I stopped in for breakfast on my way to a morning of hiking at Sleeping Bear Dunes. The place has a definite local 'knotty-pine tavern' vibe but I had a friendly, attentive waitress and the food was very good. Their omelets use the thin flat top method which allows for several folds. I had ham and cheese and it was just what I expected. Also had a great blueberry pancake as a side. Can't imagine eating the normal triple stack of those! A full bar was available if you were up for that. They even had a breakfast beer special on the chalkboard. A nice place for a sit-down diner style breakfast. read more

Joe's Friendly Tavern - Ham and cheese omelet. Blueberry pancake. - American Near Me - Empire, Michigan

Fantastic burger in a noisy but fun setting. We had spent part of the day at the dunes, and everyone was getting hungry. There aren't many options, but the review of Joe's made it a sure thing to try. I'm glad we waited, it was worth it! The burger was fantastic, and they have a lot of options. It's one of the best burgers I've had. It's also cool that they have local soft drinks, I wish there was a diet root beer. Lots of baseball art also adds to the existing atmosphere. If you're in the area, this is definitely worth stopping at. read more

Tonight was our third trip here. The menu seemed to have changed a little since our last visit here a year ago. I was disappointed the salad I had last time was gone (I think it was a Bibb salad) but I had the Yo Mama salad and it was excellent. The fries are 'Chick fil a Level' according to my daughter. They also have a bar and I highly recommend the cherry mule. Worth the trip if you're in the area. read more

We came for the Root beer, cause it's homemade, but loved the burgers as well. It's a local restaurant that has a great location and is great for all ages. Again, if you follow me then you know it's becoming a thing, they have a good kids menu. Good selection of burgers and sandwiches as well. The burgers are very tasty and a good size. Did I mention they have tator tots!! These are a favorite of mine! If they are ok the menu, you typically get an extra star out of me. We also love the root beer. One day I will have to try it in a float. Worth checking out if you are in the area. read more

Joe's Friendly Tavern - American Near Me - Empire, Michigan

The service was friendly, food was good and a pleasant setting. The meal was served quickly and hot!

This is a great place to stop in, it's a place that works at living up to its name. Food was good and well priced, service attentive and a full bar. Had some great local "suds" on tap which we all appreciated. Ordered a Reuben for the first time in years and it reset the standard they I will be judging Reuben's by. There is not a lot in the small town but this lunch place was packed when we entered for a late lunch. You going to the dunes? This might be just the place for a quick bite. read more

Joe's Friendly Tavern - Like the sign says! - American Near Me - Empire, Michigan

Stood at the bar on Sunday waiting for a growler. Watched in horror as the guy running the bar (older, long grey hair, glasses and green shirt) assembled a to-go order with his bare hands. Literally opened a foam container, palmed a grilled chicken breast off of a plate and slapped said chicken into the container. Of course this all happened just after taking orders, cashing customers out, serving drinks and slicking his hair back. Did I mention he never washed his meaty paws? If you ordered a grilled chicken dish to-go on Sunday the 3rd at about 6:00 pm, don't be surprised when you come down with dysentery. read more

Good food but very pricey (2 adults and 2 kids with no alcohol or appetizers = $71) The lady that served us was grumpy. Ambiance was dated. Would likely never return. read more

Ok, we were here in the dead of winter, not long after the polar vortex was visiting this part of the country. We had been out to the lake to see how the weather had whipped up the beach and created its own ice sculptures. Very cool so of course now we were ready for lunch. This part of the country, not everything is open during the winter months when the tourists are gone but this place was. It's an iconic restaurant in the area, and we have been here in the summer months as well. The staff were pleasant and helpful, the food was good and served promptly, and the location was convenient and clean. We will be back again. read more

My mom and I stopped here after a long day of hiking. We were just looking for a good cheeseburger and marg, and ended up talking ourselves into a peanut butter pie too, which were all great. But our server Avalon is the reason I'm making a review. She was friendly, attentive, and most of all personable. It was a refreshing twist to our night. Wish we didn't live 9 hours away in Lexington, KY otherwise we'd come more often! read more

Had an excellent burger! Service was solid and the food came out FAST! Wonderful little tavern and a must eat if you're in this neck of the woods read more

Avoid this tourist trap. Insane prices for poor quality food. Sad, this place used to be great...

