Everything Id hoped it would be. Perfect neighborhood bar with friendly service and good food. Lively atmosphere with bartenders that treat you like regulars. Good drink prices and food specials throughout the week. We'll be back soon and often. read more

Birch Lodge - American Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

We stopped here for dinner on the way back from Mackinac because we read about the fried fish. We were not disappointed. The vibe here is also very cool. It has that old tavern feel, while still feeling friendly. read more

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Up since 3am to fly from Texas to Michigan. My 1st beach when Traveling to New places is the oldest bars and restaurants. The Birch had me at Church at the Birch and Bloody Mary Bar. We arrived around 1, it was easy to find, easy parking on the street. The place was jus5 dark enough to make you feel comfortable and we lucked out finding 3 places at the bar. We like to sit at the bar rather than tables. The bartender that greeted us made us aware of the Bloody Mary bar which was a high top behind us. It had everything you needed and more including Zing Zang which is our go to. Other specials were a taco bar ( we didn't see it) and mimosas with many choices of juice. The food and service we great. The atmosphere was a great local pub, when a seat was empty it was quickly filled by the next person entering. It is on our list when we return. We loved the Birch! read more

Birch Lodge - Olive Burger, it was so good. More rare than I ever order but after a long morning flying it was perfect. - American Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Don't judge a book by its cover! From the outside we weren't too sure about this place, but after one pass by, we decided to live on the wild side! Wow! Glad we stopped in! Rachelle our bartender was delightful, very friendly! Then the drinks we had were tasty! Next came the appetizer of chips and house made queso, so delish! Then we got the burgers.....amazing!! Don't forget the fries, onion rings and tater tots! It was all so good! It's the best dive bar, fun decor for the holidays, pull tabs, keno and good music. Lots of seating at the bar, high tops and low top table as well! read more

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Arrived to bar 15 min before happy hour. Waitress didn't come until well after it ended. Wouldn't do happy hour special for us and was immediately rude to our table saying "happy hour is over, you just got here." read more

Great atmosphere and food. I just wish they could expand their seating. Would love to be able to stay longer. Service was great also. read more

Really enjoyed my experience here. My husband and I sat at the bar. The bartender was fantastic and the wait staff were really efficient. We stopped in early after finishing a ton of chores and housework. We knew we wanted fish (perch) but arrived earlier than dinner time. So, we had a few drinks snd some happy hour food. Everything was great. The PBR is cold and fresh and the happy hour specials are hard to beat. Really enjoyed ourselves! A few things to note: The bathrooms are really rough. It was 20 degrees outside when we stopped in and the bathroom may have been 50 degrees. It was really cold and there was no warm water. Hence the 4 stars. Also, the staff had a shift change and there was a bit of a fuss amongst the staff. It was a lot of drama behind the bar. Made things a bit uncomfortable, but... I guess that the ups and downs of a neighborhood bar. I'd go back... just not going to use the bathroom. read more

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I've been coming to Birch Lodge pretty regularly for the past decade as it's close to my house and it's my favorite neighborhood dive bar! The bartenders are all on top of their game and friendly. The place isn't big and can get pretty packed, but for the most part, all the patrons are friendly with many regulars posted up at the bar. Birch Lodge is known for their MSU fans - it's such a fun atmosphere to watch a game. They have free tacos on Sundays and great daily specials on top of their famous happy hour prices - $2 and $3 food options in addition to $2 drinks! I love the sliders from the happy hour menu and the $2 frosty PBR pints. Their regular food menu is large with a lot of great choices - pretty standard bar fare here but it's all really well done. I love their fiesta chicken salad, fried egg sandwich, and their special "Perch at the Birch" fish fry every Friday, but everything I've had here is great. Their fries are beer battered and some of my favorite in town. Drinks here are relatively cheap and strong! It can get super loud inside with different bar crawls and people having fun, but if you're looking for a dive bar with personality, check out Birch Lodge. There's a dedicated parking lot which fills up quickly, but street parking is pretty plentiful on the adjacent streets. Just don't park in the lot across from Bob's Bar, as you may get towed. read more

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Firstly, I cannot give five stars to a place that did not eat at. This weekend was our first time in Grand Rapids and we had a lot of fun. Just bouncing around to different bars and breweries. I found the Birch accidentally in a strip of other bars. We went in and were promptly greeted. It is a place where it seems like mostly regulars, but, they make you feel welcome. It's just a local type of bar with good conversation and a friendly staff. If we lived in GR this would be the type of place we would make a regular hangout!! read more

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Birch lodge is a great spot to catch up with friends and have a drink! They always have the best service and specials! The staff is always top notch and their food is your typical bar food, however it's always fresh and tasty! read more

