Went for happy hour and was not disappointed. We intended to have late lunch and were able to order any of the sushi items as well as the small plates. Drink specials were also great: pictured are the Red Dragon and Lotus martinis. Sat at the sushi bar and enjoyed every bite. One of the better sushi restaurants I've been to. read more

Red Ginger - Red Dragon Martini and Lotus Flower Martini with the California Roll, Tako Roll, Red Red Dragon Roll, and Tunagi Roll* - Asian Fusion Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

Rounding up... Service and main dishes were superb! We started with the Flatbread appetizer; the naan was grilled, so took away some of that puffiness you usually get with naan and the hummus was ok - heavy on the red pepper and couldn't taste the Indian spices it was supposed to have. We moved on to main dishes of chicken tika masala and Indian curry - flavor on both was fantastic and were prepared really well. The amount of food was perfect. Erika, our server, was very good and attentive and I appreciate not feeling rushed; drinks, appetizers and main courses were all ordered separately and gave the opportunity to relax and anjoy the course you were on. My only complaint would be pricing - these are not the kind of dishes, or ingredients, to command the prices charged. Would be 4.5 if half stars were allowed, rounding up. read more

Wonderful Asian fusion place with imaginative dishes. Will definitely be back the next time we're in TC.

Drove in from out of town for a Valentine's Day dinner. The cocktails were great, and the sweet potato sushi appetizer was certainly adequate. The entrees both lacked flavor (seafood pad Thai and Thai curry), we were too embarrassed to ask for salt but both my wife and I were severely disappointed. This place still gets 3 stars due to the incredible service, and quality drinks + app. We just felt the entrees left something to be desired, for a $29 dish we expected a lot more flavor. The entrees were very bland. Proceed with caution. read more

Was unsure about cooked sushi but Chef Dan's Signature Roll with poached shrimp was sublime. Wanted to go again but they are closed on Sunday. Hope to visit soon. The staff and guests were very friendly. Must be a TC thing. read more

Red Ginger is my favorite sushi restaurant in town, but it is pricey. Everything on their menu is delicious including their specialty cocktails. It's a popular place, though, so if you really want to eat here, plan well in advance and make a reservation, or get your name on the waitlist at least an hour before you want to eat. read more

I have grown to appreciate the high quality of ingredients and outstanding preparation at Red Ginger. Sushi is by far the best in town and the staff is friendly and well trained on the menu. This is now my go to place for sushi and the occasional fine dining experience. read more

Consistently good and hasn't disappointed yet. I don't know any other place in Traverse City where you can get decent sushi so if that's what you want, definitely come here. It's trendy and has a good location on the main strip so get reservations or be ready to wait. Luckily, the restaurant is a lot bigger than expected and can fit a lot more people than most restaurants downtown. There are some nice sushi options and the fish tasted fresh and clean. The rest of the menu is pretty routine asian fare that appeals more to the first-timer than the adventurous eater, so it's a safe bet for families. They had a pulled pork bao bun appetizer as a special the night that we went and although the buns were extra pillowy, the meat was a little bland and the kimchee lacked the pickled or spice flavors that I was expecting. Nevertheless, the meal was all about the sushi and sure enough it was all very tasty and enjoyable. read more

Red Ginger - Pulled pork bao - an app special on the night we went. Pillowy soft buns! - Asian Fusion Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

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Had a great experience here Thursday night. If you enjoy sake, they've got some excellent stuff on the menu - to include some junmai daiginjo. I went with the flight #2 and was really impressed. The pot sticker appetizer was small, but delicious... particularly when dipped in the sweet hot mustard. The best part of dinner was the Vietnamese shaking beef. Ridiculously tasty! I had the coconut pudding for dessert. It was good but not great. But to be fair... my mind was still on the beef entree. I probably should've just ordered a second one for dessert. read more

The food and the atmosphere at Red Ginger were both amazing. We ordered several small plates, sushi rolls, and wine bottles and had a fabulous dinner experience. I would highly recommend! read more

Red Ginger has long been a tc favorite of ours. Very difficult to get in on the spur of the moment in the busy summer months....plan ahead and make a reservation! With the exception of the over zealous and impatient waitress...we had a great meal. The sushi was fresh and made to order. We had wonderful appetizers to start the sushi fest off...including crab Rangoon, pot stickers, edamame and salmon sashimi. Unfortunately what could have been a five star evening was ruined by the waitresses continual interruptions to ask if we were ready to order (it was s slow night no need to turn the table.) I'd highly recommend making red Ginger a dinner stop on your next trip to tc. Well worth it ! read more

