Best Venue in Grand Rapids. Yup I said it! This is the one place you can see a band and never have a view too far away or too bad. There is a separate room in the back where the bands play, so don't feel like you can't walk in here without having to see a band as well. I will admit the vibe could come across as not very welcome but it is pretty relaxed and you will mostly see people who can be classified as the 'alternative' type but don't let that keep you out! Everyone is friendly, without needing to fee like they have to greet you with a huge smile. Their tap list is filled with lots of local brews! Each night is a different special, with my favorite one when Short's beers are cheap! They also have pinball machines, that date back quite a few years in prime working condition. Pinball machines with a KISS theme to others rockin the Monster Mash vibe. Come for a show, come for a drink or come to play some pinball...they have tournaments too! Oh and they have some funny merchandise and local artist prints for sale as well! And did I mention a dinosaur on a bicycle...yea that is there with funny Michigan gear too! read more

Best downtown beer spot. (if you are a Shorts fan - they do have others...) Great cocktails - some specialty cocktails. Really the only kind of place downtown I could drink at 4/7 days weekly. read more

One of my favorite venues in Grand Rapids. Small enough to be intimate and large enough to bring In awesome groups.

Nice selection of brews. The thing that makes this bar special is the pin ball games for sure. I dig the retro punk vibe.

Rachel was the best and the sweetest during the NYE party, serving the glitter looks even while cleaning up some vom. The whole crew was awesome and the drinks are affordable, pre-sale tickets were worth it, pinball machine is great for when you're drunk and waiting for a ride. 10/10 read more

I must admit I didn't stay very long on my visit here. It was a stop between two other destinations. Only in town for the weekend, my hotel recommended it to me (I'm guessing based on my age and attitude). It was dirt cheap beer, something to look forward to in Beer City, Michigan. The T-Shirts and other merch for sale there was hilarious and I almost left with some of it. The pinball machines are a nice touch. The crowd wasn't very welcoming nor was the staff but I can forgive that for being an Out of Towner. I really liked this place, and when I'm back in Grand Rapids, I'll probably stop in again. read more

We came here in June to see Naked Raygun play. The front of the joint is a video game arcade, and the back (separate paid entrance) is where the live music is. I was really impressed with the acoustics, the fact that we could actually sit at comfortable chairs, and the great service. The bartenders were extremely efficient and were friendly. The bar had a great selection of beers and liquor, and prices were pretty reasonable. Overall I'd definitely come back in here again if I were going to be in Grand Rapids. read more

I went on a Saturday night and it was not as hype as I thought it would be. There was a concert going on I'm sure but the front area was pretty empty. I expected it to at least have a good crowd for a Saturday. The service was quick since it was so empty so that was nice. I have been to this place in the past and had similar results. Although I do have to admit that I do enjoy the theme and atmosphere they are going for. read more

I am so happy this place is open again! Yay Grand Rapids is starting to look like Grand Rapids again

One of the best bars I've visited in North America for my tastes, I'd go out of my way to come back if I was in the area. Dark, divey vibe that manages to be both edgy and clean. Full bar, good drinks, nice open bar space in front. The main attraction is the couple dozen pinball machines in absolutely stellar condition. Barcade owners, take note: this is how it should be done. All games were setup perfectly and clearly get routine maintenance. Super fun to play. Pyramid scheme rivals the best pinball spots and barcades in the country, from Ground Kontrol in Portland to modern pinball in New York to Pins & Needles in LA to SS Billiards in Minneapolis... I would rank this place up there with any of the best. As an added bonus, they have a wide selection of awesome merch, cool shirt designs, hand screened posters, and embroidered art. If that's not enough there's a cool little rock and roll venue in the back. Definitely the kind of place I'd frequent every chance possible if I lived in Michigan. Do yourself a favor and get over there and enjoy this spot and show the support it deserves! read more

There's always really interesting musicians there. Parking is great, and their prices are fair. This would be a 5 star review except that anybody under 21 is a minor "in their opinion" (direct quote from the bouncer) and they do not allow re-entry. This wouldn't be a problem, but there is no patio or smoking area so folks 18-20, effectively, aren't allowed to smoke. I understand rules are rules, but they already put an x on your hand which should be enough to let you step outside for a moment. Nonetheless, if you can look past being nicotine starved for a few hours, it's a great place to see all sorts of interesting shows and the crowd is generally pretty fun, too. read more

Love the pinball. Gaming while drinking is my fave. Beers were only local, so don't expect a Stella or anything. Great spot to spend an hour or so during a pub crawl, okay maybe 2. The wall art, posters/T-shirts were awesome though, and I found the bartender to be cool. Definitely will be back through. read more

