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    Garden District

    4.3 (66 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 9:00 pm

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    GARDEN DISTRICT ATMOSPHERE

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    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Roast beef po' boy
    Chantel M.

    Such a beautiful evening for Valentine's Day when we scored a parking spot right at the entrance of this cute looking establishment that formally was Monsoon. We were promptly sat for our 5 o'clock reservation. We were happy to see Abita beer on the menu and the Hurricanes were half price! We were surprised when we attempted to order an appetizer and the restaurant was already sold out of 3 of the appetizers on the menu. ‍ It was long waits to get our drinks and take our order. I decided to wait in line for the bathroom (the restaurant has 2 private toilets only). While waiting I could check out the open kitchen. They were working hard, but I immediately noticed that the rice from the rice cooker was too lumpy for my taste. I also observed fish sitting out at room temperature that wasn't even rinsed off before being battered and breaded and stuck in the fryer alongside the fries and beignets. I made a mental note not to order that. Since the beignet appetizer was sold out and they wanted $30 for 6 oysters, we decided to forgo the apps and ordered crawfish etouffe and a roast beef po' boy. My hubby was disappointed with the taste and texture of his po'boy. He said the roast beef had a texture reminiscent of cat food and the fries were seasoned with cayenne pepper and gave him an acid stomach. My etouffe was also a huge disappointment. The crawfish was obviously reheated from frozen and had that off "fishy" flavor. Very disappointing because I usually love crawfish. The shrimp was okay, but the rice wasn't nice and the sauce had a bitter aftertaste, like it had burned during the cooking process. Overall, a poor facsimile of NOLA cuisine. They really should just turn this establishment into a Yatz (Indiana's fast food NOLA franchise). It would be so much better and the shape of the restaurant fits the Yatz concept. Plus, it would've tasted much better and for a cheaper price. We are huge Yatz fans. Just saying... lol. Hopefully we just came on an "off" day. We do realize it's hard to compete with the real thing. No where on earth is like the real NOLA. Guess I'll just have to head south or cook it myself next time a craving hits.

    Crawfish Beignets (this pic was taken last time we were there, I forgot to take one tonight!)

    This was our 3rd time at Garden District. The server Ashley was very friendly and a wonderful server. The crawfish beignets ($14) were delicious as usual, it's our favorite app to share. We both had the catfish dinner. It's one piece of catfish with a side of fries for $12. My husband swapped out the fries for a side salad for a small up charge. The odd part of the bill was we each added an extra piece of catfish to our dinner. Each extra piece was $12. So for the whole dinner the price was $12, yet one piece of fish was also $12. That seems a little odd to me. I might as well have ordered two whole dinners for the same price. The food is delicious, the decor is beautiful, the waitstaff friendly. I recommend this place in GR for a good dinner, if the weather is nice? You can also sit on the patio/sidewalk area.

    Big love!
    C H.

    Authentic creole food except without okra. Wide miss. More demerits for nasty crawdads, and no oysters. Good drinks. Our server was excellent. Upgrade the ingredients and I'll be a regular.

    Olivia A.

    Tried out the new place and my friends and I enjoyed our time! We were seated at a large table in between the bar and kitchen. Loved my drink - Honey Child! The gin was refreshing! For my appetizer, I ordered the Crawfish Beignets which were paired with a delicious remoulade sauce. My main dish was amazing.. I ordered the Southern Hospitality which comes with a salad, side of mac n cheese and two crispy Cajun honey! The chicken was my favorite! I loved the crispy skin and the sweet heat flavor! Overall enjoyed our time here!

    Old Sober
    Megan H.

    This is a great addition to the downtown scene. I have really enjoyed the gumbo and jambalaya. The staff is friendly and they have great outdoor seating options.

    Jambalaya
    Tammy D.

    My friends and I got to try this place and we were amazed! It's a fairly new place that serves New Orleans inspired dishes right here in downtown Grand Rapids! First of all call ahead and reserve because it gets booked pretty quick especially on the weekend and since it's a small space, there was only seating room for about 8 tables plus a bar. I loved the artwork they had inside and how it brought out a New Orleans theme. The food was delicious! I got the Yakamein which was a noodle soup with beef, shrimp and boiled egg in a cajun beef broth packed with protein! My friends got jambalaya and the bourbon street steak. I was so jealous of their food and will definitely try what they got next time. The best part though was getting our food delivered to our table from the owner himself who was very kind and personable. He made an effort to deliver food to every table and really gave the place a sense of warmth and comfort. Needless to say I'll be back and bringing more friends!

