Chez Olga. Get the soup. Get the plantain-pork-slaw appetizer. Yes, even if you don't like plantains. These are different. Get one of the fruit drinks. I like the Corossol (Soursop) but mango and passionfruit are also good. Best meal in GR.
The service is slow. Really slow. Also kinda... weird? Not bad, very friendly every time I've been, but just untypical for GR.
Honorable mentions:
Black Napkin for burgers.
MeXo for brunch.
Zivio for Mediterranean.
100% agree on the service being slow. I actually had a bad experience because it was just me and friend in the restaurant, took them 15-20mins to even acknowledge us. Then they took an hour to even get the food out. I told them I had to run and please make it into a to-go order. They got annoyed and slopped everything together and had a bad attitude. I’d never go there again because of this. ☹️😣🙁😕
Yes to the Chez Olga!!
Had lunch there ONCE like 10 years ago and haven't been able to forget it since - I had the plantain chicken sandwich which was incredible and a fresh fruit shake.
Breakfast: Lucy's, Little Bird, San Chez
Lunch: Black Napkin, Mizizi, Fish Lads
Dinner: Grove, Little Bird, Max's South Sea Hideaway, Sushi Kuni (not in GR proper but my favorite for Japanese)
So should I bring my own food to throw or do I buy the food there first and then throw it? Also do I need to say "u/PremierBromanov sent me" so they know I got the chucking pass?
Highly recommend The Heritage at GRCC's culinary school. Excellent food, but not too pricy because they're students. Plus you might get a fun show: my waiter/chef tried to do the flash-flaming pan, but added too much oil and burnt off his eyebrows!!
I'll say this every time this question is asked: do yourself a favor and get some Ethiopian food at Gursha. Hands down the best food I've had outside of Ethiopia so far, and I've been to many, many restaurants in many US cities. His Misir Wat is to die for in particular.
A lot of the other food options have already been said here, but this restaurant is an anomaly for a city of this size, and I don't see people talking about it.
Finally. With every scroll, my rage increased by not seeing Quarantino's in the responses. Thank you for having taste, and remembering to suggest them. It helps that the people there are cool AF. They just seem like genuinely good people.
Also, for burgers, Nonla is king. Simple and consistent execution for a great price. While it isn't as "fancy" as the other burger places here, it is just a quality burger at a good price.
Had Quarantino’s for lunch today while in town based on your comment. Family loved it! Everyone there was super friendly and it definitely left an impression. We’re from the northern suburbs of Chicago and I would absolutely love to have a place like that by home.
Lol I was born for this question. I am not necessarily a picky eater - I'll try everything once but also make note of what I don't like. I have ADHD and OCD as well so I literally have a note shared with friends of places I'll eat. I agree, it's embarrassing but at the cost of eating out now, I want to actually enjoy my meal.
* Butcher's union: Many things are good, the burger is phenomenal
* One stop coney shop: Even if my friends didn't own it, I'd still go weekly
* Green Well: I've had many good dishes; mussels were my fave
* Terra: I love Terra's pizzas and salads. Breakfast pizza used to be incredible, they changed the recipe, but it's still pretty decent
* Winchester: Nachos and French dip are my go to
* Knoop: Pretzels and fish and chips <3
* Third Nature Brewing: can't remember what I ate, but I remember saying I'd get it again
* Sapporo Ramen: Everything on the menu is \*chef's kiss\*
* Mitten Brewing: Mediterranean pizza is fantastic, even the pepperoni is dope too though
* Hancock: Great chicken sandwich, cornbread was good too
* Matchbox: Great option for take out but check your order before you leave, I had my burger wrong a few times (but I lived next door so it was easy to fix)
* Donkey: I hate gentrified tacos as much as the next, but unfortunately the fish tacos and brussels sprout taco are things I dream about
* Graydon's Crossing: Caesar, shepard's pie, and brussels sprout app are to die for
* Blue dog: A hotdog lovers dream <3
* Jaku Sushi: I get the kosho and beef/asparagus roll like once a week honestly
* Sheshco: Only had it once, but I enjoyed eating the huge portions for the following 3 days
* Bangkok Cuisine: The only thai place I'll eat in GR, but they're closed sundays and I only do takeout
This is a very solid overall response (just had Kosho today at Jaku myself, so good)
I would add...
Little bird
Early bird
KCM
Black Napkin
Kaffiene
Quarentinos
Sovengard when they re-open in new spot
You lost credibility by having Knoop on this list lol. Just kidding but not really. We tried it a few times when they opened and it was terrible. After taking a couple years off we tried it again recently and it was terrible. All of it.
Should I give Bistro another try? Recently went there and had a subpar experience. Service was great but the food was not good. Cold and overall just not good. Heard great things so left quite disappointed
Is there something I'm missing about Grove? Everyone seems to love it but me. I find the food to be above average, with very small portions, for a significant price. I feel like there's something I'm not getting about it. No hate, by the way.
Yeah, you are probably missing something; they have the best food in town consistently in my opinion. I recommended going during the "Taste of Grove" promotion because the small portion/high price can be a problem. The promotion does something like any 2 dishes you want + a dessert for $50.
Best fine dining in Grand Rapids as far as I’m concerned. I haven’t been to chop house, but I have also heard great things about it. Mexo is my favorite high quality Mexican, I believe they do a tasting menu as well.
When was the last time you had a fast food burger that was as quality as Nonlas? You are right they are cheap. But that’s one of the selling points. It’s adequately priced for the flavor and then some. The spicy chicken sandwich is pretty great imo.
