coffee, then the cherry BBQ sauce and salsa, wonderful cherry pie or ice cream, the ultimate cookie called Boomchuka, and chocolate covered cherries, this is a must visit store, cafe and winery. Have been going there for years! And Glen Arbor is such a quaint little town.
(5)Anuj S.
Great fun to visit. Everything from the ice cream to the bakery to wine and cherry sodas, cherry salsas, cherry jellies and jams, cherry pie, and on and on and on. :-) The best part is you can taste most of these things before you buy. We had a lot of fun at all 3 of the buildings and ended up buying a number of things. Great concept and must-see when you're in Glen Arbor.
(4)John N.
Kind of an eccentric little place with a lot going on. Dog friendly which is nice.
(4)Annette J.
Accidentally discovered this place a couple of summers ago while exploring Leelanau and boy am I glad I did! What a place! Three separate buildings in the complex all dedicated to the cherry (a finer fruit you could not ask for as far as I am concerned!). The first building is the cafe where you can get some tasty treats to eat in house. A decent sized menu of cherry related sandwiches among others. My favorite is the popular cherry chicken salad. A chicken salad with dill, some celery, and dried cherries on their tasty Cherry Republic bread! I loved this sandwich so much I made sure to take home a loaf of the bread so I can attempt to recreate it the rest of the week for lunch (TIP- if you want some bread be sure to ask the very lovely staff if they have any of the in stock. Just because it's not out doesn't mean they don't have any). Upgrade your sandwich to their version of the combo meal for a cherry drink (all their cherry soda on tap--which I'll get to in a minute!), two cherry sides (cherry baked beans and the cherry cornbread are my faves), and a slice of cherry pie for dessert. Oh boy! The cafe also has a delightful ice cream menu for cherry pie ala mode, cherry sundaes, or cherry root beer floats. Unfortunately we were just too sugared out to take advantage of that this last trip but boy did it all look good! You can also pick up some baked goods to go like mini cherry pies and crumbles, their famous cherry cookies, and other daily treats. Just want a plain old water? That's fine, but you'd better believe they'll be putting a few cherries into it for you! The next complex is their shop filled with a ridiculous amount of free samples. Cherry jams first come to mind and they line the shelves in a huge variety-- sweet dark jams, cherry jelly, cherry pear jam, cherry apple butter, etc etc. Oh lawd! Most have the option for tasting and you should definitely do that. White chocolate cherry peanut butter (a little too sweet for my tastes but still good), cherry honey (as a honey junkie this appealed the most to me this time around so I bought a jar which I have not yet had the pleasure of trying yet--will report back once I get to that), cherry salsa in a variety of flavor levels (original, mild, hot, and now organic chipotle which was my favorite and came home with me). Cherry candies (gummies and otherwise), chocolate covered cherries, cherry granola, cherry pretzels, and your basic dried cherry. Oh my. It's overload in the best way possible. It took me two trips before I narrowed down what I wanted and even now I regret not buying more. Luckily they sell most of their goods online! The third building is their soda and wine tasting shop. As I mentioned before they have a number of sodas that they produce and all are on tap in the cafe and available in the beverage depot for purchase by the cup or by the growler. Last time I visited they also had most (if not all) the flavors in bottles so I bought a 6 pack to take home for special soda occasions. Unfortunately this time they only had three flavors so I made due by getting a True Cherry Cola growler instead. My other favorites--the Cherry Root Bear and the Boom Chugga Lugga Cherry soda came home in bottles. Their wine is also quite lovely. I will fully admit to not being much of a wine connoisseur and I really only like sweet wines so the Cherry Republic was up my alley. We tried a few varieties but my favorite was the sparkling cherry wine. Ask the gracious staff for a little top off of orange juice to see what kind of mimosas are in your future if you take a bottle of this home. You will not be disappointed. The complex itself is really beautiful--with lots of attractive flowers blooming, wooden cabin like architecture, and a bunch of humorous signs all around. Everywhere you look is a delight! Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating make this a welcoming place you want to come to again and again. TIP: If you're buying a gift for someone in the shop be sure to ask them (if they don't offer which the kind staff probably will) if they can package the gifts for you free of charge. I bought my mom some honey and chocolate covered cherries and they put them in a lovely box with stuffing and various tree accouterments like bark and pinecones. So nice!
(5)Jane D.
My husband and I love this place! It's usually our first (and sometimes last too) stop in Glen Arbor! Beautiful both outside and in, it takes you through a cherry experience. Cherry...everything. They got it! And they always have samples, from the cherry salsa to cherry BBQ sauce to cherry soda and wines. Great stop when you are "up north"!
(4)Katrina O.
The food is delicious and I was so happy to have vegetarian options. Try the hummus...they grill the pita and its amazing!
(5)Jacob S.
Decent food, but too pricey for what you get. EVERYTHING has cherries in it. No kidding! Every item on the menu has cherries in it and even the drinks came out with cherries in the bottom, so be prepared.
(3)Kristin E.
Every year for Christmas, I get a box from the happiest place on earth...The Cherry Republic! Thanks, Mom! : ) I'm writing this as I'm eating my dark chocolate covered cherries, of course.. The Cherry Republic is a treasure. Where else can you find cherry salsa, cherry wine, cherry pasta sauce, cherry trail mix, cherry jam, cherry lip balm, cherry coffee, cherry cookies, cherry brownies, cherry salad dressing and much much more in one place? Even if you don't like cherries, you will after a visit here. I promise. This is just one of the gems in Glen Arbor, MI. I've vacationed here with my family for years and it still is my favorite summertime destination.
(5)Krissy R.
Fun atmosphere and helpful, accommodating staff. Yes, I took my 2yr old to the tasting room and the staff was wonderful with him, entertaining him with a tiny cup full of cherry juice that he could sip while mommy and daddy tried some of the wines. The wines were a bit on the sweet side for my taste, but I did purchase a couple bottles just for the novelty. Also greatly appreciated the adjacent store chock full of everything cherry. I happened upon cherry butter, which I can only say is magic in a jar.
(4)Jose T.
Amazing ice cream and Cherry pie
(5)Brooke L.
Cute little storefront, with an imaginative line of local cherry- based products, but relatively expensive and a little kitschy.
(3)Katie D.
Quite touristy, but one thing was very memorable: their dried cherries. Those were the best: not sugary, no oily, dried just as they should be in all their natural glory. They also have lots of samples. A place to pick up edible mementos for friends and family.
(4)Karen S.
No visit to the cherry capital of the world is complete with a stop at Cherry Republic. This is a mecca for all things cherry. They use local cherries to flavor myriad products. One of my personal favorites is the boom chugga lugga soda. The savory condiments are delicious as well, including the barbeque sauce and salsa. The store itself is very decorated in a fun way, with lots of kitschy cherry related décor and jokes.
(5)Alison G.
A quaint little spot, with great service, but I would only eat here for dessert unless you absolutely love cherries. We were not anticipating that they would literally be in every single dish on the menu. The cherry salsa was a good starter and the feta dip (with cherries) was the best thing we had. By the time we got to our dinners we were all cherried out and needless to say will not be having cherries for quite some time.
(3)Brian P.
I was up here a few years ago with a friend. We decided on doing some wine tasting, and this was the first place we stopped. I had no idea what to expect upon looking at the buildings. But it ended up being a highlight of my trip to Northern MI. I was amazed at how many cherry products they had. I didn't think I would like cherry wine. I was very wrong. I ended up buying some of the spiced cherry wine, which I loved and still do love to this day. I also bought my parents a clay wine cooler. My friend was an art major, and told me how you could tell each one was individually thrown as opposed to being mass produced. My parents still use the wine cooler all the time. All the other cherry products were so unique I didn't know where to begin. I sampled everything from the salsa to the chocolate covered cherry's. They make great gift baskets. There is a retail store in Traverse City, and I still get sent the full color catalog. Overall, a great place.
(5)Dea A.
Wow, we loved this place. It is so cute, mixed with kitsch and attitude! The cherry port and cherry cider were great! Most of the wines were also tasty, but the sangria honestly tasted like soap to me (though another person in our group enjoyed it). So you start in the building on the left, which has wine AND soda tasting (for the kids). And then you go to the middle building, which has really cute well designed t-shirts (and "dictator hats" as one lady put it), cherry chocolate, cherry salsa (surprisingly good, but didn't buy any), dried cherries, cherry ... everything. It was honestly, awesome. I can't help it, I loved it. The last building on the right has the cafe, the cherry pie was packed with butter, but the other foods were really overpriced. $10 for this tiny pulled pork sandwich. Overall, I as a non-local money spending yuppie (according to Jenny Z) really enjoyed this place. Note: it is pretty hard to find without good signage, so google map it and follow the directions to a T and you should be OK.
