Good Food and Some (Really) Bad Drinks at Mulligan's

April 6, 2014

Mulligan’s restaurant in Cheboygan is not shy about advertising their horrible menu of 18 "bad shots."

Their web address is goodfoodbadshots.com; the phrase "good food bad shots" is even part of their marketing verbiage.

Doubters, read on: One drink, called In the Woods, is peach schnapps and ketchup. The Worm Burner is cinnamon schnapps and bloody Mary mix. And then there is the Beaver Divot: crème de cacao and clam juice.

While the shots help give the place its name, they aren’t really that much of a draw.

"The 21-year-olds will order them to be really funny," said Ashley Graham, the restaurant’s general manager. "People don’t do them a lot for enjoyment."

There are some signature drinks that are slightly more palatable, however. The Mulligan is a mix of UV Blue Vodka, Crantasia, lemonade, Sprite and pineapple juice, while the Nutty Bulldog is a mix of Stoli vanilla vodka, Frangelico, Kahlua, cola and cream. And of course there’s plenty of good food, just like the website says.

THE SCENE

Mulligan’s bills itself as the perfect 19th hole, where golfers can retire after a tough round on the links. To that end, it provides patrons with a host of sandwiches, entrees, and with 16 taps more than enough brews to bury the memories of that missed putt and those other bad shots.

THE MENU

Mulligan’s offers a little bit of every thing on their menu, including American, Tex-Mex, and pasta.

"The food is what brings people in," Graham said.

Say no to the Wiffer (coconut, rum and tabasco) or the Shank (beer, wine and milk). Instead, try the Black & Blue Steak salad, featuring blackened marinated steak, house lettuce blend with cherry tomatoes, cucumber, avocado, and blue cheese; or the Fajita Chicken salad, lettuce topped with chicken, black bean salsa, and cherry tomatoes.

Starters include sizzling steak bites, crab cakes, pigskins, and wings, with your choice of zesty orange, Parmesan garlic, BBQ, spicy BBQ or house hot sauce.

Fish entrees include Great Lakes whitefish or a cod sandwich. Quesadillas, soups including chicken noodle and baked French onion, and a host of sandwiches and burgers round out the offerings.

Specials include a Monday taco bar, Wednesday wines with half off selected bottles, Michigan Pint Night on Thursdays with $1 off Michigan brews and special burgers, and all-you-can-eat fish on Fridays.

THE BEST

Start with a teaser – an appe-tee-zer, as Mulligan’s calls them. The breaded goat cheese medallions are pan-seared and finished with a ribbon of balsamic vinegar reduction. They’re served with garlic toast rounds and chopped lettuce and tomato topped with fresh Parmesan cheese.

For an entree, maybe opt for the Devil’s Linguine: pasta topped with sausage, capers, olives, garlic, shallots, red pepper flakes a spicy red sauce.

Graham said the burgers feature beef freshly ground at the local IGA. But the signature dish is ribs.

"We are known for our ribs," said Graham. "They are fall-off-the-bone tender.

They’re great."

THE SKINNY

Appetizers start at $6, soups at $4, and salads at $8. Burgers start at $8, and entrees start at $13.

clockwise from top left:

General manager Heather Graham and server Jack Carr make sure the customers are treated right at Mulligan’s in Cheboygan. Photos by Ross Boissoneau

With 16 taps, there are plenty of beers to choose from, including several from Michigan.

The goat cheese medallions are complemented by the garlic toast and petite salad.

The Friday fish feature is a mainstay at Mulligan’s.