I wish there were more stars! Visiting my daughter in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We were doing a…read morelittle pub crawl. She told me we needed to stop here. It is a small place with great staff and great food. During this holiday season, you need to make a reservation but we were able to get two seats at the bar. I can't wait to go back.

I've visited the Broadway Bar a few times, and although the food is decent, I tend to get a "Ye're…read morenot welcome here, stranger" vibe. I visited a few days ago for lunch when I was out and about and decided to get a burger, since I've been on kind of a burger kick lately. Upon entering, I was greeted coolly by the staff and I sat at a table. Yes, they have the "look at our friendly Christmas decorations" (and also St. Paddy's Day) thing, but it's clear they have a regular clientele and if you're not in that group, you are considered a second-class citizen. After I sat down and ordered, about 6 other folks walked in and sat at the bar. They all seemed to know each other and the staff, calling them by name. Each of them ordered and got their meal before I did, although I had ordered at least 15 minutes before any of them entered. The waitress chatted up the guys at the bar, but didn't say more than 2 words to me. My 'Broadway Burger' was good, but nothing spectacular. I've had the Olive Burger before and I think I prefer that. This place is probably great for the regulars, but you're not one of that crowd, it's definitely not worth the 'Children of the Corn' treatment.

4 of us Stopped in on Sunday 11/10/24 after having dinner down the street. Honestly - we were drawn…read morein by the neon sign that had an anchor and the word BAR. Intimate spot, great drinks, excellent service. We would go back again!

LOVE this place. Good vibes, service, and music. There's no…read morefood here but you're aloud to bring your own in :) The only thing i will say is this place has a strange smell, but i feel it's gotten better than it used to be. My fave bar on bridge st for sure.

I love it here! I've been many times and it's always fun, Cameron, Rachel, all of them really are…read moregreat and quick bartenders. Will come back again and again! The foods bomb too

The best part is the back patio but service is and the beer selection are both great. Food is…read morestandard pub fare and quality varies from dish to dish. The deviled eggs are quite good.

Love the Garage Bar, but was disappointed on our last visit. Friday fish fry. My girlfriend got a…read morepiece of fish that was unidentifiable. I have worked in food service my entire life (over50 years) and never encountered this. Fish was breaded, fried and hard as a rock. Couldn't cut it with a fork. We mentioned to server and asked that she show it to the cook. Her attitude was extremely nonchalant and I doubt if anything was said. We will try again, but next time I will by-pass the server if we have any issues. Manager needs to know. Love the Garage Bar, but was disappointed on our last visit. Friday fish fry. My girlfriend got a piece of fish that was unidentifiable. I have worked in food service my entire life (over50 years) and never encountered this. Fish was breaded, fried and hard as a rock. Couldn't cut it with a fork. We mentioned to server and asked that she show it to the cook. Her attitude was extremely nonchalant and I doubt if anything was said. We will try again, but next time I will by-pass the server if we have any issues. Manager needs to know.

AVOID. The food was not good at all. Both my friend and I got our orders with ingredients on them…read morethat we asked to be taken off, and the sides were really gross. The french fries were served soggy and old and the mac was stale, literally zero flavor, not even cheese flavor. The buns on my sandwich were nasty, had to take them off to enjoy the pulled pork. Even though the menu said you can substitute mac for the fries they upcharged me $3, and when I asked about it the manager said "sorry the menu is confusing, I'm trying to tell management to change it" but wouldn't take it off the bill. All in I split a curds app, got an incorrectly made sandwich and mac, and WATER NO SODA OR ALCOHOL, and I paid $31...

Okay, this was nothing short of FUN! We stopped in because our daughter recommended this place! It…read moreis the local "cheers" bar where everybody knows your name! Let me tell you, Rhonda, the bartender mixes one of the best margaritas I have ever had, and I have had my fair share! it's a local hangout with great music, good drinks, good people, the best prices for drinks and the coolest antique/still working cash register! A must try!

Cozy and friendly. Cheap drinks and Rhonda & Jane are awesome! Love my Sunday's at Vinny's !read more

Always a fun vibe. Music and videos playing. Great pour on the drinks. Bartenders and always…read moresmiling and popcorn always popping!

My new favorite dive bar in Grand Rapids! I went with a group and we had a blast. Not only was the…read moremusic hopping, there were music videos playing on the TVs. The drinks were very affordable and there was even popcorn. The bartenders were friendly and helpful.

Shamelessly, my bestie and I practically fund this place. Steel Cat has the ideal vibe for watching…read moresports, catching up with friends, or making new ones at the bar. The Bloody Mary bar is so worth it (you have to try the dill pickle vodka). You can't beat a $10 stacked Bloody Mary with a Miller Lite sidecar. The service is always spot on--I'd do just about anything for the bartenders here. Sure, parking after 6 PM is overpriced, and the bathrooms could use some love, but honestly? You'll have to pry this bar out of my cold, dead hands.

