Smoke and Porter Public House

Great food and drinks — the smells alone will make you happy upon arrival. Housemade pickles in the bloody mary are a great touch in my favorite cocktail. Salads, sandwiches, and brunch foods have all proven tasty. Service is sometimes a bit slow, so don’t come if you’re in a hurry. But do enjoy — they’ve done a great job updating an old chain restaurant space into something special, and the menu is unique and well-​executed.

Loved the warm reception by Nick. We could have stopped with the incredible appetizer. Noodle bowl and the best waffle fries ever, but the scallops were outstanding! You won’t be disappointed if you’re looking for a great culinary experience.

Went to this restaurant with another couple. I had the lump crab cake with Brussels sprouts. It also had two perfectly poached eggs on top. I never would have thought to combine those two flavors but the dish was out of this world. It seemed like it was a standard brunch menu for a Saturday afternoon. My husband had the pulled pork and ribs with all the fixings and he loved it. I like the drink selection, I had a bloody Maria and my husband had a bourbon cocktail. Our friends also enjoyed their selections and our server Michael was wonderful. I guess my only note would be that for the east side of Traverse City, it’s a little on the pricey side.

I LOVE THIS PLACE! Between the hand made trim detail in the dining room to mouthwatering smoked meats in the back I don’t know where to begin.
This restaurant has craft & passion bleeding from it’s pores. We had dinner one night and came back for brunch the next day. I don’t recall my wife and I being so protective of our plates. We always share taste of what each other has but this time was a challenge. Sooooo good.
The ribs came dry with sauce on the side. They were so delicious without it I barely touched the sauce. They make their sausage in house & smoke it. It is unbelievable what a great job the chef has done.
I don’t know what that are doing in the kitchen but they better keep it up because I’m coming back for more.
The wine & cocktail list had a lot of thought, knowledge and passion in it. The actual bar is as well crafted as the drinks it serves.
The atmosphere was consistent from the moment we walked in to the moment we left– inviting, refined, and welcoming. They are truly committed to their craft.

We had a fantastic family dinner experience. The food was outstanding! We got the smorgasbour appetizer which was a varity of «leftovers» from the day before– they were amazing! The hanger steak was a bit more mild than I anticipated but the prime rib was soft and delicious. My son got their mac and cheese with apples and peanut butter. He loved it! They even have grilled peanut butter and jelly sandwich– I think we will have to try that next time.
Desserts were phenomenal: cookies and crème brûlée, apple spiced cheesecake with candied bacon, and of course there’s Higher Grounds Coffee.
Our server was super sweet and polite.
We took a peek at the brunch menu and I am completely intrigued. We will definitely will be going back!

Passion + Dedicated Thoughtful Practice = the best balanced lunch my two fellow travelers and I have been served in a long, long time.
I was comparing two of the thoughtfully selected and very delicious MI IPAs they offer, and did not taste any of the three different scones and quick breads my partners swore were all excellent. The breads did look beautiful. My partners are accomplished and acclaimed home bakers, so I am comfortable reporting the breads are worthy of consideration.
The house made pork belly slice that accompanied the red romaine wedge salad was roasted and crisped in a way that makes it the benchmark for simple pork belly perfection. Be sure to ask for it if that sounds good to you.
The house-​made pastrami was lean, nicely seasoned, lightly smoked, cooked perfectly, and sliced just right. When I return from vacation I will start trying to reproduce the matchstick cut apple and horseradish slaw that topped the pastrami. Its texture was perfect, and its flavor profile a nice balance of sweet and astringent that perfectly complemented the pastrami.
The smoked pork rillettes were made into a large — I mean Large — subtly flavored patty served on house made bread with a house made mustard aoli. It was Large and hugely satisfying.
The greaseless deep-​fried waffle potatoes that accompanied this sandwich were a perfect balance of crisp and chewy. It’s hard to stop dipping them in the deeply flavorful and sweet house-​made tomato catsup and eating them all.
My wife chose the crab cake with roasted Brussels sprouts and bacon rashers. All accompanied by a fine tomato gastrique.
I cannot overstate the triumph of vision and craft that produces this restaurant’s balanced, excellent food, and makes for a deeply satisfying experience
DO NOT PROCRASTINATE. Go to Smoke & Porter, and support these artisan-​artists as you do yourself a huge favor.

As of 8÷5÷15, closed on Mondays! Sign says happy hour and brunch coming in the fall. I had the BLT and the hubs had a burger. Overall the food was good but be prepared to spend $ 25+ per person if you’re looking at the entrée options vs. sandwiches.
The staff were friendly and they’ve done a great job with build/​renovations. Looking forward to going back and trying some of the smoked meat options!

My wife and I live in Northern California and dine frequently in the Napa/​Sonoma region. We were recently visiting Traverse City and dined here. The food, service and ambience at this restaurant are at the same level of excellence that we have enjoyed back home. This is a gem of a place– you will not be disappointed!!!
Dave and Lindsey Loomba MD

Smoke and Porter is located in Traverse City’s East Bay neighborhood, across the street from Sugar Sand Beach Resort in a building that I believe used to be a franchise restaurant (easy to overlook in traffic on US-31…don’t.) We stopped here for an early dinner… only to learn that full dinner service doesn’t start until 5:00. Hey — we’re grandmas; don’t judge. Anyway, we settled for the bar menu, which features about a dozen dishes highlighting Smoke and Porter“s house-​smoked meats — everything from pulled pork and smoked chicken wings to a smoked lamb bolognese. (When one walks inside the aroma of smoke promises goodness to come… inviting, not overpowering.) We kept it simple with nachos and wings, and were not disappointed. The sweet-​but-​slightly-​nippy glaze on my wings played well against the smoke; a tart salad of «quickle» pickled vegetables and frisee’ provided a refreshing accompaniment. My partner likewise enjoyed the pickled peppers in her pulled pork nachos — again, nicely smoky. I also enjoyed the interior of the restaurant — lots of warm, upcycled wood, industrial lighting and colors that bring to mind smoke curling up into a twilight sky. Our only complaints were our bar-​area seating — we are not tall, and we wound up dangling our legs like kindergartners while at our hightop table — and a very annoying staffer in the background whose nonstop chatter about his job-​hunting (!) was pretty unprofessional. But we think if we’d visited later in the day we’d have had a more pleasant experience. I want to go back for a real dinner sometime. PS While we weren’t given a dinner menu, I did browse through the one posted outside — lots of interesting choices from across the spectrum of red meat, poultry and fish and even in this meat –intensive place vegetarians can enjoy choices like cauliflower steak. Prices are a bit on the high side, but the interesting choices and general ambiance are mitigating factors.