The Oldest Continuously Operating Restaurant in Michigan
Monday 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Tuesday 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Wednesday 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Thursday 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Friday 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Saturday 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM
Sunday 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Closed Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas
Reservations are needed for groups of 15 or more people. Thank you!
Call (231) 947-9213
Where friends and family gather to eat, drink, and smooch the moose!
Established in 1882, Sleder’s Family Tavern is a Traverse City classic and Michigan’s oldest, continuously operated restaurant. Sleder’s has a nostalgic and casual atmosphere, family-style dining, historic decor, animals galore, and the longest mahogany bar in town stocked with local and international wines and domestic and craft beers. On our lunch and dinner menu, you’ll find diverse American foods, locally sources, 100% beef burgers, and homemade fries. Come enjoy a basket of perch or a buffalo burger with a pint of Sleder’s Cream Ale, and don’t forget to kiss the moose for luck!
We’ve been cooking good food for sensible folks for 140 years!
Our cooking brings people together! Start with a hot appetizer like Deep-Fried Pickles, Wings, or Potato Skins. Folks seriously drive for miles just for our Bean Soup! Our menu hasn’t changed much in 50 years. Our House Salad is still tossed with our own creamy garlic and lemon dressing. We also pride ourselves on our locally sourced, hand-pattied beef and buffalo burgers with a la carte toppings. For our vegetarian friends, we offer plant-based Impossible Burgers, huge Vegetarian Burritos, and a delicious Veggie Sandwich.
After five-o-clock we fire up the broiler for mouthwatering dinners including Slabtown Ribs, Cherry Barbequed Chicken, and Steak and Shrimp Combo. On Fridays, our famous Cod and Smelt is all-you-can-eat. Order a basket of cod or perch any time of day. Our baskets come with our oh-so-good hand-cut fries. Remember to ask your server “What’s for desert?”!
We serve our beer in frosted mugs and keep our iconic 21-foot mahogany bar well-stocked all year round.
From PBR and Guinness to Sleder’s Cream Ale from Right Brain Brewery here in Traverse, we are known for having one of the most diverse beer menus around. Our wine list also includes seasonal and local favorites like Late Harvest Riesling from Chateau Grand Traverse. Our wildly talented bartenders will mix your favorite spirits or you might try something new off our Seasonal Drinks menu. Be sure to try our Spanish Coffee. It’s famously smooth!
We have non-alcoholic beers, mock-tails, and fountain drinks too, and we make a mean Root Beer Float! But that’s not why a giant Root Beer barrel sits in our front window. Root Beer reminds us of Louie Sleder who ran the saloon in the 1930s and kept it open to locals and local law enforcement during prohibition by serving homemade “Root Beer” (bourbon and rye) in tea cups–for free, of course!
We are a “rollicking icon of pre-hipster TC” (TC Tourism).
It all began in the heart of what was once known as Slabtown, a working class neighborhood on Traverse City’s west side. Vencil Sleder (1850-1904), a Bohemian immigrant and wheelwright, wanted to build a tavern where everyone could relax after a day of hard work. With the help of neighborhood men, Vencil began construction using wooden slabs from nearby sawmills.
When you enter the tavern today, you will walk on the original slab flooring under the original tin stamped ceiling. The nostalgic atmosphere, parlor chairs, mahogany bar, booths, and historic photographs create the perfect setting for hearty, family dining and intimate conversation. At Sleder’s, we pride ourselves on our history and neighborhood, our moose, friendly full service, and our diverse menu with something for everyone.
Our Legendary, Lucky Moose
Love Randolph?
March 13, 2025
On Friday, March 14, 2025, Sleder’s will be closed all day for a private party, but we’ll be open regular hours the rest of the weekend. On St. Patrick’s Day, Monday, March 17, 2025, we’ll be open and cooking our delicious corned beef and cabbage boiled dinner. Come, enjoy!
In the Historic Slabtown Neighborhood of Traverse City
717 Randolph Street
Traverse City, Michigan 49684