(5)Greg Y.
This place is wicked awesome! Taste some free wine and soda, grab a cherry soda float and relax while people watching. Good Times :)
(5)Ashley S.
Amazing, must visit place! They have everything cherry: salsa, BBQ, jam, chocolates, soda and wine. Wine tasting bar is awesome but even better there is a soda tasting bar so the whole family can get in on the fun! Excellent restaurant as well!
(5)Dee B.
True to my word, less than a year after first visiting, I was back to enjoy The Cherry Republic. I had lunch in their cafe, and shopped in the store. It was actually a bit depressing, though, with it not yet being "season" up here, and with having very few people around. The cherry salsa ROCKS, by the way.
(5)Marc B.
If you had to review all the cherry wineries in the world and rate them against eachother, you'd have a hard time beating the Cherry Republic. Some of the best cherry wines in the great state of Michigan, along with lots of other cherry-related items too. Super-friendly service with lots of fun, tongue-in-cheek cherry subculture. We bought some fine cherry wines and a couple bottles of a Port-like cherry dessert wine.
(5)Denise B.
Cherries here, cherries there, everywhere you look - cherries! The Cherry Republic sounds like a scary tourist attraction, doesn't it? If it weren't done well, that would definitely be the case. But Cherry Republic, luckily, takes a potentially goofy concept and hits a home run. Everything you want is in this store.. cherrified. The cherry salsa was my favorite, but there were all kinds of delights, from covered chocolates to jam to goofy t-shirts. It's really too bad they don't ship to California... but probably a good thing for my wallet. I didn't eat at the Cherry Republic cafe (the samples alone stuffed me full), but I did partake in the wine tasting at the winery next door. The staff was super nice and let us taste everything on the list at no extra cost. We ended up getting a bottle of wine to go with Thanksgiving dinner based on the cherry-licious experience. If you come to Glen Arbor, definitely plan to leave with tons of cherry products and less money than you expected!
(5)Jordan C.
Been coming here since I was a very young kid and always had to get a few things to bring home. Most everything I've ever had here was wonderful. It's a bit pricey but it's expected with locally custom made products. The staff is always wonderfully friendly and they have no problem letting you indulge on their samples either. There are samples out for every single product, including the delicious wines and drinks! Highly recommended.
(5)Krissy B.
I would go back here in a heartbeat. Great service and amazing cherry dishes. My sister had the chicken cherry chili, and I had the BLT with cherry mayo. It was so delicious! And they cherry pie is to die for! They also have wine tasting and lots of cherry treats for sale in their store. Cherry salsa was awesome.
(5)Garrett P.
I like cherries. I like fresh cherries off the tree. I don't like fruit in my chocolate. I don't like fruit in my wine. I wasn't really keen on the idea of cherries in EVERYTHING. But I was taken here and ended up loving it. We were there in mid January. There was literally no one there except maybe two employees. There were about 10 different samples of things to eat, including fudge, salsa, jams, chocolate covered cherries, etc. All of it was awesome. And then we got some coffee. I would recommend it, especially if you go early in the year and you get the whole place to yourself.
(5)Stephanie P.
I like the Cherry Republic food offerings a lot but this campus was a disappointment. There was only 1 person working in the wine tasting area and she seemed really frazzled as one would expect with so many people visiting. The main building used to have samples out for all the products but I was disappointed to find that many items weren't available to sample including the fudge. The jellies/jams were also all empty jars so there wasn't much among them to try either. No one greeted me when I entered the store or offered to help me find anything. We didn't bother stopping by the cafe having been so disappinted thus far. Overall, I like their products but the visit to this location was not good. My experience last year at the Traverse City location was much better.
(3)Brian O.
Great service.
(5)Jon T.
Was here earlier this year while traversing the Leelanau Peninsula. Quaint little place that has everything from cherry soda to cherry wine to cherry jam to cherry bbq sauce and about another 100 things cherry. Everyone was really nice and happy to make recommendations on what you should purchase. I didn't eat in the cafe but there were a few people hanging out. It's a couple blocks off the beaten path so I have a feeling it's one of those places that people end up at by word of mouth vs. just stumbling upon. So there you go, support the local merchants & check out the what they're doing with one of northern Michigan's favorite fruits.
(4)Edward W.
A must stop while in the area.
(5)Dominique K.
I shopped at the retail store and done mail order from Cherry Republic many times over the years. I love going into the store and sampling some salsa or chocolate covered cherries before loading up my shopping basket, but I've also had consistently great experiences ordering from the catalog (I generally call them up as I order gifts sent to more than one addy at holiday time). The catalogs are cute and humorous, and the Web site is a lot of fun, too. Among our favorite Cherry Republic treats are sour patch candies for me and dark chocolate covered cherries for Tim. The salsas and teas are also very nice. We've tried quite a few different CR products, and it's always fun to see what new things they think of to make with cherries! The store's garden looks lovely in the summer, and you can eat at the CR restaurant on the patio beside the garden in the summer. There is also a counter where you can pick up beverages, cookies, or ice cream to go--I make it a point to get a cherry ice tea to go (unsweetened cherry flavored ice tea with a few tart cherries thrown into the bottom of the glass is my choice here). There is also a CR wine tasting room, although I've yet to try any of the wines.
(4)Sue T.
Awesome cherry samples in store. Of course it makes you buy when you can taste the yummy cherries. Just beware of the other customers who will butt you out of the way to get at the freebies.
(5)Alison M.
I'm so glad we stopped here. Not only is this the headquarters of all things cherry (salsa, bbq sauce, peanut butter), but they also have a nice little winery and a bakery/cafe. We stopped by their tasting room and tried some of the wines (free tastings!). Although these wines are a little fruity for my liking (they all contain some amount of cherry juice), I still walked away with a few bottles-- I highly recommend their sangria! And the lunch was fantastic-- we tried the bbq pork sandwich (with cherry bbq sauce) and a chicken salad sandwich (with dried cherries). Both were delicious-- the bbq had the right amount of spice to balance the sweetness of the cherries. My only regret is not saving room for some cherry pie.
(5)Jim D.
Great place, definitely a must when your in the area. Only negative is the price. You can easily walk out spending a lot more than you expected. But hey, the dog really needed that $13.00 bag of treats. Or maybe we just thought the name was cute and didn't think about the price until the register totaled $50 for a few items. Hey you only live once. Plus I felt bad for leaving her in the car with the windows up (just kidding).
(4)Thomas C.
Excellent food. Would recommend the grilled cheese with bacon and the special dip. I've always loved Cherry Republic, and getting to visit the original was great!
(4)Lesley C.
This is a special place for a memorable little lunch or snack. The cafe was so reasonable and the food was great. One of the best chicken salad sandwiches I've ever had, on bread studded with cherries. The entire menu is cherry-inspired and the fish tacos were another huge hit. The store is full of great cherry products, and you can taste just about everything before you buy. Laid back, charming, rustic, the place screams "lake vacation".
(5)Jennifer T.
Love this place! Wine tasting was awesome and the staff was great!!
(5)Zoran O.
EVERYTHING Cherries!!! NO kidding - Hundreds of items that include cherries. Their sweet and spicy salsa is what gets me back - and of course the beatifiul location. This is on our northwest michigan food tour - with least amount of stars - but still a must stop - beautiful little town and surrounding area - hard NOT to go!
(3)Kailua S.
On our summer vacations to the Little Glen Lake, Cherry Republic is a daily afternoon stop for us. Great ice cream and sodas are served at the Cherry Republic!. My favorite is a Coke float with generous scoop of cherry ice cream :-).
(4)Lisa A.
Perhaps you aren't a fan of Cherries and the thought of going to a place called Cherry Republic isn't your thing. Well let me be the one to tell you..you'll love this place regardless. I recently went to Cherry Republic for their wine tasting. And they'll have some great savory wines for you to try. Tart and sweet and some with a nice mixture of Merlot. I was pleased with everything including the price of the bottles. I enjoyed the free tastings and the service was great.
(4)Lois A.
I can't think of anything made by Cherry Republic that isn't totally awesome. The salsa should have a song written about it. I can just sit and endlessly eat it, in love with every bite. It is perfection. Cherry BBQ sauce, cherry pecan butter, cherry pepper jelly...I want everything.
