Lylah's

Sandwiches, salads, soups, and desserts “Made to Order, with Love” in Suttons Bay

By Janice Binkert | Aug. 15, 2020

Cynthia Henderson has been involved in the restaurant industry in one way or another since the age of 14, first in her native state of Florida, and as of 1999 in her adopted home of Leelanau County. After working for others for many years, she started the Bayside Grill in Northport and later operated a successful food truck, Salsafied, in Suttons Bay.

A LEAP OF FAITH
“After that, I took a little break from the food business and worked for FEMA,” said Henderson. I was out in Dallas in the fall of 2017 when I got a call from my daughter back in Northern Michigan saying, ‘Mom, I just saw that there’s a space for rent in Lake Leelanau where Trish’s Dishes used to be. It would be cool to open up a restaurant there.’ So here I was in Texas, at 10 o’clock that night, Facebook messaging the people who had posted the ad — and by December, I was signing a lease. I know that sounds crazy, but when I want something, I go for it. I do everything I can to make it happen.”

She opened Lylah’s in Lake Leelanau in January 2019, which seems like a bold move, considering both the seasonal location and, well … the season.

“We wanted the locals to know that we were there for them, year-round — that we were not just focusing on summer tourism business,” said Henderson. “And our goal was the same when we got the opportunity to make the move here to Suttons Bay this year. Again, it was winter — the second week of February — but we wanted to be there for the community.”

The new Lylah’s was open for only two weeks — two very successful weeks at that — before the pandemic hit. “We were so thrilled that we had made a change for the good because there was more foot traffic, more parking, and we were sure that this was going to be something big. Little did we know, however, what was about to happen next.”

Henderson closed down right away and stayed closed for a month. “When we reopened, for takeout only, there was definitely an initial drop in sales,” she said, “but since then we have been getting a lot of support from the locals, and visitors are discovering us, too.”   

ALL IN THE FAMILY
Lylah’s is a true family business. Henderson’s mother and aunt also work with her, both having moved up from Florida to help with the restaurant when it opened. Her daughter (and mother of granddaughter Lylah, for whom the restaurant is named) takes care of social media. And the two other women who work with her have become like family, too. “In fact, no one is allowed to say the ‘boss’ word here,” said Henderson. “I’m not their boss; I’m their co-worker. We’re all in this together.”

There are of course many eateries across the region that do soups, sandwiches, and salads, but Henderson believes Lylah’s stands out in many respects. “I won’t serve you anything I wouldn’t eat myself,” she said. “I want every bite to be great, from the first to the last. We’re fussy about quality, and we pay close attention to detail. If something isn’t working well for us or our customers, we change it. I know it’s hard to make everyone happy, but we sure do try.”

Fresh and homemade are key words for Lylah’s. Tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce are sourced from TLC and other local farms, and most of what can’t be sourced nearby comes from other Michigan growers and producers. Vegetables and salads are prepped fresh daily, and all sauces, spreads, and dressings are made in house, Henderson noted, calling herself the “condiment queen.” And she demands the same quality in the meats she serves. “We make our own pulled pork, slow-roasting it for about 12 hours,” she said. “We also bake our own chicken breasts and roast our own turkey and top round beef. The only meat that we don’t cook here is ham.” 

ON THE MENU
Henderson has always been intrigued by the “endless possibilities” that sandwiches offer, and her made-to-order creations, piled high with toppings and sauce, are definitely the main attraction at Lylah’s. Top sellers include the Gouda-nuff Turkey sandwich (house-roasted and chopped turkey breast tossed with garlic-herb mayo and topped with smoked Gouda cheese, cucumber slices, lettuce, and tomato on toasted sourdough bread), the Jalapeño Mouth (ham, bacon, cheddar, house-candied jalapeños, Dijon mustard and tomato on a toasted onion bun), Horsin’ Around (hand-sliced roast beef, house-pickled onions, horseradish cheese, lettuce, tomato and herb mayo on sourdough bread), and Oh What A Year Oh! (rotisserie lamb or chicken, lettuce, tomato, red onion, feta cheese and house-made tzatziki on warm pita bread). “People love the fact that we have the gyro rotisserie here,” said Henderson. “We may be the only place in Leelanau County that has that.”

Three different soups are featured daily, with the Turkey Noodle making repeat appearances and selling out quickly every time (with house-roasted turkey and Henderson’s mom’s fresh noodles, it’s irresistible). A newcomer among the three salads on the menu — all made fresh to order and served with dressing on the side — is the Clubbin’ (turkey, ham, bacon, provolone, pepperoncini, red onion, cucumber and tomato over mixed greens, with herb vinaigrette).

And for your sweet tooth, Lylah’s offers an ever-changing selection of homemade desserts (think cheesecakes, pies, brownies, cookies … ).

“My family instilled a love of cooking in me from an early age, which is why I’ve been in and out of the restaurant business for so many years,” said Henderson. “Sometimes you try to get out of it, but it just draws you back in. It’s a love-hate relationship. But for me, it’s mostly love, because otherwise, I wouldn’t keep doing it. It gives me joy to make people happy through food.”

Lylah’s is located at 99 W. 4th St. in Suttons Bay (in the same plaza as Hansen Foods.) Currently takeout only, with pickup outside, 11am–2pm Monday through Saturday. Order online at Lylahs.square.site or call (231) 866-4081. Catering for larger orders is also available. For more information, search "Lylah’s" on Facebook and Instagram. 

*Pictured above: Lylah’s gyro, aka Oh What a Year Oh!