Latest reviews from Grand Rapids
| 88 /100 820 MONROE AVE NW #155 “A beautiful, semi-glitzy, well-lit space on the northern side of downtown GR, right on the river. We were blown away by the really friendly staff and guests. They had a really nice array of beers to offer, and everything we tried was excellent. They have a limited food menu (tacos, etc), which we didn't try. Our last stop in W.Michigan, near the top of our list! Brewery #1007.“ |
| 40 /100 25 IONIA AVENUE SW “I'm sorry, but I don't see how this place (at the time of this entry) is the highest-rated place in all of Michigan. Maybe it used to be. But given the vast array of great breweries in western Michigan, and much more widely available craft beers almost anywhere, this place doesn't really stand out. Sure, they have a pretty long beer list, so maybe you can find something new here if your focus is on finding new beers. But most of the list was pretty widely available stuff. And the place has seen better days. Our first impression was an off-putting odor of dirty dish water. The decor in the bar area is worn, not the cleanest either. Our bartender was a bit indifferent ... maybe a generational disconnect, but completely uninterested in doing more than the absolute minimum. Can't remember if I've been to other locations, but can't recommend this one. Stick to the breweries. Our hotel bar had decent taps and was much more pleasant.“ |
| 86 /100 235 GRANDVILLE AVE SW “HUGE space on the industrial edge of downtown. We were told to not walk there after dark, so opted to visit right at the opening hour the next morning instead. Good call. Metered street parking could get scarce when this place is hopping. Being early, we got great attention. As we'd hoped for, the beer menu was pretty deep, including a handful of taproom-only offerings (which they kindly highlight for you). Long-time fans of Founders beers, we weren't disappointed in teh beer department. The food was excellent too. Big company store is attached if you wanna drop some extra cash. Brewery #1000!“ |
| 66 /100 1 IONIA SW “In the heart of downtown, this has a old-timey feel. Cool array of mug club wares with a corresponding old library ladder. Cool mural of the old GRBC on the wall is a nice nod to history. The beer lineup was pretty standard, but everything we tried was pretty good. Food was decent, including pizzas with an usual but tasty blend of cheeses.
Good spot, especially if you're overnighting in the city. Pay to park or take an Uber otherwise. Brewery #999.“ |
| 78 /100 527 LEONARD ST NW “For a mid-Monday afternoon stop, this place was hoppin'! Both the staff and clientele were super friendly, eager to share pointers on the local beer scene, service was A+. Our beers were excellent. We didn't eat, but their pizza menu is over-the-top and they looked outstanding.
Definitely wish we'd had more time here. Close to the top of our list next time we're in town! Brewery #998.“ |
| 52 /100 1727 ALPINE AVE NW “Nicely done building with a small adjacent parking lot. At businer hours, finding a spot might be tricky. Dropped in for a mid-afternoon sip. The place kinda has a 'new urban' vibe, staffed by millennials who think they know more than you do. Two of us had a different pint -- both beers were pretty good, but didn't necessarily stand out, either. Shorter list of offerings. Would go back but wasn't among my favorites in the area. Brewery #997.“ |
| 82 /100 1 IONIA SW “Downtown Grand Rapids. Parking is hard to find unless you pay for it. Medium beer list which they are out of . Like my beer. Growlers to go. Rock on the radio. One bartender she’s busy and forgets things. See no souvenirs. Good place to grab a beer. Cheers!“ |
| 82 /100 1551 LAKE DR SE “In the neighborhood. Parking seem to be at a premium. Small parking lot and road. Jazz jam electronic music on radio. Couple of bartenders and pizza shop here. Dim lighting and windows keep this place open during the day. Nice patio on the road. Hop crowd. Glad I stopped. Cheers!“ |
| 80 /100 527 LEONARD ST NW “visited the smaller pub in Northport - but very impressive little spot. 2nd visit“ |
| 74 /100 505 BALL AVE NE “Just a mile from my Airbnb. Massive parking lot. Large industrial building, bar with a dozen stools, scattered bar and restaurant tables, view through glass into the fermentation area below. Sitting at the bar was a mistake since everyone and their mother who ordered at the bar breathed their hot breath onto my neck. I also had to listen to the most frequent questions: "What kind of sangria do you have?" and "Where's your wine list?" Ciders come in flights of four or taster sizes in any amount, plus 16 ounce shaker pints, or something in between. Happy hour snacks were tasty and cheap. Ciders were cheap as well, I ended up with 6 ciders and a bar snack for $13, hard to beat. Most of the ciders were boring, but the spontaneously fermented Casnovia Wild was tasty and complex. Good service. Patio with absolutely no shade at all. Interesting place.“ |
| 92 /100 925 CHERRY STREET SE “In a former funeral parlor chapel. Street parking, irrelevant since I used Lyft. Patio tables out front plus a winter tent that I suspect is no longer needed since it was 30 C today. Inside is suitably solemn but with better music than most churches. Large U-shaped bar over the altar area, plus restaurant tables and a second larger outdoor area out a side door. Nice taplist organized in four tiers, from easiest drinking to most complex. Funky styles were very tasty, some with adjuncts that complemented the yeasts nicely. Creative food menu too - escargot seemed to be popular. Knowledgeable enthusiastic service.
