Olives has been consistently good over my 8 years of living in the GR area. We come occasionally and I usually have the olive burger and salad. Tonight was no exception and as usual the burger was good, they also have nice fries, and my wife had a nice salad with chicken, squash, Brussels sprouts and bacon- yum! Most importantly, however, we ordered the mushroom crostini appetizer and man it was amazing! It's just soft bread - not toasted- with a mushroom cream sauce and goat cheese and a sweet reduction of some sort, topped with scallions. You gotta get these mushrooms. Just stop whatever you are doing right now, and go eat them. You will not be sad. read more

Had a lovely dinner upstairs, where it was quieter and less crowded. Ordered French Onion soup. It was incredibly salty. The waiter immediately recognized the color of the soup was too dark and knew the base had been reduced too much. Great service recovery! read more

Onward with my GR adventures and of course stumbled upon this little bistro on near Reed's Lake. This seems to be happening area for fine dinning, so bookmarks.....gets ready! My co-worker and I came for an after dinner meal after having worked a full day. Free parking! I can't get over this guys....us being Miami natives, you can tell that we appreciate the little things lol We walked in and were greeted by the hostess and taken to our table. Wait what? Happy hour half off wine for glass and bottle! Yassss! I sampled a few and selected the Pinor Noir and a Malbec. Both very good! My friend ordered sliders and fries (typical dude psshhh) and I opted for the Kale salad and the empanadas. Why not give them a try and see what GR can do with Latin flavors. I wouldn't say they hit the nail on the head, but they came very close with the empanadas. Textures were all there, not too greasy. And the spices, well onions, garlic, olives, peppers were apparent but there was something missing.... it was still pretty good. The Kale salad was DELICIous! My favorite things of the night. See my server schooled me a bit on their kale salad. They massage it so it doesn't have the tough texture we are all used too. I was so pleased with this. Of course you've got your cheese and bacon which was creeping up on me all day! I will return for some more of that happy hour delight and of course sample some of their other menu items. read more

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Olive's is a go-to for me and my family. Nice and cozy atmosphere. The deck is the summer is one of my favorites - it's like you're in a tree house! Food is always great. Service is not always the friendliest which is my reason for four stars. read more

Olives - Quinoa cakes. Always delish. My only critique is that the apricot chutney was a bit too cold given that the cakes are warm. - New American Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Excellent food, service and environment. Great selection of cocktails and wines. Knowledgeable staff! Would highly recommend!!!

Had a great experience. The atmosphere is super cozy and intimate. Everyone in our party loved their food. I had the Caesar salad with salmon and it was excellent. We ended with the carrot cake which was definitely a crowd pleaser. We will be back! read more

Remodeled interior looks great! Love the food, menu is curated well and everything we've had is great. The mushroom crustini is a MUST. Service is spectacular. read more

Fun atmosphere and fantastic food. Also a great bourbon selection. Service was friendly and we tried a variety of apps and entrees with a group of 8. Can be busy as expected at a place like this. read more

I wish they had more selection on the menu. The food is good, but the price point is high for the serving size. Atmosphere is pleasant, but we wore winter coats upstairs for all of dinner because of the draft. Service was slow, but they were slammed. read more

This was our first time to Olive's after always walking by and saying we should go. We started with some wine and then ordered the elote. I didn't expect it to be on the cob but it was tasty! Very messy, but tasty. I ordered the chicken and my partner ordered the olive burger. The chicken came with braised greens and mashed potatoes. Overall it was really good. The chicken had good flavor and super crispy skin. Everything was super salty though, that was the main drawback. Not sure if we'll be back but I'm glad we tried it! read more

Nice place in EGR. Good food and drinks. Ideal for an evening with friends. My wife and I like to stop by without a reservation and we have been very lucky. read more

My wife and I love olives! We had some of the best food we have had in Grand Rapids here! Staff was great and food was even better! Will def be back! read more

I just had lunch here today with my mom (Friday afternoon). They weren't crowded, but definitely not empty; we got one of the little 2-person hi top tables by the window. Such a great atmosphere! The waitress was friendly, got our waters right away and was on top of the refills. I had the soup of the day which was a chorizo corn chowder, and wow, was it good! I love corn chowder anyway, but they had some extra herbs and spices in theirs which made it really amazing! I also opted for the bowl instead of the cup. I didn't see the price for the bowl on the menu, so I was a little worried it would be like twice as much. Turns out it's only $1 up charge from the cup, so that was a nice surprise! My mom had the baby kale salad and really enjoyed it also. We asked about bread since we were ordering smaller items, and they have crostinis for $2, so we split an order of that. They also have a really cute bar that we didn't try out, but my mom is likely going to go back for a glass of wine with her girlfriends. Overall it was a great spot and I'm really glad we decided to try it out! read more

