From the outside, Art's looks like a quaint, small town bar/restaurant. Inside however, it is a laid back dive bar.
Our group came for drinks and had a good time. There was a mix of locals and tourists and was pretty busy as there was a hockey game on. There were plenty of TVs for anyone who wanted to watch the game. We did not have any issues with the service as some other reviewer have mentioned, so this may be something that is inconsistent and depends on the server. We also shared some sweet potato tots that were amazing, crunchy outside, soft inside.
Art's also has a thing called a shot-ski. Which is exactly as it sounds. Shots attached to a ski. The participates stand in a line and turn the ski at the same time for the shot.
As mentioned, Art's is cash only, so come prepared. They also have a huge selection of shirts at the store next door for something to take home.
Up here with family and went here on the recommendations of folks from The Homestead and Yelp. Â Found that the reviews were accurate for the most part; food was good, not great, and prices were Glen Arbor normal. Â Knowing that this was cash only going in was a plus. Â Things I found odd: if you sit outside, you are limited to the beer selections they have outside, the waitstaff said they can't go inside to get drinks? Â Also, we had three parts to our party and requested separate checks up front; Art's doesn't do separate checks. Â Beyond that, the service was good, and everyone seemed satisfied with their food ranging from salads to cod to chicken tenders. Â With three kids under 10, they also had a decent kids menu but there are better options in the area for the family crowd.
Review Source:the boy and i stopped in here for a quick afternoon drink while spending the day in leelanau county to celebrate our anniversary...
they have a diverse rotating beer menu which is great... however, our server did not know a ton about the brews but that's no biggie since her knew enough and we knew what we wanted.. unfortunately, they were out of the tandem cider that they had on tap but luckily for my gluten intolerant belly they had other g-free alcoholic options which is a major bonus because it is typically not the case...
we didn't eat anything besides some peanuts but we glanced at the menu which had quite a few gluten free options marked which is always fabulous.
insider tip: make sure your wallet is is filled with the green paper and not plastic since they do not accept debit/credit cards...
I hate to say it but it seems this place is a little overrated. Not the friendliest waitress I've had, maybe we stuck out from the locals? The amazing grilled cheese was not that amazing, just good.
Then there's the lack of taking credit cards - requiring me to go to an ATM to get cash to pay for the meal, I know the credit card fees aren't great but it's about convenience for your customers.
No credit cards accepted. Feels unclean. Disgusting bathrooms.
We live in Traverse City and went here hearing lots of good things, and noticed that Art's won the Leelanau County Chamber's award for biz of the year. Â We figured it was a well-run, friendly kinda place. Â Apparently they focus their efforts on things outside of their business.
Service was unacceptable. Â Our waitress was bordering on mean, and seemed totally indifferent to the fact that she was working. Â We were attended to only when our order was taken, food was delivered and bill was delivered.
The burgers are sub-par. Â Greasy patties, overcooked onions on a wimpy grocery store white bun. Â A cheeseburger and fries will run you over $10, so a group of 5 with non-alc drinks would run over $60 before tip. Â Hyped-up tater tots are like any I've had before (frozen, put in fryer, serve). Go to Fischer's Happy Hour Tavern near Northport if you're looking for a cheaper (but bigger, better) burger or Village Cheese Shanty in Fishtown for a to-die-for sandwich and chips for less $ also. Both very friendly places.
Also be prepared to pay more than average for anything, especially beer/drinks.
They also seem to be indifferent as to what they play on the TVs while the restaurant is open. Â National Geographic wild animal shows about lions eating gazelles are just great, but not when I'm trying to eat.
A "northern Michigan/Glen Arbor" experience, but only for sucker tourists who are on too much of a vacation high to see Art's for what it really is.
This place is the heart of Glen Arbor. People from all over the U.S. have the Arts T-shirts, and there's a reason. It's a dive, but with fresh ground beef and straight from Lake Michigan fish. Though it's a bottom feeder, I love the battered smelt.
