Best South Haven Restaurants: 12 Local Picks by Type

The best restaurants in South Haven, Michigan, start with Taste for small plates and martinis on Phoenix Street, Clementine's for a classic family dinner in a restored 1896 bank, and HawksHead for a quieter sit-down dinner overlooking the golf course. For the river, Captain Lou's and The Idler Riverboat put you on the Black River; for breakfast it is The Chalkboard Kitchen, and the town's ice cream stop is still Sherman's.

Every venue below was checked in October 2026 against its own website or the South Haven Visitors Bureau directory. South Haven is a summer town: hours change through the year, several places close or cut back after the season, and summer weekend waits are normal. Confirm hours before you drive over.

South Haven Restaurants at a Glance

Restaurant	Type	Price	Best for	Seasonal?
Taste	Small plates, martini bar	$$	Date night downtown	Year-round; closed Tue–Wed
HawksHead	Sit-down dinner, golf club	$$$	Quiet dinner with a view	Yes – closes for the season 25 Oct
Clementine's	American family dining	$$	Families, onion rings	Year-round; no reservations
The Idler Riverboat	Riverboat bar and grill	$$	Drinks and food on the river	Check hours
Captain Lou's	Riverside bar and grill	$$	Perch, live music	Yes – open seasonally
Black River Tavern	Tavern, pub food	$–$$	Burgers, perch tacos, nightlife	Year-round
Kitchen 527	Burgers, fried chicken, fish	$–$$	Casual dinner, walleye	Closed Mondays
The Chalkboard Kitchen	Breakfast and lunch	$–$$	Breakfast, brunch	Mornings only
Maria's Taste of Italy	Italian, pizza	$$	Pizza, lasagna, families	Closed Tuesdays
Three Blondes Brewing	Brewery, pizza, pub fare	$–$$	Pizza and craft beer	Year-round
El Paraiso Taqueria	Mexican	$	Tacos, quick bite	Check hours
Sherman's of South Haven	Ice cream parlor	$	Post-beach ice cream	Yes – spring to fall

Price is an approximate per-person tier for a main course or equivalent: $ = budget, $$ = mid-range, $$$ = special occasion. Menus and prices change; check before you go.

Dinner Downtown and With a View

Taste – Small Plates & Martini Bar

Run by husband-and-wife team Chef Joel and Heidi Gesiakowski since 2013, Taste serves shareable, made-from-scratch small plates alongside a list of signature martinis. The vegan potato pancakes with apple chutney are the dish the visitors bureau singles out, and the menu has plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free choices.

Address: 402 Phoenix Street
Hours (October 2026): Mon and Thu 4–9 pm; Fri–Sat 11:30 am–10 pm; Sun 11:30 am–9 pm; closed Tue–Wed
Reservations: Online for groups of four or fewer; call (269) 637-0010 for larger parties. Tables are held for about 90 minutes. Book ahead on summer weekends.

HawksHead

The dining room at the HawksHead Links golf course is the pick for a slower, more formal dinner, with indoor and outdoor seating looking over the course and surrounding woods. It is a short drive out of downtown.

Address: 523 HawksNest Drive
Hours: Dinner from 5 pm, Wednesday to Saturday; closed Sunday to Tuesday. The restaurant has announced it closes for the season on 25 October.
Reservations: Taken; call (269) 639-2121.

On the Black River

The Idler Riverboat

A historic riverboat docked on the Black River at Old Harbor Village, The Idler looks across to the Michigan Maritime Museum and the drawbridge. The menu runs to casual seafood such as shrimp tacos and a N'Awlins shrimp boil, and the house drink is the South Haven Iced Tea. Admiral Jack's, a two-bar riverfront spot, is next door at the same address.

Address: 515 Williams Street
Phone: (269) 637-8435
Hours: Not published; call or check its social pages, especially outside summer.

Captain Lou's

Across the Dyckman Bridge, Captain Lou's has two bars and plenty of covered and open-air seating right on the river, where you can watch boats come in. It is a relaxed lunch stop by day and a busy live-music venue at night, with live bands every weekend in season. Perch baskets and fish tacos are popular orders.

Address: 278 Dyckman Avenue
Phone: (269) 637-3965
Hours: Open seasonally; call ahead outside summer.

Casual Dinners, Fish and Pub Food

Clementine's

Family-owned since 1982, Clementine's fills a restored 1896 building that was once the Citizens Bank. The menu is broad American – burgers, sandwiches, pasta and seafood, plus a kids' menu – and the famous order is the hand-dipped onion rings, sold by the inch.

Address: 500 Phoenix Street
Hours: Sun–Wed 11 am–8:30 pm; Thu–Sat 11 am–9 pm; closed Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day
Reservations: Not accepted; it runs a first-come waitlist, and waits are common in peak season.

Black River Tavern

In the old Elks Lodge building on the corner of Phoenix Street and Kalamazoo, Black River Tavern is a lively bar with pub food at reasonable prices: burgers, mac and cheese and well-liked perch tacos. A March 2026 review put a burger with fries at about $20. There is live music on weekends, and The River Bottom, a Mediterranean-inspired speakeasy, is downstairs.

