Grand Rapids Garage Bar & Grill

After a long day of sightseeing, I tried out Grand Rapids Garage. Talk about a great atmosphere, and my server was fantastic. I had their signature brisket sandwich, which was pretty good. But that salsa was fire. I don't know who came up with their salsa recipe, but coming from a salsa snoob, this was legit good. I will definitely be back again, because I was told to try their wings, next time.

Whatever seasoning that is on the fries was A+! The Mac and cheese was nice. It was smooth and saucy but for 3$ extra if you add chicken there should be more chicken given. The burger was good as well. The restaurant is cramped and it's definitely a bar but the booth seats looked and felt new and the staff were polite

Great food. Can be loud. - Build Your Own Burger - $14: Ordered medium and got medium-well, though it was still fairly juicy. Also ordered with American white cheese (no yellow?), lettuce, tomato, and onion. The toppings were fairly fresh and well balanced. I was not expecting the white cheese, but they confirmed it was white American cheese. Nothing major to write home about, but it was a decent burger without many flaws. - Kennebec Fries - (free with the burger): Thin cut and fried to a darker color and deeper flavor. They were SUPER salty even after wiping them and shaking them. Sounds like something unique, but was fairly common in experience. The waitress said the same. Researching this after the fact, it looks more like a particular potato that is bred for its fast growing, high yield qualities without losing much (if any) desired qualities for fries. - Chicken Tenders Basket - $15: I was recommended the chicken tenders by a friend. They were hot at first and difficult to gauge, but after cooling, they were spectacular. The meat was lean and high quality and the batter was spot on. - Roadhouse Steak & French Onion Soup - $7: My friend ordered this and said it was one of the best versions of this soup he has ever had. It had large steak chunks and a lot of them (the picture was actually of a very small chunk). I was also HIGHLY recommended the Mozzarella Sticks (Straight Pipes - $13), but did not try them this trip. - Service: We sat in the north half to avoid the music (fruitless, but we tried). We were forgotten at first and it took more than 10 minutes to get menus and water. After that, we were taken care of until we wanted our check to pay and leave, which took 5 minutes. When we were served, it was immediate and friendly. - Atmosphere: Garage mechanic like environment. Grungy and mild adult paraphernalia. I wouldn't recommend bringing children. The music is rock and similar pop and played loud at times. They did turn it down a bit when we requested it. You either like it or hate it. They stress hosting the best parties they can and I like a quieter environment. Some of the tables are wobbly, low, and plain. Some are tall. Some are chairs around a coffee table. Some are at the bar. Some are a lot of fun to sit around. There is a ton of variety with HOW you dine. There is also seating just outside the front door and a large heater above that keeps it reasonable to sit out there. I was surprised how well it kept it warm as we walked out. They also have a breathalyzer machine in the back of the north section to the right of the Harley-Davidson logo above the lottery machine (as seen in my picture). If you are concerned, you can use that. I don’t drink much at all so I cannot speak to those things, but that was unique. - Conclusion: Amazing food, but you've gotta like the atmosphere to enjoy the experience. The service can have loopholes that can be frustrating. I do get the vibe that this is a very popular hang out. Visited on a Tuesday at 5pm.

Awesome spot! We stopped in on an early Saturday afternoon and got seated right away. Service was great, food was exceptional all around the table. The place is very cool. Even bought a few cups to bring home for my own “Garage Bar”. We will definitely be back again and will suggest this place to friends and family who may visit.

Food was great! The Brisket tacos blew my mind. Service was awesome and we all loved the garage theme atmosphere. Will be back

This has been my favorite restaurant for years, there wasn’t a thing on their menu I disliked. I told everyone I know to go there because the food is amazing, especially the fries. My girlfriend and I went today for the first time in a couple weeks and we were extremely disappointed with the new fries and overall quality of the food. Across the board everything looked and tasted cheap. The service and atmosphere is always great, and I have never had a bad experience here. But with the new ingredients I don’t know if I would go back or tell anyone else to go either.

We had a wonderful time here! We were staying near by at a hotel and this was in perfect walking distance. We ended up going through the back door but it didn’t seem like that mattered. It was loud inside but I expected that with this place and it honestly made the vibe better. Food was top tier. Absolutely wonderful food. We each got a burger and split an order of cheese curds and those were addicting! Burgers were cooked perfectly and the sides were great. We tried the fries and the Mac and cheese. Both were great but I gotta give the win to the fries! I added a fried egg to my burger and it was also cooked exactly as I wanted and just made everything better. Service was great! All staff were attentive and quick with drinks, questions, etc,. 10000/10

Stopped in last night for our first time before heading to a concert at The Intersection. The food was excellent, staff was friendly and the atmosphere perfect. Bike night with a live band was the cherry on top. We'll definitely be back!

