Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in Grand Rapids / Western Michigan

OpenTable

Updated January 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in Grand Rapids / Western Michigan? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Brick and Brine

4.9

4.9 (955)

$31 to $50

American

Kalamazoo

About the restaurant

Brick and Brine is located on the 1st floor of the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Downtown Kalamazoo. Our restaurant is right off of the Kalamazoo Mall past Old Burdick's Bar & Grill.

Inspired by a natural propensity for classic duos, Brick and Brine isn’t just a restaurant. It’s a space of masterful craftsmanship that represents a strong foundation of social connectedness. It’s an intentionally forged experience speaking to both local and visiting guests’ desire for warm conversation, savory dishes, and exceptional service.

Whether you’re celebrating a special occasion, winding down from a long workday, or spending quality time with loved ones, Brick and Brine provides an experience and atmosphere that will uniquely add flavor to your evening.

Join us and immerse yourself at Brick and Brine.

Top review

Paul

Dined 4 days ago

Very good food and cocktails. Appreciated the opportunity for online reservations.

The Melting Pot - Grand Rapids

4.7

4.7 (1235)

$31 to $50

Fondue

Grand Rapids

About the restaurant

Welcome to The Melting Pot. We offer a truly unique dining experience created by the art of fondue. Whether you’re celebrating a birthday, anniversary, a long overdue date night, or celebrating with a group, The Melting Pot is perfect for any occasion. Tailor your visit with a four-course dining experience including cheese fondue, salad, entree and chocolate fondue. Or, come by for fondue cheese paired with that perfect glass of wine from our extensive selection. That's not to say we haven't had more than a few stop by to satisfy that chocolate craving after a movie.

Top review

Ronald

Dined on Jan 6, 2025

Came for my wife's birthday party, left a happy customer. My only gripe about this place is the cost considering that you do the cooking yourself. I understand that's part of the experience but I feel like the cost of things should be cheaper because of this.

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Experience

Standard Reservation

Experience

Valentine's Day Lunch

Experience

Valentine's Day

CBK

4.7

4.7 (643)

$30 and under

American

Wayland

About the restaurant

CBK - Craft Bar Kitchen - is our modern take on traditional pub fare. The menus mix some of the freshest local ingredients while seasonally inspired menus highlight our chef’s culinary expertise. Come join the fun and excitement as we make CBK the ultimate place to meet with friends and family while enjoying your night on the town at Gun Lake Casino.

While here, help yourself to some of the best locally crafted beer at our CBK Beer Wall! Enjoy up to 40 self-serve beers as you sample our vast offerings.

In the summer, enjoy our outdoor patio with fireplace and patio games. In the winter, make your reservations for our heated igloos for you and up to 6 others in our newly added amenity.

For parties larger than 8, please call Guest Relations at (269) 792-7777

Top review

Shirley

Dined on Dec 29, 2024

🌹Dillon was our Server and she was great! She went above and beyond our expectations!😊 The food was delicious! We had a variety of selections for a party of 8. With some minor adjustments we were seated at tables for 8 people. Totally enjoyable after Xmas family Dinner.😊

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Popular dish

BLTA SANDWICH

HopCat - Kalamazoo

4.7

4.7 (37)

$30 and under

American

Kalamazoo

About the restaurant

Located in a historic train freight depot, this location features a multi-season outdoor patio, private event space, and a special installation of guitars from Kalamazoo's own Heritage Guitars. We're a short walk from Bell's, Arcadia, and other downtown breweries and beer bars in this great beer city.

HopCat was founded on the principles of bringing local craft beer a bit closer to the communities we love. We’re known for our award-wining Cosmik fries, which are beer battered, sprinkled with our signature cracked black pepper seasoning, and served with a side of warm cheese sauce. From burgers to tacos, our menu offers a range of delicious options.

We live the craft lifestyle - beer, cocktails and even craft food made from scratch. With a dedication to local breweries, sustainability and community engagement, HopCat offers craft beer and great food in a vibrant atmosphere for an inclusive, unforgettable experience.

Top review

DAVID

Dined on Dec 28, 2024

Jake did a great job tonight. Prompt service and checkback. Food order was perfect, everything was correct, hot and tasty. Nice job. Also I want to buy the Prince painting. Gimme a number.

Smuggler's at North Shore

4.7

4.7 (182)

$30 and under

American

Newaygo

About the restaurant

Smuggler's at North Shore is a modern & casual dockside eatery featuring a broad, classic American-style menu, with home-made favorites ranging from classic steak & seafood dishes, to pasta, wood-fired pizza, and pub grub. Also, we offer a signature cocktail menu spotlighting all-Michigan-based distillers, a range of draught beer options, a casual-to-fine wine selection, and slushie options.

