More than 10,000 voters from across the state weighed in on 101 things they love about Northern Michigan. Their votes determined over 300 Red Hot Best winners and 700 honorable mentions. Not surprisingly, the best burger and best French fry categories were tight races—we take our classics seriously. Once the votes were tallied, we were, however, impressed that one restaurant took home first place in both categories! Obviously, it’s worth a visit.
Without further ado, here’s where to find the best burgers and French fries in Northern Michigan. Enjoy!
10 Best Burgers
First place: Slabtown Burgers, Traverse City
Burger outside: A little bit crispy, a little bit caramelized. Inside: soft and pink. Thank the flat-top griddle, quality beef and a team committed to burger ecstasy.
Second place: Bubba’s, Traverse City
Third place: Art’s Tavern, Glen Arbor
More Red Hot Best Burgers:
- Paper Station Bistro, Harbor Springs
- 7 Monks Taproom, Traverse City
- Blue Tractor, Traverse City
- Boone’s Prime Time Pub, Suttons Bay
- Don’s Drive-In, Traverse City
- Harrington’s by the Bay, Traverse City
- Sleder’s Family Tavern, Traverse City
Don’s Drive-In
10 Best French Fries
First place: Slabtown Burgers, Traverse City
They keep the oil hot and fresh, and cut the potatoes each day. Not too thick. Not too thin. Golden brown perfection.
Second place: Bubba’s, Traverse City
Third place: Rare Bird Brewpub, Traverse City
More Red Hot Best French Fries:
- 7 Monks Taproom, Traverse City
- Art’s Tavern, Glen Arbor
- Bagger Dave’s, Traverse City
- Dinghy Restaurant, Frankfort
- Don’s Drive-In, Traverse City
- Sleder’s Family Tavern, Traverse City
- The Soup Cup, Traverse City (The original Soup Cup closed, BUT Soup Cup 2.0 is coming soon to East Bay Plaza this fall. Rest easy, the fries will return. Follow their progress on social media.)
Get your copy of the June 2017 issue of Traverse, Northern Michigan’s Magazine for the complete list of over 300 Red Hot Best winners! Subscribe and get the June issue plus 12 months of Traverse Magazine for year-round travel ideas and food recommendations!