TOP 5 BEST DIVE BARS IN KALAMAZOO! ********* A YOOPER bar without the 6-hour drive. They even have pasties! The rest is worth the money bar food. Dive beer to a wide selection of micro beers. My lady who enjoys nice wine can even get by with ODT's selection. *********** You never know what will show up for open mic. We witnessed a four-man trombone band; this nailed a song by Kansas! The train tracks have an easement right through the property and go by 10 feet from you table; It is spectacular to watch! ******** Best souvenir is to leave with a flannel shirt. ******* You can expect the owner or one of fabulous daughters to great you at the bar. Family owned and run. read more

The worst dining experience I have ever had in Kalamazoo. Went there for the Moose Soir'eh. Waited over 90 minutes for some poutine. The wait staff told us multiple stories as to why it was late before it came. They offered to refund the food but guess what they did not. And I got sick after eating it. Trash. read more

Once again a fabulous experience having dinner with old friends. Pasties! Dive beers! Great staff. Good karaoke music and KALAMAZOO!! Cheers Old Dog. So good to be back. Miss you so much. (Didn't get to see Shawn, but wish him well too!) read more

See all

Good old pub with original signs from past Kalamazoo pubs, plus Live music Also outdoor area in good weather read more

Came in wanting a burger and a beer for dinner. Turns out their kitchen was closed at 6:30pm and I was told it was because they had a private party earlier that day and so they just overall suck at being able to run a business, so I was SOL for being a normal customer. Not only pathetic and incompetent, but the two woman the owner was hitting on got free chips and salsa down the bar. Well, f--k you too old man, and that sad haggard in the overalls behind the counter. You both suck read more

The atmosphere here is pretty cool. The food was pretty good, I was impressed! The staff made us feel welcome. We'll be back!

Pleasantly surprised when we saw the signage outside stating they were open! They have an amazing outdoor patio area that is lively and full of fun activities for everyone. Currently, they offer only certain daily specials on their chalkboards for food. But the food they offer is SPECTACULAR! I ordered their fish tacos, which were fresh and delicious. Husband ordered their Husky burger and WOW, was that fantastic! (See pictures!) The interior still offers the same eclectic collection of cool decor. All employees seemed genuinely happy to be back in action. If you're looking for a fun night out, be sure to check them out! read more

See all

Beer was great! Ate before we came because wasn't sure what the menu was. So I'm posting it.

Great place to have drinks and food. Their menu is very limited and they only had one whisky, just 1? Really? There were no mixed drinks in the menu, none what do people who don't drink beer do? Whine? There are only 6 options, 6? Really. They had a band last night, we couldn't understand a word they were saying/singing it was so loud we couldn't even hear ourselves think, much less talk. That bass was so loud and it sounded as if they were playing the same tune over and over. Our group left and we went somewhere else. Service was good. We loved the bands outdoors . read more

Old Dog Tavern - Live music - American Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

We are in from out of town and went there with two little ones. We wound up being served by the owner who went COMPLETELY out of her way to make sure that we had our food quickly to ensure our kids didn't lose their minds. Like, she went into the kitchen and helped cook the food. Completely went above and beyond. In addition, there were signs stating they were short staffed, and that if you needed anything, to approach the bar. She took care of us like we were in her home. Outside of a great experience, the food was delicious, beer was cold and the live music was good, and not over the top loud. If you want a place to be able to have a conversation, enjoy some good food AND be able to have a conversation, this place is a great option. read more

Have not been here in years but loved it then. Yes, it's kind of a hipster bar which isn't my scene but great people, pretty good food (hard to find good pasty's) and great shows in the back. read more

Went here on a Friday night and the place was PACKED!!! We had the best time ever despite the crowd! Great selection of beers and drinks, they have a great menu of yummy foods too! It was late, so we ordered off the "late night menu" how cool right?? We ordered pretzels and they came with some beer cheese and honey mustard, they were soooo delicious! We also got some buffalo wings with ranch and blue cheese! These were definitely right up my alley! I'm what they call a chicken wing connoisseur! The atmosphere was awesome, everyone was laid back, there was a woman singing and she had the most amazing voice! I had such a great time and can't wait to go back!! read more

