Grand Rapids Garage Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Grand Rapids

Great food. Can be loud.

Build Your Own Burger - $14: Ordered medium and got medium-well, though it was still fairly juicy. Also ordered with American white cheese (no yellow?), lettuce, tomato, and onion. The toppings were fairly fresh and well balanced. I was not expecting the white cheese, but they confirmed it was white American cheese. Nothing major to write home about, but it was a decent burger without many flaws.

Kennebec Fries - (free with the burger): Thin cut and fried to a darker color and deeper flavor. They were SUPER salty even after wiping them and shaking them.

Sounds like something unique, but was fairly common in experience. The waitress said the same. Researching this after the fact, it looks more like a particular potato that is bred for its fast growing, high yield qualities without losing much (if any) desired qualities for fries.

Chicken Tenders Basket - $15: I was recommended the chicken tenders by a friend. They were hot at first and difficult to gauge, but after cooling, they were spectacular. The meat was lean and high quality and the batter was spot on.

Roadhouse Steak & French Onion Soup - $7: My friend ordered this and said it was one of the best versions of this soup he has ever had. It had large steak chunks and a lot of them (the picture was actually of a very small chunk).

I was also HIGHLY recommended the Mozzarella Sticks (Straight Pipes - $13), but did not try them this trip.

Service: We sat in the north half to avoid the music (fruitless, but we tried). We were forgotten at first and it took more than 10 minutes to get menus and water. After that, we were taken care of until we wanted our check to pay and leave, which took 5 minutes.

When we were served, it was immediate and friendly.

Atmosphere: Garage mechanic like environment. Grungy and mild adult paraphernalia. I wouldn't recommend bringing children. The music is rock and similar pop and played loud at times. They did turn it down a bit when we requested it. You either like it or hate it. They stress hosting the best parties they can and I like a quieter environment.

Some of the tables are wobbly, low, and plain. Some are tall. Some are chairs around a coffee table. Some are at the bar. Some are a lot of fun to sit around. There is a ton of variety with HOW you dine.

There is also seating just outside the front door and a large heater above that keeps it reasonable to sit out there. I was surprised how well it kept it warm as we walked out.

They also have a breathalyzer machine in the back of the north section to the right of the Harley-Davidson logo above the lottery machine (as seen in my picture). If you are concerned, you can use that. I don’t drink much at all so I cannot speak to those things, but that was unique.

Conclusion: Amazing food, but you've gotta like the atmosphere to enjoy the experience. The service can have loopholes that can be frustrating. I do get the vibe that this is a very popular hang out.

Visited on a...

Wife and I chose to try the Garage Bar & Grill to watch the U of M game. We ordered the nachos w/brisket, which was a huge portion so no disappointments there. The waitress was awesome. The atmosphere would have been a 5 start with the exception of a gentleman who brought his dog inside the bar area. The only issue we had was the dog was barking and yelping a lot and the yelps were one of those high pitched yelps so it wasn't pleasant on the ears. When we asked about it the waitress said he claimed it was a service dog, to which we said there is no way a service dog would act like that, barking at other dogs and such. At one point the dog even jumped up with it's front paws on the table, which again a service dog would never do. There were 2 other dogs next to us that were very well behaved and I believe was the main reason the "service" dog was barking a lot. We feel the manager should have asked for proof and ask the gentleman to sit at the outside tables for the sake of the patrons inside the bar. It was too small of an area for a barking yelping dog. I would recommend just not if a dog is barking inside the bar area, it...

What's up with the patio being no man's service land????I used to absolutely love the Garage. The food is consistently delicious, and the atmosphere is usually great. However, my last few visits have been disappointing due to increasingly inattentive service. It seems like the staff is stretched too thin, or perhaps there's been a change in training. On my most recent visit, it took an exceptionally long time to get our initial drink order taken, and even longer for them to arrive. We also had to flag down our server multiple times for refills and to place our food order. When the food arrived, one of our dishes was incorrect, and rectifying it took another significant delay. I'm really hoping this is just a temporary issue, as I've always recommended the Garage to everyone. I'd love to see the service return to the level it once was, because the potential is definitely there. I'll probably give them another chance in a few months, hoping for improvement so heres a faux five star becauseI don't want to be a Karen and sand bag the rating without giving...