We were looking for dinner on the Friday of Labor Day weekend so we tried Red Ginger. What a nice change of pace from all the breweries! Excellent, professional staff and amazing, top-quality food. We will be back! read more

If you find yourself in TC and want some awesome sushi/thai food, check this place out! Holy Cow! I wish I lived closer because I could see this being a regular spot. I was lucky enough to go to a rehearsal dinner here and not only the food but the staff was amazing! Everyone was so nice and helpful. We had a view of the street and though it wasn't the lake, it was still nice to look out the giant windows to see the people on the street below. I had the Kung Pao and it was awesome! It wasn't spicy, so if that's what you're looking for you may have to specially request it. We also had Edamame, sushi and some killer potstickers! Make sure you order those because that was my favorite part of the meal! Whether you need a nice dinner out or you are looking for a venue for your event, check out Red Ginger, you won't be disappointed! read more

Very friendly staff! My boyfriend and I were greeted with a warm smile by both hostesses and the waiters were attentive and wonderful. We got 3 sushi rolls to split and they came out incredibly fast (they were delicious). I would definitely revisit and would recommend this place to anyone. read more

Red Ginger - Spicy tuna roll (top), tiger roll (middle), and the kiwi dragon roll (bottom) - Asian Fusion Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

The potstickers, warm Naan & Hommous was really good. The Thai Caesar was delicious. The 5th star deduction is the noise level. Have to put up something to absorb the sound. Way too loud. read more

Wow............we had my wives 48th Birthday Party at Red Ginger on June 19th, 2020. Did I say WOW....... We had the party upstairs in one of their private rooms (TORG). This room was amazing!!!!! It has an elevated bar area, as well as an outdoor patio. The day after the party; almost everyone called me to thank me for such a good time, and to rave about the food. If you are planning on putting together a private party for a personal or company event, and do not want to lift a finger, I would suggest you give them a call and get it booked. Thank you again to the Red Ginger Team for such an exquisite event........I am sure we will be spending more time with you in the future. read more

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Good food. Amazing drinks. Best Mule on town. Cool atmosphere. Close to all the action DT. Clean, sweet bar area. Always fun to go and hang out. Staff is friendly. Great place to go for a night cap. read more

The Hostess was welcoming and friendly as soon as we walked in. They accommodated us with our large stroller. We enjoyed some sushi rolls, and spring rolls to start - they were all delish. Then we shared their Halibut dinner and some tasty drinks. Our server was wonderful and we would definitely go back! read more

Good upscale dining. If you love sushi this is the place to go. Food is always fresh and delicious. The drinks are good as well. Friendly staff cozy sophisticated environment read more

$25 for chicken curry is an abomination... Seriously!? Chicken Curry. With chicken. Chicken is not a $25 item in the most expensive cities, let alone in TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan. Ok, that is all. Deduction of one star for the ridiculousness of it all... The sushi is still pretty fantastic for the area, seeing as its about as far as you can get between the two oceans. :) ps. Mawby champagne ("sex" and "blanc de blanc") make my HEART sing. read more

Outstanding! I had the salmon, I did not want the plate to end... other than I was satisfied! If Asian food is a passion then this is a must stop while in Traverse City! read more

