Good LORD this place knocked my socks off. After hearing my vegetarian girlfriend RAVE about their…read moregrilled cheese, I finally gave in and decided to give The Toasted Pickle a shot. And by god, was I impressed. It's a small little sandwich shop off of Michigan Ave that has seating for maaaybe 20 people. I ordered the spicy chicken sandwich to go, and when I got home to open my box, my jaw dropped. These guys put not one, but TWO mf chicken breast cutlets on this poor, poor bun. Topped with delicious house made pickles (their namesake), a fresh and tangly slaw, and a spicy oily sauce, this thing was a behemoth. And for, like, $15?? This is two meals for the average person. My only complaint was that the bun simply could not shoulder the monstrous burden of what it contained. Additionally, dude the fries are phenomenal. And they absolutely LOAD you up. Get the truffle upcharge, it's worth it I promise. I have been a Two Beards fan for the better part of the past 15 years, but man, in terms of value, The Toasted Pickle takes the cake. I can't wait to experience whatever else these guys are whipping up behind the counter.

We love The Toasted Pickle at Grand Haven. The line is always a mile long there so I was expecting…read morea wait at this newer location. It was busy for sure with all seats full inside. We decided to get our order to go. The restaurant was clean. The service was fast. We tried a couple of the sandwiches that had turkey - Long Tall Sally and Sixie from Dixie. Both sandwiches were stuffed with plenty of meat. One was on the gluten free bread. And the bread actually had good flavor but was literally dripping with butter. Way too much butter. The other sandwich had no issues and was delicious as usual. The pickles were all very soggy and not that great this time. Overall, they were great! It was our first time trying the gluten free bread but next time I would tell them to lighten up on the butter. Otherwise, I will be coming back to try more. I am glad they came to Grand Rapids.

I ordered the chili cheese, Polish sausage and the chili cheese fries. The presentation is as good…read moreas it can be for this type of food and they did a nice job with keeping the menu basic and simple. The taste of the Polish dog was good. the bun was soft. It was portioned correctly. It just was very bland compared to what else you can get in Grand Rapids. The chili cheese fries also were not horrible but I wanna say they were great. It is just gas station cheese and chili from a can. Again, not horrible just nothing special. Overall, I probably wouldn't recommend this place but I also want to steer someone away either especially if you are drunk and at the bar across the street. I'm sure it tastes much better. That being said, I think it's a perfect restaurant for its location. There is not a ton of competition directly next-door or across the street. And technically, the Bar across the street has food of a similar quality however it is a nice alternative It's up to you. There's much better places in town for hotdog however, I would give the spot another shot to try the Italian beef. I have heard it is not excellent, but I have not had it Personally.

How has it taken me this long to get here?! Seriously, it's…read morebeen on my radar basically since it opened, and I keep hearing about it, but just finally made a plan to try it out. My cousin and I sat at the bar, and you can get full service at the bar. She ordered a hot dog and I had a pizza. The hot dog came with that weird neon relish, in typical Chicago fashion, and was on a poppyseed bun. The fries are crinkle cut, and I don't know what seasoning they use, but it was so good! A little sweetness mixed in with the spices. The pizza was good; thin crust and cut square style like they do in Chicago, which I forgot about and kind of hate. I should've asked for silverware, but didn't. Next time I'd ask for it pie cut instead. The flavor was really good though. It was a bit pricey for what it was - it was a 12" pizza, and each topping an additional $3. $21 just seems high to me for a thin crust pepperoni mushroom pizza. I had draft beer and my cousin had a mixed drink. She had no complaints about hers, and mine was quite good! So many places draft beer tastes a little soapy, whether it's the way the clean their lines or how they wash their glasses, but I didn't taste any of that here. There aren't many choices on draft but was a good variety. They also have a full bar and lots of canned beverage choices. They don't have the healthiest menu, but that's not surprising since they're known for Chicago hot dogs, Italian beef, and pizza. If you know what you're going for it's perfect! The vibe is good. The space is pretty open, gets a decent amount of light, is clean, and there is parking! The restrooms are tiny, but clean, and I appreciate that after you wash your hands the door opens out so you don't have to touch a handle. We went on a Monday after work, which does turn into karaoke night, but we had time for a couple drinks and food before that really got going. It also wasn't crazy in there and we could still carry on a conversation at the bar without having to yell. I'm glad I finally made it in, and fully appreciate having them in the North Monroe area. I will definitely plan to have more happy hours here!

Simply the best bread in North America. I'm German and have…read morebeen looking for a good European type bakery for many years. Fresh, good bread is do important to me that I'm willing to make the 70 mile round trip to buy this bread weekly! I save it in a beeswax bread bag and it stays fresh and crispy for days!

Best breakfast I've ever had! Everything tasted fresh and high quality. The bacon was incredible,…read moreand the fruit was actually fresh, not an afterthought like it is at so many places. The black coffee was a little on the acidic side for my taste, but the lattes were amazing. They make their own syrups and sauces, which really sets them apart. My friend ordered an iced chai latte and said it was the best he's ever had. I can't wait to come back!

