City Flavor Guide: Grand Rapids
Photograph from powerbooktrance on Flickr
Editor's note: Grand Rapids is the home of the Koeze Company, who, as far as I'm concerned, make the best peanut butter in America. They also make terrific cream nut clusters, fresh roasted nuts, and lots of other good stuff, so I figured who better to tell serious eaters where to eat in Grand Rapids than Jeff Koeze himself. Jeff would never say this himself (he's far too modest) but Koeze's two locations are a must for serious eaters in Grand Rapids. Beyond that, here are Jeff's recommendations. —EL
Breakfast
The wheelhouse for Grand Rapids food is breakfast. My favorite is a vegetarian place called Gaia Cafe. I like it not just because their food is really good, but also because it gets me away from eggs and bacon. It has a great breakfast burrito called the MexBrex with eggs cheese, beans, and fresh salsa. When I am looking for bacon and eggs and other everyday breakfast fare, the Garden Room Cafe, Real Food Cafe, and The Brandywine are all terrific.
Gaia Cafe: 209 Diamond Ave SE, Grand Rapids MI 49506 (map); 616-454-6233. Garden Room Cafe: 2055 28th St SE, Grand Rapids MI 49508 (map); 616-452-8544. Real Food Cafe: 5430 Northland Dr NE, Grand Rapids MI 49525 (map); 616-361-1808; 2419 Eastern Ave SE, Grand Rapids MI 49507 (map); 616-241-4080. The Brandywine: 2844 E Beltline Ave NE, Grand Rapids MI 49525 (map); 616-363-1723; 1345 Lake Dr SE, Grand Rapids MI 49506 (map); 616-774-8641.
Foodie and Locavore Central
The most interesting place for foodies and locavores in town is Restaurant Bloom, created by three grads of Grand Rapids Community College's excellent culinary arts program. These guys are really creative, and given the overall quality of the food and the ingredients they use, it's really reasonably priced. Must haves: this amazing dish with seared whitefish and savoy cabbage and ham dumplings in a caraway broth.
Restaurant Bloom: 40 Monroe Center St NW, Grand Rapids MI 49503 (map); 616-632-2233.
Hamburgers
We have a terrific local hamburger dive: Choo-Choo Grill. The burgers are made from fresh ground chuck and they're pressed down on an old grill so they get the nice crunch everyone loves to have on their burger. Plus, your burger arrives via an electric train. How much fun is that?
Choo-Choo Grill: 1209 Plainfield Ave NE, Grand Rapids MI 49505 (map); 616-774-8652.
Hot Dogs
We also have a really cool local hot dog joint, Yesterdog. It's been around for over thirty years with good reason. The hot dogs are excellent, especially the traditional hot dog. A word to the wise, though: Ordering at Yesterdog is not for the inexperienced. Everyone has to learn the rules. No exceptions.
Yesterdog: 1505 Wealthy St SE, Grand Rapids MI 49506 (map); 616-336-0746.
Mexican Food
Mexican food is where we're really starting to get it going. We've got a bunch of traditional Mexican places, all targeted at the growing Mexican and Latino communities. My favorite is Lindo Mexico—they have an amazing marinated pork filling that is absolutely fabulous. Two others I like are Tacos El Caporal and Tacos El Ranchero. These three are all within a mile of so of our business, so I am confident that there are other gems to be unearthed in this vein if only I were willing to go further for lunch. There are tons of these places, and I've only scratched the surface.
Lindo Mexico: 2747 Clyde Park Ave SW, Wyoming MI 49509 (map); 616-261-2280. Tacos El Caporal: 1024 Burton St SW, Wyoming MI 49509 (map); 616-246-6180. Tacos El Ranchero: 1240 Burton St SW, Wyoming MI 49509 (map); 616-245-6514.
Special Occasions
For a special occasion, a big birthday, or an anniversary, the 1913 Room at the Amway Grand Plaza is a AAA five diamond joint, and the meals I've eaten with my wife there have been really good. For steak, I like The Chop House. The shrimp cocktail is excellent, the steaks are thick and juicy, and the baked potatoes come fully loaded with sour cream, butter, and chives.
1913 Room: 187 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids MI 49503 (map); 616-776-6426. The Chop House: 190 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids MI 49503 (map); 616-451-6131.
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16 Comments:
Whoo! Love seeing Michigan represented here!
I have not spent nearly as much time in Grand Rapids as the southwest/lake areas and north, but when I do go it is to shop and eat!
The 1913 Room is very nice--I always recommend the place when folks ask about GR.
The Chop house sounds lovely, and I now have to go try the Mexican food--we don't have much I like in K-zoo. (At least not that I have found yet!)
Great post, thanks!
sadiepix at 7:24PM on 07/09/09
San Chez Tapas bistro is also delicious!
If the Chop House in GR is anything like the one in Ann Arbor, I'll pass.
Adobe has tex-mex (their soft chicken tacos are to die for), but it doesn't compare to all of the authentic Mexican and other central and south american food in GR . Beltline Bar is another place for good tex-mex.
Charley's Crab is good - I've always enjoyed meals there.
Bistro Bella Vita has great fresh pizzas. Peppino's is my favorite local "regular" pizza place. Z's is a great place too.