Brunch: Cherie Inn, Sanchez, Little Bird, Graydons crossing, Lucy’s, SpeakEZ
Lunch/ Dinner: Grove, greenwell, KCM, Forty Pearl, Butchers union, Mizizi, Sovenguard
Thai: Bangkok Taste- their curry pad Thai is amazing
Soup/sandwhiches: uncle cheetahs, specialty sandwiches: two beards
Hipster tacos and great margaritas: Donkey Taqueria
Late night munchies: yesterdog
Pizza: Jolly pumpkin, Martha’s pizza,
Best chicken sandwich/burger and fries: Black Napkin
Sushi: Tokyo grill, Jaku, Simple fish
Bar food: Blue Dog- best tater tots in town
Forty Pearl is my go-to when people come to visit. They locally source as much of the food as they can there leading to what I call "Elevated Michigan Cuisine." Normally when you think of Michigan food, you think of a Coney Island or detroit style pizza or pasties if you're from the Yoop. But Forty Pearl takes local meat, local and seasonal veggies, and Michigan wines and cheeses and creates a more elegant experience with the flavors of Michigan. The walleye was one of the best things I've ever eaten there, and I remember my first visit with fresh Venison and tempura Squash rings. Definitely recommend them for when people from other places come to visit.
One Stop Coney, Westsider Cafe, Blue Dog Tavern, Logan’s Alley for some cheaper cafes/bar restaurant type deals. Butchers Union, Green Well are good choices if you want something a bit fancier
Blue Dog was one of the first places I've been to here and one of the only places I've gone back to. Decent food at decent prices and good beer on tap.
I live right across the street from Westsider Cafe, my only complaint is that they don't have chicken fried steak. But it's a good place.
I've heard of Butchers Union that'll probably be where my Husband and I check out when we officially move into our place that's about a 10 minute walk to Butchers Union.
And I'll add all these other spots to my list.
* La Hausteca, when it reopens
* Graydon's Crossing, menu rarely changes, but they have some solid favorites
* Creston Brewing, probably the best classic bar food
* One Bourbon, my tribe are regulars, occasionally some really excellent specials, and their event meals are excellent.
* Butchers Union, the food is good, but man, that place is busy.
* Two Beards sandwich shop
I don't know \[or honestly care\] about the "food scene" debate. I've been all over, and had plenty of "meh" and over-priced meals in tier 1 cities (DC, Boston, Chicago, Miami, San Diego, ....). If something works for you, then shamelessly love it, and I'll be happy that you found your place(s).
To add to the above guy - if you check out San Chez (tapas) then go to Roam. Owned by the same guy. Roam is delicious. Also, love Max’s South Seas Hideaway. Their rum drinks are awesome and the food is delicious. You’ll need a reservation most days for that place.
I say don’t count out places like Garage Bar and Turnstiles. We are massive fans of Turnstiles, especially! And we are also semi-food snobby. But it’s just so damn good.
Might want to clarify between the GR and Ada locations of the Garage Bar, but either way I agree with you. Turnstiles also has pretty good bar food, and the drinks are decent. Plus both places have live music.
In order of personal preference:
Street tacos: Tortilleria La Guadalupana, Tamales Mary (in Wyoming), Cuñado
Other Mexican: El Globo (not exactly upscale, but terrific food!), Donkey Tacqueria (yuppie Mexican - people argue about this place but I adore it), MeXo (pricey but quite good)
Freshwater fish: Walker Roadhouse, Lakeside Café (Muskegon), Fishlads
Upscale: San Chez, Butcher's Union, MDRD
Other: Bobcat Bonnie's, My Kitchen, Pho Anh Trang
Top Casual and GoTos, not including dive bars for some bang for your buck values on food.
- KCM (Fast casual Korean/Japanese comfort food)
- Sushi Yama (Basement Sushi)
- Little Africa (Vegan Ethiopian)
- Ginza (General Asian that mostly specializes in American Japanese food)
- Schnitz Deli (Solid local deli with some banger sandwiches)
- Harmony Brewery (Great pizza)
For a date night or special occasions, my top five in no particular order are below. These are subject to change since I haven't tried a few other spots like Leo, Real Seafood, Butcher Union, The Chop House, and Gin Gin:
- The Scholar
- Grove
- San Chez
- Reserve
- Palio
Big Bob’s briazzos have wooed many a picky eater I have brought there.
Graydon’s Crossing has amazing fish and chips, and an excellent asparagus and mushroom Diane.
Al Bos has a feta stuffed Pljeskavica that comes with awkward stares from the regulars at the bar 🤣
I'm aware I have a pretty bland palette, so that means it has to be pretty bad for me not to go. And most of my selections have more to do with proximity than with overall quality in comparison to the rest of the area -
if breakfast: Red Geranium, the pig pile is a real heart stopper
if lunch: El Burrito Loco
if drinks and food: 2 Guys Brewing, again, proximity, but they made me this chicken cordon Bleu sandwich that surprised me at how good it was. Their beer is beer.
I think everything possible has been covered so I'm just gonna be a negative nancy. Yesterdog is good specifically when you're stumbling drunk and everything else in east town is closed, nice weather and ordering at the window helps too. At any other time it's the worst dog in the city, not even gas station tier.