Go out of your way to visit this place.“ |
| 80 /100 The Score (Bar) 5301 NORTHLAND DR. NE “I don't normally seek out 100 tap places but my Airbnb host brought me here. Massive place, tons of parking. Dark interior with lots of TVs and a central bar. Nice patio and a sandy beach on a picturesque lake, sort of a blend between a strip mall and nature - I did not know there was such a thing until today. I struggled to find some shade until they brought us around the corner to tables normally reserved by local volleyball teams (the bar has four beach volleyball courts). Covered by a tent, so that worked. Although there were quite a few ABInBev taps and other faux craft, there were enough local and regional taps that we found plenty to drink - including a nice CBS finisher, served in a plastic cup. Full food menu with tasty barbecue. Tons of kids but I saw no dogs, not sure if that's policy or happenstance. Good place to come at sunset or to play volleyball.“ |
| 72 /100 2183 E BELTLINE AVE NE “Looking at my rating of the downtown location from 2012 it's pretty clear I like the HopCat chain, so I had high expectations for this place, which was closed to my Airbnb. But my hopes were dashed. Visited at lunchtime on a Monday which didn't help. Large very dark interior with a central U-shaped var and a bunch of restaurant tables. Small patio on one side with uncovered table but the roof provides shade. 40 taps, good variety without being taken over by NEIPAs. Server did not know the beers, and brought two of the wrong beers - on a flight of three. Served in much nicer glassware than the usual samples or flights. I ordered the veggie chili just like I did 10 years ago, but it tasted like cold refried beans, not a soup at all. Beers were tasty. First and last time.“ |
| 8 /100 Grapevine Wine & Deli (Beer Store) 1559 MICHIGAN AVE NE “This place is the worst. No one should ever shop here. It's overpriced, it smells like stale rain water from their leaky roof that they refuse to fix, and every time i am here they follow me through the aisle with their arms crossed "so that i don't steal anything"! This is the rudest store in Grand Rapids, i hope it closes and just goes away forever.“ |
| 66 /100 1400 LAKE DRIVE SE “Brewery in our neighborhood, added to a longtime Indian restaurant with good food. A bit of an odd ambiance for a brewery, but comfortable, beer is okay, a lot of standard styles and quality. There are better beer centric location s close by, but worth a visit if you're in the mood for Indian.“ |
| 82 /100 417 BRIDGE ST. NW “Visited for lunch and beers in Oct. Nice space - nice selection of beer. Food was very good - the nashville hot fried chicken sandwich was excellent. Definitely will visit again“ |
| 78 /100 1251 CENTURY AVE SW SUITE 200 “Cute, tiny little place in south Grand Rapids. Can be easy to miss, as it's not signed very well, at least in the dark. Very small tasting room. They had 5 meads on tap when I visited, available in 2, 5 and 10 oz pours; the 2 oz pours ranged from $2.75-3.50 plus tax. I enjoyed three of samples very much, especially the coffee one. Super friendly and helpful service. Some of the better I've had in the US. Definitely worth a look when in Grand Rapids.“ |
