One of my favorites. Always a great visit. I had the peach jalapeño Oberon!! Wow! So good but limited time and it is gone now:( I ate the Oberon brat and that was excellent. I brought home a strawberry lemonade shandy growler and their popcorn. Nothing ever disappoints me at Bells! read more

Quality of food was a disappointment. It's a brewery, so you expect the beer to be good and it is. Perhaps this is due to new kids in the kitchen post-covid, but their "smash" burger style patties are ridiculously small and wafer thin. There couldn't have been more than 1/8 lbs of meat left on this thing after the "chef" (more like Mike Tyson meets Gordon Ramsay as this guy beat any and all life out of this patty) was done with it - imagine a charred crispy beef wafer placed on DRY buns, with a silver dollar amount of "house spicy sauce" (aka supermarket bbq sauce mixed with Sriracha) placed in the center of it all. It took 4 large bites out of this burnt sandpaper concoction to finally reach any flavor profile and the sweet relief of something not Kalahari desert dry. Perhaps at this point, after a few eye watering bites of your burger, you look to your side dish for a much needed distraction and pick-me-up. In my case, it was the poutine with an egg on top. Pretty it looked, but true to form for this place, pretty it did not taste. the kitchen must have run out of salt for the day because never in my life have I had unsalted fries, let alone unsalted fatty, oily, poutine and eggs. You never really realize how much you miss salt until you attempt to eat oily, mucus like mushroom poutine with half raw fried egg oozing over every pore of those soggy fries - the entire experience as tasteless and unpleasant as when your drunk uncle brings up mom and dad's shotgun wedding to the whole family at thanksgiving. After a few bites, you can stand it no more and must excuse yourself from the table. And excuse myself from the table I did. Nice garden seating however. read more

Bell's Eccentric Cafe - You thought I was kidding in that review, didn't you - Music Venues Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

I was a little nervous at first because I was not a fan of the apps we ordered (poutine and deviled eggs). The main courses were great though. The brisket dip was awesome and the jalapeños gave the sandwich the perfect kick. My husband got the pierogis with sausage and he loved it. The fries are great too! The service on Sunday afternoon was great and we really enjoyed the ambience. The server was also very upfront with the automatic gratuity for our party of 8. Always appreciated. Would return. read more

Absolute worst service I've ever had. Non-existent table service very few tables inside that they will service everything else upstairs or outside you have to stand in line along with the general atmosphere, definitely not a place you want to visit if you have good old-fashioned American values read more

On a recent visit home, it dawned on me that I have never reviewed Bell's. WHAT? How is this even possible? Hometown favorite and you just can't go there without having a good time, great service and beer (but honestly, I've never eaten there but I've heard it is good). On a previous visit (January) they had Igloos set up outside for you to chill with friends and enjoy your beer... that was a BLAST! A must try. When I moved to Florida, I was soooo happy to learn that you can get the Beloved Oberon down here year around. It is a seasonal beer in Michigan and Kalamazoo has "Oberon Day" where people take the day off work (or the day after maybe). Its tradition. Right now, with COVID it is a little different, even more so than we are used to down here in Florida because Michigan has more tight rules than we do. So, everyone had to be outside which was fine because it was beautiful out for November in Michigan. They created a beer called Stupid Quadrupid... it is 15%! So if anyone is interested in one... I don't think Ben will getting through those anytime soon, just message me. read more

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We ate outside and I grabbed a flight. It was a walk-up style arrangement (no servers) where you place orders and then pick them up. All of the beers I tried were great. I got the pork tacos, which came with a sauce I drowned them in...all of which had great flavor and I would order them again. The beer cheese soup was also very good and everyone enjoyed the popcorn, which had some seasoning that gave it a lot of flavor. My kids had a burger and hot dog, which were devoured completely. My wife got the fish and chips, which didn't seem to excite or disappoint her. I would stop in again and try a hamburger next time. The only downside is they were out of a few menu items, but we still enjoyed what we had. Also, the entrance to the restaurant is on the side of the building, but there is another entrance to their shop up front (pay attention to where you park). read more

