My husband and I had our rehearsal dinner here and WOW! What a wonderful experience! The food was outstanding, drinks were great, the portions were perfect, and the prices very fair. Our servers for our private room were very attentive and did an incredible job. This is such a great venue to host any kind of event, party, and definitely a rehearsal dinner! Our friends and family have been raving about it ever since. Can't wait to go back! Now we are hoping some of our friends will have their rehearsal dinner there so we can do it all over again! Thanks, Blue Tractor! read more

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Great ambiance, quick and friendly service. Food tasted great. They are taking precautions during covid-19 with 6ft spacing and mandatory mask. read more

Fast service, great barbecue. Mac and cheese is subpar - skip Get the fried pickles! read more

Dined here with friends who have been here several times. Our waitress was great! Huge sense of humor. Pulled pork in several forms along with Mac n cheese and slider burgers all super tasty. Would definitely go here again. Family friendly. read more

Blue Tractor Barbeque - American Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

Yikes. Spend any time in Texas and you'll know that good barbecue can be both inexpensive and delicious, though they mustn't always go together. Unfortunately, the barbecue at Blue Tractor is neither. The service was quick and the menu offerings are appealing, but it falls short of delivering a good barbecue experience, even by Michigan's standards. read more

Blue Tractor is awesome for comfort food of all kinds. We rolled in on a Friday night and were promptly seated. We began with Tractor Twists ($8.95) - hand-twisted bread sticks stuffed with Monterey Jack cheese, topped with herb garlic butter and served with warm marinara sauce. If you like pizza, you'll like these. They were cheesy and warm and basically perfect. For our entrees, we shared a few. Pork Mac & Cheese ($13.95) - house smoked pork shoulder and tangy bbq sauce atop creamy macaroni with smoked gouda béchamel sauce. We liked the pulled pork and BBQ sauce, but the cheese wasn't very flavorful. Kind of a disappointment, honestly. It was a huge portion, though. We still ate a lot of it, I just wish it were cheesier. The 3-Meat BBQ Platter ($19.95) - We went with brisket, pulled pork and the baby back ribs. All were very good and we liked our fries. Oddly, the music at Blue Tractor seemed to be pouring in directly from 1989. This is literally the first time I've heard Prince's "Bat Dance" since the year the Tim Burton Batman movie came out. Also, Richard Marx's "Right Here Waiting." Bizarre. Anyway, if you're looking to destroy your diet with cheese and meat and sauce, Blue Tractor is a great way to do it. It's comfort food done right. read more

Blue Tractor Barbeque - Tractor twists! ($8.95) - American Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

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this is such good bbq dont believe yelp rating all of the above was incredible! I loved the pulled pork Mac n cheese the mashed potatoes and the bbq slider. Drinks were good too. read more

Stopped in for lunch on a whim... food was great, service was fast, staff was friendly! Thumbs up to the pulled pork sandwich and the pulled pork burrito. read more

One of the best BBQ places I have been to in quite awhile. Love to try different types of wings and this place has a nice sweet and smoky dry rub. Really was a great new experience for me who usually prefers a wet sauce either BBQ or Buffalo. Next up was a half rack of ribs smothered in the sweet and smoky BBQ sauce. Messy but oh so good. Our waiter was wonderful and kept us well stocked up on napkins and our drinks topped off. read more

We got the 4 meat platter. The pork was more than half fat and gristle and not much flavor, brisket was a bit tough, ribs were very good and tender. The star, the chicken. We loved the chicken. Also wish they had more sauce options. You only get one. They did replace the fatty pork, but that should have never made it out of the kitchen. Service was excellent read more

We were SO stoked to try this place after tons of recommendations. Our sever was super amazing and so was the hostess. However, the bbq was really underwhelming and super dry. The bbq sauce was very strange and on the more vinegary side if that's your jam. The Mac and cheese had zero taste and was super bland. The smoked wings were really good, though! Maybe it was an "off" night but we most likely won't be back when traveling to Traverse City. read more

