Northern Michigan: Onaway’s Ma’s Diner

Sep 13

Nothing beats the food and atmosphere of a small town diner. You can always tell the home cooked, scratch made food that is from the heart. Ma’s Diner in Onaway is no different. They opened their doors in 2023 and are going strong today. They open daily at 4:30 for all the early birds who want to get in before they have to get to work.

Being a small town diner, as you would expect it only seats 40-50 people. There are cute “seasonal” decorations throughout. The tables, chairs, plates and cups are all different which adds to the “down home” feeling this place has. The cabinets behind the counter are old kitchen cabinets from a house which gives you the feeling of being in someone’s kitchen.

The staff was super friendly and service, as well as the food, was outstanding. On top of their menu of great breakfast, lunch and dinner items, they offer daily specials and lots of homemade desserts. Plus they have a nice selection of ice cream to choose from.

They also make homemade bagels which you don’t see at many places.

I have to take a moment to talk about the cakes. While we didn’t get the chance to try them they look absolutely fantastic. Scratch made and always something different and only $4 a slice.

They have a deli case where they sell local sourced honey, maple syrup and grab n go cookies, brownies, cup cakes and other various items. But the thing that caught my eye are the dollar bills taped inside the case. They are donated by patrons for specific causes. Maybe you are a single mom, first responder or veteran, or maybe just someone in need. This was heartwarming to see and great for the community. The also are big with community support and have hosted dinners to fundraise for families and local residents in need.

On to our food. There were 5 of us so we got to sample quite a bit of their breakfast menu. I went for Pa’s Breakfast, 3 over easy eggs with bacon and sausage (they get their meat from Plath’s in Rogers City), home fries (cooked with onions) and biscuits and gravy. It was exactly what I was expecting. Perfectly cooked eggs, quality meats, potatoes that you can tell were fresh not frozen and delicious biscuits and gravy. Teresa had the breakfast burrito which she really enjoyed, she’s not a big breakfast eater. Others in our group had the country omelet, homemade corned beef hash and ham & cheese omelet. All the food looked and smelled delicious, if we lived near this place it would be hard not to go there every day. There are so many other things to try, we will need to get back up there again soon.