I was coming near Grand Rapids while traveling for work and decided to see if there were any good places to play some pinball. I found this place on Yelp and had a pretty great time. The machines are varied from the 1990's-current and they are all in pretty great shape. Someone is obviously taking care of these machines, a few were down for repairs but around 90% of them were up and in great working order. They were also really well balanced in terms of leveling. My only warning if you are coming for the pinball is that the machines have their rulesets modified. They don't give any extra balls so every game is going to be 3 balls and no more, even if you get a replay extra ball. The games are either 50 or 75 cents, had a blast playing on them all! read more

This place is so much fun. My boyfriend and I went here last weekend for some drinks and to play some games. The bartender that served us was super friendly and polite and the atmosphere of the whole place is super trendy and fun! The drink prices are decent and overall, we had a great experience. I can't wait to go back!!! read more

This place was awful, talking about the back concert venue. If you don't get there early, you'll be standing the whole time. I have no problem standing, but it's so small that you're on top of people. When you're just trying to drink & enjoy a show, that blows. I also went there a few weeks before my birthday. I was 20. They treated me like shit despite it being an 18+ show. I had a sleeveless shirt on and no coat. It was raining and freezing. They made me freakin' wait outside even though I was just playing pinball and had the mark on my hand of a minor. I kept get sent away even though they would say "come back in ten minutes". Because of that we would have been the first in to get good seats, but with them sending me away, we didn't. And they wouldn't even let me use the bathroom in the front bar area because I was a minor... I hate this place. Even though I'm 21 now, with how awful they were to me and inconsiderate. The concert quality sucks anyway. I only went because one of my favorite bands was playing and it was my only chance to see them. I am never going back and I'm not recommending it to any of my friends. read more

I attended a concert at The Pyramid Scheme during LaughFest. I was hobbling around with a walker due to a broken leg. The staff was fantastic! They helped me through the venue, to find seating that worked for me, and then multiple staffers cleared a path for me to hobble out. I even had people checking in on me during the show. I absolutely could not have been treated more kindly, not could I have pulled it off without their accommodation. read more

The venue looked great for a show upon entering. The layout was perfect. We saw Lord Huron and the show was great, butI have to agree with other yelp reviews.. The sound was bad. The guys on the sound board looked fazed. I would return for bands I'm interested in, unless they're in Lansing or Kzoo. read more

Been coming here for years to play pinball and enjoy a beer before a show (I'm 21+). Today we went to play a couple games of pinball before the show and I hugged my boyfriend and the morbidly obese doorman called us over to check my boyfriends ID randomly (which was odd seeing as he hadn't done that to anyone else in the hour we were there). He then kicked us out (my boyfriend is 20) despite it being an all ages show. Keep in mind there was a mother there with her small child who was maybe 12 also playing pinball without objection from the obese doorman. I tried to object and get clarification as to why, to which he called me a fa**ot and told both of us to get out. I will not being coming here again and patronizing a business who runs under the pseudonym of being gay friendly and flies a gay flag yet their obese doorman is very clearly a homophobic asshole. read more

Best venue in town. I almost didn't write a review for the Pyramid Scheme because I don't think I can say enough great things about it; however, I can't NOT write a review because I am thankful for this spot pretty much every weekend (and some weekdays too). 1. Seriously great mix of music and events. I've spent days and days in a row at the Pyramid Scheme because every show was un-missable. Just last week, they had La Dispute, Super Happy Funtime Burlesque, Dax Riggs, The Meatmen, Khaira Arby, and more. All in one week. It's daunting to make a list because there have been so many, but some other awesome shows I've seen there this year (they've only been open since April 2011) are: Valient Thor, Torche, Bars of Gold, El Ten Eleven, Antique Scream, Maps and Atlases, Jucifer, and countless fantastic, local groups (and great shows that I've missed). Everytime I walk by their windows to look at the upcoming show fliers, I find something I can be excited about. They have multiple dance nights every month. Grand Rapids Soul Club is my favorite, but they also have Retro D'luxe 80s Night and Bottom 40 events. They throw benefit shows for local artists and are consistantly cool and respectful to their performers and patrons. 2. Great service. Some of the coolest, nicest people in the industry work at the Pyramid Scheme. Period. 3. Ridiculous drink specials. Not only do they have a huge selection of microbrews, they also have the best prices (and pours) in the downtown area. Weekly Specials (4pm-midnight): Sunday: $3 Jamesons Monday: $3 Long Islands Tuesday: Half Off All Drinks! Wednesday: 1/2 off Short's Pints Shows are usually cheap (compared to the same bands in different cities or venues) and they are always doing ticket give-aways and specials on their facebook, so it's a good idea to "like" them. Also, there is never a cover to enter the front, bar area. 4. Enviornment The building is historic and the bar and venue were designed by an artist, equaling a fun, unique enviornment. Maybe enough has been said in other comments about the decor and layout, but it is definately worth mentioning again. 5. PINBALL! This might not be a highlight of the bar for everyone, but it has become one for me. It's becoming a pinball museum in there. I compare it to a museum because it's obvious that every game there was not placed there by any ole' opportunist but by someone who knows and loves pinball. Medieval Madness is my new favorite. They offer free pinball nights once a month, too! I could go on and on (obviously) and I'll probably think of something I should have said right after I submit this review, but I'll stop -- for now. read more

