The Get-A-Way Saloon in Bridgman, MI
As a Southsider, the Get-A-Way Saloon is hostile territory. They make no bones about being Cub fans and the decor and menu reflect that. I noticed a billboard for Get-A-Way on I-94 while heading home. I was supposed to take an Amtrak on Saturday from Chicago back to East Lansing, but my niece was still in the hospital and I wanted to hold out one more day to see if she’d get to go home and I’d get to hold her one more time. That didn’t happen, but now I needed to get home. My parents like to gamble at Four Winds in New Buffalo and J had been sick all weekend and wanted to get out of the house, so they both agreed to drive halfway. My parents kept driving and as I was on the phone with J to set up a meeting point, I saw the billboard and told my parents to pull off the highway. Five minutes later, J was pulling in to a gas station near the highway so we could make the switch.
After saying goodbye to the new grandparents, J and I continued down Red Arrow Highway to grab some grub. We pulled into the small, neighborhood bar covered with ivy just a few minutes before the White Sox ALDS game. On the sign out front were the words “Cubbies Why?” Below that was a scoreboard with the score from last nights NLDS game with the Dodgers in which the Cubs lost. We made our way though the swinging doors to find a bar covered with Cubs jersey and memoribilia and a dining room. We started to go towards the dining room, but none of the TV’s had the NASCAR race on which was our first priority, so we headed to the bar. The tables in the bar were empty so we took one where we could see both the race and the Sox. Even the table had a big Cubs logo and right before the Sox game started, the bartender, who was wearing a Cubs jersey, turned the channel. We weren’t going to say anything, but another guy at the bar wearing a Sox jersey did and the game was turned on.
The menu at Get-A-Way is fun to read. All the sandwiches have Cub inspired names. I got a burger dubbed SOSAtional. The burger was a 1/2 lb patty with worchestshire and garlic salt mixed into the meat then topped with jack cheese and steak sauce. It was really good. I haven’t put steak sauce on a burger in ages, but it brought back memories from my childhood. I’m pretty sure the sauce was just A1, but still, the burger had great flavor and was nice and juicy, but fully cooked. My sandwich didn’t come with fries, but I got a side order. They were regular out of the bag fries, but they were really, really crispy.
The Get-A-Way Saloon covered in ivy in Bridgman, MI
J, who hadn’t had a solid meal all weekend, ordered the crispy chicken sandwich. Her sandwich came with lettuce, tomato and mayo. She left the mayo off. She also got fries with her sandwich which she loved. She is a big, big fan of crispy fries. In order to get fries as crispy as they did, they usually need to double fry. It’s such a simple step and I’m surprised more places don’t do that. It takes an extra two minutes and the finished product is totally worth it. She was also really happy with the crunch on her sandwich. She said it wasn’t greasy like most crispy chicken is.
The food at the Get-A-Way was really good. The problem is, by the time we left, I almost forgot that. The bartender was also working the tables in the bar and he couldn’t mult-task. It took 15 minutes after he took our plates to bring the check. He would come out and bring something to the table next to us, but not bring our check. He would look over and say he’d be right back, but then he got busy at the bar. He then brought soup out to the table next to us and again said he’d be right back. He went and grabbed the check, then had to get beer for someone at the bar. It took forever. Once we finally got the bill, it was just over $16. A pretty good price for some really good bar food.
If you’re a Cubs fan, you’ll feel right at home in the Get-A-Way. J and I are the opposite of Cub fans, but we still enjoyed a great meal. Thanks to the Michigan House of Representatives, the Get-A-Way was very smokey, but it has a real neighborhood bar feel. It’s a place where you can comfortably watch a game and enjoy a few drinks.
Mid-Michigan Dining 
Leave a comment