I've only been to CitySen Lounge a handful of times but I've had a good experience each time. The most recent visit was with my boyfriend on New Year's Eve prior to the craziness of downtown (around 4:30-5 pm). We got a seat at the bar before it started filling up with people. The space isn't very large and I don't know how they handle serving at the tables as I think it's all just bar service. They have a pretty good happy hour that goes til 7 pm which is nice. We ordered a couple drinks and some snacks: the firecracker cauliflower lettuce wraps and the buffalo chicken mac and cheese egg rolls. Our drinks were quick and then the two bartenders got slammed! Our food did take a little bit but not too long. The lettuce wraps came with lettuce, shredded carrot, sliced cucumber, crushed peanuts, cauliflower in a sweet and spicy sauce, and a dark sauce we couldn't identify (I thought it was hoisin but I don't think that's right). All the veggies seemed fresh and crisp and the cauliflower mixture was really good. I'm pretty sure it's just the bottled chili sauce you find at the grocery store but it hit the spot. The buffalo chicken mac and cheese egg rolls were SO good! They were deep fried but not greasy and had just the right amount of mac and cheese and chicken inside. I spooned some of the leftover chili sauce on them which was really tasty. I would absolutely get those egg rolls again. I heard the bartender recommend them to other people and I would agree! Our bartenders were really polite and friendly even though they were very busy and clearly a bit swamped. I have been there other times and it's been completely empty. I would recommend this place for a happy hour or lunch as they have a good $6 lunch deal. read more

We came here with plans to eat before heading to a concert at the van andel. Only two people were working and they stayed behind the bar chatting the majority of our time there. We ordered an appetizer (baked feta, which was not good.) and waited for 45 minutes. We never received our food before it was time for us to leave and go to the concert. Left hungry and unhappy. The two young men who were working had no idea what they were doing. I rarely write bad reviews but we would never go back here. Ruined part of our special night out with our daughter! read more

Stopped in Saturday afternoon before a wedding with a group of 10. The lounge area is pretty tiny with a new market counter in the middle. There is outdoor seating. Bar was large enough to accommodate all of us, luckily. Bartender was nice enough and we were all served in a decent amount of time. 4 draft beer selections- one was out. Not a lot of chardonnay options for those of us that enjoy a more oaky / buttery chard. On a positive note: great happy hour! $4 wines $2 bottles of domestics... good specials on Mojitos, Dark & Stormy, and a few others. Cheap shots specials, too. Nice option to swing in quick for a drink! read more

We went to CitySen to meet up with a small group for happy hour for a friend's birthday. My +1 and I got there around 6:30. The server was there, but was not helpful with getting a couple more chairs, so the birthday girl got up to help us look around for some. The lounge was not busy and the bar area was empty, and our group was about a dozen people. Then the birthday dessert was served (chocolate chip cookie sundae). While we were singing, I could smell that the cookies were burned. The bday girl gamely tried to dig in, and her boyfriend cautioned her because the cookies were obviously burned and completely black on the underside. He alerted the server who said "do you want new cookies, or a whole new dessert?"!?!? In all the commotion I had to flag him down to let him know that we wanted to order before happy hour was over. My +1 and I tried to order the happy hour signature cocktail only to be told that they were out of it. I asked if there was another cocktail that they were substituting and was told "you can get a shot in pop". After ordering wine, I ordered two small plates from the happy hour list, and was careful to ask if they were out of any of the food items. He said they were not. A few minutes later he came back to say they were in fact out of the stuffed mushrooms. He then said "if you want to order something else, we will honor the happy hour prices" as if he was doing us a favor. I said no thank you, the one will be fine. I am giving three stars because the wine and food were delicious (cauliflower lettuce wraps ftw!). But the service level was lacking. I completely understand that things can go wrong, but the efforts to make it right were sub-par. read more

Our fun stay at the City Flats Hotel was tainted by the horrible food we ordered for room service. Both dishes were barely warm to out right cold. The margarita flatbread looked and tasted like a Lunchable. read more

