Food was delicious, server was attentive and prompt. You can really tell that the chefs put a lot of thought into their food and the bartenders into their cocktails. The menu is small with meat, fish and vegetarian options. Prices were rather high, small plates were $10-15, entrees $25-30ish, and desserts were $14-15. We went for a birthday dinner with reservations for three. We were seated at high top seats at a window counter that accommodate four people. A single diner was already at the counter. We were never told our table request was placed at a high top table when making the reservation. This made an intimate birthday celebration a bit awkward in regards to conversation (not facing each other) and being seated uncomfortably (being squeezed together at a small counter). A good portion of seats at this restaurant are high top style and for this reason it is important to let guests know when making reservations over the phone that they may be seated at high top tables or counters. The reason I am making such a fuss over this is that two of the three of us cannot comfortably sit at high top seats. There was no option to wait for a table because they were completely booked for the evening so we took this seating option. Our reservation was at 7 PM and the dining room was fairly noisy at that time. As the evening progressed it became exceptionally loud to the point where we couldn't have a good conversation without yelling and continuously saying "what?" Would I go again? Yes as the food was delicious but next time I'll make sure my reservation request is for a regular table and I'll bring earplugs. read more

See all

Such an excellent food and service experience. Highly recommend. One of the best restaurant experiences in the state of Michigan. read more

See all

Modern Bird occupies an attractive relatively small space, with a long bar on the left, a sand-blasted bare brick wall on the right, and a brightly lit kitchen on display in back, in a stainless steel box. The only bird on the menu is fried chicken, which is impeccable. Vegetables are a focus, including a smoked carrot, presented under a pile of greens, that is meaty and something of a revelation. A tomato and mozzarella galette is pretty and well made, but served warm when hot would have been vastly better. Scallops were consumed with enthusiasm. Halibut is pristine, and served with a generous dollop of glistening salmon roe, over a nice broth that was surprisingly tepid. Service was pleasant and very knowledgeable/informative. The dining experience was marred by noise. My hearing is not particularly sensitive, and I'm accustomed to & comfortable in a restaurant that sounds like a happy party. Here the hard surfaces amplify the sound such that the volume flirted with the threshold of pain. It was actually a physical relief to exit. Modern Bird is an ambitious restaurant that offers polished and interesting cuisine. The only lack of execution was temperature of food, which made me wonder if it had lingered a bit under warming lights before it was delivered. However, the noise level was oppressive, which greatly detracted from an otherwise lovely meal. At the end of the day the test of a dining experience is whether you would like to return. I would not subject myself and my hearing to that room ever again. read more

Enjoyed every moment of this experience. The ambiance, service, and food were superb. My significant other and I loved watching the meticulous craftsmanship of the team at the chef's counter. The three dishes we shared were bread, copper river sockeye, and wagyu coulotte- all excellent. Can't wait to come back to celebrate another special occasion. read more

Our entire experience was flawless. Drinks, food, service, atmosphere there was nothing lacking. Highly highly recommend!

Food: Ordered the $98 strip streak. Who charges a hundred buck for a steak? Modern Bird does and I will remember that steak forever Service: Excellent. Server (Amanda) right on top of things, funny and very informative. Ambiance: situated in a working class neighborhood; tables inside and on the sidewalk. Pretty tight inside and a little noisey outside but fun all the same. read more

Truly incredible dining experience. Everything we tried from the drinks to the main course were clearly crafted with intent. The flavors were just awesome. My wife and I were talking about how amazing this dinner was for hours after. Evan at the bar gave us great service and the restaurant had the ambiance you expect from such an establishment. They deserve a Michelin star and there is no doubt in my mind that they will get one. read more

Wow. Just wow. An outstanding meal. The food was all phenomenal - unique flavor combinations and so fresh. Save room for dessert - the desserts were as delicious as the dinner items! The service was also wonderful. What a gem of a restaurant. read more

