At Castaways: A blue Hawaiian, a Cranium Crush and an appetizer to wrestle with along the Kawkawlin River

Castaways, a large place on the water

The hairy guy's report:

On a recent sunny afternoon visit to Castaways, up on the Kawkawlin River, we reflexively asked for a Manhattan, our favorite drink.

Can't do it, said Julie the bartender. No sweet vermouth.

Undaunted and feeling adventurous, we asked Julie to suggest a summer drink. She recommended a blue Hawaiian, which is on the menu's list of specialty drinks. Bring it on, we said, casting abandon to the river. Turns out it's not overly sweet and was a fine choice.

And rather than a burger, we tried an appetizer called Beaver Bites ($8.99) -- which is a plateful of fish chunks, similar to chicken nuggets, with a seasoned breading and a side of something called boom boom sauce.

What's the sauce? "I don't quite know how to explain it, but it's very good," Julie said. We don't know how to explain it either, but the whole thing was good.

(About those Beaver Bites: The menu says a portion goes to the "Charlie Beaver Foundation to help sponsor youth wrestling." An mLive story from a few years ago said Charlie is "considered

Beaver Bites on the menu

the patriarch of Bay County youth wrestling." Sounds worthwhile, but we could find nothing in state licensing records or anywhere else online about a foundation with that or a similar name. An official in the Charitable Trust Section of the state Attorney General's Office called it a potential issue. Emails to the bar and a local youth wrestling group, seeking an explanation, went unanswered. Finally reached by phone, Castaways' owner, Lori Dole, said the bar wants to encourage young wrestlers, is working with a youth wrestling group and donates money for equipment and other expenses. The foundation? "I don't know if there is one or if they're trying to get one," she said.)

Back at the bar, we also dispensed with the usual Bud Light, studied the tap handles and asked for a Cranium Crush cream ale (from Petoskey Brewing Co., $5 a pint) just because the name evokes a fond college-days memory of drinking A&P Cream Ale (yes, from the supermarket

Blue Hawaiian

chain). In retrospect, though, nothing hints at a potential midlife crisis quite like zeroing in on the cream ale part of the name and ignoring the ominous-sounding crushed cranium part.

The beer tap handle called it Cranium Crush cream ale, but we noticed a fruit flavor. Further checking later found that the brew's full name is Cranium Crush Raspberry Waffle Cone Cream Ale (which might not fit on a tap handle) and has actual waffle cones added in the brewing. Geez. One online writer describes it as "a liquid ice cream cone for grownups." Another says it "tastes like a melted raspberry creamsicle siphoned directly into your face through an ice cream cone." Thinking ahead to the legalization of recreational marijuana, that might sound good for a bad case of munchies.

Raspberry beer violates a general personal policy to avoid fruit in beer. But what we didn't know didn't hurt us. And on a day when Beaver Bites and the blue Hawaiian (blue curacao, coconut rum, sour mix and pineapple juice, $7) tasted good, so did this. And nobody's cranium got crushed. (Asking Julie at the bar for another suggestion, we also tried a mai tai; we won't do that again.)

If healthy eating were a concern, we would have tried one of the salads on the large menu, which also has assorted appetizers (loaded tater tot poutine is $9.99), fish, pizza, hamburgers (a basic

Julie behind the bar

burger is $9.99), tacos (pork belly tacos are $12.99), sandwiches, subs and wraps. Wings are 50 cents each on Mondays, though you have to pay extra for sauce.

Speaking of large, that may be the best word to describe Castaways.

It's a large place at State Park Drive and Boy Scout Road, on the north bank of the Kawkawlin, with room for live music and dancing. Large windows look out over the large deck and row of docks along the river. Even the parking lot is large. And the outdoor area has a horseshoe pit (horseshoes are free to use), fire pit, picnic tables and a sand volleyball court. (Volleyball leagues used to use it, says Julie, but it's currently unused.) There's even an outdoor bar.

The place has been there awhile, under various names (Salay's in 1970, Miller's Landing in 1980, Captain Jake's Landing in 1990, Low Tide in 2000 and Maxie's on the Water at some point).

TVs show sports. The men's room is nothing fancy but clean and usable (though one of the urinals is best used only by very tall guys, if you get the drift). 

Business was good even on a couple of Monday afternoons. But it can get packed, especially on Tuesday evenings for bike night and on comfortable weekends. Wednesdays are comedy night.

Sign outside Castaways

Breakfast is served Saturdays and Sundays. Happy hour is 11 a.m.-6 p.m., with $1.50 domestic 16-ounce drafts, $2 domestic bottles and $2 well drinks.

Castaways' hours are 11 a.m.-midnight Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.- 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday and 9 a.m.-midnight Sunday, according to the bar's Facebook page.

But a note about Saturday mornings: The Facebook page says the bar opens Saturday at 11 a.m., but a posting says breakfast is available starting at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. And a sign in the bar the other day said breakfast was 10 a.m. to noon Saturday and Sunday. So we're not sure.

The worst-case scenario would be that you'd have to hang out by the river for a bit on a weekend morning, which wouldn't be a bad way to spend time. Maybe bring something to read, just to be safe. Or you can practice your wrestling moves.

----------
See Doc's report on an afternoon at Castaways: Trivial thoughts, bad jokes

  The particulars:
  Castaways Bay City
  3940 Boy Scout Road
  989-686-3558
  www.castawaysbaycity.com