Had two appetizers: 1.) Mushrooms with shaved Parmesan cooked in truffle oil. I love mushrooms but these were too salty. Good concept, execution needs work. 2.) Charred salmon with yogurt lime sauce on a bed of sautéed vegetables. Again, great concept but execution needs improvement. Salmon was almost burnt and too spicy, it overwhelmed the other flavors. Overall, the location and service were great. Good outside seating area to people watch and get sun! Decent happy hour specials. Food was good, but can be improved. read more

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City Sen has a great menu, many different options. I love the three cheese grilled cheese, such a good blend of cheeses together and the fries they used to have were awesome - nice thick, soft steak fries that I loved. They switched to smaller crispier fries that I am not that fond of really. I am pretty bummed about the change. I tried the Michigan Salad and was pretty disappointed. I think I had one cherry in the salad and the dressing was almost non existent. I am not a hge fan of dressing I like it light but it was beyond light, & I didn't even ask for it light! I have heard good things about the Kobe hamburger but haven't tried it. I generally get take out from here for lunch usually and they are pretty quick & the staff is friendly. I have heard they have a pretty good happy hour from my coworkers but have not yet had the pleasure of experiencing it. Hopefully soon! read more

CitySen Lounge - Michigan Salad - New American Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Had their lime grilled shrimp entree and it was delicious! The grilled shrimp came on skewers over a heap of cous cous along with mixed grilled peppers and onions. It was flavorful and well-portioned and everything tasted perfect together. I was being good for the night and going to finish my dinner with the one entree until the waitress described the desserts -- then I succumbed to the fresh baked cookie with ice cream. How can you say no! It came out in the cutest, tiniest pan griddle (REALLY FRESH WARM COOKIE) with ice cream on top. You can see the ice cream fizzling away as its getting warmed up by the freshly baked cookie. It was a beautiful sight. =') (although the vanilla ice cream wasn't my favorite, had an aftertaste flavor..) Service was great. The waitress checked up on me regularly and really, mid-western hospitality at its finest! (Though I really did experience this everywhere in Grand Rapids!) read more

CitySen Lounge - Lime grilled shrimp on cous cous - New American Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Nice eatery option located in the heart of downtown GR. Located in a hotel, this location has a nice assortment of sandwiches and meals in a fairly non-descript environment. I ordered the spicy salmon wrap...which was full of flavor (comes with salad or fries). We also had a few appetizers which were very good (artichoke dip, corn salsa, and bruschetta). There is also an extensive wine and beer menu. Overall, good location and service rounded out a good overall meal. read more

Super friendly wait staff, but would have liked to see more GR beers on tap. I get that they are catering to a hotel crowd but I think they can emphasize the Beer City USA monicker a bit more. Would not hurt! Truffle fries rocked. read more

Four-star food and preparation at a two- or three-star price. We've eaten here twice, and walked away impressed both times; for a chic downtown restaurant with artisanal presentation, you'll only pay $10-$15 for an entrée. The drinks are also great; we learned on our last visit that the bar menu was developed by the same bartender responsible for [the now-closed] Viceroy's menu. The dessert menu is also wonderful. Grab a table outside here and enjoy the urban ambiance of Monroe Center while not breaking the bank to enjoy a nice dinner. read more

I love that this restaurant participates in http://FoodCircles.net and so if you go in you can donate a free meal simply by purchasing your own--and you get a FREE dessert! I got a burger and my friend got the pork tacos with soup. It was all very delicious--and at a good price point. Postscript. We had the privilege of having Emily as our server and she was really good. Very helpful. I generally don't remember the name of wait staff but this was a talented woman. East here. read more

Service is horrible, we waited 10 minutes at our table and no server ever came. I ended up having to go get someone and they didn't apologize or even give us menus. It took 20 minutes before we got drinks and ordered our food. Then took a hour to get appetizers and the server didn't come back to check on us, get new drinks, or even take the book with the previous tables check and cash. If all the other restaurants weren't full around here I would have just left. I will not be back here. read more

I went to eat lunch with my friends at CitySen. We loved the atmosphere and the food (3 of us ordered sandwich and one of my friend got taco) was delicious. Service was little awkward, but I understand.(I am sure 4 obnoxious girls scare the waiter) The only complaint we had was the window sight! We sat next to window so we can see the view but the frame between top window and bottom window was on very awkward location and blocked the sight. If we were to see something outside, we had to either lower our body to see bottom fo the frame or take our butt off of the seat to see the top of the window frame. I highly reccomend this place but do not sit by the window! read more

We stayed at the CityFlats hotel over the weekend and decided to avoid the chaos of St Patrick's day festivities by staying in and hanging out at the CitySen lounge. Really relaxed atmosphere, great drinks, and reasonable prices. The staff was friendly and accommodating. Emily the bartender was knowledgeable and really nice! read more

CitySen Lounge - Pomegranate Sparkler - New American Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Mediocre food. Overpriced drinks. Poor service.

