Guidebook for Traverse City

Sabrina
Guidebook for Traverse City

Food Scene

Bubba's has phenomenal burgers at a great price, and you can knock back a pint or two at the same time. Get there a little earlier than dinner time, because they're popular.
62 helybéli ajánlásával
Bubba's
428 E Front St
62 helybéli ajánlásával
Bubba's has phenomenal burgers at a great price, and you can knock back a pint or two at the same time. Get there a little earlier than dinner time, because they're popular.
The Dish is great for lunch, especially for the health conscious. Great salads and wraps; try the Cherry Daze wrap for a real taste of TC. Soups and smoothies are also superb. A couple tables outside when the weather is nice!
12 helybéli ajánlásával
The Dish Cafe
108 S Union St
12 helybéli ajánlásával
The Dish is great for lunch, especially for the health conscious. Great salads and wraps; try the Cherry Daze wrap for a real taste of TC. Soups and smoothies are also superb. A couple tables outside when the weather is nice!
Great pizza only a stone's throw away. They deliver, but as close as they are, it's convenient to pick up -- and grab a pint of Moomer's ice cream from the Oleson's grocery next door.
15 helybéli ajánlásával
That'sa Pizza
5430 US-31
15 helybéli ajánlásával
Great pizza only a stone's throw away. They deliver, but as close as they are, it's convenient to pick up -- and grab a pint of Moomer's ice cream from the Oleson's grocery next door.
Your cholesterol is going up just smelling this place, but if delicious greasy burgers and fries are your thing, Slabtown is close and will hit the spot. They're always hoppin' because they're so good, but it has to be a rare indulgence if you're watching your weight. Their burger with cherries and blue cheese is my favorite.
45 helybéli ajánlásával
Slabtown Burgers
826 W Front St
45 helybéli ajánlásával
Your cholesterol is going up just smelling this place, but if delicious greasy burgers and fries are your thing, Slabtown is close and will hit the spot. They're always hoppin' because they're so good, but it has to be a rare indulgence if you're watching your weight. Their burger with cherries and blue cheese is my favorite.
Mackinaw Brew Pub is a fabulous downtown spot for really great American food. Stone fired pizzas, burgers, ribs, local fish, and smoked meats are on order, and they've got a great selection of local and other beers. Try the house made root beer or a flight of what's on tap. You might have to wait around dinner time, but it'll be worth the wait.
35 helybéli ajánlásával
Mackinaw Brewing Company
161 E Front St
35 helybéli ajánlásával
Mackinaw Brew Pub is a fabulous downtown spot for really great American food. Stone fired pizzas, burgers, ribs, local fish, and smoked meats are on order, and they've got a great selection of local and other beers. Try the house made root beer or a flight of what's on tap. You might have to wait around dinner time, but it'll be worth the wait.
The GT Pie Company has the best cherry crumb pie in the world. My coworkers love the ABC pie better - apple berry cherry - but I know that the cherry pie is the best. They also have sweets and treats for breakfast or dessert, like caramel apple dumplings and these amazing sugar cookies, and great sandwiches for lunch. You can buy whole pies or just a slice.
34 helybéli ajánlásával
Grand Traverse Pie Company
525 W Front St
34 helybéli ajánlásával
The GT Pie Company has the best cherry crumb pie in the world. My coworkers love the ABC pie better - apple berry cherry - but I know that the cherry pie is the best. They also have sweets and treats for breakfast or dessert, like caramel apple dumplings and these amazing sugar cookies, and great sandwiches for lunch. You can buy whole pies or just a slice.
Oryana is Traverse City's version of Whole Foods, only far better. It's a local coop, and local suppliers feature prominently. They do have a cafe right inside, a great place for organic, gluten free, etc. lunch, but they are a grocery store for organic, gluten free, and natural foods first a foremost.
79 helybéli ajánlásával
Oryana Community Co-op
260 E Tenth St
79 helybéli ajánlásával
Oryana is Traverse City's version of Whole Foods, only far better. It's a local coop, and local suppliers feature prominently. They do have a cafe right inside, a great place for organic, gluten free, etc. lunch, but they are a grocery store for organic, gluten free, and natural foods first a foremost.
If you want fast food, skip the chain restaurants and go to Taco House instead. It's budget friendly and delicious, and whether you dine in or drive through, you get your food quickly. It's our top choice for fast food, and it's a TC icon that has been around forever.
Taco House
If you want fast food, skip the chain restaurants and go to Taco House instead. It's budget friendly and delicious, and whether you dine in or drive through, you get your food quickly. It's our top choice for fast food, and it's a TC icon that has been around forever.
Georgina's is a Latin-Asian fusion cuisine restaurant with an extensive selection of drinks and food. It is a nice place and great for a date or special evening out, but you can go for a more casual lunch. I've tried a LOT on their menu, and have never had a bad item or poor service. My personal recommendation is the peanut Thai chicken and a glass of local wine. Call ahead to get a reservation for dinner if you're visiting in the summer! They can book up. In the off-season, you won't need a reservation. If you're here in the summer and didn't get a reservation in time, try lunchtime or an early dinner. It's worth it!
46 helybéli ajánlásával
Little G's Fusion Cuisine
531 W Front St
46 helybéli ajánlásával
Georgina's is a Latin-Asian fusion cuisine restaurant with an extensive selection of drinks and food. It is a nice place and great for a date or special evening out, but you can go for a more casual lunch. I've tried a LOT on their menu, and have never had a bad item or poor service. My personal recommendation is the peanut Thai chicken and a glass of local wine. Call ahead to get a reservation for dinner if you're visiting in the summer! They can book up. In the off-season, you won't need a reservation. If you're here in the summer and didn't get a reservation in time, try lunchtime or an early dinner. It's worth it!
Potter's is the local place to go for cookies and donuts. They have another location, their original, on 8th Street, but this location is closer to the house. Try their tea cookies, they're addicting!
20 helybéli ajánlásával
Potter's Bakery
908 E Eighth St
20 helybéli ajánlásával
Potter's is the local place to go for cookies and donuts. They have another location, their original, on 8th Street, but this location is closer to the house. Try their tea cookies, they're addicting!