Awesome place. Food, staff and experience. Dropped in randomly with a couple friends and were very impressed. Ended up bringing my baseball team back 2x over 2 days. Teenage kids, adults, everyone was impressed. Staff is knowledgeable, patient and welcoming! Thank you the owner Kevin, Huge yes to anyone who was to have a drink, a bite to eat and enjoy a great local establishment. #redcupsarethebest

French onion soup has brisket in it!!!!!! Supposedly the best chicken tenders in Michigan but I may disagree. Onion rings has tons of batter!!! Super crispy. Very good. I'll be back. Mac n cheese looked good.

Went on a Saturday about 5 or so. It was busy, but were able to get a both right away. It was pretty loud as there was a Michigan football game going on. Thought the place was kind of small and then realized there was a whole other room on the other side of the bar. Staff was friendly, but it did take a while to get our food after we ordered. Not that big of a deal for as busy as it was and when the food came out, it was great. I ordered the special of brisket stroganoff. Decent size portion. Tasted excellent. Onion rings were just right. My son ordered the El Camino Quesadilla and he couldn't eat all his either. Good sized portions, tasted great, and nice staff. Couldn't have asked for a better time.

Came here for dinner on a week night and was happy with our choice! It wasn't busy so we sat down right away and were also able to order our food quickly. They have a pretty big menu of bar food and I they are known around town for their chicken tenders so I was happy to see they had a salad with chicken tenders on it. It was very good and their ranch dressing is awesome! I also got a side of fries and the portion was huge!! I was able to take most of it to go and eat it at a later time. Someone I was with got the garage fries as an app and I tried a couple bites. So tasty. I would order this for myself next time as my meal. Pricing seemed very fair and they have a bunch of street parking out front. It was kinda loud inside so I wouldn't recommend it if you are going for a catch up with a friend but it's a bar atmosphere so it is expected.

Some of the worst food in Grand Rapids. Everything is dripping in grease. Apparently all the fried food is done in same fryer. Save your money and go somewhere else.

Usually I love the Garage bar. Good food, strong drinks, and dog friendly. Nice environment and good hang out place. However our last visit was disappointing. We sat for 15 minutes with no service, despite several waiters walking past us, so we ultimately left. It was a Sunday at 3:30, so not busy and other tables were getting served but not us with our clearly empty table. We'll still go back eventually, but probably sit it at the bar to make sure we get service.

The food here is so good! Last time I went here, I got the chicken and waffles so I told my friend to try it this time and she loved it! I tried the Cajun chicken pasta and WOW one of the best pasta I've ever had. It was also a huge portion so I had enough leftovers for the next day. For drinks I got a coconut margarita and she got the mezcal paloma. I enjoyed my drink but her paloma was too strong. Our waiter was accommodating and got us more juice for the drink though. I always love how big the place is so you have two rooms where you can dine in and a heated outdoor dining area in the front. I will definitely be back to try other items off their menu'

Great vibes. Really fun to watch the lions at. Great staff that refills drinks often. Can't wait to go back!

Food was great. I got the Nashville hot sandwich would recommend! Live music, was nice, went on a Friday. Little loud inside, outdoor seating is available as well, neat setting, sand nice scenery, also right near downtown

By far the very best chicken tenders and fries you will ever eat anywhere! The chicken is super moist and tender. The batter is also very tasty, not too thick or too thin. We ate inside the last time there and the Bloody Mary was also delicious - so many toppings on it I could hardly find the straw! The bacon on top of the drink was way better than any cherry!! We have yet to have a bad meal here. Keep up the great work in the kitchen!

This is a place I spotted while walking around the area near my hotel. I sat at the bar for dinner and ordered the Cadillac Grill with a burger patty added and onion rings. The meal was delicious, the service helpful and quick, and there are lots of seats around two sides of the bar. They also have some large screen televisions to watch if you like. The restaurant was clean and welcoming.

