I think the two premier burgers spots in Traverse City are Slabtown Burgers and Glendale Burger Shop and in my opinion, Glendale wins by a landslide. Insanely good smashburgers, perfectly cooked fries, and simpler menu that makes a few things really well. I had their version of a patty melt along with some Parm fries. My wife wasn't super impressed with the olive burger, but we loved the vibe and would definitely come back again when we're in TC. read more

Glendale Burger Shop - The Laura, The Patricia (patty melt), fries, and Parm fries - Burgers Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

We gave Glendale Burger Shop a shot this weekend and they delivered a great smash burger and nice fries! The Oliver (triple) was exactly what I'd been craving in a Michigan-style olive burger. The pimento olive spread was generously slathered on to the crispy lacey-edged smash burger patties topped with Swiss cheese on a nicely toasted brioche bun. The olive spread was perfect...just enough to be bursting with flavor, but not so overpowering that it dominated the entire burger. The fam tried The Junction and The Laura, both on lightly toasted Gluten Free buns. The Junction (Glendale's version of the classic Oklahoma onion burger) was very good, and the GF bun was met with positive reviews. Glendale even offers GF fries, which were excellent (their normal fries are seasoned & battered; but the GF fries were a bit better). If you're looking for a thicker, juicier burger, this is not your place. These are straight up paper thin, crispy smashers. And if that's what you're looking for, I'd recommend no less than a double, if not a triple. Drink selections include bottles of various Northwoods sodas, sparkling water, and other choices from the cooler. Glendale presents as an old-school diner, with cool decorations and some posters of Saginaw heritage (the owner's roots). Speaking of the owners...the lady working the register and delivering food to everyone was one...and she was super sweet and nice. It made for a great experience right out of the gate as we were figuring out what we wanted to order. You walk up to the counter and order, then they deliver to your table; or you can sit on a stool at the counter, just like a classic diner. Plenty of seating, but when they get busy, it fills up quickly, yet the service remains fast for the cooked-to-order burgers & fries. Décor is fun (they have a Big Boy!) & fitting for the diner vibe. The entire place is extremely clean and well kept. Pride of ownership shines through in the entire experience. read more

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What a spot! We had heard about smash burgers being a thing so we had to see for ourselves and this place was excellent. Really really really good burgers, old style interior and right up next to the water! Kind staff as well with no wait read more

What a cute burger shop! We stopped by for some burgers and fries. We each ended up getting the junction burger with smashpatties smeared in mustard, onions, and pickles. We shared the parm fries. They are so good! Washed the meal down with a Vernor's. The front of house service was excellent and so personable. It was a friendly and delicious experience! read more

Glendale Burger Shop - Junction Burger - Burgers Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

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Place gets packed quick! So try to get here a little before the dinner rush, specially if you want a table. We tried 4 of their burgers and wow! All of them were amazing! I loved their fries with the cheese and sauce on top a lot! Definitely upgrade for them it's worth it. Will be back for sure everytime we'll be in that part of town! read more

Glendale Burger Shop - Burgers Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

These smash burgers are insanely good! I got a double patty temple burger -- highly recommend! The cashier answered all our question, was super friendly, and the food came out quick! Only recommendation would be to add some milkshakes to the menu. I hope to be back when I'm in town! read more

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Smashburgers? Yes, please. We stopped here for lunch and got some extremely delicious burgers and the Parm Fries were tasty and quite messy. Service is at the counter, mega friendly, and they deliver your order to the table. It's old school inside, and cozy, but we didn't have to wait for a seat at noon. The patties are thin, with a crispy halo, and awesome tasting. I highly recommend Glendale for your burger needs. read more

Glendale Burger Shop - Temple Burger - Burgers Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

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Great spot! Quick service! Delicious burgers and fries! Very clean. We will be back soon!

It's a pretty small place with only a few places to sit, and difficult for a large group. When we got there, there was a long line, and most people were getting takeout. Only one person was taking the orders and serving the people dining in at the same time. As a result, even getting the orders in can take a while. The food is great though. Excellent smashed burger and fries are good too. read more

Glendale Burger Shop - Burgers Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

If you love burgers, this place is for you. This burger is a good size with. Double patty smash burger with lots of pickles and cheese. It was so good, we can't wait to go back. Price is good. Customer service was great. Quality was great. Highly recommend read more

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Stopped in here for lunch. Was a busy place with limited seating. I ordered the Patricia burger and small fries. Both were delicious! The burger was seasoned well on top of Texas toast and paired well with a side of Hugo- similar to Thousand island. The fries were crisp and had a Good flavor. Will definitely be back! read more

Glendale Burger Shop - Fries - Burgers Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

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I have talked about these burgers at least 6 times since our vacation ended a month ago. The Junction Burger is one of the best burgers I've ever had. It was juicy and filling and perfect. The mustard sear and plentiful pickles gave this burg such a punch, I wanted more. The shop is small and gets busy, but the staff does a great job filling orders quickly. It's worth the wait. We also tried the Parmesan Fries (yum!) and Onion Dip (double yum!) read more

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Better than most, but not off the charts. Kitschy retro ambiance, brightly lit place with fun music. Pretty simple menu, love that. Fries are nice and hot, lightly battered and seasoned. Smash burgers are good, but messy. I wanted to love it, but I just like it. Can a smash burgers be good but still nothing special? There is a fair amount of burger competition in this town, so maybe because the bar is pretty high, I'm not super blown away? Friendly service, fair prices, fast turn around. Giving four stars for the overall experience. Not bad, better than average, but I'm a tough customer. 3 1/2 stars for the burger and fries, honestly. Try it for yourself though. read more