Essentials

Oleson's has a pharmacy, home items, liquor section, and groceries. It's really close and they're friendly. Bring your shopping bags to save 5 cents, and be sure to check out their buffalo meat.
8 helybéli ajánlásával
Oleson's Food Store
3850 N Long Lake Rd
8 helybéli ajánlásával
Oleson's has a pharmacy, home items, liquor section, and groceries. It's really close and they're friendly. Bring your shopping bags to save 5 cents, and be sure to check out their buffalo meat.
While Oleson's has all the essentials and is closer, Meijer has just about anything. Groceries, a pharmacy, clothes and hygiene products, and tons and tons more. If Oleson's didn't have it, or if you want prices a little cheaper, hit up Meijer. But it's big enough to get lost in, and sometimes the lines can be backed up.
53 helybéli ajánlásával
Meijer
3955 N U.S. 31 S
53 helybéli ajánlásával
While Oleson's has all the essentials and is closer, Meijer has just about anything. Groceries, a pharmacy, clothes and hygiene products, and tons and tons more. If Oleson's didn't have it, or if you want prices a little cheaper, hit up Meijer. But it's big enough to get lost in, and sometimes the lines can be backed up.

Entertainment & Activities

Right downtown, you can enjoy a unique or classic movie with your family in between shopping or spending the day at the beach. The State Theatre is volunteer run and has movies you won't find at the cineplex. Check out the schedule and pick up tickets online. There's an annual film festival in late July every year, too.
105 helybéli ajánlásával
State Theatre
233 E Front St
105 helybéli ajánlásával
Right downtown, you can enjoy a unique or classic movie with your family in between shopping or spending the day at the beach. The State Theatre is volunteer run and has movies you won't find at the cineplex. Check out the schedule and pick up tickets online. There's an annual film festival in late July every year, too.
A partner of the State Theatre, the Bijou has new release movies. A small theatre with plush chairs and reasonable prices, it's staffed by volunteers and offers a better experience than the cineplex in town. My absolute top choice for catching a movie. You can enjoy views of the bay on your way in and out, too! Park downtown and walk over, there's an underpass to get across the Grandview Parkway at Cass Street.
56 helybéli ajánlásával
Bijou by the Bay Movie
181 E Grandview Pkwy
56 helybéli ajánlásával
A partner of the State Theatre, the Bijou has new release movies. A small theatre with plush chairs and reasonable prices, it's staffed by volunteers and offers a better experience than the cineplex in town. My absolute top choice for catching a movie. You can enjoy views of the bay on your way in and out, too! Park downtown and walk over, there's an underpass to get across the Grandview Parkway at Cass Street.