(5)Pack C.
cherry pie here is the best. they use tart cherries which makes it not too sweet. we also had lunch here which is just ok. I had their signature chicken salad sandwich. there are cherries in the salad and bread. The whole thing is just too sweet for me especially from the bread. I also had their cherries baked bean. there is nothing fancy about it, just a very sweet baked bean. i don't recommend this one
(3)TOMMY o.
we LOVE their catalog & cherries are so good for you GREAT Gift ideas for XMas & they arranged personal mailing preferences for us
(5)sara k.
The only food I've ever eaten is the smorgasbord of free samples (and the treats I've thus been guilted into purchasing). I enjoy everything. But the very special (and rare) days are those that feature a bowl of the cherry chocolate malted milk balls. Oh, oh, ohhhh... Worth the trip just for those balls. (That's what she said.)
(4)JeanMarie M.
Have been going here for years.. Never ceases to be delightful. Everything, even the things you would have never guessed would be good with cherries, is delicious. Very busy during the warm months, and pleasantly deserted in the in-climate weather. Gift boxes from here are my favorite part of the holidays.
(5)Karen B.
It just isn't summer without the Cherry Republic, especially their ice cream. Be brave and try the cherry items like burgers and hot dogs--they really are good. I highly recommend the cherry mustard and any of the chocolate items to take home. The new wine tasting room is good. Some of the wines are a little sweet for my taste. Spend some time wandering the "banana-free" grounds. Sure, it is touristy, but if you are going to do one tourist activity in the area, make it this one. You won't regret it. Don't forget to sign up for their emails and catalogs. They are highly entertaining!
(5)Pontip M.
I love thier Cherry Cola! I think it's bottled by Spreckers. I got some last winter when I came for a visit. I had 2 bottles. this time I got a 6pk of the Cherry Root Beer and Cherry Cola. I cant wait to get them back to Chicago and drink them! I love thier catalog and all of the products. It's the only cherry store I like to visit when I come to TC. I am also a sucker for labels and merchandising and theirs isn't cheesy and I love the bear in thier logo. I think I'm going to have to start ordering from thier catalog inbetween visits!
(5)Jenny z.
I'll admit it - when this place opened I was prepared to dislike it. What can I say? I hate "cutesy" names, I just do. So, while I admire the moxie of the folks who started this place and I like that it is locally owned, I see it as a bit of a shameless tourist trap and shudder every time I drive by it and see flocks of perfectly groomed weekenders in their "up north" togs clamoring over all the charming cherry themed items. I just feel like you need to have a stamp on your forehead that says "fudgie" on it to even walk in here, so I don't anymore. That being said, the quality of the items here is good, if pricey. If you need to send someone a gift that says "Northern Michigan" this is a good place to do it, just be prepared to fight your way through the throngs of BMW SUV driving spending machines hellbent on getting their hands on some cherry salsa.
(3)Heather H.
great wine, great people all around!
(5)Brady W.
The best cherry specialty store in this corner of northern Michigan, aka the cherry capitol. The chocolate covered cherries here are magnificent. The cherry salsa is surprisingly good, and has become a favorite of mine over the years. The cherry trail mix, dried cherries, and cherry chocolate chip cookies are all completely addictive. The cherry pie is quite good, although outstanding cherry pie is readily found at roadside shops throughout the region. A wide variety of gift boxes allow you to ship a taste of the cherry capitol to your favorite Michigan ex-pat.
(5)Lien L.
The people who work there are really friendly, and a little nutty but not in a weird way. For some of the more popular items, they offer samples for you to try, which is really nice. The food is a bit over-priced, but hey you're on vacation and where else are you going to get cherry salsa?
(4)Maggie W.
This is the coolest place ever. Everything in the cafe has cherries in it in some way. Everything. And it's yummy. All of the wines are cherry wines. And yummy. Taste them all. Then buy a few bottles because they make great gifts. You can get chardonnay and merlot anywhere. But can you get cherry wine anywhere? I don't know, I've never looked. I got my husband cherry root beer (we were on vacation and he couldn't join us, so I brought a case home) and he really liked it. In addition to the yummy tastes, this is just a really pretty place. Lots of pretty flowers and log cabin looking buildings.
(5)Cass D.
Cherry hot dog anyone? Let's see who can spit a pit the farthest! This place was adorable. I know it's a tourist trap, but I don't care. The grounds and gardens were well kept, the cafe was cute and the wines were wonderful. Great place to take pictures.
(5)Jason M.
The food-side serves up pretty tasty lunch fare, and the desserts (everything cherry) look very appealing. The pulled pork sandwich had barbeque sauce that bordered on sweet overload, but then there was an underlying kick that balanced things out nicely. The lo-cal cherry soda was great (and I know I'm back in Michigan when the cute as a button teenage summer help calls it pop). The store has tons of cherry items and samples abound (especially key when offering a dozen types of jams and jellies).
(5)Edward W.
A must stop while in the area.
(5)Adam Y.
Stopped in for brunch while up in Glen Arbor for a wedding this past summer. I ordered a burrito with cherry salsa. That's when things got good. I started chatting with Cass, who should be mentioned by name as he deserves Yelp celebrity status. The burritos arrived, he offered to refill my coffee then brought us some homemade cookies to take home. While clearing our dishes he then brought over a slice of cherry pie that was exquisite and ice cream on the house. The experience was so good a member of my group brought friends there a few hours later. We could not stop mentioning the Cherry Republic to everyone at the wedding. Before leaving Glen Arbor I had a whole pie and cookies in tow. We had to stop back to share the excellence with others. I've never had a more pleasant and wonderful experience! This place is a MUST!
(5)Pat M.
Disappointed by the treatment I received from this store, I'm sad to stay. Thoroughly enjoyed my visit, including chatting with the Bob and the other friendly staff members. Sampled widely, and left with a bag full of food products and a "Life, Liberty, Beaches and Pie" t-shirt. After returning home and laundering the shirt, it shrank dramatically - far more than one would normally expect, and making it unwearable. Mailed the shirt back with a copy of the receipt and an explanatory letter, and requested a replacement. Never heard anything in reply, which seemed to indicate contempt for this customer's experience. The food products were amazing and well worth the purchase price, but my experience in being ignored over a less-than-satisfactory shirt purchase unfortunately negated my initial positive impression.
(2)Jeremy P.
Just wow.. All I can say. This place is just simply Wow. Food is excellent. The cherry bacon marmalade burger is excellent and full of flavor. Get the black bean and corn salsa side.. Just flavorful and so good. Kids Mac and cheese was very good. Comes with fresh fruit. Hummus and pita was very tasty. Chicken cherry salad sandwich my wife said was very good. All around awesome stuff and we will be back. Don't miss this place for food!!
(5)Leigh S.
I love the Cherry Republic for their atmosphere, their sense of community, their merchandise, and their food. My family has been coming here for years, and it just keeps getting better. I particularly love their scones, their barbeque, their hummus salad and their boomchunka cookies. Everything, though, is delicious. They successfully put a Cherry Republic spin on each of their dishes, making them unique and wonderful. It should also be said that they are great for sending holiday gifts. They package the goods beautifully. Overall, fantastic place and fantastic people.
(5)Barramundi S.
Definitely as good as it gets...I don't give 5 starts but this place deserves it. We went there this past week on a whim since we were visiting the area and needed to feed the family. I'm a fan and will be back.... Clean, excellent but limited menu, reasonable prices and they have one of the prettiest gardens I have ever seen. Definitely try the ants on a log - I never eat celery but they've made me a believer along with their veggie burger. Both excellent choices. Pies are fantastic too along with the kids choices.....Highly recommend this place specially if you have kids in tow (even if you don't make a stop).
(5)Jake N.
This place is awesome! We caved and had the monster ice cream and did not look back! This thing is 6 scoops of ice cream with fresh cookies inside. We had three of their ice creams mixed inside with waffle cone, hot fudge, caramel, and sprinkles on top to make the whole family happy and WOW it was good. I washed it all down with a chocolate Cherry coffee for free thanks to yelp!
(5)Tsyria T.
This is such a cute little shop! They occupy a little plaza consisting of 3 buildings. One is for wine, the middle building has all the cherry treats - cherry salsa, candies, jams, the works! The last building has ice creams and pies. I love that they are so open with the samples. They leave candies and jams and crackers and salsa and chips out for everybody to try before you buy. It's amazing! They also have this service to mail gifts to friends and family. They package things up in a nice box, and you get a free postcard to send a message. I mailed a couple items and the cost is about $7 within the US, per address. If you mail something that may spoil or melt (like chocolate covered items), they charge $14 because they package it with ice and deliver in express mail. The place is kind of pricey, but they are nice gifts and souvenirs! Next door, my boyfriend and I had a slice of pie a la mode. Yum! After we finished, we went back for more ice cream! :D Don't forget to check in for that free cherry chocolate coffee!
(5)Pamela F.
We can't do the Leelanau without our Cherry Republic fix -- cherry jam for the English muffins and a scoop of cherry ice cream for all. This visit I got black cherry ice cream (not too tart, whiff of vanilla, plenty of black cherries with that hand churned cream consistency. Mmmm. We'd popped in the night before for boom chunka chocolate cherry chip cookies the night before hefty with chunks of chocolate. Tried the cherry sorbet, not tart at all. Creamy plain cherry ice cream. Stopped by to taste the cherry wines and artisanal sodas. Pick up a catalogue--we love to send holiday gift boxes to our California family who are always impressed by the presentation: shavings of birch bark nestled in with pine sprays and holly. Lovely shop local experience.
(4)Jim E.
When walking up on the three Cherry Republic Stores you almost feel like your in a Cartoon or this amazing little world/village. They have the Wine Store, Restaurant, and regular souvenir store. I am a huge fan of all the Cherry products in the store and it is a must see. Instead of a 5 rating it got a 4 rating because I found the restaurant bland and lacking quality plus expensive. The Cherry Meatloaf was nothing special when I expected to be "wowed" With that being said go to the village and check out all the great amenities.
(4)Wendy V.
Amazing. They know what they are doing here. The burger with cherry jam sounded odd but I got it anyway and wasn't disappointed. Everything was delicious! Don't miss this gem!!
(5)Ronon O.
What a lovely surprise! We stopped for lunch, and the kids grilled cheese and tomato soup was something I wish I could have ordered. However, I did order the goats cheese salad and will have to say it was the BEST salad I have eaten! No question, the best! My husband ordered the pulled pork, and this was also lovely with a dark flavor I couldn't quite identify. I also got the 1/2 and 1/2 cherry lemonade and unsweetened iced tea, delish.
(5)Katie M.
Holy Yum! Never been and may never be back, but boy was this place good. Will probably order some of this stuff online, if that's an option. Couldn't fly back with these goods. What a gem! Adorable girl selling $1 "cherry lemonade" outside. So cute!
(5)Amy M.
Love the pepper jelly, salsa is yummy, white chocolate peanut butter, chocolate covered cherries....all good things! The cherry tortillas, not so much. But honestly that is the 1 things I have tried here I don't like! This location gets an A-OK because the people working here didn't seem as friendly to me as other locations I have visited. Busy doesn't mean you can't smile! :) But seriously, buy the pepper jelly. Pour over some cream cheese and get out your favorite crackers, pretzels, etc. You are welcome.
(3)Julie W.
Great place to sample cherry products. The staff is friendly. There was even free wine tasting. Of course after sampling these wonderful items we just had to purchase lots to take home. Try the cherry salsa. It's a great blend of heat and sweet!
(5)Mathew O.
What's happening to this treasure? Place looks run down and ice cream is freezer burned. Suggest cleaning and perhaps weeding once in awhile. We love and support the business but place needs some TLC.
(3)Robin B.
Normally I'm not a fan of walking up to order at counters, however the folks are so friendly here, that you want to talk every single 1 of them. Gluten-free menu items are clearly marked on the menu, and daily specials include fun things like pulled pork tacos. Park here and walk all around town for fun at the art studios, clothes shopping and tourist spots. I recommend the warm goat cheese salad, with cherry honey mustard dressing, loaded with healthy nuts.
(5)Gina M.
Fun place to eat picnic style outside. The chicken salad and burger with cherries was delish and the yelp offer for a free cu of chocolate cherry coffee sealed the deal from so many places in the area to choose from. We brought back some fun food souvenirs from up north. Be sure to ask for the free gift boxing as add some goodies to make the gift uniquely Northern Michigan.
(5)Lyndsey A.
One of my favorite places. They allow you to sample everything before you buy it- wine included. They have a cafe and lots of fun activities for all ages. They cherry pit spit competitions are lots of fun. The only reason it's not 5 stars is because it gets too crowded sometimes. Overall- would definitely recommend making a stop here!
(4)Sala W.
As far as I'm concerned going ham on the samples at Cherry Republic is the quintessential up north experience. Even if you are not the biggest fan of cherries- there will be something here for you. Their product line covers everything. Like any other small town up north it dies down a little here in the winter. When I was there this past weekend the Great Hall was closed for renovations as well as the cafe. They had moved a lot of the products to the winery though and the staff was very accommodating. The cherry ginger root beer was great - even in 20 degree weather! It was not overwhelmingly sweet and didn't have that super syrupy artificial taste that a lot of sodas have. Just a warning- the cherry sour patches are addicting. If you have not been, it is a must for you next time you are in Glen Arbor.
(5)Kate H.
There are lots of delicious items on the menu here, but don't miss the simple cherry scones. Buttery melt-in-your-mouth amazingness! Seriously dreamy.
(5)Lee P.
Well let me start with if you love cherries, THIS is your heaven. EVERYTHING is cherry and delicious. We had the cherry lemonade, coffee, chicken salad, pulled pork sandwich and cherry rhubarb pie. I will make this a must stop for any trip in the area.
(5)Thomas Y.
One of the best hamburgers I have ever had!
(4)Josh W.
This place really does need to have a full 5 stars. How does it not? Cherry republic is unreal amazing. Besides the free samples, EVERYTHING they have here is amazing. I'm not even a huge cherry fan but this place does it right. Their cherry wine, cherry soda, cherry cookies, cherry salsa, and cherry candy is all fabulous. If your in Glenn arbor it would be criminal to not come.
(5)Nick Y.
This place used to one of my favorite stops. Service is getting worse and you have to fill their growlers. Even though I brought one of Theirs it didn't have the sticker on it anymore and I was refused a fill up.
(2)Bridget M.
Great experience here. Delicious food in a wonderful family and pet friendly atmosphere. I had the 3 cheese grilled cheese on the cherry bread. So good. The cherry bread was a surprising but delicious sweet / tart against the salty/ savory cheese and bacon. My dad got the pesto pasta which he describes as " very nice". The chicken salad my mother ordered was " very light and tasty, a perfect summer meal." The cornbread also was delicious and very moist. My parents devoured the cherry ice cream and my dog enjoyed the puppy treats that were brought to him by 2 different staff members.
(5)Anuj S.
Great fun to visit. Everything from the ice cream to the bakery to wine and cherry sodas, cherry salsas, cherry jellies and jams, cherry pie, and on and on and on. :-) The best part is you can taste most of these things before you buy. We had a lot of fun at all 3 of the buildings and ended up buying a number of things. Great concept and must-see when you're in Glen Arbor.
(4)John N.
Kind of an eccentric little place with a lot going on. Dog friendly which is nice.
(4)Annette J.
Accidentally discovered this place a couple of summers ago while exploring Leelanau and boy am I glad I did! What a place! Three separate buildings in the complex all dedicated to the cherry (a finer fruit you could not ask for as far as I am concerned!). The first building is the cafe where you can get some tasty treats to eat in house. A decent sized menu of cherry related sandwiches among others. My favorite is the popular cherry chicken salad. A chicken salad with dill, some celery, and dried cherries on their tasty Cherry Republic bread! I loved this sandwich so much I made sure to take home a loaf of the bread so I can attempt to recreate it the rest of the week for lunch (TIP- if you want some bread be sure to ask the very lovely staff if they have any of the in stock. Just because it's not out doesn't mean they don't have any). Upgrade your sandwich to their version of the combo meal for a cherry drink (all their cherry soda on tap--which I'll get to in a minute!), two cherry sides (cherry baked beans and the cherry cornbread are my faves), and a slice of cherry pie for dessert. Oh boy! The cafe also has a delightful ice cream menu for cherry pie ala mode, cherry sundaes, or cherry root beer floats. Unfortunately we were just too sugared out to take advantage of that this last trip but boy did it all look good! You can also pick up some baked goods to go like mini cherry pies and crumbles, their famous cherry cookies, and other daily treats. Just want a plain old water? That's fine, but you'd better believe they'll be putting a few cherries into it for you! The next complex is their shop filled with a ridiculous amount of free samples. Cherry jams first come to mind and they line the shelves in a huge variety-- sweet dark jams, cherry jelly, cherry pear jam, cherry apple butter, etc etc. Oh lawd! Most have the option for tasting and you should definitely do that. White chocolate cherry peanut butter (a little too sweet for my tastes but still good), cherry honey (as a honey junkie this appealed the most to me this time around so I bought a jar which I have not yet had the pleasure of trying yet--will report back once I get to that), cherry salsa in a variety of flavor levels (original, mild, hot, and now organic chipotle which was my favorite and came home with me). Cherry candies (gummies and otherwise), chocolate covered cherries, cherry granola, cherry pretzels, and your basic dried cherry. Oh my. It's overload in the best way possible. It took me two trips before I narrowed down what I wanted and even now I regret not buying more. Luckily they sell most of their goods online! The third building is their soda and wine tasting shop. As I mentioned before they have a number of sodas that they produce and all are on tap in the cafe and available in the beverage depot for purchase by the cup or by the growler. Last time I visited they also had most (if not all) the flavors in bottles so I bought a 6 pack to take home for special soda occasions. Unfortunately this time they only had three flavors so I made due by getting a True Cherry Cola growler instead. My other favorites--the Cherry Root Bear and the Boom Chugga Lugga Cherry soda came home in bottles. Their wine is also quite lovely. I will fully admit to not being much of a wine connoisseur and I really only like sweet wines so the Cherry Republic was up my alley. We tried a few varieties but my favorite was the sparkling cherry wine. Ask the gracious staff for a little top off of orange juice to see what kind of mimosas are in your future if you take a bottle of this home. You will not be disappointed. The complex itself is really beautiful--with lots of attractive flowers blooming, wooden cabin like architecture, and a bunch of humorous signs all around. Everywhere you look is a delight! Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating make this a welcoming place you want to come to again and again. TIP: If you're buying a gift for someone in the shop be sure to ask them (if they don't offer which the kind staff probably will) if they can package the gifts for you free of charge. I bought my mom some honey and chocolate covered cherries and they put them in a lovely box with stuffing and various tree accouterments like bark and pinecones. So nice!