This spot is amazing. I got the French dip and it was amazing. My sister isn't a huge fan of meat and she had finished her Famous Joe's cheeseburger and fries in a blink of an eye. All around worth the stop. read more

Joe's Friendly Tavern - American Near Me - Empire, Michigan

This is one of those awesome looking wooden eateries where the rustic looks justify the decor. They had different brews on tap with a brand of carhartt beer advertised . I had the impossible burger and onion rings.Everything was cooked to perfection and I was a bit nervous with it being the first time but the it didn't taste a whole lot different from chicken I also had the peanut butter pie and it was just so creamy and tasty, it was over before you know it . The only thing was it was a bit on the pricey side but overall a great experience read more

Joe's Friendly Tavern - American Near Me - Empire, Michigan

The service and the food are always excellent. We have never been disappointed. I had the house salad which was plenty for another time. Plenty of cherries and blue cheese. DH had the French dip which he can have for lunch today! The restaurant is clean and neat for a small town. Almost a cabin atmosphere. read more

We come to Traverse City at least twice a year and we always make a special trip to Empire specifically to eat here. It's a classic 'up north bar/restaurant'. We have only eaten the wings here...which are amazing, they are glazed in a cherry sauce and come with Bleu Cheese dressing, however the wings are so good, you don't need the dressing. Again, we literally come to this place for the wings. You can't find any like them anywhere else...and if you can, please fill me in on where. They have a great beer list, a lot of local brews. The only thing that is quite disappointing is that they don't have ANY local wines. I mean the Traverse City area is known for all of the wineries, so you would think offering local wine would be a no brainer.Luckily, we come here for the wings, not the wine, Another thing that kinda sucks is one bathroom, and usually there is a line. What's great about this place is it's close to Sleeping Bear Dunes, so if you're looking for a rustic/up north place...check it out! read more

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Ate here not once, but twice in four days. And not 'cause it was the only restaurant open end of January. Twice I ordered the onion rings (I never get onion rings anymore as few places offer them). I had a quinoa burger that was so fabulous, but I don't see it on their online menu. Forgot what my friend had as I was too busy enjoying my sandwich. And the beer assortment, can't forget that. Drinking lots of stout on this trip. I remember the days when going up north meant Bud & Miller country. Now it is microbrew heaven! The next visit I just plain wasn't hungry, sadly, but got the tomato soup even though it had ground beef in it. Yes it was tasty, even better was the side order of onion rings! And of course my beer. Staff friendly, decor sports oriented but many beer themed items. Red Wings, that's Detroit, right? read more

Visited with friends last night, nice bar type ambience, a good assortment of burgers and assorted sandwiches, we will be back! And their breakfast look scrumptious!!! And, I forgot, the frozen peanut butter pie is worth the visit all by itself. We will be back! read more

Joe's Friendly Tavern - American Near Me - Empire, Michigan

This place was good but what made it great was our waiter BRICE! They should give him a raise ! Super attentive, polite and friendly. Ask for him when you go read more

It's a huge peeve of mine to give chips as a side and charge extra for fries. No one wants chips, so everyone pays the extra for fries. It's such a scam, and then they hardly give you any fries. If you pay $3 extra for fries, wouldn't you expect a big pile? I had a chicken sandwich. I made it mostly all the way through and quit because it was so gristly; it was grossing me out. The s/o said the burger was meh (they make a big deal about the hamburger being ground in-house every morning). It did not live up to expectations. There were a dozen signs on the door, but none that said you had to wait outside for the bathroom. If you walked in, a staff member would tell you you had to wait outside. How was one to know if the bathroom was occupied or not (it was one single room)? And there was tape on the floor to mark out a line with six feet apart directly to the bathroom. If this was such a problem, they should add that to their dozens of signs and make it clear. The patio was okay--not the best, not the worst. Vegetarian options are available (impossible burger). Good service. Good COVID-19 precautions. I appreciated they brought condiments in individual containers. read more

Recommended as the "best burgers" in this part of the state. The burgers were really tasty but the waitstaff left a lot to be desired. It's convenient to Sleeping Bear and a great option for a good sit down meal. The waitress forgot part of our order and seemed really annoyed when we asked about it but once it all arrived, everything was delicious. Even the coffee was fresh in the middle of the day. We highly recommend the burgers and onion rings! read more

One of our favorite spots to eat on our Michigan trips. Remember cash/check only. But consistently good food - and if you go in Weds be sure to get the chicken tortilla soup! read more

Atmosphere is a bit lacking, but the burgers are fantastic- especially the olive burger! The friendly man at the host stand is so friendly, you'd think he was Joe! He will tell you he's not, but he enjoys his job, you can tell that about him. Service lacked smiles and enthusiasm, but it was fast and decent. We'd go back if in the area. read more

Great food and small town vibes in the winter. A little pricey but service was great!!!

Place is fine, we grabbed takeout to take to the beach. Called in the order beforehand and went to pick up the order. Find out at pickup that there is a $6.25 Togo Surcharge. Ouch. Take out menu says nothing about it and the person we ordered with on the phone said nothing about it. $6.25 to take out five kids meals? Kinda crazy. read more

Me and my wife (with grandsons) stopped for a bite on our way to Sleeping Bear Dunes. We had never been through Empire - finding this was a random selection based on a search in Google Maps. Pleasant surprise. We were quickly seated and after finally deciding on what to order our meals came out pretty quickly considering we were in the middle of the lunch rush. Our server (Jessica) was very pleasant and attentive, a lovely young lady who served with a smile! Joe's Friendly Tavern is definitely an establishment I would return to when in the neighborhood. read more