See all

We were in Traverse City for a weekend getaway and made reservations at Modern Bird based on a recommendation from Eater Detroit, and we were very happy with the choice. The restaurant has a clean, modern European layout and decor, and it was full and lively on a beautiful Saturday. We were greeted by the host who checked our reservation and immediately seated us. From there, our charming and attentive waiter tended to our service along with support from other very attentive staff. They were excellent at explaining the scaling of the plate size and assisting us in ordering just the right number of plates for our appetites. They also warned us ahead that they have excellent desserts, which we saved some space for. We ordered and shared a variety of plates: Trout crudo (very good, mild with just a little heat from radish and serrano(?) chili) Duck croquette (outstanding, very hearty made with duck confit) Tomato & shishito with pickled shrimp and bonita flakes (outstanding) Halibut with sauce vin jaune, spinach, and smoked trout roe (outstanding, perfect sauce) Scallops with "creamed" sweet corn, togarashi popcorn, and kombu (outstanding, perfect flavor and texture) Dessert was the (excellent) key lime pie that everyone around us was ordering. Cocktails were black Manhattan and a nice, juniper IPA. We were really pleased with our dining experience and left very happy, and nicely full, enjoying a walk back to the hotel on a gorgeous night. If you are in Traverse City, I recommend getting a reservation at Modern Bird. read more

When you first walk into modern bird I was in love with how minimal yet beautiful the decor was. The lighting was amazing and the food was incredible. We went for my birthday and sat at the bar at the chefs corner and he was so great to chat with during his busy evening. The service was wonderful and we felt very taken care of read more

This place was amazing! The staff was great, but more importantly, the food was amazing. I had the fried chicken - nice and juicy. But the star of the show was the asparagus (ramp top caesar, anchovies, pickled lemon). I love ramps, so that was amazing, but I've never had anchovies before. They were served whole, so I thought I could just remove them if need be. I ate every bite - the flavors with everything else melded together wonderfully. read more

Modern Bird - asparagus - New American Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

The food is out of this world. Crafted with such thought and care. The servers remember you and your preferences, which makes this upscale experience feel homely and neighborly. Chef Andy is a visionary! Love this place. read more

See all

My wife and I ate at the bar and ordered three of their small plates, beets, cheese bread and vegetarian mushroom pot pie. All were delicious. The staff was great! read more

What a great new TC restaurant! Every dish we had was excellent, with interesting flavors, high quality ingredients, and impeccable preparation and presentation. Both the meat and veggie dishes impressed - the venison was the best I've ever had (not gamey at all). This place is run really well with high attention to detail. Modern fine dining at its best! read more

Modern Bird - Carrots - tasty Thai peanut style - New American Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

Inventive menu. Delicious food. Friendly & responsive wait staff. We really enjoyed this dining experience. And the atmosphere was terrific: lots of energy. read more

Food was amazing! Service was excellent and the owner came over and introduced herself and thanked us for coming in. Very impressed overall from food to service to the whole experience. read more

Wow we had the best dinner here! The food, service, and ambiance were all amazing. We had the beet salad, carrots, fried chicken, schnitzel, bread, and key lime pie. The chicken and key lime pie were outstanding! Drinks were great too especially the Paloma and the jackfruit cosmo! Can't wait to go back! read more

We ordered several menu items and would give them all 5 Stars. Great service, amazing food. Go there!

We went to this restaurant the first time we visited TC this year, and the food was absolutely amazing. It is creative, beautiful, and most importantly tasty. It is a definitely a foodie spot and we knew we would have to visit every time we went to TC going forward. Aside from the amazing food, I also felt like I needed to do a review after the service the last time we were there. We took my disabled brother, who recently had surgery on his esophagus after not being able to eat solid food for the past couple of years, as a celebratory weekend after he got out of the hospital. We mentioned that we really wanted him to enjoy food again and that he had pain with harder foods that he was a bit afraid of. All of the staff went above and beyond. Making sure he had a spot that was comfortable with his wheelchair, speaking to him directly even though he is nonverbal, explaining the texture of each item that he might want to try, accommodating requests for additional sauce for him (which were hella flavorful on their own), and just making him feel extremely welcome. Put simply, this restaurant and its staff are outstanding. read more