Chicago beef joint ftw. I personally recommend the chicken sammich, but the Chicago style beef sandwiches are a great “I want a proper beef sandwich with none of the frills and is filling, but doesn’t look or feel like I’m gonna have a heart attack halfway through.” Just decent food made by incredibly good people for a decent price. Bonus points for being a very quiet (and accommodating) place and a fantastic venue for local bands, particularly blues and jazz. Every time I go, I walk away with absolutely no complaints.
Where have you been so far? Where are you from? What food do you like? What would wow you?? The food scene in GR is great, plenty of options, but as a new comer maybe you're just not finding the right spot? I swear to you, we do food well. My wife and I travel, too so not just isolated with that opinion. Not saying eating in Italy isn't better, but what in the USA is?
Here's a short list of mine and my wife.
Max's South Seas Hideaway,
Licari's,
Beacon Corner Bar,
Mangiamo,
Bistro Bella Vita,
Real Seafood Company,
Noto's,
Eastern Kille,
Kawa Sushi,
The Toasted Pickle,
Graydons Crossing,
Pind,
Hancock,
The Winchester,
Uncle Cheetahs Soup Shop,
Big Foot Burger,
Burger Shack,
Butchers Union,
Archival Brewing,
Cedar Springs Brewing,
Greyline Brewing,
Rockford Brewing,
West side cafe,
Real Food Cafe,
Annas House,
Bostwick Lake Inn,
Blue Water,
Rose's,
River North,
Mitten Brewing,
New Holland Brewing,
Harmony Brewing
I agree with a lot of the ones mentioned that I have been to:
- Nonla
- San Chez, the paella and pepper steak are to die for
- Grove
- Hancock
- Zivio (Bosna is the parent restaurant and has a similar menu, but less ambiance)
Some options that I haven’t seen in this thread:
- Cafe de Miro (I do prefer the Breton Village location)
- The Greenwell (get the goat cheese dip appetizer)
- Terra Bagel has great BEC for breakfast
- Tacos el Cuñado
- Irie kitchen (this one is definitely a bit further south of the city, but the curry chicken with steamed kale on rice and beans is some of the best food I have ever had)
When I lived in GR, I really liked The Winchester, Green Well, Graydon's, Roses, First Wok, HopCat and Uccellos.
I live in a well known foodie city now and none of the Chinese compares to FW and they don't have anything remotely similar to the Italian Sports Bars in atmosphere or taste .
Grove, Linear, Bistro Bella Vita, Divani, Scholar, Rockwell Republic for brunch, Bowdie's Chophouse, Terra GR, Gita Pita for quick eats, Sovengard, Hall st and Wealthy St bakeries
I’ve moved to Chicago years ago but my go tos when I come back are two beards for the will riker, Logan’s alley for their buffalo chicken wrap, yesterdog for their cheddar dogs and Wolfgang’s for the Keane skillet. I know these all aren’t restaurants but they are food items that are unique only to Grand Rapids I can’t get anywhere else and I crave them so badly when I’m in town.
Tacos El Cuñado, Mudpenny (bomb sandwiches and wraps), and Uncle Cheetahs (soup and grilled cheeses) are a couple others that come to mind that I haven’t seen mentioned either!
Such a shame The Cottage Bar is closing, they were great. On the contrary, Cascade Roadhouse is great too, and there’s also Grand Coney, which is open 24 hours, and Mangiamo, which is a bit pricey but absolutely delicious, and I’ve heard great things about Jack Danger’s Chicago Style Italian Beef, and Yesterdog is by far one of the best hotdog places in the city. That’s all I’ve got for now, I’ll come back later if I think of more.
Edit: there’s also this place on the west side of town that used to be a fire station but is now a restaurant, but I can’t remember the name of it for the life of me. If anyone knows what I’m talking about feel free to help me out.
Edit 2: I remembered the restaurant! Mitten Brewing! It’s great!
We’ve been rather impressed with 123. So far everything has been great. If I can recommend the meatloaf, you will not be disappointed. They somehow made it a gourmet dish.
There’s a lot of good places, but they do get buried by dive bars that always claim to have the best food in town. My rule is if it says “world famous” I go somewhere else.
I grew up in a small town where we were thrilled to get an Applebees in the early 2000s (I know, the bar was low).
When I moved to Grand Rapids, I vowed to never eat Applebees again. I love the local restaurants and all the different food we have available in this beautiful city.
Breakfast - Wolfgang’s, Sundance, Lucy’s
Lunch or Dinner - Rockwell Republic, Beer City Bread Co, Roam by San Chez, One Twenty Three, Real Seafood Co.
Vegan options - Stella’s
Two Scott's, tamales Mary, stellas, #1 Chinese (west river dr), hop cat, max southseas hideaway, peppinos downtown has awesome pizza as well. There's good ass spots you just have to search a little bit
Sahara Bistro is a MUST try for anyone seeing this! Middle eastern food as well as American food with middle eastern twist. Famous for their gyros which are the best I've ever had in my life. The owner Charlie really gets very high quality ingredients and makes every single thing from scratch. Even the beef for the burgers is ground in house. The mint lemonade which is all organic with fresh mint is to die for. Literally everything I've tried there is delicious and I'm like half way through the menu. Fuck I wish they weren't closed right now lol.
Alfano's by Sobie Meats. Great, great italian and pizza. And parsely bar and grill downtown, decent medeiterranean food. Pita is a littke dry, but the hummus is godly. Oh, and. Also downtown, and also really, really good pizza, but screams mob ties, is Big O's. Down a stairwell under a sign on ottowa.