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

Well, it's Bell's so if you're looking at this you probably already are very familiar with the beer. If you're not, It's arguable some of the best beer in the world... not a typo... so climb out of the hole you've been living in and give it a shot. Two hearted or Oberon would be a good place to start. For those who know the beer and have made the pilgrimage to Kzoo to check out the home of Bell's - my favorite thing about Bell's is the beer garden, specifically going to a concert in the beer garden. Put it on your bucket list if you haven't done it. It's a very cool vibe that maxes out around 1000 people and is just everything. Now for the food - it's solid, worth making the trip for. Make sure to try their butter salt n pepper popcorn! read more

This cafe has the COVID protocols DOWN! I have never felt like such a smooth procedure with the restrictions. I wish you could make reservations though I know it depends on how long people take to eat to know the openings. All the dining (at least the day I went) was all outdoor. I had poutine and it was very yummy! You go up to a tent/bar area to order your food. I love that a lot of the supplies are compostable too. We all really enjoyed our food and had a great time. read more

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

DO NOT GO TO BELL'S FOR A CONCERT!!!! PERIOD!!!! 90% of the attendees ARE NOT THERE FIR THE SHOW. It's noN stop talking and conversing. Impossible to enjoy the show with the non stop conversing surrounding you.. The music is secondary like at a frat party. Save your money and go to a REAL VENUE where you can enjoy the music. read more

Went to Michigan for a weekend and had to stop at my fav brewery! The food was awesome though! I had some birria tacos and they did not disappoint. The place is really big and cozy and service was great! Definitely recommend for anyone going to Kzoo and having some beers, look no further for food as well! read more

Bell's Eccentric Cafe - Birria Bell's Beer-Ria Tacos - Music Venues Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

I have just returned from a trip to K-Zoo. My first stop for lunch? Bell's! It did not disappoint! My favorite seasonal "beverage" was not on tap. I spoke with the server about what was on tap, explaining my preferences. She brought samples of a couple for me to try. I selected a very tasty adult beverage to go with my poutine. My poutine was very good, but not quite what I remember from my prior trip. The amount of bacon on it was less, and there were not as many pieces of cheese curds. It could be my memory was off, but it did not look like the photo. However, it was still very good, and I cleaned my plate. A second IPA was happily drank during the process. When you drive up to this place it does not look like much on the outside. Once you get in you walk into a huge bar area where you can purchase everything (food & beverages) on your own. I turned left and went into the dining area. That is the way to get the local knowledge of what is on tap, from the server. On my way to the airport our team stopped for lunch. I had the bratwurst. One of them with fries came in at a better price than a meal deal at McDonald's! I tried a different IPa in the dining area. When we left I went to the Bell's store (attached, but with an outside entrance) and picked up a 6 pack to put into my suitcase to get it home. It made it, and I am saving it for a special occasion. read more

Bell's Brewery is at the top of my list for Michigan craft beers. We always make it a point to stop here when we travel to the west side of the state. We stopped in for lunch and had their smash patty burgers and fries which were awesome. The menu isn't extensive but above average for bar food. Beers were awesome as usual. The sweet potato spice red ale was in season so I went with that. My wife had a flight of beers which included mango habanero Oberon which had a good kick. We stopped in the general store to get beers for our Chicago trip. The staff is welcoming and knowledgeable. They have general store releases and build your own six picks which gives you the chance to trialtheir different beers. I highly recommend stopping in at Bell's if you are in the Kalamazoo area. Cheers! read more

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Despite Covid regulations the staff makes you feel welcome and offers great, friendly and safe service. Beer- always tasty... come on really they are Bell's brewery you know it's good. We had the Larry's juicy IPA, Best Brown, and the official. All very tasty! Food, falafel and smash burger for today's lunch, tasty no complaints. Bells is consistent- service, beer, food read more