Top review

Jerry

Dined on Dec 26, 2024

It was our first time visiting here. We celebrated our 38 wedding anniversary. It was a fantastic experience, loved the energy in the room, the food was fantastic. Large portions, absolutely delicious firewood pizza, and the pulled pork nachos. Needed the pizza to go since we were full from the appetizer. The Jack Frost Christmas cocktail was perfect. Absolutely worth the money. Loved atmosphere and the holiday decorations well done.

Tupelo Honey - Grand Rapids

4.6

4.6 (2321)

$30 and under

Contemporary Southern

Grand Rapids

About the restaurant

Tupelo Honey is a revival of Southern food and traditions rooted in the Carolina Mountains we call home. We craft brunches, lunches and suppers that bring family and friends around the table and allow for conversations and cocktails to linger longer than usual. Always scratch-made, always responsibly-soured, and always Southern.

Top review

Danielle

Dined on Jan 1, 2025

A fantastic Nee Years Day brunch for our group of 4. Our waitress, Ren was so kind and professional. Giving us suggestions and a few more minutes to decide when asked. Top notch food and service!

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Experience

Hoot & Holler Happy Hour

Lucky Rooster

4.6

4.6 (343)

$30 and under

Italian

Battle Creek

About the restaurant

Lucky Rooster Kitchen and Cocktails features an innovative and entertaining dining experience. From locally sourced Italian classics to hand crafted cocktails with an imported twist. Outdoor dining, family seating, and custom crafted bar will entertain every need. With chef inspired recipes and cocktails that put freshness first, Lucky Rooster is bringing flavor back to Battle Creek. Locally owned, locally sourced, and locally loved. Come check us out soon.

Top review

Tammy

Dined 6 days ago

We enjoyed our food, the service was bread! A nice spot for a meal with friends!

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Popular dish

Spicy Shrimp Linguine

BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse - Lansing

4.4

4.4 (106)

$30 and under

American

Lansing

About the restaurant

Time counts at BJ’s Restaurant & Brewhouse. Since our humble beginnings back in 1978, we’ve continued to refine our brewhouse experience to make BJ’s a place where you can make the most of any meal. We want BJ’s to be a place where the moment you leave is the moment you plan on coming back. We pride ourselves in our craft and attention to detail. Our guests come here for our award-winning handcrafted beer. They come here for the Southern California twist we’ve put on the Chicago-style deep dish pizza. And they come here for our Pizookies®, our world-renowned dessert. But above all we know people come here to make their good times better. So in many ways we haven’t just crafted a brand, but a mindset. And our guests are the reason for this. And it’s because of them we’re continually striving to make sure every moment they choose to spend with us counts. Welcome to BJ’s, a restaurant with a Brewhouse soul.

Top review

Jerry

Dined 4 days ago

Our table and reservation was ready when our party of 8 arrived. Great Server and was quick with drinks. Food was a little off and serving green tomatoes with stems was a miss. Beer was good and appreciate there efforts on a busy Saturday.

Matchbox Diner and Drinks

4.4

4.4 (94)

$30 and under

American

Grand Rapids

About the restaurant

Matchbox Diner & Drinks is a neighborhood restaurant located in the heart of Eastown in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Our modern diner and delicatessen features breakfast all-day, mile-high deli sandwiches, burgers, comfort food, delicious dinners, and a full bar. Matchbox Diner & Drinks is meant to be an extension of our home and our family, so expect good food and good people all year round.

Top review

Katherine

Dined on Jan 3, 2025

Perfect quiet date night! The food was delicious and the service was great.

Kankakee Grille - Four Winds Casino

4.2

4.2 (1201)

$30 and under

American

New Buffalo

About the restaurant

There is no better place in the area to enjoy delicious dining, a large selection of craft beers, specialty, cocktails, and live entertainment. Comfort foods with a modern twist that satisfy every craving: Hearth baked pizzas, soups and salads, hometown favorites, and more. Live entertainment every weekend with the best stage and sound in Michiana.

Top review

RoxannVIP

Dined 2 days ago

We had a 5:45 reservation but got there early & we were promptly seated in a booth near the bar. One of the bartenders was our server & he was great. We both had the ribeye with fries that was all great! The vegetable of the day was brussel sprouts which could have been seasoned alot more as they were pretty bland and roasting them would have given alot more flavor.

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