See all

My husband and I drove to Kalamazoo for a concert taking place at Bell's. We didn't want to get there painfully early, and I wanted some cheap food before we drank beers and danced the night away. We parked across the street from the brewery and Old Dog Tavern caught my eye. It looked like my kinda place so we headed over. We were greeted by a brass band playing on the stage. They were surprisingly good for a four-piece. We took a seat at the winding bar, closer to the stage. This ended up being a mistake because the bartenders rarely visited us down there. We noticed they spent most of their time in the back room. They had a Friday special... the bump and wash. A shot of well whiskey and a Miller High Life for only $5. We also ordered a pulled pork sandwich to share. Our drinks were served immediately and food came not long after. The pulled pork was really good on its own but the sauce complemented it perfectly. It was served with seasoned chips which were also respectable. I'd definitely visit Old Dog when I'm in K-zoo in the future. read more

Old Dog Tavern - Beers on tap 9/2016 - American Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

See all

[Wow. After reading some of these recent reviews I'm wondering if my experience was an anomaly or if I just caught the "good shift"...] So I FINALLY made it to Old Dog to eat. I'd been there late evening/night before just for a quick drink or two but never spent any real time in there. Had a dinner & movie night planned. To be honest our first choice was HopCat but they were packed! It was 10 minutes to 6 and our flick started at 7:40p; HopCat estimated the wait time about 40 minutes. So that was a no-go for us. So after deciding against Bells, we walked over to Old Dog. Old Dog was also very busy, but unlike HopCat we were seated almost immediately! The bar is kind of cramped feeling when full but not uncomfortably so. The sound level was just above a low roar, again not annoying loud, but loud. After a few staff shot past us without acknowledgement (i assumed we weren't their table, but still they could say "someone will be with you soon" or something to that effect), one server stopped and asked if we'd been helped. She said we weren't her table but she noticed us waiting, so she would just "take us over". Which worked out great as she was a fantastic server! I wish I had gotten her name. She had an awesome smile, was funny, had great recommendations, and was attentive even as busy as the bar was. Which in hindsight was because of WMU Homecoming... which we totally forgot about. Cie la vie... We ordered our food promptly as we had perused the menu while waiting for a server (about 7-8 minutes) and even as busy as they were, the wait was decent. Food came out in about 15 minutes give or take. It probably helped that we both had burgers, which should be an easy order in anyone's kitchen! Speaking of the burgers... ok I don't really consider myself a burger snob or aficionado, but I know my way around a good burger. THESE were good burgers! Easily in my top five in the Kzoo/Portage area. Juicy, flavorful, cooked EXACTLY as ordered! The buns were fresh & soft. The kettle chips were also fantastic! The server, when asked, admitted they were "from a bag, but locally sourced" which is absolutely fine with me as they were delicious! After that superb meal we made it to the theater (AMC downtown) with plenty of time to see the seemingly endless parade of trailers and advertisements you have to slog through before the movie ever starts. But that's a review of another color. Don't get me started. PRO: Awesome burgers! Great server (maybe we got the "good one")! Decent prices (we didn't order alcohol) CON: kind of cramped when full, the majority of the staff tends to "not see you" unless actively addressed. Parking sucks, like every other business in that area besides Bells. *Recommended - but read the other reviews to get a complete picture... read more

Old Dog Tavern - Now that's a burger! - American Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

