Wednesday nights just became your new religion
Downtown Union Street · Traverse City · Eclectic small plates with sushi and American comfort fare · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed by the RagingWine Tasting Desk · July 25, 2026
RagingWine reviewed Firefly Restaurant’s wine list and gave it The Wild Card — RagingWine’s Vibe-Check rating. How RagingWine reviews wine lists →
Take Vibe Match and we’ll tell you what to order here.
Wingman Metrics
You walk into Firefly expecting bar food and sushi rolls, and then the wine list surprises you — Michigan Riesling sitting next to Willamette Valley Pinot and a Mendoza Malbec in a lively riverside room that smells like soy sauce and good decisions. It's not a wine-forward restaurant, but it's not pretending to be, and that honesty goes a long way. The list is tight, accessible, and priced for a night out rather than a special occasion.
Thirty to fifty bottles across Michigan, Oregon, California, and Argentina — this is a genuinely cross-regional list for a casual small plates spot in northern Michigan, and it deserves credit for that. The local Michigan Riesling is a smart anchor; Traverse City is wine country after all, and ignoring that would be a miss. The Willamette Valley Pinot Noir shows real intent beyond the obvious crowd-pleasers, and the Central Coast Chardonnay and Mendoza Malbec round out the globe-trotting without getting weird about it. Gaps exist — no natural wine, no sparkling worth mentioning in the data — but for a bar-centric spot doing sushi and mac and cheese, this list punches above its weight class.
Eight to fourteen pours by the glass is a respectable range for a room like this, and the selection mirrors the bottle list's regional spread. On a Wednesday at half price, every glass pour becomes an absurdly good deal — $6–$8 for a proper Willamette Pinot or a Michigan Riesling is hard to argue with. Rotation data is limited, but the program seems consistent rather than adventurous.
Michigan Riesling (local producer) — $10–$14/glass
You're in Traverse City — drinking local Riesling here is the whole point. Michigan Riesling at this price, in this room, on a Wednesday at half off, is basically free money. It's crisp, food-friendly, and the kind of thing you can't get back home.
Willamette Valley Pinot Noir
Most people ordering wine at a sushi-and-small-plates spot default to white or rosé. The Willamette Pinot on this list is the quiet overachiever — light enough for the food, serious enough to make you look like you know what you're doing. Skip the Malbec and order this.
Malbec from Mendoza
Nothing wrong with it, but Malbec at a riverside small plates bar in Michigan is the wine equivalent of ordering a Caesar salad at a sushi restaurant. It's fine. It's also the most forgettable thing on the list when Michigan Riesling and Oregon Pinot are right there.
Michigan Riesling (local producer) + Sushi rolls
Riesling's natural acidity and off-dry fruit cut right through soy sauce and wasabi heat without fighting the delicate fish. Local Michigan Riesling specifically has that bright apple and citrus profile that makes every piece of a spicy tuna roll taste cleaner. This is the most obvious correct answer on the menu.
Wednesday — 50% off all wines, all night, 4 PM to close. Every bottle, every glass. This is the real reason to visit.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Firefly is not a wine destination — but Wednesday at half price makes it one, and the list is genuinely solid for a casual riverside bar doing eclectic small plates in northern Michigan. Come for the sushi, stay for the local Riesling, and set a calendar reminder for Wednesday.
Downtown Front Street · Traverse City · Brewpub / American Bar & Grill
Mackinaw Brewing is a great place to drink beer in downtown Traverse City, and nobody should walk in expecting otherwise. If wine is your thing, order the local Riesling, appreciate the nod to Michigan wine country, and let the rest of the list do its quiet, unremarkable job.
Crowd Pleasers
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Slabtown / West Front Street · Traverse City · American tavern fare with waterfront grill classics
West End Tavern isn't a wine destination, but it's doing something right by leaning into what grows in its own backyard. If you're in Traverse City and want local wine without ceremony, pull up a patio chair and order the Riesling.
Small but Thoughtful
Fair
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
US-31 South / East Side · Traverse City · Mexican
Agave is a solid casual cantina — the margaritas are the move and everyone at the table knows it. The wine list is an afterthought, and there's no shame in treating it like one.
Grocery Store
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Rotating Cast
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Front Street · Traverse City · Seafood/Raw Bar
Umbo is quietly one of the more interesting wine programs in northern Michigan, built with a clear point of view around Old World acid and seafood compatibility. The pricing is a stretch and the list could use more depth, but if you're eating oysters in Traverse City, this is where you want to be drinking.
Small but Thoughtful
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Front Street · Traverse City · Steakhouse / Contemporary American
The Pretty Penny is a dependable date-night wine list in a beautiful lakeside town — not adventurous, not cheap, but competent enough to make your steak night work. If you're a wine explorer looking for discovery, you might leave a little flat; if you just want a solid Cabernet with a great meal on Front Street, you're in good hands.
Plays It Safe
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
Downtown Front Street · Traverse City · Steakhouse with Seafood and Contemporary American
Slate is a dependable steakhouse wine list that plays to its crowd — nothing wrong with that, but adventurous drinkers should zero in on the L. Mawby and call it a night. Send a friend here for a solid meal and a glass of something local; just don't expect the list to challenge them.
Solid Range
Steep
Basic Stemmed
Willing but Green
Set & Forget
Acceptable
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