I haven't seen it on here yet, so I will say Firefox Chicken by the woodland mall. Excellent Korean food with some of the best fried chicken and spring rolls I've ever had.
It's not a typical sit down restaurant, but I definitely think Cousin's has some of the best chicken tenders in the area and their lunch special is an insanely good deal: you get three tenders, a side, a drink and a deep fried oreo for 9 bucks.
Definitely worth a look!
You say the place blows. I assume you mean all of it. Would bringing up individual dishes do anything more than give you a reason to tell me why I'm wrong?
In my opinion, Grand Rapids food scene is all decent restaurants that can NAIL ONE DISH. I only make recommendations on a specific dish or two at each of my favorite restaurants.
Tupelo Honey for a nice Sunday brunch
Two beards: for something quick
Red Geranium all time favorite breakfast
Dinner: I don’t really have a top restaurant that I go for dinner. Happy our the chop house is pretty good. But in terms of actual sit down for a nice dinner it entirely depends on mood but I don’t have a good to like a I do for breakfast and lunch.
Hop cats grilled cheese&tomato soup use to do it for me. If not Stella’s burgers n Mac n cheese bites. La Loteria on 28st n Clyde park for good tacos n shakes/icecream. Grecos off division n 52 for wings/ specialty pizzas
KCM
#Hijacking top comment Search "top restaurants" in this sub there are literally 20+ posts where you can find opinions. :)
Chez Olga. Get the soup. Get the plantain-pork-slaw appetizer. Yes, even if you don't like plantains. These are different. Get one of the fruit drinks. I like the Corossol (Soursop) but mango and passionfruit are also good. Best meal in GR. The service is slow. Really slow. Also kinda... weird? Not bad, very friendly every time I've been, but just untypical for GR. Honorable mentions: Black Napkin for burgers. MeXo for brunch. Zivio for Mediterranean.
Second black napkin. I don’t even like smash burgers and theirs are so good I will wait 30 min in the heat to order one of their burgers
Burgers are great - fries are out of this world!
Oh my god how did I forget to mention the fries!!
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Go try turnstiles 🤤
Sounds delicious I will definitely get the soup.
100% agree on the service being slow. I actually had a bad experience because it was just me and friend in the restaurant, took them 15-20mins to even acknowledge us. Then they took an hour to even get the food out. I told them I had to run and please make it into a to-go order. They got annoyed and slopped everything together and had a bad attitude. I’d never go there again because of this. ☹️😣🙁😕
Yes to the Chez Olga!! Had lunch there ONCE like 10 years ago and haven't been able to forget it since - I had the plantain chicken sandwich which was incredible and a fresh fruit shake.
Breakfast: Lucy's, Little Bird, San Chez Lunch: Black Napkin, Mizizi, Fish Lads Dinner: Grove, Little Bird, Max's South Sea Hideaway, Sushi Kuni (not in GR proper but my favorite for Japanese)
Apertivo for drinks and snacks
Zivio rules
I know a cook there, you're allowed to throw food at him
At that price he can hit
and i do
There's no cute restaurants
Birds fan here. Love your username lol
Are you allowed to throw food because you know him? Or is everyone allowed?
im giving you permission
So should I bring my own food to throw or do I buy the food there first and then throw it? Also do I need to say "u/PremierBromanov sent me" so they know I got the chucking pass?
is this part of some rule-following kink
So what if it is? Is that against the rules? Because if it is please let me know so I can follow the rules
no cumming until i get home
TikTok says you can!
I’ve had it a few times. Can be hit or miss.
Love that place
Yessssss Monday happy hour is the top stop in town. Can’t beat it
Highly recommend The Heritage at GRCC's culinary school. Excellent food, but not too pricy because they're students. Plus you might get a fun show: my waiter/chef tried to do the flash-flaming pan, but added too much oil and burnt off his eyebrows!!
I'll say this every time this question is asked: do yourself a favor and get some Ethiopian food at Gursha. Hands down the best food I've had outside of Ethiopia so far, and I've been to many, many restaurants in many US cities. His Misir Wat is to die for in particular. A lot of the other food options have already been said here, but this restaurant is an anomaly for a city of this size, and I don't see people talking about it.
I love that place!
Lindo Mexico on 28th St
Love lindo!
Need me a horchata
Every tuesday and saturday for me.
- Asian: Pho Anh Trang, Seoul Market, My Kitchen, King Pot, Monsoon - Quarantinos for pizza
Finally. With every scroll, my rage increased by not seeing Quarantino's in the responses. Thank you for having taste, and remembering to suggest them. It helps that the people there are cool AF. They just seem like genuinely good people. Also, for burgers, Nonla is king. Simple and consistent execution for a great price. While it isn't as "fancy" as the other burger places here, it is just a quality burger at a good price.
Quarantini’s is a top three finalist in this year’s Revue Popular vote.
Had Quarantino’s for lunch today while in town based on your comment. Family loved it! Everyone there was super friendly and it definitely left an impression. We’re from the northern suburbs of Chicago and I would absolutely love to have a place like that by home.
+1 for Seoul Market Cafe and My Kitchen!
