Food is solid and well seasoned. Service is excellent. Specials are interesting and varied. Someone in the kitchen has good ideas!

One of the best kept secrets in Grand Rapids! This place is great. We dine here once or twice a month. The food is great and the chef changes the menu every few months which keeps it always interesting and new. The atmosphere is friendly and casual. If you want to hang with the "in crowd" you can sit on the first floor. We prefer upstairs- quiet and more private. Either way the food is great- and a great value. And save room for a dessert. I saw a lengthy negative review, but it surely cannot be for the same Olive's that we enjoy frequently!! read more

What a disappointment. On my birthday, of all days, my husband and I decided to try a new (to us) restaurant. He had heard about Olives from someone, so we looked up the website. The menu looked fantastic, so we called to get a table. We were there within 5 minutes of our expected time, but the waitress, who even remembered talking to my husband, had already given our table away. A few minutes later, she waved us over. Yes, she waved. She didn't come over and ask us to follow her. This is not a huge restaurant. It wouldn't have been asking too much. Anyway, we settled, with our three kids, into a very cramped table. The menu still looked great, and we should know, since we had more than enough time to look at it. After at least 15 minutes, the waitress finally came to take our drink order. We bothered her to take our food order, as well. She asked my husband and both older kids if they wanted fries or chips, but she didn't mention that their meals came with chips, and that fries were a $2.00 upcharge. Nice surprise when we got our bill later. Frankly, asking my husband is one thing. He's an adult and can make those choices. But to ask my kids, to give them a choice, without our permission, is bad form. Since we ordered an appetizer (goat cheese--not terribly kid-friendly), she asked if we would like her to bring the kids' food out as soon as it was ready. Great idea. Unfortunately, 15 minutes later we had a bowl of fries unceremoniously plopped onto our table. "On the house" she says. Okay, but why? And to tell you the truth, we'd rather have the food we'd ordered, and guess what? There are fries with 3 out of the four meals coming. However, we were happy to have the fries to keep our kids' mouths busy. If you think it's rough waiting for a long time to get your food, try doing it with three kids under 7. Well, we finished the fries, and spent another 10 minutes after that waiting. Our appetizer came out, and we enjoyed it, but it wasn't spectacular. We've had the same thing at Vitale's on Leonard and it was better. Anyway, after we were finished, the kids' meals came out. We then sat and watched them eat. Do you know how slowly little kids eat? And still, we watched them finish their meals, and still waited a few minutes for our meals to come out. Then they sat and watched us eat. I wish I could say that it was worth the wait. My husband ordered the Whimpy Burger, which was described as three mini burgers with bacon and bleu cheese. He didn't realize that they meant bacon on one of them, and bleu cheese on another, but that's what he got. I ordered a chicken dish (can't remember what it's called, and it's been taken off the menu.....kudos to them for that, at least), which was stuffed with a goat cheese mixture and served with a red pepper cream sauce. I honestly can't remember what it was served with, which kind of speaks for itself. The chicken was dry, and the sauce was bland and somewhat pasty. It was definitely too thick to help with the dryness of the meat. It was a disappointing end to a long night. But the worst was yet to come. We had a certificate from restaurant.com, which we had given to the waitress, and which she failed to deduct. We realized this at the same time that we saw the upcharge for the fries. Here's a question: If you are trying to make up for some delay in the kitchen, wouldn't it make more sense to comp our appetizer than to give us a bowl of the same thing that three of us already ordered with our meal? Or offer a free dessert? Something? There wasn't even an apology for the long wait. What's worse is that I gave the management two chances to make it right. We didn't say anything that night, because we had three little ones to get home, eat some cake, and get to bed. But a couple of days later, I emailed the manager and detailed our experience to him. I fully expected to hear back with at least an apology. Well, that was nearly two months ago, and nothing. We also received a survey from restaurant.com, and I rated it honestly and left a note that I had already left word with the manager about our experience, and still, nothing. It's truly hard for me to believe that a restaurant that couldn't care less about their customers' experience, doesn't have great food, and has lousy service is still in business. I'm telling you, avoid this restaurant at all costs. You can do so much better elsewhere. read more

