I'm a big fan of Bell's beer as it's brewery is based in Michigan. ( very close the Kazoo) On a recent golf trip with 7 other guys, we made our way to this Bells establishment after a round of golf. We were able to get a table for 8 as the limit on a maximum of 6 to a table ban was recently lifted. The hostess and our waitress ( Laura) were very nice and accommodating. The number of top-notch beers available was impressive. Several IPA's, lager's, summer ales and stouts to choose from. Again, Bell's beer has won numerous awards nationally so you can't go wrong if your a beer lover. On the evening we were there, they ran out of two of the entree's not only I was most interested in (Pork taco's and fish & chips) but 3 other guys in our group. When Laura came back to the table to ask what our second / third choice's were, we settled on the fried chicken sandwich. Sure enough, Laura announced that they ran out of chicken so one of us had to order something else. I rate the beer 5 stars while I rate the kitchen / food 2-3 stars. If they don't run out of food, I think you'll enjoy your lunch or dinner here. read more

Bell's Eccentric Cafe - Music Venues Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

Beers are great. Food is good. Brewery and patio are always laidback and accommodating. Make sure you check the live music schedule as it can get loud during shows, so simply know what kind of vibe you'll be entering. Ww will absolutely return. read more

Great brewery! This place has friendly staff; it is clean; has lots of good beer to choose from; and is big, so waiting is minimal. I've been here a few times- never eaten here, although I would not hesitate - the menu looks great. The atmosphere here is great. I've never felt rushed. They are also taking great precautions with regards to safety. They are one of the few places still having their staff mask up and providing ample sanitizers at the tables. (Covid is still around and I appreciate the good measures.) All and all- a great spot and a solid choice, especially if you have a bit larger party- they probably can accommodate. (I think a few of their beers are a teensy bit pricy, but if you can swing it, they are delish.) read more

I am NOT a beer drinker. But I love coming here for the beer garden and the atmosphere. You can't go wrong at bells!

The food and drinks were good. It was nice to have an outside seating option. It's one of those places where you place your order at the bar, so you're carrying your own beer back to your table. read more

Enjoyed our first visit! Becky was a great server & makes our visit relaxing 8 enjoyable.. loved the deviled eggs with smoked salt... enjoyed the wings and helped a great cause. I got a side of fries and had some of their homemade ranch. The fresh dill made it so tasty. I enjoyed the cider & my my husband got the Old fashion bourbon barrel aged ale & it was really good he said. I loved my cider tart but not to dry and very flavorful. Looking forward to coming back are trying something new. read more

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The food was delicious! We ordered the wings, the smash burger, and the Italian sandwich. Only thing that could have been better was the pasta salad- it was a bit bland for our taste. The general store is a cute stop and had a great selection of beers. Merchandise was well priced. We'll definitely be back next time we are coming through town! read more

Michigan has a few breweries but with only a week here, it was difficult to choose which one to go to. We certainly wanted to try Bell's as they are one of the biggest so off we made the trek from South Haven to Kalamazoo for some Bell's. Their COVID protocols are set-up well. You are first greeted by someone for a contactless ID check to ensure one is 21 or over, then they tell you to stand where the designated social distanced spots are until you are called to the bar for that one-time only indoor ordering. Then you will proceed to the outdoor garden where you may order more drinks, some munchies if you're hungry, and find a seat/table. The beer garden is huge with 2 bar spots to order from. The staff are pretty well-trained with the process and are efficient with moving people through the ordering and order pick up process. It was quite nice! Once a party exits, someone from their staff comes to immediately sanitize the tables and chairs for new clients. Watching all these happen made me feel confident about being out during these trying times. Anyway, we tried some beer. My knowledge in beer-o-logy is quite limited so I went with my husband's recommendation of some raspberry one. I enjoyed it and we stayed for another after we finished our food. We ordered a single smash burger with all the toppings, fries on the side, and some deviled eggs. I think there was some sort of a curry powder with the deviled eggs. My husband was not a fan but I was semi okay with it. It was definitely slightly overwhelming but not a complete deal breaker for me. The burgers were fantastic though and I ate almost the entire thing! Overall, the experience was excellent and if ever in Michigan again and not too far from Kalamazoo, I would say this place is a stop worth-making. read more

Food was good. Service was slow. Staff was very nice. But they have a new set up and seemed very confused. They were part of the Kalamazoo Craft Brew passport but said they ran out of swag? How is that possible when they have a swag store next-door? Overall it's just OK. We will give it another try once they get their new system down. We have heard plenty of good things, it must be better... read more

Bell's Eccentric Cafe - The loft. - Music Venues Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

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Great charcuterie board!! We loved the food and always love the vibe and the beer at Bell's !

