Stopped at Sparks while visiting Traverse City because my husband and I were craving BBQ --…read moreparticularly BBQ nachos. Unfortunately, Sparks was busier than expected so it took way long to get our food - even though we just ordered the nachos and a side of mac. Our waiter apologized many times due to being short staffed for the holiday weekend, but we were getting soo hangry we devoured our food in 10 minutes by the time we got it. The nachos were pretty good - I expected there to be a lot more meat and toppings for the price - and I wish they had put all of the BBQ sauce on it! We asked for all of their BBQ sauce on the side so we could try all of it. The mac & cheese was also pretty good! I probably would opt for a sandwich if I came back though since I do think the nachos were a bit lackluster.

How does this place get so many stars and good reviews. Whoever been liking this had no ideas what…read morereal BBQ is or they got lucky. This is such a tourist trap. 1. It is overpriced. $25 for 2 meat plate you get little piece of chicken and chop meat. Sides are good but the meat are tiny. 2. It is gross. you know something is wrong when your bbq is drown in sauce. Look at the picture. I never seen a bbq restaurant drown their meat in sauce. It is like they just grilled it or microwave the meat and just dump sauce on them and call it bbq. Also it was cold. Might as well eat at Applebee's if they are serving this. I was going to give 0 star but server was patient and nice. Food was just terrible. Everybody that give good reviews have nachos or macaroni. That's easy to make, but the items that involve technical skills and times, they have no idea how to make barbeque period

I found the server to be brusque in multiple interactions (e.g., the way that she told me to come…read moreto where she could hear me, instead of a friendly "I can help you over here"). But the real problem is the food. The pulled chicken was dry and mealy. The rice and sauce on our Korean-style rice bowl were dull and the vegetables on top did not seem freshly prepared.

Sharon and Cordwood Catering served delicious food and exceptional service for our daughter and…read moreson-in-law's wedding reception in June 2025. From the outset, Sharon was wonderful to work with -- very professional, helpful and warm; we knew we were in good hands. The brisket, the pork, the chicken and the tofu -- So Good! The appetizers and dinner sides were fantastic, too. We highly recommend Cordwood BBQ. Thank you!

This place has always been in TC but I didn't realize how good it was until I just recently went…read moreafter not going for years. We sat at a high top by the bar and the service was amazing and the food was so delicious! I got crispy sweet potato fries, blondie sundae, fried pickle appetizers, and pulled pork mac n cheese! All amazing, especially the pulled pork. Loved this place and will be coming in more often now!

Excellent BBQ place!…read more Good atmosphere, great service, and wonderful food! We had the ribs and pork mac and cheese, and both were excellent. I feared the pork would be too salty like many other places, but it turned out just right. The ribs are flavorful and my favorite part is the fries! I have not encountered fries, which excited me, in a while.

We always make sure to stop in for a cold brew when we're visiting Traverse City. Great beers,…read morefriendly staff, cool vibe.

So I want to be cautious here as I know there is new ownership from what I heard. My wife and I…read morecame here spontaneously as we were in town for the weekend. When we ordered, the bartender didn't drink which made it hard to know what certain beers taste like, but honestly, no judgement because he did the right thing and offered tastes of beer which was awesome and helpful! So service wise I would say great! The beer tasted really good as well and was decently priced. They had a bourbon barrel stout which was pretty good and newly released. The biggest issue we had was with the food. I ordered the spam sandwich with chips and my wife ordered the chicken quesadilla. While the food was cheap, the quality of the food also seems that way too based off what we ordered. The spam sandwich was supposed to be teriyaki flavored, and didn't get any of that. There wasn't a lot of thousand island dressing on it too, which made the sandwich dry. The chips that were served were clearly out of a bag as they were cold, which made it seem like I could have just gotten a bag myself. I would have paid a few dollars extra to get something fresh like fries. While spam comes from a can and I know this, my wife's chicken quesadilla had chicken that was clearly from a can - it was sopping wet, and the meat was very chunky, and very salty. This made us worry the rest of the food may not be very fresh. While we did have that experience, I will say the pretzel bites were really good and did seem fresh, and they were sourdough! So that was nice. I think this place has very good beer, and a really cool bar setup with a nice stage, arcade machines, and much more. However, I wouldn't come back here for lunch. Instead, I would make food at home. I would highly recommend more fresher options, and I would pay a little more for better quality food.

Best place I have ever eaten at it is so good. That have a lot of options. The servers are amazing…read morethey are so nice and sometimes the chef says hi. The burger is so good there I get it every time and there pork rinsed are homemade and are really goodly seasoned There always so clean and organized.

Great place to eat and drink! My husband and I dined here…read morelast Fall and our meals hit the spot after an adventurous day up north. The pulled pork sandwich was delicious and had just the right amount of BBQ sauce. The only thing I left on my plate were a few waffle fries- there were so many!! My husband said his salmon was incredible and cooked to perfection. He cleared his plate and almost ordered more food to go! Our cocktails were unique, tasty, and made with love by the talented bartender. Service was prompt, and our waitress was friendly and patient while we took our time trying to decide on what we wanted to order. Atmosphere is cool and cozy, and the restrooms were clean and well taken care of. We will definitely be heading back here the next time we're in Traverse City!

