Are you kidding me? No reviews yet? What kind of a world do we live in? Dang. This place is the real deal - go here now. Get a burger. Drink some beer. Throw some money in the jukebox. Enjoy the fantastic service. Be very, very happy that you found it and come again. Ultimate Northern Michigan tavern/restaurant. Period. read more

We were driving through town today and read that the food was good. The waitress recommended the burgers and so we ordered them. The burgers were great and if it weren't for our waitress we would've given this restaurant 5 stars. When we told the waitress we had to get our own water she just looked at us and walked away...no apology. Thankfully another server helped us. read more

I guess I'm not getting the appeal. I tried Joe's twice on various recommendations. Disappointed with meals each time. I've had worse dining experiences, but I've certainly had better. If you're out in the lovely and sunset-friendly Empire and can't wait to eat, then it's a fair meal. Nothing to write a postcard home about. read more

You ready for this? Best burger I've ever had in my life. And I've eaten a lot of burgers. That's all you need to know about this place. Go get you a burger! read more

WHOA, very high priced for MEH food. very disappointed in their menu, only sandwiches unless you want one of the 3 dinner specials. 2 Hotdogs with tater tots was $13.00!!! Lemonade was $4.00 and they won't give refills! Certainly will not be back read more

I have been frequenting Joe's since I was little, very little. I used to love to come here after a day at the beach with my family and my grandma and I used to always split a giant burrito. But when we came in the winter it was always a burger and chili. They have the BEST chili. I promise. Now I mix the two and get the Texan, which is a chili cheeseburger. It's simply the best thing on the menu. The prices are little ridiculous these days, but all the local bars prices out there have gone up, so I deal with it. I am recently on a horrible diet of no lactose and no gluten, so last time i got the vegetarian cake appetizer with the quinoa. It was eh okay, I suppose when you're used to eating a chili cheeseburger, quinoa just cannot compare. read more

On a recent vacation in Traverse City, we tried a variety dining venues from casual tavern to fine dining. Of all these, Joe's was my favorite. We stopped for lunch on our way to the the Dune, drawn by the promise of a walleye sandwich. We left with big smiles on our faces. There's an extensive menu of burgers, sandwiches, salads and sides, but we were on a mission for walleye. We each had a "fried" (actually sautéed) walleye sandwich. I had waffle fries, and my companion had coleslaw. The sandwiches were superb: fresh & tender, served with lettuce & tomato on a brioche bun. The coleslaw was commendable: not too creamy, not too tart. For me, though, the waffle fries were truly amazing. I love good frites, and these were tied for the best I've ever had (the other top frites were double-fried in duck fat at the now-defunct Chicago restaurant, Tournesol). Fresh potato, cut to the perfect thickness, crisp & brown, lightly salted -- if this is what heaven would be like, I'd return to the Church. And the last frite was 99% as good as the first. On a scale of 1 to 5, the waffle fries were a 6. I can't give Joe's 5*, because it's just a tavern, but I am definitely a fan. The service was congenial, the food delicious, and though there were only two draft beers, the one I had was delicious and perfectly suited to our meal. We were there for lunch on a weekday; I can imagine Joe's is a zoo on weekends during the tourist season. However, I would go 25 miles out of my way for those frites, and I hope to return to the area someday to indulge myself again. read more

This is a quintessentially "up north" bar, perfect for this quirky little northern Michigan town. Joe's is usually packed in the summer with large family groups and tourists, but go during the winter and it's a whole 'nother vibe. Visit Joe's about February and you'll find mostly locals in the winter who wander in and grab their own personal mugs from a rack on the back wall and stop by the coffee pot to fill 'em up before wandering over to the bar. We've been hitting Joe's for years when we make it up to the area, and I've found it to be a great place to stop for a burger and a cold beer on a hot summer day or just the place to go for a hot bowl of soup on the coldest winter night. Best bets are burgers or the smelt appetizer (best to share). read more

Went here at 10 am on my way home from Travers City. My mom has been bragging about the burgers here for years, her friend lives right down the street and they have been there many times. I was soooooo bummed out to find out I couldn't get one at that time of day, I almost told the waitress I'd pay double if I could get one. Anyway, water under the bridge. The Empire skillet was really good and the service was excellent. I'm gonna get that burger one day. Great place overall, big fan. read more

