50 Best American Restaurants in Traverse City

“Amazing! Went in to enjoy breakfast with my girls and couldn’t have been more impressed. The food is to die for!! The atmosphere is perfect. The staff is great!. I would highly recommend going in, you WILL NOT be disappointed“

“The food was amazing! We really enjoyed talking to the owner /chef, all around great experience!“

“I grew up in this town but left in 1985. I’ve lived in California since and have eaten at a lot of great restaurants including the Laundry, Chez Panisse, Slanted Door and Mr Chows to name a few. This without a doubt rank's right there. I honestly never thought I’d have a decent thing to eat in this town other than bar food but now I know exactly where it is. If you’re hungry for something exceptional look no further. I have never liked mushrooms, but the mushroom toast was my favorite dish. I can’t believe I’m saying it. Thank you Jen and to the staff for a great evening Looking forward to going back.“

“My kids say the pancakes and potatoes are out of this world! Perfectly cooked bacon, fresh squeezed OJ. For those with a more diverse palate don’t pass up on the stuffed pepper. Kimmy took great care of us!“

“Good food, perfect breakfast spot, and great service! Thanks, Sarah, for the friendly smile!“

“A definite hidden gem in TC! Had wonderful breakfast this past Saturday and hopefully the restaurant will be there for years to come.“

“I was a little apprehensive that a food truck at a campground would be good. it was amazing! so glad I had it my last night or I would be eating here every night! note: I had the great northern burger.“

“True diamond in the rough, food is excellent. Can’t wait to go back again. Thank you Peegeo’s!!“

“The food was delicious here. We ordered the pot roast dinner and then lava cake for dessert. The restaurant was clean and the service was great. Lori was our waitress and she was very friendly and helpful. Definitely will eat here again.“

“Amazing food, great vibe! Much needed option on OMP.“

“Culver’s is a great place to eat no matter where you find them. This Culver’s had an amazing friendly staff !! We will be back next year when we visit again from Florida.“

“Outstanding ambiance, service best in town and meal absolutely best in the area , highly recommend“

“my friends and family love Mulligans thanks for the consistent quality!“

“One of my favorite restaurants - it has excellent options for meat lovers (the braised short ribs are delightful) and vegetarians (the quinoa masa cakes are so good)! Don't forget dessert here either.“

“Sleder’s went out of their way to accommodate our large party. Food was delicious and delivered quite quickly!!“

“An absolute gem just a few blocks from our hotel. Even with limited seating that evening due to unexpected staffing shortages, the team handled everything with professionalism and care. The back-of-house staff truly went above and beyond to ensure guests still had an outstanding experience, and it absolutely showed. The food was phenomenal — every dish was flavorful, fresh, and beautifully prepared. The cocktails were equally impressive, unique, and expertly crafted. What stood out most was the level of attentiveness and hospitality from start to finish despite the challenges they were facing. Experiences like this are what make dining in Traverse City so memorable. We will absolutely be back on our next visit!“

“Wonderful customer service!!“

“The food and views were great. We believe the fries were done in duck fat which lended a splendid flavor. Fish and chips tasted great. The rooftop sunset views were wonderful. A rating of 4 only for the fact that you order at the register and then drinks are ordered at the bar which is slightly cumbersome, it works just fine as long as you aren't in the mood for a full service place.“

“Slabtown is one of our must go to stops,everytime we are in TC..the staff are best I've seen ..quality of food top notch ..hot fast ..filling.. no better burger In TC..WISH I HAD A SLABTOWN BY ME...LOL“

“This is the cleanest, nicest Applebee's ever. Staff helped me get settled cuz I needed a wall outlet for my oxygen machine with dead batteries. Then they fixed up a burger with cheese for my service dog. Super staff, manager to hostess and server.“

“Great food! Great Service!“

“Just went to Dons for the first time in 20 years, and it’s as great as I remember! It was my girlfriend’s first time and she’s lived in TC her whole life! Wow!“

“awesome playlist, friendly staff, food pretty good“

“Great , quick meal. Very pleasant staff.“

“I will always recommend J&S to anyone. I love the atmosphere and the friendly staff. The food is excellent and fairly priced. Great portions as well. The family who owns it gives back to the community 10 fold. A million stars all around. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“I forgot to take the other pictures of the other meals but we had the chicken pita, country fried steak x2, and the country breakfast. The waitress was awesome and was very attentive. The food came out in ~15minutes and was delicious. We will be back.“

“Just had the blueberry lemon ricotta pancakes. Wowzers! And she had the corned beef hash and scrambled eggs. Spot on breakfast food, top notch service only means we will be back again very soon! Keep up the hard work!“

“Delicious calamari !! The best I have ever had ! Great service provided Comfortable chairs and atmosphere we love the fires burning outside on the patio Nice date night dinner with my husband“