We love this place. We are local and come in often. The cold brew nitro martini on tap is so good…read more Very good, food selection is great and very good. The staff is always friendly. Today 4-15-2026 we had OG Tyler at the bar and he is always awesome. Best beard. Best bar tender. Great guy.

Stopped in for a quick bite and we both enjoyed the pub burger and shared the pecorino fries…read more Burgers were great and the fries will ensure a return trip! Beers were ok. I tried their Oktoberfest and it was good. Our server was awesome! Really talked up the town and gave us some ideas of things to do. I really enjoyed my time at Rare Bird and will return.

This place is Bad Ass! The food is amazing. They have a Burger and Beer special for $10. If your…read morelooking for breakfast then I highly recommend the Poutine. They also make the best bloody mary's with all the appetizers in it. Its pretty cool. On the hotter days they have adult milk shakes also. This is the best place for eating if you are in the area. Brad and the crew do an awesome job running an establishment.

The atmosphere here very much feels like a tavern. However a tavern with a welcoming feel to it…read more I ordered the Shrek Burger ($22). The 1/2 pound burger is topped with Fried Cheese, Fresh Jalapeño, Pulled Pork, Cole Slaw, Haystack Onions, Bourbon BBQ Sauce. The burger was very good with a few caveats. The pulled pork is very average and doesn't add anything to the burger. The fried cheese was very good and did add to thd burger. The bourbon bbq sauce was meh and didn't add much. However the meat itself is excellent and I think a plainer burger would have been better. The fries that came with the burger were very good. I also ordered a Chocolate Shake and it was fantastic. the service was very good and everyone was very friendly. Overall a solid 4 star review. Would I return? Absolutely. Definitely for the shakes and I very much believe a simpler burger would have been better.

I can't believe I've never reviewed this spot after all our years of going here! Slabtown is an…read moreabsolute 'must' for any burger lovers visiting TC; especially in the summertime when you can sit outside on their porch or surrounding patio. It's an old house that has been transformed into a burger destination. The inside is cramped, especially in the order area when they're busy, and indoor seating is tough to come by at peak times. The service has never been anything short of excellent on our visits. The staff is welcoming, helpful, patient, and friendly. Service is quick, even when they're slammed. Phenomenal burgers, O-rings, tots, and sweet potato fries. The Northwood's DRAFT (not fountain) root beer is a perfect pairing with their burgers. Slabtown's menu of specialty burgers is enormous and the BYO options include different protein choices and excellent GF buns. I've tried many of their burgers, but have to say that the Slabby Patty on a pretzel bun and the Pungi's Pepper Patty really stood out as a couple of my favorites. For a really sinful (and unhealthy) treat, ask for the gravy tots. Oh brother...insanely good but definitely a guilty pleasure. We've sent tons of our friends and family here, and I can tell you that every one of them has thanked us for the recommendation and raved about their burgers. So what are you waiting for? Get yourself to Slabtown!

Fabulous food, service and great prices! Small dining room,…read morebut they offer take out and they have outdoor seating in warmer weather!

What a fun spot! This place was recommended to me as a first time visitor to Traverse City. Located…read moreon the main street it has great curb appeal and an inviting look. As you enter you will encounter all things cherry as there are many different foods, drinks, and other items for purchase. It may feel a little overwhelming with the amount of things in the store! My family and I got to enjoy various samples of all things cherry, my favorite being the cherry gummy bears. We headed over to the wine counter in which we did two wine tastings for $1 each. The staff member who served us was knowledgeable and informative. Both of the wines I got were delicious! Overall we had a great experience and would encourage anyone to make this a stop while visiting the downtown Traverse City shops!

Everyone says you have to go to the Cherry Republic when you're in Traverse City. And you kind of…read moredo. Especially if you need to pick up gifts for in-laws and the neighbor who gets your mail when your out of town. Not super nice gifts. But cute gifts or interesting food stuffs. Spoiler alert: The food stuffs you eventually buy will be made with cherries. Cherry wine, cherry jam, cherry salsa, cherry barbecue sauce, cherry candy... Some of it's great, some not so much. It's large. It's packed. It's touristy. It has oven mitts with cherry designs and aprons with clever sayings. You've been somewhere like this before. If it's your thing, they do it pretty well. If not, this store will not change your mind.

The unique and fresh salad & pizza hit the spot after a day of traveling. We appreciate the dog…read morefriendly patio! So impressed with the freshness of ingredients! Cannot wait to come back!

Good good but we had a hiccup with our service and order --…read more Really nice brewery and allows dogs! We were staying in the area and our rental recommended this place for dinner. Since they allow dogs, we walked down there and had dinner. We only had a few minute wait so they could set up our table and then we were seated. You order at the counter so we got an order of spinach dip and the one of their flatbread pizzas. The pizza was good! Service was a little slow but it was a Saturday night. Unfortunately we never got our spinach dip. A girl came around and said it was sent out and then given to another table. They also said they'd refund it but I've still yet to see a refund on my credit card. I even asked the bartenders about it and they said they'd take care of it but still nothing. So I guess I'm out the money. I'd recommend d the place but their wait staff seems a bit chaotic and frazzled so I guess just be prepared for that.