We recently celebrated a family member's birthday at this HopCat and had a nice experience. Our group of 8 sat in the outdoor courtyard area with some shade. The patio isn't anything super special but it was nice to be able to enjoy the nice weather outside. I used to visit HopCat pretty frequently but it had been several years since I'd been to this location. Inside is pretty roomy so it seems good for larger groups. When we visited, the menu included a $15 "pick 'em" menu, where you can choose a main, side, and a drink (fountain pop included; select beer is an extra $2 or a draft cocktail is an extra $3). This is a pretty great deal and several of our group went this route. I ordered the chicken dunkers that come with fries - the tenders were hot and fresh and decently sized. I love a good chicken tender so I had no complaints. Everyone else seemed to enjoy their food - I tried some of Nate's reuben, which was very good (but could have used a bit more cheese in my opinion). I have to call out the service - our server was great even though she was the only one working the patio with a few large groups. The food runners were awesome also, apologizing for the waits as they had some line cooks call in that day. read more

HopCat - Beer Bar Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

Such a great place for beer and burgers. Jake our server added to the vibe we were feeling. read more

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Great food and service! Love all the appetizers! Great specials throughout the week! Weekend brunch is also good!

Love the ambience inside , it's a large space authentic cozy tables. The menu offers a wide variety of options including brunch on Saturday and Sunday. The pesto turkey grilled cheese was amazing! Very friendly service all around read more

This was the first place we stopped after moving to Kalamazoo after recommendation from our movers and WOW I could not be more delighted to have this place nearby. We went during happy hour (M-F 3-6pm & 9-close) and got bone-in wings (garlic parm & honey sriracha), cosmik fries, and mama mia dip. Everything was sooo delicious that I can't wait to try the rest of the menu. The beer and alcohol menu is vast and overwhelming at first, but our waiter was super friendly and knowledgeable about the different brews and gave us good recommendations. Lastly, the inside was cute with a mix of fun styles: rustic industrial seating, space age bar scene, and kitschy art pop artwork. read more

Staff was nice and polite, loved the vibe inside. It kind of reminded me of a restaurant we visited when we were in Tennessee. read more

HopCat - Food was great, was in town for school and wanted Anton try out a burger. Not going to lie it was great. - Beer Bar Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

Refused service? I am visiting kalamazoo and google suggested Shakespears, Hopcat, Old Dogs, Louie's Trophy's... Topcat was empty except for one table, so I ordered a Lyft to leave. It was 20 mins away, so I sat down and ordered a vodka, OJ. I was refused service. I hope the owner has video and reviews it. I am 65 and that is a first. read more

The food here was quite good. We started with a sampler platter. The pretzel pieces with the cheese were solid. The corn elote dip with the chips was also great! The cheese curds were sooooo salty. The boneless wings were average but fine. The tomato soup that came on the side was fantastic! I dipped my grilled cheese into it. The grilled cheese has some delicious crispy edges as well as some gooey goodness. It was a nice sized meal for the price. Yum! The service was fine. Nothing great but it wasn't bad either. I would come back read more

We had the loaded cosmik fries which were really good. Service was prompt and really accommodating since we were a party of four and really only wanted to pop in to try the fries! read more

HopCat - Loaded Cosmik Fries - Beer Bar Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

The food here is awesome! Great outdoor patio that welcomes dogs! We had the hangover burger and the beef sandwich and both were delicious! Their fries are crispy and had lots of flavor. I wish I remembered the name of the server, she was a sweetheart! We were there Sunday 8/23 around 12:30 with our pup. read more

Went here for drinks. Beer was so-so. Nothing really stuck out or would make us come back. Sometimes a good drink will make for a return visit. The place was nice and we sat outside. The worst part was probably the service. Our server took about 20 minutes to acknowledge us. Then quite awhile before our drinks came. Then she just ignored us and we had to wave her down for a follow up drink. We wanted to have another, but gave up as we had been there over an hour for 2 drinks each. Thankful we didn't purchase food. I can't imagine how long that would've taken. read more

Haven't been to a Hopcat since they closed the one in Broad Ripple Indiana. Still love Hopcat. Fantastic food--especially the crack fries. Great beer selection. And I love this location's Heritage Guitars theme as I'm a big classic Gibson fan. Staff here were friendly and all seemed like they probably went to the university. Definitely made me happy to get some Hopcat back in my life. read more

HopCat - Beer Bar Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

We had gone to see a show down the road a bit at Bell's but by the time the show wrapped their kitchen had closed. Starving, we looked for some late night dining options and HopCat was the easiest fit. We have many a HopCat on the SE side of the state so part of me wanted to mix it up for my first trip to Kalamazoo in years but the time of night was not on our side. So we strolled over to enjoy a quick bite before heading back to our B&B in Saugatuck. I was seriously jonesing for something salty, so I went with the nachos which really hit the spot. My husband got the fish and chips and while I was more than satisfied with my nachos, I was actually pretty jealous of his plate cos that fish was GREAT (actually, writing this review just reminded me that I should order this from my local HopCat tomorrow for Good Friday!) It was a Friday night so I assumed they'd be packed but there were only a handful of tables full which meant we were able to get in and out relatively quickly. Service was great and everyone, from the host to our server, was quite friendly and attentive. In the end if you've been to one HopCat you're not going to experience anything new here but it's a reliable and solid local Michigan brand that I've rarely been disappointed by. read more