In many respects this is "the place to be seen" in downtown Traverse City. However, for reasons I will share here, don't go there. Red Ginger tries hard to be something it wants to be, but falls short. It's sad. It's like that friend you have who tries so hard to be cool, but will never get there and looks pathetic in their attempts. For sushi lovers - the sushi is average. Panda North is far better and much less stuffy. Don't go to Red Ginger and pay to have sushi made by guys in white coats and hats, get it from Panda North and make your taste buds happy. The prices are way too high for the quality and quantity. It's as if the owner thinks they can charge what you'll pay in the big city just because he's dressed his little place up to try to look like a big city sushi place. It's a below average Asian Fusion restaurant in Northern Michigan. The prices should reflect that. One bright spot - the box lunch offerings are affordable - $8. Try those instead of overpaying for average cuisine at dinner when you'll have to wade through folks gulping down overpriced drinks in the bar. One complaint of mine is an incident that occurred when I was standing by the bar. I was asked by a bartender (who looked like he was 18) what I wanted to drink. I asked him for an Arnold Palmer (I don't drink alcohol). He yelled back (loud enough for his two little girlfriends at the bar and everyone else to hear) "How about a REAL drink?" and snickered. Classy. The bar manager was sitting (SITTING?!) at the bar at the same time and simply glanced over his shoulder when my jaw dropped to the floor. I'll never pay for anything at Red Ginger again, and I've told everyone I know about the rude service there. UPDATE: Since that incident, that same bartender (who STILL works there???) has received bad reviews on Facebook from other customers. Regardless of my bad experience with the bartender, do yourself a favor and select a different downtown spot. Red Ginger acts like it's too big for its britches and the food is way overpriced for the quality. read more

My group was very excited to eat here but the patio was closed down early despite our reservation. We waited 2 hours to be told that their patio was closed down 30 minutes before closing time. Totally bummed. Had to scramble for food for dinner. read more

If you're under thirty and haven't been to an Asian restaurant in a big city (such as San Fran, NYC, Boston, Vancouver, Hong Kong, etc.), then you will love this place! The Red Ginger definitely attracts the under-thirty crowd and this is the place to see and be seen in TC. We saw Matthew Modine sneak into this restaurant during the Traverse City Film Festival. If you've actually traveled and eaten real Asian Fusion food, then read on... We had a reservation for a busy Saturday night at 8:30pm. I warned my husband that we would have to wait for a table and he didn't believe me, he said, "no we have a reservation, we won't wait", well, I was right, we waited a good 30 minutes. So order a drink at the bar and relax!! My classic mojito was fine and strong! The Vietnamese spring rolls appetizer were fried. They were tasty and hot with the sweet chili sauce on the side. I normally think of the fresh non-fried spring rolls that are usually served at traditional Vietnamese restaurants. My mistake, we needed to ask the server if these spring rolls were 'fried'. The tuna tartare appetizer was not very good, too much mayo in the sauce and definitely too much sauce on the tuna that had little to no taste. The tuna was served atop of sushi rice, which wasn't very good at all. This is my second try at eating sushi rice in Traverse City and I should have stuck to my golden rule, "Don't eat any sushi in the Midwest, with the exception of Chicago!!" My wonton soup was decent, although my husband said that it was a bit too salty. I didn't seem to mind it, and the wonton dumplings were nice. My husband ordered the halibut special, which is the entree that I would recommend to anyone who comes here. It was perfectly cooked and had a slightly sweet taste. The fish was served with risotto, which had a great flavor and was yummy. I ordered the tuna entree, rare, and it wasn't anything to get excited about. Maybe I should have ordered it extra rare, which was recommended on the menu. It wasn't very flavorful, served with avocado, rice and a cabbage slaw, although the slaw was quite good. Our friend ordered the Thai Curry dish, he was visiting us from San Fran and he liked his dish. We enjoyed the cheesecake small bite dessert. My husband gives his apple dessert a 2.5 star, he did enjoy the homemade vanilla ice cream that was served with it. Our friend also enjoyed his chocolate cake dessert. What was most disappointing overall was the atmosphere in this restaurant. And let me point out, that ATMOSPHERE in a restaurant is one of my absolute pet peeves! I won't go back to a 5-star restaurant with the best food and service if I cannot hear my dinner mates! On a busy Saturday night, this place is loud, very loud. The waitstaff was attentive and our waiter Mitch did a very fine job. My husband saw a few near misses of other waitresses spilling or almost spilling water/drinks too near customers and their coats. A typical complaint for restaurants in TC, I wish that all servers would go to 'server boot camp' so that they can learn how to properly pour a glass of water! (among other things!) read more

I've been here with my wife 4 or 5 times over the years and I feel like I need a shirt that said "I ate at Red Ginger before it was cool!" The name is brilliant, the atmosphere is great, and I love the food (but it's a bit pricey.) The service is good, but not excellent (I always seem to be waiting - and waiting - to get a Coke refilled.) I just hope this place doesn't turn into a douch bag gathering place. Your best bet is to NOT dine here around big vacation weekends, like the National Cherry Festival. read more

