My husband and I stopped in tonight with a friend from out of town. We had been there a few times and thought it was cool and had interesting yummy drinks. In the past the bar was not busy - actually there was barely anyone there when we went. This time - my husband went in first and my friend and I parked the car. There was no one at the door and the place had a lot of people in it - very nice. My husband didn't realize that he had to wait to be seated (because that was nothing we had experienced there before) so he walked in and found a spot. Someone had just left so my husband waited for the table to be cleaned. That's when my friend and I met up with him. The employee bussing the table, Kevin asked if we had been seated there. We were like "oh didn't realize we needed to be seated and there was no one waiting." So we headed back to the front door, where there were now a few people waiting. Kevin the employee that was bussing the table, greeted the people behind us and took them to the table we were just at (there were multiple tables open by the way), then he took the couple behind them and seated them, then he looked at us and said it would be a 20-30 minute wait. (there were multiple tables open by the way). I'm don't know what was up with Kevin. Maybe he was just having a bad day or sick of people I don't know, but I was embarrassed especially considering I had brought a friend from out of town and told her about this cool place (that I will not be going to again) and to be treated like that. Kevin - a better approach would be to say "thanks for coming in - if you would head back to the hostess stand someone will seat you shortly". And then seat us next because we were next. Kevin - even better would be if you walked us back up to the hostess stand - and told the host that theses nice people didn't realize that we were seating people tonight - and then check that your signage is visible because, had we seen it, we would have waited. Now if I was your manager (and I was many times over a restaurant manager), I would write you up for poor customer service and either give you further training or change your role in the establishment. Good luck Kevin because with your customer service skills or whatever made you act like that - neither is gonna bring anything good. read more

Wanting a unique first date? Want to bring your friends somewhere different than usual? THIS IS IT. The 70s vibe is absolutely spot on, and it is a go-to for amazing comfort food. Best spinach and artichoke dip out there, and the tots are to die for... burger and yummy dessert, too! Owner was lovely and even came to chat with us for a bit. Can't say enough about this place. read more

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Driving down Cherry Street, one is not bound to notice this little hole-in-the-wall...and we were looking very hard for it! Thanks to fellow Yelper, Katy C., we looked for the black awning and found it! When you walk in, you feel a bit like you're going into some secret place that would require a password for entry! Upon entry, you are transported to the 70's and feel like you shouldn't mess up your grandmother's entertainment area. It was really awesome seeing all these cool details around the place! Whoever's in charge of making you feel like you're in a time warp did a fabulous job! The bar area was nice and dark, as any bar should be. Ample seating is available, although I'm not sure they serve food in the 'lounge' areas...I'm sure they must. Our server was sweet and helpful as was the person who ran our food to the table. Oh the food! It was filling and reminiscent of something you might order in the 70's: where carbs was King and cholesterol was something your Uncle Charlie might be watching but isn't too worried about. My husband and I split their burger plate (they literally split it FOR us! How nice is that?!), their dirty tots and wings. The dry rub on the wings was perfect and the dipping sauce was just the right amount of sweet to savory for me. They come with a dill ranch, but we asked them for their blue cheese as that is our preference. (Do that, because their blue cheese dressing was super yum) Burger was delicious and hefty, fries were crispy and perfectly seasoned. Tots were immense, and could've used more beef, but that's because we enjoy our meat. Definitely enough for several people to share. They brought out this queso to dip it in, which is overkill, but go ahead and treat yo-self! Overall, we enjoyed our experience and will probably belly up to the bar again at some point. They had some really cool sounding drinks, but we were headed out for the long drive home to Kazoo, so next time for sure. Thanks for having this unique and terrific place to come to! We will be back. read more