The food was delicious and fresh. There were many vegetarian options. The homemade root beer was delicious. Our kids said it was the best French fries ever! Lots of varieties of craft beer. The beer, however is pricey as are the kids meals. We were expecting reasonably priced food but found Joe's to be somewhat pricey. When put into context however, that you are near one of the best beaches around, we definitely will go back. read more

Nice mix of bar and family restaurant. Good burgers, nice sweet potato fries, decent beer menu, and draft root beer. Fun place, nice location, no complaints. read more

Loved it!!! We tried their hamburgers and was not disappointed. Fast & Friendly service. Would definitely come back if we are ever in the area again. read more

We had the Friendly burger. Meat is ground fresh daily at Joe's. Wow! Baja. burger rocked! Super friendly and fast waitstaff, great local bar atmosphere. Afterwards, hit the great beach at Empire or take am amazing hike on empire bluff, trailhead just up the street from Joe's! read more

Joe's gets two stars because they clearly price-gouge their customers. This place is right near the Sleeping Bear Dunes welcome center, and they sure like seeing the tourists roll into town. We ordered a small chicken caesar salad (no side dish), french dip sandwich (no side dish), zucchini fries, and two bloody mary's....$60 out the door. Food was good, but price was insulting. read more

Unfortunately, in a town of "finds", this place was not one. The homemade root beer was good, but the rest of the food was just ok. I ordered the turkey Boursin sandwich which was just ok and we also got the burger surf and turf with fried smelt. It was all just ok, nothing outstanding. Lunch for the 4 of us with just three meals (one of which was a kiddie meal) was $45. Very pricey for mediocre food at a hole in the wall. read more

Every time I've come to this place the food and service are great! I have never had a bad experience when visiting Joe's!

It's an annual trek for my clan - a trip to the Sleeping Bear Dunes followed by burgers at Joe's. Great atmosphere & burgers. Nice beer selection. Excellent root beer on draft for the under 21 set. Try the surf & turf which in these parts means a burger and half pound of smelt. Great onion rings and sweet potato fries, too. read more

My fiancé and I went to Joe's on a quite Tuesday night. The atmosphere is chill and welcoming and the staff is super friendly. Our waitress was nice and double checked all of our questions about dietary restrictions (my fiancé has a gluten allergy). Older reviews talk about their gluten free buns for burgers, but they do not have them anymore. Repeat THEY DO NOT HAVE GLUTEN FREE BUNS ANYMORE. That said they gave my fiancé an extra bed of lettuce and we weren't too heartbroken. Her burger was pretty good, and she said the regular fries were good but she wanted more. I got the almond crusted whitefish (special) and it was just okay - nothing some lemon and extra salt and pepper couldn't fix. The sweet potato fries were pretty good as well. Overall: Food 3.5/5 Atmosphere 5/5 Service 5/5 read more

I stopped in Joe's during a recent vacation to the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. (What can I say, I'm predisposed to try any restaurant featuring my moniker.) I was merely whelmed with the first visit, and on the second visit the whelmingness I felt dropped to underwhelmed. First trip: Breakfast. It was good. I had corned beef hash - my vacation breakfast of choice. It was a solid, hearty meal and the waitress was nice and attentive. The bill came and it was a little higher than I expected, but I used to live in a tourist-driven area, and I know that prices are sometimes jacked up to help the businesses get through the rest of the tourist-sparse year. Second trip: Lunch. I had the burger and the fried smelt. Heavy, heavy breading on the smelt. Burger was nothing special, but the price was. Everything we got there was priced high, but not to move. My daughter's small milk was $2. The small salad my wife got was over $5. I'm not adverse to paying these prices - heck I was on vacation - but the food didn't match up. If you're really hungry this isn't a terrible place to go, but it pales in comparison to the pizza shop right up the street, adjacent to Gemma's. Skip this place and skip up the street - I promise you won't be disappointed. read more