Came here not really knowing what to expect, did not read any reviews prior. The place was very busy at 8:15 pm. We started off with the Chicken lettuce wraps appetizer and that was very good, the fresh crispy romaine leaves were nice. I ordered the blood orange martini, and I was surprised that it was strong. It could have been less strong. The entrees included a tuna special that changes every night, and that was what I ordered. That night it came with grilled butter lettuce leaves with a delightful sauce and special rice, purple and other different colors. I ordered my tuna rare (with the choice of even having it cooked extra rare!) and it was perfectly cooked. I have to say that on a score of 1-10, this meal was a 9.5. I don't often have a meal out this great. It was simple, yet delicious. My husband had the thai curry with chicken, and said it was very good. The service was outstanding, we had four different people take care of us, and they were attentive, but not overly so. We looked at the dessert menu, but nothing appealed (tofu cheesecake?). Also, the selection was very limited, something like only three or four selections, so we passed. This is a restaurant I would definitely go back to. read more

I enjoyed the loud, trendy atmosphere, a nice change to the "slower" pace of TC. Ordered a vegetable roll while the hubby had a halibut dish. Both were good, not great. Our crab rangoon app was tasty. Drinks were delish, however the restaurant is a bit pricey. (A common thread in TC.) Service was spotty even though we had two different servers. read more

I am no stranger to exotic food and preparation. From Asia to the Middle East to North Arica to the American South and beyond. I can not say that the food is bad here but the combinations of flavors no matter how artfully presented are simply odd. The sushi is fresh. As are all the other ingredients. Don't expect any dish you may recognize to taste remotely the same as any version of it that you have had before. Can't say it is good or bad but rather extremely eclectic interpretations of the respective cuisine. Service is somewhat detached, which is odd for Traverse City. The portions are smallish, which doesn't bother me. My wife is a gourmet like myself, both in an non-snobbish manner. She has a more traditional palette than mine and she will not go back. I may be inclined to give it another try next season, after the restaurant matures a couple years. read more

I've been to Red Ginger on and off over the years. This was amazing! Best experience I've had there. Red Ginger has stepped it up! If you can get a seat on the new and improved patio, it's much quieter and very nice (any season). The calamari and Forbidden Rice were both incredible and I would go just for those appetizers. The Forbidden Rice is the ultimate in comfort and deliciousness. All of the entrees were delicious (sea bass is incredible!) and the coffee after dinner was great. We stayed for over 2 hours and the food was spread out perfectly and everything was delicious! Always love the mango rice pudding for dessert - the rum sauce on it is to die for! Red Ginger is definitely going back on out date night list! Worth every penny! Make sure to make a reservation ahead of time :) read more

Tried both the Kung pao Chicken and some of the sushi rolls for a birthday dinner. We also had the lettuce wraps as an appetizer. The wait staff was very friendly and everything was incredibly delicious. Do not go anywhere else for Asian or Sushi in TC... read more

Red Ginger - Asian Fusion Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

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Am oasis in a sea of burgers and fries and wraps! Red Ginger is delicious, adorable, and appropriately priced - fresh fish is never cheap and believe me if it is, run! So the bf and I have been in traverse for 3 days and we cannot face another french fry so we yelp and find red Ginger. We are seated within 5 minutes and out awesome waiter Walter (ask for him!) takes our drink orders and gives us tons of suggestions - he's a chi town native so we love him instantly- we start with edamame - slightly overcooked but still good then move to lobster tempura - must have! tuna nigiri and maki - so fresh! Rainbow, salmon maki - all delicious. We decide to go for dessert too and gran the mint choc one amazing! Here is the truth from a sushi Sensi great drink selection crazy fresh fish awesome wait staff average prices better desserts than any local sushi joint negatives: locals - more obnoxious cougars than wanted they were put of some apps/wine bottom line: GO' read more

I'll be honest, i was a bit skeptical about dining at Red Ginger for a number of reasons: (1.) The ratings were all over the map! (2.) Good sushi in Traverse City??? (3.) Asian Fusion Food??? Hmmm.. (4.) Similar to the Hollywood 'Walk of Fame', there was an embedded 'Star' for 'Best Restaurant 2010' only a few footsteps from Red Ginger's doorway. Seriously?!? That alone had me worried - what did i get myself into? Surprisingly, Red Ginger made for a pleasant & delicious dining experience! The service was excellent - our waitress was attentive and hospitable! Our food was flavorful & fresh - great Pad Thai, tasty Pad See Ewe (Seaweed Salad), deeeelish Unagi (Eel) rolls, and an amazing Coconut Rice Pudding dessert! Lovely space + Great service + Fantastic food = We'll be back! read more