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The Commons is a lovely hidden gem. The atmosphere is cozy and nostalgic, the drinks are delicious, and the spinach and artichoke dip is one of the best I've tried. I would give 5 stars, but I am holding out due to the fact that two years in a row I've been served borderline cold mac and cheese. A year ago I went and had the street corn mac. The flavors were fantastic but I couldn't forget that the food came out cold. A year later I decided to get back on the horse and hope that they figured it out, but alas, it came out cold again. Our server didn't come back soon enough for me to be able to ask to have it reheated. I find cold food to be extremely unpleasant, so I give 4 stars. Aside from this recurring mishap, I love everything about The Commons. read more

We've been here a couple of times now and we really like it. The decor is sort of retro 1970's and really cool, the cocktails are well executed and the food is really good. It's a totally laid back and relaxing place to hang out and share a meal. The service both times we have been here has been friendly and great. We had the twice cooked chicken wings with fries (which were amazing), the brunch burrito, the prime rib sliders and the veggie frittata. Everything was great. The bottom line: if you're into a casual and hip sort of dining experience at reasonable prices with good food you will love this place. read more

Wait staff and hostess very nice. Prime rib sliders and chicken tenders were very tasty.

Drinks are $$ for quality, very sugary. Not my preference but a cool place. Service was ok and fast for us.

This is a fun place to meet friends, have a really good cocktail and enjoy yummy food! The wait staff is super helpful and know the menu-paring drinks and food suggestions. read more

Eclectic restaurant that was fun and fabulous service. Very nice menu. Food and beverages were outstanding.

The Commons is one of the coolest looking places in GR. The 70s basement theme is both cozy and eccentric. I've gone a couple different times and have experienced service that while it's decent, I always feel like a bit of an inconvenience when I come in. However, I put up with it specifically for the breakfast Sammy. I will more than likely never order anything else because I am so addicted to this sandwich it's insane. All in all, the vibe is cool, the menu is a bit small, but it's a must try! read more

Full disclosure. I didn't eat or drink anything here. We arrived 4:15 on Saturday afternoon. While we were greeted immediately and seated, no one came to pour water or take a drink order by 4:30. Menu offerings appeared just "meh" to me but my friend was interested in waiting it out. Meanwhile, i looked around around and guessed less than 25% of the tables were occupied and some of the other patrons seemed to be waiting awhile too. I tried not to wonder if my water glass was really clean or not.....sometimes dishwashers have that affect on glass....at least i was hoping that was the case. Spent the rest of the time debating with dining companion about what is the reasonable length of time to wait for service. Thoughts? My perspective is that there are way too many other great options in our town that get it right! On my way out i explained to the three ladies chit chatting at the greeters station why we were leaving and suggested they may want to look into staffing issues. Of note, the fourth woman at the greeters station was on a personal phone call. Deep sigh. read more

Came here for a cocktail and it was a lot of fun. I loved the 70's theme and I had fun playing the games that were laying around. read more

The Commons - Lounges Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Nice ambiance. Good place for drinks. But the food is pretty mediocre. 1970's decor and retro playlists round out the experience.

Amazing dinner. Artichoke spinach dip was the best I've ever had! Food was EXCELLENT! Service was great!!

Full disclosure: We did not stay long enough to order food and this is why: Waitress was rude; not enticing us to stay or find something on the menu (drink and food) that appealed us. The atmosphere was not as authentic to the 70s as hoped. The menu was not kid-friendly; hard to find something for my 13 year old daughter to eat. Please don't consider this a family restaurant. Maybe a decent date night place, if you get the right server. read more