2nd best burger in Traverse City!!! I ordered the haystack burger and it didn't fail to impress, the bacon was flavorful but not distracting, the pretzel bun was toasted well, and the chipotle barbecue sauce was on point. My only complaint would be the haystack onions were lacking in flavor and quantity. The service was impressive, my waitress was friendly, courteous, as well as personable. The ambiance was not to my taste which is the primary factor in a 4/5 review rather than a 5/5 star review. Though the atmosphere was a bit "rustic" the food more than made up for it. read more

Blue Tractor Barbeque - Haystack Burger - American Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

Not great, just ok.... I got the soup and half sandwich with the mini Haybailer and chicken corn chowder. The Haybailer has descent flavors that meld well together, but the bacon was undercooked. Chicken corn chowder has gotten progressively worse over the years, too much salt, rosemary and corn, also needs some thickness like an actual chowder. Fries have a mediocre BBQ seasoning with sugar, WHY? KEEP IT SIMPLE, only season with salt and light pepper. Ranch dressing is relatively tasteless with too much dill, needs seasoning salt and onion or shallot and touch of pepper to kick it up, also too runny. The music is loud as well, it's a restaurant, not night club. 3 stars translates into a 60%, that's a D-, just above FAILING. read more

My wife and I had the 3 meat plate of ribs, brisket and pulled pork. Macaroni and cheese, creamed corn, mixed veg plate. read more

Our last evening in TC and we wandered into the Blue Tractor. I ordered a glass of white wine, from Nomad, but had very little flavor and my husband ordered a beer from Grand Armory, pumpkin slappucchino. Beer was a little sweet for him. Ordered food off the appetizer menu, 2 cups of smoked chicken chowder..excellent and dish wish I had ordered a bowl! I also ordered the chicken quesadilla, equally delicious! My husband ordered the chicken wings that were dry rubbed. He loved them! Great meal and service. Definitely a good place for dinner! read more

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We called on Friday night to make a reservation for a large party of 13. This was the only restaurant that would take reservations so this is where we chose to go. Right off the bat, the staff had an attitude stating they don't normally take reservations on a weekend. Their hostess stated we must have spoken to their general manager. This was fine, the restaurant was mostly empty with approximately 8 tables open. Most of our party ordered drinks, minus two people who still wanted to look at the menu. Once they attempted to order, they were told that the manager said they weren't to be served. When the manager came over, she said the server wouldn't serve them. After half our party left, we were told that we lied about our reservation and we chose to leave. The manager and server were rude from the jump. I would never set foot in here again and clearly with how not busy they were.... Nobody else does either. read more

This is one place I try to stop at when in Traverse City. Excellent food, great service, and cold beer. Offered samples from their extensive craft beer selection on draft. Finally choose the Diabolical IPA and enjoyed a great brew. Happy hour is from 3-6pm and you can choose between the three slider and fries or the pepperoni pizza for $5.00. All draft (even the craft) is $3.00. The slider basket is so fresh and good I will keep coming back! Excellent ingredients and quality for the price. I highly recommend and will return Trust. read more

Blue Tractor Barbeque - American Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

Great bbq. You have to try the bbq chicken salad. They have a good selection of beers and ciders.

Wonderful service, excellent drinks and fantastic BBQ! The brisket was fork tender,the pulled pork was tender, smokey and just perfect I had creamy corn. It wasn't like creamed corn in a can, it was thick ( think seasoned creamed cheese) and delish! I highly recommend this place if you want good BBQ! read more

Delicious food and nice beer selection. Neat atmosphere. Brisket sandwich melted in your mouth. Green bean appetizer was yummy. read more

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I had the mac and cheese it wasn't that great kind of runny watered down :( My son had a salad it was okay . The flight of beer was great ! The brisket burger was pretty good on the saucey side read more

