We had a lovely meal at Donkey. We were able to take our disabled dog on the patio in his stroller. We shared the molcajete. A new dish to us - tomato, onion and peppers slow cooked in a stone bowl, with chicken breast. The sous chef came to our table to explain the traditional bowl and process of cooking. It comes with sides of black beans, guacamole, rice, cilantro, chopped onions, pickled onions and tortillas. A special meal and absolutely delicious. Friendly, attentive service. Hubby had a margarita. I had an non-alcoholic drink made with grapefruit juice and no added sugar. (The server kindly offered that because I am watching carbs.) Great place for a date night. read more

Donkey Taqueria - sides for molcajete - Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Mmmm mmm...the quesabirria was messy (as expected) and delicious. The queso had a nice little subtle heat to it and the salsa options were nice as well. What truly made this place was the Marg. It was one of the best margs I have had at a self proclaimed Mexican restaurant that I've had in a long time. So often these places have good food and a very strong margarita mix flavored margaritas. Kudos to a great tasting marg...very nice Atmosphere was cool and laid back...definitely would be a recommended place for anyone wanting some good food and fill bar options. read more

Listen, if you want some fantastic tacos -- Go to Donkey. They have a great selection and every option is fresh ingredients. The drinks are also made well, both alcoholic and non. Couldn't recommend more! read more

Donkey Taqueria - Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Donkey is a trendy Mexican spot in the perfect East Town location. You can immediately tell it's a hit just by walking up to the place and seeing the crowds on their big patio. But what you can't tell is that everything on their menu is such great quality and the flavors are absolutely spot on. We always order the flautas and it's always such a crowd pleaser. The brussels sprout taco and carne asada tacos are easily my two favorite. But I need to highlight that brussels super quick-- it comes with a jalepeno mayo, corn and crispy bacon and all of it just melts in your mouth. Whoever put that combo together, thank you! Highly recommended, won't be disappointed. read more

Donkey Taqueria - Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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We were having so much fun and eating so many incredible tacos that we took ZERO pictures. Our table of five was seated relatively quickly and we ordered a variety of tacos. Our server was knowledgeable and had some great opinions when asked. Personally, I had the mushroom tacos and the mahi tacos - they were both overstuffed and incredible. I did add the salsa verde to both for a little bit of punch and kick, but it only elevated great tacos. read more

Preference this with we have been patrons of Donkey for 10 years. But in our recent visits, it's been terrible. Service came to the table 5 minutes after seating, and they weren't busy on a Sunday at 530. We ordered margaritas and 2 apps. 10 minutes later no margaritas, no apps, no server the entire time, we left. Attentive servers are non existent, it's their show and you're just along for the ride. As long as you have no expectations, you will enjoy your time. Please teach actual service, we know keeping employees sucks, but so does going out for a meal and not getting served as if our business is appreciated. read more

Disappointed that we couldn't sit outside because it's so busy. Great food!! Ambiance inside was ok. Not too noisy. My spicy margarita was top notch. Good bartender!! read more

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It's been probably 2 or 3 years since I've dined in at Donkey so I'm glad I finally made it back. Came by for lunch on a Thursday and had great weather so we were able to sit outside. Their patio seating is one of my favorite parts about donkey. The server was super nice and really quick! Much appreciated since we were on break from work. We started with guac and chips. I love their guacamole so much. Some of my favorite in the city. For my meal I got a pastor taco and a bruselas taco. The pastor is my go to here so I know I can always count on it to be great. It was my first time getting the Brussels taco. It was very good but I def needed to put some sauce on it! There's ample street parking nearby. Both metered along wealthy as well as neighborhood parking. read more

Donkey Taqueria - 3 Pastor Tacos and 1 Bruselas Taco - Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

This has gone downhill for food. The Guac and chips is a rip off. And we didn't ask for large but server brought it without saying so. Surprised by the price. The verde breakfast burrito was a misbegotten concoction of large lumpy potato pieces sitting on scrambled eggs all in one part of the tortilla -- loaded by a preschooler. The two tacos we got were meh. Very disappointing. read more

