50 Best American Restaurants in Traverse City

“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.“

“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.“

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

“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!“

“The Paella, the pork chop, the Walleye were all excellent. I'm going bak“

“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“

“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.“

“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.“

“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“

“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.“

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

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

“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.“

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

“Wonderful customer service!!“

“awesome playlist, friendly staff, food pretty good“

“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!“

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

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

“Great food! Great Service!“

“Visiting from out of state and loved it! We went for the atmosphere, but the food ended up being really tasty. Sometimes “diner” food can be a bit bland when restaurants cut corners, but Randy’s was flavorful with big portions. The bacon wasn’t too thin, the potatoes were fried just right, and the eggs were golden yellow.“

“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!“

“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!“

“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. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“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!“

“Best burger and fries in Traverse City!“

“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!!!“

“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“

“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!“

“This place was amazing the waitress was also very nice her name was Elise R the manager stopped by a few times also to check on us so that was amazing
And like I found the frie that with from the wine at the volume up my hand to the top of my pinky. It was amazing I love the service I love everything about it but the atmosphere was just a tiny bit loud .. o that was part me. Lol 19 stars. I recommend“

“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!“

“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.“

“The wings, the breaded mushrooms…. What more could you dream about 😮‍💨🤍“

“Amazing server and food!!“

“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.“

“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 ?☀️“

“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“

“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“

“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 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..“

“Great , quick meal. Very pleasant staff.“

“Just recently took a trip here and it is a lovely place. Our server was super friendly and attentive! My boyfriend liked his Cuban sandwich and the french fries were yummy. Unfortunately, I did not care for my pasta. It has a weird taste that I couldn’t quite put my finger on.“

“Would I recommend? Hmm. Our server was great ( I wish I got her name) but she was overwhelmed and they were under staffed. The food? Not great. Everything was overdone. The cornbread was dry. I ordered the seared tune salad and the tuna was more medium well. The music could have been a little more upbeat for a weekend. While we all ( a party of 6) ate our food, it wasn’t the greatest. It may have just been an off night, every restaurant has some. I felt bad for our server. She was such a sweetheart. She can’t control the cooking staff or management. Management needs to learn that they need to take better care of their staff to make sure that patrons experience is above satisfied. Will I come back? Maybe. But it might be a long while? Will I recommend? If someone asks me about I will be honest. Will I come out and say you have to go there? No. But I won’t discourage anyone from trying it.“

“Great food and atmosphere!“

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

“First x mas alone in a new city staff was so helpful and picked me out a dinner that I am proud to show off and can’t wait to eat!!!“