I stopped in to Old Dog Tavern for brunch on Saturday around 11 and was pleasantly surprised with the menu offerings. The place is a bit of a dive with an old west saloon-type bar. There are a few pinball machines in the front room, a small stage in the main bar area, a second smaller bar, and a huge outdoor space with picnic tables, covered patio area, a larger stage and lots of room for hanging out with some beers. The brunch menu features standbys like scrambles, 2 egg combo, Benedicts, pancakes, French toast and a breakfast burrito. They also have some more unique dishes including a breakfast pasty, quinoa bowl, and breakfast mac and cheese. They also have a bloody Mary bar ($6) and mimosas ($5). I ordered the breakfast mac and cheese and it was amazing! It was super creamy and cheesy with bacon, sausage, onions and tomato, topped with an over easy egg. My boyfriend got the breakfast pasty, which was perfectly crusty and covered in sausage gravy. They also have daily features - on this day they had a special scramble with mushrooms, basil, and mozzarella and chocolate chunk pancakes. The service was fine (it wasn't very busy) and we all enjoyed our food! Old Dog also has a pretty decent tap list as well as daily drink specials (including Ladies night - half off drinks!). I would have expected the brunch drinks to be a bit cheaper but overall I would definitely come back for brunch again! Stop in, you might be surprised too. read more

See all

went to the Old Dog Tavern last night. The pizza and appetizers were very good! The beer tasted wonderful. my friends had mixed drinks and enjoyed them from Bartender Olivia. owner Amy was on site and ensured our evening was fun. much better environment than some of the overcrowded bars where you cant hear the person next to you. Recommend giving this bar a visit. read more

Eclectic bar with about a dozen truly interesting microbrews on tap. A lot of tempting items on the menu including some of the best Michigan pasties that I have laid a taste bud on. Friendly and helpful bartenders. Sunday brunch looks tempting (see pix of brunch menu). Big Buck Hunter Pro and Game of Thrones Pinball in the Table Tennis room to the right as you enter. Pro Tip: Park in the paved medical center parking lot after 6:00 PM instead of the muddy hole filled parking lot next to the tavern. read more

See all

We've been to Old Dog Tavern many times to go to Benjammin but hadn't actually gotten food before today. To be short, we were certainly whelmed. We got there at about 930 and Benjammin starts at 10. If you want a seat close to the stage, you definitely need to get there much earlier than that. We were seated at the end of the bar area. We ordered and about 40 minutes later our food for 3 people came. It definitely gets busy on Saturday mornings, but 40 minutes felt like a long time. And by the time the food came most of it was room temperature at best. Our party ordered a breakfast bowl, two eggs which came with dry toast (no butter or jelly to be found) and potatoes and a kids French toast. The bowl was half potatoes half scrambled eggs, with a bit of green pepper, red onion, and mushrooms (which we had asked to be left off). The food was incredibly bland - nothing had flavor. The potatoes looked like they were attempted to be seasoned, but really tasted like just a potato. I really wanted to like the breakfast here, because I love that they offer a place for kids to take in a free show, but I won't pay that much for bland food. I'll go to Food Dance first and then come for the show and order just a drink. Oh which I also ordered, and my hot cocoa still had chunks of dry powder pieces in it. So don't get hot cocoa either. read more

Old Dog Tavern - Eggs, dry toast, potatoes - American Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

See all

I've been going to Old Dog for years now and absolutely love this place. It's next to the glitzy college 20 something filled Hop Cat and let me tell you... this place is so much cooler. Fun at nights. Great food. Low key. Nice staff this is a place you can let your hair down and enjoy a conversation with a random neighbor because they're there. Pro Tip: PARENTS listen up- ever Saturday morning they have BenJammin come in and he does fully interactive children's educational music while mom and dad cN enjoy their well priced and robust Bloody Mary bar. It's perfect. Hope the see you there :) read more

See all

I can't post a review, since I couldn't find the Bar. I had GPS taking me all over the place. I hope to find it in the future so I can try the pastie read more

Truth be told we were coming here to get lit up on some cheep PBR's... but a funny thing happened on the way to trash town: olives. Not only is ODT one of the coolest bars in Kzoo, they also have bangin food. You probably can't tell by the attached picture (thanks to my jerk off kids hitting my arm while I was trying to document this masterpiece), but I ordered the olive burger. De-damn-licious! Burger cooked to perfection and just the right amount of olives. Disclosure: I love olives. A lot. If you are downtown and need good grub, this is the place to go... just don't take my kids with you. #ruiners read more