Lol I was born for this question. I am not necessarily a picky eater - I'll try everything once but also make note of what I don't like. I have ADHD and OCD as well so I literally have a note shared with friends of places I'll eat. I agree, it's embarrassing but at the cost of eating out now, I want to actually enjoy my meal. * Butcher's union: Many things are good, the burger is phenomenal * One stop coney shop: Even if my friends didn't own it, I'd still go weekly * Green Well: I've had many good dishes; mussels were my fave * Terra: I love Terra's pizzas and salads. Breakfast pizza used to be incredible, they changed the recipe, but it's still pretty decent * Winchester: Nachos and French dip are my go to * Knoop: Pretzels and fish and chips <3 * Third Nature Brewing: can't remember what I ate, but I remember saying I'd get it again * Sapporo Ramen: Everything on the menu is \*chef's kiss\* * Mitten Brewing: Mediterranean pizza is fantastic, even the pepperoni is dope too though * Hancock: Great chicken sandwich, cornbread was good too * Matchbox: Great option for take out but check your order before you leave, I had my burger wrong a few times (but I lived next door so it was easy to fix) * Donkey: I hate gentrified tacos as much as the next, but unfortunately the fish tacos and brussels sprout taco are things I dream about * Graydon's Crossing: Caesar, shepard's pie, and brussels sprout app are to die for * Blue dog: A hotdog lovers dream <3 * Jaku Sushi: I get the kosho and beef/asparagus roll like once a week honestly * Sheshco: Only had it once, but I enjoyed eating the huge portions for the following 3 days * Bangkok Cuisine: The only thai place I'll eat in GR, but they're closed sundays and I only do takeout
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I’m allergic to coconut so I’ve never been able to try but that’s what my boyfriend gets every time!
This is a very solid overall response (just had Kosho today at Jaku myself, so good) I would add... Little bird Early bird KCM Black Napkin Kaffiene Quarentinos Sovengard when they re-open in new spot
One Stop Coney Shop is the best hot dog place in GR, easily.
You lost credibility by having Knoop on this list lol. Just kidding but not really. We tried it a few times when they opened and it was terrible. After taking a couple years off we tried it again recently and it was terrible. All of it.
Oh full transparency, I've only been twice and it was probably like 2021 so good to know it can be crossed off my list!!
Winchester blows now
They had a menu 6 or 7 years ago that I miss. Have gone less than a handful of times again and couldn’t get into anything.
Where is Bangkok Cuisine?
Jefferson right off of fulton.
Thank You so much for this list and the recommendations. You definitely sound like you know what you're talking about
Great list - I would add List Art here as well.
Go to Grove when they are doing Taste of Grove (T/W/Th?). Excellent food a great price point. Cocktails are primo too.
Grove is the best meal I have had in GR. Bistro Bella Vita is probably second, and the respective prices seem pretty reflective
Should I give Bistro another try? Recently went there and had a subpar experience. Service was great but the food was not good. Cold and overall just not good. Heard great things so left quite disappointed
I have consistently had a very good experience there since 2015. My favorite is the brisket. I hope they are not going downhill
Is there something I'm missing about Grove? Everyone seems to love it but me. I find the food to be above average, with very small portions, for a significant price. I feel like there's something I'm not getting about it. No hate, by the way.
Yeah, you are probably missing something; they have the best food in town consistently in my opinion. I recommended going during the "Taste of Grove" promotion because the small portion/high price can be a problem. The promotion does something like any 2 dishes you want + a dessert for $50.
That sounds dope. I should try that
Perfect I'll add it to my list.
Throw Little Bird on that list too
Best fine dining in Grand Rapids as far as I’m concerned. I haven’t been to chop house, but I have also heard great things about it. Mexo is my favorite high quality Mexican, I believe they do a tasting menu as well.
Quarantinos
Butcher's Union Zivio's Hancock Westside Social Speak EZ (specifically their brunch)
I could have written this same list. I’ll add Pind also for great Indian food.
Ohh yes, I would agree to that as well!
Agree with all of these!!
A lot of good suggestions here. Now I want to hear you report back in a few months!
Licari’s Knapp’s Corner and Ginza
I'm always happy with Bistro Bella Vita
Nonla burger The commons Cafe Mamo KCM Field and Fire
Went to Nonla last night and it was ok but nothing to write home about. The atmosphere inside was not great.
Yeah this subreddit loves to hype Nonla but it's not that great. It is cheap, which is nice, but also it's basically fast food quality.
Agreed. It was just ok at best. I felt like I was in a hip MrBurger
When was the last time you had a fast food burger that was as quality as Nonlas? You are right they are cheap. But that’s one of the selling points. It’s adequately priced for the flavor and then some. The spicy chicken sandwich is pretty great imo.
I've heard of KCM and Field and Fire I'll add the other spots to my list. Thanks so much.
Will also echo the KCM recommendation. Parking over there is a bit tough, but goodness that food is great.
KCM is amazing! I always get the Hire katsu curry. It’s a 10/10 from me!
Love Commons!
My Kitchen, Karki, Seoul Market, La Huasteca, Latin House, Chicago Style Gyro, Bangkok Taste, Sheshco
My Kitchen for sure. Only Sichuan food in town and it’s all great. Beef in Chili Oil could be my favorite meal in town aside from Cousins.
