I would NEVER set foot in this bar after the story I heard last night. The staff needs serious training, but not only that, they need training in the area of hygiene/sanitation when touching peoples things. Just unbelievable. ZERO STARS!!! read more

Got kicked out by the rudest and un-compassionate bouncer for using the men's bathroom (after ladies had been using it all night AND the 3 men that were in the bathroom said it was cool if I came in to pee in one of their stalls) as the ladies line was at least 30 people long (men's bathroom had no line whatsoever). I couldn't hold it any longer, but I was a minute away from peeing my pants. Anyways, the bouncer ripped open the stall door on me and then forced me out. Even after pleading to him my phone and rest of my stuff was with my boyfriend and the rest of our group. He literally threw me out on the sidewalk in the cold with nothing ALL FOR USING THE MENS BATHROOM. I happened to find a worker outside and asked him to find my boyfriend and our friends to let them know what was going on, which he did, and I'm so thankful for him. He even offered to let me use his phone. This business doesn't care about you or your safety, so don't care about them either. I spent 45 minutes waiting in line to get in the business, at least a half hour in line to get to the upper floors, and then at least $100 (cover charge & drinks) and I got thrown out on the sidewalk in the cold as a young female with nothing for peeing in an empty men's bathroom. It's laughable!!! Don't waste your time or money at this bar. read more

Attended a wedding here. Mixed feelings about this place. Cool venue, beautiful brick walls, great lighting. Food was erratic, not all hot, not timely. No napkins out with appetizers. Nowhere to put used plates and glassware. Bartender had a crappy attitude and the beverage choices are meager. Pepsi products for a bar? Please. Couldn't find a good drink to save our lives. Decent bathrooms and the elevator worked. read more

Really interesting place to be at on a Friday or Saturday night! I have been staying in a hotel across the street from it for years and finally decided to go in it with a guest. Yes there is a $5 cover charge, however, you're paying for 3 levels of bar! Different types of music on all levels of the bar as well. There are sooooo many people inside at any given time but everyone is very friendly and the bartenders are incredibly efficient with many different types of drinks to order on any of the levels. I am not too sure about parking because I simply was in the hotel across the street, but I am sure that something is nearby to hold that many people effectively. I would definitely recommend stopping in at this place like I did on your way through Grand Rapids! read more

Honestly don't come here. When I asked the staff how long the wait for the eve was they continually ignored us and were horrible. They bouncer outside the door was fucking awful lmao. His customer services skills deserve termination. Terrible customer service to say the least. Don't get them your money the managers don't communicate and just overall a terrible experience. Literally 0/5 stars if I could. read more

We attempted to have dinner at Gilly's on March 28 following the Trump rally. We waited at the host station for about 20 minutes before the host acknowledged us. He very rudely approached us and asked "do you have a reservation?! You won't be seated for at least 2 hours if you don't have a reservation!" The restaurant was less than half full at the time and we were only requesting for a party of two. We were not wearing any political garb and my friend is an African American. Based on how rudely we were treated I'm left with only two conclusions. The host was either racist or had hate for anyone he assumed went to see president Trump. Even if he had some other reason to mistreat customers in this manner I'm certain neither of us will be patronizing the BOB in the future. We were graciously accommodated at another BUSIER establishment shortly thereafter. read more

I am visiting Grand Rapids at what is the coldest time of the year and the coldest time anyone can remember. When I heard about The B.O.B., right across from my hotel I had to check it out. Where else can you browse through a few restaurants to decide what you want to eat, chose to see a comedy show, check out a local band, drink and dance the night away? At the moment I am making use of the "BOBnet" free WiFi while drinking my lemon drop at B.O.B.'s Brewery while all warm and toasty. The crowd is young, the vibe is lively, my drink is good, and I don't think the walk across the street will be as bad as the one here. Way to go Grand Rapids for impressing me with The B.O.B. read more

The BOB - 'Big Old Building' - Went here for a wedding reception.. really fun times for the most part. It's in an area with alot of college people, or so I'm told.. and that definitely added to the madness of the place. It was a very fun time though. With something like 4 or 5 levels.. we were on the top level that has been designed to accommodate parties such as wedding parties. Nice open space, room for a bar and a dance floor. I ventured down to the lower floors to check out the bar scene and the live music playing. There were alot of people dining and even a comedy club going on one of the upper floors. Everyone in the place seemed to be having a great time and that added to a really fun atmosphere. If and when I am back in Grand rapids, I will stop by the BOB. read more