Used to be the go-to Mexican spot for tacos, but other restaurants started stepping their game up and Donkey stayed linear for the most part. Guacamole and margaritas are still good here, so if that's what you're in the market for, then by all means go for it. But lately, the queso fundido's consistency varies and is often burnt. The al pastor taco is more pineapple than al pastor. The carnitas taco is... carnitas, onions, and cilantro. To-go/takeout only worsens it. Their quesabirria is a newer menu item and that's not bad, which bumps it up to a 3-star experience for some decent guac, a decent margarita, and a solid entree. However, I just think they sold out to people who didn't have good taste buds. They used to put so much emphasis on serving a good variety of tacos instead of branching out to burritos and mainstream flavors. Personally, I think chips and salsa are better at Luna. Tacos El Cuñado has you covered for actual tacos for cheaper. read more

Awesome Mexican spot with ambience for days, both inside and outside. For small dishes the Bill ends up being a little pricey, but the food is delicious so it's worth it. We love all the unique tacos and chips and dip. The cocktails do not disappoint either. Service is always friendly and prompt. Planning to check out some of their weekly specials soon! read more

Donkey Taqueria - Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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It's a cool little place with a bar and a lot of outdoor seating. We sat indoors as it was quite warm out. We order some chips and guacamole. We really like the chips! Warm and very crispy. The guac was good too. We added the the Esquites Skillet then went for tacos. I got a taco de pescado and taco de panza. The panza was my favorite. It was simply exquisite! Since I had to drive back home to Detroit afterward, I wasn't able to try a cocktail. Looking forward to next time! read more

Donkey Taqueria - LG Chips & Guac - Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Donkey is one of those staple places in GR that has been around for ages! It's been a spot that doesn't disappoint but given that it's been around for so long, I definitely know that I would love to see some of the menu items change up every once in a while. I miss the days of the free chips and salsa but I will always come back for the margs, chips and guac and I did not know that they had happy hour and their happy hour nachos. My friends and I came one day and were pleasantly surprised! We were really surprised and it was a great time and I will always enjoy this spot and hope that they continue to continue to bring their consistency. read more

Donkey Taqueria - Happy hour menu - Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Donkey was a great lunch spot! We were happy to see the brunch menu still in effect when we got there, so we could order the mimosa flight! I enjoyed the prickly pear, cranberry, and guava mimosas. The prickly pear was my favorite! We started with queso fundido with chorizo. It was DELICIOUS! The flavors were so yum and it was the perfect starter for us to split. For my main, I enjoyed a pescado taco and an al pastor taco. Both were delicious! read more

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Cool atmosphere inside and very nice igloos outside. Nice margaritas and food was a step above our local mexican restaurant. Some appetizers can be entrees. Good service. Would go back again. read more

Great place! Absolutely adorable setting especially outside patio. I'll be moving to the area from Chicago and definitely gave me the fun neighborhood vibes we left behind. Some service was a tad slow for it to be mid afternoon on a Friday but it was busy so not a bad problem to have! Friendly staff. Still not THE BEST carne asada tacos I've ever had but still a solid choice. read more

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We sat outside. Inside was very roomy as well. Prickly Pear and regular margarita were excellent. We got the chips and salsa, comes with 2 bottles of salsa and some chips. We also got the guacamole which was delicious. Wait staff was very attentive and service was very quick. read more