This isn't a place that you're going to get Class A service from but come one...it's a burger joint. It's really crowded in there all the time in the summer and it makes for a hectic route for the wait staff. Be patient because the food is worth it. They usually have nearly anything on tap that you'd want, which is pretty awesome. The place is small, so expect it to be busy, but that's ok because you couldn't ask for a more beautiful town in Michigan to wait in.
Love this place and LOVE Glen Arbor!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice place, Good service. The waitress said they were known for their burgers so I tried the Greek burger they had on special. Awards next to my booth acclaimed best burgers in the county. Â Small burger on a grocery store bun. It was very good and was not overcooked, thank you.
I saw all the reviews on the tator tots so had to try them. Maybe its just me but I was expecting something special homemade . Seemed like Ore-Ida tator tots to me. The best part of my meal was the Shorts beer they had on tap. I had seconds.
Warning, they do not take credit or debit cards, I didn't think there was anyplace like that left in todays service industry. Lets get with the times!
Monday dinner time, the place was packed. We had to wait about 30 minutes for a table but the food was very reasonable and delicious. Just olive burgers (excellent), a full burrito (very good) and a coney dog (excellent). The fries and onion rings were spot-on. Our waitress has very friendly and the service was what we expected for a full-house. Â Well done Art's Tavern, we will eat there again in the future.
Review Source:Art's was our go to place this past weekend. Â Out of all of the restaurants in the area (all 4 of them) Art's had the best variety of food. Â They had something for everyone. Â Some of the food was pretty good and other things weren't so great.
For example, I loved the veggie burger, especially with the grilled mushrooms. Â The caeser salad was also really good. Â I heard good things about the pizza as well. Â On the other hand, the nachos were not very good. Â I heard from someone else that the lasagna wasn't great either. Â So though it wasn't 100%, we ate at Art's multiple times because they had so much to offer.
The environment was fun with a lively crowd and music. Â The service I'd say was OK. Â Overall nice people, especially when compared to one of the neighboring establishments.
One thing I really wish they'd change was accepting credit cards. Â I had to make a special trip to a nearby ATM.
Tavern not bar. Â Located right in the heart of Glen Arbor Art's is a great place to enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner. Â We always come with the family that includes a ten and seven year old. Â Great outdoor seating that oddly closes early for lunch or a very early dinner. Â After that, dining inside is casual that one can feel comfortable sitting at the bar with friends or at a table with family. Â Great beer selection including a ton of Michigan micro brews. Fried clams. Â Love them.
Always great tavern service. Â Our server had just trained her brother and ripped him the entire time. Â Funny. Â Friendly. Â Not fancy in any way. Â But great. Â
We really like the food here. Â Great apps. Â We got the cheesy nacho chips. Â Simple but good. Â Big hit with the kids. Â Fried perch, great burgers, pizza. Â For dessert I tried the well hyped cobbler. Â My perspective might be skewed because my wife makes the best ever, so I would say skip the cobbler. Â Get the Moomers Ice Cream.
One last thing. Â As you can see I recommend Art's for the family. Â Five stars. Â We always go early. Â If I weren't with the kids I would definitely come here later to enjoy the large screen TVs always playing sports, salted peanuts and the beeeeer. Â Not to mention the beautiful women of Glen Arbor. Â I'll bet it's gets really fun here as the night goes on!
Very important! Â Cash only! Â Cash is king here. Â No credit cards.
I loved this place!
Yes, it's kinda touristy. Â Yes, the wait can be a little long, but it's fun and food is great!
The place was hoppin' when I arrived with three good friends on our trip out to Michigan. Â I ordered the grilled cheese and tater tots and it brought me right back to my childhood. Â Those tater tots were EXCELLENT! Â I never thought I'd be complimenting tater tots this highly, but I gotta say, they were quite good. Â The grilled cheese really hit the spot as well. Â One friend had the perch and said it was superb!
