Centre Street Café

While I’ve only ever had takeout, their sandwiches are fantastic, and there’s a great variety. The black bean salsa is amazing, too!

First time here. Nice little mom & pop local spot with an abundance of options. I love sandwiches 🥪 and they've got plenty of options. I had the Prairie Chicken and it was fire 🔥 Highly recommend this place. I will be back to try something different

Amazing food every time.. I had thr penny lane. My image is in the car I ate the other half for dinner.

Coconut Shrimp Salad! One of the best salads I've ever had!

We were pleasantly surprised to taste the food that was rated so high at this restaurant. They cook it close by and it was sumptuous. We all had the soup which was very good and sandwiches. Definitely make this one of your stops if you’re in town.

Excellent quality food served by cheerful and energetic staff. Amazing combinations of items producing unique sandwiches, soups and salads. You're more likely to be seated immediately if you arrive before 12 noon!

Always the first place to visit when I come to Traverse City. Love the swamp soup and everything else! Don't trust me until you try! They always have weekly special and such a great variety!

It's Centre Street--what else can I say? Great good--parking can be a challenge depending upon the time of day, but it's a great place to meet up for a lunch meeting. Menu is varied and excellent.

This was my first time at Centre Street Cafe and I am very pleased! The staff is very friendly and the food is perfect for lunch. They give a generous amount of meat on the sandwich so it's not just bread. The bread is fresh too! Absolutely loved the sumac yogurt dressing for the salad! The ambiance is relaxed and there are lots of seats! Definitely stop in for a good lunch, the menu is large!

Cute little cafe with friendly, efficient staff and a great selection of sandwiches and wraps! I like that it is off the beaten path. Only thing lacking is outdoor dining on this beautiful fall day.

Service was spectacular only to be outdone by the food! Today was my first time here and it certainly will not be my last. Huge variety of sandwiches available to try. I had the swamp soup and the Rabish Radish Pastrami and it was fantastic. I look forward to working my way through the menu.

Great food and amazing service. Happy servers are always good to see. Loved the upbeat atmosphere.

Wow!!!! AMAZING! Doesn't look like much from the street, or when you walk in, but holy buckets! We were blown away. The flavors are fantastic!!!! A new favorite spot in TC.

Great sandwich variety. Soups hearty. Very nice waitstaff. Cute ambiance. Would come again.

Well run lunch spot with ample variety and homemade flavors. As well as, large portions and quality ingredients in each dish. Bonus: Off-street parking away from the busy downtown area.

A hidden gem for lunch in TC because everything on the menu has been perfected, I swear. The Godfather and Penny Lane sandwiches are both great. I typically order for pickup but they have plenty of seating if you'd prefer to eat in. I do wish their hours included being open Saturday when I'm craving some of their bean dip. Can't go wrong here, try it out!

I love the black bean dip and tortilla chips. I'm a simple human that way. I recommend the turkey sandwich with the english (cotswold) cheese. So good. I also recommend getting a half sandwich, so you can do the half sandwich and soup combo. My mom loves their salmon chowder so much, she's made it twice at home. I agree, the salmon chowder is great. But, I feel like you can't go wrong with the original swamp soup (just tomato, spinach and swiss). This is a breakfast and lunch place, I am pretty sure. I have only been here for lunch though. They do a bang up takeout business. I saw an acquaintance picking up lunch, small towns are like this. We, parents and I, enjoyed introducing a friend to this place. It's a local favorite in an unassuming locale.

I'm not sure how I haven't done a review for this place! As a frequent guest in the Traverse City area, this is always my go to lunch spot. They have great sandwich and soup options but my preference is the shuffled salad (basically a big salad with lots of veggies). I have also requested extra chicken on the side and they accommodated my request perfectly! I also appreciate the fact that they sell a WIDE variety of cold canned beverages. Coke Zero and Diet Dr. Pepper are my favorites, but there are non caffeinated options as well.

Don't let the appearance of this place fool you! If you are looking for a good place to have a sandwich that isn't your typical ham and cheese on rye go here! I swear there are 3 pages devoted to sandwiches! We are from grand rapids and love schnitz's deli and this reminds us of that. I had a "off center" gyro which is like a regular gyro but they added chorio ...yum My hubs had a portofello sandwich which had roast beef, portobello, onion, swiss, and other goodies...he loved it as well! Sandwiches come with tortilla chips and a black bean dip/spread. Service was very friendly and fast. Out of the way hole in the wall but highly recommend it!!

