My friends and I stopped in for a quick snack, and we're so glad we did. We ordered the nachos, and…read morethey were absolutely incredible!! The atmosphere was cool, and our server was super chill and friendly, which made us feel welcome right away. We only wish we had more time to stay because the rest of the menu looked just as good, and we'd love to come back to try more dishes. Service was a little on the slower side, but we were seated near the front on a Sunday night, so it's possible the restaurant was busier than it seemed. Either way, the food was well worth the wait. If you're looking for a place with great vibes and delicious food, this one is definitely worth checking out. We'll definitely be back the next time we're in town!

A funky spot to stop while downtown, this quickly became a place we'd love to add to our regular…read morerotation for a night out. Everyone was friendly, service was quick and efficient without feeling rushed, and the vibes were fantastic! We opted for nachos to start. Honestly, would've ordered a second batch instead of a burger if I had the chance, but we had already put in for burgers. Now, the burgers were also amazing, so you really can't go wrong. The chronic fries are DELICIOUS, with a perfect hint of heat to make them more unique. Prices were pretty good for serving size. We can't wait to make our way back (& hopefully that's soon!)

I've eaten at One Bourbon several times and have always had an amazing experience. The food, the…read moredrinks, and the service are always incredible. This past weekend I had a private event in their event space and am beyond thrilled with how it turned out. All of my guests were raving about the food and Danielle at One Bourbon made sure the event went perfectly. Highly recommend going for a night out and definitely recommend for your next event. Can't wait to go back!

This place has the best entrees and apps Well worth it and…read morethe bourbon selection is best in GR

Sadly, I went to The Knickerbocker wearing jeans and not my baggy trousers. New Holland's place is…read moreright on Bridge Street, so it's right in the heart of things. For drinks, I had the Dragon's Milk S'mores on tap and the S'moregasm cocktail. For such similar drinks they were wildly different. At 11% ABV the beer was quite strong and I really didn't taste the "s'more" flavor. Meanwhile, the cocktail was super sweet as expected. New Holland has a solid line of beers so you can't really go wrong, but I don't think the S'more flavors worked on tap. Everybody debates whether pineapple should be on pizza but how about mustard?! So I had to try the seasonal Chicken Cordon Bleu pizza and it was delicious! It had cut up fried chicken, ham, and different types of cheese along with scallions and of course mustard. Somehow, they made this work! Service was also great despite the crowds but my only real negative was that they sneak a credit card charge onto the bill and hide the notice at the bottom of the menu. That doesn't fee transparent when businesses do that but otherwise, we enjoyed our time at The Knickerbocker.

Ordered buffalo wings and double cheese burger…read more Start with the wings. Buffalo flavor was standard. 0 crisp on the wings, on top of that the chicken itself seemed to be lower quality. I could see after having a few beers these might have seemed good, but sober they were not it. Double cheese burger was smaller then I anticipated. Beef was well seasoned and had a good taste. Bun was generic. My real issue was the veggie on it. My lettuce had brown/black tips. My tomato was soggy. The pickles had no crunch to it, they were tough to bite through. Fries that came with the burger were also not my favorite. Thickness between wedge fried and steak fries, rough chopped every piece was different size so how could you cook them all consistently. No crisp to the fries, fairly greasy too. I wont be back.

Wanted to grab one quick drink with the wife before an event an Amway, and this place is close by…read more It's actually in a pretty central location, I say this because hopefully someone will see its value and pick it up. It's clear somethings going on with ownership maybe wanting to sell as I'm seeing reviews on here. Anyway our experience was unique; I told my wife and people at the event it was like a scene out of bar rescue! Serving drinks in red solo cups, the bar wasn't very stocked, and though we didn't look around and inspect the place it didn't give off a clean vibe because of updates that look like are needed. That being said at least around us the bar from what we could tell was maintained. Our bartender was friendly so there's that. But immediately on sitting we were informed the kitchen was closed and overheard later with other guests that it was due to staffing issues. Again overhearing it sounded like alot of things were out; even staples like Bud light. My drink was fine but my wife's cider was flat and probably an old keg... again just get the vibe they cashed out and putting minimal in... so I'd definitely recommend another spot until new ownership or some change comes... Which is too bad because even photos on here from 5 years ago look completely different (stocked bar) and I used to come here often about 10 -12 years ago for fun times and great value/experience.