Olives - Baby Kale salad: dried cherries, asiago, sunflower seeds, champagne vin dressing on the side - New American Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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I've been to Olive's twice in the last month and both times have been thoroughly impressed with the food and service. My first visit I had the gnocchi which was so flavorful. This past week I went with a larger group. We had several appetizers--all delicious, but the mushroom crostini was to die for. I had the peach salad and a cup of the potato chowder. It was amazing! My husband said his french dip was the best he's ever had. Our server was prompt and friendly. I used the bathroom upstairs and was able to peek in at the private rooms that you can rent as well as a fun deck/patio area. Their renovated dining area is small but so cute. They make the most of the space with seating around the bar as well. All in all, an amazing dining experience--I highly recommend. read more

Great atmosphere and food! Had one of the best olive burgers ever! Drinks were spot on and not too weak like most bars. Waitress was very attentive and personable. The layout is nice with the bar on the first floor and little quieter dining on second floor. I would definitely recommend this place to family and friends. read more

Great neighborhood place to eat. The remodel is beautiful, but the new waitlist feature is a not a success. Unfortunately it is useless and inaccurate, which is hard on the staff and customer. read more

Out of everything. Fries were so greasy. Mushroom Cristini tasted like someone opened up a can of cream of mushroom soup and a can of brown gravy and dumped it on top of toast.. read more

We got take out tonight. Food was very salty. Kale salad had wilty greens. Lobster roll was mediocre at best. Fries were soggy. Mushroom dinner was very salty and sparse in content. Would not recommend based on our experience tonight. read more

Love this joint!!! Original food, awesome atmosphere, even more awesome people!!! Highly recommend.

The menu was average and overpriced. We waited for a table only to have other walk-ins sat before us. Once we were finally sat, we were not greeted by a sever. We left after about 15 minutes of sitting. Just weak customer service for a place that looks higher-end. read more

I've been generous with my 5 star reviews in the past, but olives earned it tonight. We started with the Brie and sourdough appetizer and a cider/vodka mule. You can't go wrong with melted cheese and bread. It did not disappoint. I continued with the hanger steak and my wife had the duck. Both were outstanding. My steak could have used a bit of salt, but was perfectly cooked. Exceptionally high quality cut of meat. Her duck over sweet mash was incredible. But by far, the best desert I've had in Grand Rapids was olives pear cake with salted Brown butter drizzle. I could have kissed that chef on his perfect mouth. Every bite was to die for. We will be back. By the way, vault was an excellent server, made great recommendations and was super friendly. Worth every penny of the 80 bucks for 2 people. read more

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Tried the Lobster Roll because we heard it was decent and only $15.00. You know the old adage: "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is." In this case, bingo !! The lobster roll was mediocre at best. But...for $15.00 ?? Why not ?? read more

The squash soup was amazing! I also loved the homemade fries. Yum!!! It was a great spot for lunch. I hope to try it soon for dinner.

Olives has a fantastic server named Leah. She is very contentious and personable.. She makes the dining experience worth the long drive from Lowell to East Grand Rapids .. She exemplifies customer service . The food is pretty good as well .... read more

We eat at Olives frequently. I have always wondered about the "chicken thigh" entree thinking it must an elevated take on a cheap cut of meat. I finally ordered this for a take out and was very unpleasantly surprised to find one chicken thigh ( thinking for the price there must be two in a lovely sauce with the porcini and cremini and carrot as described). One would hope that skin on would be crispy, but instead it was one thigh with gummy skin. Yuck! Didn't see even a scarcity of porcini and cremini mushrooms. $20 for a piece of $1 chicken thigh? Ridiculous ! read more

This is our family fav go to place to eat out. Chef EJ changes up a seasonal menu, and has our delicious go to staples. Typically we always have mushroom crostini and the teens/young adults go crazy for whimpy burgers and have just recently fell in love with the wings. Just cannot say enough good about this place, and all the times it's been a part of our special days (sweet 16 surprise party upstairs, catered graduation dinner, birthday meals and last dinners before surgeries....always delicious!) read more

I thought Olive's was amazing! I've only been there once and only tried their Spinach salad but it was SO GOOD!!! I can't wait to go back to try some drinks and maybe their dinner menu. The wait staff was really helpful and super nice. Definitely will be back! read more

