Update: Sadly, Heather's Restaurant is now permanently closed.

Heather's Restaurant Bay City, Michigan

Downtown Bay City

Heather's is located in Bay City, a very cute, old-fashioned small town located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron. The downtown is less than 5 Miles from I-75, which is a major expressway many people use to go on their vacations 'up north' to mid or Northern Michigan. Bay City is only about a half hour drive from two Michigan tourist attractions - Frankenmuth, Michigan's Little Bavaria, and Birch Run, home to a large outlet mall. It also seems to be a vacation spot itself due to it's charm and the beautiful water. Finding Heather's was really a revelation for me because it's not easy to find vegetarian, and especially vegan food in Michigan, outside of the Southeast Michigan and I find myself traveling outside of the area somewhat frequently.

Heather's Exterior

Heather's Restaurant Interior

Heather's Specials Menu

Heather's always has great specials. Vegan items are noted with a V with a circle around it. Every special we've had there has always been great. With so many specials, you never get bored with the menu.

Vegan French Toast, Tofu Bacon, and Heather's House Potato

Heather's has excellent French toast and often has some kind of unique french toast on special. We once got Zucchini French Toast and it was out of this world. Another favorite from the special menu was the Tofu Bacon pictured above. It had a rich smoky flavor and meaty texture. Heather's has hash browns, but the House Potato is soooo good that we have a really hard time not getting it as our side.

Mediterranean Veggie Sandwich with Red Pepper Almond Mayo and Heather's House Potato

You can see the Homemade Red Pepper

Also worth a try are the 'Unchicken' Sandwich and the Homemade Black Bean Burger. The 'Unchicken' sandwich is a great sandwich for anyone transitioning to a plant-based diet or anyone who misses eating chicken sandwiches. It is a baked and marinated tofu fillet in crisp seasoned breading topped with tomatoes, fresh greens, and homemade mayo. The Homemade Black Bean Burger is quite delicious on it's own, but even better with the guacamole they serve it with.

Vegan Coleslaw

Seitan Pot Pie

The first time I went to Heather's, I got this Seitan Pot Pie and my mom got the Mediterranean Veggie Sandwhich. The pot pie was very yummy and the texture of the seitan was somewhat like that of the meat in a frozen pot pie. Although I enjoyed this pot pie, I preferred my mom's sandwich to my pot pie.

Special Item: Vegan Ribs, Potato Salad and Broccoli (substituted for corn on the cob)

These Vegan Ribs were on special over the summer. They were totally delicious. The sauce was fantastic and the ribs were more flavorful and better than we had anticipated. The texture was very good - firm and chewy. The potato salad was also good - a little mild for my husband - but good.

Heather's always has beautiful, delicious-looking desserts, but we're always too stuffed to eat them. I did once buy some cookies to go, and they were just as good as I had imagined. They were moist and delicious.

Fear not if you are eating out with a die-hard meat eater. Heather's has plenty of options for both omnivores and herbivores alike. The omnivores seem just as happy with their food as the herbivores. The food at Heather's is certainly more creative, fresh, and unique than anywhere else I have been outside of a big city. Aside from the decor, which is more like a cozy country restaurant, this place would fit in in a place like Ann Arbor, Royal Oak, or a big city.

Finding Heather's has seriously improved my travels around Michigan and I make it a point to stop there whenever I can. Truthfully, we sometimes make the hour and a half drive from our house just to go to Heather's. Then we plan other things around it - like stopping in Frankenmuth or Birch Run.