HopCat - Beer Bar Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

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We ordered thru DoorDash. My dasher was great . The food tasted delish! How ever there was no silverware for the kids Mac and of course I was charged for ketchup and didn't get any. read more

HopCat - Hangover Helper with loaded fries. - Beer Bar Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

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We love Hopcat and come often. It's is always delicious. Fries and cheese dip is the best. Wife wanted this elote dip and I wasn't sure about it. It ended up being pretty good. Would recommend. read more

HopCat - Elote Queso. Creamy, cheesy and delicious. - Beer Bar Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

I had the pleasure of introducing some friends to what Hopcat used to call 'Crack' fries. Tasted great as usual. I appreciate the consistency. I go about 1x a year. Consistently tasty. read more

Overall, very good! They have a large open patio space in the back the only downside is that it is right next to the train. When the train whistle blows it is pretty loud. The food and drinks were good! The cowboy burger was as expected and the fries were decent! Freshly fried. The bbq chicken salad was a little over dressed but pretty good. The wait staff was incredibly nice and were well attentive. read more

We had a large group of 7 which usually does not go well for me. My biggest gripe is that we ordered 2 Brussel sprouts for the table and someone else just dropped them on the table and didn't slow down for us to tell him or to ask for plates. We had to wait and grab another server to bring us plates. It would have been nice to have a serving spoon too for everyone. The Rueben,chicken and waffles and pickled chicken were all good choices. read more

Went here yesterday for lunch and had a nice time. We ate only appetizers and had a few beers, but the service was good, foot acceptable, and beer okay. The restaurant is quite large, with the bar in the middle and I like this layout. I suggest you give this place a try if in the area. read more

The food was so mediocre, the servers do not do a good job at clearing tables, my server apologized for misunderstanding me when i ordered and still charged me for his mistake. read more

This restaurant has very good service. They servers always come and check on you regularly and they are always kind. The ambiance is very cute with portraits of artist around the walls and the indoor and outdoor seating. I really personally like their drinks, Shirley temple as a favorite and they don't add cherries but they usually make it pretty well with good sprite-to-grenadine proportions. One this I don't really favor is all their food is quite salty. The fries as a good example. In the picture you can see the salt and while they are highly seasoned, (which is good), they are just too much. I got the Philly cheesesteak when I went last, and while it was good, it was still very salty and the cheese wasn't my favorite. Overall, the restaurant is a very cute place that I would recommend going to get drinks with people, but favorably not food. read more

HopCat - Philly cheesesteak with fries - Beer Bar Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

Gabby is the best bartender in Kalamazoo!! They have the best cocktails in downtown hands down! If you haven't requested her next time you're in you are missing out! read more

HopCat - Beer Bar Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

I was so disappointed in our experience at HopCat Kalamazoo. As a proud Western alum, I was excited to bring my family from Battle Creek for a special dinner. Unfortunately, what should have been a fun evening turned into one of the worst dining experiences we've had. We made a reservation online for standard seating (specifically opting out of high tops), since I had my 2-year-old twins, 6-year-old son, and my 78-year-old grandmother with me. When we arrived, the hostess seemed overwhelmed, agitated, and dismissive. She insisted I hadn't specified seating, even though I had, then asked if we'd take a table outside. We agreed, only to be seated quite literally in the bushes, at a dirty, unkempt patio spot that felt like the worst seats in the house not the lively downtown patio atmosphere you'd expect. Service was no better. We waited 15 minutes just for utensils for the kids and asked three separate times before they arrived. My children's meals were ordered right away, yet they came out an hour later (and even then, the wrong items). When I finally asked for a manager, Adam came to our table already looking irritated. Instead of showing empathy or trying to resolve the situation, he was short, dismissive, and visibly annoyed. At one point, he literally walked away mid-conversation after saying "ok" with an "I don't care" expression. To top it off, when my grandmother asked if bugs were common outside since the little ones were with us, our server replied, "Well, you are outside" as though we had chosen that seating option. By the end of the night, after waiting endlessly for food that never came, I requested to cancel the order. We left hungry, frustrated, and $98 lighter for food that was untouched. I still tipped the server out of courtesy and even apologized to the nearby table for the disruption, but the lack of care from management was inexcusable. It honestly wouldn't have taken much to make this right just a simple, "I'm so sorry for the inconvenience. How can I turn this around for you?" Instead, the poor service was compounded by poor leadership. Adam, the manager, set the tone for the entire night with his lack of professionalism, empathy, and basic customer service skills. We won't be back, and I won't recommend HopCat Kalamazoo to family, friends, or fellow alumni. Save yourself the disappointment--there are plenty of restaurants in Kalamazoo that actually value their guests. read more