This place is great, we come every time we visit Traverse City! For some reason, Yelp says they only have outdoor seating, but the dining room is open. I highly recommend it!

You might be put on the wait list but please wait! The food is consistently delicious and the wait staff is friendly and oblige special orders. I did get upset when my food took forty-five minutes one day so I got the soup of the day to tide me over and it was the most pleasant cup of French onion I've had from a diner. I was so impressed with my forty-five I minute chef salad with my add ons that I didn't even care about the wait. My dinning partner had gotten food that takes longer to cook but I appreciate that they bring out all the entrees at once. The staff is hard working and very diligent. Love this place!

I've used Centre Street for catering as well as personal meals. Always a pleasure, AWAYS delicious.

Beside awesome food, the staff is so friendly. Just a comfy place to have a great meal. A must try is the Swamp soup. As our waitress said, "It's like tomato soup on steroids." So full of flavor. We each had the soup and half sandwich and it was very filling. Definitely plan on going back.

We come to this place every time we vacation and it is wonderful every time! You can't go wrong with anything here. Fresh ingredients and everything tastes homemade. The building and interior is more of a cafe/diner style than I would normally choose but seriously this place is the most under rated place in TC. Also had excellent kids menu choices and iced tea. People are always friendly. Just a favorite for me... 6 stars. FYI closed Sundays, check out the hours first.

I had a Reuben. Came with bean dip and soggy chips of some sort. Bit into the sandwich and it was rubbery. Corned beef was good, but not $12 worth of "good".

Delicious sandwiches and extremely friendly service. We ordered a variety of sandwiches and each one was very well made. The pecos Pete sandwich I ordered was made with real roasted chicken breast. Loved the inventive sandwich selections! It was hard to choose which one to order. I also loved the black bean dip sides. Very addictive!

Slid in for a sit down lunch with a couple friends to see what all the rave was about. We drove across town so that speaks to the reputation of Centre Street (oh, and they have gluten free options). Locals talked up the sandwiches and the swamp soup. They have a legit menu full of sandwiches, warps, and salads which made for a tough decision. I grabbed the Maui which incorporated pineapple and bacon cream cheese into a club sandwich. A great twist on a standard classic accompanied by a bowl of fish chowder hit the spot. This is where things went a little downhill. Our server didn't really seem to know what was going and didn't pay any attention to us after our food was expedited. Eventually had to fetch a beverage from the cooler ourselves. It was 90 plus degree day and we were served water in plastic eight-ounce cups - waa? These went down in a single gulp. Single unit air conditioner made the inside anything but cool...minor details. The food the delicious and I appreciate scratch made eats and unique sandwiches. I almost ordered a quart of the fish chowder to go. But seeing my bill already at $17+ for lunch I balked, and was on my way. I do like to support local businesses and this is one I will come back to next time I'm in TC (local artwork is a nice touch). I understand folks gotta make money - the food is worth it. I think next time it will be to go. But hey, that's just one guys opinion.

Best gluten free sandwich/wrap in Traverse City!

Seems like everyone here is in love with the selection - it is a little overwhelming how many different options they have, but not necessarily in a good way... On a service note, the drinks took about 10 minutes to come after we sat down, and the server didn't ask if it was our first time here or if we had any questions about the menu. That should be a must with as large as there menu is, and as many interchangeable options as they have. I tried the "Despercado" sandwich, and it was underwhelming. The bread was bland, almost stale, and there was too much of it. The sandwich was oozing guacamole/avocado out of the sides (along with the restest of the sandwich innards - the bread was so tough to chew on that everything came spilling out with every bite). All in all, the sandwich was pretty flavorless. We came here because my boyfriend's mom was chatting up how amazing the place is (like a lot of the other locals here) but it was NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT. I was really underwhelmed, for visiting a place with so many ingredients on their sandwiches (surely the food cost is outrageous). They didn't even have a refillable drink option (except coffee, tea, and water). All the drinks are canned (ew, aluminum). The flavor, again, was lacking. It was like they put a bunch of almost spoiled ingredients together, and on top of the lack of freshness, the flavors didn't really go together. My boyfriend's mom got the "Bobby D's" special, but even that had to be sent back (to inquire about the pinkness of the chicken, only on one side, but apparently was due to a "saline solution" injected in the meat for flavor according to our server - EW). My boyfriend got the grouper tacos which were 90% crunch with a tiny bit of fish - flavorless and lacking whole texture as well. Overall, the entire experience left a lot to be desired. I'd like to try something else here but it won't be the chicken or anything on a "sourdough sub roll." :-)

Great food and great service. Menu is unique and every loved their choices. De Gaulle's Galley Sandwich was perfect

My favorite lunch spot. . Food is always first rate. So is the service!!! Do yourself a favor and eat here!!