We stopped here while driving home from Detroit to try some of their beers. We didn't get food but it seemed like a lot of people were there for food and drinks. After trying a bunch of their beers we thought they were good average beers but there wasn't much that was special or unique. For us I think this place is more like 3 stars but for the mainstream it's probably a 4. We are very into trying different breweries, so the average person might enjoy this place more than we did. We also went to their store after our drinks and I was happy to see a T-shirt that was in support of diversity. read more

Black Bean Burgers it's the best I've ever had so far so good for me so I just need to know what you think about it read more

Bell's Eccentric Cafe - Music Venues Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

Very aesthetic and cool outdoor space and indoors as well. The beer garden allows ample sunlight and a nice hang out spot for an after work beer or a date night. The tap list is always rotating and the food is for the most part delectable. Four stars because the sandwich we ordered (the tofu sandwich) left something to be desired with a hint of a mold taste. However, the fries with the Bells seasoning made up for the main and the beautiful night topped it off for an overall nice experience! read more

Stopped at Bell's while in town. The space itself if very funky and spacious. There's plenty of parking available as well. We ordered 2 rounds of beer (both IPAs) and the nachos. The food itself, in my opinion, was quite "eccentric". I'm a relatively simple eater, so not much on the menu appealed to me. But they had a huge draft selection. I'd recommend just for the experience. Check out the general store too! read more

Bell's Eccentric Cafe - Music Venues Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

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Disclosure: This review is in regards to Bell's as an entertainment venue. I have gone to events/concerts at Bell's several times over the last 3-4 years and I have to admit, I have yet to have less than a great time! I love Bell's - The Backroom as a venue. It's got great sound and ambiance. It's just big enough to not feel squished when it's crowded but small enough so that nearly every spot feels like a "VIP" seat. I especially love the balcony area upstairs with table seating. Also love that Bell's supports local talent! Pros - easy access, good parking, professional friendly staff, decent ticket prices (mostly), clean bathrooms, great beer selection, you can order food also. Cons - could use a few more tables as opposed to standing room, bar could be more efficient, sometimes the bartenders seemed a bit bewildered, put more thought into the "vendor" area instead of just a table near a wall. Other than those minor gripes, The Backroom is a great spot to catch your favorite local band, or the twilight tour of your faves from the 90s. I doubt you'll be disappointed! Pro Tip: Get there early if you want a table, they go quickly! read more

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I booked a lunch meeting so I had a reason to visit and when we arrived (11:30am) it was slow and we just found our own seat. When I tried to go in the dining area I was "politely" asked to find a seat in the bar. The feel of the Brewery was well though out. The license plates on the wall of the bathroom hall to the furniture were all well conceived and made Bells feel like a national brand. I had the Shrimp and Grits special and my guest had the Spicy Burger. As a disclaimer, whenever a place has shrimp and grits I order it. Usually with restaurants up north it's an attempt at authentic or a play on the classic shrimp and grits; This was a play on the classic. I asked if the grits were creamy and the server said they were in pieces. I assumed pre-done grit cake but I was good with that knowing how bad house grits can be when they are on the special board. The dish was definitely a contemporary take with five or six tail on shrimp, a non spicy cream sauce and some type of tomato chutney on top of the grit cake. My biggest problem was the shrimp being overcooked. It appeared they were going for the Blackened shrimp concept but there were no Cajun seasonings on the shrimp so it was a big misfire. The dish also came paired with the CBCBCB, a hoppy pale ale. It was good but the pairing was lost to me. As far as the Spicy Burger... he loved it. Having critiqued the Shrimp and Grits, the food was still good. Other then waiting to be greeted for awhile when we got there, the experience was great and I would definitely go back when I can try a few more beers and some of the dishes off the menu. read more

