This was a great surprise. The unique combination of many different features: variety of artwork,…read morestage of live acts, a booth, high top and low tables, bet on tap, unique menu, great landscaping, really unique decor, cool merch. And the service was great. There is clearly something special going on here. People with heart, authenticity for something they love. I really like this place. It's a new favorite. We were on the SW of town and thought we would try someplace new. We will now find a reason to go here again.

I cant believe ive lived in Grand Rapids for over 3 years and am JUST going here. They have great…read morecoffee, breakfast items, and lunch items like flatbreads. We came in the morning and it was the perfect place to get some studying done. There is so much seating with couches, booths, tables and more. They also do some shows and mic nights here. I will be back very soon!

Sad to say I never made it to Basalt when it was around and only made it to Asada on the last ever…read moreday in their space on Wealthy. Honestly it was an incredible location for a space and had such a great vibe inside. My best friend is a regular at the restaurant and we're hoping to see them more in smaller capacities like when we saw them at the Fulton St. Market. Overall, the food was really good. I like the concept of fast-casual dining without the need to have a server. I think it allows things to feel more casual and allowed for me to be more willing to eat there (obviously in other circumstances lol). I got the horchata hot cakes with some of the papas with ghost sauce. I thought the pancakes were GREAT and more than worth it for the price. I was surprised how large and fluffy they were. The flavor was great without being too sweet and none of the flavors being too overpowering. My friends got the breakfast sandwiches and chaichata drinks and absolutely loved them. My friend loved her drink so much she got two within the span of us eating. I know it's a hard time for local businesses but I'm hoping there are more ways we can still see them around.

To be honest, I've only been here twice but I wanna change that based off the last time I went. Our…read morefood was just so good, I had forgotten how delicious their menu is. Different from the last time I was here but we were told to find a seat upon entering and that when we were ready, we could order our food at the counter. I looked over their menu and found lots of good breakfast taco options, the breakfast burrito I have heard is great, but what really caught my attention was the biscuits and gravy. I was feeling quite ravenous this morning and got the full order for $11 and a side of bacon. They had a table close to the entrance with extra menus, clean cups, water jugs, hot sauces, silverware and napkins. Seemed like a help-yourself vibe which I grabbed everything we would need for our meal. Our food was brought to us rather quickly and my bf ordered the breakfast bowl with scrambled eggs and sausage. He told me it tasted so good and he loved that he could make his own tacos with his food. He let me try one of the hashbrown rounds and it was perfectly crispy! My biscuits and gravy were phenomenal. The biscuits were so fresh and the gravy had a really nice and comforting flavor to it. You could get chorizo and mushrooms in your gravy but i went with a traditional sausage for my protein. My bacon on the side came in a tiny dish but I ate all four pieces haha. Once we finished, there were some bus bins under the same table with the silverware, we placed all our dirty dishes there and cleaned up after ourselves before leaving. I honestly felt so content leaving there and can't wait to return. I really appreciate the ambiance in there with the beautiful plant life, the lights on the ceiling, and cool decor in general. The staff was also SO NICE! Wins everywhere. I also noticed people coming in for takeout which is good to know in case I don't feel like dining in some morning. Please check this place out sometime if you're in the mood for some really good breakfast that doesn't break your bank account.

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!

I've been consistently impressed with Rise in my five years here in GR. I have not been dedicated…read moreto anything like vegetarian or vegan exclusively, but I was raised with a whole lot of alternative food options and what's so amazing how absolutely yummy everything they have on their menu truly is with less of the bad-for-you stuff. Sure it's a little pricey, but you're going to pay more for premium crafted fare. They also have an awesome little patio hidden in the back, which is just delightful on the nice days that we have in the spring and summer and fall in Grand Rapids. They're very convenient to the Zoo so you can include them in making a day out of your excursion on West Fulton. The coffee beverages are top-notch and the baked goods are right there with them. Rise is a highlight of the John Ball hood. Now, this might not be the place for thin-skinned MAGA b*tch-boys with fragile egos and issues -ahem- compensating... but for grownups with regular-sized brains (and other parts) who love an amazing local shop with values that are shared by the city and neighborhood around it? Spot-on. More places like this, and few like union-busting Starbucks, etc. Three cheers, and five stars!

