Mabel’s Restaurant

Really good food. Lots of different choices to pick from. The service is really good and nice.
Last time I went I was there with a big group. Everyone found something to have (even my super picky cousins) and the waitress was really kind about some changes we had to make to a couple orders.
Definatly go here!

Holy Moley on the cinnamon rolls! They are at least as big as my hand if not as big as my head!
There is a stuffed hash brown on the menu that I am told is really good — I am not a big fan of sour cream & I hate onions so I skipped that but if I could have gotten eggs/​maybe some cheese/​bacon or something inside the hash brown it would have been all mine! 2 people in my group got it and loved it. It is seriously enough for 2 meals!
I was pretty boring and just had an omelette and hash browns but they were pretty good. The toast slices were huge and the cherry butter was awesome. Wish I had bought some to bring home!

I recently spent a week in Traverse City and ate out every day. In that week, Mabel’s was the only place we had to go back and enjoy again. On our first visit we split the stuffed hash browns and cherry pancakes. The second visit we split stuffed hash browns and pumpkin pancakes. I am really going to miss them now that I am back in Texas.

Mabel’s is okaaaaaay…
We’ve eaten here about three times during our Winery weekend trips in the past, but our trip this last weekend prompted a review. We had mixed feelings:
The service is fantastic and the restaurant clean and bright. The menu is not cheap for what you end up with. My husband ordered the «kitchen sink» — which is like an «everything» omelette. It was the tiniest thing we’ve EVER seen — no more than ¾ of an inch thick and barely full of anything. I wish we’d taken a picture. It was priced at around $ 10. I ordered eggs with biscuits and gravy, with a side of hashbrowns. The hashbrowns ARE absolutely wonderful — WAY buttery and delicious. The B&G were room temp at best when I got them, but they were tasty. Overall the breakfast was tasty for all involved, but the omelette portions were tiny for the price.

We waited a bit since we were a group of 12. They didn’t have a table big enough but accommodated us in 2 tables. The service was really friendly and attentative.
The eggs were mediocre here. Nothign special; The thing I enjoyed the most here is the bread. Homemade and thick. Very well made. Also very good was choice of jams to pick from. All jams were homemade. I had the cherry… it was… SO GOOD. Tried the blackberry — it was also very good.
No fee to change the type of toast (boyfriend got cinnamon raisin)

Came for breakfast with a large group and they were able to accommodate us in a timely manner. Our waitress was friendly and fun which was a plus but the food itself was very average. My eggs benedict was overcooked — yolks were not runny at all. Try the jams, supposedly very good.
Pay up front at the cashier. They do separate checks if needed.

The breakfast I ordered for dinner was great and the rest of my party ordered the Fried Chicken dinner and were satisfied. Service was decent, but the place was a little dirty and there were a ton of flies around our table, that really turned me off. The buttermilk pancakes will garner a return visit though

Whenever I’m on vacation I eat way more than I should and can. Mabel’s didn’t really help me reign it in either, what with their tasty breakfast options, ample portions and cheap prices. Once again I was close to needing to be rolled out of a breakfast joint after my meal. Thanks, Mabel’s!
Agreed, it’s not fancy or impressive looking but my oh my it’s tasty. They offer a standard menu of breakfast staples like eggs, potatoes, pancakes, and french toast, etc. They’re not reinventing the wheel here but everything is so well done. I ordered the two eggs and hashbrowns meal and the eggs were cooked perfectly and the hashbrowns were crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Just like I like ‘em! The meal came with either a side of toast or pancakes so naturally I went with the pancakes – fabulous! They may have good toast but go with the pancakes. The side portion is huge (3 salad plate sized pancakes) and they’re incredibly fluffy and taste fantastic. They could be their own meal in and of themselves!
I also tried the corned beef hash of my aunt’s plate. Also very good. I don’t know that I’d necessarily order it myself but I was happy to pick forkfulls offer her plate. I also sampled a bit of my cousin’s french toast which was, I believe, made with their cinnamon toast. It was thick cut and tasted amazing. A light dusting of powdered sugar is all you really need since it tastes so good on it’s own. The only thing I would recommend is – if you’re getting a side of meat go with the sausage over the bacon. The bacon isn’t bad but it’s not great while the sausage links are quite good.
It was a busy Sunday morning but the wait wasn’t terrible. About 20 minutes for a table for 5. I wasn’t sure it was worth it when we first walked in but now I know it is. Looking forward to visiting again!

Mabels is fabulous! We eat there whenever we visit from Houston, Texas. My favorite is their delicious corned beef hash with fried eggs. The coffee is rich and bold and obviously freshly ground. We have been eating there for over 15 years and love every visit.

I am in love with Mabel’s as a breakfast destination, and came here 2 times in only 2 days in Traverse City. The stuffed hashbrowns I had (both days) is one of the most delicious breakfasts ever. It doesn’t look like much from the outside, ok or the inside either, but the breakfasts are huge and tasty. Service is friendly and fast as well. Make sure you get toast with whatever you order, the homemade bread and jam is SO GOOD!

Pluses: breakfast all day, fruit cup (really good size and fresh), hashbrowns, in house bread, pancakes and service,
Minus: meager egg white veggie omelette
Will try again. Always glad to know an all day breakfast place. Omelette Shop just doesn’t have it anymore.

I will start out by saying that yes, this place doesn’t rank the highest in terms of charm — HOWEVER — the food is tasty, portions large, and the price is right. This is what you look for when visiting norther Michigan, eh? :) They either make their own bread, or purchase it from a local vendor, and it is so good! in addition to that, they have home made jam and cherry butter, YUM! If you’re looking for a dive spot for breakfast, give this place a try. The omelet shop needs to share the wealth, am I right?

