Monarchs' Corner Bar

NOT SAFE FOR WOMEN ! The bartender memorized our personal info while IDing us and over an hour later decided to share this with an older male patron who I guess had asked. When this patron told us how old we were and how he found out, I felt immediately uncomfortable and unsafe. Are you checking our IDs to ensure we are legal to serve or to be a wingman at your place of work ? I attempted to ask this bartender why our personal information was shared, I was dismissed because he was “busy with other guests” and treated as though I was being annoying, even though we were subjected to this blatant invasion of privacy. We were then told that the bartender was upset that his buddy had told us that info had been shared. I’ve been trying to reach out to management for a couple of days before posting a review but cannot connect with anyone. Very upsetting.

Great Bar open late with pool tables. Bar tender was great. Shots are cheap and plenty of beers on tap.

They serve food!!!! I had no idea until recently.. great atmosphere and 2 pool tables, back patio is cool. 👍

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Monarchs Club is the spot! Their broccoli cheddar soup is unreal, but what really makes this place pop is the crew behind the bar—shoutout to Alesha, Kellen, GiGi, Chase, Pat and Bob. These guys know how to keep the vibe chill and the drinks flowing. Plus, nothing beats kicking back outside, catching some sun, and just hanging with friends—or making new ones. Miss and look forward to when they bring back their vinyl sets on the patio. Definitely the go-to place to relax and vibe out.

Great neighborhood bar!

This place is a jewel. Something that needs to be looked at, appreciated, and revered. The American bar will not die as long as places like the Monarch still ply their trade.

The best of the West Side dive bars!!! The food is amazing, especially the Italian beefs. The drinks are stiff. The regulars are friendly and harmless. And the back porch is always lively. Make sure to ask for a "gravy back". A crazy but somehow tasty concoction some of the locals "invented" here. Def not got vegans lol. Old but comfortable atmosphere. Like finding a Long lost pair of gloves.

Nice little bar, reasonable prices, outdoor patio, and two pool tables that are free to play on Tuesday nights.

One of my favorite bars for a long time now. The bartenders are always friendly, calm, efficient, and knowledgeable. Great service every time. Pretty large selection of draft beers and they change frequently which is great. Also large selection of liquor. Both make up for a smaller array of cans/bottles. Pool tables around to the side but I've never played. The patio out back is very hip/cool/fun, and the inside has that old-school-bar charm. Great place to chill without many crazy college kids or drunk karaoke singers, which is pretty refreshing. Can't say much about the food as all I've ever had was chips and dip, but I will say it's been the perfect bar snack every time.

Do not go here with your debit card!!! I got my card information stolen! I had a weird second charge from them and then I noticed somebody use my card at a pizza place 2 miles away from it. When I talk to management about letting me see the camera footage they said they would show me and keep in touch with me the next day. Shocker ! They didn't! I keep calling and now no one is getting back to me. Be careful !!!

Adorable drinks made right. Good casual vibe. Offers pool and darts. Nice outdoor area with plenty of seating including comfortable couches. Small food menu. Nice staff. Street parking.

Strange vibe overall. Didn't like you had to get up from your table to order anything. Wouldn't stop here again.

Great place. I always enjoy myself on Monday open mic nights. I won't be back after tonight. Staff is great. Etc. I'm not going to call the particular host but he needs to be chill. Embarrassed me and was emotional. Bartender was great. First tme in grand rapids I thought the best place to play isn't the best place with a drunk shitty host. Waited four hours to play till the end and cut me off after one song. Bartender said let him play. I work 60 hours a week and drove 25 minutes to be there. It's been two times this host picked his friends first even though I spent plenty of money at the bar as a patron. I never do reviews like this. Ever. Thanks to him for ruining my night. All I heard was I play music everyday blah blah. So do I and a ton of other artists. I'll come back cause of the awesome staff. No point on Monday if he can't handle his shit. Not cool. Sorry to that person who I have seen in the scene but if you can't handle it then don't do it.

