Village Cheese Shanty

This place is cute, but it’s not somewhere that I’d go out of my way to go again.
The actual products in the store are overpriced. (Almost nine dollars for cheese curds? Really?)
The menu is okay. It’s pretty well priced. I think it’s weird, though, that there’s not really an emphasis on the cheeses that are on the sandwiches? I mean, it IS a cheese shop. Very weird to just see things like «brie» on a sandwich in a shop of specialties. I also think it’s weird that it’s right on the water in Fishtown, yet not one sandwich has fish on it. It’s not a deal breaker or anything, but it’s odd.
The wait is ridiculous. It’s a tiny little shop with slow service, so it was really crowded and uncomfortable. When we went, it was at least a cold and cloudy day that was unseasonable– I can only imagine it in the summer heat.
They also don’t take credit cards.
If you’re in the area already, this is a perfectly okay place to eat. But I wouldn’t mark it as a destination, either.

Great food great staff and always consistent. This is by far the best sandwich place in the whole county

Sandwiches are great, beer selection decent for a small place. Lots of the rest is a bit pricey. But what kind of place in a tourist town doesn’t take plastic??? We had to walk several blocks and pay a fee at an ATM.

Fill up 2 cards a year best sandwich around, for 1000 miles u won’t find anything like it!!! Only recommendation call ahead before noon or you might not get «the famous pretzel bread» just a heads up

I love this place for their sandwiches. You can completely customize your sandwich and they have delicious created options on their menu. All sandwiches are a tad over $ 6 and for a little over $ 8 you can get a whole lunch with you sandwich, drink, pickle, and cookie or chips. All of their bread offerings are great but I highly recommend the house made pretzel bread as it adds something special to all sandwiches. Though it can be a great wait for the sandwiches it is well worth it. They also travel great if one is stopping to pick up stuff for a picnic at Sleeping Bear Dunes or any other such trek.

Spectacular sandwiches, amazingly fast service, and simple prices. Definitely a win.
We got a South Shore (ham & havarti on a pretzel roll) and a Sand Dune (turkey & swiss on a baguette). Both came out well — the savory ham was on one of the best pretzel rolls I’ve had in the US, and the pesto mayo was a nice touch. The herb mayo on the Sand Dune added some interest to the reasonable turkey.
This place can really churn out the sandwiches — they dealt with a large group ahead of us with impressive efficiency, both on ordering and making.
For seating, aim for a sunny day — there’s a few picnic tables out front, but the best seat is the bench on the other side of the building, where you can watch the little falls.
Open roughly April to the end of October; the website doesn’t always have exact dates, so call ahead if you’re pushing shoulder season.

My wife and I stopped at this adorable little store on our way walking around Leland. We both agreed that our sandwich was hands down the best sandwich we have ever eaten. Seriously… absolutely delicious! We shared the Southshore sandwich which was quite a bit of food as you can see from the picture. This place is an absolute must go!

Great sandwiches and picnic ingredients. This time we opted for aged cheddar, Marcona almonds and Feta stuffed olives to go with a baguette and a hunk of smoked fish from Carlson’s. It was a beach picnic to remember. Thanks Cheese Shanty.

Pretzel bread = regular (thick and hard) bread with salt on top at the village cheese shanty. Seems like a cute shop, but seriously can’t use a credit card? It’s 2015 people, as an individual I can take credit card if you buy something from me personally. There is no GOOD reason you can’t take credit. So instead of paying for my $ 8.95 meal I paid $ 11.95 with the added ATM fee.

Their bag lunch for a trip to the Manitou Islands is a must… if you like a great custom hoagie this is it… call ahead though as this little place gets busy… we ordered the night before and picked up at 8:30 am when they opened and it worked great. If in Leland this place is a must for lunch! No seating… just a grab and go deli.

Worth the trip. Call ahead as lines can be long and you will wait even the. But no biggie, walk around and enjoy the sights!

Had the Fishtown. The pretzel bun was thicker and dryer than I expected, but had a nice salty taste. The veggies were fresh and tasty. I did find a small black hair attached to a piece of my Havarti (and I’m blonde). :(Unfortunately, they have no indoor seating! On a 50 degree, rainy day we enjoyed out sandwiches in the car. Five points for freshness and huge portion size, minus one for the hair and another minus for the lack of shelter from the elements. Even a canopy would have been good.

Good sandwiches at very good prices. Be prepared to wait, and wait, and wait.
The sandwiches are unique and offer some different options. Everything is fresh and well made. Good stuff… but hard to say much about a sandwich shop!

