Spanglish

We saw a review for this restaurant in a tourist guide. Because it had award-winning pork tacos we decided to try it. It was wonderful. Food, service, atmosphere were all five star. Best Mexican food we have had in a long long time. Very quaint beautiful building as well. Try it you'll like it!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ AMAZING!!!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Our party of 4 had the pleasure of finally visiting Spanglish! With so many delicious dining options in the TC area it’s hard to choose!? But after receiving countless recommendations to check out Spanglish we made the trip and it blew our expectations out of the water!! We ordered a variety of options including 3 different taco options, 2 different tamales, a big daddy burrito, tostada and chips with salsa. Everything arrived in a timely manner, was freshly prepared and hot but most importantly full of flavor!! There is very limited indoor seating so getting carry out or coming during outdoor dining season is ideal for a more relaxed, dine in experience. In addition to the freshly prepared options, Spanglish also offers several items to go that are either cold or frozen to enjoy at a later date. Do yourself a favor and make Spanglish your NEXT dining experience!

Just had lunch with the family here. We had tacos and tamales. The food isn't amazing and flavorless. Had to add salsa to get some more flavor. We tried it, but won't come back anytime soon. There are a bunch more restaurants with better food and better pricing. The staff was really friendly.

I haven't had authentic carnitas tamales since I lived in florida and these brought back the memories of being home! Thank you for making authentic Mexican food that tastes superb, thats not too expensive!!! We also got the barbacoa taco and tostadas!! Everything was soooo good!!!

Everywhere we travel we eat tacos. It was our anniversary, we love traverse city and had never been here. Now we will never visit without stopping here! Tamales we're fantastic, bean tostada was great as well. We actually made a stop before heading home to buy tamales, fresh salsa Verde and chips! As I write this I am at home eating the salsa wishing we had bought 2! Highly recommend!

We LOVE this place. Authentic wonderful food. Highly recommend checking this place out.

Delicious vegetarian Mexican food, in a very scenic setting. The red salsa had SO much flavor. It was amazing on the burrito and taco. The chips were made fresh and the lemonade was delicious. Items could also be made vegan. We loved sitting outside. Would go back!

LOVE the green salsa! It has avocado and cilantro in it. Really tasty and creative! The limonada is also superb!

First time at Spanglish!! This place is a little bit of Mexico in cold Traverse City!!did not seem there was enough room, some how they squeezed a lot of tables & chairs in a small space! Quite creative! The atmosphere was quite chill with your 60s & 70s music vibe! The restaurant staff was patient and helpful! They knew what they're doing and what they're talking about, at least that is what it seemed like!. The Burrito was huge, messy and delicious it's like Mexican food with a twists! The food may seem pricey but it's 100% worth it. I hope to be back again someday! I recommend this place!

The burrito is filling. It had flavorful beef. I think it's a little over priced though. Overall I'd say it's good, but nothing spectacular.

We had quesadilla and big daddy burrito in a bowl. We both loved the flavors, and spice level. I added guacamole and salsa Roja to my burrito and it was great. Both meals were colorful and good portion sizes.

Very cool place. Very fresh. Shareable food. Order of quesadilla = 3 quesadillas . Kids menu too. Nice people. Fun place

I love that we found this place. I had just mentioned I didn't get to see the mental asylum. Who knew this would be a hidden gem. I had really good carnitas tacos. It's a small place, but cute and busy.

Lovely restaurant that happens to be nestled next to a creek. There is also a trail nearby that can be explored after the meal. Would highly recommend!

Great spot for a quick bite! Would recommend their tacos over tostadas. Love that the tortillas are double layered - there's so much meat and veggies that you could easily get 2 tacos out of 1.

