Iva’s Chicken Dinners
201 Chestnut St, Sterling, MI, 48659
Iva’s Chicken Dinners Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Sterling for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Sterling for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Sterling for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
201 Chestnut St
Sterling, MI, 48659 - Phone (989) 654-3552
- Website https://www.ivaschickendinners.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Tue
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch, Dinner
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Ellen P.
We stopped at Iva's recently en route home from doing some business in northeast Michigan. Iva's, which got its start as a boarding house and expanded to include a restaurant in the 30's, is one of the few businesses left in the tiny village of Sterling, a few miles northwest of Standish -- the building is right on the main drag, is easy to find and has a nice, handicap/stroller accessible entranceway. On the afternoon we visited the place was terribly empty, which made us feel rather sad. (Our waitperson told us there were a couple of events in nearby Standish that day that she thought would generate more dinnertime traffic.) Iva's is regionally famous for its chicken dinners, so that's what we ordered, even though there are other menu items like chops and steaks, and lunch items like sandwiches. We ordered the "family style" meal, which at first glance seems a little spendy (about $14/head) but ensures all you can eat, served in shareable dishes -- small wholegrain biscuits, mashed potatoes, gravy (with submerged biscuit -- something that mystified us for a few minutes), a simple sage stuffing, vinegar-based coleslaw and a relish plate. Diners are also offered a choice of juice or chicken soup. We ordered the Southern fried chicken, the restaurant's best seller, a simple flour-dredged, pan-fried chicken. (Other chicken choices include stewed chicken and American-fried, which is described as batter-fried.) Each plate includes a mixture of light and dark meat. Meals are made to order, so expect a wait; the waitress brought our biscuits out early to keep us occupied until the rest of the meal was ready. My partner, who is admittedly not a fan of fried chicken, really enjoyed hers. The chicken was incredibly tender for fried chicken, and -- a plus for me because I'm fussy on this point -- it was completely cooked through. The seasoning is mild, almost bland, but the skin was nice and brown and crispy. We loved the multi-vegetable coleslaw -- I got seconds and wound up eating most of the bowl myself! -- and the dressing, which is a moist, "loose" stuffing rather than a crouton-based one and is very sage-y and savory; to me it made up for the mild flavor of the chicken. We also liked the biscuits, although our second round were much fluffier and warmer. (And, once I understood what it was, I called dibs on the gravy-submerged biscuit.) The mashed potatoes were fine but a bit salty; the gravy was really good, and this is coming from someone who normally passes by the gravy boat. Not so great -- the relish plate, which consisted of a briny halved dill pickle, two scraps of raw carrot and two celery sticks.(Seriously, they could bring their food costs down a little by skipping this, or by just providing pickles.) I was also somewhat unnerved by the un-busy kitchen staff standing in the doorway staring at the three occupied tables. I ordered coffee, which came in a cute vintage personal carafe -- nice -- but tasted pretty Maxwell House "meh." My partner, however, ordered iced tea and was pleased to find it brewed, not out of a fountain, and refreshing. Soft drinks, beer (including Bell's Oberon -- nice!) and wine are available as well. We didn't order dessert, but the diners behind us shared a slice of apple pie and were very pleased...we heard definite sounds of approval. The dining area is clean and roomy -- but, hearkening back to its origins as a workingman's restaurant, it's nothing fancy; 60's-era faux wood paneling with a pastiche of artwork all around. A local old-skool country radio station plays over the sound system. (Which I found annoying but which I suspect is enjoyed by the regulars and fits the general atmosphere of the place.) A brief peek into the kitchen area revealed a very clean and organized area -- at least as much of it as I could see. We'd definitely eat here again if we were in the area, although next time we might try something else on the menu. Since Sterling is near prime northern Michigan recreational options -- kayaking, canoeing, hunting, fishing, leaf-peeping, snowmobiling -- we think hungry outdoorspeople might enjoy a hearty meal here; it's worth the drive and the prices.