Where did I go wrong in life that led me to waiting 45 minutes in line for a sandwich? Maybe my parents would be better served answering that question.
The Village Cheese Shanty is the type of place you change your mind about what you are ordering about 15 times before you order. This is in part because the menu is so well-​crafted and yet so customize-​able. It is also because the line extends to the road making you contemplate if you will need to order lunch and dinner all at once.
The menu consists of large sandwiches that are only about $ 6 each. They have a heap of meat and Artisinal breads — which means the breads were made by an artist named «Al.»
They are topped with a variety of cheeses. None of that American cheese or easy cheese crap. We’re talking about the Gouda’s and feta’s of this world. You can also add peppers, special mayos, cucumbers, guacamole and even blue cheese cole slaw to a sandwich. Making a sandwich here is like building a puzzle for your stomach. A delicious puzzle made of pretzel bread.
The Shanty sells some local brands of chips, glass bottles of pop, cheese, olives and few other Michigan staples like overpriced cherry salsa. They also have craft beers from Michigan and beyond. Don’t want to be a fancy pants with your North Peak Diabolical Ale? Don’t worry, they sell Bud Light and water too.
Overall, the food is solid. You can debate the merits of waiting 45 minutes to eat there, but I will say this: you won’t find better value anywhere else. For $ 8 you get a fresh sandwich on pretzel bread or sourdough, plus a side of chips or coleslaw, a cookie, a pickle and a pop. If you are a recovering alcoholic, you can add a beer for $ 1 more.

Great to experience in iconic fish town. Long, long wait but the bag lunch was the best value of our while vacation. Can call ahead as most locals do and get your picnic to go.

Holy Grail of sandwiches here folks. My Dagwood was filling and delicious but get in early because the line will be down the boardwalk. Ate here on the trip to North Manitou and just wish it hadn’t been so crowded on the return trip b/​c I needed another fix.

I was reading about our trip to the Leelanlau Peninsula, and one story captivated me, probably because it was about eating. It said take the driving tour along the national park, and then head up to Fishtown for a sandwich at Village Cheese Shanty. After doing just that, I can’t think of a better combination.
The sandwiches are amazingly fresh and feature house-​made pretzel bread. My sandwich, the Fishtown, was the vegetarian option. The dill cheese was delicious. The selection of local craft beer in can and bottle, along with many nonalcoholic options, was on point.
On a sunny Monday in late September, there was no line, and we easily claimed one of the tables out front. I can’t believe my sandwich included avocado and was only $ 6!

Great place to have a quick lunch while visiting Fishtown. The sandwiches are delicious and the selections are pretty good with a usual daily special. My only disappointment was there was no fish sandwich on the menu.

Stopped in with my mom on a sunny afternoon for lunch. I had read great things about the sandwiches so we decided to grab one to split along with some smoked whitefish from Carlson’s down the way. We went with the South Shore which we selected due to the excitement people seem to have about their pretzel bread. Unfortunately they were out (sadness!) so we got it on the baguette instead. Still pretty damn good! Ham, dill harvati, lettuce, tomato and pesto mayo. Grabbed a bag of chips plus a root beer (and a Arcadia beer for good measure) and took our meal to the dock to eat by the water. Perfection!
The sandwich was really REALLY good. The ingredients were simple but they really hit the spot. That peso mayo in particular really made the sandwich. I love a good condiment! Plus – super cheap. Only $ 6 for a big, high quality sandwich that’s easy to split if you’re looking for a smaller meal. If you’re not in the mood for a sandwich they also have a cheese counter with a variety of cheeses to take, plus some crackers, chips and other dry goods. Loads of beverages (both boozy and not) and other locally made goods and snacks to enjoy as well.
IA great place to stop if you want to pack a meal for a boat ride, have a picnic, or just grab a bite on a picnic table outside while enjoying the rustic views of Fishtown. Also – cash only so come prepared!

Stumbled in on a Sunday Funday after touring LP wines finest wineries. Obviously we were hungry and this place looked very promising.
Walked in to find they were out of pretzel bread, baguette, the famous coleslaw, chicken, and a handful of other very popular items. While this would drive most customers out the door and up to The Cove, we worked with what we were offered. No pretzel bread? Fine, give me a lettuce wrap. No chicken? Throw on some turkey. Done and done. We were able to get three separate sandwiches and wraps for a vegan, gluten-​free, and carnivore. Literally, this place has something for everyone. All for the low price of $ 5.95 for any option. And they are open to substitutions, changes, and customizations like whoa.
A few outside picnic tables by the river make it a perfect lunch. The only thing missing is a smoked fish sandwich of some sort. I feel like it would be a real winner if they put one on their menu… and not too hard to find the ingredients for it. We’re in Fishtown for Pete’s sake.