Unearth The Voyage
There is a restaurant in Michigan where booths are made from old church pews, a vintage bingo board hangs on the wall, and the kitchen turns out about 1,000 pounds of mac and cheese every week. Housed in a 19th-century building, it blends historic charm with a creative menu, generous portions, and a welcoming atmosphere.
It even earned a spot on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, and loyal regulars say it deserves every bit of the hype.
The Address, the Setting, and the Church That Became a Kitchen
Right in the heart of the Village of Clarkston, Michigan, at 54 S Main St, Clarkston, MI 48346, there is a building that has been quietly watching the town grow up around it for well over a century.
The structure was originally a church, and the bones of that history are still very much present. High ceilings, sturdy woodwork, and a layout that somehow feels both grand and cozy at the same time greet you the moment you step inside.
The owners transformed this space into Clarkston Union Bar and Kitchen without stripping away what made it special. The character was preserved on purpose, and it shows in every corner.
Old pews became the restaurant’s booths, which is one of those details that sounds quirky until you actually sit in one and realize how comfortable and fitting it feels. The phone number is +1 248-620-6100, and the website is clarkstonunion.com if you want to check hours before making the drive.
The Mac and Cheese That Became a Legend
One thousand pounds per week. That number gets thrown around when people talk about this place, and once you taste the mac and cheese, the math starts to make perfect sense.
The dish has a richness and depth that separates it from anything you would pull out of a box at home. There is a noticeable warmth from spices like nutmeg, which gives it a slightly complex flavor that some people love immediately and others grow to appreciate over time.
The half-size portion is genuinely big enough to share, so ordering the full size is a commitment that should not be taken lightly. The kitchen also rotates a mac of the month, which means regular visitors always have something new to look forward to.
A lobster mac and cheese option appears on the menu as well, served in a half-order size at a premium price point. The original version, though, remains the crowd favorite and the clear reason this dish put the restaurant on the map.
The Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives Effect
A feature on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives is not just a moment of fame. For many restaurants, it becomes a turning point that brings in visitors from hours away who are determined to see what the fuss is about.
Clarkston Union earned that spotlight, and the recognition stuck. People still walk through the door mentioning the show, and the staff handles those expectations with the kind of ease that comes from years of delivering consistently good food.
The feature helped cement the restaurant’s identity as a destination rather than just a neighborhood spot. Out-of-towners started making it part of road trips through Michigan, and the small village of Clarkston became a name that food lovers recognized.
What is interesting is that the television exposure did not change the restaurant’s personality. The menu stayed focused, the atmosphere stayed unpretentious, and the mac and cheese kept coming out of the kitchen at roughly the same legendary pace it always had.
Church Pews, Bingo Boards, and the Art of Atmosphere
The decor inside Clarkston Union does not try too hard, and that is exactly what makes it work. A vintage bingo board hangs on the wall alongside local photographs, artwork, and sports memorabilia that reflects the community around it.
Wood tables, antique pews repurposed as booth seating, and high ceilings give the space a warmth that is hard to manufacture. It feels like a place that was put together by people who actually cared about the history of the building they were working with.
Televisions throughout the space show local sports, and on game days the energy picks up noticeably. The Detroit Lions have had their share of screen time on those TVs, which tells you something about where this restaurant sits in the local community.
The atmosphere is described consistently by visitors as feeling like coming home, which is a remarkable thing for a public restaurant to pull off. The combination of history, personality, and comfort creates an environment that is genuinely difficult to replicate anywhere else.
The Menu Beyond Mac and Cheese
The mac and cheese gets most of the headlines, but the menu at Clarkston Union has a lot more going on than one signature dish. The hummus platter is a strong starter, arriving with pickled vegetables that add a bright, tangy contrast to the creamy dip.
The chicken pot pie has earned its own loyal following, with a flaky crust and a filling that delivers on every expectation you bring to that classic dish. The meatloaf is another standout, the kind of preparation that takes a familiar comfort food and adds enough craft to make it feel genuinely special.
Brunch brings a different energy to the menu entirely. Sweet potato waffles with apple, biscuits and gravy, breakfast burritos, and huevos rancheros show up on weekends and draw their own crowd of regulars who treat Sunday brunch here as a non-negotiable ritual.
Weekly specials keep things interesting for repeat visitors, with dishes like sweet potato ragu and cracker crust pizza rotating through to break up the routine in the best possible way.
Brunch at the Old Church
Sunday brunch at Clarkston Union has a rhythm all its own. The restaurant opens at 9 AM on Sundays, an hour earlier than the rest of the week, which signals just how seriously the kitchen takes the morning meal.
The sweet potato waffle with apple is the kind of dish that surprises you. It sounds straightforward on the menu, but the execution has a depth of flavor that makes it stand out from standard brunch fare.
Regulars who have not visited in years come back specifically for it.
Biscuits and gravy, pulled pork and eggs, and huevos rancheros round out a menu that clearly values variety. There is something for every kind of brunch appetite, whether you want something light and fresh or a plate that will carry you well into the afternoon.
