The Friesian Gastro Pub — Restaurant in Grand Rapids

POUTINE WEEK! September 13-28 on Michigan St in Grand Rapids.

Braised Short Rib Poutine (GLUTEN-FREE!!) - $20: It was the only gluten-free option we could find. Poutine has gravy which is typically made with flour, but can be made with corn starch. They have a gluten-free option which is basically without the Mint Gremolata (which we didn’t want anyway). It was the last serving of the night since they ran out. It was VERY good, so I can see why it ran out.

The hand-cut fries were medium shoestring cut and were mainly soaked in the gravy. The texture wasn’t too bad for what it sounds, though.

The braised short rib was the main player in the dish. It was very tender and you could tell they went all out.

The cheese curds were classic poutine. I thought there wasn’t enough when looking at it, but was actually spot on (there were actually a few leftover at the end).

The citrus crema was potent by itself to the taste, but once stirred in, a wonderful nuance.

I am seriously considering it as first place, but the price tag was $20. It was a good value, though for sure! It was a large plate!!

Diner Style Smash Burger - $18: Also, I have been wanting to try their smash burger. Couldn’t resist.

The smash burger patty was high quality and cooked right. The bacon was thick and tasty. The toppings were also higher quality and well balanced. The cheese was slightly on the lighter side, but worked in this case really well.

I was really looking forward to the Nantucket bun, but the sesame seeds were a bit over done. The bun was good, though.

Service: We were allowed to choose our own seats. Some of the tables were not yet cleaned up, so it was a little slim pickings. The waitress was very positive, knowledgeable, and helpful. There was a mix-up about the poutine. We wanted gluten-free and it was not understood the first time, but it was noted and corrected BEFORE it was actually made.

I wasn’t too excited to use the online menu, though. It worked for us since we already knew what we wanted.

Atmosphere: Darker industrial feel with wood accents. There was softer and quieter music in the background and it was a great quiet place to stop. We dined indoors, but there is outdoor dining out back or on the ROOF!

Conclusion: This place has a lot to offer! The exterior is a bit deceiving. It is amazing on the inside. It is clean and professional. The food is high quality and at a fair price. It is a little more expensive, but it is worth the price you pay.

6:30-7:30pm Thursday...

Friesian Gastro Pub (my last name is Friesian) is one of those rare, amazing restaurants where you don’t know if you hate to love them or love to hate them because everything about it was so good you don’t know what to order and you’re afraid it’s too good to be true and might go away. But there’s worse problems to have! Our server was super friendly and appropriately attentive and really helped us choose the best of the best. My brother-in-law had the pork belly ramen with added tiger shrimp and I’m sure if I tried to sneak a bite I would have gotten stabbed with his chop sticks. I ended up going for the pork ribs but was actually the cut of meat just outside the rib. I’ve butchered a lot of game and whoever cut this piece has my respect including just a thin slice of the fat.

Out of principle I have to find something to criticize, therefore; the truffle potatoes, which were awesome, had no detectable truffle flavor and you need to add more of the truffle oil. Oh, and the serving size was way too big. My sister had the carbonara (with added shrimp) and I’d switch the pasta to spaghetti vs the capellini with its higher starch content.

Too bad I live in Seattle or I’d...

We visited on a Saturday afternoon around 1pm. Only two other tables were occupied, but our waitstaff was slow. We waited 10 minutes before she returned to take our order after placing an appetizer order. The appetizer we chose was the sausage plate of the day, and it tasted like nothing. The sausage was flavorless as was the sauce. The sausage was also served at room temperature, again, despite there only being four other customers in the restaurant. Please note how small this appetizer was for $10. My husband had the Friesian burger, which he ordered medium well but was served with the interior still entirely pink. Flavor was good though. The fries were aggressively seasoned; very salty with what tasted like a powdered BBQ flavor. My salad was good, despite the delicata squash being undercooked to the point that it was literally inedible. The atmosphere was unexciting but completely acceptable. Music was good. Overall, we were not impressed with The Friesian and will not...