Monarch is good! They get busy and service can be slow, but that's not anyone's fault. Friendly people and good beer. Love the atmosphere!

Didn't take my fucking ID because it was vertical. I'm 22 and will be going somewhere that will actually serve me a drink

This bar doesn't look like much from the outside but it is a cute, hole in the wall bar inside! The atmosphere is welcoming and staff friendly. I am rating them one star because when I got lunch here, there was hair in my sandwich. I got the sloppy sandwich and it was very good in flavor but lost me when I found not one but two long black hairs. I must say though, the waiter handled the situation very well and I appreciated that. I most likely will not be returning to this establishment due to the gagging feeling when I think about the hair. My friend enjoyed their meal though and didn't find any hair (that he knew of).

This is a solid as hell bar! Great dive, good snacks, open late, nice pool tables. And most of the staff, also solid. But that guy Josh really womps, always a jerk, a pain in the ass to get a drink from, and always seems to be inconvenienced by the simplest ask. He's the worst part about the joint. He might just have chosen the wrong line of work, who knows? -Hunter

Love this bar but stopped going because of Josh, one of the bartenders. Very unwelcoming, chooses to serve certain people over others, talks down on you, and just seems to cause issues out of nothing. Not sure why they keep this guy around, but I would come back if he ever stops working here..

Never in my life have I experienced such horrible service. Coming from the restaurant industry I was a little taken back that a bar staff would treat the guests the way they did. We all have bad days... but pro tip- don't take out your anger on your guests at the bar.

cons: sometimes unruly. the owner is cheap and spits when he talks. limes are maybe 10% the size of turnstiles. birds and fruit flies are prominent. pros: i met my first stalker here.

Very cool dive bar atmosphere, decent food, pool and darts. However, a very rude staff and super slow service.

got a knife and gun pulled on us over a tip that the bartender didn't like. we got kicked out after a knife and gun were pulled and the dude who pulled the knife and gun was able to stay. would not recommend. bartenders name was chase

Have liked this place in the past. You either get food or drinks but if you want both it slows the entire place down. I got yelled at by the bartender who was mad that they were open later than the neighboring bars and had to "do their jobs" for them. I thought bars liked extra income but this one does not. In his defense It's extra work to cook, bar back, and bartend at the same time; which is their business model. It's a tough job, give them a break, but if you want reasonable service go to the Blue Dog across the street.

I've never had a more terrible bar experience in my life, so terrible that I feel compelled to leave a review. Sat at the bar and it took 20+ minutes to get a drink (and I had to flag someone down, no one just approached me), then another half hour passes with no acknowledgment and I'm just ready to go. It unfortunately took another half hour or so to cash out. I still left a tip of, actually 283% of my one, $5.30 beer because I know the needs of this industry. The server said though, that she'd prefer my grace over money--them having a new system. Now I just feel insulted, leaving a superb tip compared to the (lack of) service I got--your new system and the understandable customer service lag had nothing to do with the excessive (and I mean near half hour blocks of wait time) lack of attentiveness. No greetings, no would you like another drink, water, nothing. There sure were other customers servers were chatting it up with across the bar. I would have appreciated just a genuine apology, not some unaccountable dodge that doesn't even make sense. Will never come back to this place.

The atmosphere is quite claustrophobic. It a couple of narrow rooms cluttered with tables. I am sure if it is ever full it must feel like being in a can of sardines. On the positive side it is a really nice old building. I ordered their turkey with swiss sandwich and a hot dog with chili. The sandwich was good but nothing special. The hot dog also was good but the chili was excellent. My Aunts both ordered a sandwich with kielbasa and Italian sausage that they both really liked. On a wierd note their water is odd tasting. The service was friendly however on Sunday afternoon there is only 1 person working. So that person is bartender, waitress, and cook. So service is predictably slow. Overall I'd give 3 1/2 stars. If it had been only me I would have rounded down. However since both Aunts approved of theirs I'll round up. Would I go back? Probably not.

