Very friendly people and very good service. Food was delicious definitely recommend the bbq nachos. Would definitely come back to this small town restaurant again and again. Bbq was fresh and tasty, meat was tender and juicy. Recomend the brisket and the baby back ribs. read more

Staff was very friendly. The restaurant is super cute. Menu have lots to choose from but the pulled pork sandwich is definitely the way to go read more

Honestly, it was just alright. This was the only restraint we could find downtown last night that didn't have a long wait. The food was decent, but it seemed a bit weird to have my meal served in a cup. I also don't know why the cornbread was such an up charge or why it wasn't an appetizer for the table. We also asked for some plates to eat off of and we were give. The smallest plates possible. All and all the food was fine but the way some of the stuff was handled was a bit bazaar. The food was okay, but definitely would have have excepted more from the best BBQ in TC. read more

Fabulous BBQ. When my wife and I dined there they had only been in this new location for five days, so no liquor license yet. However, the food was outstanding. My wife got the pulled pork and I got the brisket. Both were easily as good as any I've had before. Service was prompt and very friendly. We were treated to some live music by the former guitarist with Buddy Guy! Not sure he'll always be in town but looks like live music is definitely going to be a big part of the dining experience here. read more

Very friendly staff and fast service. The ribs are fantastic! They go fast so sometimes they are out of ribs by dinner. Everything else is really good as well. They are still waiting on the state to approve their liquor license but once that happens this place will be perfect. I will definitely be a regular here. read more

ok, my wife and I decided to eat at Sparks based upon the reviews. We were underwhelmed. The meal started with the waitress telling us the martini we ordered would be served without the requested olives as they were out. That was a first for me. How hard is it to send someone to the store and purchase some olives. It showed a lack of attention and caring for the customer. The pulled pork sandwich was good and very ample in size. No reason to order the extra meat. The pulled pork dinner was over shredded and dry. The sauces were fine but too much sugar, as was the beans dish. The slaw was very good as well. The bourbon selection was far too limited for a bbq. service was good and friendly. They could step up their game read more

My friends and I visited Traverse City for a bachelor party weekend. We saw the great reviews for this place and decided to check it out. I loved the brisket and ribs. The dry rub on the ribs is amazing, and the meat is very tender. I love Slows BBQ in Detroit, and the owner talked a big game saying his stuff was better. I'd say I agree with him and his stuff lives up to the challenge. The only downside is that the restaurant is small, so seating can be a bit limited. I'd also love to see them add potato salad as a side. Overall, this place is great and I plan to revisit next time I am in the Traverse City area. read more

Ask for Markus! He's the best. So knowledgeable and very sweet. The food was amazing, the pulled chicken is to die for. Also, the baked beans are a must-try. But seriously, if you want to have a fun experience, make sure Markus is your waiter. read more

Was planning on coming here for my husbands 30th birthday. We got into town and yelped restaurants that are good for kids. This came up on the list and looked good. When we got there they told us they don't have high chairs.... needless to say we had to go somewhere else. Disappointing read more

Very good ribs, tender and tasty with just the rub but the sauces were excellent also. The avocado bruschetta was wonderful. Small outside area to eat. read more

Place was very friendly and accommodating for our group. Food was top notch. Highly recommend.

Amazing place. Our friend from Grayling recommended this place so we thought we would check it out. We came to TC because we are thinking about making this our new home. So we are getting familiar with the area. Ok back to Sparks. We were probably the first customers of the day so we had an awesome talk with the three workers. Super friendly staff and I liked the music choice. I liked that it wasn't just a generic radio station playing. It was from a pandora type of app I've never heard of called Qello. Pretty sweet app that played music videos and not just songs. The place was nice and clean. They even knew my college friend. Small world. The meal was probably the best pulled pork nachos I've ever had. I loved how it had baked beans on it. We will definitely be stopping by here again. read more

Sparks BBQ - Our amazing nachos. - Barbeque Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

The food was great, I recommend the nachos and the Mac and cheese!! The kitchen was a little slow but they were short staffed. Our waitress was so friendly, we will defiantly be coming back! read more