It's my birthday weekend and wanted to treat myself to a luxurious brunch. Of course I chose…read moreLittlebird for the best French omelettes in the area. I adore crab so ordering that was a no brainer. Their coffee is strong. It took a ton of cream to change the color... though it was delicious with free refills for $5. The omelette was heaven. All the flavors melded well and I appreciated the crisp acidic salad to cut the richness of the omelette. My only critique is wishing the crab salad topping was a bit more decadent. For $21 I was hoping for big lumps of crab rather than cool shredded mayo based salad. All in all, I love this place, I love the concept. It was quite busy and was thankful to snag a seat at the bar. The service was friendly and quick. Best hipster establishment I've patronized in a long time. Make a reservation if you have a group or pray there is a seat at the bar. Keep doing your thang Littlebird!!

I absolutely love Little Bird's smashburger and I will die on this hill. It's probably one of the…read morebest burgers (if not the best) dine-in burger in GR and I will constantly come back for this over and over. My boyfriend and I stumbled in during happy hour and were happy to grab some cheap drinks, but the main event was the burger! We typically like sitting at the bar as well and chat with the bartender who was absolutely lovely! The dirty martini was okay but I will definitely order something else next time as the olives just didn't hit for me. It's a quaint and quiet spot - you can read that as intimate - since it's not loud or rowdy, so if you want a really sweet date spot, feel free to check this one out! Otherwise, you can just go and have a casual, delicious dinner. Parking is limited with the street parking and it being so close to Monroe Center but you shouldn't have a terrible time finding something, even if requires a parking ramp vs street parking. I'd just recommend a reservation if you are going on a weekend or don't want to wait/sit at the bar!

This place is a dream! All the goodies we needed to stock up for our vacation in one place. And the…read morestaff is super nice and helpful. Really well-curated selection.

If you like food and drink this is the place for you. I used to live near by...it was dangerous. I…read moreended up here all the time. I guys behind the counter are always friendly and have helped me out with plenty of recommendations when buying bottles for friends. Whenever I am back in Grand Rapids this is one of my favorite places to stop.

Some of the merchants at the Downtown Market are offering a $15 or less lunch combo for the month…read moreof June, so I got the deal at Rudy's Sub Shop: a Rudy sized sub, chips, and bottled drink for $15. I chose the Rudy's favorite (provolone, ham, and salami), and added all the fixings: lettuce, onion, tomato, seasoning, oil, and vinegar. They sliced the meat right in front of me and it was super quick to get my order, which was appreciated on a lunch break. I got a diet root beer from the fridge (don't forget to use their bottle opener to open your drink) and grabbed a bag of chips. The sub was probably about 5" and was a good sized portion for me for lunch. They also have a "mom" size and a "dad" size, but I don't know what those look like, I wish they put actual measurements or even approximations. The bread was soft and a little soggy from the oil and vinegar, but it was flavorful and everything was fresh. I would definitely order from Rudy's Sub Shop again - they also have soup or you can get any sandwich as a gluten free wrap!

Your pop shop is overpriced. Over crowded and your staff are the rudest individuals…read more Never again. Save your money. It's old tasteless pop that you can get cheaper at Cracker Barrel, Mission BBQ and a bunch of other spots

Perfect little breakfast spot to fuel ourselves before we hit up the antique stores around the…read morecorner! Staff was incredibly friendly and attentive. The space itself was clean and inviting. The food was great-- the tiramisu cappuccino was ammmmmmmazing. My wife ordered the chorizo wrap-- she loved it. And I had the breakfast sandwich. The only "eh" was the bread was just so heavy for the sandwich. BUT, those side potatoes were epic. But aside from that, com hungry and definitely check them out!

Food was good, a tad bit bland but I think that's a Michigan thing can always find something …read more Unique here which I like. Was a little disappointed the friend I was eating with was given attitude when questioning gluten free items ( she actually does have an allergy) but overall I would say The service was decent. Not a place I would drive to but would stop In if I was in the area.

This is my favorite soup shop ever!! They have variety in soup options and to my knowledge, they…read morechange the soup menu every day. My all time favorite was the cauliflower feta soup or the chorizo pumpkin soup. The employees are awesome. Shoutout PJ (I believe that's their name), they are so lovely and have amazing desserts:) The ambiance is relaxing and their music playlists are superior. It's a bit small, but it's so cozy which I love. Perfect place to go, especially on a dreary day.

I was craving a grilled cheese and some soup recently so I ordered a pickup order from Uncle…read moreCheetah's Soup Shop. Their menu includes 10+ different soups each day, as well as several sandwiches and some salads. I ordered the garage sale: white cheddar, fresh mozz, rosemary goat mousse, havarti, and swiss on challah. I also got the steak and mushroom soup and the snert soup for Nate. When I arrived my order was waiting for me - it was nicely packaged and secure so everything was safely contained for my short drive home. The sandwich wasn't very melty, I ended up heating it up in a pan myself which helped. It was super tasty, though! I love the combination of cheeses. The steak and mushroom soup was really good, with chunks of meat in a creamy broth. The snert soup was very salty! The menu description indicated the snert soup should have sausage or kielbasa in it, but we didn't notice any. The restaurant itself is pretty small with limited seating, but I'd probably just order there next time. You can also get samples.