“The best chicken soup you can get in TC!!!!“

“This place was great! The bloody mary was delicious. We had the spinach dip with pita chips and tortilla chips. Tasted great. The wedge salad was so good. My husband had the chicken tenders and waffle fries which he thought were delicious. The wait staff were so friendly too. We will definitely be back!“

“It’s worth your salt to try Identity Brewing. Your first impulse may be to say “What’s up with the biscuit sandwiches?” Biscuits is a clever choice. They taste good. And they maintain their structural integrity when stacked with cuban, club, veggie, and chicken fixins’. That’s as opposed to, say, the buns used by Traverse City hot dog joints, which fall apart before they’re half eaten. Try the Chicken Cordon Bleu biscuit sandwich. Pair it with a pint of Strait Up if you like an IPA, or Amanda’s Folly if you prefer a soft blonde ale. And if you visit Identity between the rushes, chat with the staff. They’re good eggs. The guy we talked with has some of the best body art I’ve seen since the Navy. The gal will tell you she’s got a tat, too. Fair warning: she doesn’t. She gets tickled when she tells men she has a tattoo, then sees their eyes roam across her neck, hands, and ankles looking for it.“

“Just had the blueberry lemon ricotta pancakes. Wowzers! And she had the corned beef hash and scrambled eggs. Spot on breakfast food, top notch service only means we will be back again very soon! Keep up the hard work!“

“Great little place in Traverse City! They have a good variety of tasty beers and the pizza was delicious!“

“Best burger and fries in Traverse City!“

“We enjoyed breakfast yesterday and wanted to give a big shout out to Rae!! She was super cool, and she did a great job on a busy Saturday morning!“

“I was disappointed today when dining at Reflect Bistro for our 49th anniversary. We made a reservation and mentioned our anniversary. The person taking the reservation said he would note about the anniversary. We ordered an appetizer, I had a salad & the Pepperdelle, husband had seafood pot pie. The calamari appetizer was totally different than when we ordered it in the past. It had a spicy sauce drizzled all over it and a pile of arugula on top. The salad was good, but probably 1/2 the size it used to be & not enough dressing. Couldn’t get the server’s attention to ask for more dressing. The pot pie was1/2 the size it used to be, had just a small triangular piece of crust on top of a soup of gravy, peas & corn with 2 scallops, 2 shrimp & a small piece of lobster. The price was $5 more than last time. So you get the picture, 1/2 size of previous portion, fillers of greens to make it look larger & Increased prices. My Pepperdelle had fresh spinach leaves piled on one side of the bowl, the bowl was about 1/2 the size it used to be & the seafood in it was much less than before & the price was raised. Unfortunately we will be writing this restaurant off of our list of favorites from now on.“

“Best Burger in Traverse City!!! I had the Lumberjack burger yesterday for lunch. It was juicy. Mouth watering. Big burger for the price . No frozen meat patty. It was all Fresh!!!“

“We took our daughter snow tubing for her 12th birthday 🎂 the girls had a blast! The fire pit was perfect for adults. The hike down is a little sketchy, but we made it. THANK YOU to the amazing employees! You guys are the best“

“Amazing server and food!!“

“Have been buying Asiago Roasted Garlic bread for years. Great Bread toasted loaded with real garlic cloves. However the last loaf lacked any Garlic at all. Very disappointed is this the new norm to be expected or was this an aberration? The latter I would hope otherwise we will be opting for a new bakery. Have a nice day ?☀️“

“This place is awesome!got us in last minute the start of restaurant week!!3 course was absolutely fantastic!the BBQ chicken pizza delicious!???? cheesecake on point.would give more stars if possible.???????“

“everything exelent to me and wife, lobster and clam chowder soup roles , coffee“

“I was staying there do to my significant other in the hospital for a motorcycle accident. There was a few housekeepers there I talked to personally and I want to tell everyone what a amazing job they did to make sure all of our needs were met, as of fresh towels, blankets, and what ever else we needed.. thanks again and God bless each and everyone of you..“

“Enjoyed our meal and the service was great!“

“We wanted to leave a review thanking the bartender with the glasses, who controlled the music. We didn’t catch his name, but his service was above and beyond. He consistently made sure we were comfortable with the men who sat down next to us at the bar, which may not sound like the biggest deal, but as women it’s a luxury to be able to enjoy ourselves while knowing there was someone looking out for us. To that bartender, thank you for being the kind of man women can feel safe around. And you have GREAT taste in music and make a mean vodka soda.“

“I love big boy I love eating there. They have the best food every“

“Love the atmosphere! Staff is amazing. If you are in Traverse City, it’s a must!“

“Great food and comfortable atmosphere“

“We made reservations months in advance for my sister’s rehearsal dinner, so it was disappointing to arrive and find out our party couldn’t be seated together as planned. Since it was such a special occasion, being separated wasn’t ideal. I appreciated the apology and the complimentary first round of drinks, and thankfully everything worked out in the end once tables opened up nearby. I just wish there had been more communication ahead of time regarding large party seating and a little more effort to help find a solution when we arrived.“

“Great food and atmosphere!“