The Bayou and Chocolay River Brewery

Come In For Some Local Charm, Food, and Craft Beer

A Hungry Man breakfast is great to share with another and offers several options of items. The Bayou is the only place in town where you can enjoy a beer with your morning meal!

Located just outside Marquette is a bar that is different than most inside the city limits. This bar is unique because not only does it serve delicious food, but they also brew their own beer which they keep on tap. This place is the Bayou, and it’s just a short and convenient drive into Harvey.

When you first pull up to the Bayou it definitely has a “small town” feel to it; tucked away down a side street and a favorite among the locals. It has a friendly and inviting atmosphere inside and you will find that they have a great following of “patrons” who stop by a few times a week. With weekly fish fries, open mic nights, and plenty of other specials, it is always a great time. In fact, the Bayou is the only place in town where you can enjoy a beer with breakfast making it the perfect place for brunch or to nurse a mean “morning after” headache.

The Bayou opened in 2011 and is owned by Tim Soucy. What makes them different though, is the fact that they are a brewpub.

The Finnish pancakes served up at the Bayou are a special treat and come highly recommended!

Brewpubs are defined as establishments that not only sell food, but can also sell the beer they brew. The only stipulation is that they are only allowed to distribute the beer that they brew on premises. In other words, they cannot distribute to stores or any other place around. Although, there is a new and more recent law in effect that now allows brewpubs to travel to 4 different beer festivals and sell their product.

Located just behind the Bayou is the Chocolay River Brewery and this is where all of their craft beers are produced.The man behind the magic is Grant Lyke. Grant has been brewing for 17 years as of 2015 and started at Chocolay River in 2012. Depending on when you go into the Bayou, there is typically around 6-7 different varieties of beers to choose from as well as seasonal beers.

The brewery is a decent size with a modest brewing system. Altogether, they have 3 fermenters and a 5 barrel psycho brew system. Grant does all of the brewing and a typical day of making beer takes about 8-10 hours. Depending on what was made, the beer must then ferment with yeast to perfection. Ales must sit 3-4 weeks before being served and lagers take even longer. After the entire process is completed there are 5 cooled tanks which store the finished product. These tanks are directly connected to the taps out front in the bar for easy access.

The atmosphere is casual and friendly at the Bayou Restaurant.

Although the Chocolay River Brewery is a newer establishment, you sure wouldn’t notice it. Brew master Grant Lyke, is as seasoned as they come in the brewing community with a deep passion for creating new varieties and tantalizing beers. Whether you are visiting for the food and local charm of the Bayou, or stopping in to try a craft beer produced by the Chocolay River Brewery, you will definitely not be disappointed.

You can find the Bayou and Chocolay River Brewery at:
200 West Main Street
Harvey, MI
49855
906-249-1338.

by Chad Pajtas

Chad Pajtas is a senior at Northern Michigan University expected to graduate May 2015. He is majoring in Media Production and New Technology and has a minor in communication studies. On his spare time you will likely find him "pretending" he is good at golfing on the links or somewhere on a lake tossing a few lines into the water.