We were so excited to eat here, it was highly recommended by friends we trust. Unfortunately, it was bad as soon as we walked up. The woman at the hostess stand seemed clueless and then a guy jumped in and took over and told her where to seat us. He was very abrupt and not welcoming at all, the very opposite of every other restaurant in TC. We were seated in the large dining room with the dirty fire place. As soon as we sat down a confused bus boy tried to give us someone else's food. I actually suspect someone else walked out because there were water rings on the table when we were seated. Almost like a couple sat down, had drinks and left because the food took so long. We then realized that there was only one waiter serving the entire room, which was almost full except for the large table in the middle. It was half-full and they were clearly not seating anyone else there. The room was so loud, not intimate and very dirty. There were about 10 kids in the dining room that made the noise level awful. The fire place door was covered in dirty finger prints. The over-worked waiter finally appeared and asked if we wanted a drink. We ordered, but we were deciding if we should just walk out or not. Plus, the menu was just ok. Nothing really jumped out at us. For a farm-to-table concept it really did not display that on the menu. We walked out and told the host that we were not happy, his response, "OK, bye!" he didn't have any interest in knowing why we were leaving. We decided to take our chances trying to get in down the road where we have always been happy, but we knew reservations are a must during the summer. We ended up eating at a bar table and had an amazing meal. We were admiring the outdoor seats on the beach and our bartender/waiter told us to go out and watch the sunset, he would bring our dessert and drinks out to us. It was amazing, probably the best moment of our vacation. Best decision ever was walking out of Mission Table. read more

Very cool synthesis of farm to table and fine dining... menu was unique and food was incredible. I was ready to go back as soon as we left! Not to mention a beautiful view, short wait, and personable service. Intimate and quaint setting- definitely go if you have the chance, it is a one-of-a-kind experience! read more

Mission Table is an outstanding establishment. I was in town for a girls weekend and the ride from downtown Traverse City was beautiful. The grounds and restaurant itself were welcoming and picturesque. Our server was knowledgable, fun, and the meal was local, interesting, and absolutely delicious. There was a little mistake about the reservation initially and they went above and beyond to correct the miscommunication, making our experience absolutely wonderful. We were a group of 9 and they seated us in a sectioned off area, which was private and allowed us to feel comfortable. All of us will be back every time we're back in the Traverse area! read more

A must stop place on old mission. Next to jolly pumpkin- have a beer at jp and dinner with lovely views and outdoor dining space. Go here for sunset. Food was good enough! Seems like menu needs to be reworked and staff upgraded as this place should've been more packed than it was. Need music! Why do so many restaurants forget music? Food too rich overall. Need more casual fare or something lighter. Risotto heavy pastas creamy soups greasy fried cauliflower with slab of butter- heavy heavy heavy! Attractive industrial farmhouse decor. All the families are at jolly pumpkin and dinner dates at mission table. Views incredible!! Amateur young host didn't seat us outside per our request as "too busy" then we stared at an empty outside table all night. read more

This is a quite place for dating and it took us some efforts to keep my two babies calm. Food is very impressive, a bit pricy but worth the money. Although there was some weird smell from maybe the old carpet, my family still enjoyed the beautiful view of sunset and I had the best burger ever. read more

Good food and excellent service. Recommend sitting outside on the patio and food-wise, the pork tenderloin. Rabbit salad was just not quite right. They have a great selection of beers by north peak ( they have Maylem and Humongous - not even north peak itself has those) and jolly pumpkin. Wines by the glass are good value. read more

I was with a party of 5 and we all really enjoyed our food. I thought the gnocchi was quite good and I have never had better scallops. There was really no room for improvement. However, because of the service, I will not return. Our server kept us hostage while he talked about himself and his life story before even taking our drink order. Then he pretty much made himself scarce the rest of the evening. No one was offered a refill on wine or non-alcoholic beverages. I had a tonic with lime and it was gone with my appetizer and that was that. When it was time to use the restroom I went to the bar area to ask for directions and then just stood there because there were no employees in sight for the longest time, even at the hostess stand. We waited forever to get the check while our waiter waltzed around the room visiting with his other two tables and then, when we were leaving, I held the door for an empty-handed outdoor server who walked through without even acknowledging me or touching the door. Sadly, the terrific food simply did not make up for the poor service experience since there are places where you can have great food AND service in TC. read more

Had dinner here last night and what a great experience ! We started with small plates of fried cauliflower and a order of hand cut fries we then ordered heirloom tomatoes in olive oil with cheese and for the entree we had fettuccine with beef all items where done perfectly not to mention dining outdoors on the patio and watching a beautiful sunset over the lake Jack are waiter did and exceptional job on dinner and wine recommendations we will certainly return again! read more

No way. Didn't have ingredients for their martinis, the chicken had so many tiny bones my guest was constantly picking them out. fish was not at all good. Sure, great views, but the food was terrible. we reviewed this restaurant but apparently the site took it down. I would never ever go here again. The short rib dinner was chunks of meat that had an indistinguishable flavor. all you reviewers who reviewed this as 4 or 5 stars must live in michigan area. Visited here in July 2010. read more

we just dined at the mission talbe at bowers harbor inn and were deeply diappointed by the menu selection, prices, and size fo the portions. It was our anniversary and although the wine was excellent ,there was so little of it in the glass it was a big diappointment. then came the salad which was not included in the 35 dollar a piece meal we ordered. It was also excellent and whetted my appitite for the main course. When the entree came we were both shocked. Six pieces of veal the size of a half dollar does not a entree make. So after spending over 100 dollars for this meal we both went back to my parent 's house and ate some more. I was born and raised in T. C. and have never been so diappointed in a meal here. The service was good. But the windows looking out on the bay were dirty. read more