Absolute hidden Gem. In from out of town and this was near my hotel. Didn't get a picture of my burger with pulled pork and an egg but it was absolutely delicious. House made ranch w crispy fries was the icing on the cake for me. The service was fantastic as well. Could not recommend this dive bar more! Don't judge a book by its cover! read more

Birch Lodge - Burger - American Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Well, it is a hole in the wall bar, but that's exactly what you are expecting. However, it is a TOP OF THE LINE hole in the wall. The service is great, the food is awesome, the drinks are strong, the patrons are friendly, the atmosphere is fun! What more can you ask for? I sat at the bar and had a great night with my friends. The bartender was a doll and very nice. She was incredibly busy, but did a decent job and keeping an eye on us. The food was good! I couldn't decide what to get because it all looked good. I settled on the boneless wings and they were delicious! Can't wait to go back! read more

Birch Lodge - Boneless wings - American Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Great service and always a winner on Fridays for their all you can eat perch. Very good standard drinks. Small space but have never had a problem finding a table or space at the bar. Diverse clientele and music. It can get loud, but nothing unexpected from a bar. read more

I hadn't been here in awhile since the fire and then since COVID. It was Christmas Eve and all I wanted was French fries. I was estática that they were open and placed a to go order! The inside was bustling with people and holiday cheer. The decorations and music fit the day perfectly. Service was absolutely great, especially with it being a holiday. I can't wait to go back! read more

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Our favorite local dive bar, one that really feels like home. Cheap drinks, great food, and excellent vibes!

Brooke was so amazing and even got someone out who was causing problems and too drunk and was ontop of it. Made the atmosphere of the bar so much fun and made me feel so well taken care of! Go birch lodge!!! read more

Why should you drink here? Full bar with affordable cocktails, cheap ass cans of Blatz Beer, and a good food menu with good portions that tastes like it was made in your buddy's kitchen. Not your chef buddy, rather, your "usually eats out and tries to recreate at home for dates" buddy. Like Keno? They has it. Digital jukebox with phresh jams in regular rotation? Hazit. Little slider burgers and perch baskets on the menu?Indeed. Truth in advertising, and at a reasonable price. I wish they still had Sierra Nevada bottles in the rotation. What's et is cheap, what's drank is cold - this is a perfectly respectable bar. Patronize. read more

Birch Lodge - El Bar - American Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Best value! Perfect for a broke girls' night out :) Food and drinks are priced really well (i.e. cheap lol) and taste great. The Comfort Burger has been one friend's personal favorite order, pretty consistent throughout our probably 8+ visits at this point. I also love the Olive Burger, and their fries are good too! They do pretty great-tasting cocktails, even if you choose well liquor. The atmosphere is exactly how you would think: it feels like a hunting lodge. Not necessarily my personal jam, but with the kind and attentive servers, the good, affordable, pub food and drinks... I'm loyal for life :) read more

My friend invited me to meet her for their 3-6 five days a week happy hour where their prices on drinks and appetizers cannot be beat!!! Great selection of appetizers for every diet including some great vegan options! I had the hummus and veggies and chips and salsa and my friend had the queso and cheese spread. The atmosphere is local dive bar with GREAT ambience and better service! I can't wait to go back!!! read more

Cozy, funky, tasty, and fun. The perfect place for a bunch of hungry out of town musicians to find a good meal, a welcoming environment and a hospitable hang. It seemed like the perfect place and the diverse crowd enjoying the comfy ambiance, generous libations, and tasty chow confirmed our impression. Next time we okay in Grand Rapids we'll be back. read more

Great food, great prices, great atmosphere. The perch is BOMB- prices are reasonable. Staff is great, food comes out quick. No complaints. Will be returning! read more

It's been many years since I've been here, but it was just as delicious as I remember! We took our two sons (over 10 and a teen) for a Friday night dinner. I would not recommend taking kids under 10 here; it's pretty loud and it's an atmosphere where kids need to stay seated & eat off the adult menu. We had the Birch Perch, Wet Burrito, and Olive Burger. Food came out quickly and piping hot! Love the outdoorsy decor on the walls - it's just as I remember it! You will not be disappointed stopping in. read more

We stopped here last night at the end of our evening. I couldn't believe how packed it was! It's a good last call bar because it's pretty dark, drinks are cheap, and it's easy to find. I wouldn't say it's anything special but a good hole in the wall GR place. read more

