1. River North Public House

    1. River North Public House

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    Grand Rapids, MI

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    River North Public House

    4.2 (84 reviews)

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    Steak tacos
    Laurel S.

    Ambiance is super eclectic. There's trinkets everywhere which keeps you pretty entertained. Service was quick and attentive. We went in early on a Friday and were the first to arrive. Happy hour was from 4-6, which was $2 off beer, cider. There was a decent selection of drinks and speciality cocktails. App- The whitefish dip is a must!! The pita that comes with is perfectly warm and crispy. Entrees- Steak tacos were pretty good. It came with tartar sauce which seemed weird. The cheesesteak was our favorite. It comes on a sourdough roll instead of the classic roll which was an interesting take. I feel it would stay together better with a regular roll but still good. The grilled cheese was just ok overall. Not something I feel the need to order again. I am not sure what I would've expected differently but I felt something was missing. Overall a place to visit again and try some other options from the menu.

    Espresso martini
    Katy C.

    River North Public House has a super funky and eclectic vibe. It's definitely undergone some transformations since its original concept as a tiki bar. Nate and I met up with some friends for a nightcap there recently and had a bit of a lackluster experience, unfortunately. We were seated right away and asked for some extra time to browse the drink options. Our server was very sweet but not super attentive - it took quite a bit of time to get our order in. Then we saw our drinks sitting at the bar while our server kept walking back and forth past them several times. We were in a bit of a time crunch as our friends had a babysitter they needed to get home to, so that was a little frustrating. When we got our drinks, they were unimpressive. I ordered the espresso martini, which was not as creamy and delicious as I would've hoped. Nate ended up getting the wrong N/A beer; luckily he is not picky when it comes to drinks so he didn't mention it. I tried a sip of my friend's French 1111, which was overpowered by the fresh lemon juice and not well-balanced. We waited around for a bit for our bills, and when we got ours, I noticed that my drink was listed on the menu at $12 but was charged $12.50. Not a huge deal, but something to be aware of. The atmosphere is unique and interesting, and the music was great while we were there, if a bit loud. I'd probably give this spot another try for food, but I'd get cocktails elsewhere.

    North Burger
    Melissa B.

    Came here on a Thursday night with a rather large group of 10 people and they were able to accommodate us with a table on their patio! They do not take reservations so I'm glad this worked out on our favor. Most people in our group ordered a drink and everyone seemed pleased with it. I had a glass of sweet rosé and it was great! I also had a taste of the artichoke and poblano dip appetizer and this was delicious. I would definitely want to order that for myself next time. For my meal I had the north burger which is a double smash burger with gruyere cheese and bacon among other toppings. This is genuinely one of the better burgers I've had in a while. It was so tasty and all the toppings came together perfectly. So delicious and I would recommend this to anyone looking for a good cheeseburger. The server was so friendly and the owner came over for a quick chat as well. Their parking lot is off of Julia St behind the gas station. Can't wait to come back here!

    Andrea T.

    Draft post. Positive atmosphere, love the decor. I want to be here. Garble garble gooo goo goo

    Bar Chips - 10/2020
    Elyse A.

    I met some girlfriends here on a Thursday night - we got in no issues around 6pm. They have a GREAT patio, but the weather was way too chilly to sit out there. Parking is behind the restaurant and you have to walk up to the front door to get in, I was very happy to see how well lit it was when we left. The inside is super cute and lots of plants! Things look a little different, due to COVID, but adorable space! They had a nice cocktail menu with some really yummy sounding drinks. I ended up with the only chardonnay, but it was actually pretty dang good so I was happy! Food menu is a little small, but don't blame them given current situation. We got the bar chips to start and they were AWESOME! Huge plate of homemade chips with all kinds of delicious toppings! Huge hit. 2 of us got a salad and they both raved about it - even going so far as to say one of the best salads they had ever had. SO, yeah! I got the cauliflower curry burger and it was WAY better than i had anticipated. It was an actual patty made from cauliflower, not just a cauliflower steak. Texture was awesome and the flavor was SO SO good. Super impressed. Our server was awesome and very attentive all night. Sad to see this place wasn't busier as they do an awesome job! Definitely recommend!