I'm so sad that I'm only giving this place 3 stars as I was so excited to eat/drink here ! Basically the whole experience was 'meh'. The service was good, the drinks were okay. Wait time was over a half hour longer than the host predicted so we waited 1 hour 15 minutes. Not a huge deal but worth noting. The place looks awesome ! I love when a place picks a theme and commits to it. The layout was clever and aesthetically pleasing. The food was okay if you are a meat eater (the vegetarians and vegans in the group left hungry and unimpressed). My friend really liked her fried chicken sandwich but also said the fried chicken at Logan's is just as good and cheaper. I got a portabella mushroom burger which came out cold and had a soggy bottom. It also came out long after my friends meals which made everyone feel a bit awkward. Most of the large plates are 18 bucks or more, including the vegan dish which is rice and veggies. Price point for cocktails is comparable to other cocktail bars in gr. Fairly narrow booze selection. Price for beers was way too high at ~8 bucks. We all got cocktails. My friend got a grasshopper for 10 dollars. Me: Hey did you like that grasshopper ? Him: Yah it was good Me: Was it like 'wow, yum !' Him: No I remember my grandmother making something like it when she was alive TL;DR Overall impression on pricing: Higher than average but totally fair pricing IF your quality matches. Unfortunately it did not. Service: No complaints Food options: Honestly, if you're vegan, eat somewhere else. Atmosphere: amazing ! I hope to revisit in a month or two to see if I can have a better experience ! read more

I have been looking forward to checking this place out and was definitely not disappointed. We get there on a Friday right around 7. Peak dinner time. We know it's going to be busy. The hostess lets us know what the wait time is going to be and let's us know that if we wander to the bar (which we totally did), she'll come find us. Sure enough, she hunts us down and asks if we want to stay at the bar or if we'd rather sit at a table. I wanted to sit at a table because I was being particularly needy. She lets us know that we need to have our tab run at the bar separate, but she brought us the tab and picked it back up. No muss no fuss. We order, he goes for something he usually never gets, as do I. I get the steak frites and he the chicken sandwich. Hot mamba in a shopping cart, the food was amazing. Whenever a place is new, you kind of brace yourself for something to not go to plan in the kitchen; that wasn't the case at all. The best bite wasn't the meat...it was all in the sauce. The red wine reduction was impeccably done. Drag a perfectly crisp shoestring fry through that stuff and it's game over. The ribeye was pretty fatty, more so than you'd pick out at the meat counter but it was cooked to order perfectly. The chimichurri kept the plate bright both visually and in the flavor department. Okay, I'll stop talking about my dish now. The fried chicken sandwich held up well. The portions of crunch (thanks apples), sauce and meat all worked well on a bun that didn't fall apart 6 bites in. The décor screams 70s, but you knew that already. The burnt umber, walnut and split pea color palette will tell you that once you walk in as well. They have group seating in the back but it seems to cater more to just drinks and apps since you don't really have a table to eat off of. You're just working with a coffee table. Overall, a great place to try. I can see this place doing well for quite some time. read more

The Commons - The chicken sandwich. Would you just look at her? - Lounges Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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This is not just a restaurant, it's an experience. So fun, so retro, so interesting and so ridiculously good. I highly recommend you go early on a Friday night, as the wait right was long. (Ps: Many younger patrons who have never worked in food service do not understand that it's uncool to take up a table for four hours. Please be aware, young folk.) Our server, Storme, deserves a shout out for making it an even better night. She knew the food, didn't skip a beat, and went out of her way to accommodate us. Dinner was soooo good. The mussels, the Brussel sprouts and the prime rib sliders had us all moaning. I will dream about them until my next visit. The owner is lovely, and you can tell she is passionate about her new place. It makes for good energy. My only wish was to have more people staffing the bar. The three bartenders were in the weeds most of the night, and I witnessed some people getting salty about the service...but it's a minor kink for a place that's only been open 2 weeks. Thank you for a lovely night, The Commons. So glad you are here. read more