Nothing tastes better than Art's after a day of kayaking the Platte or Crystal rivers. I do remember the flies a couple yrs ago, but this problem is cleared up. The tots are good, but I have a penchant for the onion rings. If you like very cheesy nachos start with chips and cheese.
Perch had a good sweet flavor and you can't go wrong with a burger. Cobbler is the old fashioned kind that is fruit topped with a biscuit.
And don't forget your cash! They don't take credit.
Tavern is the right term here, definitely has that local feeling, even with all the tourists (including us). Â Cash only. Â Very popular, so expect a wait at lunch/dinner times in the peak season. Â Pretty good beer list. Â College penants on the ceiling - lots from good engineering schools; seems that the well-educated can afford to have a place in the area.
The Whitefish Burger was pretty good, as was the Funky Grilled Cheese. Â The pizza was forgettable.
We decided on this place because of the yelp reviews. Â A couple came in after us as we were waited to be seated. Â The server literally looked at us and then looked behind us and told the couple there was a booth at the corner. Â Maybe it is because they are frequent customers but when the place is packed, you should really seat first come first serve.
We got seated, didn't get a chance to even pick up the menu yet and the waitress asked us for beverages. Â We told her water for now. Â When she came back with the waters, we asked for other drinks as well. Â She had this disgusted look on her face and just started shaking her head as she walked away as if we asked for something completely obnoxious.
The food wasn't anything special but we haven't tried anything around the local area. Â But the service was just completely unacceptable. Â Definitely will not return to this place.
Sat on the patio with my family, had lunch and people watched.
My girlfriend and I split the super fried clams and a cheeseburger basket, no complaints, was good, clam really tender and tasty.
My sister ordered a small salad with chicken, was tiny, but she ordered a small so her fault I guess.
I thought it was interesting that PBR and a few other beers were like $2.25, but a corona was a whopping premo $5?
It pays to be a hipster.
Art's is the perfect place to chill with a beer and a burger in Glen Arbor. It's nothing fancy, kind of a dive, and always pretty packed but it's not terribly pricey and the patio is perfect on a sunny afternoon. Yes, I like it.
Most of the beers are your standard brews but they do carry some local Michigan beers in bottles, which is a nice option if you want something a bit more craft.
Whenever I pop by I usually go for a burger and some tots. The burger is nice and juicy, the tots are crunchy and perfectly salty. I also like that the burger isn't HUGE. Sure, it's impressive to get a 10oz burger or whatever but this one is much more manageable and I don't feel as guilty when I polish it off. Which I always do!
Sometimes the wait can be long. I usually don't do the wait because while it's a great place it's not an hour long wait great but if I see some tables available you better believe I'll pull up a chair.
Cash only so heads up and bring a 20!
We wanted some quick and the Pine Cone wasn't open yet so Art's Tavern outside seemed like a good idea. Get some sun, eat, and do some people watching.
The food isn't horrible but nothing memorable.
Smelt basket: Over-battered. Batter is supposed to add flavor and not be the meal. Had to use a shovel to dig thru and find the smelt.
Perch sandwich: Pretty good.
Minced whitefish sandwich: Mushy. Nothing special.
Nothing horrible but we don't need to go back.
When you're in Glen Arbor, Michigan, you need to skip the rest and head straight to Art's Tavern. I am not usually a fan of boring neighbourhood dives but Art's feels different. The people who come to Art's in the summer have been going there every year during their vacation and they came not just for the food, but personally, I think it's the atmosphere that kept them coming back.
We waited for about 30 minutes before we got seated because there was a long queue. The server was friendly and not cranky, which was a good sign. After looking at the huge menu for a bit, I've decided on a mushroom burger with tater tots and ginger beer. I wish I know what company makes the beer because it was amazingly gingery, probably the best I've ever had so far. Mushroom burger was well made, not overly greasy. And if you have a choice (and you do!) get the tater tots. It's crazy good and I don't even like taters usually!