    Yakamein - spaghetti, boiled egg, shrimp, beef stew cubes, green onion in a entoufee soup
    Mark D.

    Got the yakamein. It was just ok. I think it would have been better if they used egg noodles instead of spaghetti. The egg was not soy sauce marinated and lacked the creamy center. The shrimp was tasty and the beef cubes were tender. The broth was nice with Cajun spices. Using a traditional hot stone bowl was interesting but probably unnecessary. Maybe on a colder night? For $28, this was way overpriced.

    Jambalaya
    Katy C.

    I'm so excited to have a Cajun/Creole restaurant in Grand Rapids! I've only been to New Orleans once but I loved the city and the food, so it's great to be able to have some of the traditional dishes here in GR. I was able to make a reservation for four through their website, and we were seated right away when we arrived. Located in the former Monsoon restaurant, the vibe hasn't changed too much but they've added some NOLA flair, including an Instagram-worthy sign near the entrance. Our server Ana was the best - she is so sweet and had great recommendations for food and drinks. We started with the garden district dip to share and some cocktails - I liked the blooming fleur de lis, and Nate got the Cafe du Monde Martini. The dip was delicious, packed with shrimp and crawfish and served with perfectly toasted French bread. It could have used a little salt (or Crystal hot sauce!) but I would definitely order this again. We also split a Caesar salad, which was fresh and bright, served with a lemon to squeeze over. It was tough to choose an entree, but I went with the etouffee, and Nate got the muffaletta. Our friends ordered the gumbo and jambalaya. I really liked the etouffee! It had quite a bit of a spicy kick, which I loved. I also had a few bites of the muffaletta, which was delicious. It's not exactly like the ones we had in NOLA but still tasty. We were way too full for dessert, but the options all sounded great. Hopefully they add sweet beignets soon! Really excited for this new addition to downtown, and hope to visit again soon.

    Yakamein
    Emily J.

    Experience a slice of New Orleans right here in GR! Specializing in cajun and southern cuisine, Garden District is packing a punch with flavor. We tried the jambalaya, the Gumbo Yaya, and the Yakamein, and were in paradise! From seafood to sausage, they were on point! The location is perfect downtown, and it's a super fun atmosphere for a dinner out!

    Crawfish Po Boy
    Person ..

    food was fantastic, loved the environment, the server was very nice. would definitely go again !

    Okay, let me begin by saying that the atmosphere and the staff were on point. The place was super cool with that inner city brick appearance, and the staff were very helpful and friendly! The only constructive comment I can make about the atmosphere is that the place was very loud. For dinner, I had the pork, beans and rice meal and my wife had the moz sandwich with fries. Honestly 3 out of 10 for both. The sandwich was a cold cut and the bread was dry. My pork and beans with rice meal was dominated with the rice and beans with very little meat. To be transparent, this isn't really our type of food, but we wanted to try something different. Just know that meals are spicy with a Cajun twist. Lastly, we also got the brownie skillet with vanilla ice cream. When it came to our table, the heat of the skillet melted the vanilla ice cream, and it almost turned the dessert into some sort of soupy chocolate/vanilla mix. It was very flavorful, but kind of ran together. In summary, we probably won't return, but to be honest this really wasn't our thing when it comes to type of cuisine we enjoy. So if spicy Cajun food is your thing, you may want to check it out..

    Hurricane
    Jessie H.

    What a great dinner! Stopped in prior to an event and got right in to sit at the bar. The nice bartender took care of me and she did a great job. Started off with a hurricane and the crawfish beignets because what else would you start with in a Cajun restaurant! Both were great the drink was strong and refreshing and the beignets were crispy and spicy with a great remoulade sauce. We had the gumbo for dinner it was delicious! Spicy! I will definitely remember it for the next cold day when you need something to stick to your bones and warm you up! Ended with the Cafe Du Monde Martini which was a perfect twist on an espresso martini and a pecan pound cake to go! I will definitely be going back!! Plus the dancing crawfish in the window were really cute!