I am from San Diego and super picky about Mexican food, but I was pleasantly surprised that their food was delicious! Their Chips and Guacamole were fresh and the guac was chunky and well seasoned with tomatoes and onions. The Carnitas tostadas were terrific with tender and flavorful meat, lettuce and tomatoes. It was served with sour cream. The Pork Tamale with tomatillo sauce was moist and flavorful. The Sisters Veggie Tamale was also very good with beans, corn and squash. Small but Beautiful setting. Popular so food took 20 minutes to prep. Service was good, with serving drinks and chips with guacamole first....

Looking for some delicious vegan and vegetarian options that are not salad?! Then come and enjoy some delicious tamales! So original and delicious!! The line was out the door, but definitely worth the wait! Can't wait to come back!

The tacos were hit-and-miss; we got 1 chicken, 1 pork, & 1 beef. The salsa verde was good and the slaw was ok. Each taco had wildly different ratios of the salsa/slaw. Each meat was tender and decently seasoned, but the pork was the best. The big daddy burrito was decent but needed some acidity.

Food is always on pointe. Last Friday, I ordered dinner from here for myself and one other person. I had a three sisters tamale (corn/bean/squash) and my dad had a chicken burrito. The burrito lasted for multiple meals, it was ginormous. I can't speak to ambiance because I ordered to go. Service was great though, I had gotten a call from the business after I left that they forgot to give me the chips I had ordered. I had walked and was already back at my destination, so I drove back for my chips. The business staff gave me a five dollar credit for the inconvenience. Y'all, that is service.

Local Mexican restaurant that is order at the counter. Everything was delicious and the area that this place is located is super family friendly!

A combo of Mexican cuisine with Northern Michigan ingredients gives you Spanglish. It's a quaint little shop with indoor and outdoor seating. Fast service, clean, easily accessible for wheelchairs/strollers. They have a shady area for outdoor seating near a walking trail and a creek. It's a great place to stop for a quick bite before or after your trip to the Village at Grand Traverse.

Omg excellent flavorful beef tacos. They give you a huge portion of meat, fresh shredded lettuce and wonderful fresh guacamole. The refried beans and rice were also excellent. Thank them so much for letting us squeeze our RV along side their Alamo style restaurant. We will be back!

What a find! Great food. Amazing staff. Cute and cozy space. I'm no expert on Mexican Cuisine, but everything was delicious and seemed a lot closer to what I had during vacations in the non-tourist-trap parts of Mexico. I ordered a small portion of 2 pork tacos, which were great. Very flavorful without getting spicy hot. I had their house made hot sauce on the side, which was perfect for getting a hit of heat. I also had the house made lime drink. Excellent! It was so good, and I had so long to wait for dinner later, that I added a half order of beans and rice. Wow! That was the best frijoles refritos I've ever had, North or South of the border! If you want Mexican, come here!

Cute spot to eat a quick lunch or dinner. Excellent service, great food - loved the Three Sisters tamale & veggie taco! Friendly staff too!

My wife and I found this place last year when we were in traverse city for our honeymoon. We were blown away by the food and have come back every single time we're in TC just for the poblano Corn Chowder. The Horchata and tamales are also fantastic. We can't recommend this plate enough.

This place was delicious! I'm from Texas and Mexican-American. I feel I know Mexican good. I really like the food here. We had the tamales, pork tacos, rice and beans, green salsa and hibiscus tea. All was fresh, flavorful, easy on the spices. I look forward to trying other items. Sat outside under a tree and by a little stream. Very enjoyable.

Really good meal for lunch. Had the chicken tacos (3) and fried rice. They really are filling. Enjoyed outdoor seating on a 72 degree fall day. Friendly staff. Busy at lunch. Glad we stopped here today.

Oh my goodness!!! Just getting a chance to try this today! Delish! Fresh, crunchy, taste bud dancing happiness!!

Finally got over here... As Texas natives we've been hoping Spanglish would scratch our itch. We weren't disappointed! Guacamole was great. Both carnita and barbacoa tacos were tasty. Former-Texan approved! This is the best we've found thus far in NW Michigan.

