Phoenix Bar & Grill — Restaurant in Mishawaka

As a restaurant they do not have the "best" food around. What they do have is really good food. Nothing on the menu is ever something I have been unhappy with. The menu isn't huge, but it is decent sized, they often have daily specials, the cost is very reasonable, especially when you see the huge portions. Sometimes to big! They need some smaller portions, such as a small 1/3 pub burger called the Stile! It's ok though as they have large to-go boxes. The food is always fresh, including the toppings and even their salads are great.

Talking the menu, the first thing that ever had me going to the Phoenix is they also have a late night menu. The ONLY place on the south side of Mishawaka you can get food late at night, often including fast food. It IS a "limited" menu and does not offer everything you can get the rest of the day, but it offers some options for a late night bite, when no one else in the area does.

As a bar, while I doubt they have everything if I really tried to put them to the test, they have always had any type and brand of alcohol I have ordered, when talking drinks. They are NOT a brew pub so don't expect anything fancy on tap, but they do have extended options in bottles if you don't want the budget on tap options.

Fantastic in having entertainment almost every night, whether its Karaoke or a live band, they can get very lively in the evening. The ONLY downside is the place acoustically, can get extremely loud and talking to people becomes yelling.

A plus for some and a minus for others, is that they are smoking.

Unlike a lot of the places on the south side of Mishawaka, they offer a wide range of hours, opening at 11am, and staying that way, typically, until the legal last call. Seven days a week, they are always hopping even on Sunday and Monday's. In fact, some of my best times have been on days I thought they would be slow.

Like most places they struggle with staffing, but the people that are there are skilled, fun, and personable, and I have never known them to have to close due to someone not being able to work. Be patient with them if they are really busy, and they will still get you taken care of.

Don't like to sit on a bar stool up at the bar? Not a problem! Whether you want a smaller table, or you want a traditional booth, they have that to.

A Couple of dart boards, a modern juke-box, and TV's give you some additional entertainment options.

You cannot go wrong, with a trip...

Almost 10 years ago, I wrote a glowing "five star" review on The Phoenix because they had some of the best sandwiches I've ever had, and arguably the best cheeseburger in the area. It was a treat, and a helluva value too, at just $7 for the "build your own" platter which included steak fries that were also delicious. We ordered there often enough that one of the bar-tenders who would take our calls would recognize my voice and know pretty much what I was getting, with very little variation.

I'd hadn't eaten here since 2020 and decided I wanted another one of those amazing burgers. My family ordered a few for take-out. Little did I know: everything has changed.

Obviously, the prices have gone up. It's 2024 and the world is the way it is. Understandable. While the burger is still a hefty 1/3 pound patty, there is no seasoning, and the burger was very dry. And being a cheeseburger, somehow the burger was missing the cheese. The website shows it's still supposed to come with cheese, so I don't know what happened there.

Most disappointing though were the fries. Gone are the well-seasoned, almost potato wedge-like steak fries that were mounded next to the burger, and they're replaced with bland, soggy crinkle-cut tragedies. A few were still cold in the center. I didn't even taste any salt on them.

I wish I could say I was embellishing some of these details to make a point, but I'm not. Maybe they were in a rush or something? I wish I had the answers. The food here now has gone from something I would crave at least once a week, to something I will likely never try again. I'm actually a bit in shock as I write this that I'm having to write a new review about this place, knowing that it's such a far-cry from what it used to be.

Originally, I wanted McDonald's this evening, but didn't wanna go across down to McKinley for it. Now, I wish I would have.

If anyone from The Phoenix reads this, please undo these changes! I don't know what happened, whether it's because of a new cook, new owners, or just a change in where the ingredients are sourced from, but this is not what The Phoenix should be. I can no longer recommend this place, and have to give it two stars. The food itself is just such a dramatic fall-off that I just cannot rate it any higher.

I'd honestly ask for a refund, but I don't want to call and have that kind of talk when the bar-tender is just there, trying to enjoy her...

Phoenix aka The Bird is like a second home to me and so many of my friends. This is your typical "dive bar" however the customer base is very diverse so all kinds of people frequent here and it is very music based. They offer great food and great drinks at very reasonable prices. The staff does a wonderful job at keeping up with the pressures, especially on the nights when the music community swarms into the place and they are a bit short staffed. Wednesday's are for karaoke. Thursday's are open jam with a full house band so if you play an instrument or sing, give it a shot. Friday and Saturday's are band nights which are usually variety cover bands and rock cover bands. Careful - sometimes it gets packed and can be standing room only at times on the weekends so if you want a table, don't go too late! :) They are open every day so if you want a little more relaxing time, try going Sunday, Monday, or Tuesday. NOTE: THE PHOENIX DOES...