Tried the Italian beef, chicken noodle soup and the red lion dog. All were good and I will be back!!

Alisha *sorry if I spelled the name wrong* cares a lot about how the business looks and excelled at her job this evening. Seriously this girl cares and deserves a raise. Super relatable to a first time guest and made guests her top priority throughout the night. Will definitely come back after a great experience.

This place is great! Super old school interior. Great outdoor seating in the summer. Love the classic menu. Plastic silverware but thats ok. Board games to pass the time.

On occasion I'm surprised when I find an establishment that's been overlooked by fellow Yelpers. And now as a newly badge endowed Yelper, I feel it my duty (I was even told it was) to fill people in on the greatness that's been overlooked. Oversight shall be the problem of The Monarch Club no more! Across from the Kopper Top restaurant and next to Rapinski's Deli you'll find a great old throwback bar that's gotten a bit of love and remodel in the years. Lots of beers to choose from by the bottle, a great place for darts, and a GREAT menu, Monarch's is one of the finer West side establishments. A bit off the beaten track, it's a great spot to get away to.

Service was poor. We just ate appetizers and they were good. We waited a while to be served, get out food and our ticket. It was a fun and comfortable environment.

Good selection of MI beers available. Nice little hole-in-the-wall, west side bar. We were informed the menu is getting a facelift this week, will have to pop back in and try it out. If the menu was still the same, advice would be to go have some tater tots at Blue Dog across the street, then head to Monarch for some brews.

Solid beer selection. Surprisingly not busy, which I was told to expect by the friend I was meeting. Food was good. We had the Adult Lunchable and bruschetta with cucumber, tomato and dressing, which were both from the appetizer menu. I will go back. I could see where hipsters would like this place.

This place seems confused. Random rooms here & there...it seemed like someone's house had been converted into a bar. We went into a side room with pool tables and we were told we had to go back to he front room to order a drink because the bartender said she was alone. We stayed 10-15 Minutes and when we left we noticed 3 bartenders working. Hmmmm. It smelled kinda musty too. Not a fan.

This is a enjoyable alternative to the downtown bar scene. It has an inviting, neighborhood feel and a lovely Old School charm to it. While it's usually busy it's never so packed that you can't slip into one of the wood booths without an issue. Yes, it's on the West Side but unlike some of like some of its local counterparts, I wouldn't call it a dive bar. They have great selection of wine, beer, and drinks and a friendly staff. There is parking around back and it's easy to find, off Stocking St. That being said, I would suggest sticking to drinks only here. The few times I've eaten here or been with people who eat here, the food wasn't the best and/or took a long time to prepare (and then wasn't prepared correctly to the menu). Still, if you are looking for something a little different from the normal scene, it's worth the trip.

Myself and friends went here to watch a soccer game, I loved the atmosphere, it's like an old bar that's been left behind by the sands of time. The chili dogs are great, so long as you don't want them to be something they're not. They're not Flint or Detroit, they're a Grand Rapids chili dog, leave it at that. They have 20+ beers on tap between the two bars and feature a free taco bar and cheap bloody marys on Sundays.

Cool little corner bar on the NW side. Cool atmosphere. Decent dogs. Service can be lacking, seems to be understaffed on occasion. Good beer selection.

This place might be ok as a bar, but don't go here if your goal is to find a good meal. Our food took a really long time to get to us (and not all at once) and it was stunningly mediocre. The sandwiches are very overpriced... my husband's was $10, had practically nothing on it, and wasn't even that good. Mine wasn't much better. Although, I'm not even sure it would be a good bar, because my drink was weak and watered down.

Enjoyed spending Saturday night here with friends. The beer selection was wonderful, service top notch and I really enjoyed my Red Lion hot dog. Great laid back place to visit.

This is a very cool place. Been here 3 times now and it's always been great. The drinks are cheap and they have a good selection. The food is alright, but that's not why we go there. The staff is great and we always get a place to sit.