Went last night with 6 of us. They were out of 3 things we asked about. My kids chocolate milk was white. 2 burgers ordered medium came out practically mooing. The gremlin was ice cold. The short ribs ordered had something hard like a nut shell or a piece of plastic in it. We mentioned it was my daughters birthday but as soon as we told the server we were done with dinner she said ok I'll get the check. With plates still in front of us and no dessert offered we got the bill. It probably was smart anyway. If dinner was any indication. read more

Good food selection. Their martini's are pretty good. Wine selection is good. I liked the environment downstairs, upstairs is kinda crappy. Get a table downstairs so you can people watch the street and you're close to the bar! read more

Great olive burger and fries here. Small and well selected craft beer menu. It's a small and cozy location, the staff was very attentive. The kids enjoyed the sliders and fresh cut pineapple. We will be back soon! read more

Would be 3.5 stars if possible. Solid food, attentive service. Paella cakes were well conceived and executed, the chorizo is a good accompaniment. Short rib ravioli in mushroom sauce was really quite delicious and generous. Hanger steak cooked to my liking, but onions were subbed for shallots and were thickly sliced and nearly raw. Veggies also undercooked. Small matter, easily avoided. Overall, a tasty dish. Prices are not bad. One app, two entrees, two cokes, 3 glasses of wine, 70 bucks. Intelligent but small wine list. Good neighborhood place. read more

Great! This place is amazing! My mom took me here for lunch and it was really good. The staff is friendly and funny and the food tastes homemade. The only problem I had with this place were the dishes. They were dirty and scratched. They looked cheap and old. I think they might as well found them in the dumpster. read more

Olive's is kind of hit or miss. I've had decent meals, decent service...but it's not one of my fave's in East. They do have an excellent meatloaf, and the atmosphere is pretty nice. Bonus is you can park in the big lot across the street. read more

It doesn't look like much from the road, but walk in and you'll find a charming little two story resturant. For starters, know that they take great effort to use locally sourced ingredients. The meat? Raised locally (and probably fed whatever Jennifer Aniston eats). The bread? The local bakery. You get the idea. We started with the mushroom appetizer. It had some things in there I'm not cultured enough to appreciate, but they tasted very good and made me feel like a grown up. I made sure as many people as possible saw me eating it too, so they would also think of me as a grown up. The sauce was very green, and reminded me of the mutagen that turned four normal turtles into the amphibious justice squad that's kept NYC safe for thirty years now. Next, was the turkey burger. It was very good, and I would've had a second one if it were socially acceptable. It would've been worth the stomach ache. Anyway, go to Olive's. They are nice people that make good food. read more

Amazing food and service! Great combinations of wonderful ingredients. Can't wait to see the new seasonal menu!

We wondered in on a Monday night after a busy work day. We were seated right away and ordered fairly quickly. Our young son had chicken fingers that were not all that good. Everything else was really good though! The pork was excellent and the appetizer (wild mushroom bruschetta) was to die for. The desert was also really good and free when they found one it was my husband's birthday. It was a really good experience overall. The only negative was the spacey staff. It took some effort getting them over to our table. read more

Olive's is one of our favorite local joints - my husband and I go twice a month and never have a bad bite. Usually can get a table by the windows and always run into friends. Personable servers add to the charm - love the casual neighborhood atmosphere. But the food is the real reason we go. The burgers are reliably tasty, the mushroom crostini makes a great light dinner, and the seasonal changes always please our palette. Last week we had the arancini app, drizzled in honey - delicious! the Fall Cobb salad is lovely - each component well seasoned with a maple vinagrette. I appreciate the consistency of the chef's palette, simple and clean! read more

only 1 waiter servicing during busy lunch time, two tables that came in 15 minutes after us got their food first, don't understand why the cuban sandwich is pre-assembled either; I asked for no ham and that's the response I got. could do better. read more