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Good food and sandwiches I attended a comedy night with my husband there, it was fun event. Employees are friendly and smiling. The best thing that they have some non-alcoholic beverages choices. My suggestion is that i Hope they add some Mocktails soon. read more

Great beer choices. Unique atmosphere with how they kept the old building feel but have a flash of modern tied into it. Food is good - not necessarily the best but you'll enjoy whatever you order. read more

I love Bell's and the food is mostly decent but I gotta say...the pierogi plate is a slur on the Polska. Cheap greasy sausage unworthy of the name kielbasa and the worst pierogies this side of Hamtramack. They came with with a polish name but no matter what they call them they are still filled with stale smashed potatoes. People in western Michigan have long degraded Polish food which should be a part of our culinary heritage here. C'mon Bells, what's next, a beer that tastes like Fosters? read more

Food and beer were awesome and Becky was an awesome server. The popcorn, the smoked chicken wings and drums, the smash burgers were beyond amazing. read more

Bell's Eccentric Cafe - Beer flight - Music Venues Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

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!! This is one of my favorite breweries in Kalamazoo and possibly all of Michigan! The bells Oberon will get you in, but the two hearted ale will keep you coming back for more! The food here is eccentric the people are a collective you are guaranteed to have a fun time checking out the small café and grill. The servers are fast and friendly and will allow you to taste a small sample of the beer if you aren't sure. I recommend taking the servers advice... They seem to know what is up with the beer! Sign up to take a tour and see the whole place learn how to make beer yourself. read more

Good food and beverages! I had some barbecue tacos and got to sample onion rings from a table mate. Both were delicious, the rings were crisp hot and tasty, the tacos had a lovely sweet heat. I will be back for more! read more

Very cool place to hang & drink some of their great beers or to have some decent chow! I've had their beers for years & was in K Zoo for business so decided to check out the cafe. Wish I had time for a brewery tour too but no such luck. The cafe has a cool vibe to it. The service was great, a very nice lady from AZ was our server & she did great taking care of 12 of us. The food was good but the beer is the star. If you're in the area you HAVE to check it out. read more

Sad to say I wasn't really feeling this one as much as I'd hoped. Service was painfully slow which kind of dampened the entire experience for us. But if you can look past that or get someone that much more attentive, I'm sure it's a great place to have a beer or two and grab a bite. The first thing you'll notice upon entering is all the decor and objects lining the walls which really gives it that eccentric feeling. I thought it was cool to see all those Michigan license plates near the restroom. In addition, there's also a large outdoor patio area to enjoy, but during our visit there was some sort of reception taking place there so it was off limits. Anyways for food, we shared the deviled eggs w/ smoked sea salt, chive, & greens and the mushroom & swiss burger w/ bacon confit mushrooms & black pepper mayo. Burger was pretty good, but definitely could've lived without those deviled eggs. Their website has a Tap Cam you can check to see what they have on tap before visiting which is pretty cool. I'm sure this would've been a much more pleasant experience if the service wasn't so slow. Not much else I got on this one. 'Til next time, cheers! 274/365 read more

Our party of 12 started with5Amy as our waitress. Our drink orders were promptly taken. When drinks started arriving, Amy was ending her shift and introduced us to her replacement, Billy. He did a great job with our large group. The kitchen got our orders done quickly and accurately. Billy and kept checking on us and the food was really good. Great service and food. Hoping to come back next year while attending the Living History Show at the Kalamazoo Expo Center. read more

I love the outdoor concert venue. it's a very cool place with a lot to offer, their ordering and sectioning of the restaurant is skewed but, can't win 'em all! read more

Loved Bells. Dropped in for a few pints before our tour. Huge selection of their brews on tap. Of course my hophead gal had the two hearted. I had the same only off the cask, which if you're not drinking I highly recommend you give it a go. Cask beers are served a bit warmer and it really seems to bring out the delicious hoppy flavor of their flagship brew. I grabbed the brown ale for our tour, double cream stout for the lady. The beers are great, the prices are fantastic. I got a twenty ounce pour of the brown ale and it was something like five bucks! read more

Drinks are great but I find the food to be fine but not amazing. The atmosphere is amazing and we love being outside in the summer

Great place to hang out for some brews and/or a bite to eat. Well-known brews and great ambiance!