This place is ok and probably awesome if you enjoy this type of atmosphere but I felt really out of place here with my boyfriend and his rowdy (loud) friends with an older gentleman quietly reading his paper next to us, though both times I've been here it's been earlier in the day (don't judge me). I think this is the type of place I'll love five years from now but it was a little too grown up for me. The service was good and the drinks good - food just ok. The bartender even made us a special shot and charged a simple flat rate less than it should have been which was really nice of her.

Great polish Westside bar, probably the best chile dogs in grand rapids,sandwiches are real good too! offers a wide selection of Michigan brews. Overall this place has a good atmosphere friendly bartenders and is a great place to have lunch.

The first time I walked into this place I felt at home. Middle of the day. Not crowded. Great food specials (especially if you like hot dogs) Tons of libation choices. Friendly bartender who remembered me on subsequent visits. I try to stop in at least once a week and have no trouble getting one or the other son to join me. I'm certain in the evening hours the atmosphere changes, becoming younger and hipper. If you're looking for a pleasant bar with many drink choices you'd be hard pressed to beat the Monarch Club. One of these weekends I'll have to try the Sunday Taco Bar with free tacos and cheap Bloody Marys.

Charming Westside bar. Good drink selection and friendly staff. There are three bars along that stretch of road within walking distance. This has one of the better atmospheres. However, it lacks in service compared to the others. I've been here several times. It takes a long time to order one and order refils. I've left twice after waiting in a booth for 10+ minutes. Adding one additional staff member on the weekends would make this a 4+ star bar

Great hole in the wall, they have a ton of local beer choices. And the hot dogs are great. My personal favorite is the slaw and chili with cheese and the kraut and chili with cheese. This is my go to place to hang out with friends.

Monarchs Club has lots of Old World ambiance and $10 bottles of wine. Hungry? Let Tracy set you up with a steamy Italian Beef Combo. Poppa Steve had one with a snifter of Bell's 10000 Batch Ale. He felt like a king. Monarchs Bar replaced Rapinski's Deli with the attached Mercury Bar (759 Fourth St). This cozy spot is open at night, has a walk-up service window, and a deck. Mercury has a dozen Michigan beers on tap like Founder's Backwoods Bastard and Short's Soft Parade. There's also a blackboard full of naughty shots that put the cock in tail. They have the Lindsay Lohan (Redheaded Slut with a Shot of Coke), Mercury Wings (Rumple Minze, Sambuca and shot of espresso), and the Furry Murkin (Fra Angelico, Grand Marnier and splash of soda). Writing this makes my liver ache. The Mercury shares staff and a menu with Monarchs Bar (646 Stocking Ave).

I liked this place. Stopped in for a beer (some Short's that was on tap) and a club sandwich. Both were great. Place is a bit small but the atmosphere is nice. Not sure about the surrounding area though. I'm not from Grand Rapids so I'm not familiar with the area, but it seemed a bit rough.

Great dogs! The server was friendly and had a great personality. Sadly he was the only server with 15-20 people. We did wait a while for drinks and dogs but his personality and apologies made up for it.

I went in the Monarch two weeks ago. I ordered a drink and it was a healthy mix, the bartender asked me if I wanted food. The service was extremely slow. I was the only person in the bar that ordered food. The bartender forgot I ordered the sandwich and let it sit on the back counter bar. Finally I said is that my sandwich, she goes oh yeah. It was a Italian sausage sandwich. It was cold and tasted terrible. It almost made me puke. If you like being ignored and eating terrible food go the Monarch. They love to ignore ya unless your one of their favorite yuppies.

Service was slow and when it did happen, it was not accurate. If the bartender doesn't know you, be prepared to be ignored.

great little spot, had awesome italian beef recommended by a friend. slightly understaffed but friendly service. will be back.

Great Beer Selection... friendly staff and awesome dogs... only reason its not a 5 star is the parking can be challenging.