Oh and they also have a blackboard with a list of housemade desserts if you need some extra motivation. I just finished my last tater and I was stuffed silly when they put up blackberry cobbler on the board. I was like, "Darn it, they could have told me earlier so I could make room for sweets." So if you ran out of food while camping nearby and wanted something good, check out Art's Tavern. Remember ... TATER TOTS.
Art's is one of our default lunch destinations when we're traveling in the Leelanau area. We always get a good meal here -- try their burger of the day, their soup of the day, and any of their local/regional featured beers -- and even though we're foodies we enjoy the fact that Art's doesn't take itself too seriously. (Its iconic two-headed swordfish will perhaps cue you in on this fact.) We also appreciate Art's low-key use of locally sourced ingredients -- reading the menu and specials board you'll notice casual mention of, say, whitefish burgers (yes, whitefish seasoned, ground and made into patties) made with fish from nearby Leland; locally made hot dogs; local Moomer's ice cream topped with local maple syrup.
Contrary to some of the comments elsewhere here, we've generally gotten excellent service at Art's. In the summertime the waitstaff trends young and less experienced, but that shouldn't come as a shock to anyone.
One caution: Art's really isn't a large place, even factoring in its outdoor seating, so at the height of tourist season it may feel claustrophobic inside. The restrooms are also tiny. But the food and fun vibe is worth dealing with these minor issues.
Mediocre food + bad service + cold cobbler + cash only.
We went to Art's because of the number of people on YELP that gave it good reviews. Â I think they may be viewing this restaurant through rose-colored glasses, because we did not have a very good experience there.
We arrived at about 1:30 in the afternoon, and we were seated pretty quickly. Â Our waitress came by, and I don't think that she made eye-contact with us the entire time. Â She wasn't cold, but she wasn't very friendly either. Â She started to leave the table before one of our party had even ordered. Â She had no idea what any of us had ordered when the food came, and didn't re-fill our water glasses.
We ordered, around our table: the grilled cheese, a hamburger, and two cherry salads. Â We also got a side of tater tots, because of the reviews. Â The grilled cheese might have been great for kids, but there was really nothing special about it (maybe we should have gotten the funky grilled cheese, but this was not mentioned in the reviews). Â The hamburger was good. Â The salad was a bit wilted, one of the eaters said it was good, the other was not as impressed. Â The tater tots were well cooked, but I was expecting them to have some "Arts seasoning" or something, but they were really just normal tater tots.
When we got to dessert, we ordered the cobbler. Â It was about an ice-cream scoop of bisquick surrounded by berries, and it was cold. Â We asked if they generally served it hot, and the waitress seemed surprised. Â The ice cream was already on, so we didn't have it heated, but it wasn't enjoyable.
To top it all off, we had to pay in cash, which not many of us had with us. Â When we go back to Glen Arbor, we will be more excited to go somewhere else.
Do NOT go to Glen Arbor, Michigan without going to Art's. Â Just DON'T. Â I've been going there for 20 years on EVERY vacation trip to Glen Arbor. Â Vacation always includes several trips to Art's. Â Go for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or a beer in the evening (or afternoon. Â The selection is very good, national beers and local microbreweries).
Art's has perfected the bar/restaurant where you can get a good bite to eat and a beer or iced tea. Â Where they pay attention to the cooking as much as pouring beer. Â No, you won't find filet mignon on the menu but you WILL find many things you'll like. Â Be sure to order a basket of tater tots for the table.
The staff is great, usually very friendly.  A crew that works their butts off  all summer.  Several have been there for quite a while and it's always nice to see them again.
Take the kids. Â Buy a t-shirt. Â Not expensive, a very good value.
This place wouldn't pass a health inspection in most places. It was dirty and sticky. Our booth was infested with flies, they were all over the condiments, the benches, and the window. So gross, that a neighboring diner offered us his condiments saying, these had less flies on them.
No apologies from the waitstaff, who seemed burdened by our presence.
I can see how this place is "legendary" based on its local history, but Art's has been outdone by newer establishments that cater more to the visiting clientele with better food, more diverse menus, friendlier staff, and cleaner eating spaces.
