Nice historic building and location in downtown Kalamazoo. The inside is fading and dull with deteriorating furniture. The bar is large and accommodating and the table selection is quite vast with a lot of room. Many many TVs and, usually, there is no problem getting almost any game one would like to see. It can get loud but usually only during weekend evenings, particularly when the academic year is in full swing at the local universities. A nice touch is the table shuffleboard games they have. Though they are not well maintained it is an interesting inclusion.

Nice beer selection, many draft beers. Tends toward sweeter and heavier microbrews which might not be for everyone. That doesn't mean there are no IPAs, lagers, etc of course. There are always multiple beers from Bell's Brewery in Kalamazoo but one would like to see more of an emphasis on local/Michigan beers perhaps. Though one can see the benefits of a wider geographic selection.

The food is very passable. The hamburgers are what one would expect from a good bar kitchen: messy, juicy, (you can choose your temp of doneness) good. They have the typical bar menu selection. Also there is free popcorn to snack on and their specials are good. Saturday hotdog and fries for $3 is a nice gameday "mop up the alcohol" sort of thing that won't break the bank. Not healthy but, hell, it's a bar!

The staff are hit and miss. My experience is that the newer bartenders are more attentive and pleasant (also effective) than those that have been there for a longer period. More on that below. The waitstaff are invariably female and, though there are some females, bartenders are 90%+ male. My numbers may be off because I'm not there day in and day out during all open hours. The waitstaff is good in my experience, particularly one young lady I often see during the day if I go there to have a rueben, beer, and use their free wifi (spotty). However I sit at the bar for the most part when there to watch games. The gender delineation is obvious but whether it's a conscious choice or not I do not know. It can give one pause if paying attention to such things.

So far not bad. But at the end of the day the management both in style and substance is problematic. I'll start with a small thing that is a microcosm of the management staff. The two managers (names unknown) are always unkempt. This includes slovenly dress (uniform of the place but wrinkled or not tucked in etc) and faces that seem to be an attempt at a "cool Don Johnson look" but in actuality just look like they haven't bothered to shave (or possibly shower) for a few days. It is a personal choice, of course. But it can be a turn off. PARTICULARLY when their effete machismo is in evidence. They are the kind of managers who want (and believe that) their customers, especially their regulars, LOVE them. So much so that they emphasize this over customer service. Changing TVs with no warning, lame justifications and an odd possessive attitude toward TV channel changes, no functional communication with customers aside from raucous anecdotes, condescending interaction with staff (especially female staff) which is a HUGE turn off, poor facilitation by the managers between the kitchen, bartenders, and the bar customers. This observer speculates that this rubs off on the long-time employed staff, especially the male bartenders, hence our preference for newly minted bartenders. At least for the first few weeks or months of their employment.

Bottom line: Shakespeare's has been a solid spot for gameday activities with many TVs, good food, beer, and specials. The staff has been hit or miss but a generally negative perception of management has been the straw that broke the camel's back. It is a shame when that sort of thing drives people from a nice unfranchised local place within a historic building to Buffalo Wild Wings or their ilk.