Just an FYI - if you're using the stalls on the fourth floor - boys or girls side, when your fixing your hair, washing your hands, fixing your make-up, primping your hair I the mirrors, the people at the Courtyard Marriott across the street can see everything you do outside of the stalls. read more

2.5 Stars Douche bag magnet, especially in Crush. Very discriminatory dress code in Crush. Good brewery. Comedy club can be a good time. Service can be good, but can also be f'ing awful. Bouncers are complete idiot douche bags. Fun place to people watch. Douche bag magnet, especially in Crush.(This really needs to be said twice) The Gilmore Collection is good at a few things, namely ripping off concepts from restaurants in big cities and expanding their small restaurant empire without adequately training their staff. The B.O.B. can be an enjoyable experience, but it can also be a douche bag laden nightmare. Proceed at your own risk. read more

This place is a big building with multiple venues inside. Think of it as an inlet mall (opposite of outlet) and it has stores within that bigger building. My first time coming here was for a bar-hopping bachelorette party. I'm unsure as to what day it was, but we had purchased wrist bands in advance to guarantee our entrance into all parts of this place. We get there and our bracelets just didn't work. We were told that they are too busy and crowded that we have to wait in line like everyone else. Tell me that isn't B.S. We ended up leaving as the lines were ridiculous and we weren't there to just scope out the scene, we were there to help a girlfriend celebrate. It was disappointment that night. A second time I came here, it was only by second choice. Initially we were suppose to go to another bar but they were whack as they made people wait outside in winter for 2-3 hours with the line not budging as they were trying to hype up the bar. WHACK. Anyhow, when we were here a second time, the place was just awful. It was so crowded that you were touching the other person's shoulder. Not only that, but there were definitely weirdos there. What is up with people trying to look good for the club and end up ruining their get-up because of the massive amounts of sweats from grinding... It's not like I have been to man places in Grand Rapids night-life, but I heard the B.O.B. was suppose to be the place to go and have some "fun". Both times for me was unpleasant. Anyone else feel this way or is it just me hating? read more

Quite possibly the worst place in the world for a night out. New Years Eve was especially terrible, considering we bought tickets but then still had to wait in a large line. Come to find out there was no line out back, but no one knew about it. If you're going to one restaurant/bar specifically and staying there all night, it might not be terrible, but we went with a large group and the B.O.B. was a bad choice. The staff was very unfriendly and were very rude to all of us. Don't recommend it for a night out in Grand Rapids. Go to Mojo's-way more fun. read more

If you'll notice, most of the bad reviews mention Crush Nightclub (which is what you'd expect for a loud, dance club). If you just avoid that one tumor of the B.O.B. it is an amazing establishment. You can start the night with a drink on the second story outside terrace, head to a comedy show to ease in the night with decent prices given the situation and then finish the night with a wide variety of free range bars on many different floors of the BOB. Great amount of lounging area so it's never over crowded and a great place to meet many friends. It's great to go on Thursdays in my experience. The B.O.B. is my favorite downtown destination to date. read more

While staying in East Lansing, we took a random trip to Grand Rapids. One of the places that the East Lansing folks said to visit was the BOB. Didn't do much research beforehand, we just went. I thought it was a bar/restaurant. Well, it sorta is, but it's a four story building with different bars/restaurants. It was a really great idea and I wish we had one of these in Tampa. Some floors had live music, comedy, different bars, restaurants...we went to Bobarino's, which served up great 'American' food at decent prices. I hope to come back to Grand Rapids as it seems to be a fun, quirky city. read more

TERRIBLE MANAGEMENT!!! every time I come to the BOB the staff has no clue what's going on and is rude to the guests. I asked the bouncer (Nick) what was happening and he was an asshole and told me he was "waiting for management approval" to help us. This has happened before too. The bouncer was also a little sexist. He kept calling me "sweet girl" and kept asking what I was doing later tonight, making me really uncomfortable. Then he wouldn't let us talk to the manager and was laughing. If you want to enjoy your night frustration free, DO NOT COME HERE. I never write reviews but have never been so pissed every time I come to a place. Clearly if you read the other reviews, you can see a trend. I could go on and on about how terrible the bouncers are, don't waste your time. read more

One of the few lone spots in this god forsaken place. I lived only about 13 months in Grand Rapids, and The B.O.B was the only place worth spending money on a weekend. The Big Old Building used to be an old warehouse, has been converted to a mutliplex housing couples of good restaurants, a live music bar, a nightclub and a comedy club. A lot of good choices and my favourite thing to do on a saturday was to eat at Gills and then go upstairs to Boberinos. They have some good bands on weekends. If you are not into that there are plenty of pool tables and air hockey tables to have a good time. read more