Tried whitefish at three different restaurants, Art's finished last.
It was cash only, which we knew so we were prepared for it, but it seems a little passe in this day and age.
I have been coming here ever since the long summer days at North Bar Lake, after treading through what seemed to be miles of sand dunes and natural shoreline. Those pre-paved hikes (grrrrr) seemed to be quite the work-out for an 8 year old. After working up an appetite, the grilled cheese was the only thing that would satisfy such a craving.
BEST grilled cheese EVER!
Later in life I worked at Windows at Le Bear (now Blu), and this was THE place to go for an after work drink or to chat with co-workers.
Be sure to hit the ATM... it's cash only!
My husband and I have been coming here for ten years and the food is always consistently good! Â Of course we usually order the whitefish burgers (served with leaf lettuce, tomatoes, homemade tartar sauce and pickles on a whole wheat bun) and yummy tater tots (hint: Â order the basket!).
Their salads are always fresh, we love Art's signature salad, fresh greens, pecans and dried cherries. Â And if you visit during the winter, their soups are homemade and very tasty.
They have outdoor seating, but the menu is limited. Â Bring cash, as they don't accept credit cards.
Art's is apparently the most famous restaurant in the tiny downtown Glen Arbor, and it was pretty much the only thing open in the downtown the day before Thanksgiving. The restaurant is very small-town feeling, with very nice staff. The owner of the restaurant, Art, is always around and very friendly.
The food options for lunch were pretty much what you'd expect, sandwiches, burgers, etc. The food wasn't anything special but was fine. It was a little pricey for what you got although not severely so. The restaurant had a very laid back feel and is the kind of place you could take very young kids. They have college pendants all over the ceiling and old school video games!
I didn't find Art's super impressive, but for a laid-back neighborhoody place for people who live or come up here frequently, it works.
I live for chicken jalapeno soup day. Every Wednesday I think about it. And every time I make a trip home, I make sure I'm there on a Wednesday. Because when I make the 900 mile trip home, I have one thing on my mind, dinner at Art's.
They also have the BEST grilled cheese in the world, hands down. You may be thinking ehh it's just a grilled cheese, but you obviously haven't had it here.
Seriously, go here on a Wednesday order a bowl of chicken jalapeno soup, a grilled cheese, and a side order of tots. You won't be disappointed! I promise.
And if you've saved room for dessert, try the cobbler. Always delicious, and served with local moomers ice cream!
Read on Yelp first to find a good breakfast in Glen Arbor. Â Decided to try Art's for their malted pancakes for my husband. Â Upon entering we were greeted by a cranky old waitress who let us seat ourselves. Â When I asked her questions she would just tell us what's on the menu.
-8 personality the whole time. Â It's like she had an attitude towards us the whole time. Â Forgot 3 requests. Â Had to ask man behind bar. Â He was really nice and gave me 2 napkins for us. Â
Malted pancakes were excellent. Â Made in Michigan! Â Homemade sausage patties were very fatty and had no flavor. Â Eggs and rye toast very good. Â Breakfast potatoes horribly bland. Â Looked like potatoes, didn't taste like potatoes. Â
Recommendations: Â get a young male or the young female waitstaff and definitely try the malted pancakes. Â By the way we are both over 40 so no prejudice is implied against the cranky older waitress.
I'd say Art's is a pretty good tavern. Â Since it's the only one in town, they certainly don't have to work too hard to make the place much better.
I went for breakfast and I'd actually give that 3 stars. Â The potatoes were burnt on the outside, yet mildly undercooked in the center. Â My omelette was OK, but I'd rather go to the Cedar Tavern in Cedar, MI. Â It's a bit of a drive, but they've got a nice bar and the grub is good.
Art's, good for drinking, adequate for eats.
Art's is the best place in Glen Arbor for sure, and probably the best tavern in Leelanau County. Â I've been going for over twenty years, and the changes have been minimal at best.