    Jambalaya
    Aaron C.

    Great food. Solid service. Cool ambiance. Loved my jambalaya and n/a drink. Would recommend for a night out dinner, especially if you love fish (I'm not a huge fish guy).

    Crawfish Po Boy

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    23 days ago

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    Jessica J.

    Thank you Jaila! We hope you return soon to try that Gumbo :)

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    Jessica J.

    Thank you so much for leaving us this feedback Jon! We appreciate you!

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    Thank you so much! We appreciate you!

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    Jessica J.

    Thank you Tony! We hope to see you in again soon!

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    Thank you Jeff!

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    4 months ago

    The pecan pound cake was heavenly and reason enough to visit. The servers were great and I loved the peach daiquiri .

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    Thanks so much, Dan!

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Garden District

    Gin Gin's

    Gin Gin's

    4.6
    (226 reviews)
    0.7 mi

    We've been dying to try GinGin's for ages and finally scored a 7:00 reservation for last night and…read moreit ABSOLUTELY lived up to the hype. The atmosphere is bustling, but dark and romantic. Service was top notch from start to finish. Plates were cleared between each course, we were checked on often but not too much and felt super taken care of. The tart strawberry mocktail was one of the best I've ever had, refreshing and perfectly balanced. We started with the truffle arancini- it sits on top of a bed of black pepper aioli which was to die for. The gem salad was fresh- loved the addition of crispy prosciutto&mandarins. I had the double waygu burger with fries(highly recommend asking for a side of the black pepper aioli for your fries!!) while my husband had the hanger steak frites. Both were cooked perfectly and SO flavorful. We were stuffed, but had to finish with the tiramisu. It came in a chilled glass- so appreciate the attention to detail. I'll be thinking about this meal until I can come back for more!

    I went to went to Gin Gins when they first opened and haven't been back until now. And let me tell…read moreyou, they have stayed the best in GR for a reason. Food is fresh, service is excellent and the ambiance is cool too. My waitress was on it with her recs! She helped me find a gin drink to my linking and talked up the scallops. I got them and loved it! Dishes were a bit garlicky, but I like garlic! The bed tartar was wonderful and I enjoyed how they "chunked" the meat instead of making it a mush. My friend got a steak on top of the gnocchi and really enjoyed it! Overall I think this restaurant is worth the hype and canto wait to dine here again! It's important to know that if you want to dine here, plan to reserve a table ahead or plan to wait for a table. They hold 50% of table s for walk ins. Parking DT is always a challenge and once they build the soccer stadium, I imagine it will be craziness. It just takes a bit of planning.

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    Seating
    Seating
    Faroe Island Salmon; roasted asparagus, endive, parsley caper gremolata, citrus beurre blanc, chives
    Faroe Island Salmon; roasted asparagus, endive, parsley caper gremolata, citrus beurre blanc, chives
    Ribeye with side of mushrooms

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    Ribeye with side of mushrooms
    Allora

    Allora

    4.4
    (38 reviews)
    0.3 mi

    Absolutely amazing multi-course dinner and drinks at Allora. Hands down one of the most creative,…read morefreshest and best meal we've had in a long time. Every course was beautifully/ thoughtfully prepared and absolutely delicious! We can't wait to go back, perfect for an unforgettable date night. The quality was truly superb. Special shoutout to our incredible server Brendon - he made the whole evening feel so special, fun and created an amazing dining experience! Also can't stop dreaming about the desserts!

    Grand Rapids is in need of authentic modern Italian and Allora does it well for western Michigan…read morebut misses mark over preventable execution. I sat at the bar and was met with good but indifferent service. I stated with their take on a dirty martini, L'oro sporco, which was very well executed; the honey really balanced the brine. I order the bread, it was stale on the sides and crust but a day ago this would have been a well made foccacia. The whipped Gorgonzola was great. The octopus came next, it had a nice balance of acid, was well seasoned, but some octopus was very overcooked and rubbery. The gnocchi was soft and pillowy with great brown butter notes, however the guanciale was burnt to a crisp and affected the dish. The sauce and tapenade were great. Here's where they shined, the agnolotti - perfectly cooked pasta, nice acid, goat cheese and pea notes. The fried chips provided a really nice contrast to the pasta. The ramp pesto is delicious. The asparagus's and peas are flavorful and well cooked. I can't believe this came out of the same kitchen as the last pasta fish and bread. If they can fix a few easy cooking mistakes and have a more friendly front of house, Allora could be the top of the GR food scene.

