PERRY, MI - Bear’s 105 Diner might be Michigan’s most “unexpected” fish fry winner.
It’s located right off the busy I-69 expressway, and it’s attached to the Roadtrip Oasis Sunoco Truck Stop.
Travelers probably have passed it a million times.
“We still get a good amount of truckers, but we get a lot of families and regulars from the community, too,” said owner Jordan Nieto. “We love being able to provide great food and service to a wide range of people.”
Bear’s 105 Diner was the Lansing area poll winner in our search for Michigan’s Best Fish Fry. It won the local poll with 34 percent of the vote, beating out Hard Knocks Food Truck in Grand Ledge, which finished in second place with 28 percent. The voting came down to very last day. (See the full poll results below.)
Bear’s 105 Diner has been open since Jan. 1, 2019, and is the mastermind of Nieto, a former dishwasher at the diner who always had dreams of owning a restaurant.
He has been at the diner for 20 years, working with four different owners, he said.
“I always wanted to own it and make it mine. After 18 years I finally got my chance, so I jumped on it,” said Nieto, a 2003 graduate of Perry High School.
Severing classic diner food from meatloaf to country fried steak, his diner has been a smashing success, especially during the Lenten fish season.
“Our regular fish is cod and during Lent we usually put on a different kind of fish. We have done blue gill, lake perch, walleye, and we have even done Crab Legs,” Nieto said.
“We have always done a fish fry on Fridays, but we do offer a fish basket and a fish dinner on our regular menu.”
His fish fry is so popular that he sells about 90-100 pounds of cod and about 10 pounds of the lake perch, walleye or blue gill on Fridays. He also sells about 20 pounds of butterfly shrimp. Those are huge numbers when you consider he sells about 60 pounds of cod and 10-15 pounds of shrimp when it’s not the Lenten season.
Customers love his fish, especially the batter.
Reader Drew B. said in his nomination to MLive:
“Not too thick and perfectly cooked. The slaw is on point!”
The owner loves hearing the positive feedback.
“I would say what makes our fish so good is our secret seasoned batter and frying it golden brown so it’s not very greasy,” Nieto said. “We get lots of compliments on the flavor of our batter. We do offer baked or grilled cod also if someone would like instead of fried, but we get very few of those orders.
“Usually everyone wants fried. We use a wet batter, but some people do request to have the fish in a dry batter, which we will do for them.”
Oh, and coleslaw is homemade.
“The recipe comes from the person who taught me how to cook 20 years ago,” Nieto said. “We call it ‘Bonnie’s recipe.’ It is a customer favorite.”
Owner Jordan Nieto of Bear's 105 Diner in Perry, Michigan, says they sell about 100 pounds of cod on a busy Friday. Bear's was voted as Michigan's Best Fish Fry in the Lansing area.Courtesy of Jordan Nieto
Bear’s 105 Diner Friday Fish Fry Specials:
#1. 5pc Cod with 2 sides
#2. 2pc Cod with Mac & Cheese and a slice of Texas toast
#3. 8pc butterfly Shrimp with 2 sides
#4. Rotating seafood special.
Where did he come up with the name for his restaurant?
Nieto said it’s an old nickname from his high school days. His friends called him “Bear” or “Bear Claw.”
“I’m a pretty big guy,” he said. “Also, I figured we could use the ‘Bear’ theme for decorating, so I went with that.”
Plus, the Perry exit number off I-69 is - you guessed it, 105.
“So, it became Bear’s 105 Diner,” he said.
Overall, Nieto just appreciates the community support, and his hard-working crew.
“I really would like to thank my wonderful staff, and a special thanks to my family who have gone above and beyond for all of Bear’s 105 Diner’s success these past couple years, and for many more years to come,” he said.
Owner Jordan Nieto of Bear's 105 Diner in Perry, Michigan, with his wife, Mindy. Bear's was voted as Michigan's Best Fish Fry in the Lansing area.Courtesy of Jordan Nieto
Lansing and Central Michigan Poll Results
1. Bear’s 105 Diner, Perry -34.25%
2. Hard Knocks Food Truck, Grand Ledge -28.31%
3. The Tipsy Cow, Elsie - 6.55%
4. Harry’s Place Bar & Grill, Lansing - 4.39%
5. Crossroads Grill and Bar, Leslie - 4.18%
Here are our Monday lunch and dinner specials... Garlic Parmesan salad is amazing. Come and try one of this warmer then usual day! 517-625-5566
Posted by Bear’s 105 Diner on Monday, March 8, 2021
IF YOU GO
Bear’s 105 Diner
3034 Lansing Road, Perry, Michigan 48872
517-625-5566
Hours: 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday, and 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
More info: On Facebook at facebook.com/bears105diner
If you have questions about our search for Michigan’s Best Fish Fry or you want to suggest a future search, feel free to email us.
Amy Sherman: asherma2@mlive.com
John Gonzalez: gonzo@mlive.com
Follow our Michigan’s Best adventures on social media:
@mlivemibest on Twitter
@mlivemibest on Instagram
Facebook at MLiveMIBest.
Join in by using the hashtags #mibest and #BestFishFry for our current search for Michigan’s Best Fish Fry.
In addition:
Amy Sherman is on Twitter @amyonthetrail, as well as Facebook and Instagram @amyonthetrail.
John Gonzalez is on Twitter @michigangonzo, as well as Facebook and Instagram @MichiganGonzo.
Coconut shrimp at Charlie's Bar and Grille in Grand Rapids on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. (Cory Morse | MLive.com) Cory Morse | MLive.com
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The Link LonkMarch 11, 2021 at 07:32PM
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The winner of Lansing area’s Best Fish Fry is located at a truck stop off I-69 - mlive.com
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