I definitely don't frequent Donkey as much as I used to back when they first opened and I lived in the neighborhood, but I still have good experiences when I do stop in. My most recent visit was for a get together in one of their igloos, which was fun and quite toasty. A reservation is needed for the igloos as well as a booking fee of $10 per hour for a two hour reservation. An additional $1 fee is included when booking online as well. The igloos can seat up to eight people but I think that would be pretty cozy. We had five in our group and it was comfortable. The igloos include at least one electric heater as well as a fun loteria game (bingo) and some candies. Be sure to bring a blanket and bundle up in cold weather! The menu includes tacos, tortas and a burrito, a couple desserts, and botanas (or "snacks"). The tacos I've tried are all really delicious but my favorites are the carnitas, bruselas, and pastor. Be sure to remember which ones you order, because they're served family style on one plate. They will point out which ones are which, but if you've made any modifications it can get a little trickier. On that note, our server was great at handling requested modifications and clarified about allergies vs. preferences which was thoughtful. On my last visit I got the ensalada central (romaine, avocado, queso fresco, cilantro, seasonal roasted vegetables, macha corn, pepitas, and carrot-morita vinaigrette) and added carnitas. The salad was super fresh and really tasty, with some great textures and flavors. It was a generous portion so I had leftovers to take home. Donkey is known for their flavorful margaritas, including their prickly pear and spicy options. Some can be ordered without alcohol and they also have beer, wine, and a full bar. Pitchers of margaritas are available to order if you have a group - I remember plenty of sunny patio days at Donkey having a pitcher of margs with friends! Speaking of patios, theirs is super popular so get there early on those sunny summer days as they don't usually take reservations for regular (non-igloo) seating. Brunch is available on the weekends, and they have Donkey hour (happy hour) Monday through Thursday, 2-5 pm. Donkey is a fun spot for some twists on street tacos and a great place to gather with friends or for a date night. Parking in the area can be a bit of a challenge so be prepared to find street parking. read more

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Tried this spot on a road trip to Grand Rapids and it was so good. We did guac and the corn dip for starters and they both were fresh and phenomenal. Every taco we tried was delicious. We ended the lunch with some of the best churros I have ever had - they were hot and crispy with the added dip (so good). The ambiance was cool, we sat on a lunch table outside and it fit 8 of us and 2 kids pretty comfortably and the service was great. Can't recommend this place enough! read more

We loved this spot while visiting Grand Rapids! The mix and match tacos were awesome, there was a great variety to choose from, I wish I could have tried them all. Fresh chips were delicious, and the margaritas were super yummy. Atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable, service was great. We will definitely recommend and hope to come back next time we're in the area. Convenient parking available right on the street next to the restaurant. read more

Donkey is one of those spots that becomes a staple in your monthly rotation, from the guac, the family style eating, to the style of the restaurant itself, Donkey brings it all to the table. I love the casual taqueria vibe, mixed in with a little upscale feel. The margarita price can hit you where it hurts, but the price of a modelo and a taco will ease the pain. read more

Donkey Taqueria - LG Chips & Guac - Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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Love tacos and margaritas! Restaurant was suggested by a local. When I put the address into GPS it took us to the building but for the life of me I could not find a business name in the front to confirm it was the correct place. Read the address on the front door as I was driving by. Once the restaurant was located we spent another 10 minutes trying to find parking. We ended up in a school parking lot a few blocks away. There is street parking but everything was full and the street was very busy with evening traffic. We were able to walk in and get seating. We chose inside as the weather to sit outside looked ominous and possibly rain. We were seated and out waiter Chris was prompt to welcome us, provide menu's and take our drink order. I ordered a margarita my father had water. To what to my surprise?!?! All they served was tacos. There were three maybe four other options but this definitely is a tacos place. My father ordered exactly one taco (the gringo) and I took the waiters recommendation and had the flautras.l and boy oh boy were those delicious! I asked if I could order nachos and was told only during happy hour Monday -thursaday. Found that interesting. We had a small chips and queso to share as well. Overall the taste of the food hit the spot. The queso had a unique spice that was not super hot but got your attention. Don't feel this is my taco spot personally but the food was delicious. read more

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My experience was very good. The service was very fast and the staff were excellent! The food was awesome and delicious! The ambiance was so nice! It had great traditional music, a very nice patio, and just an overall great atmosphere! 5 stars and definitely will be coming back! read more

Donkey Taqueria - Taco De Bruselas - Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

came to donkey while in town for a work trip. the service was good as were the margaritas. we ordered an assortment of tacos and shared them. i love brussels sprouts so i tried the bruselas and was pleasantly surprised. i'd recommend this place to anyone coming to town. read more

Donkey Taqueria - Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

A great ambience over some good drinks and food. Service was courteous and welcoming. Overall a good experience and would def recommend it. read more

