30 Best Bars in Traverse City

“We loved taproot!! Food was amazing.! Great for gluten free and vegan. Even had a small dog menu! Our pup had a burger for dinner and our waitress was fantastic and welcoming to us and our dog! Thanks for a great experience! We will be back“

“Great experience with our skipper Jamie and the Tera John spirit of the waters cruise“

“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!“

“Good location fun can bring dog“

“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“

“Best burger and fries in Traverse City!“

“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.“

“Great! Love the tofu scramble. Re potatoes- suggestion: they used to be better; now to small, get overcooked too easily. No flavor.“

“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!“

“If you have a pup, this is the place to be. We took our 11-month-old puppy out for her first time. All the other dogs were very friendly and greeted her at the door. Then they went outside for a good romp in the big yard. The humans were also quite friendly and welcoming. It has a very cozy and welcoming atmosphere. There were a good number of beers on tap and tasty creative holiday drinks. We will definitely return.“

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

“Always have a great time here!“

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

“Great place to get food and beer, shoot some pool and meet people“

“The Beacon Lounge definitely has the best views of downtown Traverse City. The lounge itself is a bit small, but it’s quite pleasant and is nice for conversation. The drink list is pretty extensive, and I enjoyed the two cocktails I ordered. I was a bit distracted by an occasional light flicker which I hope they get rid of quickly, but the place has a nice relaxed atmosphere and a great view. It can get quite busy in the evening, so getting a table might take a little time too. It’s definitely a great spot to end a night out.“

“Fish tacos are the best! Awesome spot for a boat cruise to grab a beer and a bite.“

“This is a good brewery restaurant in a fantastic location. The drive up is beautiful and the sunset over the bay is spectacular. It’s worth coming just for the location.

For food mushroom pizza was delicious—chewy, fluffy crust, bechamel sauce, and mushrooms. The nachos were so so—chips with a big pile meat and cheese just in the middle.

The beer is great. I tried La Roja, which is a barrel aged sour amber ale. It’s different from most other beer and worth trying if you’re open to wild fermented, sour beer.

The service was fine but busy. My waitress served like barely had time to take my order, but she was friendly.“

“Went to Kilkennys after work to watch the world cup and have a drink. Everyone behind the bar was super attentive to our needs and we had a fantastic time.

The couple next to us were insufferable. The wife kept drunkenly complaining about the Brussel sprouts, asking for napkins that were within arms reach, and threw a fit over missing silverware instead of simply asking for some. Hats off to kilkennys bar staff for handling the couple as professionally as humanly possible, I cant say id be able to to the same in their shoes.“

“Great food and atmosphere!“

“Teagan was amazing! Very friendly and attentive to our needs. She was always coming to our table to checkup on us. Best waitress I ever had ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️! We had such a good time that we came back the next night. The food was great too!“

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

“Great food! Great Service!“

“As a Traverse City local and a regular at North Bar, I can't recommend this spot enough! The rotating seasonal cocktails are always a highlight, keeping things fresh and exciting with every visit. The staff here is simply amazing—friendly, knowledgeable, and always making you feel welcome. Whether I'm popping in for a casual drink or meeting up with friends, the atmosphere is always spot-on, offering just the right vibe for any occasion. North Bar has become my go-to, and I’m always looking forward to the next visit. If you're in TC, you absolutely need to check it out!“

“What a great meal and service! Would eat here again. When we walked into the place for the first time, I questioned whether we’d made the right choice. Decor was a bit dated, it’s clearly a hotel restaurant, and the atmosphere didn’t give encouraging vibes that we were going to get anything but a basic dinner. Wow, was I wrong! We sat outside, which means we had to order from the bar (they told us in advance that it would be self service outside, and we were fine with that because the weather was so nice). Sarah D, the bartender, took our order at the bar. We then went outside to our table, and Sarah took care of us the rest of the evening. She brought out our appetizer, then our entrees, checked back to see if we needed refills, and even talked us into dessert. She was an absolute pleasure and certainly went above and beyond for us in our “self service” dining area.
As for the food: we got some wontons that were on special with a cherry chili sauce which was good enough to eat with a spoon even after the wontons were done. The wontons themselves were a bit small, but were tasty. For our entrees, we got the canadian walleye and the pesto salmon. The walleye came with a beurre blanc sauce that tasted great with the fish, and even better when soaking the smashed potato in it. The pesto salmon was equally as good. These were of the quality I’d expect at a higher end restaurant, there was nothing basic about them.
Sarah told us about the desserts, and we went with a grilled strawberry short cake. Hit the spot perfectly. I asked for a cup of coffee to have with dessert since I had a long drive ahead of me that night, and Sarah offered it in a to-go cup and even topped it off before I left. What great service, thank you Sarah D!

In summary: great food, great service, would definitely eat here again.“

“we went on the training days. very good food and the servers were friendly“

“This is my new favorite place in TC. All the staff were so kind, everything was delicious, we got great service even though it was cold, windy & we were the only ones on the patio. Absolutely made our Mother's Day outing a real treat.“

“I almost didn't come here due to the rating and reviews... maybe I just came on an off day, but my fam and I had a nice dinner here. Food was priced fine, we were seated immediately (630 on a Friday, fam of 4).

May was our server and she was awesome. Food was pretty solid as well (I had prime rib). My wife had pasta which she seemed to like. Our kids were hopped up on sugar so who knows.

Either way, management needs to focus on rebuilding their trust (encouraging people to leave reviews more) because while some of these reviews are recent, many seem to be from a time of when it was really bad I guess.“

“We have been seasonal in South Haven for 4 years and we are always looking for a great spot. Stopped in tonight and we were just blown away by the service, environment, menu ,drinks and the food!! The food was amazing , fresh and abundant! Our bartender Megan was exceptional and so attentive and a great representation of your restaurant!!! Cheers!!! Also the hostess was so great!!“

“The place was everything I hoped it would be. My first time out in public in my feminine state and they welcomed me right in. It took the anxiety right out of the equation. The bartender “Mandy” was the best. She was so warm and friendly it made me feel like I had found my home. I will definitely be going back soon especially for the cosmopolitans that Mandy makes they totally hit the spot. Love this place and can’t wait to go back again. I may even become a regular.“