Old Dog Tavern - American Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

The only time I frequent the Old Dog Tavern is for their Sunday Night Jam session. It had been a while since we went to one of these jam sessions, but made a special trip there last night since the musicians were honoring a fellow musician who recently passed away. Our server was very attentive. I wish I would have gotten her name. I had the Old Dog Old Fashioned which I really liked the first one, but the 2nd one I ordered was too sweet. For dinner, I ordered the Thai Chili Shrimp Tacos. They were pretty good. D had the meatloaf, which he must have liked since his plate was licked clean. The place was packed. I was glad we arrived about an hour prior to the jam session starting. Seating can be tough unless you get there early. Plus there are certain seats I don't like to sit at mainly those that are close to stage, near the door, and nor do I care for high top tables. Overall, we had a okay experience until our bill arrived. We were informed when they saw we were paying with a credit card that there would be a 3.5% (I think) fee for using a credit card. Our bill was $82 without the fee, but please who carries that much cash. When you figure in the tip, we were looking at nearly $100. Totally turned me off that a restaurant would do this. We ate out both Friday and Saturday nights and neither of these local (non-chain) restaurants charged a service fee for using a charge card. Sorry, Old Dog, this just doesn't make sense. read more

Old Dog Tavern - Thai Chili Shrimp Tacos - American Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

As Old Dog has become more popular it seems the quality has declined. Service is inconsistent and slow. The staff are nice, but seem usually lost. The menu is limited, but not done very well. Usually, a limited menu would include several really great dishes and Old Dog just falls short in this area. Drinks are plentiful and fair priced for what you get. This is an established Kalamazoo tavern that will be around for the long haul, and surely has some ups and downs. Here's to hoping there are some improvements in the near future. read more

I came here with family over the holidays. Tuesday's is karaoke night, and there were some really great acts and some sub par. If you're looking to have a conversation, it can get a little loud so it may not be the best place for this on that particular day. The beer deals are average and we didn't order food. We were looking over the menu and they were out of a number of their starters. It was December 26, so it is possible that they weren't receiving new shipments until the next day. I am big into fries and sadly they didn't have these on their menu either. Overall, not a bad spot! Just depends on what you're looking for. read more

I've been in here a few times and it's always been fairly busy even though it was a random week night. They pour drinks strong - thank you! There's always entertainment and things to do from music to games! Highly recommend! Great spot for get togethers, date or to go by yourself! Haven't tried their food yet but definitely will soon. Everything on the menu sounds delicious!! read more

This is a "dive bar" review so the 4 stars is only meant to reflect how this place compares to other similar establishments and not as a restaurant (although it does have bar food which we saw coming out of the kitchen but we didn't order any). The atmosphere was fun and, being in a college town, was populated by your typical mix of college kids ranging from your stoner pseudo-hippies, to your hat-on-backwards loud talking "bros". It was a football weekend so there were a lot of out of towners and other people ranging in age from early 20's to 50's. They had live music which was really good although probably a little too folksy for some people's taste but it was still a lot of fun. Bottom line: If you like dive bars with a predominately college crowd (as opposed to a working man's neighborhood bar) then you will like this place. read more

Great vibes! An eclectic atmosphere with historic Kalamazoo signs. The staff are quick & super friendly. Owners are hands-on and really fun. The pizza is delicious, drinks are yummy & the apps I have had are fresh & delish! Love this place! read more