Pork tacos were a little dry and lots of cabbage. Burrito was good and packed full! Guac was the best part

Amazing service, food, and overall experience. They have amazing variety in their menu, and so many items that are rare finds. I will definitely come back!

Fantastic food! I had a Three Sisters tamale, a bean tostada, and an iced coffee. All fabulous. Daughter had rice and beans and a chicken taco. Brought home tamales and salsa verde with avocado. We will be back.

I've been meaning to come here for years and am so glad it finally happened! Appreciated that their vegan items were clearly marked and the staff was knowledgeable and accommodating. The new world tamale was SO good, and the taco was very hearty and veggie packed! Will definitely be coming back.

we we're looking for a quick place for lunch before going kayaking and we found this restaurant walking distance from where we stayed. It was very delicious and the chips were so crispy it was one of my top Mexican spots in the area

Great guacamole. Carnitas burritos was not good, very disappointing. Large burrito but mostly lettuce rice and refried beans. I opened it up to see where the carnitas were. There might have been 1/4 cup of a shredded meat, not even sure if it was pork. Place was highly recommended and I would not go back.

Who would have thought that you can get amazing Mexican food at an old insane asylum? Well - you can at Spanglish on the grounds of The Village at Grand Traverse Commons. We took a tour of the old Traverse City State Hospital and our tour guide was plugging going to Spanglish for lunch. I love Mexican food, so you did not have to twist my arm to check this place out. Spanglish used to be the asylum's first firehouse and then the vegetable peeling building, so the history is unique. Getting to the restaurant is walk able from the main parking lot and the building has a pretty creek along the side. A couple picnic tables outside and maybe 10 or so tables inside. The seating inside could be communal and the restaurant asks patrons to share booths if needed. The decor is colorful and welcoming. Do not be discouraged by the line because the food is amazing and worth the wait. One single stall bathroom is at the back left of the restaurant. The original brick is exposed along the outside wall and it was a nice touch to see. Menu is diverse and fresh. Tacos, tostadas, tamales, burritos, etc. Chips/salsa/guac. They also have coffee, teas, and lemonade - all are fresh and very good. Our wait for food was 20 minutes but thankfully our chips, salsa, and guac came out quickly. Guac was excellent and we got the medium salsa which is red. Mild salsa is green/verde. The medium salsa has a nice kick to it a bit spicy but not unbearable. We also got cherry limeade and hibiscus tea both were delicious and refreshing. Our food came out relatively quickly. Portion sizes are a lot bigger than what I expected. I got a pork tostada and beef taco and the tostada could have been enough for lunch. Both were excellent and had tons of flavors. The meat was nicely seasoned. My husband got beef quesadillas and these were crunchy but had lots of gooey cheese. We were very happy and very full from our lunch! Ps. If you take the tour of hospital at the end they give you a coupon for 10% off the big daddy burrito.

Darling, delicious and clean. Think I'll head there right now! After being hung up on the phone from Frenchies I'm hungry and still need lunch! Eat at Spanglish, not Frenchies!

love the location and the restaurant. small so i prefer to eat it outside if it is summer or take togo if it is winter time . alwyas a great lunch. their chips u can tell r home made. i love that they have soda in glass bottles. great tees leches cake.

If I could, I would give this place a 3.5. There a couple of vegan items. They also charge for every item individually. For example, if you order a tamale as I did, you must order any side you want separately. This includes condiments. The parking situation is hard to navigate. With that said, the food was good. It took 15 minutes for the food to come out which is a very reasonable wait time.

Help! I'm going into a food coma and I can't stop myself from eating more, more and more. Really it's just that difficult. I set down my food, then think just one more bite. Spanglish should not be a restaurant it should be a cult. Yes, it's that good. Firstly real Mexican Coca-Cola, that country is the last of the hold outs to use cane sugar and not corn syrup. Secondly, there food as I said before is incredible. The Big Daddy Burrito is just that, and the tamales are perfect. The Tostadas are a huge mess, but that's what there made for. This is Mexican food it's made for enjoyment.