The guy bartender on the second floor ignored us for 15+ minutes while also announcing that he "didn't care about anything because he's probably going to get fired soon anyway." There were very few people at the bar. Needless to say, we left. read more

Me and our group of 6 went for a bachelor weekend thing a few weeks back and it was a blast. Everyone working there was very nice, fairly decent prices, and a good time all around. The basement was I think our favorite spot because it was kind of cozy and private so we could good off play ping pong or giant Jenga. The second floor had a pizzeria with a live band and pool tables, as well as some arcade games. We didn't explore ALL of the available areas because after a point we we're pretty buzzed and we just chilled in the basement, but what we did experience was great. Again.. Good workers, good drinks, good prices, would definitely like to make another visit back soon. read more

I've been to The BOB a couple of times, but only to two of their restaurants, so I can honestly only rate it based on those two: Bobarinos and Gills Blue Crab Lounge. Bobarinos: Eh. Whatever I got there wasn't memorable. So...not really good or really bad. Just moderate. The garlic and chicken pizza that my girlfriend got was good though. Sort of expensive for just decent-good food. Food: 1.5 / 5 Price: $$-$$$ Gills: While I'm not sure what I got as a main course, this time I actually remember it being delicious! I did get Lobster Bisque, which was heavenly. My cousin definitely got the Mustard Pretzel Walleye which was sooooooooo good and a friend got a monthly special that was also wonderfully awesome. Food: 4.5 / 5 Price: $$$ (especially if you get drinks) Also, while I haven't been to Crush, I've heard really bad things about it from friends that make me glad I never went there. read more

We went to the BOB at an earlier time in the day so it wasn't super crowded and had a low key atmosphere which I enjoyed. They have an awesome beer selection - tons of different options to choose from along with their own taps. They also have a lot of different video games, pool and shuffle board to play as well if you are in to that sort of thing. The place is massive - so I'm sure it fills up at night! read more

We did the rounds here over a two day trip but it's a lot to handle and pretty obnoxious when it gets really busy, but if you're looking for a handful of options within a few feet of each other this is as good as it gets. A steakhouse, dueling piano bar, comedy club, whiskey bar and live entertainment abound....you'll find something you like here. FYI midday this place is really chill with locals and I enjoyed it far better than during the evening when it was an overrun tourist trap. They have some really nice pool tables and a decent shuffleboard table with plenty of bourbon options if that's your thing. Service was quick and friendly and the top shelf here is really reasonably priced with a nice pour to add to it. read more

I was in GR for a wedding in November and the reception was held here. This place is awesome. I made sure that I went and got a drink on every floor. I think there is 7 floors? But it was a pretty great place, and we had a great time. -It was awesome for a wedding reception as well. read more

This is for Gilly's - for dinner I was here a little over a year ago (I remember it being called Gills, but the website shows different now). Stayed at the Days Inn just across the river in downtown, and went here for dinner one night, and it was very very good. Had a seared Ahi Tuna app, bacon wrapped scallops, oysters (they had Kumamoto's this night), and the Mustard Pretzel Crusted Walleye. I was there early on a week night, it wasn't crowded, and the server, bartender, and the manager were all very friendly. All the food was great. read more

I and a group of friends were trying to go to Eve's nightclub at the BOB. I walked in and told the bouncer, who then said we couldn't be there and pushed me out the door with no explanation as to why. While I had heard great things about the B.O.B. I cannot in good conscience recommend this to anyone given the physical aggressiveness that i experienced at the door fo simply wanting to go to the nightclub and have a good night with some friends. read more

I have been coming here for a long time. It was my favorite place to go for years. Now that they have reopened it's not the same. They make you pay cover and then they won't let you in. I used the bathroom and was escorted out. This has never happened to me before. Why pay to get in if you can't really get in. On top of they me and my male friend got the same exact drink and they charged me doubled the price as him for the same drink. Such a shame that a classic establishment has turned into such a horrible place. Was my favorite place. Being physically harassed by employees is another level that i could understand. I can't say that I will come here anymore. Also why is it cash free? 0/10 I wish I could talk to the owner to let him see the enormous gross negligence going on. I have worked in customer service My whole life as well as the bar industry and I have never experienced this. DO NOT COME HERE read more

I really enjoyed the atmosphere here, they had live music playing with two very talented guys. Food is a little on the pricey side, but it was pretty good. My friend ordered the Italiano Pizza and it was cooked to perfection, crispy with crust slightly blackened. Super pleased with how it turned out. I ordered their french dip sandwich and it was pretty tasty as well. Drinks weren't bad either. read more