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

What a great local spot. My cousin's family took us here twice for drinks and it was such a fun place to visit. I love the bar area, especially the huge chalkboard list of current beer offerings. The outdoor space is cute and had a good amount of seating options. The staff we talked to and that served us were fantastic. The beer itself was definitely the star and we ended up trying about a half dozen different kinds, all of which were delicious and refreshing! I am bummed though because we never ended up eating anything here! The menu looked amazing and had some really good creations I rarely see at restaurants, let alone a brewery. I cannot wait to come back here and try the food and even more beer! read more

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Great menu. Phenomenal brewery! Friendly and professional staff! Large interior and festive outdoor beer garden with live entertainment. Parking lot is around the corner read more

I went to Bell's for the first time yesterday and had the most AMAZING experience. I am a person in a wheelchair and I sat outside and the wait staff checked on me frequently and brought me my drinks and my food in a timely manner. I will definitely be going back there! read more

had a really nice lunch with my son who is at Western, he had a burger that he said was great and I had an amazing BLT. The service was really good and friendly and the ambience was very cool. read more

Thoroughly enjoyed our visit. We've been wanting to stop in for a very long time. This year we went out of our way to make sure! We enjoyed the food and all the beers. I can enthusiastically recommend you stop here. But better yet the main brewery once it reopens for tours. read more

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My final meal in the Battle Creek - Marshall - Kalamazoo region as my time on this project comes to an end. Of course, it had to be Bell's Eccentric Cafe. I had hoped to meet up with some Yelpers here, but ended up dining on my own which worked out just fine. On a Wednesday evening, the place was busy but not too much so. There was always at least one other table open and so my laptop and nursed beer didn't seem to be a concern. Starter? Deviled eggs. Quite yummy and with six halves, a big portion. Second course, the onion rings which were only medium greasy but completely delicious. A thin batter and a great thick sauce for dipping, I ate them all. (Would have loved to share!) Main course, I chose the cheese plate which had a cheddar, a blue and a hard parmesan-like cheese along with dried fruit, toasted bread and a small pot of honey. I skipped the bread and honey as my keto diet suggests not eating those. The eggs, the onion rings and the cheese all went great with Bell's wonderful beers. One full pint and two small pours let me enjoy their variety and not go completely overboard on carbs. Excellent friendly service and a very nice eccentric vibe here. I really enjoyed it. [Review 11255 overall, 1031 of 2019.] read more

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Quick update: Bell's is adapting to the governor's recommended 2-week hiatus from indoor dining starting today, April 10th. They will be continuing to serve food and beer in their amazing outdoor beer garden. Oberon really was meant to be consumed outside in the sunshine, amiright? read more

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Terrific burgers. And I'm a burger snob. The way to go is a the Double Smash. All the ingredients are fresh and also sliced THIN. We also tried the Cherry Bomb which wasn't bad but a burger with American Cheese is just soo much better. We also didn't regret the poutine. My fiancé loved the White Lakes IPA. He had to have a couple. Staff is great and super friendly. read more

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

Bells really doesn't need any more reviews. They make Two Hearted. If you haven't had Two Hearted, try it. If you've tried it, congratulations, you've had the best beer in the country. If you've tried it and don't like it, I Dont trust you as a person.... The food is pretty good too! read more

Bell's Eccentric Cafe - Two Hearted beer with smash burger and string fries. - Music Venues Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

The food, service, and overall atmosphere were exceptional!! I Love this place. The food is great, the beer is the best, and the outdoor entertainment is top notch. read more

Bells beer puts it over the top food and service are ok. Did the tour at the brewery which was exceptional. Get the chili lime rub on the wings different and delicious read more