I have mixed feelings about this place. It was a lot smaller than expected and the service was great. The food I had however...while reasonably prices was just a mess. The special of the day was a chicken cordon bleu sandwich. The chicken was breaded fine, but the bread and sauce were just not made for each other. Maybe the sauce sat in the serving window too long, but it was a congealed flavorless sloppy mess, not a nice creamy sauce. The chicken just slid around in the super squishy bun. I ended up taking the chicken out of the bun and just eating it with a knife and fork. The menu looked promising, I'll go back and give it another try someday. read more

This is a regular happy hour spot for me. The specials run until 7 (where 6 is customary), and I'm a big fan of that. Their appetizers are also good. Not a huge fan of their well liquors for my preferred cocktails or the weirdly long silverware. Overall, a good choice for a midweek happy hour in the city. read more

Hands down the best chili I've ever had in my life -that's a bold statement coming from a Southerner. Get the chicken chili, and thank me later. The Chicken Sausage Flatbread was also incredible. To top it all off, the atmosphere is laid back, yet still chic. Prices also very fair, another plus. But honestly, for how nice the space and food is, they could get away with charging more. No doubt I'll be coming back when I make way to Grand Rapids again. read more

Great burgers made with house ground meat. The fries are also fresh cut and you can tell!! Artichoke dip is fantastic ...give this place a try. read more

I love having Breakfast there with my buds on Sunday mornings! Its setting is great! the food is delicious! and I love the wait staff! they are always in a great mood and familiar with me now that they know what I want! Love this place! read more

It looked very nice! But the lemonade was clearly from a powder. My salad was warm and came without dressing. I got the grilled cheese and the bottom slice of bread was mushy and not toasted, it was very greasy and the cheese wasn't completely melted. And to top it off our server gave us back the wrong change. I don't think I will ever go back. read more

A few friends and I went to Citysen lounge for dinner. They were modestly busy but we were able to get a table almost immediately. The service was pretty bad. It took our server a long time to even get to us and take a drink order. We ordered the Mac and cheese bites and the truffle fries for appetizers. The Mac and cheese bites were bland and the fries weren't very hot and kind of soggy. Plus, it took almost twenty minutes for the appetizers to get to us and the table who sat after us got their appetizers first. We then each ordered a burger and they were absolutely terrible. It's pretty hard to screw up a burger but they did. The patties themselves were charred and tasted like charcoal. I had ordered my burger medium well and it came extremely well done. The buns were soaked and dripping with grease. There was no flavor to speak of other than the charcoal taste. The fries were soggy and limp. On top of all this, the server only checked on us a total of three times the entire hour and a half we were there. I would strongly discourage anyone from eating here. read more

Interesting menu full of great choices, obviously a creative chef ... and a really nice cocktail and wine list with a well priced happy hour. I have enjoyed a few martini's here served by a young, hip staff. (Lindsey is a favorite). A great patio to people watch ... or stay inside but enjoy the open air windows. read more

I have been to CitySen before and had wonderful food and decent service. The last two times I have been the service has been horribly. Last time was one of the worst dining experiences I have ever had. They were busy but only one person of three at our table was ever given water. We ended up ordering drinks from the bar and went to wait to order our food. After 30 minutes with no one even coming to give us the waters or saying anything to us I asked the table behind us if they had ordered yet and they informed me they ordered appetizers and main meal over an hour ago and had received nothing. Their food came soon after. There was only one person on the floor and the waitress who was there when we first sat disappeared and the bartender ended up on the floor. He never came to our table and many people had to actually get up and get him to get their bill/ask questions. Many people left after being ignored. It was sad to see a place that has so much potential have such poor staffing numbers. read more