I was very excited to try this place. I was sort of annoyed when we came around 5:00 with a party of two. We asked for a low top and the host wouldn't seat us because "they only had four tops available." There were a few two tops open and only 3 occupied tables in the whole restaurant. Seems weird that a place that doesn't take reservations would not seat customers that were there in person. We went to the bar for a cocktail and had great service. Once we got our table we split a few things. I loved the elote mac and cheese. That and the twice fried wings were top notch. The fish and chips were soggy and over priced. Four small pieces of cod and mediocre fries for $20? It only came with grilled lemon (which is a nice touch, but that's not a side). I felt that for the price, it should have come with slaw or been a better kind of fish. I also thought the price points on the menu were all over the place. Overpriced entrees and soup (soup is $9!!!!) but fairly priced appetizers. I will give them another try but I hope they have a different seating system. (I would have understood that people might have been "checked in" on a reservation app, but most of the tables did not get sat until after 6:00 so it didn't make sense why they were held for over an hour). read more

We visited this place for a work holiday party and now I cannot wait to bring everyone I know back here! It is like walking onto the set of That 70's Show - they have taken care of every detail from the glassware to the wood paneling on the walls. We ordered the fried Brussels sprouts, prime rib dirty tots, warm artichoke dip, street corn Mac n cheese, shoestring fries, and twice cooked chicken wings. I would literally recommend every single thing we tried including the Grasshopper cocktail I ordered to drink. We had a vegetarian with us and she had plenty to eat. Our waitress was amazing, friendly and prompt with everything. I will be back! read more

Amazing food and staff 10/10 I've eaten over a few times and everything I get is delicious my favorite appetizer is the crab cakes mmmhhhh mmmmhhh read more

Jesse, our server was amazing! I had the wild caught salmon with Brussels, it was very good. The prime rib sliders were a hit, as was the chicken sandwich. Full bar with a nice wine selection, with a retro 60's 70's vibe. read more

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Atmosphere is fun but service has definitely gone down hill. Make sure and pay attention to what you are getting charged for. Came in for dinner and the bar tender poured a shot I didn't order for me to sample something that I haven't even asked about. Of course he sampled as well. Then. I ordered two shots for my wife and I. The bar tenders made four drinks instead of two. The two I ordered and two for themselves. At the end of the night when I got home I looked at the receipt and I got charged for all the stuff I didn't order. Very slimy tactics over there. Granted I should've looked at my receipt but figured I didn't need to. If they pour you something you didn't ask for. just say no thanks unless you wanna pay for it. read more

I was pretty disappointed by this experience, but I'm giving 4 stars because I think the staff was pleasant and hardworking, the place just hasn't found its "crowd." We were seated at a small high top that was pushed up against a wall, so we couldn't see much of the cool decor. Our waiter was kind and the service was fast, but I thought that $14 for three small sliders was a bit much, since they were only ok. Probably the most annoying part of the setup is that it's not an open concept. You can't roam around and check out all the cool little areas, or even see them all depending on where you're sitting. There was a cute alcove that we liked the looks of on Instagram, but in reality it stood as a sort of exclusive "cliquey" area--you know the kind. Perhaps it was reserved, but either way it was a bummer not to be able to hang out in there! Tl;dr The food we had was alright, a little expensive. The atmosphere claimed in social media posts is not really the reality of the place. read more

From someone who is obsessed with all things 70's - This spot is in a great location and is filled with trendy decor from the funky paneling to the chairs at the bar and dining area. Really cozy place to grab a drink and a bite. We had the pleasure of stopping in on a Friday night before the rush and both had a drink. The sidecar is perfection with apple brandy, orange liqueur, lemon and topped with Prosecco. We will be back with friends. read more

This place is pretty cool. Definitely A+ for atmosphere. We loved checking out all of the retro furniture and decor. I really felt like I was sitting in my grandmothers house. The dirty tots were A++ and the service was great. You can tell everyone is new, so it's best to give everyone some slack. The drinks is why I only gave the place a 4. Our gin craft cocktail was just so, so. It actually was quite cough syrupy tasting. I love the craft cocktail scene in GR and this place really doesn't compete. I'll probably go back at some point but I'm not crazy in love yet. read more