This is the best bbq in Traverse City. The only problem we run in to is deciding what you get. The day we came was the grand opening of their new, larger location right downtown. The service was great, food was out in a quick timely manor, the restaurant team worked together extremely smoothly, not like other grand openings I've been to. On this visit my husband and I split the loaded smashed potatoes (new to the restaurant), I ordered the famous sundae and a side of mac & cheese, my husband ordered the Paul's hero plate. The potatoes were covered with toppings but very well balanced between the amount of topping to potato ratio. When we were done with our appetizer the food was just coming to the table, I dug into the mac & cheese, it was cheesy without being overly cheesy, the noodles were cooked to perfection. By the time I finished my mac & cheese I was almost too full for the famous sundae but still managed to take a couple bites before throwing in the towel. Bonus now I have lunch for tomorrow. My husband cleared his plate and said everything was perfect. Highly recommend any and all of it! read more

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My food came out cold so I asked if it could be warmed up and they threw it away and made it again. It was still just as cold the second time as it was the first time. read more

Food was super salty, as was the owner. Dean was super rude to us. Absolutely no manners. Wil not be back.

Delicious. Even biased as I often am against places with 4 star yelp reviews, I was thoroughly impressed by the food. We tried the brisket, baby back ribs, and Mac and cheese. The brisket was hands down the best, practically melt in your mouth with a good bbq sauce. The ribs were also very good, and the Mac and cheese completely disappeared. And thumbs up to the service. Even understaffed and at lunchtime, they were fast and courteous. read more

When you go to a BBQ restaurant, you would expect then to have ribs. They were all out of them on a Saturday night when we ate there. Food is very average. The baked beans appeared to be Busch's, right out of can. Average food at best. read more

Very good brisket. Very tender and tasty. Being a member of a bbq team that competes at the Memphis In May World Championship Contest, I would recommend this place. The dry ribs were very good as well read more

Ribs are insane. Pulled pork also very good. Like all great BBQ places it's about the sides too and their beans and mac'n'cheese are on point. We are regulars and keep coming back for more. read more

Horrible service told us the wait time was 30 minutes which was fine they took down our number and when they gave us a call we went back and the hostess told us she gave the table away to someone else..seems like discrimination to me. read more

BBQ is great. Ribs are between the best I've ever had. They have some service issues though here in the new place. So, food stands out, service does not. And don't forget to ask at the entrance what is still available, they won't tell you before you order. They run out fast of their BBQ as it is really good. read more

As I've said in the past, this place had awesome barbque two years ago. The combination of the outside smoker/cooker and the sauce made this place a must stop destination. At the time everything was done outside in a food trailer. It was a beautiful setup. The owner claimed to have a certificate from Larry Tech in Southfield, MI. The sides were ok, courtesy of GFS. Pretty good. Then came the new building. This doll house sized building is super small. In plain sight is a rib cooker that rotates. I've seen a million of these. The food was now prepared totally different than before. I questioned the owner about his new way of cooking. He claimed there was no way the fire marshal was going to approve what he had outside the year before for inside use. Fair enough. I gave this place two more shots....much the same. This year I considered trying the ribs again. I noticed a smoker/cooker outside, much smaller than the one he had next to the trailer before. After a quick look inside I could see the ribs were still being prepared in the rotating cooker. I'm not sure what the outside smoker/cooker is being used for. read more

The staff was super friendly & very helpful with my food allergy! A big group of us went and we all loved the food. They have a nice outdoor area to sit at by the water. I would definitely recommend this restaurant & I'm sure we'll be returning! read more

We went here after finding little fleet to be too crowded. You order at the counter and they bring your food to you. The food was very good; I had pulled pork sandwich and hubby had 2 meats brisket and ribs. The sides were really good too. Brisket and ribs were a little dry, but good flavor. Sandwich was great. We sat outside which was really nice- shady, but by the channel. Saw boats and ducks while eating. Overall really liked it. read more

Hands down...the BEST authentic BBQ in town! Y'all just need to call off the search. Dean has mad skills when it comes to flavor profiles and has, without question, mastered the art of BBQ! Additionally, I dream of the Mac 'n Cheese...it is THEE best ever! And don't EVEN get me started on the Avocado Bruschetta. #amazeballz LOCAL TIP: DON'T WAIT!!! When it sells out (and during certain times IT WILL) you'll have to wait until the next day. ((you're welcome)) Dean has become like family to us and we cannot be more proud to support him and his staff. read more

This place right here is the place you want to go, they said it was a 15 min wait and let me tell you worth the wait as me and two of my good pals walked into sparks we were greeted by the sweet smell of BBQ and meat. The waitress was quick to tell us what they were out of so we didnt get our hopes up, we ordered our food and got it quickly. When they slapped this pulled pork sand which in front of me i knew things were going to get real, i bit into a wonderfully soft bun then into the jaw dropping pork. Mouth watering hours later thinking of that sand which mhm that shit was good, wishing i could stay around in the area for longer because i would have to come back for seconds. HIGHLY RECOMMEND read more

This place is an absolute must visit! Amazing food! The best pork tacos I've ever had!!

Good food- a little expensive but tasty. They were helpful with allergies and deciding the food. Sitting outside or inside is great. read more

Sparks BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

Melt in your mouth brisket with winning BBQ sauce - smoky punch and tantalizing sweet acids. Best place is to eat at the picnic tables beside the cute restaurant on the water with a view towards the bay! Deducted a star because the chicken was a little dry as were some morsels of the pulled pork ; I always try the meat without the sauce first to guage the quality of the underlying base of the BBQ! read more

Hot and spicy barbecue sauce is the way to go! Employees are awesome and so friendly. Definitely stop by here!

I don't really see what all the fuss is about. The ribs were legit. Everything else was just ok. For me and my family, everything was too sweet especially anything that had the beans on it. read more

I'm so sad to say that sparks has gone completely down hill. I have the pleasure of coming to traverse city about once a month for a long weekend and every time I come to town I come to sparks multiple times per visit; however, tonight will definitely be my last. I got the pulled pork sundae which I always get and the whole thing was filled with coleslaw with maybe a sliver of meat. On top of that the chef was extremely rude to my family because we changed one of the orders, but even offered to pay extra for the inconvenience. Furthermore, the food is way overpriced and just doesn't compare to the foodtruck food they use to serve. I'm sad to say that what use to be my favorite place is now an overpriced restaurant with mediocre food run by extremely rude people. So many other places to go in this town, STAY AWAY. Just noticed your reply, Dean, and I have to say that's a pretty rude way to reply to somebody. Although, didn't you just say none of your staff is rude? How ironic. I have seen the way you reply to other negative comments and it is completely out of line for someone who owns a restaurant. You should be able to handle a poor review without losing your mind. Seems to me you may be overcompensating for something else. I can't wait to share this with all my relatives in TC! read more

If I could only eat one type of food for the rest of my life it would be BBQ and Sparks nails it! I have been there many times and never been disappointed. Whatever you order make sure you get a side of Mac & Cheese or you're missing out! read more

Great food. Portions were perfect if you're splitting which I recommend to get the most out of everything! Employees were kind and helpful. Get there early since they're a real bbq establishment and will run out throughout the day. read more

So simple and so delicious! While dining at sparks we had an awesome BBQ sundae and avocado bruschetta....unreal! If you miss this you will need a whack in the head! Only one slight criticism....the avocado was a little sweet.... read more

Sparks BBQ - Barbeque Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

Went here today and disappointed is an understatement, First off the soda was flat, Second we asked if we could substitute in place of the chips, RED FLAG the waitress said the chips were a garnish, Which was no joke when we got our meal they gave me 4 broken chips, 3rd you can buy better beans at your local grocer, And the Cole slaw was tasteless and dry and cost 3 dollars, I want to see local business thrive, But sorry sparks you need to step up your game! read more

Service was great, food came quickly. The best part was the appetizer Pig Candy. Brisket and baby back ribs were really dry. Pulled pork was tender and good. Just a little pricey for 1 entree (25.00) when 2 out of 3 meats to be dry, cole slaw and baked beans. Just okay. read more

Hats off to Michigan BBQ from Texas! Great food & great service! Usually steer clear when away from home, but this was a great find! A taste of home when away from home!! Had ribs, Gouda pork sandwich, slaw, and mac & cheese. All delicious, definitely recommend ribs! read more

Sparks BBQ - Full rack of ribs. Super meaty! - Barbeque Near Me - Traverse City, Michigan

DELICIOUS!!!!! Our first time here but won't be our last. Great pulled pork platter with slaw and beans with pickle-- took home some pig candy for later. Very friendly staff, quick service and VERY ample portions!! read more