Not only does this place have some of Michigan's finest beer, but they have INCREDIBLE food. I came in with pretty low expectations given it was a brewery type place, but I got the fried jalapeño burger and it was to die for. If you're ready to take a hearty meal, this would be my go to suggestion. However, they had so many different variations of food. When I asked the waitress what she suggested, she had a hard time picking, which is my favorite sign. We also asked for flights of all the beers we couldn't get outside the location and they were quick to oblige. Great experience, can't wait to revisit sometime. read more

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

Beautiful building very friendly staff. Many options of their beers on draft. Ordered a couple of flights just to try several options. Onion ring appetizer was really good. They offered a special burger of the week which we had to try. Perfect weather for outdoor seating which there is plenty. Great stop for a couple or a group. read more

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I love when we get to visit Kalamazoo because that means we get to visit all our favorites there and the Eccentric Cafe is one of our first stops! We love grabbing lunch here after a day of skiing. Their menu is large enough that even picky eaters will find something there and their beer menu of course never disappoints. They always have the most recent season brew that Bells has put out on tap. Their deviled eggs were good but they could have had more flavor to them. Calling this place a cafe feels a little wrong since it is much larger than our everyday cafe. The exposed brick and industrial vibes make this a fun place to check out. Grab a beer and a burger and enjoy your visit! CHEERS! read more

A quick day trip to Kalamazoo led us to hop in line at Bell's. Glad we came when we did because it was super busy and had limited seating due to following social distancing guidelines. The parking lot is tiny for how busy it is so my bf dropped me off to get in line while he search for parking. Glad I got in line when I did because about 20 more people got behind me in the 5-minutes my bf was looking for parking. The moral of the story is... be ready to wait for seating. Not really their fault due to just being so popular and having limited tables available due to COVID restrictions. The building is absolutely stunning. The high ceilings, brick work, & decor give you plenty to checkout. There were some items available for sale on a table in the restaurant, & when I asked a staff member if I could purchase a tshirt, he lightly rolled his eyes when he learned that I didn't purchase through my server & I felt so bad about bothering him that I told him never mind. He quickly told me that there was a merch store available if I exited the restaurant and walked around the corner. (Sorry! I didn't know that. I was a tourist.) I have to say that our server seemed annoyed by us as well after we ordered our 4 beers and food. We wanted to sit, hang out, enjoy the craft beer, and get off our feet after walking around all day. The server server acted like she was more interested in clearing our table to to make room for the folks waiting outside. The gentleman who initially sat us was friendly though. The merch store was pretty cool. We grabbed some tshirts there (since it was so inconvenient for them to sell us some in the restaurant area), and stocked up on beer to take back to IN with us. If you make your own beer at home, this stop is a must for you! They have everything you need and more to be a pro at home. So it's cool to visit such a large and successful brewer, we just wish the staff was a little more friendly. We don't need 5-star service by any means, but don't treat us like we're wasting your time when we're there voluntarily spending our money when there are other businesses to chose from around you. We won't be back. Another location business is likely more humble and welcoming. read more

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The place has a cool ambiance and it's family friendly. We sat outside and enjoyed the breeze. The wings and burger were great but the fries were too hard and didn't look fresh. Wouldn't order them again. read more

Bell's Eccentric Cafe - Fries, wings, burger, celery - Music Venues Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

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Service was excellent. Had the chicken sandwich and fries, flavors were great. Chicken was juicy, loved the maple glaze. The only ding is the fries were room temp. Loved the atmosphere. I would definitely give this another try. read more

The best brew in town, Great menu for snacks, sandwiches or meal and soups are delish, with and lots of choices. Eclectic environment and interesting artwork. A fun Music BACKROOM and fantastic garden with open stage for the best summer entertainment. read more

Local beer and brewery with fresh beer from the tap and they have seasonal rotations. Their burgers are a lot of variety with classical Lettuce tomatoes and onions to a habanero spiced cherry beef burger, and also contains featured burgers that change over time. They have both sitting inside and a beer garden outside and service is quick. Parking they have a separate lot at the back across the train lines apart from an adjacent lot. Everything here was always perfect and must visit if you are in the area. read more