(5)Jane D.
My husband and I love this place! It's usually our first (and sometimes last too) stop in Glen Arbor! Beautiful both outside and in, it takes you through a cherry experience. Cherry...everything. They got it! And they always have samples, from the cherry salsa to cherry BBQ sauce to cherry soda and wines. Great stop when you are "up north"!
(4)Katrina O.
The food is delicious and I was so happy to have vegetarian options. Try the hummus...they grill the pita and its amazing!
(5)Jacob S.
Decent food, but too pricey for what you get. EVERYTHING has cherries in it. No kidding! Every item on the menu has cherries in it and even the drinks came out with cherries in the bottom, so be prepared.
(3)Krissy R.
Fun atmosphere and helpful, accommodating staff. Yes, I took my 2yr old to the tasting room and the staff was wonderful with him, entertaining him with a tiny cup full of cherry juice that he could sip while mommy and daddy tried some of the wines. The wines were a bit on the sweet side for my taste, but I did purchase a couple bottles just for the novelty. Also greatly appreciated the adjacent store chock full of everything cherry. I happened upon cherry butter, which I can only say is magic in a jar.
(4)Jose T.
Amazing ice cream and Cherry pie
(5)Brooke L.
Cute little storefront, with an imaginative line of local cherry- based products, but relatively expensive and a little kitschy.
(3)Katie D.
Quite touristy, but one thing was very memorable: their dried cherries. Those were the best: not sugary, no oily, dried just as they should be in all their natural glory. They also have lots of samples. A place to pick up edible mementos for friends and family.
(4)Karen S.
No visit to the cherry capital of the world is complete with a stop at Cherry Republic. This is a mecca for all things cherry. They use local cherries to flavor myriad products. One of my personal favorites is the boom chugga lugga soda. The savory condiments are delicious as well, including the barbeque sauce and salsa. The store itself is very decorated in a fun way, with lots of kitschy cherry related décor and jokes.
(5)Alison G.
A quaint little spot, with great service, but I would only eat here for dessert unless you absolutely love cherries. We were not anticipating that they would literally be in every single dish on the menu. The cherry salsa was a good starter and the feta dip (with cherries) was the best thing we had. By the time we got to our dinners we were all cherried out and needless to say will not be having cherries for quite some time.
(3)Jon T.
Was here earlier this year while traversing the Leelanau Peninsula. Quaint little place that has everything from cherry soda to cherry wine to cherry jam to cherry bbq sauce and about another 100 things cherry. Everyone was really nice and happy to make recommendations on what you should purchase. I didn't eat in the cafe but there were a few people hanging out. It's a couple blocks off the beaten path so I have a feeling it's one of those places that people end up at by word of mouth vs. just stumbling upon. So there you go, support the local merchants & check out the what they're doing with one of northern Michigan's favorite fruits.
(4)Brian P.
I was up here a few years ago with a friend. We decided on doing some wine tasting, and this was the first place we stopped. I had no idea what to expect upon looking at the buildings. But it ended up being a highlight of my trip to Northern MI. I was amazed at how many cherry products they had. I didn't think I would like cherry wine. I was very wrong. I ended up buying some of the spiced cherry wine, which I loved and still do love to this day. I also bought my parents a clay wine cooler. My friend was an art major, and told me how you could tell each one was individually thrown as opposed to being mass produced. My parents still use the wine cooler all the time. All the other cherry products were so unique I didn't know where to begin. I sampled everything from the salsa to the chocolate covered cherry's. They make great gift baskets. There is a retail store in Traverse City, and I still get sent the full color catalog. Overall, a great place.
(5)Dea A.
Wow, we loved this place. It is so cute, mixed with kitsch and attitude! The cherry port and cherry cider were great! Most of the wines were also tasty, but the sangria honestly tasted like soap to me (though another person in our group enjoyed it). So you start in the building on the left, which has wine AND soda tasting (for the kids). And then you go to the middle building, which has really cute well designed t-shirts (and "dictator hats" as one lady put it), cherry chocolate, cherry salsa (surprisingly good, but didn't buy any), dried cherries, cherry ... everything. It was honestly, awesome. I can't help it, I loved it. The last building on the right has the cafe, the cherry pie was packed with butter, but the other foods were really overpriced. $10 for this tiny pulled pork sandwich. Overall, I as a non-local money spending yuppie (according to Jenny Z) really enjoyed this place. Note: it is pretty hard to find without good signage, so google map it and follow the directions to a T and you should be OK.
(5)Greg Y.
This place is wicked awesome! Taste some free wine and soda, grab a cherry soda float and relax while people watching. Good Times :)
(5)Ashley S.
Amazing, must visit place! They have everything cherry: salsa, BBQ, jam, chocolates, soda and wine. Wine tasting bar is awesome but even better there is a soda tasting bar so the whole family can get in on the fun! Excellent restaurant as well!
(5)Dee B.
True to my word, less than a year after first visiting, I was back to enjoy The Cherry Republic. I had lunch in their cafe, and shopped in the store. It was actually a bit depressing, though, with it not yet being "season" up here, and with having very few people around. The cherry salsa ROCKS, by the way.
(5)Marc B.
If you had to review all the cherry wineries in the world and rate them against eachother, you'd have a hard time beating the Cherry Republic. Some of the best cherry wines in the great state of Michigan, along with lots of other cherry-related items too. Super-friendly service with lots of fun, tongue-in-cheek cherry subculture. We bought some fine cherry wines and a couple bottles of a Port-like cherry dessert wine.
(5)Denise B.
Cherries here, cherries there, everywhere you look - cherries! The Cherry Republic sounds like a scary tourist attraction, doesn't it? If it weren't done well, that would definitely be the case. But Cherry Republic, luckily, takes a potentially goofy concept and hits a home run. Everything you want is in this store.. cherrified. The cherry salsa was my favorite, but there were all kinds of delights, from covered chocolates to jam to goofy t-shirts. It's really too bad they don't ship to California... but probably a good thing for my wallet. I didn't eat at the Cherry Republic cafe (the samples alone stuffed me full), but I did partake in the wine tasting at the winery next door. The staff was super nice and let us taste everything on the list at no extra cost. We ended up getting a bottle of wine to go with Thanksgiving dinner based on the cherry-licious experience. If you come to Glen Arbor, definitely plan to leave with tons of cherry products and less money than you expected!
(5)Jordan C.
Been coming here since I was a very young kid and always had to get a few things to bring home. Most everything I've ever had here was wonderful. It's a bit pricey but it's expected with locally custom made products. The staff is always wonderfully friendly and they have no problem letting you indulge on their samples either. There are samples out for every single product, including the delicious wines and drinks! Highly recommended.
(5)Krissy B.
I would go back here in a heartbeat. Great service and amazing cherry dishes. My sister had the chicken cherry chili, and I had the BLT with cherry mayo. It was so delicious! And they cherry pie is to die for! They also have wine tasting and lots of cherry treats for sale in their store. Cherry salsa was awesome.
(5)Garrett P.