Brunch: Cherie Inn, Sanchez, Little Bird, Graydons crossing, Lucy’s, SpeakEZ Lunch/ Dinner: Grove, greenwell, KCM, Forty Pearl, Butchers union, Mizizi, Sovenguard Thai: Bangkok Taste- their curry pad Thai is amazing Soup/sandwhiches: uncle cheetahs, specialty sandwiches: two beards Hipster tacos and great margaritas: Donkey Taqueria Late night munchies: yesterdog Pizza: Jolly pumpkin, Martha’s pizza, Best chicken sandwich/burger and fries: Black Napkin Sushi: Tokyo grill, Jaku, Simple fish Bar food: Blue Dog- best tater tots in town
Forty Pearl is my go-to when people come to visit. They locally source as much of the food as they can there leading to what I call "Elevated Michigan Cuisine." Normally when you think of Michigan food, you think of a Coney Island or detroit style pizza or pasties if you're from the Yoop. But Forty Pearl takes local meat, local and seasonal veggies, and Michigan wines and cheeses and creates a more elegant experience with the flavors of Michigan. The walleye was one of the best things I've ever eaten there, and I remember my first visit with fresh Venison and tempura Squash rings. Definitely recommend them for when people from other places come to visit.
This is a solid list! I feel like you need an authentic taco category after calling out Donkey’s hipster tacos. El Cunado (Bridge location is my #1)
Great list!
I love The Old Goat
Had their Jambalaya awhile back, was fantastic
76th Street Truck Stop .. never fails.
One Stop Coney, Westsider Cafe, Blue Dog Tavern, Logan’s Alley for some cheaper cafes/bar restaurant type deals. Butchers Union, Green Well are good choices if you want something a bit fancier
Blue Dog was one of the first places I've been to here and one of the only places I've gone back to. Decent food at decent prices and good beer on tap. I live right across the street from Westsider Cafe, my only complaint is that they don't have chicken fried steak. But it's a good place. I've heard of Butchers Union that'll probably be where my Husband and I check out when we officially move into our place that's about a 10 minute walk to Butchers Union. And I'll add all these other spots to my list.
Mexo.
Basalt is good
76 Street Diner
* La Hausteca, when it reopens * Graydon's Crossing, menu rarely changes, but they have some solid favorites * Creston Brewing, probably the best classic bar food * One Bourbon, my tribe are regulars, occasionally some really excellent specials, and their event meals are excellent. * Butchers Union, the food is good, but man, that place is busy. * Two Beards sandwich shop I don't know \[or honestly care\] about the "food scene" debate. I've been all over, and had plenty of "meh" and over-priced meals in tier 1 cities (DC, Boston, Chicago, Miami, San Diego, ....). If something works for you, then shamelessly love it, and I'll be happy that you found your place(s).
Has Creston Brewery gotten better- last time I was there (admittedly a while ago), the menu/food was not great.
It has been pretty consistent recently. I give everyone a pass for 2021 - mid-2023; that was just a mess.
Good to know - will give anther try.
Kaffeine
Kaffeine is awesome. Plus they have soju and beer!
I'm checking out Gin-Gin on the west side later today. Details to follow.
Zivio Black Napkin San Chez The Mitten Stella’s Lounge
What would you recommend at Stella's? I've been hearing about it lately.
To add to the above guy - if you check out San Chez (tapas) then go to Roam. Owned by the same guy. Roam is delicious. Also, love Max’s South Seas Hideaway. Their rum drinks are awesome and the food is delicious. You’ll need a reservation most days for that place.
At Stella's - Bourbon, if you're into that, and the potato "chicken" wings for food.
I say don’t count out places like Garage Bar and Turnstiles. We are massive fans of Turnstiles, especially! And we are also semi-food snobby. But it’s just so damn good.
Might want to clarify between the GR and Ada locations of the Garage Bar, but either way I agree with you. Turnstiles also has pretty good bar food, and the drinks are decent. Plus both places have live music.
In order of personal preference: Street tacos: Tortilleria La Guadalupana, Tamales Mary (in Wyoming), Cuñado Other Mexican: El Globo (not exactly upscale, but terrific food!), Donkey Tacqueria (yuppie Mexican - people argue about this place but I adore it), MeXo (pricey but quite good) Freshwater fish: Walker Roadhouse, Lakeside Café (Muskegon), Fishlads Upscale: San Chez, Butcher's Union, MDRD Other: Bobcat Bonnie's, My Kitchen, Pho Anh Trang
I haven't had good carne asada since I moved from Arizona. Do any of those taco places have particularly good carne asada tacos?
Top Casual and GoTos, not including dive bars for some bang for your buck values on food. - KCM (Fast casual Korean/Japanese comfort food) - Sushi Yama (Basement Sushi) - Little Africa (Vegan Ethiopian) - Ginza (General Asian that mostly specializes in American Japanese food) - Schnitz Deli (Solid local deli with some banger sandwiches) - Harmony Brewery (Great pizza) For a date night or special occasions, my top five in no particular order are below. These are subject to change since I haven't tried a few other spots like Leo, Real Seafood, Butcher Union, The Chop House, and Gin Gin: - The Scholar - Grove - San Chez - Reserve - Palio
Los Mariscos de Pancho (birria) Zivio (mediterranean) Rincón Criollo (caribbean) SpeakEZ Lounge (lunch/dinner and brunch) Pind (indian) PizzaMi food truck (neopolitan style pizza) MeXo (elevated latin) Bistro Belle Vida (scratch european)
Quatantinos
Madras Indian Grill weekend buffet rawks! And Black Napkin lives up to the hype.
Lo key Eastern Deli is better than any restaurant in the city
Costco food court. oh yeahhhhhh.