I ordered food for 3 people, carry out. It was $65.00 for Sandwiches and fries.... No drinks. The food was OK, nothing that I would go back for by any means. Then they had the audacity to CHARGE ME $4.00 for CARRY OUT!!!! WTH! read more

Okay. Let's start with the basics. Small town eatery of your dreams. Start with a 1/2 pound of smelt with a pint of Joe's Empire Ale. You're welcome. Our family had bugers for our meal. Bang. We're talking fresh beef that made the blue cheese and also the dip burger to die for. I love that you see the kitchen. When that's the case...there is nowhere to hide how the food is made. They usually means the place is locked down with its menu! Wait....I'm not even to the best part. On the menu I saw that they had a "Cherry Wing Sauce." I've never heard of that. Well...we're in Michigan and they are known for cherries...so why don't you give me a side of that sauce for my tater tots. Yup. Tots too. The sweet, slightly bitter and spicy sauce was THE 2nd best condiment I've ever had. (RUBE's Steak Sauce from Montour IA, is still #1). This stuff was sooooo good I had to get some to take home. *see pic So, if you're looking for a great family meal and want to try a sauce that may change your life...or at least your week or month...get to Joe's! Thanks for the great service and home cooked meal! Off to SBD tomorrow. And maybe a return trip to Joe's. read more

Joe's Friendly Tavern - American Near Me - Empire, Michigan

The burgers were great! Hand pressed and ground in house. Food and drinks (pumpkin spice coffee) we're delicious but never saw a smile in the place for the hour we were there. We decided the name of the place was meant to be ironic . read more

Friendly service. Great people. Excellent hamburger w/onion rings. Great bar atmosphere. Nice alternative to chain restaurants. Only reason not giving 5 stars is due to cost. Higher than expectations. Food was good, but price is off the chart. read more

Stopped in for lunch on a warm, hazy Saturday, August afternoon. We were greeted by an extremely friendly and welcoming host, seated at a booth one of our friends requested, and immediately asked us about our beverage choices, seeing we were warm and thirsty after a hike. Off to a good start! Our server, Alicia, was great - super friendly (but not overbearing) and she gave us some extra time to order since we were catching up with old friends and kept forgetting to look at the menu. We all opted for sandwiches, despite the fact that Joe's is known for their burgers - which looked delicious as we saw them delivered to nearby tables. Our sandwiches were good (2 Turkey, Avocado & Swiss, 1 Rachael, and 1 Double Decker Grilled Ham & Cheese) with fresh ingredients all on good grilled bread. At $12.25 each (with no sides except for a pickle wedge), it felt a bit overpriced. However, remembering our lakeshore location, time of year, and knowing that the restaurant industry is still trying to recover from the pandemic, I get it. If we return the next time we're in the area, I hope that Alicia is again our server because she was awesome! read more

Almost $20 for a subpar burger with fries. What's the point? Place was half empty and hopefully owner is aware of this

What a pleasant surprise it was to find this excellent brewpub in the little town of Empire after a day exploring Sleeping Bear Sand Dunes. Great food, great service, just an exceptional experience all around. read more

Decent food but the most unfriendly and snarky servers! It is understood that this is a busy weekend. There is never a reason to take your bad day out on customers. No matter how thin the options are for food - Joe's Unfriendly Tavern will not be on our "must come back" list. I do not recommend! read more

We were in town for the Michigan 70.3 Ironman and stayed up the street. I saw this place on Yelp but it didn't catch my attention at all so I looked for other options and drove to Glen Arbor for dinner a couple nights. Both places were AWFUL compared to Joe's (wish I could remember their name so you don't waste your time there) so I highly recommend trying Joe's. We got the Buffalo cauliflower and it was AMAZING!! We also got a burger and again it was perfectly juicy, flavorful and yummy. I kicked myself for not coming here the other two nights. Our waitress Alicia was also just so friendly and a great server. We over tipped her just because she was awesome. Check this place out if you are a good snob like me. You won't be dissatisfied. read more

Joe's is no longer friendly and the meals are not worth the drive. The wait staff are not helpful and do not check back with you to see if you need a refill of a drink, etc. When our waitress disappeared for over 15 minutes we asked the next waitress which passed our table for a iced tea refill, she comment " you are not my table" ouch:( The grilled chicken sandwich was the size of a kids' portion and only covered half the bun. This was the second consecutive strike out for us. Needless to say, we will not be coming back. read more

An excellent choice of breakfast items ( blueberry pancakes, the Glen Lake eggs/sausage/potatoes/toast) and unlimited hot tasty coffee, with super service as the foundation energy for our Empire Bluffs trail hike afterwards! read more

Joe's Friendly Tavern - American Near Me - Empire, Michigan

$18.50 for a burger, that only a few years ago was larger and much better and only $12.50, is not likely to encourage a lot of repeat customers. We live up here year round and while Joe's might feel justified in overcharging the summer tourist crowd they should also keep in mind the folks who keep them in business for most of the year. read more

Great friendly service. Burger was tasty and I enjoyed the onion rings. They were crisp.

Great local establishment in downtown Empire. Corn ribs are the bomb! Service was great!