Restaurant of the Week: Mom’s memory lives on at Earla’s in Marenisco

MARENISCO, Mich. (WJMN) — A small but mighty team keeps Earla’s in Marenisco running.

“I bought it eight years ago,” said Christine Longley, Owner of Earla’s. “So I named it after my mom, Earla, because she taught me everything I know. Before I started, I never waitressed before, I never worked in a kitchen before. I just knew I like to cook and keep stuff clean. So that’s how we got the name Earla’s and the rest is history.”

Between Longley, Evelyn Martis and some helping hands now and then, they bring keep this café and laundromat moving for people to enjoy a bite to eat in Marenisco.

“We do a great breakfast,” said Longley. “The breakfast burritos. If you look online, they’re topped with homemade sausage gravy. We have country fried steak, and they’re all big portions. Then lunch, burgers and everything else. Then fish fry starts at 3:00 p.m. on Friday. So we’re really busy with customers and we have to really move fast.”

“There’s no time for nothing,” added Martis.

Some of their favorites are unlimited bread and delicious pizzas made with a secret ingredient you can only get below the Mackinac Bridge.

The guests that come to enjoy aren’t just locals. This duo loves seeing the people who come in from all over.

“There are people that live on a lot of the lakes in Wisconsin and they come every week,” said Longley. “I’ve been told that it’s the best fish fry in the U.P. by many of them. You can’t beat it, so really good reviews online.”

We get a lot of people they just love coming in,” added Martis.

With a laundromat inside, you can also get some chores done while enjoying a delicious meal.

“We had ATVs come in and there was about eight or nine of them, and it poured down rain,” said Martis. “This little girl come in just screaming and crying and carrying on because she was so wet. I said, ‘There’s a laundromat over there. Just go through the door.’ And they said, ‘Really?’ They came back, ‘Oh my God, there’s a laundromat. We can eat, we can dry our clothes.'”

Food, laundry, laughs and friendship is what Earla’s is all about.

“we get along perfect,” said Martis.

“We do,” added Longley. “We laugh a lot.”

Earla’s is open Thursdays and Fridays from 7:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 7 am -Noon. They say they would be open more days of the week if they had more help.

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