We were visiting Traverse City for the weekend. Our hotel offered a free breakfast, but it was only bagels, fruit and waffles. We were looking for something a little more filling. We were seated immediately and had coffee and water on the table within a minute. Our waitress was super friendly and quick. We both ordered eggs, hash browns, bacon, and sour dough toast. Our waitress also mentioned they had homemade jams. I tried the strawberry — which was excellent. We both agreed the breakfast was awesome, and came back the next morning. We would visit here again when in TC.

From the outside, it may not be very impressive. But when dining at Mabel’s, I received amazing service and delicious food. There was no wait on a Sunday at 10 a.m. (It was winter time, on a weekend without anything major going on in TC). Our waitress met us at the table no longer then 30 seconds after we were seated with water and coffee. The coffee was surprisingly good even though the container they served it to me in was less than appealing (either over-​used or just really old). They do leave the coffee carafe at your table which is nice, since you don’t have to wait for a refill or coffee reheat.
I had vegetarian stuffed hashbrowns (Imagine an omelet with hash browns instead of an egg wrapping) with homemade wheat toast and scrambled eggs. It definitely hit the spot! The bread was soft but crisp on the outside and tasted very fresh. It was buttered just the right amount. My only complaint on the hashbrowns was the lack of veggies. I am a veggie lover though. There was twice as much sour cream and cheese than there were veggies. Since I couldn’t finish the whole thing, I was able to get my veggies in every bite. The scrambled eggs left a little to be desired. I was able to remedy them with a little salt and pepper.
My boyfriend got two huge pancakes with bacon and scrambled eggs which he described as «Alright». He’s not one to really rave about food though. Go figure.
All around, Mabel’s was a good place to get some morning grub before headed back on the road home. I would definitely go there again and would recommend to others.

Mabel’s started this review with two stars, because every time I went I was left feeling with exactly what Unilocal provides for the two star rating. «Meh. I’ve had better.»
It’s a pretty all right mom & pop diner. The food is all right. The prices are cheap. The service is okay. It’s better than a greasy spoon but not quite ready to be a frequent stop.
However, the fact that they offer seasonal pumpkin pancakes (my favorite!!!) and cinnamon toast (without raisins) is pretty awesome. All day breakfast is also a plus. They also have a very large and accommodating selection. The reasons to give it another star were slowly compiling and placed Mabel’s at three stars. BUT WAIT, their menu advertised replacing any eggs with either egg whites or an egg substitute, the egg substitute making it potentially vegan.
Before jumping the gun, we asked the waitress if the egg substitute they used had dairy or egg in it. She said she was pretty sure it was vegan, went back to double check, and then came back with a thumbs up for no dairy or egg. FOUR STARS GOING ON FIVE. And I was seriously considering giving it five stars simply because it was doing something most other restaurants aren’t. Offering an egg replacement allows vegan diners to enjoy so much more on the menu, even if it’s an extra 99 cents.
But it turns out it wasn’t actually vegan. Egg Whites, Whole Eggs, Nonfat Dry Milk are the first three ingredients listed on the box. How do you mess that up? My conclusion? You can’t. You probably lied.
I feel compelled to leave Mabel’s one star because of this lie, but that’s emotional, and not very fair to Mabel’s. It’s not the restaurants fault the staff either don’t know how to read labels or felt the need to lie about what was in the food for whatever reason.
And so Mabel’s will go back to being two stars, because I want to be logical, rational, and fair. But I’ll personally eat my shorts before I eat there again, pumpkin pancakes or not.

I have visited Mabel’s twice now, and have been pleasantly surprised. The first time I had the vegetarian stuffed hash browns and pumpkin pancakes. The hash browns were piping hot and delicious! The pancakes could have been a bit more tender, but still tasted good. I’m pretty sure the syrup wasn’t real maple syrup, which always turns me off. My husband ordered french toast and when it came, it was a HUGE platter with heaps of whipped cream and lots of real strawberries. I didn’t taste it, but he ate every bite.
This morning (on a Wednesday) we went again, and had another good meal. I ordered the vegetable omlette made with egg whites and no cheese, and sourdough toast. The omlette wasn’t at all greasy and had lots of chunky vegetables in it. The toast was about half an inch thick, and not limp with too much butter. The red raspberry preserves served with it were fantastic. My husband got the regular stuffed hash browns and said it was great.

The kid in me always wants to go eat breakfast at Mabel’s. But really the breakfast they serve is yummy at any age. Sure they have some competition, but delicious pancakes make this place hard to pass by. If you have kids, call ahead and see how long they wait is so you don’t stuck waiting a longtime for a table.

This is THE PLACE to eat breakfast in TC!!! Pancakes? CHECK! Omlettes? CHECK! Breakfast meats? CHECK! Eggs benedict (to die for)? CHECK!
I have only been here for breakfast, and how I wish there was a place this good in the Detroit area! It is so good!!! Easily the best eggs benedict I have ever eaten! They have a variety of pancakes — all good; omlettes — all good!
Everytime we go to TC, we have breakfast there at least twice. No trip to TC is complete without breakfast at Mabel’s!

A previous reviewer said…
«Aside from the crowds of old people, the food is pretty good. «
To me, that’s high praise. Old people know where good food and good value can be found, and it’s at Mabel’s.
This is a wonderful local eatery with great choices for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Try the vegetarian sandwich made with homemade bread and fresh veggies.

A fabulous bargain for very decent breakfast food (have never experienced lunch or dinner). Stuffed hash browns are tasty and can easily be split with a friend. Enjoyed the pancakes, as well. Omelettes are also a good choice.
A nice family restaurant, good service. Not a favorite for breakfast, but a respectable establishment, all in all.