(4)Sandy B.
Nice experience. Chicken was good but not great. The soup was FABULOUS !!Service was good. The chicken seemed a little dry to me. The sides were all tasty and the atmosphere was wonderful. It took you back to eating in your Grandmothers kitchen. This place has some how escaped our "modern" rushed world.
(3)Bob N.
If your heading north on I-75 and thinking of stopping at Frankemuth for chicken don't! Go about a 1/2 hour further to the Sterling exit and head to Ivas Chicken. A 1800's pink farmhouse turned restaurant. Each dinner is cooked to order in old cast iron pans which makes the best crust on the chicken. Family style or individual dinners with relish tray with a awesome sweet sour cole slaw. Dinners also include mashed pt. with graveyboats with a biscuit floating in it, veg and biscuits with honey. Ohh I think i need to take a long drive now. GO THERE!!!!
(5)Neil Y.
Ivas: How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. Brian S. and Ron C. both recommended Iva's and it is perhaps the best Yelp recommendation I have received to date. I've passed the Sterling, Michigan exit on I-75 hundreds of times as I travel to Northern Michigan frequently every year yet I have always stopped in West Branch. Never again. The chicken is offered fried or stewed. The steam the chicken first to par cook it and then oil fry it. This method is different than traditional chicken that places like Popeye's or KFC serve. It isn't a crunchy coating but rather a well seasoned flour coating which leaves the chicken moist and tender. The meal is served home-style very similar to what you find in Frankenmuth with the difference being that Iva's is hands down better than any chicken dinner you'll get in Frankenmuth. It's also $5.00 cheaper. If you're headed to Frankenmuth, keep driving to the Exit 195 exit. It's worth it. I digress. You can opt for a single serving family style meals at $13.95 (includes the whole she-bang) or for $1.00 get the AYCE. It's AYCE on everything in the meal not just the chicken. You want thirds on the chicken noodle soup or fifths on the cottage cheese, they make it happen. Your meal includes: chicken noodle soup, cottage cheese, cabbage slaw, biscuits, cold veggie plate, cooked green beans, mashed potato, gravy, dressing and of course the chicken. Smaller appetites do not have to get the full meal but rather can order smaller portions or even steaks and seafood. My first visit here, I showed up 10 minutes before closing. I asked for meal to go. The waitress asked me if this was my first visit. I said yes to which she told me, "then you'll absolutely have to sit down and take your time." When I was done, they even gave me more chicken to take home with me. First class service all the way.
(5)Jess H.
Only reason for 4 stars is they dont make alot side options. All of it is good but something is missing in options. And not being open everyday and being closed in winter. Their homestyle food is definitely unique and not like chain places. If the owner is reading this..... please add homemade mac and cheese to your menu! Or onion rings, homemade baked beans ! Cant go wrong with Ivas dinner.
(4)Jerry M.
Love the food and the atmosphere. Lots of history here and great food. Last ate here 3 years ago and have been trying to get back ever since;)
(5)Emily R.
Amazing food in an expected place. After reading the other reviews we decided to give Iva's a shot on our way home from Traverse City. My husband, 3 boys and I did the Family Style Fried Chicken. We started with the chicken noodle soup and slurped every bit down. Next came the cole slaw, cottage cheese and biscuits. I ate practically the whole bowl of cole slaw myself while my boys all devoured the biscuits. As if we didn't already eat enough all ready, the best was still yet to come. Fried chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, chicken dressing and green beans. I am not sure who ate the most but I will say we still had enough to take home to enjoy for later tonight. This place is a must stop if passing thru Sterling Michigan!
(5)Zuzzi E.
Holy cow, how has Anthony Bourdain never been here? I don't even eat chicken, and I loved every bite. The chicken noodle soup is the best in the world. And the biscuits are out of this world. This place is an institution.
(5)Theresa C.
Very good food and the chicken was so juicy you don't find that in most restaurants. Def better than frankenmuth.
(4)Lisa L.