Constantly changing menu and attention to detail on the food is the star here. There are lots of regulars (which means seats are sometimes rare) and food good reason. Generally good service too. read more

My best friend and I randomly decided to have dinner here, both for the first time. We were both so happy we did. The restaurant is beautiful, wait staff was friendly and did a wonderful job from start to finish. I ordered a margarita on the rocks, which was amazing. For dinner we had the Fall Cobb Salad and the Meatloaf. Portion sizes were perfect and the meal was absolutely delicious. I would definitely recommend visiting this restaurant. It was truly a treat! read more

I went to Olives with my girlfriends and really enjoyed the appetizers and the spot on the deck was lovely. The mushroom crostini was the best I've had in town. Not too salty with a delicious broth. Fun place to stop especially for a quick bite in delightful East Grand rapids. read more

Emily cleared the muddy waters and re assured me it was an isolated incident. Good beer selection and they have VM! The whimpy burgers are a great share plate. We will be back to try the quinoa cakes read more

My home away from home. Love the food, the vibe, the martinis. Kain is the nicest bartender on the planet.

The food was very tasty and innovative. The service impeccable and the atmosphere was fantastic. I really liked mushroom appetizer and the quinoa blackbean appetizer. read more

Very good overall. Not always consistent each time with food presentation. Service is usually friendly and good. Definitely a great choice. I will be back. read more

Cool place and great lettuce wraps app and meatloaf. Very relaxed atmosphere and excellent staff.

I have never been disappointed. It's hard to describe their style. Upscale but not pretentious comfort food but not as in a diner

Good food in an intimate atmosphere. I came here for a light meal and a craft beer. I ordered the blackened chicken salad, and was pleasantly surprised. The chicken was well-seasoned and perfectly cooked -- a welcome change from the ubiquitous chicken-thrown-on-as-an-afterthought salad one sees on so many menus. read more

Food is always consistent and good. Small kitchen small menu smart move. Can't be all things to all people. Wait staff cheerful and professional. New bar tender has extremely short memory and extreme lack of knowledge when it comes to beer on tap and wine collection. Better to ask for advice than make up answers and give different answers to same questions from different patrons sitting at the bar. And every body can see a back turned eye roll. Number one pet peeve. read more

Second time there. First time food was overpriced for quality. Very average. This time I went for lunch and was only the second table and my waitress/the manager was horridly rude. She deliberately interrupted me while I was calling the person I was meeting, glared and gave rude looks because I asked her for a minute. She glared long and hard from across the room. When I said I was leaving, she smirked and made an inappropriate remark. I will not set foot in this restaurant again. It was very odd. read more

I was at Olive's for my Birthday had a very good meal I had the olive burger and it is this best. I had a really good server named Dustin and he surprised me with a birthday desert wish was also very good. Would go again without a doubt. Ann Cook read more

Yum yum yum. Cozy and inviting. I go there after work for a drink and appetizers often.

It was my first time here even though I've lived close to EGR my whole life. My parents and I came during Happy Hour and all ordered drafts, and we got them in a timely manner. We also ordered three starters: the shrimp hush puppies, the lettuce wraps, and the garlic knots. Loved the carrot/horseradish dip for the hush puppies (and I normally hate carrots), lots of horseradish. Garlic knots were fresh and good, but they're basically rolls and not worth the price. The lettuce wraps were tasty, and while the presentation looked beautiful, you had to construct your wrap on your own, which was a bit messy and difficult. For entrees, I got the Cuban sandwich and French fries. French fries were amazing. Very fresh. My sandwich was also very good. I actually couldn't finish it, it was so big! My only issue with it was the pickle slices were paper thin. I would've preferred some crunch. The pork in the sandwich had flavorful seasonings, though. Also great bread. My mom got the turkey burger. She loved the chipotle mayo. My stepdad got the French roast, and he basically inhaled it. Our server was good. Attentive when it came to beer refills! read more