Steak frites took 45 minutes to come out and was so overcooked. I would have asked for them to remake but I didn't want to wait. Definitely not worth $19. Pretzel nugz 10/10 Overall hopcat did not slay today read more

HopCat - NEW Steak Frites Side Cosmik Fries - Beer Bar Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

Amazing food!! And great staff! I would definitely come back and bring my family to enjoy a meal

Big recommendation here. A bar-burger place with a very wood aesthetic and a nice amount of open space. It's a little dark, but the food is excellent. The Hangover Helper is just about the perfect mix of ingredients on a burger, and both draft beers I tried were smooth and not gimmicky. The service is fast and friendly, and the only part of my meal I wasn't very impressed with was the cookie dough cheesecake, it had a little too much chocolate for my liking. Try it! read more

HopCat - Bar - Beer Bar Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

We've been here several times, and sadly, I feel like the food quality is going downhill. We ordered three burgers (one was Bar Zee), a chicken Ceasar salad, and the fish and chips. The Bar Zee was tasty, but the jalapeños were definitely not pickled and the haystack onions were soggy. The ceasar salad honestly looked like a half salad - I asked my father in law if he had ordered a half salad - the plate was smallish and the portion was even smaller. The fish and chips tasted fine (but breading was very soggy), but smelled so awfully fishy that we were almost afraid to even eat it. It's typically our go to when we are visiting our son at WMU, but I'm not sure we won't try to find somewhere else next time. read more

Amazing service and incredible food. Make sure you try the mac and cheese. The burger and steak sandwich is my favorite, along with the fries. read more

HopCat - Bar - Beer Bar Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

Food was subpar. Brussel sprouts were missing the sprout?? Just a bowl of burnt and somewhat oily leaves. Fries were great and burger was ok. Beer was great. Pretty chilly, had to bundle up but nice looking interior. Server was friendly and attentive read more

Payton was absolutely AMAZING!! I drove a long way for some cosmik fries and he did not let me down!!!! He was the sweetest bartender and I'll def be back next time I'm in Michigan! read more

HopCat - Beer Bar Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

Coffee was cold and the server forgot to bring milk and sugar, bathroom had a broken pipe and stunk. Food would have been good if they hadn't forgotten to put the egg on my breakfast skillet. Then they remade it wrong, didn't end up eating anything there. Waitress was lovely though. Manager came out and apologized. read more

Gabby is the best!! She gives great service and makes the best drinks!! Request gabby!! read more

HopCat - Beer Bar Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

Big No. wanted to try a new place in Kalamazoo and I should have skipped this place. I order a burger that came out raw and bacon was half cooked after waiting a long time for the food. I sent it back and waited another 15+ mins and still nothing. I cancelled the order and the waitress did not even say sorry or even seem to care. She then comes back almost 10 mins later and says the burger is up now if I wanted it. I don't! This is not a place I would come back to. Not worth it with the undercooked food and servers who just don't care. I guess they never heard of cooking an order on the fly. The two stars are for the truffle fries. read more

One of my favorite places in summer time to enjoy a cold tap beer, both locals as well as a great variety of other locations. Food is very good, I love their cheese fries and the Buffalo rolls. Those are our favorites , you can never go wrong with them. It's been a couple of times we have come with family and have dinner here in the patio. It's great to be outside before winter comes...the only thing that you will certainly experience is the train that goes right to the side of the patio, which is kind of loud. But that's what a different experience is about. I love it, and I enjoy seeing the faces of the other people, especially if it's their first time . Looking forward for those summer nights with friends in this place... read more

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Love the menu changes, always good food!! I love the fish and chips and the pickle back chicken sandwich!! read more

Great place. Good food, great atmosphere and beer selection. Only negative is the bartender was wearing way too much perfume. Every time she walked by it was overpowering. read more

HopCat does so many things right, where to begin? Draft list is extensive, yet my wife also enjoyed her fruit summer cocktail. Beer lovers can taste the rainbow here, but I appreciate the emphasis on MI breweries. The food tends toward the kind of food you'd expect at a "typical" microbrewery, but with notable exceptions that are downright healthful (and several plant-based options). Best to go for your cheat meal ;) but if you're keeping it tight then you can still get a great meal without feeling left out or disappointed. The patio is large and is a laidback spot to enjoy a summer evening. #PureMichigan read more

We decided to try this place out on a Sunday night because we were limited on options. We tried the honey sriracha wings which was my least favorite. The Nashville hot wings were great, good amount of flavor and heat. Cheese cake creme brulee was also great but came drizzled with caramel and strawberry puree which was a little strange. Service was okay the day we went. It was busy and short staffed so I'm sure any other day would have been quicker, but we were not in any rush. They were busy when we had gone and there were several take out orders, which is a good sign. read more

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So good. So grateful open on a holiday. About .03 of a mile from the hotel. Split Mac n cheese and a burger. Excellent drinks and beer. Lovely surprise check it out! read more

HopCat - DBL Smash Burger - Beer Bar Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

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The food was good, the service was even better. We really liked the vibe here! We sat outside and enjoyed the night.