If you’re looking for fresh and hearty homemade goodness, look no further than the Paddle Inn Restaurant in Mio, Michigan. We were headed north, exiting #202 on I-75 and then turning north on US-33. This is a route we take often, and have tried (and reviewed) many of the restaurants along US-33. The Paddle Inn has always had lots of cars parked in front, but it’s a little farther north and many other restaurants caught our eye before we had a chance to try it. It was worth the wait.

There are lots of sandwiches on the menu, many breakfast choices, and a salad bar that was impressive. Dinners looked worth coming back for. We found servings to be generous and everything was really fresh.. especially their salad bar. Many of their dishes are made from scratch, and pies are made right on site with many assorted varieties.

I had the Friday Special Fish Fry. It was under ten dollars and included the salad bar, corn muffin and potato. Fish choices were cod and pickerel, and that was an all you could eat special. One serving was plenty and plenty good. Fish was lightly battered and fried perfectly to a golden brown. Our server was friendly, accommodating, and stopped by several times to make sure everything was to our liking. Their iced tea hit the spot. Service was exactly as we like it, friendly and quick.

The Paddle Inn is an older restaurant, very clean, booths are tiny, but table and chair seating was fine. It is known for attracting snowmobilers, hunters, and a great place for the locals to hang out. They have hearty homemade soups, so we can understand the attraction to those enjoying winter sports. But it doesn’t have to be winter to enjoy this place.

We loved our food choices. Sandwiches were tasty, the other Diva had the Monte Cristo sandwich. It was loaded with ham, turkey, Swiss cheese, and the fixin’s, grilled to perfection. Sandwich came with a pickle slice. As my fish dinner came with loads of fries, I shared. Our bill for the two of us was under twenty dollars.

If you’re traveling up north, the Paddle Inn makes a good stop. Portions are generous, prices are about right for a small country eatery, very casual atmosphere, kids welcome, food comes pretty quickly, and is one of the best choices for eating out in the area. It reminds us of eating at home as a kid. They have their specials, people all seem to be happy with whatever the specials for that day were, and when they’re gone, they kinda tell you what’s the next best thing on the menu. Loved it!!

The Paddle Inn is located at 253 S. Mount Tom Rd. in Mio, Michigan. It’s still US-33, but they call it Mount Tom Rd. in the downtown part of Mio. It is worth a stop if you are in the area.

Special Note: Right next door and with a connecting parking lot is the Mio Flea Market. In May of 2015, it burned down, and was one of the biggest fires in Mio history. The vendors have returned, rebuilt and have kept the flea market going. The flea market includes a wide variety of vendors in matching white tents. Items for sale include rustic furniture, outdoor gear and other country curiosities. They are open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from Memorial Day through LaborDay.