The B.O.B. - Dance Clubs Near Me - Grand Rapids, Michigan

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"You have to have a seat to get a drink" is what they said at the outdoor beer garden, that made us wait 45 minutes for a table. I understand the rules because of COVID, I understand being understaffed. But don't have a 30-person line at the bar if you're "not allowed to get drinks at the bar." Don't let other people break the rules & then say "oh but since you asked, you're not allowed to!" At our table tonight, we were THREATENED. A customer had an argument with the security staff and literally said, "I am fully armed," right next to us! And after the chaos of ours & several tables running away and then reseating ourselves when he did not pull anything out of his back pack, we asked the server about the situation and why he was still here. "Oh they checked his backpack." Well, did they? Why couldn't we see that in an open area? Why did you continue to serve him alcohol? Did he have a table? Why is he still here? Yes, eventually, the cops came to the establishment to check in. But this potential violent client was still allowed to STAY IN THE BAR AREA! On top of all this, service was slow, the drinks were subpar, and it took about 20 minutes to get our checks from a totally different server, since we couldn't find ours...not the ideal Saturday night. No itemized receipts either so we have no idea what drinks we were actually charged for, even though we only were able to order one round within about an hour an a half... read more

I have heard about The BOB for years from my college friends. I'd probably really like going there if I lived in Grand Rapids. We didn't get to experience the bar scene since my group was only there for the Comedy Club. We were part of a Bachelorette party. The club was dark, lots of people, and had good comedians for a local place. The jokes were pretty funny, we laughed a lot. The downfall was I ordered a vodka cranberry.....it was $9.50. ONE DRINK. I was a little annoyed with this especially since I didn't ask for Absolut, and that's what I got apparently. Our waitress had too many tables and couldn't locate us easily so I didn't argue. Would not drink there the next time due to cost. One loud lady also fell off her bar stool after being too wasted to sit.....caused a ruckus. The show was shorter than I thought it was supposed to be too. I might go back if I have to pay my own way next time. Nothing too special though. I might just stick to the 3 floors of bars next time. read more

This is for Gilly's. We've been here a few times and the food had aways been great. This time wasn't the best. Was a little disappointed that they couldn't find a way to keep the butter warm for my lobster. Also we sat in the corner and with a fan blowing above I could have kept my coat on. A plus this time was we ordered onion rings. I think they came from the steakhouse in the next room over and they were totally awesome! We also had good service and that sometimes is hard to come by. So we will be back again I'm sure. Hint ~ call ahead and make a reservation. read more

Ok, I'm mixed. I don't like the Crush atmosphere or dance crowd, I love Eve. I like Dr. Grins, depending on who is in town. I love Gilly's and Bobarino's... Monkey Bar not so much. I love LOVE the ceviche served at Gilly's, along with the steamed pork buns. Their ceviche is light and zesty, while the pork buns are heavy and sweet and horribly/wonderfully tasty. They also had this riotously wonderful seasonal beer from Winter that I never got the name of... and then there is their perfectly dessert PB&K martini. Gilly's has the best kid's menu in all of GR, in my opinion! They cater to kid's tastebuds and the parent's desires for a healthier option - and conquer both in one fell swoop! Although they have ingenious offerings like PB&J sushi and organic beef mini and pickle pop, they also have such delightfully delish and surprisingly kid pleasing options like Grilled Salmon and an organic mac&cheese with salad. Bobarino's has a tasty menu as well. My favorite is the spinach and artichoke dip - for when I want something creamy, salty, cheesy, and comforting to go with my pear sangria. The great thing about Bobarino's is that they are open for lunch... and lunch is so reasonably priced - around $6.99 for either their salad, pizza, and pasta bar, or 1/2 a sandwich and cup of soup. Finally, don't forget their happy hour - where they have a wonderful selection of foods (and drinks), including pizzalettes and steamed pork buns, for only $1.99. read more