I like cherries. I like fresh cherries off the tree. I don't like fruit in my chocolate. I don't like fruit in my wine. I wasn't really keen on the idea of cherries in EVERYTHING. But I was taken here and ended up loving it. We were there in mid January. There was literally no one there except maybe two employees. There were about 10 different samples of things to eat, including fudge, salsa, jams, chocolate covered cherries, etc. All of it was awesome. And then we got some coffee. I would recommend it, especially if you go early in the year and you get the whole place to yourself.
(5)Stephanie P.
I like the Cherry Republic food offerings a lot but this campus was a disappointment. There was only 1 person working in the wine tasting area and she seemed really frazzled as one would expect with so many people visiting. The main building used to have samples out for all the products but I was disappointed to find that many items weren't available to sample including the fudge. The jellies/jams were also all empty jars so there wasn't much among them to try either. No one greeted me when I entered the store or offered to help me find anything. We didn't bother stopping by the cafe having been so disappinted thus far. Overall, I like their products but the visit to this location was not good. My experience last year at the Traverse City location was much better.
(3)Brian O.
Great service.
(5)Holly G.
This may be the most adorable place that I have ever shopped at. It definitely is the more adorable place that I have ever shopped for food products at! The Cherry Republic has thought of every last detail in their products, packaging, and store. I have been a big fan of this place even since my parents brought me some some goodies from here a few years back. When they found out I was heading to this part of Michigan for myself, they insisted that I visit. I already had it on my list. Dried cherries, trail mixes, sodas, cherry salsa, cherry chocolates, everything cherry under the moon pretty much! They even have cherry wine tasting, cherry pit spitting area, and an ice cream parlor/restaurant. I am still dreaming of the cherry butter pecan ice cream I had here. Mmmmm. Also, don't forget they also have cherry pie! One of the best parts of my whole trip to the Mitten.
(5)Kevin T.
WOW now thats some good ice Cream we loved it this is a must stop if you go to Sleeping Bear shore they price seems a bit high but when you try it you will know its worth every cent cant wait to go back
(5)Matthew K.
What a great store in Glen Arbor. Shocking tourist prices in the main store, but the store(s) are beautiful, well stocked, and everything looks fresh. Otherwise, this is a great place, just off the main street. Try all the samples, at least :) Their ice cream prices were good, and I ended up getting a triple scoop twice while we stayed in Glen Arbor for the week. All the flavors were good, but be sure you order ice cream that has bits and pieces in it -- generally from a full tub. Otherwise, you might be disappointed to find your mix-in ice cream to be just the base ice cream flavor. I also tried their chocolate malt. It was good (request it more thick or else it's too runny). They use their chocolate cherry as the base, which is fine. It wasn't too sweet for a malt. It was rather small for $5, though. The one I got in Suttons Bay was better, especially for the price. Finally, I got a cherry pie to take home on the weekend. We had it the next day, and it was DELICIOUS. Great crust, great flavor. It wasn't sweet like most pies are. It had a natural flavor, a little tart with the cherries. Wish I got another one to put in the freezer for another time. Not a bad price at 2 for $25, either.
(5)S S.
I stopped here quickly just to grab a couple bottles of cherry wine, but I loved the place and ended up doing a bit of browsing too. How thoughtful to have a soda tasting area for kids too! As I was drinking my wine that evening, I realized with horror that I forgot to tip the lady serving the samples! Sorry. Will someone reading this please tip her double for me in my honor? Thanks!
(5)Lisa B.
The place is perfect. 1) delicious food. It make look overwhelming when you look at the menu and see that everything is made with cherries, but I honestly couldn't taste them. All I tasted was awesome. My boyfriend had the meatloaf sandwich (to which he described as the best he's ever had) and I had the CBLT (cherry bacon lettuce tomato) with cherry pasta salad- everything was great! Sadly- no room for deserts, but I'm sure we'll be back for that. The decor is rustic, old fashioned, and adorable. Great outdoor seating! And don't worry- there is even THE North American Official Olympic Sized Pit-Spitting Arena on the property. What more could you want?!
(5)Diane B.
Cute place but don't bother if it's busy, you will never get your food! Most of our party got their food but the rest had to wait for 35 minutes!
(2)Lauren W.
The service is great here. Very pleasant employees always willing to help you find what you need.
(5)Kat k.
Free samples may be the best two words in the English language...and Cherry Republic applies this to everything. In fact, I tried every single wine (buy a four pack for 10% off) and then tried all the samples in the store. If you want to try something, they will actually open it in front of you to let you try it. Who does that?? Everything is fantastic tasting so the products sell themselves. Be sure to leave room in the trunk (although their wine now ships to Illinois!)
(5)mei s.
OMG, I could not believe the sample spread they have here. Places like Harry and David at the outlets always give pitiful portions, this place has big bowls of practically everything they sell. They are so incredibly generous. I'm glad people buy a lot here because the prices are good and they are so nice here. The products are all excellent here as well. We bought a cherry blueberry pie the first night and we totally devoured it and no one really likes pie or cherry pie in our family. So the next day, we took advantage of the buy 2 pie deal! We bought two of the last three pies there. This time we got a cherry crumb pie, that was awesome as well. I love this place. Like my hubbie says, we are a cherry republic family!! The wine and soda place next door was also fun as well as the ice cream parlor, what a great find, off the main road!!
(5)Travis M.
Love this place. Excellent cherry products, many of which are locally sourced and produced. Such a creative store, unique products and you can tell people enjoy working there. Try the wines, and eat all the free samples in store you can handle! The cafe next door also offers some unique cherry themed dishes for lunch and dinner, although I haven't tried dinner here yet. I definitely will sometime soon! Worth a visit absolutely, much better than any of the satellite locations. This is the original!
(5)Natalie M.
Delicious food all around. Their cafe does a great job at incorporating cherry (but not overdone) into all-American favorites. For the most part, their products are made either in-house or locally by other small businesses. Many creative options and they make great gifts!
(4)Trevor G.
First of all, how is this place out of both red and white wines? That aside, we bought several bottles of cider, and a bottle of their other wine. We found the winery staff to be slightly irritating. They were obviously paying close attention to the older patrons-- many of whom were not purchasing anything. And, we, the younger crowd, were virtually ignored, while buying four bottles of their product. A bit of retraining of the winery staff is in order. Don't assume that, because we are younger, we are just in for free drink and not worth your time.
(3)Kristin E.
Every year for Christmas, I get a box from the happiest place on earth...The Cherry Republic! Thanks, Mom! : ) I'm writing this as I'm eating my dark chocolate covered cherries, of course.. The Cherry Republic is a treasure. Where else can you find cherry salsa, cherry wine, cherry pasta sauce, cherry trail mix, cherry jam, cherry lip balm, cherry coffee, cherry cookies, cherry brownies, cherry salad dressing and much much more in one place? Even if you don't like cherries, you will after a visit here. I promise. This is just one of the gems in Glen Arbor, MI. I've vacationed here with my family for years and it still is my favorite summertime destination.
(5)Juan H.
Cherry Republic is a place, a group, a state of mind, a store, an internet business, all seamlessly woven together. I found them through a friend who said, "You must order stuff", so I did. On my first order I was hooked. First it was for my family, then the extended family, then gifts, then corporate gifts. I'm now a hopeless addict and I hope there is never a 12-step program because it's a fine and happy addiction. The Internet business offers a gazillion cherry products from cherry hot sauce and BBQ sauce to ready to use cherry pie filling, jam and cherry cookies. That's right. Cherry cookies, made with real cherries not the grocery store things that might have had a cherry in the building at the time they were made. Just click away. Chocolate-cherry peanut butter. Get it! Cherry salsa. GET IT! Cherry-Peach salsa - order it by the case! It's that good. To quote an Oklahoma friend, "It will make your tongue slap your brains out!" The CR stores are happy little havens that combine great cherry foods with a bit (okay, a lot) of whimsy. They're fun places to visit, hang out, bring the kids and just enjoy some time away from the insanity of life and the boredom of humdrum foods. The company is a cohesive delivery of an experience of shopping, fun, innovation and good eats. Everything is small batch and tastes like grandma used to make. It's packaged that way too. Customer service is off the charts in a world where the customer is often left out. Not here. They are fun and friendly people and they make that infectious. In the years of buying CR products I have yet to find one that fell short. In fact, they always exceed my expectations and I find I can try new things with wild abandon because I know it will be great. Did I mention the Cherry Salsa? I buy it by the case. I divide my time between Phoenix and San Diego where there is no shortage of salsa but I buy CR cherry salsa by the case. That should tell you something. CR won me over with great products, fair prices, great service and a fun attitude which makes me feel part of The Republic. I wish there were more business I could recommend without qualification or hesitation as I can with Cherry Republic.