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    Main Dining Room
    Main Dining Room
    Day Boat Scallops
    Day Boat Scallops
    Exterior of Allora

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    Exterior of Allora
    MDRD

    MDRD

    4.3
    (201 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$$

    Having a good time together on the 27th floor at the Amway Plaza Hotel in Grand Rapids. Caroline…read moreand her husband came from Arizona for the Board Meeting in Michigan. Meeting new people is always fun! Amway Grand Plaza Hotel and Madrid Tapas Bar had beautiful views and great ambiance. We had ceviche, octopus, pork belly and sangria together!

    I had one of the best meals I can remember at MDRD. First, the restaurant has a beautiful view of…read morethe river. I was with a large group, so I got to sample a number of tapas, which were ordered for the table. I loved the Iberico Pork Belly, and the Wild Boar Empanadas. I thought the Croquetas and the Patatas Bravos were good, though there are other things I'd order in the future. I thought the Ceviche Mixta was ok, though I'm not usually a fan of ceviche, and this was better than most. My least favorite was the Pulpo a la Gallega. While the octopus was tender, it had an unpleasant fishy flavor. I got the Chuletas de Cordero for a main course, and was so happy with the dish. The lamb chops were cooked perfectly and seasoned well. I really liked the chickpea topping. My only quibble was the dried apple slices added nothing to the dish. They had an unpleasant chewy texture, little flavor, and didn't add to the aesthetics. I would order this again in a heartbeat. I ordered the Árbol de Frambuesa, and it was an amazing dessert. The chocolate souffle was thicker and creamier than I expected, but it was so delicious! I don't want to ruin the surpise of this dish by describing how it looked. I would also order this again.

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    Ambiance
    Ambiance
    Iberico Pork Belly
    Iberico Pork Belly
    Smoked Salmón con Trufa

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    Smoked Salmón con Trufa
    Littlebird

    Littlebird

    4.6
    (533 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    It's my birthday weekend and wanted to treat myself to a luxurious brunch. Of course I chose…read moreLittlebird for the best French omelettes in the area. I adore crab so ordering that was a no brainer. Their coffee is strong. It took a ton of cream to change the color... though it was delicious with free refills for $5. The omelette was heaven. All the flavors melded well and I appreciated the crisp acidic salad to cut the richness of the omelette. My only critique is wishing the crab salad topping was a bit more decadent. For $21 I was hoping for big lumps of crab rather than cool shredded mayo based salad. All in all, I love this place, I love the concept. It was quite busy and was thankful to snag a seat at the bar. The service was friendly and quick. Best hipster establishment I've patronized in a long time. Make a reservation if you have a group or pray there is a seat at the bar. Keep doing your thang Littlebird!!

    I absolutely love Little Bird's smashburger and I will die on this hill. It's probably one of the…read morebest burgers (if not the best) dine-in burger in GR and I will constantly come back for this over and over. My boyfriend and I stumbled in during happy hour and were happy to grab some cheap drinks, but the main event was the burger! We typically like sitting at the bar as well and chat with the bartender who was absolutely lovely! The dirty martini was okay but I will definitely order something else next time as the olives just didn't hit for me. It's a quaint and quiet spot - you can read that as intimate - since it's not loud or rowdy, so if you want a really sweet date spot, feel free to check this one out! Otherwise, you can just go and have a casual, delicious dinner. Parking is limited with the street parking and it being so close to Monroe Center but you shouldn't have a terrible time finding something, even if requires a parking ramp vs street parking. I'd just recommend a reservation if you are going on a weekend or don't want to wait/sit at the bar!

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Beet salad
    Beet salad
    Outside

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    Outside

    Garden District - cajun - Updated June 2026

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