Came on a Thursday night as we had just arrived in town for a weekend wedding. We were meeting some other 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. read more

Alto Bar - Exterior - Pubs Near Me - Alto, Michigan

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

Gotta get the prime rib, anyway you like it. So good! Bar service was great. Bourbon, whiskey, any way you like it. Was busy, noisy, ask for the back seating area. Great stop! read more

The old fashioned is recommended. The food was mediocre. We sat in the patio and it was so loud. I kind of felt the food was overpriced I think steaks ranged from 45-69 dollars with no salads and small sides. Yes the steaks are massive but meh. I tried it probably wouldn't make the trip for the steak but maybe for the old fashioned. They were out of several bourbons my friend asked for I may recommend documenting on the bourbon menu which bourbons are out of stock so the server didn't have to go back and forth to the bartender asking what was available. read more

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NOT ADA COMPLIANT! My family came here to dine on 10/19/24 and my brother, who is wheelchair-bound and cannot wall was unable to enter the building. There are 2 steps to get in the door and they had no ramp, or any accommodations. Restaurants must comply with the ADA's accessibility requirements to provide equal access to their facilities and services. Spend the 300 bucks to buy a portable ramp and do better, Alto Bar. read more

Way over priced, steaks are tough and the canned corn and box mashed potatoes terrible! Staff/ owner are rude and more interested in chatting and messing around than good customer service! Save your money/ time! read more

The food was great! We had jalapeno poppers, loaded fries for appetizers. Not sure the drink I had but it was good. We got the 16 oz. New York strip with garlic mashed potatoes and asparagus. The server was great and refilled our glasses promptly. It's a small quaint place to eat that I never knew about. I googled places to eat near me and it came up. I would definitely recommend to have a meal here. read more

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Great food and beverages. The staff is always pleasant. Laid back atmosphere. Highly recommend for lunch or dinner.

Cool local joint Drinks and food are very reasonable. FANTASTIC whisky selection. Need to return for steak night. The interior is nice and the service was friendly. read more

The food is amazing and the service is friendly. One of the best burgers you will have anywhere!

Love the food here! And the personal service is amazing! Very friendly and welcoming! Great bar menu as well, and always willing to make me something "special." read more

Best whiskey/bourbon selection around!!! Steaks on the weekend are AMAZING! And the seared tuna steak on Friday . We LOVE our new local spot!! read more

I had heard about this place a long time ago and had been meaning to bring my bourbon obsessed husband there for one of their Friday night steaks. Our softball game was cancelled and we still had our sitter books so we decided to just head that way and I'm so glad we did. Their bourbon collection is impressive. They have so many rare finds that it's amazing. My husband was a kid in a candy shop. They didn't have Hendricks (my favorite gin) but I settled for the gin they had and ginger beer. It's been around since 1900!! The building as always been named the Alto bar from the very beginning and I love that. It's very small and very hole in the wall. These are characteristics that I love and feel most comfortable with in a bar. Food is typical bar food with a daily special. You have to call and make reservations for the Friday steak day. We both got burgers and split an order of jalapeño poppers. I loooooved the burger. It is literally the best burger I have had in years. I can't wait to go back and have it again. I got the rodeo burger and my husband got the olive burger. The poppers were also perfect. If you like a casual small bar with great burgers and bourbon, you MUST COME HERE. read more

Alto Bar - Pubs Near Me - Alto, Michigan

One of the best burgers (5 stars) in all of West Michigan. Onions rings were great too. Chicken Wings very good, though chicken sandwich, consisting of two chicken tenders was the only not so great thing. Excellent Bartender / server. read more

I just moved to Alto, from east side of Michigan. My first visit here was a carry out. The service needs help on customer service but went for the food. I had a huge order, burgers, wraps. All excellent. The second visit was a dine in, again service needs improvement just for starters I asked several times for flatware and napkins. I got the fish and just OK. The place was clean but small but so is Alto lol The prices were a little high. Would I go back ? Probably for a burger. read more

Great steak and environment. I loved the prompt service and the smiles on the servers faces.

This place is a little out of the way, but maybe that is what makes it so good. In my humble opinion, the steaks they have on Friday night are much better than Ruth Chris. Then there is their bourbon selection, almost overwhelming. But far and away what puts this place over the top is the service. EVERYONE there made us not only feel welcome, but genuinely happy we were there. I failed to catch our servers name, but she was EXCEPTIONAL. If you are looking for a great steak dinner without the pretentious of the fancy steak houses in GR, head to The Alto Bar on Friday nights, but make sure you make reservations. Seriously, can't get over how great the service was, the staff genuinely looked like they were having a good time and treated everyone well read more

Friday night dinners are nothing to play with. Grow up and make a reservation for Friday night, thank me later.

