Ryba's Fudge Shops on Mackinac Island.
There’s really no other place on Earth where the main purpose of a trip could be to buy fudge. It wasn’t the main purpose of our trip, but it was a perk that we were looking forward to.
We put off the actual fudge buying until we were ready to leave. Had we given in and bought fudge when we got there, we would have been eating fudge all day. Not a bad thing from a taste perspective, but you know what chocolate and sugar can do to you.
After eating dinner at The Pink Pony, we started to make our way back to the Arnold Transit Company docks. We had been debating all day which fudge shop we would try. It was hard to make a decision because every store had a sign proclaiming “Best Fudge on Mackinac according to the Detroit News.” Like I mentioned in my post about the Island, they must just rotate every year.
The store we ended up choosing was Ryba’s. There are a number of Ryba’s on Main Street. There was at least three just downtown and I noticed one on the way to the Grand Hotel as well. The store we actually went into was the one next door to the Chippewa Hotel. It was the first one we came across and there weren’t many people inside.
I chose Ryba’s just because it’s probably the most famous of the Mackinac Island fudges. I would have loved to tasted all the fudge shops and make my own decision, but I always feel guilty when I sample but don’t buy something. Even worse when I sample and have no intention of buying.
Ryba's Fudge Shops near the Chippewa Hotel on Mackinac Island.
This particular Ryba’s had both the fudge and ice cream. It wasn’t one of the shops they made fudge in the window, but we watched a few different places make up a fresh batch at different points in the day. There were a number of slices, but we were good and each chose just one.
I went with a chocolate peanut butter slice. This one was awesome. There were peanut butter chips on top on top and chunks of peanut butter mixed in the middle. The fudge was easily the best slice I have ever had. It was so soft and creamy. I mentioned to J that it tasted a lot like the fudge I’m used to getting at Christmas time, but it was much softer. It was really hard not to eat the whole slice on the three and a half hour ride home.
J got a Rocky Road slice. It’s not my thing, but she loved it. I’m not a fan of marshmallows or nuts in my fudge, but J loved it. She got the whole slice to herself. She’s probably lucky she got a flavor I didn’t like or I would have stole half of hers when she wasn’t looking.
Ryba’s Fudge was the perfect end to a perfect day on Mackinac Island. The fudge was about all I knew about Mackinac before we actually made the trip and it lived up to the hype. I saw booths for Ryba’s at both the NAIA Auto Show and the Chicago Auto Show last year. I didn’t get any then wanting to wait until we went to Mackinac. Next year, I’ll know better and might even go to Detroit just so I can get a slice.
Mid-Michigan Dining 
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