"Abagail was our server— she was so friendly and a great server. Other worker was helpful aswell, all over great service. The atmosphere was so unique, I loved all the local art on the walls! Also a great view of the lake if you sit by the window. The booths are super uncomfortable though, made it hard to sit there long…if you do go sit in a chair not the booths lol. I would suggest putting in some money to renovating them, only thing keeping this from 5 stars. The food was delicious! Large serving of pancakes and lots of sausage, 4 links! The hashbrowns portion was a bit small but they were still delicious. Corn hash is homemade so I highly recommend! Their iced and hot lattes were also delicious."

"The food is very good. Originally started going for breakfast and everything always tastes great and is well prepared. Stopped in for lunch recently and the Cuban sandwich is wow! Excellent and big enough to take home half for dinner. With the new ownership, true chef level expertise and quality is showing up everywhere. Looking forward to what this place will become."

"Breakfast was fantastic! The bread was fresh and the sausage was perfectly seasoned. Coffee was fresh, hot, and tasty. Would recommend!"

"I’ve never had a Cuban sandwich before but have been curious about it ever since I saw the movie ‘Chef’. While I don’t know how it compares to others, I’m glad this was my first one. It was AMAZING! Everything was made from scratch - the bread was freshly baked in-house, perfectly crispy, and all the ingredients were locally sourced. My friend had the Cuban coffee and was equally pleased. Can’t wait to go back for their cinnamon roles!"

"Update as of August 2025: Sadly, I have to update my review. Traverse Bay Cafe has been bought and changed entirely. Came back a couple weeks ago while in town and was excited to get some Cuban bread, their signature French toast, and a cinnamon roll. We should’ve known when there wasn’t a wait to get a table that something was off. The menu options were minimal. “The Standard” came with such a small portion of hash browns it was laughable (come on, potatoes are very cheap….). The food tasted fine but with everything good about this place being eliminated and the menu being rather slim, we won’t be back. The only plus side is that our server was very kind and attentive. I love this place! My boyfriend and I have gone twice now on our annual trips to Traverse City. Despite being understaffed, the service is amazing and the food is too. It is totally worth the (really only slightly longer than normal) wait."