I need to revise my review from 2015. I now say this is my absolute favorite watering hole in West Michigan due to the amazing whisky selection. Stella's lounge has more Scotch, but this place has an incredible selection of American whiskeys, bourbons and Japanese whiskeys. The Japanese whiskeys are so hard to find. The other great thing here is I think most hipsters would soil themselves if they walked past the threshold because it has a gritty, real people atmosphere. Think Chevy pickup compared to Toyota RAV4 or Prius, but totally fine for families most of the time. This place has incredible whiskey selections similar to Stella's Lounge, but without all of the pretentious, self-absorbed freaks and weirdos. It is a whiskey geek's gem in the middle of farmland. What's not to love? read more

They get 4 stars for their bourbon list, it's really quite amazing. The food is not bad, above average bar food. Wait staff is friendly and the bar is filled with a lot of locals. If you are a bourbon enthusiast you need to check this place out! read more

Shorted on a $27 per pour bourbon, because it was the bottom of the bottle. Was not impressed with the knowledge or professionalism of the bartender. Food was very good. read more

A group of 15 of us ate here on a recent Friday night for their steak special. Totally worth the drive from Grand Rapids. The waitress was a bit overwhelmed at first with all of us coming in at once, but she warmed up after a bit. She warned us the food wouldn't all be done at once because of the size of our group, which was fine - the food arrived pretty close together. On Friday's, they do a 16 ounce NY Strip with two sides and garlic bread for $11.95. (They've also got great prices on draft beer!). The steak was very tender and had great flavor. Unfortunately the sides were mashed potatoes (out of a box) and green beans (canned). Fresh sides would have made this meal amazing. Ignore the sides and just eat the steak. This is a local, country place. We asked what they had for beer, our waitress said "Almost anything" but the three beers we asked for, they didn't have. She meant "Almost anyting mass-produced, domestic. Miller, Bud, PBR, etc. But, the 22 oz Bud draft was $3.50. Alto is small, but you'll have to watch for this place. When I was there, they didn't have a sign out front or anything with their name on it. read more

Alto Bar - 22 oz draft Bud, Bud Light, Miller Light - Pubs Near Me - Alto, Michigan

Feature different daily food specials. Had bacon wrapped hot dogs - for only $1.50! Good size pours and very friendly staff. Have a pool table and lots of parking outside. If you find your way over his way, worth a stop for their daily special. read more

Alto Bar - Bacon wrapped hot dogs - Pubs Near Me - Alto, Michigan

Our first visit we went on one of their "steak nights". My husband and I split the 16 oz NY strip. It was cooked to perfection and the service was wonderful. Only thing that would have made it better is a drink menu with cocktails or something listed since we aren't big drinkers we usually order a cocktail on the menu but here we didn't really have that to go off of. read more

Alto Bar is a hidden gem! We heard about their Friday night steak specials so we called ahead and made a reservation. When we walked in, they were expecting us! The table had our name on it and every table was reserved. We could tell the place was packed with "regulars"but they made us feel like one of them! The staff was incredible. No fewer than 3 different servers came to our table to welcome us and the bartender brought the bourbon over herself. The bourbon!!!!.....WOW! If you like it, this is your place! The steak was great and way more than I could eat. The burger was fantastic! The cheesecake was amazing. But wow....the bourbon and the service will bring us back to Alto! read more

This place is a true small town hang out bar but the food is awesome. You can get a steak for $11.00 for a ONE pound NY Strip with all the fixings. You will not be disappointed. Alto is located off 1-96 at exit 52 (Lowell). Go North (away from Lowell) to 60th go left and look for the alto sign and go right. Turn at the Library sign. It is a really small farming town. read more

Alto Bar - Alto Bar - Pubs Near Me - Alto, Michigan

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This is a great bar and restaurant. Fun people working and a really great display of bourbon.

If you like Bourbon and a cozy atmosphere, this place will blow your mind. There is a reason that folks in this area consider the Alto Bar such a treasure. I have never...never been to a bar with over 230 Bourbons in stock and the staff to explain each one. This little whistle-stop of a town looks like any dinky farm town in America. If you like Bourbon or simply want to try a nice little joint with super great prices and nice locals (as well as some pretty sweet micro-brews on tap), this is a must see. Cheers read more

Looking for a cold one after leaving Grand Rapids to head to Lansing, I was swayed by the Yelp rating to try this off the beaten path (I-96). My advice ... keep driving. Definitely a place for locals & not inviting for outsiders. A wait staffer came to my table to say "You need to go up to the bar" did not set the right tone, but then, again, the tone was shattered as I walked into the bar. Yelp has a rating of "$$" for this establishment. And while the steaks may be outstanding & worth the try in the summer on the 'patio', I wouldn't expect a '"$$" to be a dive bar atmosphere. The Alto Bar is nothing worth singing about. read more

Walked in here with a group of people and couldn't have been treated more poorly by the staff. They had a good bourbon selection and I was excited to try some but the staff ruined it read more