The Bar and the Craft Beverage Program
The bar at Clarkston Union is a destination in its own right. A rotating tap list keeps things fresh, and the staff is generally knowledgeable enough to help you navigate the options if you are not sure where to start.
Cocktail offerings include creative takes on classics, and the Union Draft Marg has picked up a following among regulars who appreciate a well-made drink with a bit of personality. The State Fair Lemonade shows up on the cocktail menu as another option worth trying if you enjoy something citrusy and bold.
Sitting at the bar here has a distinct social quality. The space is set up in a way that encourages conversation, and the bartenders tend to be attentive without hovering.
It is the kind of bar experience that works equally well for a solo visit or a group outing.
The tap list QR code on the menu has occasionally been flagged as not fully updated, so asking your server directly for the current selections is always the smarter move when you arrive.
Service, Staff, and the Regulars Who Keep Coming Back
Two decades of loyal regulars do not happen by accident. The service at Clarkston Union has built a reputation for being friendly, fast, and genuinely attentive on the good days, and those good days make up the majority of the experiences people share.
Staff members greet tables quickly and check in often, which creates a rhythm that keeps the meal moving without feeling transactional. On busy Friday nights the restaurant fills up fast, and the noise level rises with the crowd, but the energy stays positive.
Like any restaurant, there are off nights. Short staffing, missed orders, and the occasional cold plate show up in the feedback from time to time, and the management has shown a willingness to respond directly and address issues when they arise.
The owner, Erich Lines, has been visible in responding to customer feedback, which reflects a level of personal investment in the restaurant’s reputation that goes beyond just running a business. That kind of ownership presence tends to matter to the people who visit regularly.
Gluten-Free Options and the Inclusive Menu
Not every comfort food restaurant thinks carefully about dietary restrictions, which makes it genuinely notable when one does. Clarkston Union offers a gluten-free version of its famous mac and cheese, which has earned real appreciation from guests who often feel left out of the comfort food conversation.
The gluten-free mac holds up well in flavor and texture, which is not always a given with specialty dietary versions of dishes. The take-and-bake option for mac and cheese is also available, letting you bring the experience home without losing too much of what makes it special.
Having these options on the menu reflects a kitchen that is thinking about the full range of people who might walk through the door. It is a practical kind of hospitality, the sort that does not make a big show of itself but quietly makes a difference for the guests who need it.
For a restaurant built around a single signature dish, making sure that dish is accessible to more people is a smart and thoughtful choice that extends the welcome to a wider audience.
The Village of Clarkston and Why Location Matters
The Village of Clarkston is the kind of small Michigan town that feels like it was designed to be explored on foot. The downtown area has character, with historic buildings, local shops, and a pace that encourages you to slow down and pay attention to your surroundings.
Clarkston Union sits right on S Main St, which puts it at the center of that experience. Before or after your meal, the village itself rewards a short walk.
The area has a lot of personality for its size, and the restaurant feels like a natural extension of the community around it.
The location draws visitors from across southeastern Michigan and beyond, many of whom combine the restaurant visit with a broader afternoon in the village. It is the kind of pairing that turns a meal into a full outing.
For anyone traveling from Detroit or the wider metro area, the drive to Clarkston is manageable and the payoff tends to be worth it, especially if you time your visit to avoid the peak weekend rush.
Hours, Pricing, and Planning Your Visit
Clarkston Union keeps a consistent schedule that makes planning straightforward. Monday through Saturday the doors open at 11 AM and close at 9 PM, while Sunday hours extend from 9 AM through 9 PM to accommodate the brunch crowd.
The pricing falls into the moderate range, with the double dollar sign on review platforms suggesting you will spend a bit more than a fast-casual spot but considerably less than a fine dining experience. Most meals land in the range that feels fair for the quality and portion sizes involved.
The restaurant is not large, and it fills up quickly on Friday and Saturday evenings. Arriving early or visiting on a weekday afternoon tends to result in a more relaxed experience with shorter waits and a quieter room.
A waiting area in the back of the restaurant includes a couch, table, and chairs, which makes holding for a table more comfortable than the typical lobby setup. For reservations or questions, reaching the team at +1 248-620-6100 is the most direct route.
Why This Place Has Stayed Relevant for Two Decades
Twenty years is a long time for any restaurant to hold its ground, and Clarkston Union has done it by building something that goes beyond just the food. The combination of a genuinely unique space, a signature dish people travel for, and a community identity that runs deep has created staying power that most restaurants never achieve.
The mac and cheese is the anchor, but the rotating specials, the brunch program, and the full bar keep the menu from going stale. There is always a reason to come back, whether it is a new monthly mac variation or a seasonal special that catches your eye.
The building itself deserves credit too. A 19th-century church converted into a restaurant is not something you encounter every day, and the physical space creates a memory that sticks with people long after the meal is finished.
Clarkston Union is the kind of place that earns its reputation one plate at a time, and after two decades of doing exactly that, the reputation speaks loudly enough on its own.