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We had a wonderful time! Came in on a Saturday evening and the service was quick and our server, Yazz, was very friendly and knowledgeable. It was even his first day! Food was excellent-- we definitely recommend the al pastor and the brucelas tacos. We'll be back, and best of luck, Yazz! read more

Come because your white friends invited you. Stay because you have to finish your $14 margarita. Leave having spent $30 on maaaybe $4 worth of food/drink. This place is trendy and in a great location, which allows it to be pretty underwhelming in every other aspect of a restaurant. If you're looking for good tacos, leave the Lululemon and look for the rusted out 2005 Ford Escapes on the outskirts of downtown. read more

Great service, I love the outdoor seating, and their menu was extensive. I wanted to love this place more though as it was highly recommended so maybe I just expected more. The excessive ring of salt on my margarita threw me off, as you can see I wiped it off. The tacos were okay. I did really like the staff shirts that, I'm assuming, were a knock off DKNY's classic font that said DNKY. Overall I'd go again, but I'd only go back during the summer when I can enjoy their outdoor seating which was the highlight of my time there. read more

Donkey Taqueria - Prickly pear margarita and Pacifico beer - Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

Trendy Mexican spot with plenty of people inside on a Monday afternoon. Supremely hot outside, so opted for the indoor seating which didn't have a wait. Started off by sharing the Chips & Guacamole ($11.50). Guac is chunky with lots of cilantro and pickled onions on top. Overall a good amount of citrus, could have used some jalapenos for that extra kick. For the entree, settled on a Pescado Taco ($5) and Barbacoa Taco ($5). Tortillas are thick and sturdy, keeping the ingredients inside very well. Barbacoa is well marinated so that the taco didn't feel dry. Fish taco is cooked well, but needed some hot sauce for extra flavor. Also got a Jalapeno Margarita ($10.50) to wash it all down - easy to drink and not overtly strong. Service here wasn't the best - we weren't checked on as much as the tables around us, and it took a while to get our order in/bill out. Bar seating would be a good approach if stopping by. read more

Donkey Taqueria - Barbacoa (left), Pescado (right) - Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

I had high expectations for Donkey Taqueria because so many people had recommended this restaurant to me. And I have to say, I'm not sure it was worth the hype. The food wasn't bad by any means, but it did not make much of an impression on me. I got the Al Pastor and Pescado tacos. The pork in the Al Pastor (roasted pork shoulder) was a bit stiff and was more chewy and soft than soft and juicy. I've had Al Pastors in other restaurants and they have definitely been softer and moist. The flour taco skin was good - it was nice and soft. For the Pescado (beer batter fried cod), it lacked flavor, even when it had been deep fried. I usually like to try tacos without adding extra sauce on to see how it tastes naturally, and was surprised to see how little flavor the cod had. I had to add verde sauce over it which, of course, helped. We also got two different flavors of the Jarritos sodas - pineapple and grapefruit. They were sparkly and delicious!! I really loved my grapefruit. It wasn't too sweet. It was light and delicious. The ambience was quite nice - the tables were clean, and I liked how there were options to do indoor or outdoor seating. The bathrooms we used were clean. The service was great, we were tended to right when we got our seats, and did not have to wait long at all for our food to come. The waitress we had was very sweet and attentive. Overall, I was slightly disappointed at the quality of food (not that it was bad - more like because I had heard so many positive things about this restaurant, I expected more), but I will try this place another time to see if it just so happened that I got unlucky the first time! read more

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A brief business lunch at the Donkey meant no fun beverages, so I was not even going to tackle a review but let me just say, believe it or not, you don't need alcohol to give this spot five stars. They could lose their liquor license and I'd still stop by once a week or more. You will love the decor. You will love the tacos--could they be more inventive with ingredients and combinations? No, sir, they could NOT. And then there's that one item on the menu that I tried last time I was there, the "Quesabirria". Can you pronounce that? Just say "case a'beer-a" and you're good. Maybe you'll get a case of beer and maybe a quesabirra (SO good) and either way, you win. read more

Donkey Taqueria - Inside, so cool and cozy with fuzzy balls everywhere - Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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My new favorite hangout! Amazing drinks food and atmosphere! Such a fun place to hang with friends. We loved all the tacos we got!