After a full day at Sleeping Bear, we landed here - all 12 of us. They quickly threw some tables together and did their best to keep up with the chaos that ensues whenever 7 adults and 5 kids are gathered unexpectedly at a restaurant. We ordered tons of smelt - ahh, just like when I used to scoop 'em up by the dozens out of the *crick* by my childhood home-- plenty of burgers and fries on order as well. And chili. And pitchers of root beer. Its a comfortable bar slash restaurant with almost anything you could want on their menu. Michigan fish abound! If I'm ever back in Empire, which is likely, I'll be back at Joe's. read more

This is truly a friendly tavern! They have great hamburgers and if you like surf and turf ... you must try their Hamburger and Smelt combination!!!! In Empire ... it's the place! read more

Had many good meals here growing up. Decided to skip glen arbor restaurants and check out this place for a change. Honestly, was a tad disappointed with the meal. A bacon & bleu cheeseburger was $14.50 (incl. side). Overall food was pretty good, but be prepared for somewhat steep prices. Management is responsive to any concerns, which is a plus. read more

This is a bar that reminds me of Art's Tavern in Glen Arbor, only it's bigger and the service isn't as solid. The Empire Wings were great. They were meaty with the right amount of sauce, a hint of cherry and a small kick. I like to try meals that are out-of-the-box so I took at shot at the Homemade Vegetarian Cake. Think veggie burger with oats, dried cherries, sweet corn, red onion, red beans, garlic, tomato, etc. The Cake was too thin. It covered the bun but its underwhelming flavors were lost amongst the bread. They should double-up on the patty size. On the night we were there -- a quiet Thursday after 7pm -- we noticed a number of waitresses hanging out near the front half of Joe's. But getting water refills or basic "how's it going" checkups were far and few between. Tip: When a customer orders wings bring extra napkins and some wet-wipes with you. And keep the water flowing. Don't sit near the wall of video games. This area of Joe's can be a playpen if kids are in the place. You won't be blown away, but if you're looking for a meal in Empire -- a place with some personality, a sizable menu, or room for a large group -- Joe's will work. read more

We have been coming here for the past five years and Joes has always been on our list of places to go due to the great food (batter fried perch) friendly staff and casual atmosphere. Some years we would visit more than once. This year, however, we were disappointed in several ways. The waitress was very lackluster. She did her job like an indentured servant awaiting freedom. The 50s-70s "never heard before" piped in music was like listening to the soundtrack of a B list movie that couldn't afford good songs. We are in our late 40s and are well versed in many genres and decades of music yet we didn't know one song! We kept wondering " where did they FIND this music?" It was not relaxing like in years past......just strange. For twenty minutes we listened to disco ala Roller Boogie. We couldn't wait to get out of there. I will say the quality of food was good, no complaints there. Their onion rings are some of the best I've ever had and portions are large. But like other reviews have said, the prices have gone up a lot. Lunch with 2 beers for 2 adults and one teen was $62 plus tip. I can't remember when they quit serving the batter fried lake perch, but they made a mistake taking it off the menu. It was the best!!!!! Bring back the perch and we might come back. So in conclusion, loud, weird music, increased prices and uncaring waitress is what ruined our visit. read more

Joe's Friendly Tavern - Bring back the lake perch! It was so good. Any pub can serve burgers. This set you apart. This photo was from 2012. - American Near Me - Empire, Michigan

After a day at the Dunes, our large family of 17 was extremely hungry. We had stopped into another restaurant in town and were told that we would have to wait an hour and a half. My mother in law mentioned Joe's, having been there before, so we drove on over. Upon entering Joe's, I was expecting run of the mill bar food. I was happy to be proven wrong. My fiance', a self proclaimed burger snob, said several times how good the burger was and he does not say that often. I had a grilled cheese and garlic potato soup (chilly day) and both warmed me up quite nicely! I also had a local beer (can't remember the name of it), which was really yummy. Our server was really great and easily accommodated our enormous party. I really recommend Joe's to anyone in the area. read more

Kinda pricey. $11-$12 for a burger no sides. With sides it's $15. Food was very average. read more

Joe's Friendly Tavern - Chili burger with a side of waffle fries - American Near Me - Empire, Michigan