Delicious GF choices & fantastic espresso drinks. Service is pleasant…read more There is seating available inside or out in the sunny backyard to choose from.

I've always said that The Heritage is one of GR's best hidden gems. This restaurant is run by…read morestudents at the Secchia Institute for Culinary Arts and offers a fine dining experience at a fraction of the cost. There are a few tips you'll need to pay attention to if you'd like to check it out. First, sign up for their email list so you get notified when their reservations open. They have extremely limited hours and dates that they're open (usually only two months throughout the year for a few days each week). The second thing to know is that your meal may take a bit longer than if you were to go out to a restaurant. Since it's a teaching environment, you may overhear instructors telling students how to properly clear tables, giving them tips, etc. and your food may take a bit longer to come out. All that said, if you can get a reservation for lunch or dinner at The Heritage, I highly recommend it. For dinner they usually offer a pre-fixe menu although it has changed over the years. I've dined at The Heritage several times now, for both lunch and dinner. If you have the time for a longer lunch, it's really fun. Nate and I went on their very first day of service during the winter 2024 session and it was great! You could definitely see some nerves, but we were enthusiastic and encouraging. We ordered a bunch of items from the menu: hand pulled mozzarella, chopped salad, shrimp bisque, pork curry, haute style beef, and two desserts. They start you with bread service, and they kept asking if we wanted more throughout the meal. The first few courses were spaced out appropriately and presented nicely. I LOVED the hand pulled mozzarella - it was flavorful and the baguette was perfectly toasted and not too crispy. I'd order that again. The salad was a huge portion and so beautifully plated, but it was a little lacking in flavor. I added some salt which helped. (In general, I have found most of the food to be a tad under seasoned for my taste, but they had salt and pepper shakers on the table). Our entrees took a bit longer to come out, but they were delicious. I preferred the haute beef, which was a perfectly cooked (medium rare) filet on some potato croquettes with delicious sauce. I did think it was interesting they didn't ask me how I wanted the steak cooked, but it was great. They also didn't offer a steak knife, but it wasn't necessary. The pork in the curry was super tender and cooked really nicely. Dessert is displayed on a cart that they bring around which is really fun. We went with the mocha latte torte and the raspberry passionfruit torte. I loved the mocha latte torte as it reminded me of tiramisu. In lieu of tips, an 18% service charge is added to each check and this money is put into scholarships that go back to the students. They also provide a comment card that you can give feedback on at the end of the meal. If you are a patient and kind foodie with a bit of time on your hands, definitely try to make it to The Heritage for a meal!

Solid offering from GRCC's culinary program. The menu was set up prix fixe where you needed to get…read morean app, main, and dessert. As others have mentioned, the drink list is pretty tight, especially wine by the glass. But considering how narrow the hours are here, any larger and they'd be pouring so much wine down the drain. There were 4 of us and we kind of made a point to order different things so we could explore the menu. I got the duck confit cotton candy and it was surprising in 2 ways. The cotton candy was much larger than I anticipated. There was also caramel hiding in the cone of the cotton candy. The duck itself was so good. All the fat was so rendered down. He got the Hamachi Kama. Our friends got the mushroom parcel and the quail egg cloud. I tried the quail egg cloud and the texture was really interesting. The quail egg was hiding under the meringue and it made for a fun bite. Good marks all around. My scallops were cooked to perfection and the curry sauce was killer. I wish the fennel was softened a little bit more but that's more a personal preference. The demi on his steak was amazing too. I was jealous of my friend's pork chop though. I will say that if you are in a rush to be somewhere after dinner, I don't know that this is the place for you. They are learning and that is the mindset that you need to be there to support. So please, don't be that person that gets upset about the wait or asks for something off-menu. I have had the privilege of eating at another culinary program's restaurant and the speed of service was dead similar to this. It's normal. The dessert was good but we had to take it to go because they had a show to get to. The napoleons we got held up really well even after a few hours. I would go back in a heartbeat. I also think that if you want to practice fine dining at an accessible price point, this is a great place to do it. It's a low-stakes, high payoff situation.