I tried the takeout burrito window and. well. Everyone was very nice. but. It doesn't let you order until 8am, so I could only get the breakfast burrito because I was late to work, and it wasn't ready when I got there, so I was even later. I ordered original coldbrew, but I was given a bottled mocha flavor, which I didn't realize until I tasted it - it had sugar in it and I do NOT drink sweet coffee, so I had to pour it out and go to Rowsters down the street for some real cold brew. That sucked. Then this burrito. It is huge, really heavy, and it is a terrible burrito. I really hate the sweet potato. I'm on day 2 of trying to eat this burrito, but I'm going to throw it out. The guac in it is good. I'm glad they threw in the chips and salsa, my colleague liked that stuff. Anyway, I haven't been to Donkey in a long time but I remember that they had good guac and chips and good margaritas but this whole breakfast burrito experience has made me super cranky. Yuck. read more

I ordered Carnitas and Carne Asada's. I did not enjoy the Carnitas but the Carne Asada's were very good. A friend who came with ordered the Biria and enjoyed it. A person I went with ordered a prickly pear margarita, and found it delightful. The service was very kind to everyone waiting and those seated. Our waitress was so kind to our whole group, was so polite about our changes to our meals. The whole vibe of the restaurant was so welcoming and warm. Overall, this place was very nice and friendly. Food- 2.8/5 Service- 5/5 read more

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Overall the ambiance inside was great, cute hipster joint on the popular Wealthy Street. It was a rainy day so it was crowded when we got there around 5:45 on a Thursday. Nice to see some businesses are still busy! Staff was super friendly and checked on us frequently. Watching the bar tender was a show in itself! She was making the prickly pear margaritas practically with her eyes closed! And they were ridiculously delicious! We ordered about half the tacos on the menu to try. My one complaint was most of them were too spicy for me! I don't really do spicy and they each had something that was spicy in it! Honestly the Brussels sprout tacos were some of the best I tried- and I like my meat! Homemade churro desert was amazing! Crispy on the outside but warm and soft inside! read more

Donkey Taqueria - Prickly Pear Margarita - 1 serving - Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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A decent restaurant overall. We got 3 tacos, al pastor and carnitas were pretty good. The papas verde was more bland, we needed to add more sauce to bring up the flavors. They highly recommended their sandwiches, and we got Cemita Poblana, which my husband really enjoyed. The burrito add mushroom was wonderful, if mushroom is your thing, it's a great addition to the burrito. The portion is not on the big side, we needed this burrito to make the two of us full. read more

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Staying nearby at a charming B&B so we decided to walk to dinner. This place appears to be an old service station on the corner of Henry and Wealthy Streets. We tried the papas verde, carne asada and pollo tacos. Corn tortillas were made in house - fresh and delicious. We waited a bit to be greeted but then received attentive and kind service from Devon. read more

Donkey Taqueria - Sorry! It was so delicious we forgot to grab a before picture. - Bars Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

5!!! This place and food is unlike any other. We drive over an hour each week to enjoy a meal. The staff, tacos , salad, unbelievable. Best fish tacos and the Barbacoa are a must. Save room for the made from scratch churros. All served by a top notch staff. Our favorite read more

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Happy hour great. Great ambiance. Food is also pretty good, coming from the southwest and looking for authentic tacos. These are better than any others in the surrounding area read more

My work group made a pit stop here for a quick lunch. You're immediately immersed in a chic atmosphere; completely different vibe than other taquerias I've been to. I've been on a major birria kick lately, trying every rendition of it as much as possible. This visit was no different when I saw the quesabirria. Chile fried tortilla, house quesillo, birria de res, salsa asu, onion, cilantro, consomé. I could've eaten three or four more. Pairing that work of art with a draft El Pacifico was a no-brainer. Light, crisp and a touch of lime. Loved the vibe at Donkey Taqueria, see you again soon. read more

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