(5)Justin C.
This place was tasty and fun. Lots of cherry wine. And lots of sodas. We had a 7 year old with us and she had a blast tasting the sodas and all the samples of cherry products -- chocolates, pie filling, jams, etc. Beware, you will end up buying stuff. There is a cafe and some things to do on property. No fee to enter!
(4)Cathy O.
Everything -- and I mean EVERYTHING -- is fantastic here. Shopping is such a pleasant experience with lots of samples and friendly "cherry ambassadors," and you get to walk between the three cottages to see the main sales room, the wine tasting room, and the coffee/ice cream shop/cafe. They have beautiful grounds, too! I always love stopping here.
(5)Kathleen M.
If you Luv cherries this is your place to shop !! They have an ice cream/candy store, a wine an soda tasting place, all made with cherries, an a store with anything you can think of, all made with cherries of course !! Great local place, and they have mail order as well, must go if you in Glen Arbor !!!
(5)Daniel A.
I think people writing reviews are writing for all 3 spots located here so I'll do them all. In the cafe the pies with ala mode is delicious. Try any of their cherry pies or better yet, try them all! The staff seem to be mostly college students either coming home or high school students, but they're real friendly. The sandwiches are pretty normal, but the fish tacos are specially good. The store is good to buy some chocolate cherries! Go try out all the free samples, then buy some for gifts. The wine room is interesting, but I wouldn't say it's that great of wine. It's more of a souvenir wine if anything. Overall, this place is a good spot to stop for a lunch and buy some souvenirs, but I wouldn't exactly go out of my way to get there as there are many other places for cherry pies.
(3)Brynn M.
The staff here was simply lovely! They let my husband and I taste the wines right at closing time and gave us great recommendations for things to do in town. And the wine and other cherry products were great too :-)
(4)Chris W.
Excellent food, excellent staff! We were a little confused on how the order process went only because they were in the midst of serving a bus load of high school aged kids, but as soon as they realized we weren't with the group they gave us all the attention we needed. Perfect customer service, generous portions and normal prices.
(5)Johnny T.
Boom! Five big ones. We all know I love bon bons. Eating them prepares me for a life of being kept, lying on a chaise and watching my soaps. We all know I love fruit. Citrus, stone fruit, melons, berries, etc. -- preferably in a juice form but I'll go for the intact original. So, when I discovered a place dedicated to fruit that made bite-sized bon bons of said fruit... I mewed, batted my eyes and was generally pathetic enough to be bestowed with my own bag of bon bons! But, let me back up. Annette J is the queen of Detroit Rock City. She travels far and wide to give Michiganers a premiere Yelp experience. She also knows where to go all over the state -- for anything. Her royal consort is a funny, artistic fellow equipped with solid convo and some pretty rock star local find skills of his own. I am an only child. We've established the players. On one of their many trips through the wilds of the Great Lakes state, they happened upon the cherry version of Bubba from Forrest Gump. Cherry wine. Cherry pie. Cherry jam. Cherry cake. Cherry ice cream. Cherry salsa. CHOCOLATE.COVERED.CHERRIES!!! Hold the phone. Yep, you read right. Chocolate covered cherries from the cherry gurus in the cherry state! Do you know what this means? DO YOU KNOW WHAT THIS MEANS??? ihadtohavethem. I'd only heard whispers and rumors, but my very soul knew they existed and I *needed* to sup upon them. Lady J and her royal consort, being of gracious heart, decided to grant my wish and give me a bag of chocolate covered cherries with the caveat that once I'd had one, I'd want the entire bag. Oh, happy day! Really? Pour moi? But, surely, I had enough restraint to not eat the entire bag of dark chocolate covered red ripe Michigan cherries in one setting. I mean, c'mon... ... only because my teeth got tired.
(5)Allison F.
I am basically IN LOVE with anything that resides in Glen Arbor, so I felt compelled to comment after reading a few of the negative comments about this place below... I understand that the prices are a bit high, but if you are familiar with NOT ONLY the store but with the town, you must know that it is one of the MOST expensive property tax markets in Michigan. For any of these business owners, I tip my hat to you for taking on the task of paying the rent for your spaces. Now when it comes to this actual store, the food, salsas, candies, wine and beer are ALL fresh and organic. There is nothing artificial about their products HENCE the prices. Though I can always understand people having an issue with something that has an inflated price tag, I go back to pointing out that this is Glen Arbor and the store is full of fresh products! I don't feel that these prices are really that high when taking into consideration the location and the quality. Dark Chocolate covered cherries... THE BEST! If you want the best, there's always a price tag that comes along with it.
(5)Peter M.
They served my son a dangerously undercooked cheeseburger. It was raw inside. I politely asked them for a fully cooked burger. They apologized and made him a new burger which was also undercooked. E. coli is a serious and dangerous problem that can be deadly.
(2)Ellen H.
A bounty of samples, friendly staff, quality products. Frankly, this might be heaven. A definite must do.
(5)Alexis B.
We come here several times a summer, both the Glen Arbor and Traverse City locations, often for "dessert," as we like to call the generous samples in the store. We've dropped enough money here that I don't feel too guilty however. :-) This it the kind of touristy place that you want to resent, but they do their job so well and it really is inviting that we keep coming back. It's a great place to take kids - the restaurant has board games and books and a little playground out back, as well as plenty of kid-friendly food. I wish the menu were a bit bigger and offered a bit more in the way of salads instead of potato chips. Last year they had some amazing whitefish tacos and I've been disappointed not to see them on the menu this year. If I'm trying to be healthy I usually go for the salad plate with hummus and olives, etc., which is quite tasty. It seems like more of the meals used to have something cherry on them? Maybe I'm wrong about that, but I'd love some cherry salsa with the salad plate, and cherry ketchup on the hot dogs. The cherry pie and cherry-themed ice creams are great. I also especially like the unsweetened cherry iced tea - very refreshing! This place is constantly changing and expanding, and I hope they continue to be quirky and local.
(4)Mel G.
If I could live near one of these and work there I would! Such a fun atmosphere with super great staff and everything the cherry fanatic could want. Who knew there was this huge cherry industry in Northern Michigan. Try the Cherry Sangria, it is amazing! I wish we lived closer and we could buy a few bottles. Seriously, I'd be drinking this all the time... maybe its best we don't live nearby then... haha! They have tons of free samples of everything you can imagine made from cherries. Cherry jams, salsas, candies, coffee, dried, coated, BBQ sauce... and the list goes on! Also, its all local. Make sure if you have 4square on your phone to check in to get a free cherry chocolate coffee. The best coffee I've ever had. Smelled just as delicious as it tasted! Can't wait to go back again one day... "Life, Liberty, Beaches and Pie"!
(5)Dianne R.
starting with the great chocolate cherry coffee, then the cherry BBQ sauce and salsa, wonderful cherry pie or ice cream, the ultimate cookie called Boomchuka, and chocolate covered cherries, this is a must visit store, cafe and winery. Have been going there for years! And Glen Arbor is such a quaint little town.
(5)Juliana T.
It was worth a visit once. It's all about cherry wine and products. I thought it was quite pricey but I'm still glad I stopped to find out what all the fuss was about. The ice cream I got in the little cafe was delish as was the coffee. That said, I'm personally not a fan of cherry foods but that's my shortcoming. Definitely pause and look around for a quick moment and maybe buy somethings as a souvenir to take home.
(3)Christa P.
For the past two summers we have been fortunate enough to go to Crystal Lake, MI to spend time at a cabin and on the lake. We make it a priority to spend a day at the Bear Dunes and then Cherry Republic. We have went into the little gift shop, which is awesome- they put out almost everything for you to try- so you walk around eating all the amazing cherry items! Some of my favorites: Cherry Chiptole Salsa, White Chocolate Covered Cherries, Sour Cherry Candies and all the cherry pepper jellies! Oh yum! After that we always go over and do a wine tasting and normally pick up several bottles. My husband actually propsed and he had a bottle of cherry red wine waiting for us! It was sweet and since has become sort of a celebratory wine! In prior years, we loved the cherry port and ballitoon, but this year we weren't as impressed with the cherry wines. We ended up just picking up the cherry red, which they changed to be a merlot blend this year. Overall its really fun, probably awesome for kids but still super fun for adults.
(4)Lesley C.
This is a special place for a memorable little lunch or snack. The cafe was so reasonable and the food was great. One of the best chicken salad sandwiches I've ever had, on bread studded with cherries. The entire menu is cherry-inspired and the fish tacos were another huge hit. The store is full of great cherry products, and you can taste just about everything before you buy. Laid back, charming, rustic, the place screams "lake vacation".
(5)Jennifer T.
Love this place! Wine tasting was awesome and the staff was great!!
(5)Zoran O.
EVERYTHING Cherries!!! NO kidding - Hundreds of items that include cherries. Their sweet and spicy salsa is what gets me back - and of course the beatifiul location. This is on our northwest michigan food tour - with least amount of stars - but still a must stop - beautiful little town and surrounding area - hard NOT to go!
(3)Kailua S.
On our summer vacations to the Little Glen Lake, Cherry Republic is a daily afternoon stop for us. Great ice cream and sodas are served at the Cherry Republic!. My favorite is a Coke float with generous scoop of cherry ice cream :-).
(4)Lisa A.
Perhaps you aren't a fan of Cherries and the thought of going to a place called Cherry Republic isn't your thing. Well let me be the one to tell you..you'll love this place regardless. I recently went to Cherry Republic for their wine tasting. And they'll have some great savory wines for you to try. Tart and sweet and some with a nice mixture of Merlot. I was pleased with everything including the price of the bottles. I enjoyed the free tastings and the service was great.
(4)Lois A.
I can't think of anything made by Cherry Republic that isn't totally awesome. The salsa should have a song written about it. I can just sit and endlessly eat it, in love with every bite. It is perfection. Cherry BBQ sauce, cherry pecan butter, cherry pepper jelly...I want everything.
(5)Pack C.
cherry pie here is the best. they use tart cherries which makes it not too sweet. we also had lunch here which is just ok. I had their signature chicken salad sandwich. there are cherries in the salad and bread. The whole thing is just too sweet for me especially from the bread. I also had their cherries baked bean. there is nothing fancy about it, just a very sweet baked bean. i don't recommend this one
(3)TOMMY o.
we LOVE their catalog & cherries are so good for you GREAT Gift ideas for XMas & they arranged personal mailing preferences for us
(5)sara k.
The only food I've ever eaten is the smorgasbord of free samples (and the treats I've thus been guilted into purchasing). I enjoy everything. But the very special (and rare) days are those that feature a bowl of the cherry chocolate malted milk balls. Oh, oh, ohhhh... Worth the trip just for those balls. (That's what she said.)
(4)JeanMarie M.
Have been going here for years.. Never ceases to be delightful. Everything, even the things you would have never guessed would be good with cherries, is delicious. Very busy during the warm months, and pleasantly deserted in the in-climate weather. Gift boxes from here are my favorite part of the holidays.
(5)Karen B.
It just isn't summer without the Cherry Republic, especially their ice cream. Be brave and try the cherry items like burgers and hot dogs--they really are good. I highly recommend the cherry mustard and any of the chocolate items to take home. The new wine tasting room is good. Some of the wines are a little sweet for my taste. Spend some time wandering the "banana-free" grounds. Sure, it is touristy, but if you are going to do one tourist activity in the area, make it this one. You won't regret it. Don't forget to sign up for their emails and catalogs. They are highly entertaining!
(5)Pontip M.
I love thier Cherry Cola! I think it's bottled by Spreckers. I got some last winter when I came for a visit. I had 2 bottles. this time I got a 6pk of the Cherry Root Beer and Cherry Cola. I cant wait to get them back to Chicago and drink them! I love thier catalog and all of the products. It's the only cherry store I like to visit when I come to TC. I am also a sucker for labels and merchandising and theirs isn't cheesy and I love the bear in thier logo. I think I'm going to have to start ordering from thier catalog inbetween visits!
(5)Dominique K.
I shopped at the retail store and done mail order from Cherry Republic many times over the years. I love going into the store and sampling some salsa or chocolate covered cherries before loading up my shopping basket, but I've also had consistently great experiences ordering from the catalog (I generally call them up as I order gifts sent to more than one addy at holiday time). The catalogs are cute and humorous, and the Web site is a lot of fun, too. Among our favorite Cherry Republic treats are sour patch candies for me and dark chocolate covered cherries for Tim. The salsas and teas are also very nice. We've tried quite a few different CR products, and it's always fun to see what new things they think of to make with cherries! The store's garden looks lovely in the summer, and you can eat at the CR restaurant on the patio beside the garden in the summer. There is also a counter where you can pick up beverages, cookies, or ice cream to go--I make it a point to get a cherry ice tea to go (unsweetened cherry flavored ice tea with a few tart cherries thrown into the bottom of the glass is my choice here). There is also a CR wine tasting room, although I've yet to try any of the wines.
(4)Sue T.
Awesome cherry samples in store. Of course it makes you buy when you can taste the yummy cherries. Just beware of the other customers who will butt you out of the way to get at the freebies.
(5)Alison M.
I'm so glad we stopped here. Not only is this the headquarters of all things cherry (salsa, bbq sauce, peanut butter), but they also have a nice little winery and a bakery/cafe. We stopped by their tasting room and tried some of the wines (free tastings!). Although these wines are a little fruity for my liking (they all contain some amount of cherry juice), I still walked away with a few bottles-- I highly recommend their sangria! And the lunch was fantastic-- we tried the bbq pork sandwich (with cherry bbq sauce) and a chicken salad sandwich (with dried cherries). Both were delicious-- the bbq had the right amount of spice to balance the sweetness of the cherries. My only regret is not saving room for some cherry pie.
(5)Jim D.
Great place, definitely a must when your in the area. Only negative is the price. You can easily walk out spending a lot more than you expected. But hey, the dog really needed that $13.00 bag of treats. Or maybe we just thought the name was cute and didn't think about the price until the register totaled $50 for a few items. Hey you only live once. Plus I felt bad for leaving her in the car with the windows up (just kidding).
(4)Thomas C.
Excellent food. Would recommend the grilled cheese with bacon and the special dip. I've always loved Cherry Republic, and getting to visit the original was great!
(4)Jenny z.
I'll admit it - when this place opened I was prepared to dislike it. What can I say? I hate "cutesy" names, I just do. So, while I admire the moxie of the folks who started this place and I like that it is locally owned, I see it as a bit of a shameless tourist trap and shudder every time I drive by it and see flocks of perfectly groomed weekenders in their "up north" togs clamoring over all the charming cherry themed items. I just feel like you need to have a stamp on your forehead that says "fudgie" on it to even walk in here, so I don't anymore. That being said, the quality of the items here is good, if pricey. If you need to send someone a gift that says "Northern Michigan" this is a good place to do it, just be prepared to fight your way through the throngs of BMW SUV driving spending machines hellbent on getting their hands on some cherry salsa.
(3)Heather H.
great wine, great people all around!
(5)Brady W.
The best cherry specialty store in this corner of northern Michigan, aka the cherry capitol. The chocolate covered cherries here are magnificent. The cherry salsa is surprisingly good, and has become a favorite of mine over the years. The cherry trail mix, dried cherries, and cherry chocolate chip cookies are all completely addictive. The cherry pie is quite good, although outstanding cherry pie is readily found at roadside shops throughout the region. A wide variety of gift boxes allow you to ship a taste of the cherry capitol to your favorite Michigan ex-pat.
(5)Lien L.
The people who work there are really friendly, and a little nutty but not in a weird way. For some of the more popular items, they offer samples for you to try, which is really nice. The food is a bit over-priced, but hey you're on vacation and where else are you going to get cherry salsa?
(4)Maggie W.
This is the coolest place ever. Everything in the cafe has cherries in it in some way. Everything. And it's yummy. All of the wines are cherry wines. And yummy. Taste them all. Then buy a few bottles because they make great gifts. You can get chardonnay and merlot anywhere. But can you get cherry wine anywhere? I don't know, I've never looked. I got my husband cherry root beer (we were on vacation and he couldn't join us, so I brought a case home) and he really liked it. In addition to the yummy tastes, this is just a really pretty place. Lots of pretty flowers and log cabin looking buildings.
(5)Cass D.
Cherry hot dog anyone? Let's see who can spit a pit the farthest! This place was adorable. I know it's a tourist trap, but I don't care. The grounds and gardens were well kept, the cafe was cute and the wines were wonderful. Great place to take pictures.
(5)Jason M.
The food-side serves up pretty tasty lunch fare, and the desserts (everything cherry) look very appealing. The pulled pork sandwich had barbeque sauce that bordered on sweet overload, but then there was an underlying kick that balanced things out nicely. The lo-cal cherry soda was great (and I know I'm back in Michigan when the cute as a button teenage summer help calls it pop). The store has tons of cherry items and samples abound (especially key when offering a dozen types of jams and jellies).
(5)