Despite my better judgment, I've only been here twice. Both of my visits to Old Dog have been spent in their nifty outdoor area, and that's mostly the reason I'd consider coming back. In the summer, I absolutely love eating outside and OD offers dinners and weekend brunch outside with plenty of room to spread out-not rubbing shoulders crammed together on a sidewalk. Though I've yet to see a show there, they've got music booked basically every day to play either indoors or in their rustic-meets-junkyard wooden stage. Judging from their website, they aren't picky about genre and you are certain to find some kind of music you enjoy at least one night a week. As for the food, I got to enjoy their pizza for dinner and my wife and I enjoyed a brunch recently. The personal-sized pizzas are solid, and for some reason the highlight of our meal was...the pepperoni pizza? I don't know where their chef gets pepperoni, but it's clearly not the same place/s that just about every other pizza joint uses. Just...brilliantly different. Weird, I know...pepperoni pizza? The brunch menu had some great, inventive dishes. Breakfast mac n' cheese brings breakfast notes like sausage, egg, and tomato to some seriously cheesy mac. The mac would stand alone on it's own around Kzoo, but the breakfast bits were extra fun and it was a great treat to eat on a sunny Sunday morning. The Bloody Mary bar was also great fun, and they've got a nice selection of sauces, spices, and produce (fresh and fermented) to adorn your beverage. Some folks probably enjoy the gritty nature of OD's interior; I do not. As much as I like the patio, I do not care for the smell and general dingy atmosphere. The inside is dark for me, and not in a cool ambience-building kind of way. That's why I will likely only ever frequent OD in the warmer months. My beourgeois sensibilities are probably showing...but I guess that's the beauty of Old Dog that it's different aspects clearly can draw a diverse crowd and bring folks together for beer, food, and music. read more

Old Dog Tavern - BRUNCH. Pancakes at left, DIY bloody Mary, and my breakfast Mac n cheese to the right. On the patio for a perfect Sunday morning. - American Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

My sister and I were craving a Bloody Mary this past Sunday, after trying two places unsuccessfully we headed to Old Dog to test it out. We had a lovely Sunday date looking at Pintrest, admiring Marky Mark, Ryan Gosling and giggling away. Kali isn't as experienced as I am in the Bloody Mary department, so I had to help spruce her's up a bit, overall I was happy and will return. This Bloody Mary bar offered deviled eggs, pretzel rods, black and green olives, celery, Havarti cheese and an assortment of seasonings. It was $5.00 and your cup came with tomato juice as well as vodka. I appreciated that the juice was not a mix, lots of times the mixes have additives, that leave my stomach upset. I will defiantly be going back to try the food and enjoy another Bloody Mary creation. read more

Old Dog Tavern - Bloody Mary Bar - American Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

See all

Some may say you can't teach an old dog new tricks. Those people haven't visited Old Dog Tavern recently. They seem to be on the right path with a creative menu and live music. The food isn't quite there yet but it's getting close. I ordered the Shih Tzu burger with a side of chips. Stuffed between a Mackenzie Bakery bun, the burger is layered with jalapeños, bacon, and peanut butter. Sounded amazing so I thought I'd give it a shot. It was good but the burger was a bit overdone and it was about twice the size as the bun. My wife had the Indian Pastie. It was also good - it reminded me of a Samosa. We both thought it could have used some Chutney sauce instead of the Tsaziki that comes with it. I really liked the fact that there is plenty of attached parking after 6pm. That has always been one of my biggest complaints for eating downtown. The location is also great being next door to two gems - Bells Eccentric Cafe and Water Street Coffee. All in all it was a good experience and I'll definitely be back to give it another shot. read more

Old Dog Tavern - The Shih Tzu burger - American Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

We spent a few hours on a sunny Saturday enjoying the weather, the great beer selection and the passing freight train. The food was nice except the vegetable soup. Too much salt and????. We will be back. read more

Old Dog Tavern - American Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

I was searching for a Bloody Mary bar in Kalamazoo and heard from many friends that this would be the best place. They were right! They had an excellent Bloody Mary bar set up until around 1 pm with a lot of options to fill up your glass. They even had deviled eggs! The live music, mimosas, and brunch menu are amazing as well. Great place. read more