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Came here around 6 on a Friday night - was pretty busy, but only a 5 minute wait for seating. There are multiple dining areas (downstairs, upstairs, and outside), so it's not as small as it looks when you come in. The places is a bit eclectic - like they originally tried being one thing (Martini bar?) , and have now ended up being a an amalgamation of a few different styles - regardless it works. I had the Cuban, which was only average - the meat was kind of bland, I couldn't really taste the mustard and pickles, would not suggest it. My wife had the sliders, which were juicy and delecious - highly suggest. Large wine selection, and both cans and beers on tap. Like all the restaurants in gas light village, it's a good place to take the kids. Overall I wasn't blown away, but it's a decent choice. read more

Fantastic place! It's much bigger than we expected when we got there. There was no wait, surprising for a Friday night. We both ordered an Olive's martini, which they shake and pour at the table because they fill it all the way to the rim. We started with the stuffed flatbread which had lamb and cheese in it - delicious. I ordered the lamb meatballs with whipped cauliflower and my boyfriend got the crusted salmon with green beans. Both dishes were fantastic. Wish we had saved room for dessert, that all sounded great. read more

Olives - Dirty martini to the rim! - New American Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Olive's is always a hit! Lobster rolls, crostini, lettuce wraps, any of the salads... the entire menu is delicious! Chef Trevor and Chef EJ and the rest of the team do a phenomenal job. read more

We chose Olive's for lunch on a weekday and almost immediately regretted it; we had our preschooler in tow and this joint is definitely a "Ladies Who Lunch" spot. I never really was able to relax and enjoy the food because I was overly worried that my kid might disrupt the EGR gentry and their 2 martini lunches. (She actually was very quiet and well-behaved throughout ;) Hits- Delicious salad & burgers, decent service Misses- My martini was poured at the table, so gosh darn full that I was unable to sip it without spilling it on the table. The French Onion soup had a lovely broth but suffered from poor execution and presentation. We'll be back-- without the kid. read more

Came for lunch, and really enjoyed their back deck. The food was good (nothing super special) but it was fun to be outside. The menu is very limited. read more

Great little place with vibrant atmosphere and really good food. Sat at the bar and got great service. Good selection of beers and wine and good variety on the menu. The meatloaf was fantastic and the Chocolate Torta decadent. read more

Olives - New American Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Tried out Olive's ordered the meatloaf had cauliflower mashed and Dijon green beans. My food was delicious could have been borderline fantastic and 5 stars if not for the terrible bar seating area service. Never a water refill. Maybe that's my fault since tips are better when serving alcohol. But I say no a restaurant is just that no matter where they choose to allow food service. Service should be great no matter!!! I might be back? Visited again for my third time yes it is 5 stars The food is perfect. read more

Olives - New American Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

This was my third time coming to Olives. The first experience was spring of 2022. Had the burger and fries and a salad and it was incredible. Very good which is why the second and third visits since then. The second visit was late fall of 2022. Ordered the burger and fries again and it was burned badly. Like soot and charcoal so bad it was inedible, but I hate sending food back so I ate it. Went there again giving it one last shot. Same thing happened this week. Burger and Fries and it was burned to a crisp on the edges and this time as well the fries were so salty they were inedible as well. I ate maybe 5 fries and had to chug water after I left. The burger was the kind of burned that even if the inside of the burger is cooked good the crunchy sooty edges flavor the entire thing making it taste awful. This time I did tell the waitress and did not want a remake. I have had better burgers made my drunk grandfather who forgot about the food on his charcoal grill on Fourth of July than my past few experiences here. Unfortunately I won't be back. I loved the vibe and wanted to love my food too. I've seen other reviews state similar things so I know I am not alone in this. read more

Redefined what a salid is: Delicious and filling. If they still have the Blackened Chicken Salad.... Get it. :) Quaint decoration, good service, great location. read more

Olives - THE salad. (Sorry not the best pic) - New American Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Food was delicious! Service was professional, decor was nice. We went late afternoon on a rainy weekday while on vacation with our 1 year old so the place was empty. I was hesitant to get the shrimp sandwich but it was absolutely delicious! Quinoa cakes also good. They gave my son a cute little cup with lid and straw. read more

So good!!!! The scallop entree is AMAZING! Everyone else at my table got the salmon and that too was awesome. The service was spot on, drinks came fast and not much wait for the food. I got the house salad and it was HUGE!!! I shared it with my sister. Highly recommended. read more

Olives - Scallop entree - New American Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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First time here. Service was very good. Wait staff very nice. We came bc we wanted to try their lobster roll sandwich. I say don't bother if you ever had real lobster rolls. Unfortunately, their lobster is imitation crab meat smothered in dressing. That's probably why it's $15. For what it is maybe $10 would be more appropriate. And for real lobster probably $20+ which I would be ok with. I'll come again to try their other offerings. read more

One of my fav neighbourhood joints. I like that the menu changes with seasons. Excellent salads. We loved the golden beet salad and papas rellenas. Excellent wine list. Service is impeccable. They know their clientele read more