Address: 403 Phoenix Street
Phone: (269) 637-4837

Kitchen 527

A casual downtown spot for burgers, fried chicken (by the half or whole bird) and a walleye basket, with a full bar and a happy hour every day of the week.

Address: 527 Phoenix Street
Hours: Tue 4–9 pm; Wed–Sun 11:30 am–9 pm; closed Monday
Reservations: Join the online waitlist rather than booking.

Breakfast and Brunch

The Chalkboard Kitchen

A breakfast-and-lunch restaurant, also known as Phoenix Street on Broadway, with vegan and vegetarian options alongside dishes like crab cake benedict with crispy potatoes. Arrive early on summer weekends.

Address: 259 Broadway Street
Hours: Mon–Fri 8 am–2 pm; Sat–Sun 7 am–2 pm
Phone: (269) 637-3600

Pizza, Italian and Mexican

Maria's Taste of Italy

A family Italian restaurant using Distefano family recipes that go back more than 70 years: pizza, lasagna and cheesecake are the headliners, with wine, root beer and hard cider menus.

Address: 330 Center Street
Hours: Mon, Wed, Thu and Sun 11:30 am–8 pm (seating stops 30 minutes before close); Fri–Sat 11:30 am–9 pm; closed Tuesday

Three Blondes Brewing

Opened in 2018 by three local sisters, this brewery out on Phoenix Street pairs its own beer with pizza, burgers, sandwiches and shareable plates, with indoor and outdoor seating. Its Michigan cherry BBQ wings get a mention from the visitors bureau. Family-friendly.

Address: 1875 Phoenix Street
Hours: Mon 4–8:30 pm; Tue–Wed and Sun 11:30 am–8:30 pm; Thu 11:30 am–9 pm; Fri–Sat 11:30 am–9:30 pm

El Paraiso Taqueria

A taqueria with a drive-through, recommended by the visitors bureau for its quesabirria tacos with homemade salsa verde.

Address: 604 Broadway Street

Ice Cream and Sweets

Sherman's of South Haven

The town's best-known ice cream stop, on Phoenix Road near I-196. Long run as Sherman's Dairy Bar, it reopened in April 2025 under new owner Mike Schimanski as Sherman's of South Haven. It still serves Hudsonville ice cream in 30-plus flavors, including Sherman originals such as Blue Moon, Grasshopper and Mac Fudge, and the portions are famously large.

Address: 1601 Phoenix Road
Phone: (269) 637-8251
Hours: Seasonal, roughly spring to fall; check its Facebook page for current hours.

Note: Golden Brown Bakery on Phoenix Street, a South Haven fixture for 86 years, closed for good on 28 December 2024. Older guides still list it.

Eating in South Haven by Season

Summer (June–August): Everything is open, and the riverfront bars are at their busiest. Clementine's takes no reservations and warns of waits in peak season. Taste recommends booking. Black River Tavern gets packed on July Saturday nights. On weekends, eat early or late.

Fall (September–October): Crowds thin and walk-ins get easier, but seasonal hours start to bite. HawksHead's dining room closes for the season on 25 October, and seasonal places such as Captain Lou's and Sherman's cut back.

Winter (November–March): Expect shorter hours and more closed days across town. The downtown year-round options – Taste, Clementine's, Black River Tavern, Kitchen 527, Maria's and Three Blondes – are the safest bets, but check each one's current schedule. Clementine's closes on Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's Day.

Spring (April–May): Seasonal places reopen one by one. In 2025 Sherman's reopened in mid-April. The South Haven Visitors Bureau directory is the easiest single place to check who is open.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best restaurant in South Haven, Michigan?

For dinner downtown, Taste is the most often recommended, for its small plates and martinis. For a family meal, Clementine's is the long-running favorite. For a quieter sit-down dinner, HawksHead's dining room is the pick through late October.

Which South Haven restaurants are on the water?

Captain Lou's (278 Dyckman Avenue) and The Idler Riverboat and Admiral Jack's (both at 515 Williams Street) sit right on the Black River near the harbor. Black River Tavern, on the corner of Phoenix and Kalamazoo, is close to the harbor too.

Where can you get breakfast in South Haven?

The Chalkboard Kitchen at 259 Broadway Street serves breakfast and lunch daily, from 8 am on weekdays and 7 am on weekends, until 2 pm.

Do South Haven restaurants take reservations?

It varies. Taste takes online bookings for up to four people and phone bookings for larger groups. HawksHead takes reservations. Clementine's is first come, first served, with a waitlist, and Kitchen 527 uses an online waitlist.

Are South Haven restaurants open in winter?

Many are, on reduced schedules. Seasonal spots like Captain Lou's and Sherman's close for the colder months, and HawksHead's restaurant closes for the season in late October. Always check current hours before you go.

Where is the best pizza in South Haven?

Maria's Taste of Italy on Center Street is the town's family Italian and pizza spot. Three Blondes Brewing on Phoenix Street serves pizza with house-brewed beer.

Is Sherman's in South Haven still open?

Yes. It reopened under new ownership in April 2025 as Sherman's of South Haven, at 1601 Phoenix Road, still serving Hudsonville ice cream. It is seasonal, so check its hours outside summer.