Vivant Brewery & Spirits — Restaurant in Grand Rapids

I wanted to give 5 stars so bad! But...alas. Overall, I really did love this place, and I will absolutely be returning. Because of that, I'll start with what knocked off the star, and then I'll end on the high notes.

The negative - I ordered the star of the menu (judging from other reviews and from my buddy who was there with me), the duck nachos. Our food came out very quickly - great! Which is why I was so surprised with what I discovered - it was barely lukewarm in the middle, and cold everywhere else. They quickly replaced it and the replacement was hot.

The nachos are tasty. The cheese sauce is good, duck is tasty, overall flavors are good. But! It costs $23... and I could barely find any duck on it at all. What I did find was really delicious, just very little of it. It is extremely heavy on the chips... so many they are falling off the plate and about half of them don't get eaten because there wasn't enough toppings to go with them. At this price point, I expected something much better than what I got.

Okay, on to the good! This is in a very unique building, looks like an old church or chapel. Very cool atmosphere, and yet unpretentious. The host was polite, welcoming, and quick. Our waitress was really great. She was absolutely on top of everything and very friendly.

The beers! I had a flight, and the beers were all tasty. I've tried plenty of West Michigan breweries, and I'd say the flavors here put them well above the average. All good in this department in my book.

Lastly, I tried a bite of what my friend got, which was the beer cheese with some sort of homemade bread.

Guys... have you ever actually experienced the term "mouth watering flavor"? Where you bite into something, and it is so overwhelmingly delicious that your mouth starts watering as you're eating? THAT is what happened when I bit into this bread with the beer cheese! I literally drooled a tiny bit as I was chewing! Lol. The cheese was tasty, yes, but this bread... fresh and hot with perfectly chewy inside with an equally perfect crunchy crust, sprinkled with just a bit of sea salt on top... my God. I died and went to heaven. Easily one of the best bites of fresh bread I've ever had in my life.

So I'll be back! Again, overall I...

Brewery Vivant is one of my favorite places to eat in Grand Rapids. Fortunately, I only live a few blocks away, but this restaurant is worth it even if you’re coming in from out of town. The unique and hearty cuisine and warm, atmospheric space make for a rich meal, especially in the evening. If you’re not in for something quirky, like the ever popular duck nachos, the burger is always amazing.

I know many people who visit Vivant will have a polarized opinion of their alcohol selection—since it’s all brewed in-house, and usually with an eclectic bent, the brews are not for everyone. But I’ve found a few tried-and-true selections (Triumph and Farmhand, to name a few) that are always satisfying and generally appealing. That is, if I’m not in the mood to try something more off the beaten path.

The space itself is about as interesting as the food and drink, with a deep, warm ambiance. You may wind up sitting next to a few other guests at their long tables—I used to be put-off by that, since I tend to like to keep to myself. But this really falls right in line with the general vibe, where you might wind up a bit out of your comfort zone, yet still immersed in a homey warmth. The staff fully backs up that idea, as I’ve always had a great experience with everyone who’s helped us.

The way I usually describe Vivant to friends is that it’s like a medieval tavern with a modern sophistication. If you’ve ever wanted to step in to a pub on a snowy winter’s night, eat a dense meal, and have a conversation wrapped in the soft glow of the lamp light, this is your place. And you can do that while you diversify your palette. To wrap it all up, Vivant sources many of their items locally, and their restaurant is the first LEED certified micro-brewery in the world.

All this and more makes Vivant a regular in our restaurant rotation, and once you get settled in to a meal that’ll warm you like meeting an old friend, it isn’t...

Been going here for quite some time and it used to be a favorite. Visited a few days before Christmas and just about everything except the beer was terrible.

Ordered the poutine and the fries seemed to have changed. They went from what appeared to be quality home cut to mass produced trash. The quality of them has dramatically been reduced. Also got the bear cheese and the bread selection also seems to have been charged for the worst. In the past all bread products had been from Nantucket Bakery (bread for this app, sandwich buns,ext). This no longer seems to be the case and again it seems like quality was reduced.

Wife ordered a burger and it came out overcooked (after ordering it med and being warned that the cook might be on the light side of the temp), dry, and way over salted (almost inedible. We actually had to debate if we wanted to give the meet to our dogs, we did not...). I ordered the hot chicken sandwich, and it was ok. It was slightly overcooked and definitely could taste the oil in it.

Unfortunately we could not inform our server as he disappeared after he took our food order. He did not return until it was time for the bill. He did not deliver our food, check on us after the food was delivered, or ask for refills at any time. We would have ordered several more drinks had he stopped by. He just stood by the bar or hostess stand. We had to ask a hostess that was walking by just for utensils.

Unfortunately, we received a gift card at Christmas (before we could tell anyone of our recent experience) to Vivant. We where actively disappointed. May try Broad Leaf instead.

On a side note, they used to carry a managers cut. It has been a long time since they have had one. The steaks used to be one of the best items...