Was out of town on Vacation and checked this place out. Really dug the "vibe"! Drank beer and played pinball and loved it! Wish Las Vegas had more places like this. read more

Thank God! Downtown is finally more urban. Pyramid Scheme is a fun bar/venue with great staff, good beer and a even better atmosphere. It's like someone took a bar from Six Corners and placed it in GR and I could not be happier. read more

We were just looking for a good place to drink and stopped in. This is a bar/pinball arcade also has a music venue in the back which looks to have frequent shows, some being well known bands. We ended up staying in the front since we didn't recognize the band and it was a $15 cover for the back. There are over 20 pinball machines for you to choose from, each about $.50 to play, and plenty of tables and booths to hang out in. If you're a fan of craft beer, they offer Shorts beer and a few others. I had a Long Island, which was very good. Not too strong, not too sweet. Very cool place, just the random, artsy decor alone made it an interesting place. (It did kinda smell like cat piss though -_-') read more

This is shaping up to become one of my favorite bars! It's so cool. It's like a Dave & Buster's with a better beer and music selection! It's very hipster-y but not pretentious or snooty. It's just fun. This is where I want to bring new people when I want to seem cool B) (--- just like this). Because you can introduce your beer deficient friends to new and exciting stuff! (They always have ten Shorts on tap) and they'll confuse you for a person who is fun because you've brought them to a place that's a concert venue/has a wicked obscure jukebox/crazy cool decor/has tabletop pacman/billions of pinball machines! Make your friends super jelly of how awesome you are for taking them to such a cool place of which you had nothing to do with the conception but no matter! You still practically invented the place B) (---see?) read more

First time at Pyramid Scheme - went to play some pinball on what I hoped to be a slow Sunday afternoon. It was slow and they have some nice machines. Unfortunately, they had loud punk music playing on a crappy sound system so you couldn't hear anything from the machines. Left after a short bit and won't be back... read more

Very chill cool place to grab a cheap beer. I went during a Saturday afternoon so I can't speak about the atmosphere during the busy concert times. I enjoyed myself and I was pleased with the $2 PBRs read more

My boyfriend and I went back on a Thursday night for 1 beer and to play some pin ball. It wasn't busy, the bar tender was great and we had a really fun time :) might be a hit/or miss kinda place??? We also bought tickets for an upcoming show so we will see! ;) read more

Hands down, favorite bar in Michigan. The drinks are of a wide variety and fairly priced, and each day there is a different special. The atmosphere couldn't be better, with the distant clanging of pinball machines, nerdy art, and music that's always hip in the least obnoxious way. This place is also a music venue in the back, and the set up is incredible. Some of the best shows of my life have been here. It's basically what you wish to experience when you go to the Intersection, with a better crowd and more affordable drinks. The staff is also super friendly and accommodating. They are all pretty attractive too, not that it matters, just sayin'. read more