Absolutely delicious! I had the rabish radish pastrami and it was to die for! The radish microgreens added a nice taste and crunch. I recommend getting the jalapeño salsa also. This is the first time I can remember where I actually did not substitute anything on or off this sandwich. It was incredible as is. Highly recommended.

Stopped in for lunch because of the great yelp reviews. Its a small place with amazing food. Large menu with sandwiches that are combination of flavors. I had the New Yorker. It had lots of shaved beef, horse radish, sweet onion etc on sourdough. Very tasty. Good fast service. I would recommend thus place

We were only in Traverse City for a week and ate here 3 times. Each time we tried something different. Everything we tried was delicious. Prices are reasonable and service was great. I highly recommend the soup and half sandwich combo.

Hidden away in the very popular resort town of Traverse City...if you can find, it, it's definitely worth the search. Since moving from TC to Los Angeles 4 years ago, I've craved their Madagascar....SO good! And if it's not currently on the menu, ask about it. Definitely worth it...so is their Black Jack Wrap! Small storefront, not much to look at or place to eat but if you get it "to go" and take it to a local park...well, it's the perfect place for lunch!!!

Our waitress was amazing! Great food, very fresh and not expensive. Would highly recommend!

We love Centre Street here at my company. Sure, they usually miss part of the order (usually salad dressing or maybe a cup of soup on occasion) but we never miss it, because their food is just so delicious! I would recommend their house special soup called Swamp. I have downgraded my review because the last few times I have called ahead to order...the female that answers the phone is super snarky. I don't tolerate bitchy females. You're representing the company you work for...you should probably be nice, especially when the company the customer is ordering for spends thousands of dollars at said place of business every year.

Centre Street has some of the best sandwiches, wraps and salads I've ever had. All very creative, unusual and totally scrumptious! My favorite wrap is the Madagascar--let's see if I can remember all the ingredients: a whole wheat wrap with turkey bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, avocado, hummus, asiago, Swiss (?), sunflower seeds and smoked almonds, topped with a little Ranch and a little Italian dressing. To. Die. For. Best salad in my book is the Cherry Chicken, even if it is pricey; Fiesta Salad is also really good--and all the salads are huge! They also have great soups--Swamp soup is what I order most of the time. This place is ALWAYS packed at lunchtime, regardless of the weather outside. You would be wise to grab a menu and then next time, call ahead to order your lunch. Great staff . . . wonderful food! One of my favorite lunch places in TC--for eating "in" or taking food to go!

This place is a locals favorite! Great variety of items and excellent customer service. You will struggle over which item to order off yet menu!

Nice little spot for soup/sandwiches. Very unique and tasty creations! The swamp soup was amazing; it was like an Italian tomato soup that we all loved. My son had the On Centre Mac n Cheese that was awesome, my daughter had the blt, and my mom and I shared one of the specials on the board and all were very good. The black bean dip/chips on the side was a nice little surprise and very tasty! The service was great too which can make or break a review.

This place is traverse city's best kept secret. The food is leaps and bounds above the typical lunch cafes around; they have an actual chef. You get gourmet food without the gourmet price our the pretentious atmosphere. You can come here for pork belly mac and cheese while you're still in your gym clothes. The only complaint I have is that the menu is too large. I struggle with over-choice, especially when everything sound so delicious (and is). But, that does give you an excuse to hang out longer and quell over the dishes with a fellow foodie. The service is so outstanding, I don't even know how they do it.

Love lunch here today! The tenderloin salad was absolutely phenomenal and so was the Smoked Salmon Chowder. Friendly and very helpful staff. I highly recommend!!!!