My husband and I tried this for our 10 year wedding anniversary on our last night in town. We were not disappointed, everything was delicious! So many things on the menu that sounded delicious it was hard to choose. We went with the pulled pork and half chicken both came in a huge portion, and perfect flavor. The potatoes were to die for. read more

I take no pleasure in writing this, especially given how hard it is to run a business in this day and age, but this had to be one of the most disappointing meals I've had in quite some time. I ordered the BBQ platter with two meats and subbed mac and cheese for fries. For $28 I received one slice of tough brisket and three small, overcooked ribs, rended of all moisture, two ounces of slaw and bland Mac and cheese. Like I said, the restaurant industry is struggling these day but Blue Tractor does itself no favors serving food of this quality. The best I can recommend is that you dine-in so you can insist on better food than what was given to me. read more

Blue Tractor is top notch. The food was amazing. The cheesesteak sandwich was excellent. The pretzel bun and corn chowder was out of this world good. Great service and I highly recommend this restaurant if you're ever in the Traverse City area. read more

Blue Tractor Barbeque - American Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

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It's a beautiful cool holiday weekend here in Traverse City exploring the restaurants. First time visit to this BBQ place. They have quite the offering here from burgers, salads, BBQ & more. We started with the Smoked Pork Cheek Fritters. A smoked pork cheek fried and served with a chipotle aioli. This was very good as one of their appetizers. The majority of our group had the 1/2 slab of slow smoked baby back ribs. Which I loved the smoke flavor, but we all felt that the meat was a little dry. Overall the service was great, very accommodating which our daughter and our wheelchair. They do have al fresco dining and a menu for your pooch. Although they do have a wine menu I would say craft brew is the way to go. With so many local choices to pick from, it's hard to decide. I would return just to try lunch, as I heard the brisket can't be beat. read more

Blue Tractor Barbeque - Cute restaurant coaster - American Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

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We were on our way to camping and wanted to check out Traverse City. We pulled into this off the beaten path restaurant and were pleasantly surprised. We have 4 dogs and The Shed (located in the back of the restaurant) was more than accommodating to them! Food was good but not the most outstanding brisket I've ever had but the sides and bun made up for it. The staff was super friendly as well! We'd go back for sure. read more

Blue Tractor Barbeque - Brisket sandwich truffle salt fries - American Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

This is one of our favorite places to eat when we come to TC. The pulled pork if very good . My daughter really loves their chicken tenders . read more

There was a serious wait, so it had to be good, right? Mostly. We found a seat at the bar and ordered some drinks. A great selection of local brews and some cool mixed drinks. The BBQ was pretty good. I throughly enjoyed my BBQ chicken and ribs. My husband thought the ribs could be more falling off the bone. But he thought his pulled pork and the sauce were pretty great. read more

This is my favorite spot to stop when visiting TC. They offer a fun and friendly atmosphere that's both spacious and clean. Their menu offers variety but everything I've ever ordered has been phenomenal. You can expect great burgers, pizzas, and quesadillas. The service and cocktails will always impress as well! read more

Ate here after finding too long of a wait at our other two picks for dinner on a Friday night. Sat out back and there was a musician playing. Plenty of seating at picnic tables. The table was super dirty with hair and other stuff visible. We asked our server to wipe it down, but that honestly didn't improve it too much. BBQ was just ok. Pulled pork was a little greasy and lacked that true smoked flavor. It seemed more boiled. Ribs were meaty but just ok. Beer list had some good MI brewery picks. Tried a margarita which was awful. Way too sweet and tasted like it was made with a very low end bar mix. Reminded me of cheap college drinks. Stick with beer if you eat here. In my opinion there are much better restaurants in the area. read more

Slightly off the beaten path from the main drag of downtown but worth the walk (which isn't that bad) if you're parking downtown. Great BBQ & friendly staff, fun casual environment. Our waitress whose name I don't remember was fun & personable and really helped enhance the experience. After devouring the fried pickles three of us split the 4 meat platter and a few sides and it ended up being the perfect amount of food. Left feeling full & satisfied. Would for sure recommend. read more