Really interesting venue. It's split up into two areas, the bar upon entering (no cover needed) and the performance venue in back for ticketholders. When you first walk in, the place has a really cool feel, a fair mix of real and faux hipsters with a high attentive staff. The color scheme is interesting, since they just had opened, I would imagine the decorum has yet to be completed as the walls still feel like they are missing something, however The Pyramid Scheme light fixtures are a nice touch. I totally dig the Tyrannosaurus Rex "Sue" replica above the Jurassic Park pinball machine and wished the other two machines had their own novelty items mounted on top, maybe an Avatar of sorts or a giant fish... not everyone is OCD. All the beers on tap are Michigan brewed and awesome, from Shorts to Bells. This may not come as a surprise, being that the restaurateurs are local thriving business people (joint venture ownership on this one between Jeff and Tami VandenBerg and Marc Sellers, the hardworkers who have brought us, but not previously together The Meanwhile, Hopcat, Stellas, and Old Town Social in Chicago.) strongly involved in the community and Local First. If going to see a band perform, there is an element of exclusivity and VIP status. A patron must have tickets in order to enter the stage/ performance area in back and there is a bouncer at the door taking tickets and checking wristbands. Once in the performance area it becomes standing room only including the limited seats available on the elevated deckways to the left and right with hightop tables. The performance area sound is awesome; they definitely made a good investment which shows these entrepreneurs know exactly what they are doing and how things need to be done. Overall, this place is simple and cool; I imagine overtime it will continue to evolve similarly to their sister restaurants. I for one have been sucked in to the scheme and will probably be found drinking the Kool-Aid. read more

This is an awesome place to kind of get away from the downtown rush at all the other bars. They have a ton of modern and old school pin ball machines. A pretty relaxed and hipster setting overall. They have a respectable list of brews on tap as well. Definitely more of a local bar than some of the very touristy bars in town. read more

Pretty sweet place! I loved the beer selection--lots from Shorts Brewing. The pinball machines were fun and I killed it on the wizard of Oz one. read more

What I like: the venue, the pinball machines, the location and the beers. What I don't like: the service (blows); the bartender (couldn't be bothered); the temp inside (I could have been in a walk-in cooler that was warmer) read more

HORRIBLE VENUE! My friends and I paid for a ticket to see a band months in advance and we were very excited to see the show. During the opening act we were told to leave for no reason at all, the bouncer claimed we were too drunk when we were not; we most definitely weren't bugging or harming anyone, we were simply having a fun time enjoying the show. There was no legitimate reason for us to have been told to leave. I am beyond outraged with this place and don't plan on going back there ever again. read more

I was really excited about going to a show here. However my excitement was gone a few seconds into the first band. I don't think the guy running sound knew enough to be doing it alone. I felt bombarded with nothing more than a wall of sound for the entirety of the show. I couldn't hear the drums (except kick drum and cymbals) or the vocals during any set. On top of that, I couldn't decipher any if the chords or notes the guitarists were playing. Quite a disappointment. Make sure you bring earplugs and plan socialize afterwards, the sound tech likes to hover around 100 decibels. read more

How far down the rabbit hole did I fall. The beer is just the right price but you have to fight for air against the hoards of hipsters clamped around the bar. I have never seen so many ironic beards and hello kitty tattoos in one location. Major plus goes to the pinball machines. Yup I just gave 2 stars to a bar (1 star price, 1 star pin ball). Get my drink and LOTR on. read more

Short's brew, pinball, art, great music, cool bartenders and patrons. There is no TV, so you actually have to talk to people. Best bar in Grand Rapids. read more

The Pyramid Scheme is a great venue and bar. They host musical talent as well as comedians and I think it would be great to be able to see either at this bar while drinking awesome beer surrounded by good people and a great staff. The bartenders were friendly and made a great drink. I tried several of their Short's Brewing Co. beers and was very pleased with each one of them. During my travels in Michigan, it's safe to say that I became a huge fan of Short's beer thanks to all of the local bars. On top of their beer menu, they have fantastic shirts for sale behind the bar. They are displayed hanging over the variety of beer/spirits, so when you close your bar out, you are able to add a shirt on to that tab if you so desire. I really wanted one of their Black Cat Pyramid Scheme shirts, but sadly they didn't have my size. I suppose this gives me another reason to go back to Grand Rapids. read more

Went there this past Saturday night to see Joe Hertler & the Rainbow Seekers. This is a great little place for a show. I love all the pinball machines when you first come in. Great selection of beers and the price for the show and beverages were great! read more

Great beer, pinball for days, and a great place to catch some of the best music GR has to offer. One of my favorite hangouts in the city.

HOLY PINBALL!!! The hubs and I stopped in for a drink while burning some time in GR and really enjoyed the spread of pinball machines that they've got!! Don't worry, there are TWO change machines so don't break the piggy bank before swinging by!! TONS of Short's beers on tap and a full bar for the boosze drinkers! I would LOVE for someone to open a place like this in Ann Arbor or Traverse City!! read more

I love this place! Cool venue, I'd like to see more bands I've heard of play here, but I've seen some pretty good ones I haven't heard of before. The crowd size here can be hit or miss, I've been there a couple times and it was packed, but other times it was almost empty even though it was a weekend. One of my favorite bars in GR! read more