One Twenty Three Tavern — Restaurant in Grand Rapids

The Tuesday Smash Burger special was good.

If you are reading this just after I posted it, know that the prices are fluctuating and may not be accurate.

Smash Burger - $15: The two high quality smash patties about 4oz each (my guess). They were well seasoned with an emphasis on pepper. The pepper was not sharp, but it was deep.

The cheese was great. The toppings were well balanced, though I might have added a touch more. The lettuce texture was particularly wonderful. I asked for no pickle and the waitress recommended getting the fancy sauce on the side since it is pickle based (good call).

The Nantucket brioche bun was AMAZING (as usual). I’ve had Nantucket bread at multiple other restaurants and look for them now. It was soft, full, and kept the burger together well.

California Garlic Fries - $3 extra: Slightly smaller cut, deeper pepper flavor, a tad too much salt for my tastes, but overall the fries were amazing, cooked perfectly, and hot all the way to the end. There was a generous amount of fries, too. It made the $3 extra worth it!

Old Nation | Oktoberfest: Came free with the Tuesday special for the Smash Burger.

Tuesday Special: According to the website, “Every Tuesday, get our Classic Smash Burger and a brew for only $14.” When I asked about this, it was actually $15 and said that the website was not updated. I just checked the website again after and it was still listed as $14. I was charged $15 + $3 for the fries I asked for. They stick to their prices even when you correct them.

They also had pierogies on the menu and I’d like to try them sometime!

Service: Very attentive, positive, and helpful. She caught that I did not care for pickles and recommended getting the fancy sauce on the side (she was right). We did not wait long for anything and our burger arrived in less than 15 minutes. Overall, great service!

Atmosphere: Higher class, clean, organized, but plenty of people were in street clothes. The lighting was darker, medium loud, but plenty good for private conversation. There were booths, but mainly only larger ones. There was also a bar, taller tables and chairs as well as standard high ones,

Conclusion: Good burger. I like pepper, so it was enjoyable for me. I think the prices were fair for the quality, service, and pleasant atmosphere. I’d recommend them.

Visited at 7pm...

Wow what a disapointment ! ! From the reviews on line, we expecting a great experience ! What we received was a nice wait staff, not the most efficent. Being our first vist to this establishment we expected much more. First off this place is extremely had to find ! Tinest name sign on the building, that is Not flat against the building. Making it almost impossible to find ! You have to pay for street parking, mentally ill ppl walking, dancing around on the sidewalks n asking for money. Upon entering the building, it's a bit confusing which area is the entrance to the restaurant. A very small choice of meals, pretty adequate choice of drinks. We choose the Slammed hamburgers. It arrived to our table hot, with the meat totally burnt on the edges, two inches all around ! After removing the crispy burnt edges, the taste was a little better but no more then OK ! We had to pay a dollar extra for frys on a eleven dollar burnt hamburger !. So for one Bud light n a Bells Oberon beer, an over cooked, burnt berger n good fries our bill was not worth the price we paid ! ! Will not bother to give this place a second chance, to many obstacles. Oh I almost forgot we did receive a severe case of heart burn at no charge ! ! Oh yes there is also entertainment provided along with the meal ! There is an apartment building next door. Restaurant has hugh windows so you have a great view into their lobby area. So while waiting for our meals. (which took extreamly long wait time ) We were entertained with ppl moving their furniture in and desperately struggling with a Queen size mattress. Which they eventually dragged across the lobby...

This rating of 3 is based solely on the poor service and atmosphere of the bar. The dining experience is very nice.

I wanted this to be my go-to bar, as an above average, a little more sophisticated bar atmosphere. But they failed me. The last three times I went in, there was a regular (the same regular) who had the attention of most of the bartenders. Their banter seemed lively, but it also left the rest of the customers at the bar wanting for service. Once, I intended to order dinner, but the bartender was so preoccupied with this "chum" of a regular, that they never asked me if I wanted food. The last time I was in, the regular was yelling across the bar at a bartender. Like he was at a bus station or something.

Just sit at a table. You'll have a good experience. The food is well above average. But the bar feels like you're at an Applebee's.

There is one bartender, I believe his name is Mac, and he is quite attentive. But otherwise, this crew doesn't understand how to handle bar patrons. Often i witnessed customers with an empty glass waitingfar too long. It appears to me that most of the bar staff are more concerned with their co workers and pals at the bar than giving excellent service. It's too bad, because it could be a nice spot.

Smash burger, chicken, pork, all are very good. Make this a date spot, but...