Birch Lodge is comfortable, neighborhood sports bar with good drink specials and a surprisingly wide selection of food. Located on the Michigan Street Corridor, it is one of the more popular bars on this strip for the mix of people and lively atmosphere. Decorated like your grandpa's old fishing cabin, it offers strong drinks, good prices, and my favorite Fish & Chips Basket of any of the bars on the Michigan Street strip. I always get it when I'm in! I've had other dishes by them and they are all better than they need to be for a local watering hole: the cooks know how to do Chili just right and their burgers are top notch. If you are still on the fence about visiting, their FREE taco bar on Sundays will probably win you over! read more

The atmosphere here is an old fashioned Lodge with soft lighting. The are a bunch of fishing poles and other outdoors stuff on the walls. There was three of us dining. Two ordered fish plates: Cod and Smelt. I ordered some Flappers (traditional wings) and a Medical Mile Burger. Both fish dinners were declared to be excellent but the Cod was the best. The wings were a beer battered wing in a Chipotle Honey BBQ sauce. They were simply Outstanding, my new favorite wings in the G.R. Area. So good. The medical Mile Burger was a 1/3 ib burger with bbq pulled pork and a fried egg. It was very good, but next time I think I'll get one or the other. All the meals came with fries. The other diners thought they were very good, sadly I thought they were average at best. The service was very good, friendly and quick. The prices were very reasonable. Not sure if this is a negative or a positive but there was a bit of a show going on. There appeared to be some prostitution going on. There was a lady at the bar that men would come up to talk for a few minutes then go outside for 5 to 10 minutes. This happened a couple of times during our visit. Also there was a guy watching the entire time just drinking a pop, her pimp? Anyways it was amusing. Anyways a soft 5 stars and I will definitely be back for those wings. Yum! read more

wings, Wings, WINGS!!! Oh Birch Lodge, how do I love thee, let me count the wings, um I mean ways. This is a great bar with the feel of a northern Michigan dive. Their menu boasts much better than average "bar" food but I come for the wings. At some point I was told they had the best in GR and they weren't kidding. Lovely, large chicken wings breaded, fried up crunchy, then dipped liberally (I hate barely sauced wings) in one of their sauce selections (hot, buffalo, Asian ginger, Caribbean jerk, bbq) served piping hot with ranch or their homemade with love Blue Cheese (do it!) Our service is always good and while they don't have the biggest or fanciest beer selection they'll have something you want. I have tried wings from one end of this town to the other and none compares to the Birch. read more

Atmosphere is a typical dive bar and about what you would expect. You should know what you are getting into when you see the outside and neighborhood. The issue i have is the food. The burger was probably the worst I've had in years, and that is saying something.... However! The tater tots took this from a 1 star to a 3 star, because if I was just judging on the tots, 5 star. read more

I come to Birch Lodge a lot with my dad for their Friday unlimited baskets of perch special. I noticed that the perch has gotten smaller and theres less of it and more french fries. No aioli option, which is tragic. This restaurant/bar isn't that special to me. Very bland greasy barfood menu, everything about it is old-timey Americana. It's not bad, just not my style. On the plus side, it's inexpensive and the service is good. A good spot for simple cheap fish n chips and beer. read more

Birch Lodge - Perch and fries basket (the perch is underneath the fries). - American Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Great little bar that has that 'back home' feel despite it being on Michigan. They have a wonderful food selection that boast hefty portions. The chicken quesadillas were the crowd favorite. They have stiff drinks and cheap beer. What more could a girl ask for? They also have your dive bar standbys like pull tabs and Keno. read more

Great happy hour. Excellent prices for good drinks and tasty snacks! The food is good and the staff is fast and friendly, they definitely aim to please! read more

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Arguably the best "dive" bar on Michigan. The staff is fantastic, drink specials are on point and the aesthetic is perfection and pure Michigan. The food is solid, I always love the nachos or a burger depending on the night. The staff is so nice and down to earth and they have trivia weekly. There's honestly nothing better if you're looking for a low key bar with great food and fantastic drink specials. Come here once, and you'll end up being a regular. I promise. read more

This is the best hole in the wall in GR! The food is on point and the staff is better !! Mandy is where it's at! I'll give this place a 10 out of 10 any day night afternoon whatever time of day! read more