Ate here last last week and had a terrible experience. We had reservations, ended up getting there about 20 minutes before or reservation. The hostess told us she would seat us as soon as a table opened, there were only a couple people waiting. We grabbed a drink at the bar and watched her seat every person that just walked in as soon as they walked in. Once it was our reservation time I went and asked when we would be seated, she said she was waiting for the other reservation before us to get up. So apparently you reserve a specific table and can't sit anywhere else???? Makes no sense. We proceeded to wait 40 MINUTES AFTER our reservation. We watched at least 10 other walk ins get sat during that time. Really unfortunate because we love their food and probably spend $300 every time we come in, but no more after this experience. read more

Spectacular service, phenomenal presentation, mouth-watering flavors! We savored the best calamari of our lives. The lotus salad brought more raving and delight. The service was impeccably observant, responsive, and appropriately attentive. For drinks, the saketini got the job done (two was double the pleasure). Only suggestion would be to request extra strength if you go for a well drink. ;+) Overall - suberb in all categories. Thank you Red Ginger, we will come back for more! read more

We came here to celebrate my birthday and when we arrived, there was a birthday card at our table signed by some of the staff. Very classy! The food was amazing We started with the wasabi tuna roll as an appetizer. It had just the right amount of heat. I had the halibut special, with a green curry sauce. The fish was like butter and the flavors were excellent. My husband had the salmon and said it was fantastic, and he's very picky about his salmon! My brother and sister-in-law really enjoyed their meals, too. They shared some sashimi and pot stickers to start and then split the sea bass, and said all of it was perfect. Ou server brought us a delicious warm chocolate mini cake with vanilla ice cream to top it all off. The service was impeccable. So glad we were able to get reservations for our vacation Up North! Love this place. We will be back next time we're in TC. read more

Love love love. Great layout and decor. Our waiter was lovely (older gentleman), and was attentive to our every need. Food was amazing, fresh and light. Would come here again and again! read more

This may possibly be the best sushi that I've ever eaten. I was in Traverse City for work when my colleague suggested we dine here for dinner. Ok. The parking situation was a bit lean, and it was cold outside. We found a space a few blocks away and walked over. It was so worth it. The place was bustling and with good reason. The cocktails were really good. We shared and order of crab fried rice which was delicious! We ordered 2 rolls that were recommended by our server. They too were delicious. The sushi is fresh and quality grade. It is also presented beautifully. I know you all want to see, my bad, we inhaled the food before even thinking of taking a photo. I'll go back every time I am in the area. read more

Please- maybe let your servers know that when people order the dragon wings that they want the bleu cheese dip to go as well with the wings. I spent months waiting to get that dish since I was pregnant and am super sad I didn't get my bleu to go. I would never eat those wings without and the giant tip I gave for the three wing appetizers without sauce seems crazy. I even asked to box my OWN food but the server would not Let me. I would have grabbed the cheese if I had! So upset. You guys aren't a cheap place. Can't say again how disappointed I am. read more

This is seriously the ONLY legitimate place to score sushi in the Grand Traverse area! The rolls are fresh, inventive and authentic! (Sushi rice on point!) My friend Sara and I shared the Sushi Trio- which includes 3 of their most popular rolls: Red Dragon, Cali and Spicy Tuna. Everything was SOOOO good (and a perfect amount for 2, when paired with an exciting appetizer or two!) For those who hate raw fish, Chef Dan's Signature Roll is a pretty incredible, decadent treat.. It has butter poached shrimp, asparagus, truffled bacon sauce with crunchy garlic! Freaking amazing! I can't wait to try their Green Thai Curry next time. While it pains me to spend $24 on a curry dish, based on the quality of their fish and elegant service, I believe it'll be well executed! Service was stellar! If you can get there for Happy Hour at the bar, it's a fantastic deal for small plates & drinks! Though space is very limited and it's only 3-5pm. read more

It's a nice atmosphere and the food is good. But is it good enough to justify the higher prices? I don't think so.