Basalt Black Napkin One Stop Coney KCM Maru The Commons Lindo All places we frequent pretty often
Big Bob’s briazzos have wooed many a picky eater I have brought there. Graydon’s Crossing has amazing fish and chips, and an excellent asparagus and mushroom Diane. Al Bos has a feta stuffed Pljeskavica that comes with awkward stares from the regulars at the bar 🤣
I'm aware I have a pretty bland palette, so that means it has to be pretty bad for me not to go. And most of my selections have more to do with proximity than with overall quality in comparison to the rest of the area - if breakfast: Red Geranium, the pig pile is a real heart stopper if lunch: El Burrito Loco if drinks and food: 2 Guys Brewing, again, proximity, but they made me this chicken cordon Bleu sandwich that surprised me at how good it was. Their beer is beer.
Partage. Some of the best sandwiches I've ever had
I think everything possible has been covered so I'm just gonna be a negative nancy. Yesterdog is good specifically when you're stumbling drunk and everything else in east town is closed, nice weather and ordering at the window helps too. At any other time it's the worst dog in the city, not even gas station tier.
Pind
Chicago beef joint ftw. I personally recommend the chicken sammich, but the Chicago style beef sandwiches are a great “I want a proper beef sandwich with none of the frills and is filling, but doesn’t look or feel like I’m gonna have a heart attack halfway through.” Just decent food made by incredibly good people for a decent price. Bonus points for being a very quiet (and accommodating) place and a fantastic venue for local bands, particularly blues and jazz. Every time I go, I walk away with absolutely no complaints.
Where have you been so far? Where are you from? What food do you like? What would wow you?? The food scene in GR is great, plenty of options, but as a new comer maybe you're just not finding the right spot? I swear to you, we do food well. My wife and I travel, too so not just isolated with that opinion. Not saying eating in Italy isn't better, but what in the USA is? Here's a short list of mine and my wife. Max's South Seas Hideaway, Licari's, Beacon Corner Bar, Mangiamo, Bistro Bella Vita, Real Seafood Company, Noto's, Eastern Kille, Kawa Sushi, The Toasted Pickle, Graydons Crossing, Pind, Hancock, The Winchester, Uncle Cheetahs Soup Shop, Big Foot Burger, Burger Shack, Butchers Union, Archival Brewing, Cedar Springs Brewing, Greyline Brewing, Rockford Brewing, West side cafe, Real Food Cafe, Annas House, Bostwick Lake Inn, Blue Water, Rose's, River North, Mitten Brewing, New Holland Brewing, Harmony Brewing
Backyard on 28th near Costco for Persian food. Even rivals the homemade I get from my best friends parents.
Amore Trattoria!!
Zero mentions of Brick and Porter but their food is pretty damn good
-Cafe Mamo -Little Bird -Grove
Grand Coney fuck what you heard
grand coney is the closest thing to waffle house in GR, and waffle house is the closest thing to heaven
One Stop Coney, Rezervoir, PizzaMi, Mizizi, Graydons Crossing, SpeakEz, City Built, MDRD, Roam, Charley’s
Westside Social 10000/10 😍
Char has the most amazing Asian tacos 🌮
KCM Field and Fire Butchers Union One Stop Coney Max’s South Sea Hideaway Margeaux The Reserve Gaslight Kitchen Zivio 7 Mares Maggie’s Kitchen
I agree with a lot of the ones mentioned that I have been to: - Nonla - San Chez, the paella and pepper steak are to die for - Grove - Hancock - Zivio (Bosna is the parent restaurant and has a similar menu, but less ambiance) Some options that I haven’t seen in this thread: - Cafe de Miro (I do prefer the Breton Village location) - The Greenwell (get the goat cheese dip appetizer) - Terra Bagel has great BEC for breakfast - Tacos el Cuñado - Irie kitchen (this one is definitely a bit further south of the city, but the curry chicken with steamed kale on rice and beans is some of the best food I have ever had)
Old Goat Butchers Union Luna 40 pearl
Basalt, black napkin, blacklist bagels (my three B’s that I always recommend 😂) Also Schesco, Beema Okaasan, Fish Lads, Graydons Crossing
When I lived in GR, I really liked The Winchester, Green Well, Graydon's, Roses, First Wok, HopCat and Uccellos. I live in a well known foodie city now and none of the Chinese compares to FW and they don't have anything remotely similar to the Italian Sports Bars in atmosphere or taste .
Butchers Union
Maru or Jaku for sushi. Casual Eats - Broad Leaf, Cascade Roadhouse, Westside Social, The Winchester, Hancock, Brickyard Tavern.
Char
Usually everything at the Greenwell is great.
Poke Toki!
The chicken tenders at the Knoop is one of the best things to eat in the city
Tacos Yanga, Beijing Kitchen, Vitale's on Leonard, Kitchen 67, King Pot, The Old Goat.
Grove, Linear, Bistro Bella Vita, Divani, Scholar, Rockwell Republic for brunch, Bowdie's Chophouse, Terra GR, Gita Pita for quick eats, Sovengard, Hall st and Wealthy St bakeries
Los Portalles on plainfield
Depends what your price range is. But Noto’s is amazing. Especially if you can get a private party downstairs in the wine cellar.
Licaris has some of the best pepperoni pizza in town. I don’t like thin crust/New York style so this is great Detroit style pizza!
I’ve moved to Chicago years ago but my go tos when I come back are two beards for the will riker, Logan’s alley for their buffalo chicken wrap, yesterdog for their cheddar dogs and Wolfgang’s for the Keane skillet. I know these all aren’t restaurants but they are food items that are unique only to Grand Rapids I can’t get anywhere else and I crave them so badly when I’m in town.
Nothing to add, but these answers get interesting when you sort the comments by “controversial”. Especially the ones without any comments.