My friend and I got a garage burger with bacon added and chicken strips. We shared our meals so we could try more food, and it was delicious. I thought I would like the chicken strips best, but the burger was so good!! The chicken was also good, so it was hard to decide which was our favorite. The fries were seasoned deliciously! Service was great on a busy Sunday night.

Staying at the Embassy, it's an easy walk. Jumpin' music, friendly servers and good food/decent portions. I'd stop here again.

Great place, everyone there is great. This is a valuable and perfectly reasonable business, they will never handle a situation with a guest improperly. Their food is very fresh and very high quality, this establishment is trusted and consistent, they also have assured me that if there ever is an instance of unacceptable food it will be promptly addressed. A business that runs like this runs well for a reason. These guys know what they're doing. They don't cut corners here. I also fully endorse this restaurant's chicken tenders, just in case Gordon Ramsay sees this and also happens to care about my opinion. Also! Bring your dog! Another reason I've been frequenting this fine establishment for so long! Flow and speed of service: A Quality of FOH service: A Menu options and accommodations: A Menu (food): A Menu (readability): A

They had terrific margaritas! We enjoyed their outdoor seating and a warm July evening. Service was a little slow, but we weren't in any rush. Food was really good. We will definitely return

Stopped in for lunch, the place was not very busy. The bar is decorated like it's namesake, details included blue shop towels as napkins. After asking some questions we were told we should try the chicken tenders if it was sour first visit. Also highly recommend we're the straight pipes and the Philly (which we didn't get). The tenders were a 4 piece dipped in a thin but very crisp batter. I'm not normally a fan of battered tenders but these were nice, not that thick doughy batter some places have. I do wish like most other places that the batter/breading had some seasoning to it instead of relying on a sauce to provided it but I digress. The ranch was that good ranch- not sure if from scratch but the kind you want to drink. Honey mustard was also nice. The hand cut fries on the other hand were very well seasoned and delicious. You could see the attention to detail with the straight pipes- crispy and perfect. Appear hand cut/breaded with a good cheese pull. We were surprised how big they were and how many we received. The fried pickles seem to have the same batter as the chicken. They're fried pickles, they were fine. The last item we ordered was almost the most exciting item to try but our least favorite in the end. The French onion and steak soup. It wasn't bad, I've just had better. I don't know what I expected for the steak but i think it was shaved ribeye instead of chunks of steak. All in all the staff was friendly, it was clean, had quick service, was reasonably priced and the food was hot and good. Would totally return.

First time here and I'll be back. Had the Road Hog and with some added Tabasco it was perfect. But the service was even a bigger draw. Great server and the owner treated us like kings.

Good vibe! High end bar food - the mozz sticks were gangster! Service was quick and sweet, and they have zing zang (a must in my book).

We have eaten here several times. The food and service has been fantastic. The atmosphere is great. They accommodated a large group with short notice and the server and food were great. Reasonably priced. I should have taken photos but I didn't! Sorry. Worth stopping for sure. We will be back for sure!

Picked up lunch to go. Chicken strips. They were waiting for me on the bar right under a fan. Now granted I was a little late picking them up but they were not what I'd call warm. Even with that they were pretty tasty. They'd be fantastic if they were fresh from the kitchen. I walked thru a patio area that was super cute. So I'd like to try them out this summer for an ear in experience.

After a Rugby match with the Grand Rapid Growlers (show our ladies some support @grandrapidswomensrugby), we attended our after-match social at the Garage. The beer was cold and the food really hit the spot. There was a miscommunication about the time our large party was expected but the staff did their best to accommodate us and make sure we had tables, water, and beer. We can't forget the beer. The food portions were large and I would say their appetizers were more than substantial for a meal and were all fantastically delicious. I would absolutely eat here again if I am ever in Grand Rapids and we love businesses that support our local sports teams.

Great service. Food was amazing as well. It was a little loud for chatting, but seeing all of the doggies allowed in was well worth it.

#Burgers #Wings #Hole in the wall #Biker Bar. Stop in after work relax and have a cold one. Good place to meet friends. Harley Biker friendly.

Garage Bar has no business having food as good as it does. Everything I've had there is legitimately good - nachos, chicken tenders, mozzarella sticks, turkey club. Drinks and ambience are solid as well.

Was seated, asked for a menu and an iced tea. Brought both. Didn't see my waiter for the next 25 minutes. Other staff walking around, not one person stopped by the table. I left. As I got up to leave he showed up. Unbelievably poor service. Can't say anything about the food, I never got the chance to order.