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Burgers, beers, deep fried cauliflower with Buffalo sauce. Great experience all around, the Joe's own beer was very tasty. Frank did a great job cooking everything in a timely manner and to perfection. If you're in the area checking out the dunes, Joe's is close by. Especially if you need a quick snack or a full entrée, this place has it all. The service was great too! I would recommend. read more

Very pleasantly surprised! I ordered the chicken sandwich and it was delicious. High quality chicken which was the unexpected part. My husband had the Joe's burger and he was really pleased with it. Would def return. Great service. Great food. read more

First time to Empire Michigan, read reviews & thought we'd give it a try. Food is over priced, $9.00 for a grilled cheese then $4.25 to add fries, $3.00 for a soda. Food tastes fine but nothing special. read more

Their menu says they are known for their burgers, and I would have to say I would agree. Their burgers are fresh and good. They have that homemade taste which is a nice change from other joints. I just wish I had a better over all experience from the place. I think it mainly was our server that spoiled our experience here, but I would be willing to come back for another meal. I just hope I get a better server this time. read more

Joe's Friendly Tavern - A bottle of beer from a northern Michigan brewery. - American Near Me - Empire, Michigan

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Once every​ year, my family and I visit Glen Arbor and it never disappoints our family vacation. We stopped by Joe's Friendly Tavern for the first time and the food was​ delicious, the waitress was very friendly and kind. If you are in the area and looking for good old American food, highly recommend this place! read more

I used to love this place, however we came with 6 people and they refused to seat us at a table Big enough for us because it was "reserved for 8 only". We were squished into a booth for 4, which made our meal miserable. The burger (which I ordered medium rare) was burnt to a crisp and soooooo oily and had literally a CUP of bleu cheese sauce on it, yet it didn't even taste like bleu cheese! The saving grace was the zucchini sticks and spicy sauce, along with its proximity to the sleeping bear dunes. FYI- they claim to have wi-fi--- but I asked for the password (bc the one written on the board wasn't working) so I asked, but The lady just pointed at the board and shrugged, unwilling to help further. Also FYI- only one person bathroom and the line sucks. WILL NOT BE BACK. read more

Cute and friendly spot. There were two vegetarian entrees on the menu but they were out of one when we came, so we ended up eating sides (fries, onion rings), which were delicious but not a satisfying meal. Good service and nice atmosphere. Kid-friendly. read more

I created a Yelp account just to say how great it was! The food was amazing and came quickly. And the people were nice too!

Draft beer options weak, burgers fresh but lack seasoning, kid's menu pricey (and serve Kraft mac n cheese). After having Art's Tavern in Glen Arbor 2 days before, I was disappointed. Wish would have drove the extra 10 miles. Good, but nowhere a top ten burger. Kudos though to the sweet potato fries (and check out Grocer's Daughter chocolates on M22 just south of M72). Service was fine. read more

Our family has been going to northern MI every summer for 12 years and we always stop at Joe's. I love both their burgers and chicken sandwich. The sweet potato fries are definitely my favorite side. The buffalo cauliflower is also super tasty (and I hate cauliflower) read more

Excellent tavern / bar style food. Very generous portions..almost couldn't eat it all. Super fast service. Friendly staff. Would eat here again. read more

Just like you would expect a rural Michigan restaurant to be. Wood walls, drop ceiling, pinball and crane machine, extensive burger options. Sweet potato fries were yummy. Service was pretty good. Drink prices will quickly inflate your bill. Bottled beer $5.50 and the root beer on tap doesn't include free refills. read more

We were so disappointed this time around. I don't know if they lost their chef that they had last summer or what but there were no dinner specials, our meal wasn't very good at all, and the signature cocktails were poorly made, weak, and didn't have any garnish. And the server spilled part of it when she nearly dropped it on the table - which I had to move to the napkin. It's too bad because it's the only bar *in* Empire. We won't be going back. Frankfort is about as far from our place that we vacation at in the summers, so we'll plan on checking out a bar there. read more

I had the fish sandwich and Tequila Sunrise and both were really good. I just wish they had other options for sides. Customer service was fabulous. I would certainly come back if I am in the area. read more