Centre Street Cafe is a tiny little place that has a pretty loyal crowd. The resturant is tiny, but the fact that the cooks make your food right behind the bar and get it to you fairly quickly makes up for the lunch-hour crowds. I absolutely love their 'Swamp Soup' which is a tomato spinach and swiss soup. It's infinitely better than the same kind of soups sold elsewhere, and the bowls are huge! The soup is really filling. Some of their stuff is a little bit on the pricey side, but it's all really good. They have pastas, sandwiches, salads and a variety of soups that change with their daily specials. It's not open for a long time, so get in shortly before noon and you should be okay. Be careful of the parking, it's pretty limited, so if you come with a group: carpool. It shares a lot with a karate place, so it can get crowded when there is a class.

Had the For Get About It sandwich and a cup of the best Clam chowder I have had in a long time. Sandwich comes with the pickle tortilla chips and their homemade black bean dip which was very good. The wait staff was very friendly and fast and always had a smile on their face the place was very clean and respectable. Sandwich was around 9.50 the soup was four dollars and it was well worth the price. The best time is after the lunch rush you'll be able to get a table quick.

Very good sandwich here. Very small and quaint dining area with a bar. Nice people here too

The De Gaulle's Galley sandwich on GF pita is my happy place. The portobellos and brie combo is delicious! It's a warm, melty, messy, comfort food kind of sandwich. I could eat it every day :)

Such a great little Cafe! So many sandwich possibilities...or you can design your own!

Delicious lunch! Good coffee with frequent refills! I had the Whole Earth (avocado, cheeses, fresh veggies on cracked wheat bread), he had the Islander (Jamaican jerk chicken). Both came with a yummy black bean dip and tortilla chips. Everything was fresh and flavorful! Great lunch spot!!

I usually have decent service and I try to make it in before the lunch rush. Well, apparently when they have a catering order to complete the guests in the cafe become secondary. My wife and I waited for about 45 mins. when the waitress told us about the catering order and our food was almost done. Problem was I was on lunch from work so I was out of time. We ended up having to take our lunch to go. The waitress apologized, but there was no gesture made to attempt to compensate for the wait time. Not all of us customers get visibly angry and cause a scene to get compensation. Some of us have me decency than that. It is a shame then that it takes making a scene to receive any kind of gesture of compensation. I will say however that this is the first time in my several visits that the service was not at least satisfactory or better.

I went for a business lunch. Super busy at lunch, but still quick service. Homemade food with unique twists. The mushroom soup was fantastic. I will be back.

Everything I've ever had here has been extremely flavorful, unique, and delicious! It takes me about 10 minutes to order because I cant decide between so many amazing options. They have weekly specials posted on their Facebook page. I even make the trek from my work in Chum's corners to get lunch from here because it's THAT good!

Stopped here to order lunch to go based on all the great reviews! I'm happy to add to those reviews. I ordered the Greek salad and it was absolutely amazing. The price seemed a bit high, but it was worth it. My husband ordered the Smokin Joe sandwich which was also amazing. We ordered on site and it didn't take long for our food to be ready at all. The place was super busy when we were there and the staff were all moving around like crazy! It's a pretty small place but definitely worth a visit and we will for sure come back again next time we are in town!!

Every single item on the menu is made with the best ingredients. Salads are always fresh and wraps and sandwiches are prepared when you order. Excellent service!

Tried this lovely restaurant after reading some reviews. The food was fabulous, fresh and delicious. The menu was huge with too much to choose from. Will definitely go again when in TC for lunch. Give it a try.. it is really great

This is my favorite restaurant in the whole world, and I say that as someone that currently resides in Chicago and having traveled extensively throughout Asia and Europe. My favorite sandwich is the Wimpy (a loaded sandwich with too many ingredients to describe). Centre Street makes their own sauces and soups, which is a big part of their success, along with their use of high quality meats (i'm guessing Boar's Head). I usually go with 1/2 a Wimpy and a cup of soup. Sandwiches are accompanied by tortilla chips, bean dip and a pickle which is a nice change of pace from your average deli. I prefer this over the world famous Zingermann's believe it or not!

One of the best sandwich, salad and soup places in the state. Fresh ingredients, original dished, friendly staff. Swamp soup is a must. Tenderloin salad was excellent. If they had a beer license or stayed open past 4pm, I would have stayed into dinner.

Had a lunch catered by them and it was awesome. There were several types of 1/2 sandwiches and 3 salads. I tried a bit of everything and it was all good, especially liked the salad w/the cherries and bleu cheese. Also good if you go is the swamp soup. Great, fresh food and good prices.