Down Home Cookin’ in the UP: Wildwood Restaurant, Hermansville

I dunno, man...it’s hard do describe, but there is some mind of charm – or whatever you wanna call it – about sitting down and having a bite to eat at one of the Upper Peninsula’s rural diners or restaurants. This is just one of the many you should attend.

The Wildwood Restaurant is located at W5376 US-2, in Hermansville. For those unfamiliar with Hermansville, you’ll find it in Menominee County, a half hour west of Escanaba.

All food prepared at the Wildwood is homemade, and people keep returning for breakfast, and asking for the hash browns. There’s something about those browns that keep return visits.

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Being in the UP, there have been slow periods, and the restaurant has had to close down on occasion for lack of customers during winter. Owner Donna Bellefeuil recalled winter 2020 when they closed and then re-opened in February 2021: “Our customers come in and we thank them for coming to eat and they say ‘oh no, thank you for being open’ and I never had that happen before.”

The Wildwood opened around around 1968 and currently has over 20 employees – half adult, half high school and college kids. about 22 people, half of which are high school and college students.

Meal portions are generous, and the Sunday chicken dinners reel ‘em in on weekends.

According to Restaurantji, the Wildwood “has a simple, old-school small-town atmosphere, making it a favorite among locals and visitors alike.....Kids are well accommodated with crayons and coloring books.”

The big story here? The big story is this: we need more friendly down-home places like this to be brought to our attention. With the country and world in so much turmoil, it’s great to know there are places in Michigan where we can escape and enjoy actual warmth coming from people you may have not met before. A real rarity these days.