Great BBQ. Flavorful. Smoky. Not too sweet, not too salty. The portions were great. I had a BBQ burger. While it was quite traditional, it hit all the marks with seasoning, cook, and toppings. This would be 5/5 but for the warm beer that Blue Tractor served me. read more

Awesome BBQ with Friendly staff and quick service. Ordered Platter that comes with 4 meats shredded Pork, Ribs, Chicken and smoked pork . Ribs were so tender and rest of the meats were great too. Pros: --------- Good cider options Inexpensive plAtter Clean restroom Street parking read more

We ate at the Blue Tractor in 2015, the food was much better, the ribs and chicken fell off the bone. However, our food this time, in 2023, it was so spicy that you couldn't eat it, the ribs and chicken was not as good this time. Clearly they were not slow cooked for 12+ hours. We were so disappointed. read more

This is pretty much your typical barbecue joint- good food, but nothing too special. I ordered the pork mac and cheese, and the barbecue was a little too tangy for my taste. The fries were very odd and almost sweet, more like a sweet potato fry. The grilled cheese my brother ordered was very good. The service and playlist were good, but like I said, the food wasn't really anything special. read more

When we visited Blue Tractor in the fall 2020 the roof top was closed so we opted for the The Shed Beer Garden outside behind the restaurant, inside was open but we wanted to be outside, If you want to enter from the back, there's a parking structure adjacent to it or you can park in the lot across the street, either way you'll walk several hundred ft. Great! ambience, from the 1955 Chevy beer truck, the big fire pits, the big flat screen TV's, the very big picnic tables and the joyful chatter of happy patrons. All of the food is to die for, started with Clam Chowder, the Brisket was tender and juicy, Green beans were tasty, the Ribs lived up to Blue Tractor's ballyhooed reputation, loved that you you can order just half a slab and not have to order the whole slab. We went a little overboard and ordered Wings & Fingers. To my amazement!, all of our food came out from the inside of the restaurant steaming hot! Hat's off to the staff - the Managers, the Cook's, and the wait staff for being so organized and in sink with each other's responsibility re: customer satisfaction. Food portions were in such generous amounts, I was forced to drink copious amounts of Craft Beers ( Shed Draft ) to wash it all down. Server Crystal was phenomenal!!!, she poised for us, she's a self proclaimed Kelly Cuco lookalike. Kudos! to Blue Tractor, we can't wait to return. read more

Visited on Friday the 18th of March2022 after hearing the walleye fish and chips was back. Service was outstanding, Katie was awesome, our water and drinks never went empty. The appetizers arrived quickly and were great. The entree was not. The breading on the fish was greasy and soft, the seasoning on the fries was excessive for my taste. Everyone else at the table enjoyed their meals, including another that had the walleye, so it is my personal taste that had the issues, though the seasoning on the fries was also mentioned as excessive. We had gift cards that BT would not split leaving a balance on the card, so we had to pay a balance on our credit card, just a nuisance and something I surprised by. read more

We love Traverse City and visit several times a year. After looking at the online menu we were excited to try this place out. Uggh, no. What a mistake. Horrible food, mediocre service, so disappointing. Their chicken with "roasted" veggies were so raw the carrots were impossible to bite through, anyone wanting BBQ don't waste your $$ with this reheated, rubbery nightmare. Manager deliberately skipped our table while doing his walkabout the restaurant. Yup, he sensed it. So many better restaurants in TC, heck Taco Bell would have been a better experience. No worries in a city with many winners we'll know better next time. read more

Was in Michigan for the first time in my life and staying in Traverse City. I think I drove a good 15 minutes to get here from my hotel, but it was worth it. I was actually happier with the supersized glass of beer they recommended, but since I was at a BBQ joint...I ordered BBQ and it was spot on. read more

Never a disappointment yet!! The BBQ is real deal smokey and tasty Not sure why yelp wants such a long review this place is good what more can you say read more

Blue Tractor Barbeque - American Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan