I think the two premier burgers spots in Traverse City are Slabtown Burgers and Glendale Burger…read moreShop and in my opinion, Glendale wins by a landslide. Insanely good smashburgers, perfectly cooked fries, and simpler menu that makes a few things really well. I had their version of a patty melt along with some Parm fries. My wife wasn't super impressed with the olive burger, but we loved the vibe and would definitely come back again when we're in TC.

We gave Glendale Burger Shop a shot this weekend and they delivered a great smash burger and nice…read morefries! The Oliver (triple) was exactly what I'd been craving in a Michigan-style olive burger. The pimento olive spread was generously slathered on to the crispy lacey-edged smash burger patties topped with Swiss cheese on a nicely toasted brioche bun. The olive spread was perfect...just enough to be bursting with flavor, but not so overpowering that it dominated the entire burger. The fam tried The Junction and The Laura, both on lightly toasted Gluten Free buns. The Junction (Glendale's version of the classic Oklahoma onion burger) was very good, and the GF bun was met with positive reviews. Glendale even offers GF fries, which were excellent (their normal fries are seasoned & battered; but the GF fries were a bit better). If you're looking for a thicker, juicier burger, this is not your place. These are straight up paper thin, crispy smashers. And if that's what you're looking for, I'd recommend no less than a double, if not a triple. Drink selections include bottles of various Northwoods sodas, sparkling water, and other choices from the cooler. Glendale presents as an old-school diner, with cool decorations and some posters of Saginaw heritage (the owner's roots). Speaking of the owners...the lady working the register and delivering food to everyone was one...and she was super sweet and nice. It made for a great experience right out of the gate as we were figuring out what we wanted to order. You walk up to the counter and order, then they deliver to your table; or you can sit on a stool at the counter, just like a classic diner. Plenty of seating, but when they get busy, it fills up quickly, yet the service remains fast for the cooked-to-order burgers & fries. Décor is fun (they have a Big Boy!) & fitting for the diner vibe. The entire place is extremely clean and well kept. Pride of ownership shines through in the entire experience.

Fantastic burger. Amazing service from the owners! Dope spot. Patio is fantastic. Music…read moreselection was perfect vibe. Run, don't walk

Not a large place, but it feels very welcoming and the do have a good size outdoor seating. This is…read morethebtype of place were you order at the counter and pay and they bring the food out to you. The have 1/3 pound smash burgers. I ordered the El Padre Burger ($17). This burger has Candied Bacon, Pepper Jack Cheese, Grilled Poblanos, Lettuce, Grilled Onions, Chipotle Bbq sauce. The burger was very good. However it's not the best burger I've had in TC. The candied bacon was good, but not candied enough. There also wasn't enough of the bbq sauce. The quality of meat was good, but again wasn't the tastiest I've had in TC. The burger is definitely worth getting with the caveat that it isn't exceptional. The burger comes with Great Lake Potatoes Chips, due to they give you a pond of fries if you order fries. I didn't. I did order a Chocolate Shake ($9). It is a thick shake and reminds me of a Frosty, just more chocolaty. I enjoyed it, but I love frostys. The service was enthusiastic and friendly. Overall a solid 4 star review. Would I return? Yes, I would. Sometimes you crave a smash burger and this definitely hits that bill. Definitely worth a visit.

My family stopped here while I was on a work trip up there. We'd heard it was a good place to check…read moreout so we made it a point to check it out. The service was fast and they obviously knew what they were doing. The price wasn't bad and the food was fantastic. I would definitely get there early as it started to get packed later on.

Most notable: Varied menu, fast service and very nice employees. Tater tots came out hot and…read morecrunchy. Black bean burger was a little dry but that's to be expected, honestly. Friends had the JD and the basic cheeseburger and loved them. The burgers are good size and served very hot. Dining area is small and well kept. Outdoor seating is limited. All in all, good experience.

Bergstrom's burgers in Traverse City is so much more than just "a burger place"!…read more They buy everything local and fresh: They have weekly specials that range from French dip, to southern cuisine, and are two numerous to list! Check out their Facebook for the weekly specials and photos. They have amazing appetizers such as the zucchini strips that we adore and dip them in every kind of sauce that they have. The burgers are absolutely juicy plus the toppings make it even better, unique flavors that you can't care anywhere else. We also love the fact that you can get a mini version of the burgers if you can't eat a whole one, because it's such a generous portion! Since everything is made to , it takes a little bit of time so be sure to relax, your favorite beverage, and chat with the fantastic staff and owners.

The atmosphere here is a collision of construction meets 70's Rock n Roll diner. A little bit of a…read morejoke there as the outside is undergoing a remodel. This is the type of place were you order and pay at the counter and they give you a number and bring the food out to you. Think Culvers if you have been there. I ordered the Cherry Bomb Burger ($17). This is a 1/2 lb cherry burger with bacon, cherry jam, raclette cheese, and aioli. This was an excellent burger. The cherry flavor is not a. overwhelming cherry flavor, more of a side note. You can still taste the quality meat that was cooked perfectly. I upgraded ($5) to the Onion Ring combo. The onions were large and thick with a nice coating on them. Nice and crunchy and very tasty. The service was a mixed bag. The 1st interaction was okay. A little lackluster in the energy. I forgot my coat and I came back n to grab it. It was set by the counter waiting for me. Since I was there I was going to order a shake. However the attendant was too busy having a conversation in the back to serve a customer. Overall a solid 4 star review. The food is probably 5 star, but the service brings it down to a 4. Would I return. Yes, the food is definitely worth a visit.

