On my way up to the lighthouse, I decided to stop and give Lelu a try based on the modern looking sign in front. I was kind of sick of regular hamburger type establishments in Northern Michigan, so this was a welcome choice in restaurants.
The interior was very well decorated, very modern but still warm and it had a large piece of cloth running along the ceiling that was reminiscent of a ships mast. What I'm trying to say is that the decor fit the area, but more chic.
The prices were a bit high, so I just ordered a turkey sandwich with a pickle. The ingredients were from local farms. It was kind of spicy and the bread was good. It was a solid meal. They have local wines and other beverages too, but I didn't order any because I wanted to save room for dessert. I had a cherry pie, which Lelu orders from another locally owned bakery. And it was delicious.
I would definitely recommend this place if you want a nicer meal, and are sick of eating some of the less than fresh or bland meals at other restaurants in Northern Michigan. The only thing I would change about this place is that when I walked in I wasn't greeted and I had no idea where to sit. A sign or something would've helped.
An amazing addition to an amazing town. I'd have to agree with all the positive reviews on here. I was a little skeptical after the one star review but trust me, don't let one bad review stop you from attending this gem. Bryon is an amazing chef and I second the BEST sausage gravy ever. I love that they support local farms, businesses, musicians, breweries etc. Lelu cares about sourcing locally and it shows in their execution, menu creation and business model as a whole. Lelu is a must try if near the peninsula.
Review Source:The best meal I've had in a while! Â The chef really knows what he's doing. Â A real treat for everybody. Â The soups are incredible! Â We had both the Gouda Broccoli and the Scallop Chorizo Corn Chowder. Â For dinner, the Ruby Trout with corn risotto was unbeatable. Â Overall a wonderful experience.
Review Source:Amazing and delicious! Â We had the ruby trout, roasted veggies, and sweet corn risotto. Â All six of us thought it was the best meal we had on our vacation in Michigan. Â Pricing was very reasonable. Â The owner, Erik, even personally came to our table and made sure we were happy and well taken care of. Â Charming decor in a historic building. Â Classy jazz combo on this Friday night as well! Â Northport will definitely be a destination next time we are in northern Michigan so we can return to Lelu's.
Review Source:I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves fresh ingredients and great tasting food. The environment is casual and the decor is fresh and they sometimes have live musical acts. Waiters are friendly and helpful and the prices are reasonable. I always get the flat bread for dinner because it always tastes so good! Serves drinks and is good for groups and for kids. It is a place you have to stop by when you are in the area!
Review Source:Advertising around town held out the promise of an exciting new restaurant spotlighting fresh local food. Our dining experience, however, became one of frustration and disappointment, starting with a confusing entryway and seating/ordering procedure. This business has taken over most of the first floor of an historic downtown building that formerly housed several small boutiques, so visitors entering one of two front doors will find themselves on either side of a divide between Lelu's coffee bar and restaurant, with no clear direction as far as where to sit. A sign announces ORDER FOOD AT BAR OR AT TABLE, but there are two bars -- the coffee bar in the cafe' area, and a bar in the restaurant proper separating the kitchen from the dining area and serving as a wait station -- and we weren't the only visitors to the building who stood in confusion trying to figure out where to go./what to do next. (The building is still  home to other businesses, so many of these confused folks weren't even interested in eating...they just walked into the building to find themselves in the middle of a restaurant dining room.)
Our first food disappointment was with the menu itself, which despite the hype offered only about a half-dozen mundane sandwich choices, one soup and no beverages -- we had to guess at a beverage to avoid making our obviously longsuffering waitperson have to recite available choices. Our  second disappointment came after ordering the soup of the day, a mushroom bisque, only to be told 15 minutes later that it "wasn't ready." Really? The luncheon soup of the day not ready for the lunch seating? We were offered complimentary salads for our trouble, and they were fresh and good, utilizing some local vegetables and the local raclette cheese, but there was only one dressing available, the house vinaigrette; fine for me because I like vinaigrettes, but maybe not for people who prefer creamy dressings.
My gyro was good -- soft, puffy pita; succulent chunks of seasoned lamb instead of gyro meat; a house-made taziki sauce that, while a little lacking in the yogurt-to-cucumber ratio, had a nice zippy flavor. My partner was less fortunate. She had ordered a turkey-bacon panini with jalapeno jam and aoli, only to receive what was simply a griddle-grilled, not-very-brown conventional sandwich. The aoli was missing, and the jam had simply been plopped on one end of one piece of bread instead of spread on the bread in an even fashion. And in an area with an abundance of locally smoked, generously sliced bacon choices, her bacon was thin, over-brown and almost factory-formed looking. When the waitperson brought around some aoli, it was horseradish aoli -- much of a muchness paired with jalapeno jam. The only redeeming element in this sammy was the turkey, which looked like real, off-the-bone poultry, not deli product.
To add insult to injury, Lelu lunch prices are in the  linen-tablecloth range. Ouch.
We learned that this establishment had already lost its first chef within a month of opening. We certainly picked up on the chaos and amateur-hour vibe. We don't mind a spendy lunch now and then, but not in an atmosphere that my partner likened to a mall food court, only with less enjoyable food. I know startups are hell, and I'm usually willing to give new restaurants a second chance, but Lelu will have to generate a lot better buzz from other diners  to persuade us to return.
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