Last week, we had a pre-wedding cocktail hour on the deck followed by a dinner for 57 in the Harbor Room. It was one of the best locations, appetizers, and dinners we have ever had. What a perfect place. Everyone raved about the food, service, and setting. The crabcake and the smoked fish hors d'oeuvres on the deck with view of the bay were out of this world. And the filet mignon, trout, and chicken dinners were made to perfection. If six stars were available, we would give Bowers Harbor Inn six stars. We will definitely be back! read more

We went through Mission Table and the Peninsula Room for our wedding ceremony/reception on 7/16/16. We had amazing service! We booked through Barbara and our communication from then on was through Kate. They are very helpful and communicate great! Very professional. Kate is always available from months leading up to the event, to the day of and even the following day. I couldn't image our wedding being anything other that what it was. It was a beautiful backdrop for the wedding ceremony, and the reception went off without a hitch! The food was great, the bar was awesome and the service was amazing. I can't say enough good things about them! Truly helped make our dreams come true! Highly recommend!! read more

Bowers Harbor Inn is wonderful for many reasons...the beautiful sunsets on the terrace, music, aw so romantic. The big reason is the food; I have never had a bad meal. I have had problems with the food in some of the Traverse City restaurants not what they are cracked up to be. I have had nothing but good food and experiences at Bowers Harbor, enjoy!! read more

great place. we sat on the deck, what a great view. huge trees, you can see a little bit of the lake.....it was beautiful. it was a bit of a wait, but im assuming most people are on vacation....so loosen up and enjoy your time. the menu was great, NY strip cooked and seasoned perfect. wine was great, waitress sat and told us some history of the building. all around it was a fantastic experience. would definitely recommend. read more

Maybe part of the problem was that I'd been looking forward to eating here again for a whole year, since the blueberry mojitos and appetizers we had on the patio last year were so perfect. This time, on our annual trip to the Traverse City area, the drinks were OK, but the food was just average, and the atmosphere was wanting. Though it was a gorgeous day, we nixed eating on the patio because of the loud, jangly rock music blaring there, which 1) we didn't like and 2) would have made conversation a challenge. Inside, some nice classical or low-key jazz would have enhanced the beautiful surroundings, but no. Though the person who took my phone reservation weeks earlier had asked whether it was a special occasion and I'd told her it was our anniversary, nobody mentioned it and the restaurant did nothing. So why ask? Would an amuse-bouche in honor of a special occasion kill profits? In contrast to prior years, the food was nothing to rave about. My sweetbreads were OK and came atop some nice mixed baby greens, but I'd have been happier with more greens and fresh tomato accompaniments and fewer sweetbreads (note to Mission Table bean counters: this revision would enhance your profits, too). My husband's flatiron steak was tough and not very tasty, so he didn't finish it. Our daughter's scallop/chorizo appetizer was OK, but, again, nothing to rave about. The desserts, OTOH, were tip-top, but didn't make up for the rest of the meal. With regret, we won't be back. read more

I ate there recently and highly recommend it. If the weather is good, the deck overlooking the lake is a great spot to enjoy the delights that are produced by the talented chefs in the kitchen.The menu is tapas style with many choices. On my recent visit I had the goat dish followed by ox tail. Ordering the goat was a bold step for me having only had jerk goat before, which I did not like. I am glad I ordered the goat. It had a wonderful flavor and was served on a bed of a corn sauce made with just picked corn with ginger slices and tiny eggplant cubes. This mix was not only pleasing to the eye but the palate as well. I followed that up with the ox tail which too was very dleicious. It was served with house made pasta and a wonderful sauce. I have eaten in many restaurants around the world and put this right up there with the best of them. Instead of the usual fare they seem to be seeking out new approaches to some basic foods. I have had their fresh trout on other occasions and given the fact that it is usally right out of the lake and served the same day or next, I don't think you can match it for flavor and freshness. Give it a try. And be sure to try their desserts, usually made with fresh local fruit when available. The home made ice cream is made in small batches and you should make sure it is available when you order your first course as they usually run out of it quickly. read more

Stopped into Mission Table on a whim after having a glass of wine at the nearby Chateau Chantal and deciding to have dinner close by. The parking lot was packed and there was a wedding going on, so were unsure whether or not the restaurant was even open or if we could get a table without a reservation. We were seated within 5 minutes (at a high top in the cozy bar area). The service was wonderful- attentive, but not lingering- even with the wedding reception going on in the room next to us, and the food and drinks were even better. I had the Bonafide Cabernet (as recommended by our waiter), and was thoroughly impressed. My husband ordered a Jolly Pumpkin brew, and was disappointed with his (too sweet for him), and the bar tender happily swapped it out without question. Food was wonderful too- very fresh and innovative. I had the pasta, and he had the trout. Everything was very fresh and homemade. Overall, I highly recommend- beautiful view, cozy environment, excellent service, and even better food and drink! read more