We had a wonderful experience! The service was kind, welcoming, and incredibly helpful…read more The authentic atmosphere and decor add so much character; and the aroma of the food and spices throughout the restaurant is amazing. The prices are extremely reasonable. The deluxe combo platter came with soup and a drink, and everything was delicious. The spiced tea was warm, comforting, and full of flavor. If you're looking for authentic food, a welcoming environment, and great value, Little Africa is absolutely worth a visit. We'll definitely be back, and next time we're bringing more people with us!

as we sat in our cozy booth, i felt a little sad that we hadn't eaten at little affrica sooner…read more my partner and i shared the group platter which is the best way to experience all of the stews. for those who have not tried ethiopian food, your meal is served on and with injera, a bread used to scoop up the stews. the injera was spongy, tangy, and the perfect utensil. research shows eating with your hands improves digestion and enhances satisfaction. it's such a mindful process and truly makes you feel good. mindfulness aside, the stews were delicious and flavorful. i also ordered the guava juice which was thick and very sweet. i'd love to try the mango next and i know my partner is interested in trying the coffee. at $12.50 per person, the group platter is affordable and filling. And yes they do accept cards (no longer cash only). the owner (i'm assuming) was sweet and attentive. we can't wait to head back to little africa soon.

I stumbled upon a long line for some donuts at the Fulton Street Farmers Market recently. It turns…read moreout, the line was there for good reason. I stood in the line and ordered a Boston cream donut and a cookies and cream donut for my boyfriend and me. We went out to the bus stop outside the Farmers Market and dug into the sweet treats. These donuts are 100% vegan and absolutely delicious! I don't think I've had a vegan donut before, but these were some of the better yeast donuts I've had in awhile, or ever. The donuts were fluffy and soft, with just enough sweetness in the frosting and cream filling of the Boston cream. The cookies and cream frosting was delicious! They were $4 and $3 each, so obviously not the cheapest donuts in the world but for me, it was definitely worth it. I loved them so much I got back in line to buy two more to give to a friend for her birthday. I'm looking forward to getting another Donut Garden donut soon!

Terrific vegan donut with delicious, "creamy" filling, and dark chocolate icing. Hot day, so I…read moretook it home and popped in the freezer for thirty minutes. Took it out and had the best donut I've had in eons! Delish. I'll be back. Highly recommend! Friendly service too!

We went recently early on Saturday night. Embarassed to say it is the first time since they moved…read moreto the new location. We love the space. Please note there is free parking across the street at the church. Love the new space. Very lovely. Great wallpaper, very airy and light. Cocktails were well made. Our server was great, very attentive even though she also had an 11-top, she didn't miss a beat with us. We all enjoyed our meals.

We went to Sovengard for Valentine's Day and it was very busy, which was expected given the night…read more The space was gorgeous and they had a couple of coat racks in the front which was nice. We had to wait about 10 minutes for our table to be ready. The drinks were okay for the price but not particularly memorable. The standout was the NY strip steak, which was easily the best part of the meal and really well done. We also ordered the beer battered fries to start and they were fine, nothing bad but nothing special about them either. My only real complaint is the limited menu availability. Two of the six entrées were already sold out by the time we got there, even though my partner made the reservation weeks in advance. I understand the realities of a farm to table model and respect the commitment to sourcing and seasonality, but on a fixed, high-demand holiday, the limited options were noticeable and slightly disappointing . Overall it was still a good experience, just one that could have been better with a bit more menu flexibility. Hoping to be back on a less busy day in the summer since I really want to love this restaurant!