Despite several previous trips to Empire I had never been to Joe's Friendly Tavern and I feel like…read moreI've been missing out! In many ways this place pleasantly lives up to its billing. It is indeed quite friendly, our server was helpful and efficient and easygoing despite our children. And the menu claims that they are famous for their excellent burgers and you know what? The burger was excellent! A nice old-school very beefy patty with crunchy lettuce and juicy tomato. I was very pleased by the whole experience and would happily come back next time we're in Empire.

Great location in the heart of Empire Village. Nice pop up coffee service during summer months. Can…read morebe not so friendly at times. Very inflexible between breakfast and lunch service. Kitchen does not have a conventional oven and stove which limits menu offerings.

The food was fantastic. Went with a large group and everything was great. Burgers, pizza, tacos…read moreright down to the side salad. Makes me sad I live so far away.

Super cool old school house venue. The dining area is small. The servers must be over worked as…read morethey disappear for periods of time. The food is solid - best Italian beef. However, the price is over the top. You do not get what you pay for. Small healthier portions and high prices. Just be aware - be the wallet. Overall, we paid for an experience and that's what we left with. Not sure we will be back as the juice wasn't worth the squeeze.

It's hard to tell what I'm going to get each season I come up and try out The Mayfair. I came here…read morewhen it was the last place, then when it changed management. The food has been good, and it's a nice option in the area. The restaurant has always been clean and welcoming. I hope when I come back next that the wait staff has a bit more polish. Last time we were here, we sat outside and servers were dumping old glasses of beverages over the fence and not down the drain. Younger servers...but not the memory one should have months later.

I'm a big fan of Mayfair burgers and their outdoor seating…read more Fun guy or Lüdke burgers are my go to. Good fries. Always a great option.

Moose & Stella's is exactly what I want in a local breakfast spot!…read more First of all, I absolutely LOVE the whole dog theme. Knowing the restaurant is named after their dogs makes all of the dog decor even more adorable, and the fact that they have treats for your four-legged family members too is such a fun touch. Beyond being incredibly cute and pet-friendly, the food is phenomenal. They have great breakfast options, really fun coffee drinks, and you can actually take the whole family out for breakfast without breaking the bank, which feels increasingly rare. It has that comfortable, welcoming local feel where you can get a genuinely great meal without anything feeling overly fancy or overpriced. Delicious food + fun coffee + dogs + reasonable prices? You really can't go wrong.

We had the pleasure of stopping into the lovely restaurant in Kalkaska. We made the decision purely…read moreout of the fact that they had seating outside and we had our golden retriever with us. I don't think we could have picked a better Restaurant to have our dog with! We literally had no idea that this restaurants theme is dogs! Moose and Stella's is such a cute Restaurant! The dog decor is absolutely adorable! We were greeted warmly and told our dog was absolutely welcome and they brought her a big bowl of water and some biscuits! This is definitely a mom café with lots of delicious looking foods to choose from. I decided on the corned beef hash as it was mentioned that it was homemade and popular and we also chose blueberry pancakes as it came highly recommend recommended. My husband chose a skillet that had several types of meat and sausage, gravy and hashbrowns. It was a daily special. Our waitress and other staff were so kind and kept our coffee cups full. As a sidenote, it was fairly close to closing time I would say about 45 minutes before they closed and not once did we ever feel like we had to rush. Our food came out and looked absolutely delicious! The servings were very big and everything was hot. The corned beef has was most likely the best I've ever had!! it was like a very rustic take on what I know is corned beef and I absolutely loved it! It was very flavorful and it had that nice crispy. Text her and places that you really crave with corn beef hash. 10/10! The blueberry pancakes were exceptional as well. They were light and fluffy and fresh blueberries all throughout. My husband skillet was full of all kinds of breakfast meats, cheese, hashbrowns, and gravy. I don't think you can do much better than that. He said everything was delicious and he really liked the gravy which is a complement to the business as he is extremely picky about sausage gravy! My daughter had the kids hamburger slider with fries and applesauce and she said it was delicious! Just a sidenote, they have a small menu for your dogs as well! We ordered our dog, Marley, a big hamburger patty and she gave it a 10 out of 10 We will return again and again, we come to the area for vacation and this restaurant will definitely be in our normal rotation when we visit!

I had the eggs, toast, hash browns, and bacon and a coffee. Bacon is very thin. Eggs were good…read more Toast was homemade and under cooked, turned to dough in your mouth. Hashbrowns were good but a pretty small portion. Coffee was okay. No kids menu.

The Loons Nest is open for business. Not closed…read more Food is great, and service and atmosphere is like having a meal with a good friend. Hash brown skillet with sausage and homemade cinnamon raisin or cranberry walnut toast is yummy.