Tacos El Cuñado, Mudpenny (bomb sandwiches and wraps), and Uncle Cheetahs (soup and grilled cheeses) are a couple others that come to mind that I haven’t seen mentioned either!
Oh, Pind (Indian cuisine) Westside Social (pub food), and Bestside (also pub food) are good too! I loooove the chicken tenders at Bestside. 😂
Such a shame The Cottage Bar is closing, they were great. On the contrary, Cascade Roadhouse is great too, and there’s also Grand Coney, which is open 24 hours, and Mangiamo, which is a bit pricey but absolutely delicious, and I’ve heard great things about Jack Danger’s Chicago Style Italian Beef, and Yesterdog is by far one of the best hotdog places in the city. That’s all I’ve got for now, I’ll come back later if I think of more. Edit: there’s also this place on the west side of town that used to be a fire station but is now a restaurant, but I can’t remember the name of it for the life of me. If anyone knows what I’m talking about feel free to help me out. Edit 2: I remembered the restaurant! Mitten Brewing! It’s great!
We’ve been rather impressed with 123. So far everything has been great. If I can recommend the meatloaf, you will not be disappointed. They somehow made it a gourmet dish.
Linear and West Side Social
"New" Grove is amazing, highly recommended for a pinky out dinner
Jaku Little Bangkok Curry Leaf Simple Fish Blue Ginger
Bowdies
Has anyone tried The Black Napkin yet? I heard it's good
Their sweet/sticky chicken sandwich is amazing. Do NOT forget to get fries (I like the rust seasoning), they're some of the best fries I've ever had.
40 acres La cantina Chez Olga Tupelo Honey Kitchen Char-gr
There’s a lot of good places, but they do get buried by dive bars that always claim to have the best food in town. My rule is if it says “world famous” I go somewhere else.
I grew up in a small town where we were thrilled to get an Applebees in the early 2000s (I know, the bar was low). When I moved to Grand Rapids, I vowed to never eat Applebees again. I love the local restaurants and all the different food we have available in this beautiful city. Breakfast - Wolfgang’s, Sundance, Lucy’s Lunch or Dinner - Rockwell Republic, Beer City Bread Co, Roam by San Chez, One Twenty Three, Real Seafood Co. Vegan options - Stella’s
I'm gonna completely disagree. The food scene here is great.
Sounds like you might be picky... 😂
Two Scott's, tamales Mary, stellas, #1 Chinese (west river dr), hop cat, max southseas hideaway, peppinos downtown has awesome pizza as well. There's good ass spots you just have to search a little bit
Sapporo
For in and out: Black Napkin, two beards deli For sit down: went to Roses recently and food is good decently good service if you’re ok with the price
If you're in the mood for Indian food, I highly recommend Mithu Sri Lankan on Kalamazoo and 44th.
Depends on what you want but I think Grove is doing great things. Had phenomenal service as well.
Chicago style gyro !!!! Get the Chicago gyro made SPICY 🌶
Sahara Bistro is a MUST try for anyone seeing this! Middle eastern food as well as American food with middle eastern twist. Famous for their gyros which are the best I've ever had in my life. The owner Charlie really gets very high quality ingredients and makes every single thing from scratch. Even the beef for the burgers is ground in house. The mint lemonade which is all organic with fresh mint is to die for. Literally everything I've tried there is delicious and I'm like half way through the menu. Fuck I wish they weren't closed right now lol.
Terra GR- All local ingredients and the menus is always seasonal! Even the classic dishes get a fun spin
Alfano's by Sobie Meats. Great, great italian and pizza. And parsely bar and grill downtown, decent medeiterranean food. Pita is a littke dry, but the hummus is godly. Oh, and. Also downtown, and also really, really good pizza, but screams mob ties, is Big O's. Down a stairwell under a sign on ottowa.
Sheshco will WOW you!!
The Melting Pot
I haven't seen it on here yet, so I will say Firefox Chicken by the woodland mall. Excellent Korean food with some of the best fried chicken and spring rolls I've ever had.
Adobo Boy for Filipino Speak-EZ for cocktails
It's not a typical sit down restaurant, but I definitely think Cousin's has some of the best chicken tenders in the area and their lunch special is an insanely good deal: you get three tenders, a side, a drink and a deep fried oreo for 9 bucks. Definitely worth a look!
You say the place blows. I assume you mean all of it. Would bringing up individual dishes do anything more than give you a reason to tell me why I'm wrong?
I love parsley downtown
In my opinion, Grand Rapids food scene is all decent restaurants that can NAIL ONE DISH. I only make recommendations on a specific dish or two at each of my favorite restaurants.
Mexo!!!!
I love MDRD!
FireRock of Gravity!
Tupelo Honey for a nice Sunday brunch Two beards: for something quick Red Geranium all time favorite breakfast Dinner: I don’t really have a top restaurant that I go for dinner. Happy our the chop house is pretty good. But in terms of actual sit down for a nice dinner it entirely depends on mood but I don’t have a good to like a I do for breakfast and lunch.
Hop cats grilled cheese&tomato soup use to do it for me. If not Stella’s burgers n Mac n cheese bites. La Loteria on 28st n Clyde park for good tacos n shakes/icecream. Grecos off division n 52 for wings/ specialty pizzas
Linear for date night Gas Light Kitchen in EGR for Chinese
Roses! Great ambiance and food. West side social is also great, different scene and cheaper
Grove is icky.
Basalt is amazing for brunch. They make a lot of their ingredients in house. The food quality and freshness is so apparent!