| 78 /100 428 BRIDGE ST NW “Right across the street from New Holland's Knickerbocker Pub, so very convenient. In a similar vein to many JP locations -- intimate and stylish, friendly service, lots of house taps. Small pours of everything, can be a bit pricey. If you've been to other JP locations (say, in Detroit), I'm not sure this one tops them, but if you're only in GR, it's worth a hit if you have time.“ |
| 86 /100 417 BRIDGE ST. NW “Massive, beautifully designed place over two floors and many seating areas, this is a must-visit when in Grand Rapids. Can be a bit tricky to find parking on weekend evenings, but it might be worth leaving the vehicle and ridesharing here given the other worthy places nearby. Over 20 beers on tap, with many heavy hitters (I counted at least 5 imperial stouts, a barley wine, and a couple sours). Flights and small pours available, and very reasonably priced. Beer quality is hit-or-miss, with many stand-outs. You cannot fault them for ambition. Attentive, friendly service. Mandatory visit when in Grand Rapids.“ |
| 86 /100 235 GRANDVILLE AVE SW “Centrally located across from Central Station and in the heart of Grand Rapids' pretty downtown, this place is humungous. Room for hundreds, and it was completely packed on a Friday evening. Seat yourself and servers will find you, though it may take a while when busy. Phenomenal taplist, with lots of interesting things, including taproom one-offs. Reasonably priced. A must-visit when in Grand Rapids or just western Michigan.“ |
| 66 /100 505 BALL AVE NE “Large place on a massive property, sort of corporate feeling. Sleek, almost sterile interior with lots of seating. Expansive cider list, with flights of 5 available priced per the cider. Cider quality ranged but was mostly unimpressive, with low complexity / depth. They have some high ratings on here, but I didn’t find anything that special. Reasonably priced and a chill place that I can recommend for everything but the cider quality.“ |
| 84 /100 925 CHERRY STREET SE “Tastefully designed exterior that is inviting when you walk up. Homey yet spacious interior with a charming character. Tons of house taps, including at least 4 very small batch beers and another 3-4 specialties (often barrel aged). Flights of 4 for $12++ (some beers have a $1 up-charge), which is a little spendy, but the quality is very good. Extremely friendly and attentive service. Mandatory visit when in Grand Rapids.“ |
| 94 /100 Mega-Bev Grand Rapids (Beer Store) 2770 29TH ST SE “Huge selection. Excellent service. Prices a bit higher than local competitors. Has deli section. Stuffed grape leaves delicious!“ |
| 82 /100 Beer City (Beer Store) 825 28TH ST SE “Huge walk-in beer cave. Very low prices.“ |
| 80 /100 740 MICHIGAN ST NE “About a mile from downtown, this 7 Monks feels a lot like the original in Traverse City. Some nice draft choices in a good setting, some less common internationals like always a kolsch from Cologne . Good beer stop, not crowded on summer Saturday night.“ |
| 90 /100 Rishi’s International Beverage (Beer Store) 3835 28TH STREET SE GRAND RAPIDS “Great staff, best selection of anything you want.