Hmmm....if you're stuck on Grand Valley's campus (Downtown or in Allendale) you won't be dissapointed! We have great food for a college.
omnomnom at 7:30PM on 07/09/09
Wohoo!! I was raised in Grand Rapids, and I must say....it's a foodie's DREAM!!! Even though this is in East Grand Rapids, Wolfgang's has the BEST Breakfast ever. My friends and I used to skip class (sorry mom....and Ms. Widdis!) to go there for breakfast.
Charley's Crab is probably the best sit down seafood restaurant you'll find. Now, if you just want some fried whiting and fries, Fry Daddy's on Division is the place!!
Jamaican Dave's on Wealthy is one of the only Caribbean restaurants in West Michigan, and Dave is one of the friendliest people you'll meet!
I have dreams about Beltline Bar's Wet Burritos....when I come home from Philly for the holidays, my first stop is Beltline Bar!! Beware, as stated earlier, Beltline Bar is straight tex mex.
@ Sadiepix...I went to Western Michigan University (Go Broncos!!) in K'zoo.....the closest Mexican spot I know of is Big Burrito....good for a tostada after a drunken night, but that's about it!
Oh....and I would kill someone over Vitales lasagna and garlic rolls
And I would pay lots of money for some bar-b-que from Sandmans!!
I could go on and on......I LOVE my city's food!!
Nomiom at 8:04PM on 07/09/09
I used to hit G.R. about once a week, I always loved Fat man's fish fry, used to stop and get a box of fish, always fresh, and good, anyone know if they are still there?
jword2001 at 9:05PM on 07/09/09
I second the Wolfgangs. Amazingly tasty breakfast!
noxturne at 10:36PM on 07/09/09
Excellent choices! The Choo-Choo Grill rocks.
Good to see so much GR love on SE.
smallkitchen at 10:25AM on 07/10/09
@ jword2001.....Fatman's is still around serving up some GREAT fried fish!
Nomiom at 10:59AM on 07/10/09
that is some damn good peanut butter
AlisonEats at 1:29PM on 07/10/09
Great to see the GR love!! A few that need mentioning though (and I'm echoing many previous comments):
Wet burritos at the Beltline Bar
BBQ at Sandman's and wings at Wing Heaven
Breakfast at Wolfgang's
Pizza at Vitale's
And I'm totally shocked there's no mention of any Gilmore restaurants. I'd say a majority of the best restaurants in town fit under this umbrella.
http://www.thegilmorecollection.com/
GRfan at 2:18PM on 07/10/09
@GRfan: Sandmann's - fantastic. Gilmore - acceptable.
smallkitchen at 6:42PM on 07/10/09
GR is on the map! I grew up in NW GR and still have some favorite places to eat when I'm in town:
Again...these have been mentioned -
San Chez Bistro
Beltline Bar
Bistro Bella Vita
Koeze's was definitely a household name when I grew up!
janicecooks at 7:55PM on 07/10/09
So exciting to see GR here! I live right down the street from Real Food (and JB's Pizza..mmm), and it's un-changingly good.
I like the Heritage Restaurant at GRCC. The waiters are culinary students and will talk to you passionately for 1/2 an hour about some obscure ingredient.
I also like this great Mexican place on Burton, it's on the south side of the street and it took over another restaurant but didn't change the sign. So, it says "Chicken In/Out" but it's really a great Mexican restaurant.
I agree that Gilmore restaurants are meh. Don't shoot me - but I don't think Beltline is that great. It's like San Chez - pretty good, fun, and nostalgic if you've been around for a while but the legend is bigger than the taste. I'm not a foodie though so feel free to disregard.
@Sadiepix - are you kidding?? You have Junitas - that little restaurant in back of the Mexican grocery store on Portage Rd (you go in through the store, to the back, and there it is. It's tiny). Amazing! Big Burrito is good too - I go pretty much every time I go to Kzoo.
BigBinder at 8:02PM on 07/10/09
yay for some SW Michigan love!!
redhead at 11:45AM on 07/11/09
I love GR!!! My BF lives on Lake Dr. ( although not for much longer) and we love Brandwine!!! Best breakfast out there. The sushi joint downtown on Monroe is second to none...seriously grandma roll and salmon skin roll, unfortunately I do not know it's name. For great Italian go to Pietro's on 28th, you will die and go to heavan. Last but not least Russ's is great of for comforty food, although they are originally from Holland,MI and have locations around Kzoo, Holland, and GR.
Oh and check out Russo's on 29th street for some good grocery shopping, great cheese and wine selection. They also have an amazing deli with some family specialties and more family specialties in the freezer section http://www.gbrusso.com/
Sigilum at 8:31PM on 07/12/09
oh and it for got Ritz Coney dowtown somewhere by the Van Andel....awesome dogs!
Sigilum at 8:32PM on 07/12/09
GR has come a long way from the days when the best place to eat was Charlie's Crab. Cool places like the Green Well and Winchester's serve up great food. The Electric Cheetah has sandwich's and soup are already putting the EC at the top of the list. Marie Catrib's and the Real Food Cafe never fail to please. Both restaurants are smoke free and get it right every time for breakfast and lunch.
For real GR old timers the Beltline Bar and Yesterdog are the places to go. I have to differ with those that sing their praises. They are unique. However, they aren't good. The food has the consistency of gerber.
For the "gut bomb" crowd. (Think Diners Drive-in's and Dives) The Choo Choo, Fat Boys, The Cottage, Teasers, The Wealthy Street Station and Sandmann's will all give you your fix of artery clogging joy.
egrdad at 10:18PM on 09/17/09