Old Dog Tavern - American Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

Friendly service. Excellent beer selection. The food is real bar food But Delicious. Try the tasty pasty and the gravy was good too. (For the upers, it also comes with ketchup). Its served with a delectable salad - mine had dried cherries, feta on a mound of tender spinach. Great decor, friendly dog- Norma Jean- doesn't bark or bite. It's the mature venue for live music - the clientele ranges from barely legal to 90. Wide variety of music and performances. I've seen everything from poetry readings to blue grass pop rock here. I love this place. Finally a polite small town bar in our big zoo city. read more

Old Dog Tavern - Great beer selection, excellent food - American Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

See all

Great pours, great customer service, all of the waitresses were kind and accommodating. Love the live music and Indian spiced pasties with tzatziki sauce read more

It is such a vivid place on Sunday morning for a fun and delicious brunch. Old Dog features a live band every sunday. The band performs Blues songs and it is really enjoyable to eat your breakfast/brunch while listening to live music. We arrived at 11:30 and we found a table. We ordered 2 main plates. The service was slow relatively but the food was super rich and delightful. Recommended for a offbeat kind of brunch outing :) read more

Old Dog Tavern - American Near Me - Kalamazoo, Michigan

See all

Very cool little dive bar. We were with friends and came in because HopCat had a very long wait. I have to say, this place has a way better vibe than HopCat. We had a great time hanging out, drinking some beer, and listening to some live music. We didn't eat, but the burgers looked great! Will definitely come back when we want to just chill someplace. read more

I like the rough, rustic interior. But I was only there for the Beer Choir conducted by the Bach Festival group. They used the opportunity to collect donations of clothing for Kazoo school kids. Find I'm not a fan of microbrew beer - my tastes run to Newcastle Brown Ale. But it was a nice way to celebrate the season. Waiter works hard, place was full so it was hard to get get him. Food was fine. But like everyplace else these days noise level is very high, those darn brick walls and such. read more

Irish Fest is this weekend at the Old Dog! I was not disappointed. The corned beef dinner was perfect. The music was great. It was a great time! Well done, Old Dog! read more

Yesterday I was in the middle of writing a review for this bar and was certain it was a four star place. However, after my experience there last night I'm knocking it down to a two. I've been curious about this place for a while now, and finally one day my boyfriend and I decided give it a try. It was around 2pm on a thursday and we were in need of some food and a decent bloody mary. We walked in and were surprised at how large the space was! Since we were the only ones there we had our pick of the seating. We chose to sit at the bar and immediately noticed a sign that said those two dreaded words, CASH ONLY. Ugh. So as we were about to leave, (Who carries cash anymore?) the owner comes over and chats us up about their food and drink specials and enticed us to return after we hit up the ATM. Normally I would not return to a place after such a disappointment but the owner seemed genuinely nice and we really wanted to give the place a shot. When we walked in a second time the bartender was there to greet us. I can't remember her name now but I know it was her first day. Anyway, she gave us great service and the owner made us some very tasty bloodies. We ordered the chicken nachos which were pretty standard and made a conscious decision to come back sometime to try their pizza. All in all we were pleasantly surprised and thought this could be a place we would frequent. Fast forward to Friday night. We decided to return for a late dinner and to see what the night crowd was like. We were once again greeted at the door but this time by a guy charging cover. I was a bit confused because it wasn't even 8pm yet and I'm pretty sure most places don't start charging until 9pm, right? So I ask the guy when they start charging cover because we were really there just to eat dinner and not for the live music. His answer was "whenever". Whenever? You charge cover "whenever"? Something bothers me about that. Sadly I won't be returning to the Old Dog Tavern anytime soon. Between the cash only policy and unpredictable cover charge schedule, this place is too high maintenance for me. read more

Drinks are tasty, atmosphere and staff are great. The food, however, has taken a turn for the worst. We've been coming here for years and the food has been steadily declining. We ordered $50 worth of food tonight and the pizza crust is now pre made Cisco cardboard crust instead of hand tossed like it used to be... so disappointing. My girlfriend ordered the shrimp and grits main menu option and everything was undercooked from the broccoli to the grits to the shrimp. We love the place so we will return for the Awesome drinks, music, staff and atmosphere but from now on will be eating some where else before hand. read more