Just had a delicious lunch at Grand Rapid Garage Bar and Grill. The brisket sandwich was so yummy. We also had a Club Sandwich and a Garage Burger and they all hit the mark. Glad we stumbled upon it. p.s. the bathroom floors are super slick watch your step.

The fall drink specials are amazing! I highly recommend the Lowrider Cider. It has captain Morgan spiced rum, ginger ale, apple cider, and cinnamon sugar on the rim. It's amazing! Doesn't even taste like alcohol. We also got the onion rings. They were delicious and very filling. The batter is really thick on them and the sauce is super tasty!

I realllllly like the chicken tenders here. The Garage Bar is off the beaten path - there is plenty of street parking and when you walk in, they've got loud music and everybody turns to look at who just walked in. The prices seemed higher than the last time I was in, but they did have a new menu from the last time I was in about a year or so ago. I would say if you want to feel like you're in someone's garage hanging out - this is the place for you. They have at least one pool table from what I could see on the other side of the bar and plenty of TVs. I also saw 2 dogs on leashes while I was there - one was a super cute bulldog! Check them out - and order the chicken tenders!!

Monica the bartender, and Cory the waiter are the best! I have never had such amazing customer service in my life! Cory was very attentive and I have never had napkins brought to me that fast! Monica was slinging drinks faster than a chicken in fight! I will always recommend this place for food and drinks every time! Best service in town!

Love this place! The staff and owner are phenomenal. The food is delicious... come check it out! Side Note: When Covid happened, the Garage Bar was one of the few places to take care of this community. They came strong and helped a lot of families out. Worth a visit!

This is definitely a dive bar but it's a nice place. They are out of fish before 5 pm! Are you kidding me??? If you're looking for a good fish dinner I'd skip the Garage Bar as they are always out of fish.

Smells like a garage. Literally. You can just imagine getting your oil changed here and it's incredible. It is not off putting at all. It's nostalgic. The burgers and fries are top notch. Or clutch. Pick your garage metaphor. Homemade ranch and the absolute best deep fried hand dipped mushrooms ever. The rotating taps are average (sorry). I would personally add at least 3 more local brews (starting with my favorite green bush). If you appreciate the small aspects that make a dive bar a true classic you'll love love love this garage.

I like the garage because of the fresh air with the doors up. Nothing worse than a stuffy bar. If you love the comforts of AC, this is not the place for you. This is a place you go for a can of beer, whiskey & ginger, or vodka tonic. Craft cocktail connoisseur's this not your spot. I did not eat on this visit, but they have an extensive menu of bar food. Word on the street is the burger is where it's at. Dog friendly for the outside seating area. Walking distance from Embassy Suites.

It's a neat place to go to. The amazing thing is that you can bring your dog indoors to eat. The food is better than most bars I've been to. Nice staff.

I enjoy the atmosphere here for game days especially. It's lively and the food is good. I have had their burgers and they are very good. Yesterday I visited again and had meatballs and wings appetizers. So good! The staff is super nice and the owner visited tables to make sure all was well as expected - on a Sunday!

Garage Bar is everything a dive bar wishes it could be! With strong, cheap drinks ($3.50 tall wells) and a great selection of food, it definitely nears the top of my list of greatest bars in downtown Grand Rapids. They have the more intimate, local feel of a dive bar without the dirty grunginess that you'd normally associate with one. They're located just far enough down the backside of Monroe that there's plenty of parking, but you can still walk downtown before/after. They also have live music outdoors on Wednesdays in the summer, and some live music indoors at random. Juke box, pool tables, & bags to keep you entertained as well. Their drinks are delicious, strong, and very reasonably priced. I love their tall gin and tonics, their long islands are a bit too sour. The food is priced slightly higher than your usual neighborhood bar, but it's worth the price for the quality and great portion sizes.... Try their mac&cheese and their chicken tenders, they're amazing! Definitely worth your time to check out!

Listen great bar food and affordable. If your looking for a burger,.chicken wings and beer come here in your shorts and tee. No glizt sticky floor kinda place, our server was nice yet apparently didn't move the food from the kitchen fast enough..so coworker literally came out threw food on table and left. Umm well that was nasty and honestly it wasn't a long wait to boot.(our server was great) Anyway...good sloppy second place to go to when your hungry and everywhere else.is booked.