But most of all, the knowledge of the staff is unmatched. If you are looking for a style or just know what you don't like. They can help you find that old favorite or the new one you have never heard of or seen.“ |
| 68 /100 820 MONROE AVE NW #155 “Our fifth and final Grand Rapids-area stop, lunch on a Tuesday. The place has a pretty nice vibe to it. Service was fine, though a bit uncoordinated between a couple of servers. The beers were all pretty good, though none of them were really standouts. Food was also quite good, though the hot salsa was hot enough that I couldn't rate one of my beers, haha.“ |
| 90 /100 925 CHERRY STREET SE “Our fourth stop on the Grand Rapids-area trip, and the highlight of the trip. A pretty neat place, with the beer hall in the main hall of what looks like an old church (I gather from these reviews it's the chapel of an old funeral home). Service was very patient, attentive, and accommodating. Tried several beers, and a couple were just good, but most were in the very good to excellent range. Food was amazing--had some fries and the gnocchi. Just a top-notch place.“ |
| 84 /100 235 GRANDVILLE AVE SW “This place is huge. Tons of stuff to look at and tons of different areas to sit. We spent some time just checking out the various artifacts from the past and art from the ArtPrize beers. We picked the "Garden Bar" to sit. I want to give it a 5 for Ambiance, but I have to take a point off there and a couple on Overall due to the frequent breeze of cigarette smoke from outside the gate. Beer selection is amazing. Just so much on tap. There is one issue, though, which is that the various beers are scattered around the various bars, which means your server might have to travel around the entire place just to grab your beer order. I don't know what the solution is, but know that it's the price of the giant place and the giant selection. Didn't have any food, but the menu is similar to the Detroit location, so it must be pretty good.“ |
| 68 /100 1400 LAKE DRIVE SE “This was our first stop in Grand Rapids. A nice place, though not too memorable as far as ambiance goes. The beer was average to good, but the more exciting-sounding beer was out during our visit. The main thing to know: excellent food.“ |
| 88 /100 25 IONIA AVENUE SW “Saloon style restaurant with lots of wood paneling, subdued lighting and large booths arrangements. Good, solid beer selection, including many good regional beers.“ |
| 76 /100 235 GRANDVILLE AVE SW “Popped in midday w/ kids on a weekday. Huge taproom... like enormous. Had a few new ones in a sampler. Food was solid. Service was odd - nice, but no dedicated person to the table and lots of hovering - it was a lunch crowd, so may be different at night. Place itself is worth a visit.“ |
| 84 /100 820 MONROE AVE NW #155 “Very nice venue. Attractive interior. Great service. Knowledgeable staff. Good brews.“ |
| 92 /100 235 GRANDVILLE AVE SW “Nice, large, busy place with a nice and fluid feel between the different rooms. A huge selection available on draft, with plenty of BA stuff I hadn’t seen before. The store has a limited selection available to go, mostly the year round stuff but a few specials.“ |
| 78 /100 235 GRANDVILLE AVE SW “Huge space with enough room to get a table almost all the time besides some release events. They usually have 10-20 beers on tap including some one-offs that are only made for release on tap at the brewery. Service can be slow if it is crowded and you have to pick up the food yourself at the front counter.“ |
| 76 /100 740 MICHIGAN ST NE “A large modern feeling bar with a few TVs and a large bar for seating. Service was quick and the bartenders knew the beer pretty well. They had 45ish beers on tap and the focus was mainly local and samplers were available. I only tried the cheese curds on my visit and they were nothing to write home about. Prices seemed a touch steep to in line. A cool new spot to an already strong beer scene.“ |
| 90 /100 235 GRANDVILLE AVE SW “It's Founders. Of course you should go. It's not like the coolest taproom or anything, but it has lots of Founders beers, so why wouldn't you go?“ |
| 86 /100 25 IONIA AVENUE SW “Okay, so I'm giving this one a 100% for ambiance because, not only is it one hip spot, but also we saw a bouncer kick someone out as soon as we walked in, and that interaction might have been the funniest thing I have seen in my 33+ years! Anyway, heck of a tap list, and the food was very good!“ |
| 88 /100 925 CHERRY STREET SE “An old funeral home with a chapel... nice! I met many very nice people here. All of the bartenders, servers, clerks, everyone! Very cool! The beers were pretty damn good as well!“ |
| 60 /100 401 STOCKING AVE NW “I like the look of the place, and they had quite a large beer selection. We hung out upstairs and had a couple of pints. The beers were pretty good. I didn't find anything that blew me away, but I found them to be unique and interesting, so points for that.“ |
| 72 /100 527 LEONARD ST NW “Okay, so I have to disclaim because this place was absolutely packed when we went here, and it was late, and we are out-of-towners, big time, in Michigan... The place is very hip. The fire station thing, I like it. The food smelled amazing and I wish I had had some. The beers my friends and I ordered were all quite delicious! Worth another visit for sure!“ |
| 64 /100 1727 ALPINE AVE NW “A nice little joint. The bartenders were cool and helpful. The beer was tasting good.“ |