They have been doing an outstanding job with COVID restrictions and safety. Have always felt safe ether outside or inside. Ps- Thanks for the extra early Oberon release read more

Bell's Eccentric Cafe - Music Venues Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

"Meh. I've experienced better." Yep, and I've experienced that better FROM Bell's in the past, but this last time? Bad. My first time here was yearsssss ago when a friend wanted to come see Deals Gone Bad play. We made the trip from Chicago, had a blast, enjoyed some beers and snacks and discovered that Michigan hospitality I've grown to love. Second time, the dude and I stopped here as a detour to Grand Rapids. We HAD to check into our Airbnb, or we would have stayed much longer than we did. Again, enjoyed some beers (because they had a pretty extensive menu of taproom exclusives) while we sat on their patio and chatted with others who were, coincidentally, headed to Grand Rapids as well. Last month, our friends planned a vacation that included a stop in Kalamazoo. We were planning to brewery hop, knowing one of our friends is obsessed with Bell's and absolutely couldn't wait to stop here. It had been a few years, so honestly, we were looking forward to it, too. Well, they were our final stop of the day and easily the biggest disappointment. Walked in, hostess was awesome and we were seated right away, and then, it all went downhill. Our first server took a beer order, walked away and never came back (and never got that beer). Our second server seemed to hate being asked anything and kept walking away mid-question. The girl who brought out our flights was very friendly and helpful, but then came our server and again, asking for anything (another menu, because sharing one between 4 people was slowing us down, some silverware, some water and so on) felt like a chore. I really felt like we were bothering him, and forget asking a question about a beer. The upside? The food was really, really good, even if they could have used more flavoring. Their jerk wings weren't spicy whatsoever and the buffalo was questionable if it even had flavoring on it, but they were still good and we debated ordering more. The four of us split some poutine, which hit the spot and I ordered a small caesar salad and would happily order both of those again. I also convinced the table that we needed onion rings and they were some of the best I've had. Light and airy, yet had a perfect crunch to them and didn't feel like I was biting into a way too oily breading. Definitely recommend these! However, we didn't come here for the food. The beer list was super disappointing. Sure, we're close enough we get a lot of Bell's, but considering they used to have a lot of taproom exclusives, we were looking forward to trying beers we don't normally get. On our way out, we found out it was too late to fill a growler, so I picked up a 6 pack for the hotel. The guys behind the bar were friendly, and it just felt like we had a totally different experience sitting down than we would have had we sat in the front area. Bell's usually has some really great reps at events, but service at the brewery was meh. Add to this the disappointing beer selection and I'm not sure if we'll bother coming back next time we're in Kalamazoo. read more

Bell's Eccentric Cafe - Caesar salad (half) - Music Venues Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

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3/5/22 - walked in at 7:53pm. Immediately told as we walked in by a young female "just so you know we close in 5 minutes." Not sure how to take it, but her tone was not pleasant at all. I made the comment to my party "okay hurry and get your stuff" and someone from behind the desk said "pretty much". Didn't buy anything and neither did any of my friends. Been a frequent customer who loves bribing out of town friends here. Disappointed. read more

This is one of our favorite spots to stop while traveling along 94. The food is great, the beer is great, and they also have a nice kids menu for those who need it . The beer is always outstanding and we love their to go store. Worth the stop if in the area . read more

Went here on a random Tuesday JUST for the beer. The server was INCREDIBLY nice and honest. Out of the beers I tried, I surprisingly liked one with some hops in it. I'm a stout girl, so I JUST knew the hoppy beers would be to me. Not so! There was a smoky one that did in fact taste like a camp fire. No bueno. But, they had a good variety and I'm never mad at that! The food was good. Nothing amazing, but good. I'll go back just to get some of the beers that aren't distributed outside of Michigan. read more