I'm reluctant to say what I'm about to say for fear Modern Bird will become as hard to get a table at as the Cook House... but this is one of the best restaurants we've eaten at anywhere in the world. Despite TC being a "foody town" we are often uninspired and decided to give 'the new place' a try... we were blown away. It's small, it's intimate (in the 'close packed, friendly, talk with your neighbors' sort of way), and it only gets better from there. The staff are friendly, pleasant, enthusiastic, experienced and ubiquitous Their is a full service bar and the cocktails were great It's a small plate sort of place though the portions are perfect for sharing [or hording all for yourself] The menu is small but EVERYTHING on the menu was AMAZING, not just good, not just great, but OMG AMAZING. And the presentation was 'playful' with many of the dishes being completed at the table. We tried 2/3 of the menu and it was all amazing. From cocktails to dessert, Modern Bird's wife and husband team are offering an experience that rivals any in this foody town! As a bonus it's one of the easiest "downtown" restaurants to get to. But please... don't everyone go... I still need to be able to get a table! read more

One of the best meals in town. All courses were excellent. Fried chicken a must have app.

Great food, great service. Sit at the counter and watch your food being made! Fresh local food made by a very staff. We had the ramp/asparagus, the soft shell crab with polenta which was not too spicy, nicely balanced. The big hit was the halibut, perfectly cooked, full of textures. My husband raved about it. He is a very picky fish eater. Finished with the house made key lime pie, delicious! read more

This place is a refreshing change to the many restaurants in the area. Creative menu and good flavors, skilled informed staff tend to your needs. The place is very clean and cool music playing in the background! read more

A reservation required a wait of two weeks, so we expected great food. The fried chicken was overcooked and of a quality below a fast food chain. The much-hyped bread was a bust. Largely hollow inside, cold on the bottom and served with dill butter and a bit of oil. Any ranch flavor was not detected. The halibut was prepared by some hot water method which produced a thin, mushy and tasteless strip of fish. Not wanting to disappoint my partner, my brain searched for anything on the plate that might satisfy my tongue and allow me to continue eating it. A crushed brown ?spice yielded no flavor but a bit of texture. The green pea puree and dehydrated bits produced the absolute worst taste that a dried pea delivers. The only palatable find on my plate appeared to be a topping of microgreens and pickled shallots. The beet salad was tasty, but the wet beets prevented the horseradish crema from sticking to them and not a hint of walnut was discerned. A good bottle of white burgundy can be had for twenty dollars, but here it will get you a glass with a bad plate of food. Our service was good. The historical building provided a nice ambience but not one for a cozy dinner. The visual presentation of our food was magazine-worthy. If only it tasted good. read more

This place was absolutely exceptional. Between the diverse range of food, overall flavors and service it couldn't have been a better experience. Having eaten at every possible quality restaurant in the area Modern Bird is easily one of the top if not overall top restaurant in the area. read more

Very nice experience at a cute and fun little restaurant. The food was excellent, only complaint was the carrot dish had various sizes of carrots and therefore the carrots were all unevenly cooked. Loved the sauces on the dish though. Everything else was great and would highly recommend! read more

This is a truly great restaurant. The plates are small, but exquisitely crafted. In fact, we ordered another loaf of bread at the end of the meal to mop up all the delicious sauces. The staff is super friendly and the food is extraordinarily good.. Don't come in thinking, cheesecake, factory amounts of food... Think of tapas and specially crafted plates of food! read more

My husband and I and another couple sat at the bar for dinner and were so impressed with the food and cocktails that we had!! The service was excellent and the presentation of every dish was beautiful. Every bite was delicious and the cocktails were awesome, too. Modern Bird will definitely be on our list of places to go to again when we are back in Traverse City! read more

The food was absolutely delicious. The presentation is Instagram worthy. They provide the little extras of service make this feel 5 star such as replacing it silverware between courses, clearing the crumbs, etc. I'll definitely come back next time I'm in town! Highly recommended! read more