TACOS! Really really good tacos! No indoor seating as of yet, but they were pretty quick on their takeout orders. We found a picnic table nearby and devoured everything!

We had spotted this place when in Traverse City on a previous visit, but never got the chance to try it until this time. Glad we did. Cute little lunch spot, with a good range of options. One warning, however: portions are HUGE - if you aren't famished, consider sharing with someone. We ordered way too much food, but it was yummy. I got the Three Tamale Deal, and ordered a side of rice and beans. The side was a big mistake - could not make much of a dent in it, though it was tasty. The co-diner got the chicken burrito. Large, but a bit different than he expected. He would have preferred enchiladas, but they weren't on the menu. The menu also featured 2 kinds of vegetarian tamales, which were unique. Something to consider for a future visit. Diners order at the counter, and staff brings your food to the table. Service was prompt and courteous. We would definitely return here, and recommend trying it when in Traverse City craving some south-of-the-border treats.

Delicious!! We stopped here based on Yelp reviews as we drove through. Delicious tacos. Veggie was my fave. So much flavor. Our crew ordered multiple things and tacos and kids bean and cheese burritos were the faves!

This is such a cute little spot to have a quick bite to eat. The atmosphere is so happy, with Mexican music playing softy in the background. When the weather is warmer, I can't wait to come and sit outside by the stream. This is counter service only, but the food is brought to your table. We had chips, salsa, and guac. All really good. Then I ordered one of each of the tacos. They are big and that was too much food! The the chicken taco was good but a bit bland. The chorizo was my favorite, as it had some good spice. I'll try the pork later tonight, but I tasted the meat and I think I'm really going to like it! My husband had the barbacoa burrito and it was delicious. It had a bit more spice than the tacos, which we liked. In the future, I will ask for the red salsa, which is a little spicier, on my tacos and for the chips. The green was good, but a bit bland. We also tried the horchata, which was great and light and we'll seasoned. The iced coffee was good - my husband really liked it. I thought it was a bit heavy on the nutmeg (and I usually really like nutmeg). Spanglish is as darling and romantic as it sounds. It's tiny and perfect with a friendly staff. It's a great spot to get a quick and inexpensive bite to eat.

After years of seeing this place and even reading reviews we finally stopped in a gave this Mexican food a try. I was pleasantly surprised! I'm pretty picky about Mexican food since I'm Mexican The barbacoa was. Ahhhhmazing! Seriously, some of the best I've had here in Michigan. I preferred the barbacoa taco over the quesadilla for sure. The tamale was ok, It lacked flavor. But my little kids really liked it I would totally go back for the barbacoa!! The staff was super friendly and helpful. The place is small but cute and has a small scenic outdoor seating area.

A nice place off the beaten path of downtown Traverse City, but it's worth it! I was craving Mexican and didn't want to go to Little Fleet as it was raining, and I've been meaning to check this place out too. I had 3 delicious tacos-- beef, chicken and pork. I wish their menu was even a little more extensive, so that's why I'm giving them a 4.5, but I'm rounding up as for TC standards it's a 5. I'd definitely go back!

The service was good, and the people were friendly. However, Food was OK. Not the best flavors unfortunately. I think they deserve three stars.

The chicken tacos came at $10.50 and tasted great. The burrito with barbacoa was $11. It was huge and had lots of fillings. Great place to eat at at the village.