We came in on Sunday night around 8 o'clock. The bartender was super friendly and told us to sit wherever. We sat on the patio right as the twinkling lights came on. It was fun to see all the dogs around us! Great music, I think there was even a live band indoors. We waited probably 15 minutes before my boyfriend got up and asked the bartender for a menu and a server. The server sat on the bench next to while taking our order, which was a little odd. we had to wait another 15 minutes for our drinks which were both really poorly made. The Paloma was super sour and watery. Luckily the food was great. We got the chicken and waffles, and the drunken Mac. Both were delicious, piping hot, and huge portions. Plus it came out very quickly and was very reasonably priced. The vibe was great as well. Service and cocktails, not so much.

Went last night for dinner. Menu looked really good so a group of us went. Food was not good, cocktails were not good, and atmosphere was beyond loud. Wanted to love this place but won't go back. Food did come fast and our server was nice.

WOW! This place blew me away. We are from 6 hours away and staying in hotel, this -lace was a block away so we decided to try it. We didn't order one thing bad. It was all delicious. The cooks was spot on and the wait staff was top notch. We have traveled a lot and this is a place I would recommend to go to.

Been here a few times. Drinks are strong and the food is typical bar food, but it's very good!

Stopped in for a quick lunch. We waited and waited to be served, only for my Husband to go back to the car to grab work things to do while he waited. Having been noticed and continuing to be waiting is unacceptable for Grand Rapids. Once the burger and drink arrived, which was delicious thankfully, Ry was ready to go. After paying the manager asked what they could do to make this review better. Sorry Garage Bar and Grill, don't think we will be back.

This place is great ! Very nice staff, awesome food, sparkling clean bathrooms...overall a very pleasant experience ! I had been fasting for about 14 hours and broke it with the Michigan House with salmon. So yummy !

Our friends got engaged around the corner and we were all waiting here to surprise them! The staff was very helpful and we were able to reserve the whole side of the restaurant with the pool table, bar access, and plenty of TVs. While we didn't order actual meals, we had quite a few appetizers and drinks. Everyone seemed to enjoy the appetizers which included nachos, wings, onion rings, meatballs, fried pickles, and fried mushrooms. We will definitely be back to try their burgers and fries that everyone keeps talking about!

Came here on Sunday for the GR Drag Brunch - this is NOT a review of the show - but of the Garage Bar. We were given 5 food options with our ticket purchase - I ordered the skillet which was an egg, melted cheese, on top of a bunch of cut up french fries. Meh. Not something I would get again or recommend. Granted - they are not a breakfast joint.. it was pretty sub par. Service - this is where most my stars come into play. We were there to have fun and enjoy the show, however, our service was horrible. We placed our initial order of a bottle of champagne to share with the table - that equates to one glass each. It took nearly 30+ minutes to place our food order so we didn't get it until the show started. We literally had to grab another server to order another round. So, our drinks were only refilled once during the show. Big bummer. Bathroom - Granted this is a bar.. but the gap in the bathroom stalls in the ladies room is quite ridiculous. Literally, you can watch the person do whatever it is they are doing in there. ZERO privacy. The Drag Show was amazing and I look forward to following them around. It may be awhile before I return to the garage for one of these shows.

#Best #Burgers #Ever! Nice drinks and great selection. PERFECT hole in the wall any day of the week with friendly folks.

While visiting Grand Rapids, we decided to try this place as it was close to our hotel. We called and had placed our order, when we got there the food was ready hot and we took it back to our hotel. Big chicken strips were to die for, the hubcaps mushrooms were awesome! Juicy Burgers and hand-cut fries. The trunk mac and cheese was delicious as well. Will definitely eat again.

Sure it's a bar, but you know what? Sometimes you need a to-go box of bar food, satisfying bar food! And not some half-a$$ed bar food, but seasoned and smoked brisket coated in BBQ sauce, topped with melty gouda and placed inside a pretzel bun. I'm not crazy about cole slaw, but the slaw on my brisket sandwich brought a nice crunch and wasn't overdressed so it didn't create a soggy situation on the toasted pretzel bun. The French fry seasoning is addictive... similar, yet different from another local joint's addictive fries. I was happy the side of fries wasn't bigger because I would have happily demolished a LOT more of those. And now, I could really use this sandwich again.

This is one of the best burgers in GR and some of the best fries I've had in my life. I could care less about going out to Garage at night but if you need lunch this is an awesome spot and you won't leave hungry.