Restaurant of the Week: Elk & Hound in Ironwood

IRONWOOD, Mich. (WJMN) – We’re heading out to the western U.P. for this edition in our Restaurant of the Week series, where we learned about Elk & Hound in Ironwood.

Located near the Gogebic Country Club, Elk & Hound is a long-running restaurant inside a former Elks Lodge. I spoke with Jed Boydston, who owns and operates the restaurant with his wife Jami, a former restaurant owner for ten years. They purchased the building and began operation of the restaurant in October 2022.

Boydston says he had envisioned owning a restaurant for many years, but never had the right opportunity. After living in the U.P. for nearly a decade, the Elk & Hound came available for purchase and the pair decided to take the plunge.

Since taking over, Boydston says they’ve put their own spin on the menu. In addition to regular items, they also experiment with different dishes and varieties of flavors in their offering so there’s something new to try each time you stop in.

Check out some of their offerings below:

Signature Dish

Elk & Hound serves a variety of fish options. Boydston says their most popular signature dish are their walleye cheeks. Available as either an appetizer or entrée, they serve an eight-ounce portion of the cheeks boiled and served in a garlic butter parmesan sauce.

Another signature item are their fish tacos, which Boydston says he has been working to perfect for years. They are toped with a corn pico, sesame ginger soy-based slaw with cabbage and fresh lime, garlic chili aioli. The fish is fried in a citrus-infused panko breading, and served in a puffy taco.

Overlooked Items

While Boydston says they don’t necessarily have any overlooked items on offer, one unique item that stuck out in our conversation is their sweet twist on a Yooper staple: a Reese’s Peanut Butter Pasty, made with a buttery pie crust and filled with the iconic peanut butter cups, served with vanilla ice cream with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle on top. You may have to stop in early to get one, though, as Boydston says they have a tough time keeping the pasties stocked.

Additional Information

In addition to their more experimental offerings, Elk & Hound also features regular special on certain days, including fried white fish on Fridays and hickory smoke prime rib on Saturday. They also feature a soup and salad bar throughout the day. Boydston says he and his wife both have fond memories of trying new types of food from the salad bar when they were kids, and decided to bring it back after seeing it offered at fewer and fewer restaurants over time.