Glendale Burger Shop - Temple and Patricia burgers with a large fries. Huge burgers and fries! - Burgers Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

I try to eat here once every time in the area. The flavors are amazing and the food always comes out perfectly prepared. This is a must try restaurant. read more

Glendale Burger Shop - Snakebite and Temple - Burgers Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

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Small shop on the edge of the city. Order at the counter type place. Seating is limited, so be prepared. Service was good. Food was excellent. I had the Laura which was smash patties, onions and a delightful horseradish sauce. Well seasoned meat and a soft bun. The fries were crisp and had a great crunch. Can't miss out on this one. As the sign inside said, "Love, peace, and burger grease!" read more

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Got the Halloween Casper burger, easily the best burger ive ever gotten from a restaurant. Will be bringing folks here in the future. My lady lover got the veggie italian sub and as far as a vegetarian sandwich goes, i'd consider ordering it myself. All and all a great spot! read more

Fun little burger spot. Great burgers. Friendly staff and great recommendations!! Highly recommend!! read more

Great smash burgers and fries. Everything we come they are consistently great! Always fun decor for the season.

AMAZING burgers!!! It was super busy when we went so we had to wait a bit for our food, but it was well worth it. Lots of unique burger options but they also have standard burgers if that's what you want. Will definitely be back! read more

Good for a certain style, but uneven. Order a double patty because one is too little meat, too thin, and they only work because of the toppings. I prefer uncoated fries - these aren't - and less oily. read more

Good burger but there are better. Parm fries are a definite yes. Across from the bay. I know this is picky but some outdoor seats would be cool. read more

I just got fries. I don't eat cows. Fries were outstanding. I had the Parm ones. I could finish maybe 3/4 of it, definitely sized to share. Peace. read more

Local favorite. Divey vibe. If you like smash burgers,, you'll like The Glendale. Parking is a little tight, because there's a lot of customers. Seating is limited so you should be prepared to take your food to go. Service was good, friendly and efficient. However, be prepared to wait. There was a line the entire time we were inside. The person taking the orders also brings the food to you and buses the tables/counter. A nice selection of soda is available from the freezer. Definitely worth the visit if you're in Traverse City. read more

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Awesome smash burger can't complain, highly recommend the cheese fries. Loved the atmosphere, felt like a time capsule

Burgers are delicious. The ambiance is a total vibe. Would make for a cool movie scene to be shot read more

Glendale Burger Shop - The temple - Burgers Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

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Second attempt to get in and finally had success. Pack your patience but worth the wait. Delicious burgers and fries. read more

Glendale Burger Shop - Burgers Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

Cool little place. Very hip vibe and nice staff, interesting concept. The burgers are a little too crisp/overdone (didn't think it possible in an Oklahoma smashburger). I'd prefer the patty to be more chewy and less crispy. Somewhat overrated in my book. My wife had a veggie sandwich which I thought was actually better. I'll be back for a second try requesting medium rare, not well done-but probably not for a while..... read more

Stopped in to grab a sub before going on a hike. I got the Italian veggie and it was amazing! Very messy - so it didn't fit in my plans to throw it in my backpack and eat on the trail - but the messiness is what made it delicious so no complaints! Will definitely be back to try a plant based smash burger! read more

What a treat walking into this quaint smash burger shop! Everyone was friendly, our orders were taken quickly and the food was served up fast and hot. Fun burger shop with great burgers! Will be back. read more

WOW! This place is beyond quirky, fun and unique! My friend and I saw a TikTok about this and had to give it a go! Well, we went to Heaven, if that's possible with a burger shop! It's this little building heading North out of Traverse City! The staff were very friendly, inviting and so helpful! The burgers-NO WORDS but YUM! So good! And the Parmesan fries, if you don't get them you are not smart, I won't use the 'D' word, they are delish! Do yourself a favor and try it the next time you are in the area, you won't be sad! Also the pop, it's local and you can buy it at Tom's Supermarket just down the way! read more

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Food was fantastic! The owner is the chef and these burgers are to die for! Highly recommend!

Awesomely unique little local burger shop just off the main road. Was able to get a delicious Pimento smash burger with a gluten free bun and tasty Parmesan GF fries. Great seating and tons of unique ambiance. The cashier was really helpful and cheerful. read more

Glendale Burger Shop - Burgers Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

Very thin paper like smash burger. A whopper or Big Mac is 100 x better! Sorry - I wanted it to be better. read more

Service is great, very nice folks. Very clean, family oriented, great atmosphere. Not a huge menu just right everything on it is very good. Give it a try, we recommend it!!!! community read more

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Excellent service, diner like atmosphere, order at counter, take a seat. The pastrami, the temple, double cheeseburger, parm fries, ALL Excellent! read more

Great vibes and great burger !!!! Shakedown and heiiebfbfbfbf - not sure if this 85 characters? Yelp !

Their food is absolutely DELICIOUS and it's a MUST STOP for the amazing food and the amazing owners

Best burgers in all the lands and possibly the entire universe. If you haven't had a junction your life is incomplete and probably a little sad. read more

Perfect little burger shop that does smash burgers well. I got the patty melt. It was bomb. Same with the Hugo sauce on the side. The fries are really good too. Everything was nicely seasoned and quality. I'll definitely come back to try the sandwiches and other burgers. Wish they had more sides like onion rings or tots tho. read more

Food took about 20 min, though I think it's because they weee waiting on fries. The fries were top-notch - well-seasoned but not overly so. I had the Oliver and my husband had the pastrami. I was expecting mine to be salty from the olives, but I found it to be a little overwhelming for my taste. read more