This is seriously good home cooking. We drove a few miles out of the way because of the other reviews on here, and we were thrilled with this find. Great meal for the price! They have a decent selection of mains (chicken, steak, perch, shrimp, etc.) with a pretty generic, but plentiful, array of sides. We came for and ordered the family (fried) chicken dinner. This was some of the best fried chicken we have had, and we've lived in the south. The breading was light and nicely seasoned, and the meat was moist. The chicken soup has intense chicken flavor, and it has the delicious, thick homemade noodles (a hair too salty, but I nearly drank all my broth anyway). There is a nice sweet vinegar slaw, good dill pickles, and biscuits that are a perfect mix of dense and fluffy. The homemade dressing and mashed potatoes went well with their outstanding fresh gravy. There are free refills on anything you want more of, but they don't skimp on the initial quantity. All of this for about $15/pp. They have a standard beer & wine selection, with a few Michigan offerings, including Bell's Oberon and some cherry wine. We didn't try the homemade pies, but they sounded good. The decor looks like it hasn't changed much since the 50s, but it is very clean.
(5)Nicholas P.
This was a wonderful little stop for the family. Great food. Cleaned the plate and I wish I had room for more.
(5)Nicholas S.
A historical establishment, but not one we feel the need to visit again. Service was great and the people friendly, but just nothing to write home about. Mushy and bland. Maybe just not our cup of tea.
(2)A. L.
My husband and I are pleasantly surprised to find Iva's. We stopped based on Yelp reviews, so thanks everyone! I could compare the menu to the chicken places we know down the road in Frankenmuth- although Iva's is better in my opinion. The Fried Chicken Dinner is served family-style. The chicken noodle soup was wonderful, the amount of food was generous, the chicken was juicy and I thought the cole slaw (a vinegar base) was delicious. This is a great halfway stop on the way UpNorth. P. S. The House wine is $3.5 a glass or $14 for the bottle :). It's a Three Buck Chuck-type but so what!
(5)Ron C.
Just a pinch off of I-75. Charming lil place . BOB N. from the shores told me about this a while back,and that it was so good , he would just drive 2 hours for their chicken. Well it did not disappoint, we were heading to a family reunion in Farwell, but left early & detoured to Sterling Michigan, for IVA's. Yes Sterling is a 1 horse town & Iva's is approx. 2.2 miles off of I-75 We walked in at 11:36, as they opened at 11:30, were greeted by a very sweet lady, and sat us in a dining room that was reminiscent of my grandparents kitchen style from the 1960's. The kitchen was right over my shoulder, door open & you could see it was Super Clean. We each ordered 2 pieces of dark meat & 2 sides Cabbage Salad [ cole slaw] Home Made Mashed Potatoes & chicken noodle soup $5.25 each $10.50 for LUNCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They do offer the endless all you can eat feast, but we passed..this time..LOL The fried chicken honestly tasted like grandma made it on the spot in a cast iron skillet , we had to cut it & open it up so it would be cool enough to eat. It was crispy enough, HOT & very moist! The cabbage salad was diced/minced perfectly & the bite of the vinegar based dressing was unique & memorable for sure The Chicken Noddle soup..I could actually buy, by the gallon & live off of forever . Wide egg noodles, generous chunks of chicken, veggies & a thick broth that was not transparent ,like so many other places. The Mashed potatoes..were PERFECT, no words/adjectives to describe them just GREAT! Now it is our must stop place, as it is exit #195 Thank You Bob N for the solid lead. Closed Tuesdays.
(5)Dennis D.
Great restaurant but they are closed until March. Love this place and just drove here from Houghton Lake and saw no lights on an called and found out they were closed. :(
(5)mark w.
Visited my home state of Mi. and had to go with my folks to their favorite place. I am not a big fried food eater, but had the fried chicken. It was Ok, but not on the scale of Bavarian Inn in Frankenmuth. The fixins were about the same, OK. Dressing was a bit pasty and the potatoes just OK. The biscuits were awesome and the Rhubard pie was out of this world. So, the baker is a keeper! Service always great. Very coutry setting and the place is very authentic!
(4)Irwin F.
We liked it. Found it on Yelp and gave it a try. The chicken is just a notch below Bavarian Inn and the sides are homemade and great! Price-wise it wasn't too shabby. Head over 5 minutes from I-75. You will be glad you did. Old timey - Up North style place. Clean and personable as well.
(4)Troy S.
This restaurant is seasonal, I was going to go there in November 2014 but luckily I checked their website before going. They are closed till March 5,2015.
(5)Adam K.
We had some difficulty finding this place, although it was relatively well signed. You have the choice of southern fried or steamed chicken (we had fried). The chicken arrives with platters of vegetables, sweet slaw, top-class biscuits and homey chicken noodle soup that arrived with ribbons of dumpling-y noodle--delicious! The chicken was good, if a bit too moist. For dessert, there is amazingly good strawberry shortcake and a decent selection of pie.
(4)Richard C.
Lets start with the outside, the grounds and buildings could turn me out of going inside. My wife and I was there to join 3 ladies coming in on a bus tour today. We asked for a table for three of the ladies coming in on a bus, they worked it out. was just wonderful working with us. Inside the restaurant was very good for northern michigan standards, except the mens room..... while neat and clean could use a re-work on all the wood surfaces. Service was over the top-good. meal was 97.30 thats extremely good for a northern michigan restaurant. Homemade coconut cream pie could of used 90% more cream filling, the fluffy stuffy on top was about 2inches high thats about right. It was seemingly some commercial bakers potion it tasted good but it surely had its start in a test tube. Would I go back again Yes in an Heartbeat. Oh the prices and choices Lots of options Steaks, Fish, and lots of Chicken. Be careful with the prices...........Study the menu carefully and you will get good value. By the way any time you even get served a meal in a restaurant praise God. Restaurant work is very hard and never ending.
(5)Cori K.
Great place!! Got plenty of yummy food after a nice kayaking trip.
(5)Dan W.
Stopped in today after driving past on our way to Standish for the last couple of years. All I can say is "what took us so long"! We came in as a party of 8 and got their family style chicken dinner in both fried and boiled. THe food was excellent. They bring it your table on platters and sides are in serving dishes. You pass the food like you would at your grandmothers house. The biscuits are fresh from the oven and are served with butter and honey on the side. The drinks are free refills as well. I wanted to give them 5 stars, but they had an unfortunate mishap with my nephews Pepsi, part of the soda dispenser was actually in his drink. So if I could give a 4 and a half I would.
(4)Kristen S.
My boyfriend is from this area of MI, and he had been raving how we had to go here next time we were up there visiting family, so we went this past weekend on Sat. around 5 pm, we were worried it would be packed, but no, it wasnt. This place is really old fashioned in decor. Really old school, but maybe that is the charm? There were only a few people, and the place was very quiet. Our waitress was slow, but nice. The food was excellent, we had the family style chicken. It was delicious, best Ive EVER had. The coleslaw is also the best i've ever had, mashed potatoes were great too. I really enjoyed the chicken noodles in the soup, they are nice and thick. We even had some wine, the MI cherry is so tasty. Now the price, I felt was a bit much when you think about the fact you are really only having fried chicken with sides. So for 4 people you are paying $60+ and then add for drinks and tip. Wow, ouch! I mean honestly, we came starving and each ate 3 pieces of chicken, i know it's all you can eat with family style, yet we were never asked if we wanted more, i suppose the waitress assumed we were full, but it wouldve been nice to have more rolls/bread. None the less, it was a good meal, and hey now I can say i've been here.
(4)Travis B.
Delicious. Great homemade food. Do yourself a favor & get the family style all u can eat.
(5)Lori B.
Wonderful chicken with all the fixens. Just like going to Grandma's for a home made dinner. Delicious!!!
(5)