Made a trip up to Traverse City from Battle Creek basically just for Spanglish. We heard good things & I'm always down for great Mexican food. It's located at the The Village at Grand Traverse Commons (formerly The Northern Michigan Asylum) so there's history (tours and such can be taken) and lots of little shops, wineries, coffee spots around to explore. This general area is also a short 10-15 minute drive to the waterfront/downtown. When we arrived around 1pm on a Saturday, this little place was packed! Luckily people were pretty considerate and didn't dillydally at tables so we were able to grab one right after ordering our food at the counter. We started with the chips, salsa & guac ($6). Went for the DELICIOUS spicy salsa. It was so tasty --- it had the freshness of pico de gallo, but also the heat of a solid salsa. The chips were really disappointing though - they were super thin and crumbled easily. I also expected them to be warmed up, but seemed to be served right out of the bag. Meh. For our main, we went with the tacos (Fresh Corn Tortilla Topped with Shredded Cabbage, Salsa Verde, Chopped Onion, Cilantro & Fetta cheese). It's 3 for $9 or $3.50 each. They're sizeable tacos (so, not Los Angeles street taco-sized). At first, I judged the feta cheese but it is called Spanglish after all & it actually worked well. I tried each of the meats: *Barbacoa - SO flavorful and juicy. Once I had a bite of this, I thought that there was NO way that the Carnitas (Pork) or Pollo (Chicken) could hold a flame to this. But, I was wrong! *Carnitas - Equally as flavorful and juicy. Fantastic fantastic flavors...there's something special about their seasoning here. I can't pin it down but it just adds another layer of depth, dimension. Yum. *Chicken - Okay after having the best barbacoa and carnitas ever, I was certain that the chicken would be lackluster. Again, I was wrong. It was just as good. 3 out of 3, Spanglish! I wasn't intending to finishing all 3 tacos because they were massive, but I couldn't help myself. So delicious! We also paid extra for a side of their house made hot sauce. If you like heat, you HAVE to get this. It's seriously fuego and made my lips tingle but I loved it!! I've also heard good things about their tamales, so I'll have to try that next. 277/365

Stopped by here for breakfast before getting our day started. This place did not disappoint. The tamales were fresh and made to order. We ordered both vegetarian ones- the three sisters and the new world. We also got a order of the three veggie tacos. The tamales take about 10-15 minutes so we headed over two doors down to higher grounds coffee bar. Grabbed a lavender latter and headed back in time for some delicious hot tamales and tacos. This is a nice change from the usual American fare cuisine that seems prominent in this area.

There staff and food are amazing they are always kind not to mention there Food is absolutely good they have my vote

The food here has a lot of potential, but ours was a bit dry. We got a few items, including chorizo, beef, pork, and chicken tacos. The chorizo one was really good. The remainder had good flavor, but were too dry. It would have been good to have more greenery on top of the tacos as well as salsa and some lime slices. These could have been awesome if this was the case. Their location is a bit odd to drive to the first time.

No bueño...sorry y'all but this ain't Mexican food. I tend to love salty foods, so for me to say it was over salted is an understatement. Chicken meat in my tostada was tired & dry & just sad. It was VERY costly, no lunch specials and the chips were so disappointing as they were not fresh:/ Green salsa with the chips was just okay. Bean & rice a basic seemed not good either, reminded me of a cheap boxed recipe. The food looked good, but taste was SO off...so tragic!! This is the first time I went to a place that charged for hot sauce?! Oh la la. Money making off people desperate for Mexican food. Peace out! Hope I saved you some $$$ & disappointment.

Me and my friend went to this little restaurant excited for some small talk and yummy food and trust me the food was great but the manager is awful. The manager was yelling at the worker at the register and it looked like she was about to cry I felt awful and you could hear her swearing at everyone in the kitchen going off about " do your f***ing job" and " you always mess this up" just very aggressive, I can't imagine this is a nice experience for the workers and I truly feel awful. that overall ruined the whole experience for me and my friend idk if I want to go back.

Fast service, great flavors, closer to authentic flavors than you'd think to find in northern (lower penninsula) Michigan

Phenomenal food, love getting food to-go and enjoying it at Left Foot Charlie's. Tamales are so good and the pork tacos are out of this world.

This is one of my all time favorite restaurants. The service is amazing, the food is spectacular and the location is superb. It is a wonderful place to just order some food, pick it up and go have a picnic. I look forward to eating here again:)