Pro
- Right downtown in Glen Arbor
- Great bar food. Â I'm a fan of the surf & turf (a burger place 1/4 pound of fried smelt)
- Large bar and good amount of televisions
- Friendly folk
- Tim, the owner, is a jovial guy and always willing to chat
Con
- No credit cards
- Wait can be long during the summer months and during family rush hour
- The juke box can get quite loud when used
Art's Tavern really is the only game in town, but quite a good game it is. Â Local bar feel, with a jute box & a pool table that appears from a trapped door. Â You will be amazed if you are in the tavern when they move out some of the tables & a pool table appears from the floor. Â They also have that video bowling game which is pretty fun with a large group of people.
If you go there for food try the smelt, a couple of pounds of it! Â I can't wait to return next year for more of that deep fried goodness.
Only real knock it that it is a little on the pricey side for a pitcher of Bud Light & they only take cash. Â (But they will show you to the cash machine in the corner)
This is pretty much the only game in town. Â Mind you, it's a small town, but still. Â So being the only game in town, Art's can get away with chargin' a little more for a Pabst than is strictly decent, and because of that, I won't be giving it five stars.
But, since it still runs the only game in town pretty well, with a defies-all-logic friendly staff, I will give 'em four. Â The burger I had on the first night here was tasty. Â It wasn't anywhere close to the best burger I've ever had, but it wasn't anywhere near the worst, either. Â It was cooked the way I ordered it, and the bacon on top was just the way I like it, which is to say not too crispy, not too chewy. Â Perfect. Â The second night I had a chicken sandwich with some swiss cheese and bacon and I thought it was terrific. Â So if given the choice, I'd choose the chicken here over the beef.
Steer yourself away from the fries and get tater tots with your meal if at all possible. Â Unless you make 'em yourself at home, then you probably haven't had tater tots from anywhere other than Sonic in a long time. Â I'm here to tell you that these will refresh your memory of why tater tots kick so much ass. Â Light, crispy, and hey, they don't taste like you cooked 'em in the same oil as you cooked the onion rings. Â Bonus!
I expect I won't have a lot of opportunities to eat at Art's over the years, but I do expect to do it again. Â I can't say I hate the thought of that.
When I was a kid, I'd come in here, put $5 bucks in the jukebox on Ghostbusters, then sneak back to my table to eat and watch everyone else lose their minds by the time it hit the 10th play. Â Now I come here, get loaded and bitch about the crowds. Good times!
Nice owner, friendly staff, great food (tater tots, whitefish, burgers, pizza - the usual up north fare, burgers are HIGHLY recommended, salads & dressing are surprisingly good), lotsa booze, rustic charm, etc. Â Good beer selection, cheap to pricey, they have something for everyone on that front. A few tv's behind the bar, so a fine place to catch a game (good luck, Yankees fans, they don't even like you up here, hah!) and enjoy a burger. One of my favorite bars anywhere, hands down.
My 5 star is qualified - in the off season (and as long as they keep tater tots on the menu cause they have the best damn tater tots in North American, nay, the UNIVERSE) this is a hands down 5 star joint. Â During the high season, the flocks of yuppies from Chicago/Indiana and their trust fund condo monkey kids make this place a bit of an LL Bean convention from hell and it can be difficult to get a table or even a spot at the bar. Â I'd knock it down to a 4 during the summer as I hate the mobs, but other than that, no complaints.
*******Edit 11/7/2007**********
Dayum - Tim is now charging $3.25 for a bottle of PBR, even in the freaking off season! Â Heads up, kids, this place is no longer a super cheap date, even if you are strictly drinking shitty domestic beer. Â 2 (incredibly delicious) Burgers with tater tots, 1 salad, 4 PBR's and 1 cocktail were about $50.00 last night, before tip. Â I'd consider removing a star for the price hike, but they get to keep it as they are the only bar in town , they have the nicest staff in the world, AND they have a generator for those off season evenings when your power goes down - nice, thank you, Tim!!! Â NOTE - Monday is buy one burger get one free night.
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