I'm going to emulate Joshua's post. We found this place thanks to a restaurant.com "gift certificate". We walked in and my wife thought "what the hell?" and I though "oh, hell yeah!!". It's a "hometown bar" feeling. Kind of a dive. We are now semi-regulars. We eat here a couple times a month. The wings here are really good. If fact, just read that they were voted "best wings in GR" by Grand Rapids Magazine. They are large, breaded, and deep fried. I usually get the BBQ wings. The sauce is thick and sweet. The ranch isn't traditional ranch, it's pretty much sour cream with ranch seasoning mixed in. Lots of other bar fare here as well. My other "go to" item is the Medical Mile burger. It's a burger topped with bbq pork, cheese, and a fried egg. Heart attack on a plate; if I die, I want it to be while I'm eating this. As far as "ambiance", it's a bar. It's usually loud because the juke box is cranked. People are constantly talking, yelling at games on TV, or being drunk. Good mix of young hipster types up to middle-aged alcoholic types. There's usually a few douche-bags mixed in. I wouldn't bring a date here unless she enjoys drinking, bar food, and yelling during conversations. On 2nd though, bring a date here. If he/she doesn't enjoy that, get rid of him/her. One more thing; soda (pop) here is generic. Not Pepsi, not Coke. I don't know what it is, they just describe it as "generic". So if you're a "soda snob" and expect your "Captain and Coke" to be made with Coke, this may bother you. read more

We go here quite often, originally we found it through a restaurant.com deal, and we've kept coming back. It's your standard little neighborhood bar, it's always clean, the servers are great and there's great music playing at all times. Their food is much better than you would expect, better than many of the standalone restaurants in town. On top of that they have a free taco bar on sundays! read more

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I had heard good things about this place so I finally decided to give it a go. First problem...parking...it's very limited and you'll likely have to search for a spot down the street. The place was crowded with lot's of people taking advantage of the free taco bar on Sunday (who does "free" food anymore...very cool!)....unfortunately, many of the patrons seemed to be freeloaders abusing the restaurants generosity as they loaded up multiple plates of food while ordering a single water or soda. Food: Chicken tenders - not bad...very average. Sliders - burgers very overdone (hockeypucks)...PLEASE replace tasteless plain buns with pretzel bread buns! Onion rings - Overdone and lacking flavor...blah. Mini-pretzels w/cheese - Yummy...perfectly cooked and glistening with butter!! Service: Excellent!! Waitstaff was "johnny-on-the-spot" whenever we needed a refill or anything else. Our server brought out an extra dipping sauce for the tenders and couldn't have been more helpful. Will definately give this place another chance based on the service alone. read more

I came to the Birch lodge this Sunday. Fight, as it's my usual sanctuary and peaceful place after work. I come in, get 3 vodka and grapefruits and leave. I got up to use the restroom. As I left to go back to my seat, a man much larger than I was walking the same direction. I tried to move out of the way a bit and he clearly and intentionally shoulder checked me. I had recently had rotary cuff surgery on that shoulder. It hurt. I asked him why he did it, couldn't hear his answer through his mask but it it was something along the lines of "move out of my way... I walk where I want to." No big deal, I went to talk to the bartender who was busy laughing and messing around at the ice well to notice me for a few moments, I explained the situation, and I happened to have my mask pulled down (for which I apologize). A man further than 6 feet from me called out and asked "you mind wearing a mask when you talk?" Even though I was standing at the bar. I finally was able to explain the situation to the bartender who clearly didn't take a word I said seriously, she said very sarcastically "okay... whatever... I'll tell him not to shoulder check you again." She didn't. I then received my tab, after my 1st drink. I approached the bartender again and asked, confused, why did I get my check so early? I didn't ask for it yet." To which she responded with a slew of cuss words and extremely offensive remarks about covid. Among them were "f*ck you, a*hole, piece of sh*t, have fun with the pandemic virus." I responded to None if this, got my jacket and left. I've dealt with rude bartenders before, but what hurt is that I have an aunt who is dying of covid and a14 year old cousin who has it. That really hit me deep. I doubt anyone will care about this post but for those who have a chance to read it, this was my last stop at a place that I considered comfortable and friendly before. read more

We were in GR for a concert, and found this place. Best cheeseburger I've ever eaten. I had the traditional (not the right name but traditional American cheeseburger with grilled onions) one friend had the black and blue burger and one had the mushroom and Swiss. We all agree, best burgers and crispy fries ever. One friend had a grilled chicken salad, and loved it. Awesome bloody Mary's too. We sat at the bar and Trey our bartender was hilarious, he made it such a fun experience. He was always checking on us. We all agreed how much fun he made it. It's a two hour drive for me, but I will be back. read more

We've coming here for years to watch football games & enjoy the amazing chili! The servers are always friendly & the food is awesome. Great specials and happy hour deals. No matter how busy it is the service is fast. Always a good crowd of fun people. So happy to see this place thriving! read more

Amazing wings. Good food and drink specials. Can't saw anything negative about this spot.

Love the Birch Lodge! Great spot for food and drinks. Happy Hour is one of the best in the area and it's a great spot to watch sports.