    Seven Wonders Sangria
    Ashley M.

    I was pleasantly surprised by River North tonight! I met up with a friend for dinner here and really enjoyed the ambiance, food and drinks. From the outside this place looks so quaint, but it's not! It has a lovely, spacious interior with great lighting. River North also has a great menu. I found several vegetarian items I wanted to try and there were a ton of carnivore options also. The Tandoori Cauliflower burger was tasty, although misnamed. There's nothing "Tandoori" about it, but there are mild Indian spices and it was an excellent texture! There are many dipping sauces to choose from for your fries too. I'll be back to try more!

    Brussels- very good they add slivered almonds for a unique flavor & texture
    Jim C.

    First time, cool ambiance nice patio area and inside with bar. The service and food was all Aces

    Spicy espresso martini
    Katie P.

    Went to River North Public House for the first time last night with my friends. Place was so freaking eclectic and fun as soon as you walk in the door it was Christmas story meets sex in the city then your quirky aunt thrown somewhere in there too. Just saying it was FANTASTIC ambiance! Our amazingly kind server recommended Artichoke mushroom flatbread appetizer and it was delicious! Drinks were decent and main course dropped a fish n chips that would make my grandpa proud! If you get a chance to drop into River North Public House I highly suggest it you WILL NOT be disappointed. Cheers!

    View to the outdoor seating
    Jessica O.

    At first I was disappointed when I heard that they changed from the Hawaiian Tiki concept, but I am really happy with the result! The décor is still really nice, but more streamlined now. Seating and layout is all the same, just updated in the theme. Stopped here with a friend for drinks and snacks and had such a great time! They were really short-staffed, which I'm not sure is common or not. It was a rare nice day (in April, in Michigan), so they might not have anticipated so many people would come and sit outside. They did seat us right away at a high top just inside, so still open-air. They also warned us that they only had one server, so the wait might be longer than normal, which we were fine with. We ordered drinks and both ordered a cup of shrimp and crab bisque, and the crab rangoon flatbread to share. It looks like these were maybe limited time as I don't see them on the menu currently, but they were absolutely delicious! I would order both of these dishes again, and I would go back here just to eat them. Based on how good these were I'm excited to go back and try more of what they offer. I don't always love sitting outside in the sun, wind, bugs, etc. so I appreciate that they have the open-air seating just inside of the patio area. I could easily see making this a regular stop!

    Happy hour in an igloo! Spiced tequila sour & blood orange aperol spritz

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    3 years ago

    Cool ambiance, especially with the garage door open. Great food and drinks. Hidden gem!

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    Ask the Community - River North Public House

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    The Cheney Place is an incredible choice for a wedding venue! The entire staff was incredibly kind…read moreand helpful. From the day we booked, they were always available to answer any questions or help with anything we needed. They make planning a breeze! Meg was our day of coordinator and she was so sweet and helpful. Coordinated with all of the vendors ahead of time and made sure everything was set up perfectly! Ellie took over later in the day and made sure everything went smoothly and cleaned everything up so quickly and helped us get all of our stuff! I cannot stop raving about how great they were! On top of the great staff, the venue is absolutely stunning. I received so many compliments on how gorgeous the venue was and how it was unique. The elevator entrance for the bride was also a huge hit!! 100% would recommend to anyone that they get married here!

    City Built Brewing - Adult nugs

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    I came here for a Yelp Elite event and now it may be a regular spot for us! The food menu…read morepreviously didn't speak to me, but now that they're partners with Los Mariscos, I'm more interested. The interior is a nice vibe with picnic tables and booths, as well as a bar and high tops. There is a waitress but you can also order at the bar. The food did take awhile though. We got chips and guac, which I really liked the homemade chips, and the taco special on Tuesdays. For $25, you can pick steak, chicken, or birria tacos; you can mix and match any way you like, so we got 2 steak and 8 birria. It comes with cilantro and onions and salsa roja and verde. I was told the birria tacos were the same as the quesabirria, but just know that for this Tuesdays special, they're not -- it is only the birria taco meat with consommé on the side, no cheese or taco shells dipped in the consommé. UPDATE: My fiancé went back here with his dad a few days later, and he claims the chips tasted old or stale and the birria cheese dip appetizer was too watery and did actually come with birria in it (he had to ask for it and was given a tiny portion). Nonetheless, I'd love to come back here for tacos (quesabirria or steak) and definitely want to try the shrimp ceviche!