I had the pleasure of visiting the area for work this week and knew I needed to make a stop at Bells. I started with a flight of beers. I chose mostly lighter beers, including a Saison, and Sour, all of which were tasty. The real star of the show was this summer special Michigan salad. I was pleasantly surprised with how much i loved this simple salad. It is comprised of grilled veggies, Feta, chickpeas, grilled chicken, all topped in a charred onion vinagrette. This salad literally tastes like a Midwest summer in one bite. If you're an onion lover, and enjoy the char grilled taste of summer, this is a must try while it's still available. My only complaint is that I wish they Bottled this dressing to sell, it was so good! read more

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We had the best service, hands down, at any bar in the past year. I didn't get the genetalmans name, but he had a 3 Fox jersey on. So consistent! A great environment for a date night. read more

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

We enjoyed our trip to Kalamazoo and especially visits to Bell's. A must see for beer fans, they had tap room only selections as well as familiar great brews like Two Hearted Ale, Kalamazoo Stout and Oberon. A standout for me was the 30th Anniversary Cherry Stout Reserve. Delicious tart cherry flavor. The staff were quite friendly and attentive despite being busy. Glad to see folks not fearful to make recommendations too. The food was good pub food, well prepared and presented. We enjoyed several menu items such as popcorn with brown butter, chili-lime dry rubbed wings and bacon vinaigrette salad. We were lucky enough to fit in a tour by Kenny, who provided a behind the scenes of the brewing process. Fun to sneak a peek at some of the barrel aging items like orange chocolate and Arrgh! which smelled of rum. Be sure to stop in their General Store for swag and beer to take home in growlers or the odd rare bottle like Black Note. Nice to see them honor their roots and have supplies for local home brewers. Highly recommended. read more

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

The pub at Bells is a really nice, casual space with reliable food and beer. Oberon and Two Hearted are fairly ubiquitous these days so it's nice to be able to try some different things here at the home base. Smash burger is excellent and the price points are hard to beat. It would be nice to sit at the bar area but that's not how they are set up. The space is really big so definitely good for a large crew. I've been stopping here for years when I come for work and I'm sure I'll keep coming. read more

Bell's Eccentric Cafe - Bar area on a Monday. Lots of high tops. No seating at the bar but you can stand. - Music Venues Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

The bartenders were super friendly and patient! I was visiting from out of town and got a flight of the styles i usually like. I had slightly higher hopes for the beer, but that is always subjective - they do have a good selection to choose from. Food was a little more disappointing, the pierogi platter sounded like a good amount of food but unfortunately was not. Everything tasted pretty good but for the price, I would have wanted more food. read more

First stop in Kalamazoo and it turned out to be good.Ordered 2 flights and snack mix which costed us like $25. Pros: -------- Spacious Good Beer Friendly Staff Quick Service Wifi Clean restrooms In downtown Cons: ------- Parking is a little limited read more

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WOW!! Every business owner should come here and see what a fabulous job this place is doing. From the initial phone call I made to ask COVID questions to having a beer and eating dinner. I felt so safe here! The Cherry Bomb and Fried Chicken sandwiches were awesome and the beer was great! Wish we lived closer as we would return! read more

The beer was fine, but the food was underwhelming. I ordered the Pub Dip ($15), as the menu description sounded interesting. What arrived was rather sad looking. The bun was soggy and fell apart quickly. The sliced beef was scarce and minimally topped with an unmemorable sauce -- was there cheese at all? The au jus was beige and nearly flavorless. The french fries were thin McDonalds-style, but soggy. I'm happy to say the pickle spear was fine. All in all, I could have made a much better version of the Pub Dip from the deli counter at any supermarket. The server was pleasant and quick with my beer orders, but had to come back with napkins and ketchup, but no fork or salt & pepper. When in town, I'll return for a beer, but will eat elsewhere. read more