Drinks & Nightlife

Right Brain has a wide selection of their own beers on tap in a quirky venue frequented by mostly locals.
61 helybéli ajánlásával
Right Brain Brewery
225 E Sixteenth St
61 helybéli ajánlásával
Right Brain has a wide selection of their own beers on tap in a quirky venue frequented by mostly locals.
Firefly has plenty of great food, too! But if you're looking to sip a cocktail after a long day of shopping downtown, Firefly can be a nice place to relax with friends. They have local wines, too. It's in the mid-to-upper price scale. Their sweet potato fries with garlic aioli to dip in is a transcendental experience; grab it for an appetizer or with the steak skewers for dinner.
53 helybéli ajánlásával
Firefly Restaurant
310 N Cass St
53 helybéli ajánlásával
Firefly has plenty of great food, too! But if you're looking to sip a cocktail after a long day of shopping downtown, Firefly can be a nice place to relax with friends. They have local wines, too. It's in the mid-to-upper price scale. Their sweet potato fries with garlic aioli to dip in is a transcendental experience; grab it for an appetizer or with the steak skewers for dinner.
Our local whiskey distillery, TC Whiskey has tastings as well as limited release items you won't find anywhere else. Try their cherry whiskey; it's extremely unique, and not the artificial, cough medicine cherry flavor you might be afraid of. Makes a great gift.
42 helybéli ajánlásával
Traverse City Whiskey Co.
201 E 14th St
42 helybéli ajánlásával
Our local whiskey distillery, TC Whiskey has tastings as well as limited release items you won't find anywhere else. Try their cherry whiskey; it's extremely unique, and not the artificial, cough medicine cherry flavor you might be afraid of. Makes a great gift.

Shopping

Horizon Books is 100% local and a TC fixture. Browse three floors of books and enjoy one of two cafes. My favorite is the Horizon Shine cafe in the basement. It's a great place to take a break from downtown shopping, and is one of the few places downtown with a public restroom. There are plenty of cafe tables to relax and take stock before forging out again. They sometimes have live music and performances in the evenings.
13 helybéli ajánlásával
Horizon Books
243 E Front St
13 helybéli ajánlásával
Horizon Books is 100% local and a TC fixture. Browse three floors of books and enjoy one of two cafes. My favorite is the Horizon Shine cafe in the basement. It's a great place to take a break from downtown shopping, and is one of the few places downtown with a public restroom. There are plenty of cafe tables to relax and take stock before forging out again. They sometimes have live music and performances in the evenings.
The GT Mall is a fairly large shopping mall with the anchor stores Macy's, JC Penny, Target, and TJ Maxx. Lots of smaller clothing stores help round it out. Take your kids on the merry-go-round in the food court, and be sure to stop off at F.Y.E. for music, movies, or games.
31 helybéli ajánlásával
Grand Traverse Mall
3200 W South Airport Rd
31 helybéli ajánlásával
The GT Mall is a fairly large shopping mall with the anchor stores Macy's, JC Penny, Target, and TJ Maxx. Lots of smaller clothing stores help round it out. Take your kids on the merry-go-round in the food court, and be sure to stop off at F.Y.E. for music, movies, or games.
The Cherryland Mall has Sears. Big Lots, KMart, Younkers, Gamestop, and a couple other small shops.
Cherryland Center
1148 W South Airport Rd
The Cherryland Mall has Sears. Big Lots, KMart, Younkers, Gamestop, and a couple other small shops.

Arts & Culture

The Dennos Museum has a permanent collection on the Inuit and a permanent children's room with interactive exhibits. Their rotating exhibits can be found on their website. They also have the Milliken Auditorium with unique concerts and events, which usually do not sell out in advance. They draw different cultural artists from around the world, and past concerts include the Japanese drum group Kiyoshi Nagata and the Mongolian-Chinese group Hanggai.
30 helybéli ajánlásával
Dennos Museum Center
30 helybéli ajánlásával
The Dennos Museum has a permanent collection on the Inuit and a permanent children's room with interactive exhibits. Their rotating exhibits can be found on their website. They also have the Milliken Auditorium with unique concerts and events, which usually do not sell out in advance. They draw different cultural artists from around the world, and past concerts include the Japanese drum group Kiyoshi Nagata and the Mongolian-Chinese group Hanggai.