    One of my good friends took me out for a late birthday celebration here at City Built!…read more This was my first time actually eating here but second time being in/ near the space because a few days before they hosted a World Cup watch party right on Mason street, which was super dope btw! I looked on City Built's website to see the menu before going there (of course) and found out that Los Mariscos De Pancho is now serving their food here which was a nice surprise since I have tried them at their Leonard location a few years back and enjoyed their food! I wish I could've tried some of the food that City Built had before since i had heard good things in the past but loved the combination of both City Built and Los Mariscos De Pancho! While browsing their website, I also found out that there would be open mic night on Thursdays and live music/ concerts on Monday nights which is always fun! We sat at the bar and we were pretty close to the musicians so it was kinda loud but my friend and I were still able to have our conversation. We came on a Thursday night around 6:30pm and it was already a steady amount of people there but as the night progressed the restaurant was more busy. Street parking wasn't too hard to find at this time or maybe we just got lucky.I believe the meters are free after 7pm! Walking in, there's bar seating, booth seating, high top table, coffee table seating, and bench style seating where you can sit yourself. There are 2 different entrances and in front of the main one there's patio seating! We opted to sit at the bar this time since most of the booths were full and it just happened to work out that way. We started off with drinks an alcoholic and non alcoholic version of the Agua De Jamaica and an order of the Garlic Butter Mussels. The my NA Agua De Jamaica was refreshing and much needed for the hot day. The mussels come in a serving of 6 or 12 and next time I would definitely order 12 right off the bat because we ended up ordering another round LOL. The sauce was so good I could drink it. The cucumbers were a nice refreshment/ palate cleanser from all that garlicky, buttery goodness. Just writing this review makes me want more right now! I also thought the mussels were a good size too so I will definitely be ordering those again. We also both ordered the Birria Ramen which came with Texas toast which I've never seen before. The portion size of the ramen was very filling since I was stuffed before our 2nd round of mussels came out (which took longer than anticipated to come out since we had to check to see if the order was put in). I also ordered the Birria Plate (4 birria tacos & consume) to go for my husband, which I should've ordered a bit earlier because of how long the mussels took. In the meantime, my friend wanted an expresso martini which they don't normally serve, but our amazing bartender made his own version with what he had and gave us both a cup to try. I don't even drink expresso martinis like that but the drink he made was delicious! I also heard that they have great beers too but I can't speak to that since I drink beers like that. Overall loved the vibes in here. They had different entertainment options like the live music and a few different board games to pick from. The ambiance had lots of natural light, and cute string lights, and overall a nice place to have dinner and drinks! Service was a bit on the slower side, maybe for this particular day, but everyone we interacted with was very friendly.

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    I've been craving some good polish food for a while now so Pulaski Days truly came at the right…read moretime! I choose to get some food from Eastern Ave Hall this year mostly because they have the online ordering + curbside pickup option. Makes everything so easy. I would note to maybe not try and go pickup food at the same time that the Pulaski Days Parade is going on because it's so chaotic around that area lol All the food was so good. Pierogis are always my favorite and these were super good. Also loved the kielbasa. I'm picky about mashed potato's and gravy but thought these were yummy! The kapusta was a little mild for my taste, I usually like it a little more "sour" but still tasty. I'm also not typically a fan of golumbki, I think it's a texture thing, but this one they served I actually liked! I was surprised! Dill pickle soup was good and I hadn't had this in so long. It's a childhood favorite so it felt like a special treat to eat a good version of this again. The real stand out was the kremowki/cream horns. These were literally insane. I was blown away by how good these are. Super rich so you really only need one MAYBE 2 but they hold over night and you'll definitely be craving more.

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    River North Public House - venues - Updated September 2026

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