We only stopped in to meet clients and have a few drinks. Very friendly staff with a good vibe to…read moreit. I didn't see anyone eating or look at a menu. I cannot comment on anything about the food. Overall a good bib and friendly staff

We were in town for a conference and were treated to a private event at the B.O.B…read more The location is really nice, it seemed to be in a reclaimed building and the space was perfect for the event. They had a nice bar and the host had a nice cover band from Chicago in to perform. The food was good, but that could have been provided by the catering company.

It's been a very long time since I've been back here and lots of changes. We came here on a…read moreThursday night and they had lots going on. No cover, you walk right into a nice sprawling bar and dance floor where it's salsa night. As you make your way upstairs they have a completely different vibe which was more electronic and dubstep. If you wanted something more divey then make your way downstairs to the karaoke night with a DJ. We partook in all these areas and enjoyed ourselves. The drinks weren't the best but decently priced. It's not a bad place to end up on a Thursday night in GR!

We finally made it for dinner at Mertens Prime after visiting just their rooftop bar last summer…read more This spot feels hidden away from Grand Rapids (even though it's smack dab in the middle), like it's its own little dark and romantic universe. We had escargot (for the first time!) and were blown away! The little serving of pasta that came with was an added bonus (and cured my constant craving for buttery noodles!) For entrees, we had the butternut squash gnocchi with shrimp added, and the duck al orange. The gnocchi was the perfect amalgamation of flavors, with the sweet squash, tangy goat cheese, and salty shrimp. The duck was juicy and delicious, and Derek loved the broccolini that came with it as well! (Honestly, I don't know how they made a vegetable taste like that!) We were so bummed we didn't save room for dessert, because the whole dessert menu looked insane. I'm looking forward to coming back for some french onion soup, a little dessert or two, and maybe a drink on the roof of the weather ever warms up! Shoutout to our server, who was very helpful and communicative even when he was being pulled a million different ways! (Lots of table side service desserts were going out)

MERTENS Prime really wants to feel like an upscale steakhouse, but the reality misses the mark…read more The entire place was dark, the seating was uncomfortable and cheap, and details like missing candles and worn walls made it feel neglected rather than intentionally "historic." Service hovered in a way that felt more judgmental than welcoming. On top of that, almost everything was $2 more than the menu price (my tiny side salad listed at $7/14 came to $9), and our bill shows a "seat count" of 10 even though we were seven -- probably why the automatic 18% gratuity hit. The food itself was mid at best; ironically, the highlight was a coffee mocktail.

Grace our server was great! The food was amazing! So much so that because we live over an hour…read moreaway, we got ribs to go! Nice place, only wish the seating was more comfortable. They smoke the meat, prepare the meat very well!!

Overall, we had a so-so experience at Butcher Block Social. The food had solid flavor. The…read moreatmosphere was relaxed, and the sides were especially good. The green beans and macaroni & cheese were my favorites! We came in for lunch. We were about the second table seated around 11:30am. The place quickly filled up! However, there was only one server. It's not her fault. But it kinda sucked after a while. And it was our first time trying this place. Since it got so busy, our server got tied up taking orders and she seemed to be answering the phone too. I noticed that our food was ready and under the warmer. Unfortunately, our food was not that hot when it got to us, finally. The ribs were overdone. My pulled chicken was very good although it was a tad on the cool side. We were celebrating a special occasion and I hate that our special lunch was kind of ruined. I think I would probably try this place again at dinner time.

Came on a Thursday night as we had just arrived in town for a weekend wedding. We were meeting some…read moreother bridal party members here for dinner. As you enter the front door, you have to go up a couple of steps - my shoe caught on one and I literally fell flat on my face at the entrance to the restaurant. Despite the blow to my ego I wasn't hurt, but not one member of the staff bothered to check. And considering that the two bridal party members, who had already arrived, were the ONLY ones in the restaurant you couldn't say it was too busy to notice. Burgers were ok, nothing to write home about.

Cool place! Friendly atmosphere, good food, nice pours, inviting and warm. Busy on a Saturday…read moreafternoon!