I've been here twice now. Once a few years back and just last night. The place has not gotten any better. The first time I came here, I ordered the new york strip from the steakhouse. I got prime rib. Now, Most people would be like whatever, i'll take it. I wanted a new york strip and so did this other girl, so we sent ours back and asked for our steaks to be done medium rare. What we got back was very well done, that was quite charred all around. The other girl said that she wouldn't even feed it to her dog. The rest of the table was just about done eating, so I ate the steak because I didnt want to send it back again. Fast foward to last night. My friend and I went to Gill's. The hostess was very nice and our waitress did very well. She told us there was a limited menu that night. Not sure why. It was tuesday.I would understand monday, but tuesday? I wanted some sushi that night. Turns out, that was taken off the menu that night. Bah! We settled for some lobster bisque, fried calamari and the crab cake. The lobster bisque looked like a reheat. I'm not sure if it looks like that all time, but it's pretty much what it was. Lobster bisque is supposed to be thick and smooth, but not chunky. This bisque was chunkeh! The calamari is supposed to be dusted with flour and flash fried. The flour on our calamari was caked on! It was like they dipped it in some batter and it was crispy for a second then got soggy fast. It took awhile to get our food too and we were the first ones in the restaurant. The crab cake was...okay. Nothing special. Not too great. The aioli it was sitting on top of went pretty well with the calamari. They should think about switching the curry crap sauce they had with the calamari and the aioli.....or just nix it completely. I am not very happy with the bob. I should have went down the street to check out some of the better restaurants. The bob is truly just a big o'l building. Someone wanted a big building with everything.Unfortunately, they sacrificed quality for more chairs. I'm giving it a two because the waitress was nice and the strawberry sangria drink I got was pretty good. read more

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Dear Grand Rapids, I'm glad that you're growing into a bustling metro area but please do something about the tourist traps, namely B.O.B. Right across the way from the Van Andel area, hordes of freshly 21 year-olds, infrequent downtown goers, cougars and manthers (gross old men) alike, flock to this place in search of a good time. Okay not hordes but enough to dampen a night on the town. The only reason I would go here is to meet up with a friend, an office party , the comedy club or if I'm showing an out of towner around. I wanted to give you 2/5 stars but I do remember having good times...when I was 21. All the best, l read more

EDITED REVIEW: After I wrote my original review The BOB reached out to me offering a chance to come back in and sample some new menu items at Bobarinos. I decided to go back and give it a whirl. Now I haven't been there for a dinner in over a year and wasn't quite sure what to expect. I was pleasantly surprised, as were my friends that tagged along. We had the Sweet Potato Chips (with goat cheese), bruschetta (new item) for starters and they were both so good! We all agreed we would easily eat a bowl of that goat cheese fondu! I then had the new Smoked Salmon, very yummy. The meal was surprisingly light (looks like a huge portion but is perfect) and the salmon was done well. My only complaint there is that I would like a bit more seasoning. But was really fine as is. We then had the coffee creme brulee and brownie for dessert, both were SO SO good. The creme brule does come with whip cream and fruit so not quite the traditional creme brulee but very tasty. So thanks to the staff at the BOB for inviting us back and showing us all the positive changes over the past year! I'd also say that Barbarino's is great for any family looking for a place to eat that's on par with pricing of "casual dining" chains. Not spendy at all, and the menu has huge variety now. ORIGINAL 2 Star Review: Definitely not the best place in town food at all venues within The BOB is marginal. The dueling piano isn't nearly as good as others in town. It's always busy though, esp with college kids. The one great thing about this place is Dr. Grins. They get solid comedians and some great younger / newer comedians from Chicago coming in. read more

We typically visit the BOB when we come to town for concerts at Van Andel arena. On Saturday the place was packed wall to wall with 1-2 hour wait for a table at every restaurant, 2 hours before show time. We ordered beers from the bar and just stood and talked before heading to the show. I'm sure it's much better when it's not s show night. read more

Such a cool place. However we went on a Thursday night around 8:30-9 and everything inside was closed. Super bummed bc the place looked cool. read more

I was a little worried reading the reviews, but since this is a mufti-dimensional eatery/entertainment center it is hard to judge. Our family was visiting Grand Rapids on a Saturday afternoon so we were here for lunch. We were quickly seated, offered drinks and ordered appetizers. Not too long after, our sandwiches and burgers were delivered. I found it kind of odd we parked in the (empty) side lot and then were asked to move our car two spots over, but whatever, we could have been in someone's favorite spot ;) read more

While the food wasn't horrible..... the waitress sure was! Was busy in the hallway on her cell phone instead of waiting on tables. The manager had to go find her so we could get our bill. She was very rude - horrible server!!!!!!! read more

Fun place with lot to do. We were treated rather hastily by the staff and we were confused on where to be seated. Price was fair and decent.

I would not recommend even trying to go here. Every time we go, there is seemingly another "rule" that prohibits guests from even entering the building. I was not allowed to step in the door while wearing a camouflage coat (in the middle of winter) because "camo" is not allowed anywhere in the building. The bouncer also refused to accept our cover after trying to pay with dollar coins. I will not be back. read more

Something for everyone... Lots of fun...