Many Many Options and all are AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS! All kinds of Bells beer on tap, the menu is huge and the atmosphere is wonderfully cozy - probably one of the best iSpy restaurants I've seen. Service is delightful too! Best tip about this place: they often have small batches that were released on draft here! read more

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Stopped here before our flight. The big surprise is how good their food is. And Emily is the best. read more

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This place is pretty darn solid, and having driven from Metro Detroit, I am thrilled I had a chance to eat here. Granted, I'm not a huge beer drinker, but the food and menu was well worth it. I ended up meeting up with a friend here, and didn't realize what a cool place this is. Bells really hit the spot. The place is huge, with ample room to move around and a beautiful garden in the front. Plenty of bike parking along with tables to sit at in the Hostess area if it was busy or you were waiting for a friend. We got seated and our server quickly brought us our menus. I was torn at what to eat as there were a few items that caught my eye on the menu. I ended up going with a Bell's Burger and my friend got a Turkey wrap. Neither one of us got beer, but we were quite tempted! Both of us were really digging the food and we both were happy with our meals. I will say this. Even though our server was wonderful, after his initial visit and order taking, he really didn't bother to come back and check on us. I ran out of water and my friend had wanted to try a sample beer, and we then realized he hadn't been back in some time. Finally, we saw him at a server station and I had to run over and grab him to swing by our table. No, I don't need him at my table every five minutes, but at least swing by more then once to see how we're doing. Fortunately, we were having to much fun hanging out to notice until we needed more stuff. Anyways, I also noticed that they validate parking. It seems Bell's has a few very nice parking lots available (since parking in this part of Kalamazoo is tight) and they are on either side of the brewery. Also, they seem to have an outdoor seating area which is cool, but I passed on since the weather was humid and I was sweating like a pig. lol I really enjoyed my time here as did my friend, and I would gladly come back. Even though the server forgot about us temporarily, I would return on every other account. It seems to be kid friendly, has a relaxed environment and the food is as worthy as the beer. Plus, don't forget to check out their really cool shop and pick up a few things on the way out. Thank you Bells, you are awesome!! read more

Stopped in for a few beers and to check the place out. Pretty cool spot in the middle of Kalamazoo. In fact, probably the nicest part of an otherwise abandoned city. The surrounding area is pretty rough... That said, we got there around 2 on a Saturday. The place was jammed packed with people. We waited in line for 20 minutes to get a beer. They have a huge selection of beers, all of the well knowns, and some seasonal brews that you dont see at most liquor stores. They have a huge outdoor patio. A few scattered bar top tables inside and a loft area with some sitdown spots. Its open seating, so you are at the mercy of the crowd. There is no table service, so you have to go to the bar to order drinks/food. All of the beers we sampled were great! We ordered a few appetizers, the nachos were pretty good, but nothing spectacular. The onion rings were awesome! Hard to find a good onion ring these days, but these guys got it perfectly! I hate to give a 3 star review, but this place would be a 4.5 spot if they had servers. When you have a big group, which it seemed to be mostly groups in attendance, its a pain for 1/2 your group to have to wait in line 20 minutes every time you want a drink. Theres a 2 drink per person per trip rule, so no grabbing drinks for the table...they seemed to have enough staff there to serve the tables, but maybe they have their reasons... Overall fun place to visit, they also have a live music venue on site, which seemed to be set up for a pretty good show. Will visit again, maybe catch a band next time! read more

Bell's Eccentric Cafe - Great selection of beers. Something for everyone! - Music Venues Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

Larry Bell sold his brewing company. The major change I see is all of his original artwork is missing from the restaurant. The food is still awesome. read more

Mmmmm! First time at Bells and it was great! The service was wonderful and the people were kind. The food was very tasty! I eSpecially loved the Michigan cherry burger with Brie! Yumm! The beer bread with honey butter is also a great appetizer to start. They just released Hopslam so the hubs got one of those! The parking was a little challenging to find because it's off of a one way street but we found it! They also had some cool outdoor igloos which looked like a fun ambiance to have a drink and app in! We will definitely be back and bring our friends and family! read more

Bell's Eccentric Cafe - The spicy burger and hand cut fries with a Hopslam! - Music Venues Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan