Sunset Grille is located in Washington Park in Michigan City, IN. The beachfront restaurant and bar is a great place to stop by during the day, or at the end of for a beautiful place to wind down.
“We are excited to see everybody that we see from summer to summer,having them come up and how excited they're going to be to have the entertainment back and being able to cook up here,” said General Manager Julia Krause. “It's going to be a lot of fun and we just love to watch everybody come back and have the fun that we know they can.”
Sunset Grille opens at 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday. During the day, beneath the rooftop bar, they vend food and drink to beachgoers.
“On the lower pavilion, we do private events,” said Krause. “The parks departments worked with us to be able to do that out downstairs. We can do small groups on the roof of up to 40 people.”
Sunset Grille is a space created with utility in mind. Almost any time of day, there is a reason to head to Sunset Grille.
“We have live music on Tuesdays and Sundays. It's small; it's not large bands. Sunday's are a more three-piece type of music, and then on Tuesdays, it's more acoustic,” Krause said.
Bringing back music with Sunset Grille’s new upgrades means that patrons can eat, drink, and relax along with local talents. Future acts include Hazzard County, Marty Q, Eran Troy Danner, and 3 G Band.
“We're able to cook up here now,” said Krause. “So it's more interactive. People love watching the staff and you can see everything they do. We tried it a couple of years ago, but then we had to make some enhancements to be able to continue it. Patrons have really enjoyed it in the past.”
While the sun is still up, the rooftop bar is calm and beautiful. A breeze comes from the lake bringing cooler air, while the newly added shades block the sun on harsher days. The sunset is the true attraction of the rooftop.
“Up here, everybody's here for the sunset,” Krause said. “That’s when the cameras come out. Everybody's sitting here waiting for that 15 to 20 minutes because it's breathtaking. Downstairs during the day, we have the concession so all the beachgoers can get refreshments.”
People who are from the Region have seen the sunset at the Lake, but not like this. Capturing the landscape of the Dunes and nearby Marina is drastically different from watching the sunset from the shore.
“The whole vibe up here and the view and it’s like you're not even in Michigan City,” said Krause. “It's like you're on the ocean somewhere. We just love being able to create that ambiance here.”
Sunset Grille’s new upgrades are worthy to visit for past patrons and a must-see for those who have never been. No matter how often one has seen the sunset at the beach, watching from Sunset Grille is a different experience, creating new feelings even for those who grew up in the Region.
For more information on Sunset Grille, visit sunsetgrilleatthebeach.com.