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While the atmosphere was unique and the food was good, the experience was a bit overpriced and underwhelming. I ordered the salmon which was a very very small portion and while it was good, it was definitely no where near filling. My friend ordered the cheeseburger and fries and he stated that it was nothing too exciting. I probably wouldn't go back unless it was for appetizers and drinks. read more

The Commons - Salmon - Lounges Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Amazing food and atmosphere! Beautiful space featuring an on point vintage vibe.. -- Mac N Cheese #1 -- Burger -- Fish N Chips read more

The Commons - Commons Lounge - Lounges Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Great atmosphere and fun cocktails but food underwhelming. Scratching our heads for paying $12 for a chicken filet on a bun. The chicken was overcooked and dry. Very little chicken as it was dried out. We also had the MahiMahi dish, not bad but nothing to write home about. Fun to look and hangout here but would only have drinks. Due to the décor, maybe the food gets overrated or we ordered the wrong items? Placing a check mark next to this and have no plans to come back. read more

We went for dinner last night. I had been before but Rick hadn't. We loved the place (just like I do). Rick enjoyed a beer he had never had before and their iced tea (for me) was REALLY GOOD! Rick had the prime rib sliders and I ordered the wings. Both were amazing. I love this place and the service. Parking wasn't an issue at all. Keep doing what you are doing team...we will be back! read more

i have to say the vibes & decor and creativity of this restaurant is literally stunning, but the service was a 6/10 and the food was really no different than any other restaurant in the city. definitely not awful to come to, especially for a drink or nightcap :) read more

It is walking distance from my home. Love their food especially Brussels Sprouts. Sometimes the restaurant is full, arrive early or plan ahead to get seating. read more

Great cocktails and OK to good food. The tots were tasty. Brussels were tasty but it's a huge amount of Brussels for sharing. The mac and cheese was surprisingly weird? Not bad, but I won't order it again. Loved the fun vibe. read more

Old fashioned was amazing! Just right on the bitters. The food was great. Tried the Brussels sprouts, fries(just ok, very plain), wings(amazing), and sliders. Atmosphere was awesome, glassware straight out of the 70s/80s. Cool hang area with couches and fireplace. read more

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Was in town and this place looked great. Went during happy hour and there was a 30 min wait but the place wasn't even half full. Decided to leave as the wait would bring us past happy hour. read more

The drinks are great. The ambiance is very cool. This seriously looks like my parents basement when I was growing up-very 1970's. We went there and ordered the Salisbury Steak and the loaded tater tots. First of all, the portions were huge. We could have easily split the Salisbury Steak between two adults. My Husband and I each ordered the Salisbury Steak, and our friend ordered chicken tenders. The loaded tater tots were also split between the three of us. I really wanted to give this place 5 stars but I just couldn't for two reasons. MY Salisbury Steak was very, very tender. My husband's was NOT! His was very, very chewy. Both of us also thought the food was way too salty. Although there was plenty of leftovers to bring home, the saltiness was a huge turn-off. It's a shame that his was so tough and chewy, but we ended up splitting my plate and bringing his home. Our friend had chicken tenders and said they were just "okay". So because the food quality was so uneven, and really salty, I took off a star. read more

The Commons - Loaded Tater Tots - Lounges Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Loved it here, recommend the wings and burger so far.. definitely coming back to sample some more of the menu. Theres a few Vegan/vegetarian options available as well! Two of our ur servers Katie and Rachel were so good to us read more

Great cocktails, unique atmosphere, food was tasty too. Will continue to come to this place.

Nothing like walking in the door and transported back to your childhood basement to bring back all the feels! The food was great, drinks were delicious and the ambiance was unique and comfortable. I would definitely recommend!! read more

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The 70's decor and extremely well dressed clientele makes this an interesting GR hotspot to check out. I am not the customer in the fancy cocktail dress drinking your fancy drinks. However, I am that Asian gal that keeps coming back to order your burger meal. Oh sooo yummy. The fries are good too but the burger is the ultimate. That is all I have to say about this place. read more