Modern Bird - Wagyu Beef and Galette - New American Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

So good. We had the Jackfruit Cosmo, Rum & Tonic, bread (OMG), New Potato, Perch (friend's favorite) and pork schnitzel (my favorite). Best to get a reservation, but the bar table in the window was nice. Definitely will be back! read more

Yes, yes, yes, this spot is a must try. You're gonna want to taste everything on this extraordinary menu. These two chefs hit a foodie home run. This spot in Traverse City is vibing big time and deserves all the stars. We started off with some mighty fine craft cocktails (ask for the Boulevardier). The bread course is a must, cheddar bread with herb butter, a smile just overcomes you, it's that good. Next we split the beet salad and the fried chicken. I'm not sure how one can make a beet salad this exquisite- the textures and flavors - you just slow down, smile a little wider and savor the wonderful flavors. The fried chicken - do yourself a favor, get two. You won't want to share these tasty bites and the sauce, just the right amount of heat and sweetness. You'll want to lick it all up. Next up was the Char toast and buttercup squash. The smiles keep greeting wider, how can everything taste this good. As you take a bite and start chewing, I was slowly nodding my head with approval. Yep, this is how you want food to taste. On to the main course, we both got the Wagu steak - it's like butter in your mouth and oh so delicious. The other thing you'll notice is how beautifully plated each course is. They are works of art, just gorgeous. SAVE room for dessert - the pavlova - we were in heaven. Yum, yes. Smiles all around. Thanks, Modern Bird. It was a spectator evening. read more

See all

I travel a lot and like to try out locally owned restaurants. This place had good reviews, so I checked it out and was not disappointed. The menu was unique and the staff were very friendly! I had the Galette and it was very good! If you are looking for something a little different but delicious, this is your place! read more

Modern Bird - Galette - New American Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

We are so lucky to have this level of gourmet in our small town! From the creative cocktails, to the amazing details in each dish. The service is impeccable, timing each small plate course to arrive hot and ready now. The chef stopped by the table, interested in the feedback we provided. We ordered the bread, like a croissant mini loaf of bread with Midwest inspired ranch butter, followed by the asparagus - perfectly Al dente with a flavorful delicate sauce, soft shell crab (better than any I've had in Maryland), the fried chicken-thigh and drumstick, and finally, the halibut (so delicate and melt in your mouth), and galette-a light crusty French pocket like a quiche-so delicious! Portion sizes are perfect to share so you can try all the dishes you want. Each is awe inspiring! If you appreciate expertly prepared food and bar, delivered by a knowledgeable, professional and friendly staff, you will enjoy Modern Bird! read more

We had an absolutely fantastic dinner here last night. Definitely the best meal we've had in Northern Michigan all summer! The vibe has a nice energy and is super welcoming. The cocktails were impeccably prepared (Paloma, old fashioned). Every dish - I think we tried 8 things? - was composed in an interesting way and features really fresh, hyper local produce. And the bread - something like a cheese croissant with a hint of tang? - was really out of this world. Our server was poised and warm and super capable. Really can't recommend this spot enough!! read more

Kind of fancy food in a great atmosphere! Sit at the kitchen counter for dinner and a show. The employees are nice and extremely knowledgeable. Great food. Great people. A great thing for TC! read more

Amazing food, outstanding service, great great drinks. Best rest. dining experience in TC in 35 years!

Excellent dinner start to finish. Friendly and courteous staff and inventive delicious food. Highly recommended.

Very unique and delicious. All the staff are foodie savvy and very friendly. A great dining experience.

The food is amazing! They created the most perfect cocktail ... Pumpkin Spice Martini. Delicious! If you like pumpkin spice lattes, you will love this drink. They deserve an award for being so innovative. read more

See all

This restaurant has never dissapointed me. Food is exceptional-interesting and tasty. Menu changes with seasons. Service is friendly and professional. The Walleye was perfect..and the pumpkin pie...suggest u try it!! read more