Excited to try this bar as it comes highly recommended. It did not live up to expectations. While the food was great, the service was extremely slow. We made a reservation and were seated in the enclosed area outside the bar. We liked being in that area. Had an outside feel with heaters working. We ended up going to the bar to get drinks since no one came to the table. We finally got service approximately 20 minutes after being seated. The server Rose was very friendly and apologetic. Even so, the service did not improve. We waited a long tone between her visits to the table. The bar was not full so we didn't know why the service was slow. Once we ordered food, it came in an acceptable amount of time and was hot and delicious. Another couple things to note: no one took our names or contact information as is required for contact tracing and the bar was sooooo bright - too bright. We were glad we didn't get seated in there. Overall, a below average to average experience. read more

Small hole in the wall, way off the beaten path. Exited because of traffic and "yelped" for a restaurant and found this one. Took or chances, not much choice being it's the only place to eat in town. Not disappointed, amazing steak on Fridays, awesome bourbon list. You can sit inside or outside. Sitting outside you can watch the owner grill your food. Nice laid back atmosphere. Very simple bar type menu unless you get their specials for the day, highly recommend the steaks. read more

Someone told my husband about this place, and since we live in the area I'm mad we hadn't come sooner! I am a whiskey girl and this place has pages upon pages of whiskeys, rare finds, japanese whiskeys and the biggest bourbon list ever which is my absolute fav. My husband was happy too as they had a pretty good list of Scotch as well. We went for Friday night steak night, definitely call to reserve your spot as the place fills up. There are a couple of options to get, I got the NY strip, but I also liked that with their ribeye they allowed you to split it with someone else and for only like $2 more get twice the sides. So yes, the steak is pricey but it's good F'in steak. It was cooked exactly how I wanted, the sides were tasty too. My husband's steak was just as perfect. The best steak I've had in years and the fact it's in the middle of nowhere makes it even better. What I love best is even though it has all this fancy whiskey and these great steaks, it's still a little hometown dive bar. People were at the bar having a beer after work, dress is obviously casual, it's small and cozy (I saw a patio but I don't think it'd opened yet). I just loved how relaxed it was, and our waitress was great, very attentive, and a manager even stopped by to ask us how it was. Now, not giving this 5 stars yet because, for me, a true local bar has to have a great burger. I did see the menu and am excited to try other things but first impressions has me thinking I'll be back often. It is a diamond in the rough and possibly a better whiskey bar than Stella's. Yeah, I said it. read more

Great "ROCKSTAR STEAKS" every Friday night and the best Cornish Game Hen and Talapia this side of the Mississippi!!!! Their every-day bar menu includes some of the best burgesr & onion rings in the Great Lakes area....mmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!! Approved by Joe Canuski a.k.a. MORT!!!! ;^) read more

Truly my favorite place to go. You can come here in any mood and leave with a smile. Great food. I usually bring home some corn from here once or twice a month (when they are in season). If you are ever in a crappy mood or just had a bad day, make sure that you stop at the Alto Bar. They make you feel right at home and always try to make you happy! :) read more

Friday night is steak night at the Alto bar! Not sure but I think you have to call ahead to pre order. I had a giant porterhouse I believe it was 28oz. The steak was cooked outside on a grill it had an interesting rub on it not to salty and a touch of heat. the steak was tender and cooked perfectly, sides included mashed red skin potatoes and grilled asparagus both of which tasted great. After the steak a friend and I decided to try the wings. We are big eaters:) The wings were crispy because the were served with the sauce on the side as they should be bravo! They were flavorful and moist, made for a great desert. The dining area was clean and the staff was attentive and polite. I will defiantly be returning for dinner read more

Can you give less then one star? The bartender refused to serve us at 12:45 because she said it was already last call. We drove a very long distance and we had 10 people. Our first time in alto. We won't be back. read more

Friday night steaks are amazing... no joke, amazing! Wish they had more real food on other nights of the week, but maybe I should drink more and eat less! LOL The bourbon selection is beyond compare, I happen to be a bourbon guy and was thoroughly impressed! A great little place off the beaten path - my fave type of joint! Give them a try on Friday, you won't be disappointed :) read more

We ate at Alto Bar on a Tuesday night. It was not crowded and the locals were very friendly. Wait staff great and very friendly. COLD beer and good bar food. LIKE that they use a local farm for their meats. read more

What can I say about the Rockstar steaks at the Alto Bar, other than, "THEY ROCK"! Seasoned and cooked to perfection with fresh sides of asparagus and baby red potatoes!!! mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...... Other specials are usually offered, as well. Tilapia, Tuna, Swordfish and Cornish Game Hen, have been frequent fares, just to name a few. The Cornish Game Hen was the best dish I have ever experienced in my life. Almost better than sex!! Kudos to Chef Dave and his crew!!!! read more