Stopped in here quickly to grab a drink before an event at John Ball Zoo. It's only a short drive…read morefrom the zoo, and fortunately the service was super quick! I'd never been in here before, but was intrigued, and the location worked for our whole group. It's a little divey, but not as much as what I expected from some of the other reviews. Maybe because it was still earlyish, so there was quite a bit of light coming in. I found it to be clean enough, the bartender was friendly enough, they have a decent drink selection, it wasn't so loud we couldn't hear each other. I'm not sure it will end up being my favorite place in town, but it was fine, and I'd definitely go back again.

Came for the most amazing performance by comedian, Alok!…read more The Pyramid Scheme is a fun retro take on a dive bar known for their great shows, pinball machines and (somewhat) reasonably priced drinks. The staff may seem rough on the outer edges, but they are all actually teddy bears once you get to know them. Usually shows are standing room only, which is a drag if you are old like me and opt not to wear orthotics. Luckily, the 9 pm encore show was seated. My old bones appreciated this. Now look below as I'm fangirling in the attached photos! I absolutely adore Alok and their courage to humorously challenge the gender binary and systematically poke holes in the patriarchal system that comprises The USA.

i have been attending the Pyramid Scheme for years now. I absolutely love all of the staff and they…read morereally become like friends and family after constantly seeing them when attending shows. The lineups are often pretty diverse, now offering more local music and the addition of more free events to bring together the community. They've added vintage nights, trivia, and free pinball days which I think is a very important and necessary community good. The venue has a front half with a bar, pinball cabinets, and even some outdoor seating. The back hosts the concert venue with interior bar, seating, and elevated stage. I'm allergic to alcohol so I can't speak to the drinks nor the prices but they have free water jugs readily available which is a lifesaver during shows and is just such a small, nice feature to have access to. I definitely would recommend coming here for a concert, finding some new local music, or establishing a new hang out for your friends.

Came in Sunday 2/22/26 around 6:25pm. It was crowded and loud, which we didn't mind. They were on a…read morewait - as expected because there is a show at the Van Andel tonight, doors open at 7, show is at 8. We had hoped to sit at the bar but there was only one open seat. We had beers while we waited for our table and the bartenders were great. Quick service and they were friendly. We were seated at a booth after 30ish minutes. Shaun was our server and he took such good care of us! Our refills were quick, he was so nice and our food was as exactly as we ordered. We had a deluxe pizza on hand tossed crust. I tell ya what - that crust is GOOD. The bottom was crispy and the end was soft and chewy. Decent amount of toppings too! We also had a Caesar wrap with crispy chicken. They add diced tomatoes here - and I like that! Shaun did ask if I was ok with tomatoes, he must have had people complain in the past to know to ask. We went with chips as a side, I knew I wasn't going to eat enough of the side to spend the extra $$ on an upgrade to fries. Z's is a downtown staple, especially late night. It's been a LONG time since we've been out in GR late night, but it was good to know the food is really good when sober too Of course we'll be back!

I really wish I'd made a better choice than stopping at Z's Bar, because it turned out to be one…read moreof the worst food experiences I've had in a long time. I ordered chicken wings and a thin-crust pizza. Honestly, both were mediocre at best, and I had a bad feeling from the start. The wings were too soft and mushy, which should have been a warning sign, but I went ahead anyway since there weren't a lot of other options around. Big mistake. To make matters worse, I ended up with full-blown food poisoning the next day--I've been throwing up all day, and it's clear it came from that meal. And the service was just as frustrating. The bartender told me it was happy hour but never gave me a happy hour menu. When the bill came, everything was full price. So what's the point of mentioning happy hour if you're not actually going to honor it? On top of that, the bartender said she was done with her shift but then lingered around for another hour or so until I left. She just wanted me to pay up quick for some reason. Just a ridiculous experience all around. Trust me, steer clear of Z's Bar if you value your health and your wallet. Awful.

Pickwick Tavern is by far my favorite bar in GR. It's a dive bar to the max, and has the old-school…read morebar feel. The owner (who is typically behind the bar) almost always strikes up a conversation, and I've never left without meeting someone new! It's cash only, which although slightly inconvenient, really adds to the vibe. (I believe they have an ATM but don't quote me). They have some packaged snacks, like bags of chips or pretzels, but no other food. It's the perfect place to stop in, grab a beer, and go back in time for a little while!

I love this place. It's a total throwback. Here in a city where craft beer is king it's nice to…read morehave a place where $7.50 can get you a pitcher of a cold Killians ale (sometimes you just need a beer that's just beer) We will bring our own food (sushi, tacos, burgers they don't care what you bring) in settle down at one of the familiar, worn Formica tables and just take a moment to breathe. These places are the slow heartbeat of the city and should never be taken for granted.