Worst food I've had in a long time! My friends fries were sooo greasy, they told him, that's how they serve them and then offered to grab a napkin and come over to dab off the grease, gross! read more

Yikes. I've had two mediocre meals here within the last two weeks. The price/value equation is definitely tilted toward the house at olives. The food, drinks, service would have felt right at about 75% of what I actually paid. The cod was good, but don't order it if you are hungry or have any proclivity toward calculating value - $16 bucks for two Mrs. Paul's size fish sticks on a smear of cauliflower and lentil pure'.... read more

Olives is the whole package...the food is beyond incredible...seasonal and fresh...local and imaginative...and TASTY...the atmosphere is lively while warm and inviting and the service is fantastic and friendly. Highly recommend. read more

Visited for a relatively quick lunch and would have to disagree with many of the reviews. Found the prices rather high and the quality of food not nearly what was expected based on other reviews. There are certainly other restaurants with more to offer (for less) and better tasting food. read more

Veggie burger! The best in the world and I have had hundreds over the past twenty years...this one is unparalleled. The seasonings and preparation make this one far above any others. Oh, and everything else is A+ too...atmosphere, service, drinks, salads, etc. They have outdoor seating too. Highly recommended. Great, fun place. read more

I thoroughly enjoyed the entree, it was very filling and tasty. The appetizer on the other hand, was a complete disappointment. I highly recommend that you avoid the cheese plate, it is probably the biggest waste of $14 a person could spend in the United States. The pitiful quantity of food along with the disturbing texture of the cheese, crackers and olives created an extremely unpleasant experience. I walked into Olive's with a smile on my face and left with a feeling of sorrow in my stomach. Although it wasn't all a failure, I would've savored the night much more if it weren't for the dreadful cheese platter. read more

Another poor experience at Olive's. We were greeted by the hostess poorly out of the gate. She didn't welcome us or even say hello but hastily said "it's last call so if you want something you have to order now". We asked if we could also still order food and she said yes. This would have been a great time to tell us they were out of basically EVERYTHING. But instead we waited for service (despite being told we were the ones who had to hurry). Our drinks arrive so now its too late to leave and as we try to order we learn they were truly out of more than half the menu, even hamburgers and fries!! And instead of sharing what they ddI still have the waitress let us ask over and over what they had only to learn they were out. We settled on a few lame apps because it was too late to leave. The hostess walked by and asked a question and I kindly shared that in the future it would be great to share that they were out of so many items and she shot me a sharpe look and snapped "I'm not your waitress" um yes I'm well aware but you do work there and should be responsible for the experience just as much as anyone else. (I didn't say that of course. Wasn't worth it). Disappointing food and service experience. read more

My husband and I really loved this place. We dined on a nice summer evening out on the patio. We both prefer fresh healthy eating options, and Olives definitely delivers. In fact, we both had a hard time deciding what to choose. In addition, their menu is seasonal which we love. Our waitress was extremely friendly and patient with us wanting to take our time and enjoy a night out. We really appreciate when we asked to split a salad, that they served it to us already in separate bowls. I had the pork tender and my husband had the salmon- we both cleaned our plates. Looking forward to returning! read more

Make sure you double check the bill, their automatic gratuity is calculated after the tax is added! Food and service was great!

Food was enjoyable enough even though my sandwich was a tad bit burnt. I'm not sure where the manager was but if that were my business I would not allow my waitress to be playing on her iPad. Service was very shotty, but I guess when waitresses care more about their iPad than they do about the customers that is gonna be the case. I love the location, just a shame they can't get it right. read more

We love Olives! The food is always flavorful and the seasonal menu is fun. We've been several times, each of us getting a different dish each time, and haven't had a dish we dislike. read more